With the PM’s mission to save Pakistan and Afghanistan and the promise of 700 extra British troops for the duration of the latest Afghan election still, fresh in the memory, here’s an archive cartoon about some of the problems in the area. No one knows how to solve them, not even Gordon.
Some context to the swine flu story may explain why people who work in public health are worrying so much about what flu can do.
This particular example is extreme, but the time it occurred is interesting because it was during a period of great stress for humanity (the Great War). Perhaps collective, or group resistance to a virus is lower than it might usually be at moments like those we are in now.
There are some details on what is being planned in the UK here – just in case.
I am back from reporting on the UK’s international cartoon festival in Shrewsbury for the Bloghorn which I edit and help to make with Alex Hughes and Royston Robertson. The Bloghorn is run by the UK’s Professional Cartoonists’ Organisation.
Alastair Darling cartoon caricature at budget 2009 © Matt Buck Hack Cartoons
The budget has been widely called the end of New Labour – and it’s hard to argue with it. It looks as if the UK will soon be getting a more Conservative government and, whoever leads it, it will certainly face some extremely serious problems. These will be caused in large part by the need to repay the borrowing the government is now committed to. This borrowing is being undertaken to help prop up the financial businesses based in the city of London – and to alleviate the effects of its collapse on the rest of the economy and its people.
The caricature of the Chancellor of the Exchequer Alastair Darling is for the Budget supplement in The Independent. His performance in delivering the bad news was, as usual, masterly. He excels at delivering a continuous, low modulation, non-dramatic monotone (which sends people to sleep), and which is a brilliant way of concealing terribly important things.
One of the things he didn’t mention very much in his speech yesterday were the banks and financial institutions – this was a revealing leave. He really didn’t want to talk about how badly in hock to them the country now is.
His skill in public performance has seen Mr Darling through a series of tricky cabinet roles, however, yesterday, the scale of the bad news he had to deliver was impossible to hide.
More reading:
Hamish McRae in The Independent – Martin Wolf in The FT – Roundup from The Telegraph – Patrick Wintour in The Guardian – Press roundup from the BBC.
Gordon Browner, or the imaginary ten pound note (Gordon Brown Tenner) © Matt Buck Hack Cartoons. Made for Channel 4 News in the UK
It was a very pre-general election budget, raising taxes on the richest (50% top rate) and pushing what look like inevitable tax rises for everyone else out beyond the date of the next election. The national borrowing requirements are predictably enormous (Cameron made this point well in reply in the house) and clearing them does seem to be based on some rather optimistic forecasts about national economic growth after 2011 (3.0% plus). If the recent McBride/Draper email disaster didn’t already show how desperate and dirty the election campaign was going to be, then this budget definitely does. Oh, and watch the value of the pound in your pocket (again).
Faisal Islam from Channel 4 News has some detail on the scale of the borrowing and the speed of the recovery. And the IMF have their say too – caution, it is not cheery.
Susan Boyle sings the Gordon Brown budget blues - cartoon © Matt Buck Hack Cartoons
There is a thoughtful piece on what has happened to the Labour party in government available here at Though Cowards Flinch.
More footage of the last minutes of Ian Tomlinson’s life has emerged.
Shrewsbury International Cartoon Festival 2009
Off to the banks of the River Severn and the UK’s annual Cartoon Festival on Friday. This year I will be writing rather than drawing as, with my colleagues* from The Bloghorn, I will be reporting some of the goings on.
* Mr Royston Robertson and Mr Alex Hughes
Ulverston has unveiled a statue of one of its most famous sons, Stan Laurel, the business partner to Oliver Hardy. The visual parallels with the political boys were irresistible and so it is in the paper this morning.
Full report from the North West Evening Mail and the BBC.
