Do Or Die

No, of course we are not leaving the EU on 31st October. Boris Johnson's persistent refusal to promise to resign if that had not happened speaks for itself. But who even cares, in this heat? Sweltering away, the infernal word "Brexit" is the last straw.

No, the main thing about Johnson's speech today was that it showed that support for huge State involvement in the economy was the natural position of anyone who had not been ruthlessly trained out of it. Most Conservative and Labour MPs, and all Lib Dems, have been so trained. But no one like that seems to become Leader of either main party these days. Unfortunately, though, those Leaders do then have to contend with those MPs. Thus, Theresa May entered the Premiership with much the domestic programme of Johnson this afternoon. Three years later, and where is any of it?

But hope is at hand. It has nothing to do with who leads either party, it has nothing to do with either party's programme, and it has nothing to do with Brexit, that at the next General Election, and at every General Election for as long as any of us who were now over 40 were still alive, Labour and the Conservatives will each win between 250 and 270 seats, leaving them evenly matched but far short of an overall majority. That is just what this country now looks like, and there is nothing that can be done about it. What matters, then, is to hold the balance of power.

A new party is now in the process of registration. I will stand for Parliament here at North West Durham even if I can raise only the deposit, which I could do by going pretty overdrawn, although that was not how I was brought up. I would still prefer to raise the £10,000 necessary to mount a serious campaign, but I am no longer making my candidacy conditional on having done so. In any event, please email davidaslindsay@hotmail.com. Very many thanks.