Of English and Grammar

It seems a shame that Andy Burnham will probably not receive enough nominations to contest the Labour Leadership Election.

Not only is he a practising Catholic, but he has an English degree, which may not quite be a Theology degree, but is nevertheless a thoroughly civilising influence, and a mark of a man who went into politics out of genuine interest and conviction. Unlike the three PPE énarques who seem to have the thing sewn up, but not one of whom exhibits the slightest interest in politics. There is not much to be said for Boris Johnson, but at least his degree was in Classics, even if that has given him some gravely deficient and defective ideas about the relationship between Christianity and Western civilisation.

I still suspect that he is talking up his working-class background, correctly assuming that the London media will assume any Northern (or Scottish, or Welsh, or Midland) accent to be proletarian. His in no such thing. But he should be asked, how is it that someone with those roots could go to Cambridge even as late as the Eighties? Extremely few did from his real background, never mind from the one that he is allowing people to assume, as he has no doubt been doing ever since Cambridge in the Eighties. Will he thank the Lancashire Labour Party for holding out against Margaret Thatcher, first as Education Secretary and then as Prime Minister, and saving the grammar schools? If so, then I think we all know what follows.