Whilst the English cricket team are licking their wounds at their embarrassing drubbing 4-0 in the Ashes Test series, there has been endless debate as to the reasons and the way forward. One solution is to select Novak Djokovic as a 'batter' (politically correct term). Why? Because it took the Australians two weeks to get him out.
Now there are reports of late night drinking sessions in Hobart (denied of course). In the first Test a wicket was lost on the first ball. In no single innings did they score 300, their worst performance since 1963. The drinking session went on until 6am. Such stamina would be useful during the match. The drinks were of course a work event.
There is irritation at hackneyed and platitudinous writing and expression which continues to plague the media and even moreso social media. Lake Superior State University in Michigan recently published a list of ‘banished words’, suggesting that various familiar and problematic phrases should be banned. Top of these was ‘no worries’, described as an abominable Australianism. This replaces the more formal ‘you’re welcome’, ‘it’s a pleasure’ or the much overused ‘no problem’.
In shops or restaurant we are greeted with ‘y’all right there?’
Listening to interviewees answering questions, no doubt having had inevitable media training, each reply is prefaced with ‘So……’ as a pause for thought, and then ‘At the end of the day’, ‘Now look….’, ‘The real question you should be asking is….’, ‘Well, basically, we are on a journey and the direction of travel is…’. Is this all getting worse?
Please excuse my own linguistic circumlocutions and the occasional hackneyed quote.
The recent incessant and bitter debate has awaited the report from the previously unheard of but now famous Sue Gray. On one side the moral and ethical flaws of partygate, disregard for the rules, inconsistent explanations, lack of transparency, inflation, the rising cost of living; and on the other, focus on the successful vaccine rollout, surviving the pandemic, saving the economy, getting Brexit done and jobs saved.
Will the electorate concentrate on the PM making the ‘correct calls’ on the big issues or on who can claim the moral high ground or have insecurity about saving their seats? History shows that in a crisis members of parliament can not be relied upon for loyalty to their leader – Wilson, Thatcher, Blair, May…However, Boris Johnson is renowned for overcoming catastrophies, mishaps, embarrassments and cockups, and for winning elections. Now is the time to see if the great survivor can swing it. Doubts as to whether ‘levelling up’ has any real meaning are beginning to be dispelled locally by announcements such as the plans for a battery giga-factory in Blyth. Work will start within two months at Cambois on the site of the old Blyth Power Station. There will be 3,000 direct and 5,000 indirect jobs, with Britishvolt investing more than £3bn. The target is to produce over 300,000 electric vehicle lithium-ion car batteries a year by 2030. The plant could dwarf Nissan.
This is said to be evidence of the North East becoming one of the true hubs of a Green Industrial Revolution. This follows massive investment in Nissan and Envision AESC in Sunderland. Even the sceptics are having to celebrate such immense job creation.
How was it that an Islamist terrorist, who had twice been referred under the UK’s Prevent counter-terror programme was able to gain easy access to the US last month to attack a synagogue in Texas? Would this not appear in standard checks? Fortunately the hostages taken at gunpoint were all able to escape unharmed. What does this say about the £400m Prevent programme and the usually tough US Homeland security?
I can not close without referring to January 9th 2022 which was a Special 50th anniversary. Half a century! Five decades! A medal is clearly due – but not to me?