Eminent Blairians

I did seriously consider writing the book of that title, until I realised that there hadn't been any. I am not joking. Look at the subjects treated by Lytton Strachey (whose non-inclusion of Newman strikes me as miracle enough for the Blessed Cardinal's canonisation) and by Andrew Roberts. If one were to attempt such a study of the Age of Tony, then about whom, exactly, would one write? And why?

As if to prove my point, The Times has launched a blogging site featuring Daniel Finkelstein, David Aaronovitch, Philip Collins and Oliver Kamm. Cardinal Manning, Florence Nightingale, Dr Arnold and General Gordon, indeed. But which is which? And why? Hilariously, it permits no comments, doubtless in order to protect Kamm.

Hugo Rifkind has somehow managed to get himself into this company, and it is impossible not to remark on the fact that that makes at least 60 per cent of the contributors Jewish. I have never been able to discover whether or not Kamm was, but they love him quite so much on Harry's Place that I suppose he must be. With or without him, this site will present itself as one of the principal voices of Anglo-Jewry on the basis of the extreme neoliberal, socially liberal, neoconservative, Dawkinsite agenda that can at least be described as its house style. Any criticism by Gentiles will be shouted down as anti-Semitic, any criticism by Jews as an example of "self-hated".

But so far as those agenda are concerned, where is the need for this new site? Harry's Place is already there. Telegraph Blogs is already there. The Spectator already hosts six personal blogs of which one third are by Nick Cohen and Douglas Murray, rising to half if you include Martin Bright. Coffee House recently found room for Mark Steyn. When, if ever, is anyone, anything or anywhere of any great prominence going to give a platform to the reclaimed traditions of patriotism and social conservatism on the British and wider Left, and to the recovered Tory and wider conservative sceptical attitudes towards capitalism, consumerism, libertarianism, globalisation, American hegemony, uncritical Zionism, and kneejerk hostility to Russia, China, France, Germany, Iran and the Arab world, among others? The union of the two is 14 points ahead in the polls.

Or must we be allowed until the end of time no voices other than those of the living dead of Blair-loving London neoconservatism, and of such Americans and others as might be acceptable to those killer zombies?