A friend has put forward the following ideas for inclusion in a fantasy British cabinet:
PM: Denis Healey (Labour's lost leader who was defence secretary 1964-70 and Chancellor, 76-79)
Home Secretary or possibly Minister for local government?: Joseph Chamberlain (visionary father of Tory municipal welfarism (>Birmingham) and then later a leading Tory, if not leader of the Tories, at the national level in opposition to the Lloyd George Liberal Government)
I had suggested to my friend the idea of putting Joseph Chamberlain's nephew Neville in as foreign secretary (more as a joke than a serious suggestion). On previous occasions we have discussed the idea of Shirley Williams as foreign secretary, although I will await his further thoughts on this interesing idea)
Education: Anthony Crossland (would-be destroyer of grammar schools - serial incompetent or intellectual visionary of revisionist socialism?)
I await my friend's further contribution to this list
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Fantasy government
Pick your own members of a fantasy British cabinet. The rules of the game are that the individuals must be at least semi plausible as holders of a senior post i.e. politicians or at least those who plausibly could have joined/been nominated to join a government. They do not have to be contemporaries of each other, nor members of the same party, nor UK nationals.
A brief justification/explanation would be helpful in most cases, although some individuals may speak for themselves. You can of course choose someone who has been in the British government, including in the job that you nominate them for. The fantasy can be the idea of these individuals being in the same government, or even the implied notion that they were in any way to be admired in the job that they did actually do. Of course it is more fun and more of a fantasy to pick those who did not actually hold such a post.
To get things started, here are some of my suggestions from a recent chat with my mate “A”. They are however a bit tame and very 20th century.
PM: Jim Callaghan (in a Labour government that had successfully reined in the unions as it intended in the late 60s)
Foreign Secretary: Shirley Williams
Chancellor: Roy Jenkins (held this post under Wilson 1967-70)
Home secretary: Barbara Castle (Wilson cabinet member)
Education secretary: Rab Butler (Tory chancellor 1955-9(?))
Defence: Denis Healey (held this post 66-70)
Having written this, I now propose some radical changes:
PM: Lloyd George
Foreign Secretary: Bevin or Lord Curzon
Chancellor: Healey
Home secretary: Anthony Crossland (briefly foreign secretary under Callaghan)
Defence: Malcolm Rifkind
Suggestions will be considered for inclusion if you email me, or of course you can post any comment you feel is (in)appropriate
A brief justification/explanation would be helpful in most cases, although some individuals may speak for themselves. You can of course choose someone who has been in the British government, including in the job that you nominate them for. The fantasy can be the idea of these individuals being in the same government, or even the implied notion that they were in any way to be admired in the job that they did actually do. Of course it is more fun and more of a fantasy to pick those who did not actually hold such a post.
To get things started, here are some of my suggestions from a recent chat with my mate “A”. They are however a bit tame and very 20th century.
PM: Jim Callaghan (in a Labour government that had successfully reined in the unions as it intended in the late 60s)
Foreign Secretary: Shirley Williams
Chancellor: Roy Jenkins (held this post under Wilson 1967-70)
Home secretary: Barbara Castle (Wilson cabinet member)
Education secretary: Rab Butler (Tory chancellor 1955-9(?))
Defence: Denis Healey (held this post 66-70)
Having written this, I now propose some radical changes:
PM: Lloyd George
Foreign Secretary: Bevin or Lord Curzon
Chancellor: Healey
Home secretary: Anthony Crossland (briefly foreign secretary under Callaghan)
Defence: Malcolm Rifkind
Suggestions will be considered for inclusion if you email me, or of course you can post any comment you feel is (in)appropriate
Welcome to the fantasygovernment blog
I have selected three initial themes that cover stuff that has come up in recent conversation with friends: figures for inclusion in a fantasy government (the name of this very blog), dating chat (self-explanatory), and...eh... dating (related to the former category and possibly the first)
If you would like to submit your credentials then I will consider including you as an author on these or any other issues on this blog, or you can simply send ideas for inclusion, or just post any insulting comments as you feel fit.
If you would like to submit your credentials then I will consider including you as an author on these or any other issues on this blog, or you can simply send ideas for inclusion, or just post any insulting comments as you feel fit.
Soulmates
(Un)inspired by stories from those who have used Grauniad Soulmates, the seeming inadequacies of its informational aspect came to mind.
If you agree, why not tick some of the following boxes, copy and paste into an email, and give your prospective partner a more honest insight prior to coitus
Social/hobbies: Are you or have you ever been one of the following?
Arsonist
Anarchist
Junkie
Soft drug user
Inebriate
Marxist
Admirer of Michael Heseltine
Interested in the Middle East
Carnivore
Supporter of PR
Auto-eroticist
Gardener (uphill or downdale)
Stamp collector
Topologist
Misanthrope
Wearer of silk underpants
Francophile
Feel free to add your own arresting categories
If you agree, why not tick some of the following boxes, copy and paste into an email, and give your prospective partner a more honest insight prior to coitus
Social/hobbies: Are you or have you ever been one of the following?
Arsonist
Anarchist
Junkie
Soft drug user
Inebriate
Marxist
Admirer of Michael Heseltine
Interested in the Middle East
Carnivore
Supporter of PR
Auto-eroticist
Gardener (uphill or downdale)
Stamp collector
Topologist
Misanthrope
Wearer of silk underpants
Francophile
Feel free to add your own arresting categories
Chat
Transcribing chats with friends can be entertaining (arguably). This is an excerpt from a recent telephone conversation I had with a mate. Additional material should be submitted via the email address above
X: I was going to go on a date tonight but I can’t be arsed.
Y: What's she like?
X: Pre-Raphaelite…..
Y: What, her hair or her taste in art?
X: Hair, ginger curls
Y: Never liked ginger….ginger minger
X: Thing is, she’s such an environmentalist
Y: Oh shit
X: You know, recycling and global warming, she ticks all the right boxes but I can’t be arsed with all that
Y: Yeah, you don’t want to be constantly discussing it
X: Not on a date at least.
X: She’s a bit like our old friend in that respect
Y: You’ve been there, done that…
X: I did not do her
Y: Not in the biblical sense perhaps…..
X: You remember what your mate said about sleeping with her…..that it was like being engulfed…
Y: Did you two never get close then?
X: she once groped me in a pub
Y: where?
X: In the saloon bar I believe
Y: Nah…..Where about your person?
X: My arse
Y: Well, really….
X: I was going to go on a date tonight but I can’t be arsed.
Y: What's she like?
X: Pre-Raphaelite…..
Y: What, her hair or her taste in art?
X: Hair, ginger curls
Y: Never liked ginger….ginger minger
X: Thing is, she’s such an environmentalist
Y: Oh shit
X: You know, recycling and global warming, she ticks all the right boxes but I can’t be arsed with all that
Y: Yeah, you don’t want to be constantly discussing it
X: Not on a date at least.
X: She’s a bit like our old friend in that respect
Y: You’ve been there, done that…
X: I did not do her
Y: Not in the biblical sense perhaps…..
X: You remember what your mate said about sleeping with her…..that it was like being engulfed…
Y: Did you two never get close then?
X: she once groped me in a pub
Y: where?
X: In the saloon bar I believe
Y: Nah…..Where about your person?
X: My arse
Y: Well, really….
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