tag:dreamwidth.org,2009-10-13:451718That Bloke In The Big Smoke"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life..." -Samuel Johnsonmcgillianaire2015-09-23T04:35:00Ztag:dreamwidth.org,2009-10-13:451718:2243383Howdy, partners!2015-09-21T05:45:06Z2015-09-23T04:35:00Zpublic0I'm in America. I've been here 3 weeks, and I'll be here for 9 more. The weather in Providence, RI is a lot warmer (and sunnier) than London - so far. I'm thoroughly enjoying it. I'm staying with my sister and future bro-in-law. I'm taking a couple of online courses from Harvard's continuing education school and a course to prepare for the GRE. The GRE is a standardized test for postgrad studies in 'Murica. I've decided to turn my back on the legal profession and return to university next year. I'll be applying for public policy degrees in the neighborhood. Boston is commuting distance so there are quite a few options to pick from. I definitely don't have the grades or accomplishments to even consider the likes of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, but hopefully I will get admitted to the next rung of alternatives below it.<br /><br />My family would like me to remain in America after my postgrad degree, preferably close to my sister, but I am pretty clear in my mind that this is just a short adventure across the pond. That said, I am really looking forward to the opportunity of studying in America, and I am open to the idea of staying here for a year or two afterwards if I can secure a job in DC (or anywhere else, as long as it's in public policy). But I would like to return to London eventually. <br /><br />I haven't quite left permanently either. Once my three months on the visa waiver program ends, I'll be flying back to London for the Christmas period. As amazing as the weather is right now and as cool as it is to be in America, I miss Blighty. Thank fuck, if you'll pardon my French, for smartphones and tablets. And thank fuck for the BBC. The radio app has been a godsend. It's like I've never left. Although waking up to <i>You & Yours</i> has been an interesting experience; sort of like the opposite of waking up to <i>Up All Night</i> when I'm in Oman or India. And with free VPN apps, I've even been able to tune into Sky Sports to watch live events, while catching-up on the latest comedies via the iPlayer app!<br /><br />It was also interesting to vote in the Labour leadership election while sat on my computer here in America. I didn't give Jeremy Corbyn any of my nominations and instead plumped for Kendall, Cooper and Burnham in that order. None of my choices did well in the deputy leadership and London mayoral candidate election either. But nothing was as amusing as the media and shadow cabinet meltdown that greeted Corbyn's victory declaration. The Tories and right-wing media predictably labelled him a threat to humanity. And Blairites clearly didn't know what to do; cross the floor, jump ship or piss from inside the tent. Basically a raft of similar options that will not change the result in 2020.<br /><br />And poor Corbyn, the chap clearly wants politics to change, but I don't think he feels comfortable leading the circus. Leadership necessitates compromise, and if there is something that sets Corbyn apart, it is his principled consistency. Love or loathe him, he has made a career out of it. The leadership will be a test of his political ambition and nous, neither of which he has displayed until now. Yet there are many attributes that I admire in Corbyn (the backbencher), and it is refreshing that someone of his disposition has risen to the top of British politics. <br /><br />Alas, one wonders whether Labour should reduce itself to simply a party of protest, or seek to position itself as a government-in-waiting, ready to take over from the Tories at a general election. It's one thing to secure a thumping mandate from the cheerleading squad, quite another appealing to a wider electorate.<br /><br />I wasn't even bothered about his appearance at PMQs, at St Paul's cathedral, his insistence to remain silent during the national anthem, or the chaotic manner in which the shadow cabinet was formed. It reflected a person for whom substance matters over spin. But I can understand why the electorate may have viewed it differently. You know, the same people whose votes he needs in 2020. Corbyn faces an uphill battle. The Tories plan to reduce the number of MPs and re-draw constituency boundaries - largely to their benefit. And there's still no sign that Scotland will abandon the SNP. Which leaves about 50-75 marginals to gain from the Tories in order to form a government.<br /><br />Corbynistas are banking on three things: the 35% that didn't vote in May, old Labour UKIP voters and old Labour Green/Lib Dem voters. It's true, a lot of people didn't vote in May and Corbyn's election may inspire some people to vote for the first time/again. On the contrary, Labour voters who really don't like Corbyn's policies, but voted for Labour earlier this year, may jump ship too. It also remains to be seen whether young voters stick with Corbyn, if he continues to compromise on his principles (eg: accepting a role as a privy counsellor etc). As for old Labour UKIP voters, UKIP finished second in many Labour-held seats. There wouldn't be much point if those voters returned to Labour. Labour needs UKIP voters in Tory-held seats to 'return to the fold'. It's a big ask. One suspects such UKIP voters would not have been impressed with Corbyn's refusal to sing the national anthem at an event commemorating the Battle of Britain. And as for old Labour Green/Lib Dem voters, well they may gain a dozen seats or so that way, but what use will that be? They need at least 50. I just cannot see Corbyn winning a general election.<br /><br />It may all be be a moot point. Several pundits have chipped in with their predictions of how long they think Corbyn will last, ranging from a few days to three years. Even members of his shadow cabinet refuse to say with any conviction that he will fight the next general election. For what it's worth, my guess is between six months to a year. Once the novelty wears off, once conference season ends, once there are a few more media "gaffes", and once the opinion polls tank, we'll see whether he roughs it out. Unlike power-hungry careerists who would refuse to fall on their sword until the last possible moment, I think Mr Corbyn would recognise his role in a sinking ship and jump. <br /><br />One of Corbyn's illustrious predecessor's is often quoted (though perhaps incorrectly) as saying that a week is a long time in politics. Well, what a week it has been. To those who complained that politics had become a sterile affair, you've got your comeuppance. Now then, are you prepared for the consequences? I'll be watching from afar with interest.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mcgillianaire&ditemid=2243383" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-10-13:451718:2242211BBC Radio 4's Reflections...with Peter Hennessy2015-07-14T10:13:42Z2015-07-14T10:21:26Zpublic0<i>"But my father summed it up pretty well by saying, "Nobody in our family has ever voted Conservative, without a stiff drink before, and afterwards.""</i> ~David Owen<br /><br />If a week is a long time in politics<sup>1</sup>, what about a lifetime? Tasked with the challenge of teasing out salient introspections from the life and times of some of Britain's grandees, is the contemporary political historian, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Hennessy"><b>Peter Hennessy</b></a>. He <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04fd8md"><b>delivers</b></a> an insightful programme, as it launches its third series with the enigmatic <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Owen"><b>David Owen</b></a>. Having listened to several episodes, Owen's is among the best. I also <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04d4jvy"><b>recommend</b></a> the one with John Major from last year. In all, Hennessy has talked to:<br /><br />01. Shirley Williams<br />02. Jack Straw<br />03. Norman Tebbit<br />04. Neil Kinnock<br />05. John Major<br />06. Roy Hattersley<br />07. David Steel<br />08. Margaret Beckett<br />09. David Owen<br /><br />And by the end of this series he will have interviewed Norman Lamont and Clare Short too. Each episode is either 28 or 43 minutes (depending on the series), with the latter forming the perfect length to explore a lifetime without inducing boredom and avoid glossing over multiple events or issues. But there are a few peripheral shortcomings. For instance, by the end of this series the uneven ratio of guests by political party will have been exacerbated to comprise: 5 Labour, 3 Tories, 2 SDP/Lib Dems and 1 Liberal. Given that Williams and Owen were also cabinet secretaries with Labour, you could question whether the breakdown was a matter of design, bad timing or lack of Conservative enthusiasm (I find this doubtful). This only matters because it's produced by the BBC. There's also the issue of gender ratio with three women out of eleven by the end of this series. And one other minor criticism about Hennessy's interview technique. When teasing out their reflections, he sometimes comes across as presumptuous, but it may have been an intended tactic or perhaps more likely, my imaginative nitpicking. Those minor quibbles apart, it is an absolutely fantastic programme and essential listening for the anorak. <br /><br /><sup>1</sup> Possibly <a href="https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Harold_Wilson#Attributed"><b>misattributed</b></a> to former British prime minister and Labour leader, Harold Wilson.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mcgillianaire&ditemid=2242211" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-10-13:451718:2241063Cricket and Desert Island Discs - Freddie Flintoff2015-07-08T09:07:02Z2015-07-08T09:07:09Zpublic0I've <a href="http://mcgillianaire.livejournal.com/806930.html"><b>updated</b></a> my entry from a couple years ago to reflect <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b060yk4m"><b>this week's episode</b></a> with Freddie Flintoff. As with almost every episode of this awesome programme, it's worth a listen, not least for that gorgeous Lancastrian accent.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mcgillianaire&ditemid=2241063" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-10-13:451718:2240761Saturday Playlist2015-07-04T08:43:59Z2015-07-04T08:47:48Zpublic0<pre>0700 - BBC Radio 4 - Today
0900 - BBC Radio 2 - Sounds of the 60s
1000 - BBC Radio 6 Music - The Huey Show
1300 - BBC Radio 2 - Pick of the Pops
1500 - BBC Radio Asian Network - Official Asian Download Chart
1600 - BBC Radio 1 - Dance Anthems
1800 - BBC Radio 6 Music - Craig Charles Funk and Soul Show
2100 - BBC World Service - Newshour
2200 - BBC Radio 2 - Sounds of the 80s</pre><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mcgillianaire&ditemid=2240761" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-10-13:451718:2239290BBC Radio 4 Extra - John Major: More Than a Game2015-06-13T23:06:21Z2015-06-14T00:12:38Zpublic3For about the next four weeks, depending on the episode, five <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00sy4n4"><b>excerpts</b></a> of this fine book read by the author himself, will be available to listen anywhere in the world. Each episode is a delightfully compact fourteen minutes, so there's no excuse to miss out on any of them. Apparently, it was originally broadcast in 2010, repeated in 2011 and again in 2012, but I seemed to have missed them all. I guess it doesn't help that all these broadcasts, including this one, have been on BBC Radio 4 Extra.<br /><br />I've <a href="http://mcgillianaire.livejournal.com/594903.html"><b>blogged</b></a> one of my favourite quotes from the book. I bought it many years ago but unfortunately I never finished it. Then I lent it to an Irish lass who was just getting into the sport and had quite taken to the longer forms of the game. She kept it.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mcgillianaire&ditemid=2239290" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-10-13:451718:2236141BBC Four - Storyville: India's Daughter [60m]2015-03-07T14:55:52Z2015-03-11T08:11:11Zpublic0<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dWwM3j6sx28" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><br /><font size="-1">The documentary banned in India. If this video is removed then I will try and replace it with one that works.</font><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mcgillianaire&ditemid=2236141" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-10-13:451718:2231546George Osborne’s European triumph2014-11-08T21:00:32Z2014-11-12T00:45:55ZEnrique Iglesias - Bailando (Español) ft. Descemer Bueno, Gente De Zonapublic0<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en-gb"><p>The FT's <a href="https://twitter.com/TimHarford">@TimHarford</a> lambasts Osborne and the journalists who accepted his spin <a href="http://t.co/bEiwoSOTi1">http://t.co/bEiwoSOTi1</a> <a href="http://t.co/sHg3Uvz4al">pic.twitter.com/sHg3Uvz4al</a></p>— Tim Montgomerie (@montie) <a href="https://twitter.com/montie/status/530991770067550208">November 8, 2014</a></blockquote><br /><br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mcgillianaire&ditemid=2231546" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-10-13:451718:2214800Paul Dacre: the most hated man in Britain?2013-10-13T06:53:35Z2015-06-09T00:33:49Zpublic0<iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/rQYehHnf7WM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><br /><i>Paul Dacre, speaking passionately against press regulation in October 2011.</i><br /><br />A fortnight ago, I couldn't even picture the man running Britain's second biggest-selling newspaper, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daily_Mail"><b>The Daily Mail</b></a>. I knew who <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Dacre"><b>Paul Dacre</b></a> was, and I had (irrationally) grown to dislike him, but beyond that, I didn't know anything about him. <br /><br />I had absolutely no idea about his life, what he sounded like, or whether his own views coincided with the controversial ones propagated by his middle-market tabloid. He was an enigma. A hidden sort of satanic figure, an imaginary <a href="http://youtu.be/AGl6lHUbsg0"><b>Norman-Tebbit-Spitting Image-like-puppet</b></a> machinating in the background. Now, a fortnight later, and the devil has been unmasked.<br /><br />It began with <i>BBC Radio 4</i> <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24366980"><b>profiling</b></a> him, as a response to the furore caused by a <i>Daily Mail</i> article written by Geoffrey Levy at the end of last month, provocatively headlined "<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2435751/Red-Eds-pledge-bring-socialism-homage-Marxist-father-Ralph-Miliband-says-GEOFFREY-LEVY.html"><b><i>The Man Who Hated Britain</i></b></a>", referring to Ralph Miliband, the late father of Labour Party leader - and <i>Daily Mail</i> bete-noire - Ed. Then, yesterday, Dacre ventured into the dark side himself by <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/oct/12/left-daily-mail-paul-dacre"><b>writing</b></a> in <i>The Guardian</i>, his rag's arch-nemesis in the eyes of his mob, sorry, readers. Sound a bit dramatic? It certainly felt surreal. <br /><br />Throw into that mix a running feud between <i>The Mail</i> and <i>Auntie</i>, the post-<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leveson_Inquiry"><b>Leveson</b></a> repercussions, the Snowden revelations, and you have the perfect ingredients for a box office blockbuster. And best of all, we still don't know how it'll end yet.<br /><br />For what it's worth, I'm with Paul Dacre on press regulation. I do believe that along with certain other things, such as: parliamentary privilege, free, fair and secret ballot elections, and an impartial judiciary wedded to the rule of law; a free press, warts and all, is essential to the healthy functioning of a democracy. Dacre is right to point out the disproportionate coverage by the BBC over the Ralph Miliband story, in comparison with the Guardian's revelations of the Edward Snowden documents. <br /><br />As much as I am <i>Auntie's</i> cheerleader and part-time <i>Guardianista</i>, I would rather live in a country that allowed <b>all</b> views to be aired freely, even ones that disgust me. That does not mean the press can publish whatever they want. Nor should they be limited by a Royal Charter or even self-regulation. The solution lies in the application of existing laws on defamation, contempt and other relevant crimes as and when necessary. Some of the existing laws are already too stringent, particularly those relating to the freedoms of expression and privacy as embedded into English law by the Human Rights Act, via the European Convention. Even so, I would still prefer judges to recalibrate the imbalance on a case-by-case basis, rather than a regulator.<br /><br />In any democracy worth its salt, there needs to be a clear separation of powers between the legislature, executive, judiciary AND (especially) the press. Many constitutional law textbooks do not include the press as an organ of government, and perhaps rightfully so, as it does not directly partake in the law-making process. However, it is precisely because of that unofficial status, it should be able to remain independent and hold the State to account. The last thing we need is for an official branch of government to interfere with a centuries-old institution, that has done more good than harm. Let those who break the law be held to account by the courts, and let the Great British public decide for themselves who deserves their readership or not.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mcgillianaire&ditemid=2214800" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-10-13:451718:2207548Roy Jenkins' most influential speech2013-08-24T12:51:06Z2015-08-15T15:20:02Zpublic0Here's an excerpt from the speech of a most fascinating politician, that eventually paved the way for the formation of the Social Democratic Party in 1981, and eventually, New Labour in the 1990s. At the time, Jenkins had been out of Parliament for three years and was working in Brussels as Britain's first and only (to date) President of the European Commission. Charles Kennedy later said of the lecture: "Every so often in life, you hear someone articulate your own thoughts - and they do so with an elegance and eloquence which make you wish you had been able to say it yourself. Roy Jenkins's Dimbleby Lecture of 1979 had that effect on me." Even today, this particular passage rings true as much as it did back then:<br /><br /><blockquote>"The paradox is that we need more change accompanied by more stability of direction. It is a paradox but not a contradiction. Too often we have superficial and quickly reversed political change without much purpose or underlying effect. This is not the only paradox. We need the innovating stimulus of the free market economy without either the unacceptable brutality of its untrammelled distribution of rewards or its indifference to unemployment. This is by no means an impossible combination. It works well in a number of countries. It means that you accept the broad line of division between the public and the private sectors and don't constantly threaten those in the private sector with nationalisation or expropriation.<br /><br />You also make sure that the state knows its place, not only in relation to the economy, but in relation to the citizen. You are in favour of the right of dissent and the liberty of private conduct. You are against unnecessary centralisation and bureaucracy. You want to devolve decision-making wherever you sensibly can. You want parents in the school system, patients in the health service, residents in the neighbourhood, customers in both nationalised and private industry, to have as much say as possible. You want the nation to be self-confident and outward-looking, rather than insular, xenophobic and suspicious. You want the class system to fade without being replaced either by an aggressive and intolerant proletarianism or by the dominance of the brash and selfish values of a "get rich quick" society. You want the nation, without eschewing necessary controversy, to achieve a renewed sense of cohesion and common purpose."</blockquote><br />You can read other extracts of the speech <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2003/jan/07/past.features11"><b>here</b></a> and <a href="http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=O1jOYbhvgP4C&pg=PT345&lpg=PT345&dq=roy+jenkins+1979+dimbleby+speech+lecture&source=bl&ots=6tbaF7wJPz&sig=pPlsuv6CV-nIn46TzOeGIpg4ZMA&hl=en&sa=X&ei=wqoYUv7GDtOb0AWb6oGoDg&ved=0CEMQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=roy%20jenkins%201979%20dimbleby%20speech%20lecture&f=false"><b>here</b></a>, but I'm not sure if the latter link is a copy of the whole lecture. If anyone knows of a better link or has access to the full speech, I would much appreciate it.<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mcgillianaire&ditemid=2207548" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> commentstag:dreamwidth.org,2009-10-13:451718:2207045Making the Weather: Six politicians who shaped our age2013-08-23T18:01:18Z2015-08-15T15:21:06Zpublic0Every Sunday at 10pm, <a href=""><b>Carolyn Quinn</b></a> presents <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Hour"><b><i>Westminster Hour</i></b></a> on <a href=""><b>BBC Radio 4</b></a>. For the past five weeks, she has filled a fifteen minute segment before <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_The_Papers_Say"><b><i>What the Papers Say</i></b></a>, with a fascinating profile into the careers of five 20th-century British politicians who "made the weather". The phrase was invented by Winston Churchill in reference to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Chamberlain"><b>Joseph Chamberlain</b></a>, the former <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secretary_of_State_for_the_Colonies"><b>Colonial Secretary</b></a>, of whom he wrote, that although he never became Prime Minister, he still managed to play a crucial role in shaping the political agenda of his day. The profiles have been chosen by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vernon_Bogdanor"><b>Vernon Bogdanor</b></a>*, one of Britain's foremost constitutional experts, as part of a lecture series under this entry's subject title, at London's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gresham_College"><b>Gresham College</b></a>. <br /><br />Founded in 1597 under the will of Sir <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Gresham"><b>Thomas Gresham</b></a>, an English merchant and financier who founded the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Exchange_(London)"><b>Royal Exchange</b></a> in 1568, the College plays host to over 140 free public lectures each year. In this six-part series, Bogdanor has profiled the political careers of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aneurin_Bevan"><b>Aneurin Bevan</b></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iain_Macleod"><b>Iain Macleod</b></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Jenkins"><b>Roy Jenkins</b></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enoch_Powell"><b>Enoch Powell</b></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Benn"><b>Tony Benn</b></a> and Sir <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Joseph"><b>Keith Joseph</b></a>. All the lectures at the College have already been delivered, while the last segment on Joseph will air this Sunday on Radio 4.<br /><br />Depending on your interest and/or time, you can listen to the condensed segments from Radio 4 <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006s624/clips"><b>here</b></a>, if not you can watch, listen, download and even read the full-length lectures at Gresham College <a href="http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/past?keys=&field_speakers_nid=1388&field_lecture_date%5Bvalue%5D%5Byear%5D=&field_lecture_date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bmonth%5D=&term_node_tid_depth=All"><b>here</b></a>. As a keen student of British politics, these lectures have been thoroughly informative and enjoyable. Bogdanor is undoubtedly an engaging and fluent speaker. He has also clearly researched his material thoroughly. Without giving too much away, one of the most fascinating things I learnt was how Tony Benn had started off as a Labour-centrist or even Labour right-winger, actively supporting and voting for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Gaitskell"><b>Hugh Gaitskell</b></a> to become leader in the 1950s, before gradually shifting (permanently) to the hard-left only in the 1970s.<br /><br />On a more general note, it is indeed incredible the amount of free and easily accessible online multimedia content that we have at our disposal on our politicians. Whether it be a peek into their personal lives on <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert-island-discs/find-a-castaway#/occupation_group/politics%2Band%2Bpublic%2Bservice/occupation/politics"><b><i>Desert Island Discs</i></b></a>, a meeting with their younger self through <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00hg8dq/episodes/player"><b><i>Archive on 4</i></b></a>, their biography by an admirer on <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qxsb/episodes/player"><b><i>Great Lives</i></b></a>, a secret memo released via <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00xj3rw/episodes/guide"><b><i>UK Confidential</i></b></a>, or a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/keywords/61/3.shtml"><b>BBC Archive</b></a> recording, there is an incredible body of material to choose from. And that's just radio content. Add to it these lectures, other Gresham College lectures, other freely available public lectures, BBC documentaries, Channel 4 documentaries and the BBC Parliament channel, and you've got a lifetime's worth of political programming.<br /><br />(* Bogdanor's most famous former student at Oxford University is the current PM David Cameron, whom he has described as "one of the ablest" students he has taught, whose political views were "moderate and sensible Conservative".)<br /><br /><img src="https://www.dreamwidth.org/tools/commentcount?user=mcgillianaire&ditemid=2207045" width="30" height="12" alt="comment count unavailable" style="vertical-align: middle;"/> comments