It's still all bad

London

Dave Hill on why both Jon Cruddas and Boris Johnson are right about London and about immigration. And on how Labour held Eltham, which also touches on the immigration issue and draws on Raven and Darryl.

UK

Duncan's sober analysis of the BNP election results. The IWCA's even more sober analysis.

I've already posted too much about Gillian Duffy, and I don't want readers to gag on an overdose of Spiked, but this piece by Frank Furedi on the varieties of bigotry is worth reading. Related, I totally missed this peice in the (middle class Guardian) on the war on working class culture. The authors' full report, "The War on Working Class Culture", can be read in pdf here.

Global

Brendan O'Neill, ex-RCPer, has always erred too far on the side of "free speech" for my liking, so I was surprised to agree with him in drawing back from the current free speech fundamentalism: Muhammad-baiting is a shallow, theatrical performance of Enlightenment values. Another Spikester, Natalie Rothschild, shows how liberal anti-fascism gave birth to the BNP's self-image as free speech martyrs.

And here she is on a related issue - Gil Scott Heron in Israel - "The revolution will not be Tel Aviv'ed". Moving away from Spiked but staying with that topic: a highly recommended post by Mira at Engage on ethical consumerism and the boycott tool. Essential reading for those trying to form an opinion on the boycott of Israel: Contentious Centrist on some of the things going on in Palestine that are under-reported - the destruction of supposedly "illegal" Arab homes, and the extension of the heavily fortified "apartheid wall". Also, Martin on Noam Chomsky getting banned from Israel.

Also Middle East relevant, but a lot more too: Important interview with Paul Berman by Michael Totten.

Comments

After all that, er, Spiking, you'd best go have a good lie down, old chap.
Ross said…
bob, thought you might be interested in knowing that an official history of AFA is due to be released on 28th July this year (the 25th anniversary of the first incarnation of AFA)

pre-ordering should be available in the next week or so and a mixture of pre-publication information will be put out there in the run up to launch
bob said…
Thanks Ross. Certainly am interested.

Francis, am slowly getting over the indigestion. Thanks for your concern.
Anonymous said…
Oona King at least has decent music taste - a total househead, her autobiography tells of nights in the Ministry of Sound etc.

btw have you noticed Labour candidates picking up that lamentable IWCA/Paul Stott 'immigration is a class issue' line (quote is from Ed Miliband).
bob said…
Seems to me Labour are finally learning from the BNP, but not exactly the right lesson. They have attempted to re-connect with their "core vote" and perceived immigration to be an area of disconnect. So, they amped up class again, but also tougher borders. It probably worked to some extent in some areas (Barking?) and might take the wind out of the BNP sails, but it is not the right thing. (See post above this one.)

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