1. But still starting with that Conservative/UUP link-up- Steven King on why Cameron rejected the Dupes in favour of the UUP. Something to do with them not really fitting in with the new inclusive version of the Conservative Party.
2. It’s been at least a couple of weeks since I last mentioned The Bard of Barking, so a timely post by Scottish Unionist on Billy Bragg:
So here we have an Englishman who, while being passionately and very distinctively English, regards aspects of Scots and Welsh culture not merely as related to his own, but as integral components of his own identity. Such genuine multicultural richness is a direct result of the Union.
3. Only Turgon could bring together Voltaire, Prospero, Zombies and Jim Allister, all in one flowing eulogy.
4. “Braveheart” contained one or two historical inaccuracies apparently:
'Historians from England will say I am a liar,' says Mel Gibson in the voiceover. Yup, says Alex von Tunzelmann.
5.Fair Deal finds flaws in the IPPR’s report on the (flawed) Barnett Formula.
6. Glyn Davies, still smarting from being referred to as a "separatist" (he's in favour of limited extended powers for the Welsh Talking Shop) talks sense on the subject of promoting Welsh:
For example, I've long believed that the long term success of the Welsh Language and culture depends on attracting the goodwill of non Welsh speakers. I try never to speak in Welsh if there is a non Welsh speaker in the group conversation. I know. Why should we not speak our own language in our own country etc.? But what matters to me is the long game. To adopt a phrase from the Iraq War, its about winning 'hearts and minds'. Sometimes, by speaking English today, we can ensure that more people will be speaking Welsh tomorrow.
7. Robert Hazell, of the University of London's Constitutional Unit, on the hurdles to be jumped before Scottish independence; his argument that the Unionist parties shouldn't be giving them a helping hand over is a valid one.
8. Beano finds common cause with Barry McElduff in the belief that Ireland doesn't stop at Dundalk.
9. With Plaid Cymru over-running the Welsh blogosphere, Dylan Jones-Evans delivers a sabre-rattling call to arms for Tory bloggers.
10. Chekov's review of Norman Porter's "Rethinking Unionism", a book which, twelve years on, remains the seminal work for many younger Unionists, defining as it does the still-developing concepts of civic/liberal and British (as opposed to cultural and Ulster) Unionism.
Suggestions for next week's selection are most welcome!
3 comments:
I'm choosing to be flattered at two weeks in the list rather than damned by faint praise at propping it up again! ;-)
Got to fit you in somewhere!!
It's not listed in quality order but in a series of (very) loose connected links- the two pieces of yours I've featured on here were more refelective in nature and a good way to close the list.
Lol. Don't worry. I was being slightly tongue in cheek. I'm just worried I'll have to apply for re-election for next week.
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