Nice one again Mr. Towler. I wonder if Mr. Kenyon realises what he may be about to achieve. It may place him firmly into political history, referred to at the next crucial by-election and the one after that. Will Reform UK of the future regale Mr.Kenyon's daring do, his pluck, his courage, his audacity to stand and turn the country, like your hinge, rusty and creaky, turning the door for the first time in an age where it's been shut to outsiders. Should he win I'll certainly be holding a cold beer aloft in congratulations. And so, I expect, will old Two Tier Kier.
Should he win and I hope for him he does as he's clearly a decent chap(I thought it very condescending and snotty the way people referred to Hannah the Spanner,a vital and useful profession.)The only person who will really be celebrating is Keir Starmer as one more Reform MP(or even Restore)won't make the slightest bit of difference .It all depends on how much the good people of this place want to be rid of Starmer or not.Only Burnham can do that .As Bette Davis famously said in “All about Eve”,”Fasten your seatbelts,it's going to be a bumpy night.”Also a fascinating bi election,the most interesting in years.Kind Regards.
Really enjoyed this piece. One thing I particularly value about your writing is the way you connect obscure or overlooked moments from history to modern political events in a way that makes current affairs feel part of a much longer national story. The comparison with the Middlesex elections and John Wilkes was fascinating and genuinely illuminating rather than just decorative historical reference.
I’m not a Reform supporter or voter, but I strongly believe there’s enormous value in reading people you don’t always politically agree with. Too much politics now is people remaining inside their own tribes and talking past one another. Whatever people think of the conclusions, your writing is consistently thought-provoking, historically informed and engaging. Thank you!!
You have a way of writing, Gawain, which is akin to poetry.
And one hopes that poetry, in terms of poetic justice, will be dealt to Labour, to Starmer and to Burnham.
Reform are up against it - the fake Tories may (admittedly) not try too hard.
The ‘grudge with the logo’ (as you coined it) is putting up a candidate, thus justifying your soubriquet. Let us hope that Makerfield treats Restore the way that Gorton/Denton treated Advance.
I’ll be up there door knocking and look forward to reporting back - the greatest single reward will be Starmer, Burnham et al attempting to explain how the nasty fascist, racist ‘Far Right’ inexplicably won yet again.
Fingers crossed - I see Starmer has been recruiting yet more Reform voters with his latest focussed sympathy for foreign Muslims.
Rupert Lowe has every right to put up a candidate,in order to give those who don't want to vote for Reform an alternative.I'm only saddened she is someone who is heavily involved in the Send industry .Such skills would be put to better use for the members of Reform who believe NF is the slightest bit Interested in this country or its' people .His policy on immigration seems to be to embrace a multitude of immigrants as candidates .As Enoch Powell rightly said ,"A nation busily engaged in heaping up its' own funeral pyre".
It comes as no surprise to me that "Grudge with a logo "is not original to an anonymous entity like yourself ,with the intellectual capacity of a squashed apricot.
Anyone would have a grudge given the abominable way he was treated by NF and his co owner of the limited company known as Reform.Yusuf even styles himself on Substack as ,”Shadow Home Secretary” or some such,pretty pompous for someone who isn't even in Parliament.
Burnham is a condescending carpetbagger who believes he is entitled to the votes of the "little people" of Makerfield. He has no interest in representing the constituents - this is entirely about his personal ambition and I hope the voters see through him. If they are foolish enough to elect him, one could say they will get what they deserve but the rest of us will get something we definitely do not deserve let alone want.
Although void of your insight, I can see how much is riding on this. I do appreciate the history lessons, too. Every bit slowly fills the canyon sized gaps in my knowledge. Thank you
Very nicely expressed. A fork in the road for Britain and what it says about the country. Is there a place that can say ‘no’ to the seemingly unstoppable machine of spin and bluster? I know, if Burnham wins it just postpones the inevitable just as Sunak did for the Tories. The debt mountain will catch up and bring the house down eventually. But it would be bliss to get there a little sooner and bring the over inflated balloon of hubris down to earth.
I struggle to associate your description of Burnham with the reality, at least the reality of the speech he made a couple of days ago which was full of, well, nothing really. He was as bland as we've come to expect from the current crop of politicians and spectacularly off target when he asserted that devolution brings people closer together, when the SNP hate the English now even more than they ever did. If the flagship is more batshit left wing ideology whilst ignoring the 200,000 illegal criminals who have broken into our country then he should be looking forward to a thumping great loss. I do hope someone is aware of the potential for fraudulent actions and that polling station volunteers will not allow blatant breaking of the law again.
If Burnham loses then it is earth shattering, if he wins it depends how, but will matter little to Reform's future, after all, it's only a by-election.
Utterly brilliant Gawain. Hinge or crossroads this will be a hugely significant result. For all our sakes I salute the plucky plumber and will him success in this fight. Clearly 2TK is backing Mr Kenyon with considerable enthusiasm as he represents his best chance of remaining in No 10. The other side of that coin is that it buys Reform crucial time to recruit, vet and prepare enough parliamentary candidates to achieve a sound victory at the next GE.
Excellent piece as usual .Am I right in thinking John Wilkes was the man to whom a peer said"Wilkes, you will either die of the Pox or on the gallows "to which he replied "That depends on whether I embrace your Lordship's principles or his mistress".?
Nice one again Mr. Towler. I wonder if Mr. Kenyon realises what he may be about to achieve. It may place him firmly into political history, referred to at the next crucial by-election and the one after that. Will Reform UK of the future regale Mr.Kenyon's daring do, his pluck, his courage, his audacity to stand and turn the country, like your hinge, rusty and creaky, turning the door for the first time in an age where it's been shut to outsiders. Should he win I'll certainly be holding a cold beer aloft in congratulations. And so, I expect, will old Two Tier Kier.
Should he win and I hope for him he does as he's clearly a decent chap(I thought it very condescending and snotty the way people referred to Hannah the Spanner,a vital and useful profession.)The only person who will really be celebrating is Keir Starmer as one more Reform MP(or even Restore)won't make the slightest bit of difference .It all depends on how much the good people of this place want to be rid of Starmer or not.Only Burnham can do that .As Bette Davis famously said in “All about Eve”,”Fasten your seatbelts,it's going to be a bumpy night.”Also a fascinating bi election,the most interesting in years.Kind Regards.
Really enjoyed this piece. One thing I particularly value about your writing is the way you connect obscure or overlooked moments from history to modern political events in a way that makes current affairs feel part of a much longer national story. The comparison with the Middlesex elections and John Wilkes was fascinating and genuinely illuminating rather than just decorative historical reference.
I’m not a Reform supporter or voter, but I strongly believe there’s enormous value in reading people you don’t always politically agree with. Too much politics now is people remaining inside their own tribes and talking past one another. Whatever people think of the conclusions, your writing is consistently thought-provoking, historically informed and engaging. Thank you!!
I will admit that Wilkes has long been a hero of mine.
And thank you, we all need to walk outside our silo now and again.
You have a way of writing, Gawain, which is akin to poetry.
And one hopes that poetry, in terms of poetic justice, will be dealt to Labour, to Starmer and to Burnham.
Reform are up against it - the fake Tories may (admittedly) not try too hard.
The ‘grudge with the logo’ (as you coined it) is putting up a candidate, thus justifying your soubriquet. Let us hope that Makerfield treats Restore the way that Gorton/Denton treated Advance.
I’ll be up there door knocking and look forward to reporting back - the greatest single reward will be Starmer, Burnham et al attempting to explain how the nasty fascist, racist ‘Far Right’ inexplicably won yet again.
Fingers crossed - I see Starmer has been recruiting yet more Reform voters with his latest focussed sympathy for foreign Muslims.
Rupert Lowe has every right to put up a candidate,in order to give those who don't want to vote for Reform an alternative.I'm only saddened she is someone who is heavily involved in the Send industry .Such skills would be put to better use for the members of Reform who believe NF is the slightest bit Interested in this country or its' people .His policy on immigration seems to be to embrace a multitude of immigrants as candidates .As Enoch Powell rightly said ,"A nation busily engaged in heaping up its' own funeral pyre".
It comes as no surprise to me that "Grudge with a logo "is not original to an anonymous entity like yourself ,with the intellectual capacity of a squashed apricot.
Anyone would have a grudge given the abominable way he was treated by NF and his co owner of the limited company known as Reform.Yusuf even styles himself on Substack as ,”Shadow Home Secretary” or some such,pretty pompous for someone who isn't even in Parliament.
Burnham is a condescending carpetbagger who believes he is entitled to the votes of the "little people" of Makerfield. He has no interest in representing the constituents - this is entirely about his personal ambition and I hope the voters see through him. If they are foolish enough to elect him, one could say they will get what they deserve but the rest of us will get something we definitely do not deserve let alone want.
Agree with this piece wholeheartedly, except where Andy Burnham is referenced as a gentleman!
Although void of your insight, I can see how much is riding on this. I do appreciate the history lessons, too. Every bit slowly fills the canyon sized gaps in my knowledge. Thank you
The Substack where English history meets political reality- another excellent piece.
When they make a film about Nigel in Holywood, you should be the scriptwriter !
Very nicely expressed. A fork in the road for Britain and what it says about the country. Is there a place that can say ‘no’ to the seemingly unstoppable machine of spin and bluster? I know, if Burnham wins it just postpones the inevitable just as Sunak did for the Tories. The debt mountain will catch up and bring the house down eventually. But it would be bliss to get there a little sooner and bring the over inflated balloon of hubris down to earth.
I struggle to associate your description of Burnham with the reality, at least the reality of the speech he made a couple of days ago which was full of, well, nothing really. He was as bland as we've come to expect from the current crop of politicians and spectacularly off target when he asserted that devolution brings people closer together, when the SNP hate the English now even more than they ever did. If the flagship is more batshit left wing ideology whilst ignoring the 200,000 illegal criminals who have broken into our country then he should be looking forward to a thumping great loss. I do hope someone is aware of the potential for fraudulent actions and that polling station volunteers will not allow blatant breaking of the law again.
If Burnham loses then it is earth shattering, if he wins it depends how, but will matter little to Reform's future, after all, it's only a by-election.
Utterly brilliant Gawain. Hinge or crossroads this will be a hugely significant result. For all our sakes I salute the plucky plumber and will him success in this fight. Clearly 2TK is backing Mr Kenyon with considerable enthusiasm as he represents his best chance of remaining in No 10. The other side of that coin is that it buys Reform crucial time to recruit, vet and prepare enough parliamentary candidates to achieve a sound victory at the next GE.
Excellent piece as usual .Am I right in thinking John Wilkes was the man to whom a peer said"Wilkes, you will either die of the Pox or on the gallows "to which he replied "That depends on whether I embrace your Lordship's principles or his mistress".?
Congratulations to Gawain on reaching a well deserved 1000+ subscribers.