Michael Blackburn: ‘What the Attlee government ultimately did was embed a socialist mentality into the social, political and economic fabric of the country, so that even the Tories went along with enough of it to find themselves trapped by its ethos and industrial processes within a few years. The arrival of Thatcher shook things up economically but did not in reality break the post-war consensus, as the conventional narrative has it.’

Michael Blackburn: ‘It is ironic that the internet encourages the production of the written word and images of all kinds on a ferocious twenty-four hour basis while at the same time destroying so much of it. People say that nothing is forgotten on the web but it’s not true.’

Michael Blackburn: ‘Students also should realise that the economic advantage lies with them. They are now, like it or not, consumers, and if they think they are being short changed on their education they should use their position as leverage. Universities are frightened of bad publicity, which is why they cave in after little pushing by the PC mob, but they’re more frightened of losing the money that follows each student.’

Michael Blackburn: ‘Staff at London Sea Life have described Rocky and Marama as lesbian although they have provided no evidence of seeing the two in Sapphic congress or confirming they have declared their partnership via an avian partnership or same-sex marriage.’

Michael Blackburn: ‘Greenland seems to be a grim place, rife with alcoholism, suicide and guns. Not surprising given its location and weather. Probably the best thing that could have happened to it would have been to be turned into an outpost of uber-capitalist America, with the hope of better conditions and the chance of getting out.’

Michael Blackburn: ‘I can’t see how this can be of benefit to ordinary people. As with all identity politics the intention is not to unite but to highlight differences and turn those differences into divisions and conflicts.’

michael Blackburn: ‘All I saw was some odd body language from the old lady when Sir Ian appeared. She moved away from him on the sofa as if he were honking like a derelict, and carried on leaning away from him. It was quite odd. After the preliminary small talk in which she admitted she didn’t remember meeting him at some entertainment bash years before I gave up.’

Michael Blackburn: ‘Charles Moore has drawn our attention to the suggestions of an associate professor in mediaeval history at Oxford that Notre Dame should not be rebuilt but be left in ruins to stand as a symbol of climate change, environmental decay and colonialism. Why stop there, asks Moore, why not just “set fire to the medieval, western, environmental rapist otherwise known as Oxford University, and then give lectures about its iniquity among its smouldering ruins?”’