The Saturday Read: From the AshesInside: Andrew Marr on Labour's fate, a Communist festival, Terry Eagleton on Iris Murdoch's poetry, a trip to Florence, and remembering Rachel Cooke
Good morning. Welcome to the Saturday Read, the best of the New Statesman, in print and online this week. This is Finn with Nicholas and George.
It’s that time again – the once-in-every-four-year self-imposed insomnia so many English men endure. I am talking, of course, about the Ashes. I can reveal that at least one colleague had set his alarm for 2.30am on Friday to catch the opening, on Australian time. It hasn’t gone fantastically well so far, and the last time England won in Australia was 15 years ago. So some expectation management is probably necessary. But then again, has a bit of blind optimism every hurt anyone? Meanwhile, over in Farringdon at the NS we are preparing for Wednesday’s Budget – a make-or-break moment for the Chancellor, the government, Keir Starmer, and possibly for Labour itself. As the left of the party plots a takeover, Starmer has been trying to hold the centre together. But, “one day we may look back on this autumn as the beginning of the split that broke the Labour Party” Andrew says, rather un-optimistically. I have linked it down below, but I really would like to draw special attention to the great Terry Eagleton, back in our pages, who writes about a new collection of Iris Murdoch’s poetry. And if you are not already subscribed to the New Statesman – may I mention our great Christmas offer? Click the button below to avail of subscription for just "£2 a month. As ever, thanks for reading and have a great weekend. 1— “Full-blown collapse”
Andrew Marr has been imagining Keir Starmer’s death. “Eh?” I hear you splutter. I’m serious: in his magazine piece this week, Marr opens with a quite literal recreation of Keir Starmer’s defenestration. And he has darker things on his mind, fearing for the very fate of the Labour party itself. Nicholas 2—“Sixteen and a communist”
If any of you comrades fancy passing a few minutes “on the internet looking at commie shit”, look no further than Emily’s sketch. She has been to the Revolutionary Communist Party’s Festival. Emily did follow along to the afterparty – in a school hall – but didn’t stick around long. At 28, she was the oldest person there. George 3—“Watching his influence recede”
Is Donald Trump losing power over Maga? And can former Trump loyalists perform Trumpian politics without the man himself? Freddie writes in from Washington DC, with some pretty bad news for the president. Once again, Epstein proves to be the problem that just will not go away. Finn 4—“Cancel him!”
Wokeness is often explained as the terminal phase of other paradigms. Some say it was hyper-liberalism behind it, others that it was the natural end point of neo-Marxism. A new theory says it was actually all women’s fault. Caitlín Doherty is not convinced. George 5—“Flat-footed lines”
The great Terry Eagleton last wrote for the New Statesman 20 years ago, and began writing for us over half a century ago. Good news – he’s back, with a review of a new collection of Iris Murdoch’s poetry. I laughed out loud several times throughout. And the pay-off line is just dazzling. Read read read! Finn To enjoy our latest analysis of politics, news and events, in addition to world-class literary and cultural reviews, click here to subscribe to the New Statesman. You'll enjoy all of the New Statesman's online content, ad-free podcasts and invitations to NS events. |
6—”The dazzling cosmopolitanism”
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If you spend much time eating out, you will spend a lot of that time watching chefs make your dinner. Welcome to the era of the open kitchen. Hard work for me to head into Soho one night, and up the road to Clerkenwell another, to interrogate the concept. Click through to learn what Walter Bagehot and the London restaurant scene share. Finn
7—“Tokenistic and insulting”
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In the wake of her blistering investigation into the state of maternity care and one NHS hospital trust in Oxford, Hannah Barnes returns with a scoop. The government is launching a maternity and neonatal taskforce (the government loves launching taskforces). Details have been shared with the NS and, as Hannah finds, some bereaved families are not exactly happy about it. Finn
8—”Explicitly left-wing”
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Our in-house parliamentary historian and overcoated sleuth, Ethan Croft, has been in the weeds with the Labour left. The Tribune group is once again a major force in the Parliamentary Labour Party. And Keir Starmer should be worried. Ethan explains why. Nicholas
9—Rachel Cooke, 1969-2025
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You may have heard the sad news that Rachel Cooke, the gifted journalist and the NS’s TV critic for nearly two decades, has died. Anna Leszkiewicz has written a touching tribute to this utterly original writer. May she rest in peace.
Elsewhere
Aditya Chakrabortty: Against wealth tax
New York Times: Culture got stale, counterculture went right wing
David A Bell: We’re all individuals!
If you haven’t been following the Olivia Nuzzi saga then start here
Recipe of the week: Chicken au poivre, perfect for lunch tomorrow
And with that…
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I passed last weekend very agreeably in Florence. Even if they cook their pasta a little on the chewy side, those folks know how to live. The enchantment really sets in as the evenings wane soft and lamplit, and every thoughtless turn leads to a square more beautiful and heart breaking than the last.
The enormous Uffizi gallery arranges its items chronologically, so there is a unique chance to periodise your preferences. This weekend, my enthusiasm traced a rough “U” shape. I loved the heroic classical marbles but got a little bored after that. When the endless innocent madonnas and even-more-innocent babes finally subsided (somewhere around the late 17th century), I relished the self-portraits and personalities that cropped up with the Enlightenment.
My taste for characterful individuals was roughly that of the French revolutionaries, who were themselves intensely interested in the Romans and Greeks. Perhaps I am being too uncharitable to the middle ages… In any case, it’s worth the trip.
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