We can all understand the emotional pull for an independent Scotland, even if the nation’s ‘branding’ was largely created in the nineteenth century. It’s more difficult to understand the logical intellectual reasons; the drive to independence seems more based on not being British ie not governed from Westminster, dominated by a London-centric economy and the…
Since I first came to Italy 45 years ago, there has been a dramatic shift in Italian society. The collapse of the Roman Catholic Church as a forceful power in people’s lives has been dramatic. The loss of belief among younger generations is most notable among young women and now only about 5-7% of the…
When Baroness Warsi suddenly resigned last week from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) it was patently clear that her reasons were not as advertised by herself. Ministerial resignations like this, with no warning and no previously expressed public concern about policy, are nearly always a symptom of bad relationships between ministers or a quiet…
Regular bog followers will know that in summer recess I am usually in Tuscany, Italy, where everyone will be delighted to know that the weather is worse than in the UK, the worst summer here since 1960. (Good for the olives though). But following the dramas of Italian politics is as addictive as ever, not…
As we wind down to the end of term, I just want to comment on Lord Tyler’s complaint about the increasingly politically partisan voting of peers. I wonder if the statistics bear out what Lord Tyler claims? I confess I do not know. I have not really noticed any difference in party allegiance over the…
