Peter Rhodes on child marriage, the meaning of order and Blair's idea of streamlined government
Keir Starmer's chief of staff, Sue Gray has allegedly become the state doorkeeper, denying even top civil servants access to Sir Keir. We have passed this way before.
Back in the 1990s, Tony Blair found the traditional Cabinet process too stodgy for his tastes. Britain came to be run by a “sofa cabinet” comprising Blair, his spin doctor Alastair Campbell and just a few old chums. Did it speed things up? Possibly. We certainly invaded Iraq pretty damn quick.
Today in Iraq, a draft law would allow families to marry off girls as young as nine. It's an old story. You overthrow one big tyrant and lots of little tyrants take over.
The police restore order on our streets and King Charles sends them a thank-you letter. As well he might, if you consider one old meaning of “order.”
