The Critical Commentator

Berlin Street Scene Lesser Ury (1861-1931) Photo Credit: Ben Uri Collection [CC BY-NC-ND]    For a German audience currently staring with disbelief at the upsurge of far-right populism on its own doorstep, the British elections are mostly a reminder of where the destructive cluelessness of populist politicians can lead a country... But then there is something else: the rather bizarre fact that nobody seems either able or willing to talk about what has happened since the 2016 referendum to leave the EU. The eerie silence around the issue seems even more absurd given that a large majority of British voters now regret Brexit. Those who would like it to be rectified have to hold their noses at the ballot box and hope Keith Starmer is lying, or at least omitting parts of his plans for Britain's future. Starmer might prove us all wrong, but seen from a continent that is just about to confront its own populist wave, his overly defensive tactics are hardly inspiring. (Annette Dittert...

  If you have spent any time online recently, you'd be forgiven for thinking that there is something in the water. Some grown adults - usually of the millennial, gen Z variety, although not exclusively - have regressed to a kind of cutesy, baby language, even while discussing serious topics. In this language the cost of living crisis is the " cossie livs "; the upcoming general election is the " genny lec ",  and a mental breakdown is a menty b.   Kiss Me Baby Frederick James Shields (1833-1911) Photo Credit: Manchester Art Gallery [CC BY-NC-ND] Meanwhile, holidays are " holibobs ", and the wine formerly known as sauvignon blanc is " savvy b " best paired with a jacky p (jacket potato) for a comforting dinner that's not too " spenny " (expensive)... If you're finding all of this cringe-making, offensive or just plain unremarkable - I understand. I did too... I certainly have my own preferences: " innit " [isn'...

Johnson, in his 40s, says he is old enough to remember when his wedding photography jobs lasted around three hours - he was there to capture the arrival at the church or register office, shoot the ceremony and take portraits and photographs for an hour or so afterwards. "You didn't do any bridal preparation, or stay for the party." Now, he says, couples want coverage from early in the morning until midnight or later. "I used to just take one camera and one lens," he adds; now he brings a van of equipment... After the Wedding Laurence Stephen Lowry (1887-1976) Photo Credit: The Fitzwilliam Museum Some couples now want to be photographed on beaches at sunset, or clifftops, or up mountains. They want drones and multiple angles, and they employ "content creators" alongside the more traditional photographer. Wedding photographers are often working 16-hour days, barely stopping for a break, and under pressure to capture every detail. Then many couples want t...

 " The Chill and Relax Festival is a zoning out contest, aimed at Hongkongers who have mastered the art of doing nothing," a spokesperson for the Hong Kong Harbour front Commission told reporters on Cha Kwo Ling Promenade. Egg boats off Macao, China William Daniel (1769-1837) Photo Credit: Leicester Museums and Galleries [CC By-NC-SA] "Participants are advised to stay still, and they must not fall asleep or check their phones during the hour-long tournament. Their heart rates will be measured regularly, and the person with the lowest and most stable heart rate will win. Our aim is to raise awareness of the importance of mental health." Approximately a hundred contestants took part, including laboratory worker Kelvin who observed "I normally do nothing for a few hours daily, so one hour is not all that challenging. Practice makes perfect, it'll be a piece of cake," University student Morris added "I am here because I just completed my semester, and...

  Public trust and confidence in government and politicians is at a record low, fuelled by anger over Partygate, perceived broken promises over Brexit [British exit from Europe] and crumbling public services, according to the latest British Social Attitudes (BSA) survey... "All in all, it appears that people's trust in governments and politicians, and confidence in their systems of government, is as low now as it has ever been over the last 50 years, if not lower," the survey said. Dissatisfaction with the way the UK is governed is now at 79%... Nearly half (48%) of leave voters [Leaving the European Union] now say they "almost never" trust government to put the needs of the country above their party, up 23 points since 2020. Levels of distrust among remain voters have also risen to 42%, up 16 points since 2020. The behaviour of politicians has also been a factor, with revelations that the former prime minister Boris Johnson and his Downing Street colleagues had...

  I would like to assure Chris Wiegand that it is perfectly possible to steer clear of Taylor Swift. I have never heard her sing, cannot name a single song of hers and, if I bumped into her in the street, I certainly wouldn't recognise her. I apologise to Miss Swift if this precipitates a decline in self-esteem. I no longer laugh at the 1960s quip about the learned judge who enquired: "Who are the Beatles?" (Ian Abernethy, Heiton, Scottish Borders, The Guardian, 2024) A Singer with a Donkey Giuseppe Maria Crespi (1665- 1747) Photo Credit: Manchester Art Gallery [CC BY-NC-ND] * As with Elizabeth Baker, I too am concerned by the absence of swifts this year. Sadly this lack is not remedied by the arrival of a larger one. (Tony Fisher, Gotham, Nottinghamshire, The Guardian, 2024) While it may be too much to expect the Guardian not to mention the three Ss (Starmer, Sunak and Swift) during the next four weeks, can you impose a moratorium on the photos that assault our sensibili...

A survey for the bingo firm Tombola has revealed that two thirds of British workers admit to "using business slang regularly" despite mostly hating and not understanding it... Now I don't plan to offer a deep dive into the research but if we circle back and drill down into the granular detail ... I am pivoting to get you up to speed so you can hit the ground running and start on a level playing field. No one is trying to reinvent the wheel here. I'm just reaching out to run a few ideas up the flagpole and see who grabs the low-hanging fruit. Gathering Fruit Henri Charles Antoine Baron  (1816-1885) Photo Credit: The Cooper Gallery [CC BY-NC] Because if 87 per cent of you are regularly faced with business slang you don't understand, as a survey suggests, and more than a third have "felt stupid or embarrassed when corporate phrases are used in the workplace" then it's going to require a paradigm shift in your attitude, a sea change, a lane change, a gea...

  A dignified end on July 4 matters. Silly chatter about income tax cuts that nobody should expect, fantastical promises about national service, tax exemptions for the elderly paid for by the young, a sudden galumphing into the complexities of higher education policy with wild talk about axing "Mickey Mouse" degrees - this has been a week of posturing and tummy-tickling that pleases some, infuriates others, but for the great majority just come across as unserious. Is that the sort of send-off a grown-up prime minister wants from his time in politics?.. Promises George Frederick Watts (1817-1904) Photo Credit: Walker Art Gallery [CC  BY-NC] Voters aren't jackdaws. They can smell counterfeit. When you don't trust the speaker you disregard the offered goodies. After the mess of Theresa May, the disgrace of Boris Johnson and the lunacy of Liz Truss, respect has gone. Paradoxically, respect may only be recoverable by telling the electorate not what it wants to hear but wha...