Michael Blackburn: ‘At the moment the situation is one of atomisation and fragmentation. But, disparate as all these idiocies are, if you put them together you have the left’s New Promethean society. I was going to say the New Man, a concept so beloved by both fascist and communists in the twentieth century, but these days “man” is unacceptable…’

Michael Blackburn: ‘Slat is a brilliant example of entrepreneurial individualism applied to the kind of problem normally “solved” by corporate, state intervention. Clearly this annoys some people, who prefer the dominant collectivist approach to every problem. When “something must be done” they automatically turn their eyes to the state. ‘

Michael Blackburn: ‘Call me Mr Cynical but I suspect Magid’s real passion is for himself, and he doesn’t appreciate the fact that the position of Mayor is something of itself and nothing to do with his own ego. A bit more decorum would serve him better and prevent what I believe will be the reaction to his posturing when he has left the post, namely embarrassment.’

Michael Blackburn: ‘The problem for the left with nostalgia is that the past did happen. It’s real. And even when some of it is “imagined” it is still composed of fragments of reality. More importantly it is an emotional response.’

Michael Blackburn: ‘Again, we come up against the unquestioned assumption of all do-gooding, omnisapient, bleeding heart liberal types, that they can work out what needs to be done (because they’re clever like that) and that “we” (the taxpayers) must stump up for it.’

Michael Blackburn: ‘The abominable and inexcusable treatment meted out to immigrants and their families over the decades is not in question. But the deliberate policy of the left in recent years of opening up the old wounds and pursuing a course of malevolent compassion, or rather malevolence masquerading as compassion in exploiting minority groups, is also abominable. ‘

Michael Blackburn: ‘Poor old Jeremy Corbyn didn’t have time to take a closer look at Kalen Ockerman’s mural, “Freedom of Humanity”, a few years ago, thus missing its anti-Jewish message and later embroiling him in accusations of being soft on anti-Semitism in his party. ‘

Michael Blackburn: ‘It was while I lay in my bed that I considered the lost concept of convalescence. There was a time when I was growing up and still a young man that if you had suffered from a serious illness, undergone major surgery or were a woman who had just given birth, you were allowed weeks in which to recover, even if, medically speaking, you were back to full health. In the last thirty years that rather humane idea has been eradicated. ‘