The former Cross Keys pub in Shrewsbury (now a Costa) was renovated at the time of the Thatcher leadership crisis. The workmen added this detail of Thatcher and Heseltine as a Janus figure, with the date of her departure from office.
@MissLauraMarcus I'd say Cameron, Blair, Thatcher, Macmillan, Churchill (because of what he did earlier, though), Atlee. Under 'lightweights' I'd file Starmer, Sunak, my beloved Liz, May, Major, Heath, Eden, Douglas-Home. Under 'careerists', I'd file Boris, Brown, Callaghan and Wilson.
@LukeTryl The thing is, there are obvious quick wins that improve the financial constraints - taking the axe to net zero and benefits - but our political establishment, of which you and Burnham are a part, won't consider that. Soon we'll be forced to.
@SimonMagus Anyone who thinks Machiavelli was uninterested in solutions has fundamentally misunderstood him. He was more interested in solutions than just about anyone who preceded him!
@iainmartin1 The WASPI thing is not a bad symbol of where we've gone wrong as a country. People were given ample warning of commonsense changes to the pensions system and react with outrage, expecting to be compensated for their own ignorance.
@JamesMelville I don't understand quite why they're out of touch. Of course they're comparatively well off, but that has always been the case. I sense it's something different, more akin to groupthink.
@DonLogan111@MarcherReborn@HistoricHub I'd say the current look is a big upgrade on 2007. Of course the original was better, but things have been clawed back somewhat from 2007.
@JamesMelville I just about remember '78, but I was an infant and more interested in the crowds than the football. By '82 my best friend was Italian and I was always round their house and there was great excitement throughout the tournament...I've loved football and Italy ever since.
@MinooFramroze Note the absence of any substance to what Burnham will bring. It's all vibe, comms, slant. Yet I'd suggest the country is not without its genuine crises
@Gentleman_Ways@HistoriaJack Precisely the point I was going to make. When I watch my teenage son play football I struggle to pick him out because all the boys have the same haircut. It doesn't get much easier when they've changed into their everyday clothes. Conformity's never been stronger.
@apple_shwn@ConserveHour@RajSinghTory This will sound biased, but I genuinely believe that Conservatives are usually more able to say why they think the way they do. Those on the Left are more emotional or ideological. Someone like Fallon could explain precisely why he held the views he did.
@RajSinghTory@ConserveHour There've been so many Tories who've exemplifed competence. One who always impressed me on the media round was Michael Fallon. A shame his career ended in scandal, but he was the definition of the able Minister on top of his brief.
@BenedictSpence Large numbers of people still don't see the need to change direction. For them, a change of personnel, a change of vibe, might do the trick. It's mostly retired people in my experience who still think like this.
@chucklingspa@bo66ie29 When I started in 1988 it was about 160 for 20. These prices are ever so slightly lower, so I'd guess it's 1986. The newsagent looks just like the bloke I did my paper round for