Virtute et Industria

There is a long and noble history of school strikes. But Greta's Greeny Groupies are probably not on strike at all. Regardless of any nonbinding "home-school contract" or what have you, the legal requirement is 90 per cent attendance. Take off a morning or an afternoon every week, or take off a day every fortnight, and you are within the law. Take off an odd day here and there, and you are well within it.

Greta Thunberg herself is, of course, a different story. She never goes to school, and if she came from a less privileged background, then her parents would be up in court. Moreover, since we have now left the EU, then there is no reason for a Swedish national to be admitted to this country in order to cause a public nuisance in a British city centre.

The question of how far the green policies of Bernie Sanders were in the interests of the working class came up at the Durham Miners' Gala a couple of years ago, when a video message from Sanders had to be corrected from the platform by Ian Lavery. See also the ongoing activities of Extinction Rebellion right here in North West Durham. It is a Yes-No question, "Do you regret the defeat of the miners in 1985?"

The Banks Group and other potential donors, please take note that ours is the 2020 Vision of a new political party, a new think tank, a new weekly newspaper, a new monthly cultural review, a new quarterly academic journal, and so much else besides. I will be standing for Parliament again here at North West Durham next time, so please give generously. In any event, please email davidaslindsay@hotmail.com. Very many thanks.