Tuesday 1 October 2024

Five Most Popular Posts in September

The summer is over and the nights are drawing in. But regardless of the changing seasons this blog remorselessly marches on. Here then are the five hot shots that hit the spot in September.

1. Confessions of the Gravediggers
2. A Note on Authoritarian Modernisation
3.
Residual Welfare Vs Social Security
4. A Fondness for Freebies
5. Why Scrap Winter Fuel Allowance?

Surging ahead of the pack was my take on the "unexpected" revelations that the Labour right were more interested in ditching Jeremy Corbyn than winning an election. A reminder that these people can't be trusted to do anything except for what might advance their careers. Our runner up was a look at Keir Starmer's statecraft. What are the principles guiding his wooden managerialism? What is he trying to achieve? Third place was a result of this strategy: their successful assault on a remaining prop of universalism. While it's time for pensioners to cut their cloth, no such restraint applies to Labour's leadership. A good chunk of the month and no mean amount of political capital was expended defending Starmer and co.'s right to accept all the gifts. And coming in last was another look at the cut to Winter Fuel Allowance.

Labour have monopolised the traffic, so let's look at something else. Sticking with politics, we nip across the Channel to take in Macron's anti-democratic shenanigans. And leaving this most ignoble of pursuits entirely, I choose to bat some disaster SF your way.

October's here, and appropriately enough for Hallowe'en month the horrors are abroad at Conservative Party conference. I have a sense this blog will return to its specialist subject. I can feel a piece on a recent science fiction novel in my bones too. But undoubtedly there will be fall out aplenty from Rachel Reeves's budget. As we're not allowed nice things, who's going to get clobbered? As ever, if you haven't already don't forget to follow the occasional newsletter, and if you like what I do (and you're not skint), you can help support the blog. Following me on Twitter and Facebook are cost-free ways of showing your backing for this corner of the internet.

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