I love Christmas. I like the turkey and the pudding, the tinsel and the trees, the carols and the stories, the pleasure of giving and receiving. Best of all is the way many people feel they should be kinder at Christmas, thinking more of others, reaching out to the lonely and trying to bring argumentative families together.
Today there is a great need for the spirit of Christmas in our politics and in the social media exchanges. Things became very heated in the recent election, with lies and nastiness the stock in trade of too much discourse. I always seek to see good in people, and to ignore the everyday petty jibes from those who disagree with me. If I push back , complain or seek a remedy it shows just how far the nastiness has gone. Some of my supporters think me naĂŻve in not running negative campaigns about named critics, and in not calling out every dirty trick or lie. I would like to suggest that going forward more of us recognise that there are many valid points of view. Often the best way to make your case is to say what is good about it, not to seek to run down those who do not yet agree.
The opportunity at Christmas could be to get on with family members we do not like, or to bury the quarrel with the neighbour. It is better to have more friends and fewer enemies. That is the true spirit of Christmas. It is often possible to find ways of working with people that do not think they like you, by showing them what we have in common rather than playing up the disagreements. I want the greater happiness and prosperity of my constituents. I understand the minorities who do not agree with my points of view on some subjects and I will work to represent them to government when they have legitimate worries or complaints. I would just like them to understand I wish them well and do what I do because I think it is in the best interests of our country and community.
I want to wish you all a very happy Christmas, as I seek your help in improving the tone of our democratic disagreements. I am looking forward to the joys of a traditional Christmas whilst I also think about how we can spread a bit more Christmas cheer to those in need.
December 17, 2019
I agree, up to a degree, but if people are talking complete BS (as for example on C02 or on âwe repaying the debt and cutting taxesâ ) it is often good to point it out.
It would be nice if people, especially the elderly, could at least afford to keep themselves warm at Christmas with cheap on demand energy so please can the government stop rigging and over taxing the energy markets please? And not have to choose between say paying the BBC tax or heating their homes.
Deaths due from the cold in winter are far higher than ones from excessive summer heat.
December 17, 2019
Pretty much half of my taxes go to the elderly – pensioners, social care, extra NHS care, pensioner perks. Is this not enough for them? Perhaps they could cut back on the cruises?
December 17, 2019
Andy, what a lovely Christmas message from you. No change there then. Perhaps some of the youngsters could stay out of the pubs and not get so drunk over Christmas? Our A&E was not full of elderly the other evening but drunken yobs who were disrespectful to the staff and patients in the waiting room.
December 17, 2019
Well when you are older perhaps others will carry you. But you might find your taxes do not even cover your fair share schooling costs, roads, polices, defence, debt interest etc. ….about 50% of people pay less in tax than they get back directly in benefits and services such as their childrenâs education and in work benefits.
December 17, 2019
Never been on a cruise, but just received my winter fuel allowance, so many thanks Andy.
December 17, 2019
No it doesn’t.
December 17, 2019
Tidings of comfort and joy from you again, Andy. What a shame you have to be so angry
December 17, 2019
Care to use this pie chart to explain how Andy? Be sure to cite that 20% of all government spending (included under Social protection) is benefit payments.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/image_data/file/69281/CCS207_CCS1117395176-1_Chart_1.jpg
December 17, 2019
You donât actually know many working class pensioners do you Andy?
December 17, 2019
Perhaps you could pack a bag and relocate to your beloved EU. Paris, oh no, violence every day. Rome, full of sardines demonstrating, Greece, well I’m sure you’d be at home there.
Even Scandinavia as long as you stay home after dark.
December 18, 2019
Ian
How many stabbed to death in Paris in 2019? Or come to that in all of the EU capitals combined?
December 18, 2019
Ian Wragg
It is Christmas get off your prejudice horse and enjoy the world around you .
Both Rome and Paris has lees murders than London
December 17, 2019
Andy, I think that the comments about being may have been made with…..
No I mustnât say it or else I will be guilty too
May I wish everyone my best wishes for a Happy Christmas, especially to our kind Host
December 17, 2019
Andy – – so glad you bear no ill will to those older and less fit than yourself. Hope you avoid a trip to your Dr, A&E or a stay in hospital. Sadly thousands of older people will be doing just that. Hospital may be preferable to some, who have no relatives or kind neighbours to check on them. Perhaps you will have a visit from the Ghost of Christmas Past and change your disposition.
December 17, 2019
I wonder, Andy, if you ever considered how much of your own parents’ and other people’s income went on bringing you up.
I wonder if you ever considered how much of other people’s hard-earned money went into paying taxes and national insurance that built up our own ‘free’ Health Service, before you were born, so that you could use it (before you were able to pay for private health insurance, or so you say).
But of course you haven’t. Why would you? It doesn’t suit your very narrow-minded and bigoted narrative.
December 18, 2019
L Jones,
It is Christmas, relax and get off th horse
December 18, 2019
A deeply offensive and unseasonal diatribe. I am one of the elderly spongers you refer to. Funnily enough, this will make you laugh, but for 48 years I have paid taxes to fund the pensions and care of my elders. Now it is my turn. I must confess to going on a cruise when I retired last year. 7 nights in the fjords of Norway. Most enjoyable. I paid for it out of my taxed income. Because I have paid so much tax in my life – and been self-employed for the majority of it – I havenât got much of a pension, to be honest. I am living on my savings – saved over the last 48 years.
Iâd like to thank you for your modest contribution to my arthritis racked retirement. Iâd like to, but I canât. You owe me, just as I owed my elders. I paid for the roads you use, the hospital you use and the school you were clearly very badly educated in.
Iâd like to finish by wishing you a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Iâd like to but, again, I canât. Iâd really like to tell you to do something which is a two word expression. The second of the two words is âoff!â
December 17, 2019
At the age of 100 the Queen Mum was asked what she thought most important in life. She thought for several seconds before replying, âGood manners.â
In that spirit, and in the spirit of Sir Johnâs wise and kind Christmas message, letâs applaud the PMâs courtesy in thanking his new masters for giving him the job, and pledging himself to deserve it. Perhaps weâre about to see a kinder, nicer politics after all.
December 17, 2019
And to you, sir.
December 17, 2019
Do unto those as you are done by or out of sheer ennui just ignore all the negativity. Yes it is the season of goodwill but do not let your guard down, the next month is a very critical time.
December 17, 2019
The tone of debate would improve immeasurably if those who lose plebiscites were able to consider that there position may not be right.
My view has prevailed in each of the last four national votes. I am not stupid and have reviewed the consequences of both sides of the arguments.
I suspect that doubles the number of sides considered by those who disagree with me. Their hubris is stomach churning.
December 17, 2019
! The Eagle flies from the summit.”
December 17, 2019
Christmas was a conscious reinvention, by Walter Scott, (Christmas In The Olden Time ), of ancient and imagined rituals, themselves Christianized reworkings of timeless Winter festivals. American sources were important form the start ( see Longfellows Christmas Bells ) but it was the genius of Dickens and Xmas Carol that above all thrilled the public .None of this is imaginable without the new idea of the ‘child’ and his importance of the romantic age.
Politically things could hardly be grimmer, but if Christmas shows us anything it is that imagination can bring about change
December 17, 2019
Yes. We’re ALL thinking about the children. Some of us constantly, even after they’ve grown up.
December 17, 2019
Christmas as we know it, is indeed derived from many ancient customs/religions morphing and mixing over centuries.
How happy and convenient however for industrialists/ capitalists that every remnant of these traditions involve the spending of money. The amazing commercialisation of so many religious threads from all over Europe ( and possibly more remote).
Not to mention the fact that Christmas was in fact twelve days of feasting and worship. A long break during the darker days when little farm work could be done. The twelve days were reduced and compressed into two when it was realised that such a long break would interfere with production.
The units could not be spared for so long
I blame Prince Albert!
December 17, 2019
Don’t forget the Germans!I think it pre-dated Prince Albert but I believe it was he who popularised the practice of the decorated tree in the UK.And now we have the ubiquitous German Chritmas Markets also.
December 17, 2019
Which are able to sell alcohol but denied to English markets.
December 18, 2019
Germans can hold their beer better than us. I canât even hold one of their giant glasses. Proper blokes them Germans.
December 17, 2019
Remainers please take note !
Well apparently Christmas cheer has come early to the, Morgan household this year. đ
The mind boggles.
December 17, 2019
Remainers are happy to join you in Christmas song; it just that when we dream of a white Christmas we don`t mean quite the same thing you do.
December 17, 2019
Please keep up this ridiculous vitriol and the Tories will thump you leftists again in 2024.
December 17, 2019
The indigenous peoples of Europe are white Newmania.
You want to be closer to them than others.
Care to restate your post?
December 17, 2019
What a strange and bigoted thing to say, Newmania.
Perhaps you were trying to be witty, and not offensive………. there. That’s me trying to be magnanimous.
December 18, 2019
L.Jones: “What a strange and bigoted thing to say, Newmania.”
Projection. When dealing with Lefties, one thing you can be sure of, is if they accuse you of something, it’s because they think it’s normal in themselves. So it’d just be normal if everyone else is just like them.
December 18, 2019
I`m not a lefty and if you cannot drag yourself above,” Your talking about yourself “, I`d be quiet.
No-one who experienced the relentless anti immigrant propaganda of 2016 will ever doubt what Brexit is really all about .
December 18, 2019
Witty and offensive , look I know we are all stuck on the same Island but if you imagine what you have done to our future will ever truly be forgiven; you are wrong.
December 18, 2019
Turn about is fair play – you will have to wait for 45 years for it to be truly fair though.
December 18, 2019
Indeed. You mean one where the dandruff on your beatnikky ford jacket is out of control.
December 17, 2019
I agree about the need for kindness, honesty and empathy in all walks of life. Perhaps more so than ever in Parliament. Enjoy your turkey. Is it oven-ready?
December 17, 2019
To me anyone who voted for the Benn surrender act is very clearly a total traitor to the UK and will always will be, Christmas or any other time. Some are still MPs some even claim to be âConservativeâ ones. I fail to understand why on earth they were allowed to stand. They have helped to ensure the Boris W/A is as dire as it is and at vast cost to the UK and UK tax payers.
December 17, 2019
Nor, even at Christmas, do I feel very kindly very disposed to Corbyn and his ilk, who promise to thieve property assets off landlords I order to try to buy or bribe the votes off tenants. Some Labour person after he lost the election that he was a very generous man. Perhaps he is, but does being âgenerousâ with other peopleâs money count as generous? I think not. I will not be giving him any of my delicious damson jam this Christmas even if Boris does.
Thank goodness the voters saw through him.
December 18, 2019
Lifelogic
“, who promise to thieve property assets off landlords”
As opposed to the Tory ‘bedroom tax’ for the poorer section of society?
Otherwise known as the
‘Tax the poor, subsidise the rich’ tax?
December 18, 2019
So its OK you think for the State to allow two people to live in a three or four bedroom house and pay for them to do so when a cheaper one bed house is available and there are families on a waiting list in b and b accommodation desperate for a family homes
PS
It wasn’t a tax.
It was a decision by the State not to pay limitless housing benefit to those who refuse to downsize.
In the private sector people do it all the time.
December 17, 2019
Peace on earth to men of good will.
Now look at the Canary and Swawkbox.
December 17, 2019
And a merry Christmas to you and your family Sir John!
Kindness wins above all and seeds itself back to those who give.
Thank you again for your giving your time!
December 17, 2019
Well said Sir John.
Boris + 80 is the best Christmas present we could have hoped for.
Happy Christmas – and thanks for this blog – Make England Great Again – MEGA!
December 17, 2019
A very happy Chistmas to you and many thanks for the many hours you must spend on this site.
December 17, 2019
What sort of message is the PM making by promoting Nicky Morgan (remainer) to the Lords
December 17, 2019
Glen, yes, I couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing either. If anything the Tory party would be better off without her.
December 17, 2019
The message is that the House of Lords has become a house of cronies. Abolition cannot come soon enough.
With Morgan in charge of the BBC issue, will Boris appoint Theresa May as next Brexit Minister?
December 17, 2019
Since I’ve got married Christmas has become a time of stress for me. I have limited time because I work most of it as a shift worker. I’m either feeling guilty or angry that one or other set of parents has not been treated fairly.
Shift workers have around a quarter of the useful social time that most people do.
So bare in mind that it isn’t just working over Christmas that is the bugger – it’s also the conflict and resentments having less time to devote causes.
So HUMBUG. I actually loathe Christmas. It has caused me no end of grief and heartache.
December 17, 2019
and on that cheerful note…..Merry Christmas – whoever you are.
December 18, 2019
When I got made redundant in 1990 the future looked bleak. Luckily my wife was able to increase her part time hours. We tightened our belts and I took over childcare and the cooking and cleaning. In the evenings I taught myself computer programming. I regularly âworkedâ at this until the early hours of the morning. Then up at 6 with the kids. I kept that up for a few years and gradually got some work. It wasnât easy because I was not qualified and had no track record. But sheer bloody mindedness and desperation got me there. I spent the last 25+ years running my own software development business and earned decent money. I worked from home and was heavily involved in family life.
Why donât you train for a better job?
December 17, 2019
I too love the chance for families to get together at Christmas, the exchange of presents has become less important due to prosperity.
This year has seen excessive bile from both socialists and remainers, I note that people who tell others they are “kinder, gentler” are neither.
However your success at the ballot box has quietened both down, I suspect at the first sign of difficulties they will get noisy again.
For brexiteers there is so much positive to say about the idea of less regulation and free trade deals, I have never heard one good argument for less trade with Australia. We should keep mentioning the benefits since they are the best tonic to the negativity from remainers.
And to our kind host and all I wish a very merry Christmas!
December 17, 2019
You state
“I would like to suggest that going forward more of us recognise that there are many valid points of view”
Surely, this begs the question as to what is in actuality a valid point of view.
Some views can be simply shown to be wrong by the proffering of evidence or logical analysis.
In other cases, the views put forward range from bad manners to outright prejudice.
Other than the application of the law there is no reasoning with such people. Their ranting
growing louder by being re-inforced by others and the technical assistance of social media .
Corbyn’s flirtation with Hamas and Hezbollah and his lack of discomfort concerning anti semitism cannot be defeated by rational argument. It has to be confronted, silenced and destroyed.
Even “Being nice ” has its limits
Not being devil’s advocate I still wish you a very very happy Christmas and thank you for your efforts over the last year year to keep us all sane.
December 17, 2019
The Tories have been playing this card for the past ten years. As soon as they get in…
“Thanks for voting for us but we have those who did not vote for us to think about too. So bang go the manifesto promises.” This time there’s the perfect excuse to scrub the spiel on the side of the tin.
We never got this even handedness from Labour.
December 17, 2019
Great message but watch out and get ready for all the questions on the 1st February
Why are we still in transitionâŠwhats it for; business have been ready for 3yrs
Why canât we implement trade deals
Why have we still got MEPs
Why so many illegal/legal immigrants/free of movement continues
Why are we still paying the EU and collecting VAT for them
Why havenât we got control of our own waters etc etc
The media and people are going to be asking/demanding why nothing has changed if we have left on the 31st January ?
December 17, 2019
The media will not be asking any awkward questions. They’re on message ! đ
December 17, 2019
Thank you Sir John. May you and yours have a wonderful Christmas too. May you have everything you need and most of what you want.
The world would be better if we all lived by the golden rule….
As you wish men to do to you, do so into them.
December 17, 2019
Bloody predictive text….unto
December 17, 2019
Couldn’t have been any more embarrassing, could it !
December 18, 2019
Brilliant! The ultimate Freudian slip đđŒ
December 17, 2019
Christmas is booming while Christianity itself is flagging. How many Churches have closed down over the past decade?
I feel that the singer is not making the most of his song and is not singing from the same hymn-sheet as the many. The Church should stay out of politics and the Government should stay out of religious practices and ceremonies. Sadly over the past decades, this has not been the case.
At least the spirit of Christmas is still very much in evidence here. Let’s all be merry.
December 17, 2019
Well the Church has abandoned judgment. In deciding that The Devil did not exist it lost its unique selling point and therefore its customers.
Few actually wanted to go to church on their rare day off – they were scared onto uncomfortable pews in draughty buildings by the stories of the eternal damnation awaiting them if they didn’t go.
Christianity was once an earthly reward for being a Christian. Now it’s a glutton fest and an advertising campaign which extends from Remembrance Day to the Boxing Day sales. The towns full of Santas puking down their outfits on Christmas eve.
The actual event itself becomes a series of traffic jams and a test of loyalties in which in-laws notice how much or how little attention they get.
The writers of Eastenders exaggerate a bit (quite a bit in fact) but capture the true spirit of Christmas.
Bah humbug !
We really could do without it.
December 17, 2019
*Correction* CHRISTMAS was once an earthly reward for being a Christian.
December 17, 2019
Hmm. So….having been absolutely smashed in the GE because of Corbyn and Brexit, the Labour Party now appears poised to select a female version of Corbyn who is actually openly anti-Brexit. Merry Christmas Boris, love from the Labour Party!!!
December 17, 2019
Indeed, talk about denial, I see Thornberry saying Labour got a drubbing in the GE because they werenât âopenlyâ a party of Remain, – so Ms Thornberry why did the majority vote Tory and not Libdim then ? Poor deluded fools.
Merry Christmas Sir John.
December 17, 2019
Well said
I hope you have an enjoyable and well deserved rest with your family and friends
Happy Christmas and an excellent 2020 to you
December 17, 2019
âI love Christmas. I like the turkey and the pudding, the tinsel and the trees, the carols and the stories, the pleasure of giving and receiving. Best of all is the way many people feel they should be kinder at Christmas, thinking more of others, reaching out to the lonely and trying to bring argumentative families together.â
Indeed. It is an important time in the Christian calendar. Not as important as Easter though.
I also love Christmas – not âholidaysâ, âfestivitiesâ or âthe seasonâ as I often see in commercial messages and advertising.
December 17, 2019
After more than 3 years of full scale abuse on half the country including experts, businesses, judges, numerous MPs and concerned voters – all of whom are repeatedly slandered as traitors, collaborators and so on – I think the call by several hard Brexiteers for more kindness is more than 3 years too late.
I suspect what has actually happened is that you have all faced a barrage yourself of the doorstep from appalled Remainers and you know your jobs are going in 5 years. Many of you only won this time because of Corbyn.
December 17, 2019
Bah bloody humbug!
December 17, 2019
Letâs remind ourselves of your two predictions over the last 3 years: 1) the EU would not remove the Irish backstop from the WA and 2) the Tories would be wiped out at the election.
Could you make a prediction for us for 2020?
Happy Christmas
December 17, 2019
Are you serious, Andy ?
All the abuse has been on mainstream TV stations. Especially BBC. It is part of the routine language of broadcasters and celebrities.
What else do you think motivated people to get out and vote Boris in landslide numbers ?
This was another rebellion against the whole sneering Remainer elite.
Labour voters could have voted Swinson instead of Johnson but didn’t.
They could have abstained instead of voting Johnson but didn’t.
Labour voters (unprecedentedly) turned away from their traditional party and voted for the one politician who said “Get Brexit done.” in doing so they must have had G clamps pinching their noses but that’s how much they want this.
You simply don’t go about telling an enfranchised population that they’re stupid and that you know what’s best for them, not even if they are and not even if you do.
Remainer insults caused the referendum. Remainer insults caused Brexit and Remainer insults caused Boris.
What don’t you get about this ?
December 17, 2019
I totally agree. During my own difficulties and stressors over the years , I have learnt to action what I have always preached to my family .Public , professional life helps as when we are in public arena , objectivity is called for , good manners and treating each individual with respect. What is nonsense to some may be a perfectly legitimate stand to others and by gentle and analytical reason some things can be resolved, but not all.
Once we climb on the slippery slope of aggression , verbal abuse and blindly holding an argument without a re think ,then trouble and eventually wars occur,
I enjoy Christmas , I enjoy all the people with good wishes I meet . I do not wear rose coloured spectacles ,but the message initiated from the east is a good one . We saw disaster in Tehran on the box yesterday and I am saddened that so called realists kill families and children to prove their point. I agree with free speech , but not free abuse.
December 17, 2019
If only more politicians had your values. Continue to fight for what you believe in. Have a lovely Christmas with your family. Thank you for giving us this forum to air our views. Good honest debate without resorting to being nasty is so refreshing.
December 17, 2019
One thing I am certain of is that most politicians – and most people – want to do the best for others.
We all have different ways of getting there.
For example, I think that too much state intervention in our private lives (e.g. social services) is removing the incentive for family members and neighbours to look after each other.
I think this is an example where less government will make us happier as we will have kinder communities.
However, there are some who will question the motives of such an idea which I think is disingenuous.
December 17, 2019
Giving the EU a whole lot of stuffing; a very good Christmas.
December 17, 2019
A very happy Christmas to you Sir John and thank you once again for this diary and the opportunity to make comment. Thank you also for your tremendous contribution to public life.
December 17, 2019
Would agree JR, yours was the only really positive campaign message locally.
Again locally this was the most negative and personal general election campaign held so far.
Its a poor salesman who has to constantly knock his competitors products, because they have nothing positive to say about their own.
Afraid the Doctors came up with the wrong Diagnosis, and so the constituents refused the recommended course of treatment.
December 17, 2019
“Things became very heated in the recent election, with lies and nastiness the stock in trade of too much discourse.”
I agree entirely, and I think that the people of this country deserve an apology, and those responsible should be held to account to ensure that it doesn’t become the new normal. I don’t think that we should be using the excuse “because it’s Christmas” to sweep it under the carpet.
December 17, 2019
To me anyone who voted for the Benn surrender act is clearly a total traitor to the UK and will always will be, Christmas or not. Some are still MPs some even claim to be âConservativeâ ones. I fail to understand why on earth they were allowed to stand. They have helped to ensure the Boris W/A is as dire as it is at vast cost to the UK.
December 17, 2019
Not posted by me.
A different Peter.
December 17, 2019
An impostor?
December 17, 2019
Happy Christmas Sir John. Have you seen the awesome Christmas animated cartoon by Times cartoonist Morten Morland? It’s on Guido Fawkes as well as The Times website. And there you are, playing the French Horn no less, about 57 seconds in. Enjoy!
December 17, 2019
A clean slate a fresh start and a happy New year John.
Get rid of the gold standard, fixed exchange rate nonsense that no longer applies to our monetary system and look at both sides of the balance sheet which are the assets and liabilities.
Brexit especially a no deal brexit will be the best thing that has ever happened to our country. It will be a privilege to be part of it. What a start to a new year.
Continue with the household budget works like the government accounts and taxes fund government spending clap trap and we will continue to go backwards. It is ideological nonsense that breaks every accounting law in the book. Voters are ready for the truth John and will improve the debate and bring everyone together.
2020 is the year we stop pretending we are using the Euro and use the ÂŁ.
Merry Christmas John and I wish you and your family all the best.
December 17, 2019
Is this the last blog beforeChristmas?
If so…HAPPY CHRISTMAS everyone âïžâïžđđ
Are we getting a Christmas story though?
Since last yearâs Jack and the Beanstalk we have been on a roller coaster ride!
One thing about JRâs non-confrontational tactics….the Left/Remain really believed it was winning…and actually, so feared I…And it didnât!!!
December 17, 2019
Happy Christmas to you and yours John. Let’s hope we really get what we want next year. No more waiting for Brexit. Get it got!!
December 17, 2019
Happy Christmas Sir John.
Agree with you entirely, and judging by the election result the greater majority of this fine Country are in agreement.
December 17, 2019
Bury the hatchet at this time of year: Amen to that.
And every blessing to you and your family, Mr Redwood.
December 17, 2019
Why does it appear the Speakers Chair has been Damaged?, looks like someone ran a sword through it from the back
December 17, 2019
I wish you a very merry Christmas, sir. I admire your sentiments.
December 17, 2019
What a wonderful speech by our newly elected Prime Minister to the Speaker elect.
Full of good grace, eloquent and positive.
I am so pleased we have a generational change compared to the make up of the last Parliament and I look forward to the next five years of a government that will bring this fine nation together and get Brexit done.
Congratulations to Sir John on being elected yet again.
In my constituency an excellent Conservative candidate gained a great election victory and is someone I tip for future promotion.
December 17, 2019
Happy Christmas to you and yours, Sir John. I’ve said before that you are a scholar and a gentleman. At the risk of embarrassing you further, I will add that you are an exemplary MP and a national asset – I only wish you were in the Cabinet. This blog has been a beacon of light for me during some depressing times in terms of national politics and I hope you will find the time and energy to continue with your excellent daily posts in 2020.
December 17, 2019
SJR
Merry Xmas to you and your family.
December 17, 2019
Merry Christmas to you, Sir John, and yours … without forgetting your extensive network of blog contributors.
December 17, 2019
Merry Christmas Sir John (and family). The best thing you can do now is suspend this blog and take a well earned rest from it all for several days. We look forward to expressing our angst or support in future days.
December 17, 2019
Merry Christmas Sir Sensible John Redwood, a true politician and man of the people.
December 17, 2019
Thank you for all you have done to demonstrate that Democracy is well served by truthfulness, sound information and resolve.
A very merry Christmas to you and yours, Sir John, and to all those who frequent this leafy cyber avenue!
December 17, 2019
Merry Christmas to you and all the other blog contributors, and let us look forward to a peaceful and more united New Year as this country strives to break free and achieve its full potential.
zorro
December 17, 2019
Merry Christmas everyone and best wishes for 2020 – letâs get brexit done đđ
December 18, 2019
I think the Labour Party need to read todayâs message. Apparently there was a lot of anger, and not much seasonal forgiveness, at todayâs meeting of Labour MPs and their trusty (crusty?) leaders. One feels one must wish them the compliments of the season.
Lisa Nandy for PM – in due course.
December 18, 2019
Wishing one and all the very best of Christmases and letâs look forward to a very good New Year, it has been a difficult time, but I sincerely believe we have got our Democracy back.
we must hold on to it for all we are worth, we have been in a dark place without it for some years.
We can not please all the people all the time, but the majority will always be happy in a Democricy
December 18, 2019
Happy Christmas, Sir John.
May it be full of mince pies, turkey and general festivity.
December 18, 2019
I appreciate that theWord from Nr 10 is âbeing seen to be forgiving to unite Remainers and `brexiteersâ. The Remainers who accept democracy are already united – see Piers Morgan, Edwina Curry etc. The hardliners still wish Britain dead and buried. I will NEVER forgive or forget, no magnanimity in âvictoryâ – we spent decades on the edge and the stress killed many long serving Brexiteers. No amount of smiling Mrs Mays will wipe from my mind that she wanted Britain to âlead with world into the post-democratic ageâ. May she and her ilk rot!
December 19, 2019
Agreed.
Those in no.10 can afford to be forgiving, they have what they want.
They haven’t delivered anything for the rest of us yet and after 44 years patience has worn thin. Like you I do not hold with magnanimity with those who don’t deserve it.
December 18, 2019
Happy Christmas to one and all.
December 19, 2019
Merry Christmas John.
Fingers crossed for an exciting New Year!
December 20, 2019
Merry Christmas Sir John to you and your family. Thanks for the blog. Best wishes.