Bournbrook Live

Our commentary on the news as it comes in.

If you would like to contribute to Live, please email us at live@bournbrookmag.com

Read more online here. For longer and more detailed analyses of the big issues of the day, as well as articles exploring our history and culture, subscribe to our print issues here.

Michael Curzon Michael Curzon

Posted 3.20pm UK time


Priti Patel must go. Not because she has shouted at somebody (or whatever she’s been accused of), but because she is useless.


The Times today leads with a story on the Prime Minister’s decision to ‘dig in over Patel bullying’. Apparently, Mrs. Patel has ‘sworn, shouted at and bullied senior officials’. I stopped reading at this point; there are many far more important matters at hand. Frankly, I am more riled by the destruction of our liberty and economy, and the preventable deaths of thousands of cancer patients due to the Government’s disproportionate response to Covid, than by ministerial misdemeanour.


Surely, The Times should have instead featured its page-four story on the cover: ‘Criminals are allowed to serve sentences ‘working from home’.’ ‘Burglars, thieves and other offenders who started unpaid work were unable to continue because of the lockdown in March. The remaining hours on their sentences have been written off’. Others have been permitted to ‘work from home’. This would be pathetic under any government, never mind one which was elected on the basis of its toughness against crime.

Priti Patel in particular is often fawned over by gullible conservatives because of her firmness against illegal actions, and her rigid stance on borders. Total nonsense, the lot of it. Why don’t the ‘Tory’ papers give prominent coverage to this, rather than to (essentially) meaningless personality politics?

Read More
Richard Thomas Richard Thomas

Posted 10am UK time

Sack Priti Patel for all I care. She's no tougher on crime, criminals or immigration than if Coco the Clown was in charge.

Her problem is that she's particularly good at talking the talk, but pretty rubbish at walking the walk.

Read More