A Song of Earth and Air: EU elections primer

Through the medium of Game of Thrones

“I’m so excited about the European elections!” shouted nobody ever.

MEPs in Brussels seem like a distant, complex, and possibly futile thing for anyone under thirty to worry about. The prospect of actually voting for them is needlessly confusing, and very hard to get enthusiastic about.

Luckily Game of Thrones is here, and it’s great. The cool kids love it. Without further ado, and in no coherent order, here is an EU primer with a heavy sprinkling of G.R.R.Martin.

***Spoiler Warning: content up to s4e5 of the TV show or ‘A Storm of Swords’ of the books ***

Call the Banners – Thatcher Death Party

Thatcher was not a perfect prime minister or person. It is valid to criticise her at any time. This is an opportune moment, not because of her death, but because the excellent borrowing rates Britain is enjoying offer a once-in-a-generation opportunity to restructure the economy, the whole country, to heal the hurts and inequality her ‘reign’ dealt. Thatcher’s dominance caused Labour to disavow its socialist and militant branches, abandon Clause IV and adopt the paradigms of monetarism championed by the Iron Cult. New Labour represented far more continuity with the Tory position than many admit, giving free rein to the Bank of England and preserving the City’s dominance. This ‘received wisdom’ contributed to the 2008 crash and our current predicament.

Sympathy for Peter Hitchens (or Why ‘Homophobe’ and ‘Racist’ are unhelpful terms)

“Closet racists and loonies”

–          Dave

“When you get to the bottom of it, they are always racist.”

–          Gary

“…but I love brie and merlot. It’s a tough one.”