Best Of

Perhaps this has already been noticed, so forgive the repetition if it is, but yesterday in Surrey there were six by-elections. The Lib Dems won all six (which is perhaps to be expected) but the surprise for me is that, on average, the Conservatives polled 15%. That's got to be a cause for concern in Conservative Party HQ. They really ought to be getting a lot more than 15% in Surrey.

I’ve made my peace that for the next four years elections for the Tories including the general election will be like the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

Bad on the left flank but highly successful in the south (as long as the French are there)?

First day of the Somme is both a terrible tragedy and a missed opportunity. The inability to communicate easily to the front and the lack of ability to get follow up troops lost the chance of cracking the front wide open. In the South the cavalry were set to go in, and the line was broken.

As a student I couldn't process the fact my teacher said British casualties on the first day numbered 57,000.

To some extent I still cannot.

Yep. Basically a full Anfield. A third dead, the rest injured. In one day, and actually for the most part fairly early on in the day.

The signs had been there in the American Civil War, but truly the lesson of how to assault heavily fortified trenches covered by machine guns and artilliary took a lot of learning.

The conspiracy theory is to look at how many of those casualties were loyal to Carson personally rather than the British state. And then to remember what a complete and utter bastard Lloyd George was.

I don’t buy that. Lloyd George had no control over which troops fought over which bit of the line. And before the day a lot of the brass thought that the bombardment would have wiped out the Germans, as it pretty much had in the south, adjacent to the French. For the French 1st July, 1916 was one of their best days of the war.

In the words of the song:

So, come gather round my comrades all, this First of July morn,

When Ulstermen are proud and glad of the land where they were born,

And we’ll never more be led away for to fight in a foreign land,

Or to die for someone else’s cause, at an Englishman’s command.

Lloyd George was influential in where the UVF were posted and where the attack was made.

A little known fact is that Lloyd George sent the Welsh Guards to countries with plenty of sheep.

Rourke's Drift was not known for its sheep. Impalas perhaps. But not enough wet grass for Mr&Mrs Sheep.

Perhaps this has already been noticed, so forgive the repetition if it is, but yesterday in Surrey there were six by-elections. The Lib Dems won all six (which is perhaps to be expected) but the surprise for me is that, on average, the Conservatives polled 15%. That's got to be a cause for concern in Conservative Party HQ. They really ought to be getting a lot more than 15% in Surrey.

I’ve made my peace that for the next four years elections for the Tories including the general election will be like the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

Bad on the left flank but highly successful in the south (as long as the French are there)?

First day of the Somme is both a terrible tragedy and a missed opportunity. The inability to communicate easily to the front and the lack of ability to get follow up troops lost the chance of cracking the front wide open. In the South the cavalry were set to go in, and the line was broken.

As a student I couldn't process the fact my teacher said British casualties on the first day numbered 57,000.

To some extent I still cannot.

Yep. Basically a full Anfield. A third dead, the rest injured. In one day, and actually for the most part fairly early on in the day.

The signs had been there in the American Civil War, but truly the lesson of how to assault heavily fortified trenches covered by machine guns and artilliary took a lot of learning.

The conspiracy theory is to look at how many of those casualties were loyal to Carson personally rather than the British state. And then to remember what a complete and utter bastard Lloyd George was.

I don’t buy that. Lloyd George had no control over which troops fought over which bit of the line. And before the day a lot of the brass thought that the bombardment would have wiped out the Germans, as it pretty much had in the south, adjacent to the French. For the French 1st July, 1916 was one of their best days of the war.

In the words of the song:

So, come gather round my comrades all, this First of July morn,

When Ulstermen are proud and glad of the land where they were born,

And we’ll never more be led away for to fight in a foreign land,

Or to die for someone else’s cause, at an Englishman’s command.

Lloyd George was influential in where the UVF were posted and where the attack was made.

Evidence that Lloyd George decided on which divisions attacked where?

He had input into the strategic plan & there were arguments that he intervened to rotate the UVF to the Somme. There were letters, I believe, but it’s been 30+ years since I wrote a dissertation on it

I certainly don’t believe he set them up to be killed.

I dont think anyone was deliberately trying to kill British troops.

The disaster of the first day of the Somme (at least on the left flank) was largely down to a belief that the preparation artillery barrage would cut the wire and slaughter the German troops in the trenches. Both were incorrect.

My grandfather was an infantry private there with the Manchester regiment. I think not on the first day, but the renewed offensive on the 15th.

My grandfather was on the Somme too - but not sure when.

There are times I'm surprised I am here - and you too obviously.

Mine was on the Ark Royal when it sunk in 1941

That sounds a bit "Four Yorkshireman", I am sorry!

What an awful brother the King is.

King Charles considers removing Prince Andrew’s Duke of York title

Relations between the brothers are said to be at tipping point after scandals involving Jeffrey Epstein and alleged spying by China

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/king-charles-prince-andrew-duke-york-title-news-hlcgmjlwb

The response of the King seems quite mild, given the fact that Andrew has clearly misled the court as well as the media concerning his relationship with the Epstein circle. If I were the King I would be incandescent that his brother has clearly lied to his face. More to the point, there is the open question of what else Andrew has been doing that is, shall we say, unlikely to be popular in the country at large.

If, as I think we may suspect, it includes highly problematic financial arrangements, I think that Andrew will be exiled to the outer darkness for the rest of his life. Certainly the Prince of Wales seems to be of this opinion. This is notwithstanding the attempts of Beatrice and Eugenie to stay in good standing with the court, which I think are completely doomed.

Ironically it is not the size of the Royal family that is the problem- the Duke of Kent and the Gloucesters have been doing sterling work, as have the Edinburghs and the Princess Royal and Sir Tim... even Zara and Mike. The Yorks on the other hand...

It’s rare for someone not to possess a single redeeming feature, but I think Andrew achieves that distinction.

A friend of mine wrote a wonderful adult Harry Potter fanfic, where even Bellatrix is horrified by what she sees inside Andrew’s mind. She hands him over to Fenrir Greyback, to punish as he sees fit.

“Like you, Fenrir’s an animal, but even so, he has some standards, and he thinks you’ve fallen short of them.”

The only thing I can think of is that he's raised two fairly nice daughters.

Still surprised nobody is talking about his RN and Falklands service. I tried to point it out earlier, if only in fairness.

He also remains on good terms with his ex-wife. Potentially would have remarried her had the Queen not objected. That shows at the very least that he isn't a brute.

So that's three things.