The Middle Aged Revolutionary

“If the writer of these lines has succeeded in providing some material for clarifying these problems, he may regard his labours as not having been fruitless.”

V.I. Lenin, 1899

Author: JT

  • In Praise of Yes Minister (and Yes, Prime Minister)

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    There are some things which age very well over time. Like a fine wine, a dry-aged steak or a particularly stinky Stilton, both Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister have not only withstood the test of time in terms of their relevance and their contemporary humour but have, in my view, become essential viewing for…

  • Our Review of Paul Embery’s ‘Despised: Why the Modern Left Loathes the Working Class’: Part One

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    I was joined by my friend and comrade Terry Eaton as we took a deep dive into Paul Embery’s book ‘Despised’. In this first part, we look at the introduction and Chapter 1 of the book. You can see the video in full here.

  • The Problem With Sharon Graham

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    Two years ago, I was a contributor on a podcast for the Workers Party of Britain on the issue of the trade unions and the Labour party. With me on the panel was Joti Brar, the then deputy leader of the Workers Party, Paul Embery, noted trade unionist and author of the book Despised: Why…

  • My Old Man’s a Tory

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    The British comedy series Steptoe and Son was first broadcast in 1962 and ran for twelve years. It was written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, who first met in a sanatorium in Surrey, England when they were recovering from tuberculosis. Together, they became one of the most prolific, famous and successful comedy-writing duos that…

  • The Loneliness Phenomenon

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    The conservative commentator Matt Walsh, in his podcast on 22nd May 2024, highlighted the very modern phenomenon of single and lonely people. TikTok and other social media outlets are replete with videos made by people, predominately women, who appear to be stumped as to why they are single when there are so many potential partners…

  • The General Election: A Smörgåsbord of Options

    The General Election: A Smörgåsbord of Options

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    On a dreary, rainy and generally miserable May late evening in London, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak addressed the nation to inform them that they would be forced to endure a General Election on 4th July. Not only would they be forced to endure a General Election, arguably worse still they will be forced to endure…

  • Warrington Council and Their Auditor Problem

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    A report in the Financial Times of 11th May 2024 has revealed that a deeply indebted borough council refused to hand over key information to its auditor amid enquiries into almost £2bn of borrowing. Warrington borough council in Cheshire had been asked by its auditor, Grant Thornton, for information relating to debts incurred in its…

  • The CWU and the Sale of Royal Mail

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    The Communications Workers Union held a livestream in the late afternoon of Wednesday 15th May to report to members on the latest developments in the proposed takeover of Royal Mail by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky. According to Sky News, EP Group, the investment company which Kretinsky controls, has made a second and improved offer to…

  • The Beeching Report: A Legacy of Britain’s Railways

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    On 27th March 1963, British Railways published a report entitled “The Reshaping of Britain’s Railways”. The report, followed two years later by “The Development of the Major Trunk Routes”, detailed in full the lines and stations which, in the view of Dr Richard Beeching, the man who wrote both reports, should be closed permanently in…

  • Trouble at the Doctor’s

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    For anybody who has had to engage with their local GP surgery at any point in the last five years or so, there would have in all likelihood been a deep sense of dread as they picked up the phone to call the receptionist. Whether it was the trouble getting through at all, the near…