Chris Whiteside's Blog

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine has posted his open letter to the Russian president on X. Here it is. "Open Letter To the President of the Russian Federation From the President of Ukraine When you came to power in Russia more than 26 years ago, many people in Ukraine viewed you positively. That is how it was. But that is now in the past. Now, the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians view it positively that our long-range drones paid a visit to the opening of your forum in St. Petersburg, covering a distance of more than 1,000 kilometers. As you know very well, that distance is not the limit of our capabilities. For 26 years, your time in power has completely changed the agenda of relations between Ukraine and Russia. From discussions about trade and other civilian matters, our nations have moved to talking almost exclusively about strikes and losses. You have spent nearly half of your 26 years in power in Russia waging war against Ukraine. Whatever you may say about NATO, ...

"The Henry Nowak episode reveals a fault line between the two parties of the right. That line is not one of policy, but character. Farage’s instinct when faced with the pleas of a grieving father was to reach for the culture war button and stir up division. Whatever his views on supposed “two-tier policing” may be, using a young man’s murder as the opening line of a political attack is not the behaviour of a statesman.  Badenoch’s restraint, by contrast, was precisely the type of attitude one would hope for in a political leader. By all accounts, she could have gone in for the kill. The footage is disturbing, the questions it raises about police conduct are real, and there would have been no shortage of applause from the Conservative Party’s base had she followed Farage’s lead. But she chose not to. That choice matters not just to those in SW1 but to the wider country. Badenoch is already experiencing a personal popularity bump in the polls and this episode will only serve to stre...

"Today I have met Lucy, Mark and Katie, Henry Nowak’s mother, father and stepmother. Their courage is extraordinary. They have endured the most appalling loss, it is a life sentence for them.  They have also faced the agonising decision to release the harrowing body-worn camera footage, knowing how painful it would be and how strongly people would react. They did so because they want truth, accountability and change. They have asked that we work across political parties and religions to rebuild trust in the police. That trust has been broken because of what happened, and I agree with them on that. We must also be prepared to examine, carefully and seriously, religious practices or exemptions that permit the carrying of dangerous weapons in public, and other activities that are not conducive to the public good. We also need to examine where the law needs to change. Henry’s family do not want anger to tear communities apart. They are a family who have friends across faith and race, ...

Out this afternoon campaigning in Hawcoat & Newbarns for the Conservative candidate Marco Fawcett. And here is a piece of music from Steeleye Span to which to wind down an relax after the campaign.

Polls have now closed at 10pm today (4th June 2026) in the Hawcoat & Newbarns by-election in the Barrow and Furness constituency for a seat on Westmorland and Furness council. A big thank-you to everyone who voted, especially those who voted for the excellent Conservative candidate is the enthusiastic and energetic Marco Fawcett.

Polls opened at 7am this morning (4th June) and will remain open until 10pm in the Hawcoat & Newbarns by-election in the Barrow and Furness constituency for a seat on Westmorland and Furness council. If you live in the ward, You do not need your polling card to vote but do need some form of photographic ID - it can have expired as long as it clearly identifies you Possible forms of ID include Passport Driving licence (which can be full or provisional) Bus pass Blue Badge An identity card with the "Pass" hologram The Conservative candidate is the enthusiastic and energetic Marco Fawcett, who has been working very hard for this by-election, and I am very impressed by him.

"Identity politics divides our country whoever is doing it. The Conservative Party rejects it.  We believe in universalism and equality under the law. We must not treat people differently on the basis of skin colour. We have to build faith and trust in our institutions. If there is one thing that should come from Henry’s death, it is that we make things better, so that this does not happen to any of our boys again. That is what I am committed to. I do not want his death to be in vain. Let’s do this for Henry. Let’s get this right." Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch

Journalist Stephen Pollard has published on X here and in the Spectator  here a response to the smears which Reform UK has been putting round against Kemi Badenoch. I think it is worth republishing here. Zia Yusuf’s attack on Kemi Badenoch shows he is a hypocrite I’m usually resistant to the sentiment behind one of the oldest political jokes: How can you tell when a politician is lying? His lips move. In my experience – I’ve been in and around Westminster for nearly four decades – most politicians might have large egos but they are genuinely trying to do their best for their country. The idea that all politicians lie with impunity is corrosive and wrong. But it’s not always easy to make that case. And the wilful, brazen smearing of Kemi Badenoch by Reform over her reaction to the murder of Henry Nowak is one such example of that difficulty. Yusuf’s hypocrisy would be laughable if the issue at the heart of all this – the murder of a young man – was not so tragic Speaking on yester...

"I don’t want to hear about Black Lives Matter. I don’t want to hear about White Lives Matter. Everyone matters. Henry Nowak matters." Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch

On my return from Barrow (see previous post) I attended the annual meeting which Egremont Town Council, like all Town and Parish councils, is required to hold each year for members of the public to ask questions of the council. The meeting was held in Egremont Market Hall at 5.30pm this evening. It was not well attended though we did have some useful discussion about the council's Safeguarding policy and a few other issues. The chairman of the Town Council made a report which will be placed on the Town Council website.

Out today in Barrow campaigning in a council by-election. Had a friendly reception on the doorstep but what really struck me was the extent to which far more people were wiling to say who they certainly would not be voting for than who they were.  There was plenty of support for Marco, the Conservative candidate, but I was struck by how many people (including previous lifelong Labour voters) told me they would absolutely not be voting Labour. I also met more voters who told me they certainly would not be voting Reform.than I did who were certain they were going to vote for that party. Though FWIW I think the by-election is a close race between the Conservatives and Reform UK. More on this to follow In the meantime, some music to relax after campaigning: the award winning theme m usic from Sid Meier's Civilisation IV, "Baba Yetu" by Christopher Tin. (The lyrics are the Lord's Prayer in Swahili)  

Look what Labour's Welfare secretary admitted in one of the documents released yesterday following the Mandelson investigation:  

Gilbert & Sullivan's wonderful song in which the first Lord of the Admiralty seeking the hand of a captain's daughter, has no idea how forcefully his arguments plead the cause of his rival for her hand, a common seaman ...

On this day, the First of June, in 1794 the British and French fleets met in battle. Here are three of the most beautiful of the many pictures which have been created to capture what become known in Britain as "The Glorious First of June."  What was particularly unusual about this battle is that both sides succeeded in the object for which they fought. The objective of the French fleet was to get a grain convoy through to France, which they succeeded in doing, the objective of the Royal Navy was to inflict serious damage on the French fleet, which they also succeeded in doing. Here are three depictions of the event, painted respectively by Derek Gardner, Philippe-Jacques de Loutherbourg, and John Bentham-Dinsdale.

 

 

🚨 NEW Westminster Voting Intention Conservative: 21% (+1) Reform UK: 21% (-) Labour: 19% (+1) Green: 18% (-2) Lib/Dem: 11% (-) Via Lord Ashcroft Polls @LordAPolls Fieldwork, 21-26 May (+/- vs 27 Apr)

 

 

Out this evening in Hawcoats with our excellent candidate for a council by-election. More details coming shortly. And to relax after getting home, Elizabethan Serenade by Ronald Binge.(Paintings by Vladimir Volegov)

 

 Westminster Voting Intention: Reform:                          24% (-1) Conservative:               19% (+1) Labour:                           17% (=) Green:                             16% (+1) Lib/Dem:                         14% (=) Restore:                             3% (-1) SNP:                                    3% (=) Via @YouGov, 25-26 May. Changes wrt 17-18 May.

 

 

The new Star wars film, "The Mandalorian and Grogu" brought the characters from the streaming show "The Mandalorian" to the big screen today as it was released in cinemas. Here is the theme music: And here is a link to a review: Instant review of "The Mandalorian and Groghu

On the government's decision to allow the purchase of Russian oil refined in third countries: General Lord Richard Dannatt, the former head of the Army: “ This is a morally bankrupt move by a Government focused much more on short-term popularity and not on issues of greater significance, namely the lives of Ukrainian soldiers and civilians.  Shameful is the word that comes to mind. ” Phil Ingram, a former colonel in Army intelligence, accused Labour of “ playing politics with people’s lives ” and said the move was an “immoral” and “ sickening act ”. Come on Starmer, you've U-turned on everything else, another urgent U-turn needed on this one.

Congratulations to councillor Adam Brierley and his team on this fantastic result: Votes cast: Con 1,185    60% (+33%) Ref 534        27% (+27%) Lab 129          7% (-13%) Lib 107           5% (+5%) Conservative GAIN from Independent (No independent candidate this time)