Farcical election for Oxford Chancellor

Does it matter?  Possibly not.  But the election for the next Chancellor at Oxford is seriously bringing the game into disrepute.

Back in the mists of time, when Harold Macmillan popped his socks, yours truly - who had passed through but not bothered to take his degrees - rushed to take both[1] at the first opportunity, in order to be eligible to vote to prevent the awful prospect of Harold Wilson becoming Chancellor.  Roy Jenkins got the gig.

Now that Fatty Peng[2] has run his course, we are faced with a candidate list of 38!  And what a list - including a bunch of chancers and self-publicists the likes of which have rarely been assembled at the same time and place.  But where is the much-heralded candidature of Imran Kahn, I hear you say?  Ans:  the full list of applicants was more than 60 - there has been a committee exercise in order to filter the race down to manageable proportions!  FFS, who else applied?  Prince Andrew?  Gary Glitter?  A late entry from Mohamed Al-Fayed? 

But yes, there's Peter Mandelson, politicking away as ever, his well-oiled self-publicity machine going through the gears.  He had (I am reliably told) been expecting to become Ambassador to Washington as a thank-you for all his help to Starmer.  Hélas! - it is not to be.  So he wants Oxford as a consolation prize.

I leave you all to scan the list of candidates' statements, with this challenge: select your favourite short piece(s) of arrant BS from this ghastly collection, and let us have them BTL.  By heaven, we're spoiled for choice.

ND

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[1] Literally, back-to-back.  Out one door; change of gown; straight in again for the next one.  If anyone's interested in such stories.

[2] He did the job OK.  But he could never be stopped from promoting his wretched books whenever he made a set-piece speech.  I mean - on trestle tables, piled high, and an underling armed with a credit-card reader.  Really tacky!

Cultural Stereotyping: Shock, Horror!

So, hot-foot from the metropolitan political hurlyburly, the sophisticated Drew family block vote of two is in Devon, in a fabulous waterfront fish'n'chips establishment.  Well, the food and drink is fabulous - but on the telly in the corner (sadly) is the BBC's Commonwealth Games coverage, blaring out "It-a-Brom-Ting, It-a-Brom-Ting".

Says the proprietor:  I'll tell you what's a Brum thing.  The Brummies all order a jug of gravy to go with their fish!  Yes!  They all do! 

Cultural stereotyping?  Oh, they have absolutely no inhibitions down here!

ND

Predictions game 2022

 So for this year, more free form for the predictions game.

The four topics for consideration are UK Politics, Global Politics, Macro Economics and Covid.

Make a prediction for the development of each of these, plus one bonus as a tie breaker.

Get started in the comments!

For me, in UK politics Boris will survive the year somehow, in global politics Russia will not invade Ukraine directly but engineer a civil war of some sort and perhaps then take a police action. In macro economics inflation will fade in some products as goods and trade recover, but remain high as energy costs drive it like the oil crisis of the 1970’s. Covid will be with us, Omicron signalling the end for a nice spring and summer but the autumn will see a new variant. As my bonus, Northern Ireland will cause huge Brexit issues and a desperate Boris will invoke Article 16 as a way to try to drag both the EU and the US into a new round of negotiations. 

Weekend post - To Trump or not to Trump?

After a week in which he pushed for an insurrection and got the YMCA storming the Capitol, President Trump has now said he won't attend the inauguration of Joe Biden. Quelle Surprise. 

So the question for debate in the comments:

1 - Should be be impeached?

2 - Will he be impeached?

The new season of Earth:2021 is certainly shaping up to match the ghoulish horror of the 2020 season.

Exodus 20:20 - London

 And so came the time of change upon the land. 

Ravaged by plague and the mass of humanity seething in the Metropolis. 

The welcome to strangers had pushed the sinews of London to breaking point. 

Mayor Khan, for it were he, enjoyed his state patronage, but was happy to see the City fall to ruin assailed by vagabonds, for he did not like King Boris and was happy too see his realm fall into anarchy.

But the people of London were discontent, they did not like the anarchy and the did not like the plague.

At first they stayed in their homes, awaiting the dark times to pass. But the dark times did not pass. 

So eventually, they began to leave. The newcomes could have the anarchy, the Londoners wanted it no more. They wanted the promised land, the land of the shires, where there was not anarchy, where there were green fields instead of burning concrete buildings and where they could hope to escape the plague. 

The Exodus had begun. 

(This post is inspired by my Estate Agent friends who assure me that currently any house in the home counties is selling at asking price within a few days of going to market)