Comments on: Of no fixed address

By: Michelle H.

Michelle H. — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 04:23:20 +0000

Some very interesting things you mentioned here! I’m not the biggest fan of politics, but I did enjoy your talk about British life. Thanks for stopping by my site and commenting!

By: Old Woman

Old Woman — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:39:17 +0000

Jerry says that the obit in the Economist mentions neither the note nor the coat. I didn’t read it; yours was good enough.

By: Duchess

Duchess — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:58:35 +0000

I wouldn’t want to moderate the question of whether the US Congress or the UK Parliament were the more compromised. But Dick reminds me how very much we in the UK will all miss Tony Benn when he is no longer there to keep us honest.

By: T P

T P — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:39:16 +0000

Don’t want to take issue with you, Dick, but maybe “most compromised” overstates it by one if you’ve been looking at the U.S. Congress lately, where even members are saying out loud, as they leave, that they can have more impact and do more good working outside it. Is there a well-governned country anywere in the world? That’s a serious question, I’d really like to know.

By: Dick

Dick — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:23:10 +0000

That’s a great weaving together of batteries and obituary, Duchess.

Michael Foot was a damn sight more than a sweet old duffer. He was, at a crucial time, the eloquent conscience of the Labour Party and the fact that he was a completely ineffectual leader was testimony to his unswerving loyalty to socialism. Tony Benn has been a much more useful loose cannon since leaving Parliament. Maybe Foot should have done the same and spoken truth to power from outside that most compromised of places.

By: Jane Gassner

Jane Gassner — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:29:31 +0000

Strikes…I remember going about with candles in my pocket for when the power went out. And the mistake I made buying those crabs (in shell) to eat the day the garbage guys went out. That was a long time for crab shells to be sitting in the back garden.

By: Jan

Jan — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:36:04 +0000

I love reading your posts about British life and politics - now I’ll spend the evening Googling Michael Foot.

You are indeed one tough Duchess, but I’d suspected that for some time now.

By: Tessa

Tessa — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:44:07 +0000

Oh lord, I remember Michael Foot and the longest suicide note in history! Footy was a sweet old duffer but, as you say, definitely not cut out for party leadership. It’s a sad reality that only utter snakes can succeed in politics; just look at the current lot. It makes me cringe to read Blair and Cameron eulogising him. I’m quite sure he would have despised both of them.

Lulz on “wishing mass murder” during labour. Me too! I swore like a trooper throughout and my poor wee son arrived to a fusillade of four-letter words.