More fodder for the right-wing chattering classes

Posted on May 27, 2008 by bobpiper

Next week sees the launch of Standpoint, a new right-wing monthly journal that you may have seen banner advertisements for on some blogsites. The magazine will be edited by Daniel Johnson, a contributor to centre-right journal Prospect and former Associate Editor of The Telegraph who is actually the son of a former editor of the social democratic journal New Statesman … which just about tells you all you need to know. If only he had dipped his toe in the water with The Spectator he would be able to claim a full house.
No wonder they call them the chattering classes… there seems to be no end to the amount of talking to themselves in order to impress that these people can get up to. As someone said at Conservative Home some months ago, I think I can guess the editorial line before the thing hits the newsstands… backing for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan whilst keeping open the option of bombing Iran, stand alongside the US government to defeat Islamofascism, we must stay in the EU but reform it, and health, welfare and education systems are a mess but we don’t really know what to do about it so we’ll just tinker about with it. We can look forward to a series of articles from ex-trotskyists and disillusioned Ukippers all trying to impress us with their clever use of obscure words, sandwiched in-between advertisements for Lacoste aftershave and oh so nice sweaters costing the equivalent of a months medium male earnings.
Coming shortly, Iain Dale’s Total Politics which will…. give backing for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan keep open the option of bombing Iran, stand alongside the US government to … oh, forget it!

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7 Responses to More fodder for the right-wing chattering classes

  1. Guido Fawkes says:
    May 27, 2008 at 2:25 pm

    Prospect is left of centre.

    Reply
  2. Iain Dale says:
    May 27, 2008 at 2:45 pm

    Bob, Having just finished reading articles by Denis MacShane and Polly Toynbee which will be in our first issue, I fear you are mistaken!

    Reply
  3. Bob Piper says:
    May 27, 2008 at 3:29 pm

    Guido, Iain… I suspect that depends where your centre is.
    Iain, are you telling me the editorial line will be opposition to the war(s), a democratised EU in which Britain plays a full part, having a radical solution to the public services that doesn’t mean flogging them off? I won’t hold my breath.
    A magazine dependent upon advertising revenue? as the old family motto goes… ‘He who pays the Piper…’

    Reply
  4. Nigel Barlow says:
    May 27, 2008 at 3:47 pm

    I sincerely hope that both Standpoint and Total Politics will reflect differing political opinions from all sides of the spectrum and give printed substance to the political debate that goes on in the blogosphere but is sadly lacking elsewhere.
    It is a shame that these magazines appear to be funded from the right.Unfortunately for some reason the right has always had the majority of publishing time.It is the same with right wing bloggers who seem to dominate the digital airways with a few notable exceptions

    Reply
  5. stevie in the middle says:
    May 27, 2008 at 4:21 pm

    Dear bob,
    Please tell us something good about the country . I asked keiron to help but he declined as the grass needed cut and his internet connection was down.
    Just to throw in a starter: fuel duty, tell us all something good about that.

    Reply
  6. newmania says:
    May 27, 2008 at 4:30 pm

    I would have said Prospect was right of centre considering the left bias of the establishment readership it is aiming at , not remotely right wing by my standards though and uniformly Liberal socially.
    I feel there is room for good Political mag .The Spectator is dull and the New Statesman idiotic.
    Perhaps they will ask you to write something Bob ?At the very least they could use your picture as the “Before ” in the inevitable adverts for posh gym membership and face lifts
    “I used to look like this and then I discovered …….wealth-plan…

    Reply
  7. Bob Piper says:
    May 27, 2008 at 4:42 pm

    newmania… we never got to see your piccie. I wonder why?
    stevie… I suppose if we cut fuel duty we could further deplete stocks on the market and fuel prices would rise and the King of Saudi Arabia would get wealthier… and oil companies would make even bigger profits.
    Is that good news enough for you?

    Reply