The Daily Novel

A few items from this morning’s papers. The Guardian leads with a story saying that George Bush is planning ‘a last big push’ to win the war in Iraq. He is apparently ignoring the people who are calling for a radical re-think in Iraq. If true it also means that he is ignoring the message the electorate has just given. In effect, rejecting demoncracy at home in favour of his form theocracy based on right wing Christian fundamentalism.

Another highlighted story is a call by Trevor Phillips, the chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, urging the church to ban members of the BNP from taking communion. He argues that the party is using Christianity as a cloak to push their policies of excluding people of other races and other religions.

The Prime Minister’s speech at the opening of Parliament gets the full treatment from The Times, which leads on his call for nuclear power stations as the main weapon in the battle against climate change.

The Guardian highlights Blair’s endorsement of George Brown as his successor. He delighted his own supporters by suggesting the next election would be a battle between an unsubstantial flyweight (David Cameron the popular new Conservative leader) and the heavyweight with the ‘big clunking fist’.

It did not delight me. It is the bullying element in George Brown’s make-up that worries me. Heavyweights are not known for their statesmanlike qualities. My fear is that instead of Blair’s poodle-like demeanour towards George Bush and Rupert Murdoch, Brown might be only to willing to join their stable of big punchers for cause of Christian fundamentalism.

Meanwhile we hear that an actual heavyweight, O. J. Simpson is to appear on Murdoch’s Fox Television channel tonight. Simpson, you will remember, was acquitted of killing his ex-wife and a friend. He still denies it but tonight he will explain to viewers how he would have done the murders had he wanted to do a bit of killing.