Liz Truss had some great sentiments. Rather than be racked with shame about our history and doubt about our future, she said, it’s time for the British to be proud once again of who we are and what we stand for. She added that warts were all part of her life.
She is right. About the past and the future — and even the warts. It is not the past or future. The imperfect moment. Today is the day.
What we are today is the problem, and not what it was or could be. We claim to be a caring people and the most civilised nation in the world but let’s take a cold hard look at us today. Do we truly believe that?
When you look around it’s difficult to imagine ourselves or our country being anything to be proud of.
It is difficult to see beyond the second-raters, those who are deemed privileged, and the diddlers, snivellers, chisellers, and snivellers that seem to have the responsibility of running UK plc to its knees. This is not just for Government but also in Civil Service and other areas.
JAN MOIR: Liz Truss (pictured last month) came out with some fine sentiments. Rather than be racked with shame about our history and doubt about our future, she said, it’s time for the British to be proud once again of who we are and what we stand for. She added, “Warts and all.”
Only exception to the rule today is the shocking fact that our comfort levels are far below average on all fronts.
This week’s scandal — whether those at No 10 had a party while the rest of the nation was obeying lockdown — is bad enough.
But this putative transgression shrivels to dust beside the can’t-be-bovvered attitude of those politicians and civil servants who failed in their duty of care in getting people out of Afghanistan; in providing a safe passage to those who had risked their lives to help us.
WFH jobsworths who wouldn’t pick up the phone or put in five minutes of overtime to help, thus ushering some of our allies and their families to almost certain death.
Let’s not forget senior ministers who wouldn’t interrupt their summer breaks to get back to their desks. Including Dominic Raab — paddle-boarding in Crete — and mandarin Sir Philip Barton, who has said he feels ‘regret’ for not returning sooner.
Regret? Their shame should make them all smolder. They should also be ashamed of the shameful act they committed. Are we ever going to be trusted?
Omar Haidari, Human Rights Activist and US Marine Corps Marine captured a child being grabbed by a US Marine over a barbedwire fence. This was during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport Kabul on Aug 19, 2021.
It has been a terrible time for our people too. A case in point is the Contaminated Blood Scandal, which saw 3,000 people die after receiving blood products containing HIV/hepatitis C during the 1970s and 80s.
A little over 40 years later, the inquiry continues to rage. Evidence hearings are scheduled for next year.
A final report is not likely until 2023, with compensation — if there is any to be had — after that. Many others have suffered life-changing circumstances. Their loved ones are left to grieve, and no compensation has been offered.
The Post Office scandal also affected the lives of many people. A faulty computer system led to numerous victims being wrongly found guilty of theft or false accounting and were sent to prison.
The people responsible tried to hide the mistakes to preserve their reputations, making the victims’ suffering worse. In all of this, where is the British notion of fairness?
Why doesn’t the Government just do the decent thing and look after these people, instead of dragging it all out and putting them through this bureaucratic torture?
Sub-postmasters had to struggle for every penny. This isn’t just unfair but also a scourge to the public’s conscience.
JAN MOIR: Let’s not forget senior ministers who wouldn’t interrupt their summer breaks to get back to their desks. Including Dominic Raab (pictured earlier this year) — paddle-boarding in Crete — and mandarin Sir Philip Barton, who has said he feels ‘regret’ for not returning sooner
Whitehall, and other places, seems devoid of a sense of duty. The absence of the idea of self-sacrifice, or prioritizing the needs of others, is striking. What does Prince Harry, and the rest of the wokies really mean by mental health and happiness?
Listen kids, you don’t even have to give up your job — just follow our leaders and don’t do your job in the first place!
You can relax if you are feeling stressed out by demands from desperate Afghans or terminally ill people, as well as suicidal subpostmasters. You can have some alone time by lighting a candle.
Make another marshmallow and bubble the hot chocolate. Then, listen to the desperation screams. You deserve it.
The Foreign Office has been unable to fulfill its purpose, and there are many other stinky attitudes. Brits are proud to have been the most civilized nation on the planet for centuries. However, that doesn’t reflect the current situation, whether it is within the country or outside. Liz Truss may claim otherwise. This is a tragedy for the nation.
The US does not consider a mask an “ask”
Are there new restrictions? Why not? We don’t know where Omicron is taking us, although it is certainly nowhere good.
I have just returned from a trip to America, where ‘The Mask is Not An Ask’ and the rules are enforced with a zeal that has been lacking here. To gain access to every theater, movie theatre, restaurant or diner in New York, as well as Los Angeles, I had to show proof of my vaccination and a photo of proof of identity.
It gave me a sense of freedom and confidence, and not control and constraint. My journey took me across the nation, and I flew in multiple planes where masking was strictly enforced. Four weeks later, it was time to return home, to confirm that my suspicions were correct. America, thank you. That’s fine with me.
Richard E. Grant, pictured, returning from a red-list country, has had to quarantine in a grotty £228-per-night Gatwick hotel, living on what looks like execrable prison food
A day-two PCR test was required upon my return from the U.S. One chemist was charging £125 while another asked for £80 — or £100 for a same-day result.
There are cheaper options (not much), while home-testing means you have to self-quarantine until you get the results.
Meanwhile, Richard E. Grant, right, returning from a red-list country, has had to quarantine in a grotty £228-per-night Gatwick hotel, living on what looks like execrable prison food.
This is one racket!
This pandemic is generating a lot money for many people. We are all making fools out of ourselves, too.
Now is the time to let loose with your vol-au-vents
Waitrose reports that sales are up 25% and the vol-auvent has returned just in time to celebrate the holiday season.
There is nothing more Christmas-y than a table full of frozen pastries filled with curried turkey. But others disagree.
Jamie Oliver favors cream mushroom vol-auvents. However, the Hairy Bikers prefer smoked haddock, prawn and smoked haddock. Gordon Ramsay favours a sweet version with Nutella cream and mascarpone filling. Bleurgh — what is wrong with him?
Nigella doesn’t like retro snacks. While Yotam Ottolenghi makes his patties, and Paul Hollywood prepares his jumbo sausage rolls, she prefers to devil herself eggs.
I wish I were joking, but it’s all true.
Nigella, pictured in retro bites (pictured) shuns the voom boom. Nigella prefers to devil eggs
Like hyenas galloping towards the fallen carcass, the SNP are making the most of the PM’s troubles. Nicola Sturgeon complained about his ‘inability to be straight and honest’ while Ian Blackford — that weasel in a waistcoat — said that Boris had ‘shattered the public trust’.
Honestly, it’s enough to make a girl throw up into her sporran. Surely no one should take any lectures on integrity from a political party whose senior figures excused the behaviour of their former leader — because it was politically expedient for them to do so. Should I also mention the allegations of fraud following the disappearance of £600,000 from SNP coffers? You know what? I do! The money has yet to be found.
Allegra had to leave, I am afraid
Boris is still in power while Allegra Stratton has resigned in a flood of tears — is that fair? It is, unfortunately.
After being filmed laughing at her own lame attempts to cover up a rule-breaking party at No 10, the ex-Downing Street press secretary (on a salary of £125,000) would have been unable to continue for a single day more in her job as an official spokesperson.
In her apology, she appeared sincere, and her departure made me think more about her.
But the stakes could be very high if your a part of a corrupt chumocracy, rather than an efficient meritocracy. She had to move. We are grateful. . Next.
- Boris and Carrie congratulations for the birth of their baby girl.
No news yet as to names, but wouldn’t it be marvellous if they called her Allegra? What a fitting tribute to the woman the PM honoured this week as a ‘fine colleague’ who had suffered ‘a sad day’ although by the time the cheese and wine came out at 9pm he was asking: ‘What was Thingy’s name again?’
Such an honour would surely help dry Allegra’s tears and make sure he never forgets her sacrifice. Hang on. It’s also his first wife’s name! Perhaps not.
Jen the childless Gem
Jennifer Aniston, despite all the years spent in celebrity heavens, still has a great sense of humour. It’s remarkable, because Hollywood is a single and successful woman without children.
After being married twice, for 33 years she’s been subject to constant speculation that she is not a good mother. One accusation against Jennifer Aniston is that she chose to be a mother over her career. ‘
You have no clue what’s going with me personally, medically, why I cannot or can have kids. They don’t know anything,’ the actress told the Hollywood Reporter, calling the rampant speculation ‘hurtful’ and ‘unjust’.
Rather sickening to realise that even in this day and age a woman’s value is still assessed on whether or not she is married and has children. Jen claims that Dolly Parton is not the only one to have escaped this curse.
Miss Piggy was forgotten about. Big Bird too.
Rather sickening to realise that even in this day and age a woman’s value is still assessed on whether or not she is married and has children. Jennifer Aniston says that Dolly Parton is the only exception to the curse.
If you have titters to spare, spend one on the plight of Sanna Marin, Finland’s party-mad PM. She had to admit her guilt after going out clubbing into the early hours and missing a text telling she she must quarantine.
Maybe she could go out on a date to see Michael Gove. Some were unhappily watching videos of Sanna performing without masks.
‘It’s a pleasure to be a taxpayer,’ someone tweeted. We know that Feeling, Finns — it’s Sickening. FFS, as it is more commonly called.