As politics wakes from its sugar-rush era with a jolt, here is one enriching policy
Evening Standard|July 01, 2024
The carnival of eight years is over and we must adjust to a reality that feels like a less awful kind of entertainment
Tanya Gold
As politics wakes from its sugar-rush era with a jolt, here is one enriching policy

HOW will journalists live with no-drama Starmer? Since 2016, five long prime ministers ago, we have lived with itBrexit, the day the news sped up and never stopped, Johnson, Truss, the death of Elizabeth II, the rise and fall of Sunak - and we are addicted. Now the narcissists, grifters and showmen are done (though I don't include Sunak in that) and we face a lawyer who loves listening to people, and paperwork.

It will be different. The carnival of eight years is over, and we must adjust to a new reality which I hope will feel less like an awful, self-hating kind of entertainment, and more like functional and therefore "boring!", to quote Nadine Dorries, who screamed it at Starmer in the chamber-government. It was narcotic, sure, but the country burnt down.

I hear Labour is fixated on policies that don't cost money so how about this? Open up the national parks for wild camping: landowners have been spoiled for long enough. At the moment you can only camp overnight on Dartmoor, and that's a loophole, and landowners tried to prevent it, because that's what they do, and were defeated in the courts last year. To celebrate and because a newspaper asked me - I went.

This story is from the July 01, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the July 01, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM EVENING STANDARDView All
Why are England wasting time waiting for Tuchel?
The London Standard

Why are England wasting time waiting for Tuchel?

Winning the World Cup is the aim, so the new boss should start now

time-read
3 mins  |
November 14, 2024
He's been shot, and punched by Mike Tyson, but British boxing's great survivor is back on top and aiming to rule the world
The London Standard

He's been shot, and punched by Mike Tyson, but British boxing's great survivor is back on top and aiming to rule the world

This is where the magic happens,\" reads a big neon sign scrawled across the entrance to the offices of arguably the most powerful man in British boxing today.

time-read
7 mins  |
November 14, 2024
How Sketch went from 'obscene' to era-defining
The London Standard

How Sketch went from 'obscene' to era-defining

After arocky start, the glamorous and infamous restaurant is now an institution

time-read
4 mins  |
November 14, 2024
Money is worth less than time'
The London Standard

Money is worth less than time'

He's quit Fendi, but what will Kim Jones do next?

time-read
4 mins  |
November 14, 2024
London's Roman Amphitheatre
The London Standard

London's Roman Amphitheatre

Guildhall Yard, EC2V

time-read
3 mins  |
November 14, 2024
Liberals didn't notice they'd lost relevance in the all-consuming digital sphere
The London Standard

Liberals didn't notice they'd lost relevance in the all-consuming digital sphere

There are many reasons why Donald Trump might have won the election last week.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 14, 2024
Do we have to die?
The London Standard

Do we have to die?

One neuroscientist thinks the answer is no

time-read
4 mins  |
November 14, 2024
The London Standard

How to have a magical Christmas in Edinburgh

From cosy cobblestone streets to abundant Yuletide goings-on, few cities rival the Scottish capital in creating Christmas whimsy.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 14, 2024
London's best festive restaurants
The London Standard

London's best festive restaurants

The social season is upon us once more. These are the city’s most coveted Christmas venues, which need to be booked soon so as to not miss out on the tinsel and tipples.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 14, 2024
Rag'n'Bone Man
The London Standard

Rag'n'Bone Man

I struggle with being recognised... I'll never really feel comfortable with it'

time-read
6 mins  |
November 14, 2024