This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/may/08/hugh-muir-diary-diamond-jubilee
The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
Next version
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Diary | Diary |
| (about 14 hours later) | |
| • The Queen, she never gets nervous, but like anyone heading for a party uniting disparate – often warring – elements, she must be wondering if it will go off OK. The official website reveals that on 24 July, as part of the 24-hour, coast-to-coast diamond jubilee celebrations, the Queen will pitch up at No 10 for lunch with the prime minister and his predecessors. Quite a day. On her golden jubilee, Blair hosted a dinner attended by all of the then surviving PMs – Heath, Callaghan, Thatcher and Major; and relatives of Wilson, Macmillan, Douglas-Home, Eden and Churchill. Now the guest list will be different. A return for Blair and Brown – perhaps the royal guest can stop them squabbling. And Sir John Major. Back where he first thought of the road cones hotline. Memories, memories. | |
| • Back to the future then with Vladimir Putin, now re-installed as Russian president. And what will that future be like? Pretty grim for Russian liberals. Especially if they frequent cafes. For Vlad knows how to hit them where it hurts; and so it was that as Putin's cortege was whisking him towards the Kremlin for his third inauguration, riot police were seeking out enemies of the revolution in Jean-Jacques, a bistro off a leafy boulevard in Moscow city centre. Its outdoor tables were full and a few dozen Putin critics had gathered on the street in front of it. No one was shouting or booing but hundreds of riot police appeared all the same, grabbing patrons from their tables, smashing glasses to the ground. All well planned too, for the night before, after protests against Putin, riot police stationed a truck outside Jean-Jacques. By Monday afternoon, when it became clear that the president has it in for intellectual chat and pavement dining, two photos appeared on the Russian social networks. One showed riot police occupying the tables at Jean-Jacques. The other, Nazi officers sitting at a cafe table in Paris. | • Back to the future then with Vladimir Putin, now re-installed as Russian president. And what will that future be like? Pretty grim for Russian liberals. Especially if they frequent cafes. For Vlad knows how to hit them where it hurts; and so it was that as Putin's cortege was whisking him towards the Kremlin for his third inauguration, riot police were seeking out enemies of the revolution in Jean-Jacques, a bistro off a leafy boulevard in Moscow city centre. Its outdoor tables were full and a few dozen Putin critics had gathered on the street in front of it. No one was shouting or booing but hundreds of riot police appeared all the same, grabbing patrons from their tables, smashing glasses to the ground. All well planned too, for the night before, after protests against Putin, riot police stationed a truck outside Jean-Jacques. By Monday afternoon, when it became clear that the president has it in for intellectual chat and pavement dining, two photos appeared on the Russian social networks. One showed riot police occupying the tables at Jean-Jacques. The other, Nazi officers sitting at a cafe table in Paris. |
| • But then Russia has always been a place of high drama. For the most part, we struggle to understand it. And the language barrier complicates everything. Sir Malcolm Rifkind, speaking on Radio 4, recalled the glorious example of a British ambassador to Russia trying his best to deliver a speech in Moscow. He said: "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." In translation it appeared as: "We have lots of vodka but we're short of meat." | • But then Russia has always been a place of high drama. For the most part, we struggle to understand it. And the language barrier complicates everything. Sir Malcolm Rifkind, speaking on Radio 4, recalled the glorious example of a British ambassador to Russia trying his best to deliver a speech in Moscow. He said: "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." In translation it appeared as: "We have lots of vodka but we're short of meat." |
| • More local election fallout now, and in London in particular the natural order begins to reassert itself. The office at City Hall that once was the hated lair for Nick Griffin's ousted British National party has been retired. It's now a store cupboard for the Greens. Yes, the dust is settling, and with hundreds of new councillors taking office, they look around for examples of best practice. And in terms of ethical self-policing they should look no further than Bournemouth. Would there were many more like Tory Sue Anderson, who, having tweeted to a constituent that only the rightwing English Defence League "sticks up for the English", has now referred herself for investigation under the party's disciplinary procedures and to her authority's standards board. Didn't have to be told – headed straight for the naughty step. Bravo. Well done Sue. | • More local election fallout now, and in London in particular the natural order begins to reassert itself. The office at City Hall that once was the hated lair for Nick Griffin's ousted British National party has been retired. It's now a store cupboard for the Greens. Yes, the dust is settling, and with hundreds of new councillors taking office, they look around for examples of best practice. And in terms of ethical self-policing they should look no further than Bournemouth. Would there were many more like Tory Sue Anderson, who, having tweeted to a constituent that only the rightwing English Defence League "sticks up for the English", has now referred herself for investigation under the party's disciplinary procedures and to her authority's standards board. Didn't have to be told – headed straight for the naughty step. Bravo. Well done Sue. |
| • Yesterday, finally, we scoffed at revelations that the infamous Krays offered their services as showbiz managers to David Essex. But we shouldn't have. Our former colleague Duncan Campbell, who interviewed Ronnie, says they did have a touch of the impresarios, and the younger of the twins (by a whole 10 minutes) had a fine musical ear. "Ron's favourite song was Mac the Knife," says Duncan. "And when someone once complained of a lack of atmosphere in one of the Krays' clubs, he launched into a manic version of Knees Up, Mother Brown." One guesses that the clientele joined in. By the time Ronnie reached Broadmoor, his tastes had broadened into classical music. Madame Butterfly was a favourite. And, of course, we know that there is Beethoven played throughout the goriest scenes in A Clockwork Orange. Many a hard nut gets worked up listening to Radio 3. | • Yesterday, finally, we scoffed at revelations that the infamous Krays offered their services as showbiz managers to David Essex. But we shouldn't have. Our former colleague Duncan Campbell, who interviewed Ronnie, says they did have a touch of the impresarios, and the younger of the twins (by a whole 10 minutes) had a fine musical ear. "Ron's favourite song was Mac the Knife," says Duncan. "And when someone once complained of a lack of atmosphere in one of the Krays' clubs, he launched into a manic version of Knees Up, Mother Brown." One guesses that the clientele joined in. By the time Ronnie reached Broadmoor, his tastes had broadened into classical music. Madame Butterfly was a favourite. And, of course, we know that there is Beethoven played throughout the goriest scenes in A Clockwork Orange. Many a hard nut gets worked up listening to Radio 3. |
| Twitter: @hugh_muir | Twitter: @hugh_muir |
| • This article was amended on 9 May 2012. The original referred to Lord Major. This has been corrected. |
Previous version
1
Next version