More sibling rivalry
My old friend Tom Fairbrother writes to say:
(1) In 1754 one brother succeeded another as prime minister - on a less positive note, Pelham had to die to make way for his older brother, the Duke of Newcastle.Ìý
(2) The French centre-right politicians Jean-Louis and Bernard Debré are twin brothers, sons of Michel Debré, first prime minister of the Fifth Republic - they rarely agree about anything (eg Jean-Louis was pro-Chirac, Bernard pro-Balladur), and I suspect there is a strong element of personal dislike there.Ìý
(3) There are numerous medieval examples of conflicts between/among brothers - in 1478 Edward IV had his brother George ("False, Fleeting, Perjur'd Clarence") executed for treason - the legend that he was drowned in a malmsey butt has never been disproven, and perhaps the victim was allowed to choose..."
So, other sibling rivalries please.
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 17th May 2010, jauntycyclist wrote:dimblebys? bbc is a bit 'keep it in the family too'?
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Comment number 2.
At 17th May 2010, stevie wrote:who was the mad King? Reminds me of today's politics.....
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Comment number 3.
At 17th May 2010, DebtJuggler wrote:Qayin and Havel!
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Comment number 4.
At 17th May 2010, barriesingleton wrote:THEY KNEW ALL ALONG!
Amazing! Both Milibands knew the country was being led astray under Brown, yet they never spoke up in cabinet - not that I heard - and I am only 60 miles from Westminster - I would surely have heard Brown's roar.
Well - fool or knave, they were clearly leaders in waiting - were they not? I mean: you want a leader with no backbone who connives at error, while the country he 'came into politics to serve' goes down the tubes, rather than speaking his superior mind - don't you?
No, seriously, the only other construction is that these two Mealybands are dissembling, power-hungry (...please insert....) And THAT can't be right can it!
Oh - it's all going awfully well.
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Comment number 5.
At 17th May 2010, barriesingleton wrote:ALEGORICALLY SPEAKING (#3 link)
Cain and Able were the beginning of 'industrialised' food production - the second move away from nature (the first being control of fire). Applied knowledge so recently gained?
Fire leads to industry and then on to extreme weapons; farming leads to knife-edge massed living of mankind and overpopulation.
There might be something in the Budget though?
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Comment number 6.
At 17th May 2010, DebtJuggler wrote:5 barriesingleton
Are you descendant of Thomas Malthus?
Just how would a genius like he...be categorised by today's 'big society' (for society....read Libertarians???)
Anti-capitalist would be my best guess!
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Comment number 7.
At 17th May 2010, barriesingleton wrote:POPULATION GROWTH? (#6)
I don't remember mentioning that. One way or another we are in for a hell of a 'thinning' anyway.
I don't know all that stuff DJ - I just make it up as I go along, and drop in the few references I know.
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Comment number 8.
At 18th May 2010, jauntycyclist wrote:if one looks at who Campbell called 'brains' wiki his policies are among the worst of new labour having been instrumental in developing them. so to say it is dead means all his thinking was 'wrong'?
wrong on market fundamentalism, wrong on climate, wrong on iraq, wrong on terror.
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Comment number 9.
At 18th May 2010, stevie wrote:imagine being stuck in a lift with the Milly's....aaarggghhhh
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Comment number 10.
At 19th May 2010, JunkkMale wrote:4. At 3:03pm on 17 May 2010, barriesingleton wrote:
THEY KNEW ALL ALONG!
One rather anticipates 'the future' being rather popular for Marvin and mini-Marvin (brains the size of a planet, yet curiously subordinate and ineffectual - ) as any reference to actual things done in the past may prove... inconvenient.
'We wuz only following o... ur Great Leader!'
Heck of a resume, dudes.
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