In response to Andy Burnham's speech in Downing Street, critics joked: “No lectern, no notes, no content.” However, Burnham did propose ending rough sleeping across the UK. He made a similar promise to end homelessness in Greater Manchester when elected Mayor in 2017, but the total nearly doubled over his eight-year tenure. Burnham will face an even harder task nationally, as almost a quarter of homeless people are foreign nationals, rising to over half in London. The new Prime Minister will be like trying to empty a bathtub with both taps running.
Defence Secretary Criticism Ridiculous
New Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has been attacked for lacking military experience, a complaint McKinstry calls ridiculous. He argues that Education Secretaries are not restricted to former teachers nor Health Secretaries to former doctors. Having ministers in roles tied to their past professions can be counter-productive, as they may view policies through vested interests rather than objective judgment. The worst Defence Secretary of modern times was wartime general Harold Alexander, who had no political understanding and sat almost mute in Churchill’s last Cabinet.
Refugee Convention an Anachronism
Next week marks the 75th anniversary of the Refugee Convention, but McKinstry says there is little mood for celebration. Created after WWII to protect genuine refugees, the system is now discredited by abuses like illegal migrant crossings of the English Channel, where most arrivals are young men seeking a better life, not refugees. Public anger is compounded by asylum-seekers receiving better support than many British citizens. The Convention is an anachronism from a time before mass air travel, social media, and lavish welfare. While Britain has welcomed real victims like Ugandan Asians, it cannot be the world's shelter given 118 million displaced people and 840 million in absolute poverty. An urgent rethink is vital.
Farewell to Kevin Keegan
McKinstry was saddened by the death of Kevin Keegan, the England star twice named European Footballer of the Year. Keegan, from a Doncaster coal-mining family without electricity, was a man of profound decency grateful for his fame. McKinstry saw him play in the mid-80s and recalls his charisma and energy. He was such a fan that he once permed his hair in Keegan's curly style, though no photos survive of that “stylistic crime against humanity.”
