The Paula Principle

Alan Johnson

The Long and Winding Road

One of my Xmas reading pleasures was the third volume of Alan Johnson's autobiography.   Whilst it doesn't have the gripping detail of his account of his childhood in North Kensington, it's an attractive blend of personal and political narrative, recounted (as far as I can tell) with honesty and a good eye for character. One of his characters is Jeannie Drake, described by Johnson as "the finest trade-union official I've ever worked with."  He goes on: "She had the special gift of being able to harness her formidable intellect to an admirable eloquence and capacity for empathy....I once asked Jeannie why she'd so often been second in command but…
Read More

Politicians, Peter and Paula

I was chatting recently to a friend who lives in France.  We were musing sadly over the state of a country which we both love - she as a long-term resident, me as a sometime resident and frequent visitor.  The French economy is in poor shape, they have major social fractures, French culture seems to have lost its cutting edge;  and the political situation is dire, from almost every angle. There was an interesting recent piece by a political journalist (I'm afraid I can't remember who it was) which argued that the French presidency was designed by de Gaulle for himself; more or less worked for him for most of…
Read More

The Long and Winding Road

One of my Xmas reading pleasures was the third volume of Alan Johnson's autobiography.   Whilst it doesn't have the gripping detail of his account of his childhood in North Kensington, it's an attractive blend of personal and political narrative, recounted (as far as I can tell) with honesty and a good eye for character. One of his characters is Jeannie Drake, described by Johnson as "the finest trade-union official I've ever worked with."  He goes on: "She had the special gift of being able to harness her formidable intellect to an admirable eloquence and capacity for empathy....I once asked Jeannie why she'd so often been second in command but…
Read More

Politicians, Peter and Paula

I was chatting recently to a friend who lives in France.  We were musing sadly over the state of a country which we both love - she as a long-term resident, me as a sometime resident and frequent visitor.  The French economy is in poor shape, they have major social fractures, French culture seems to have lost its cutting edge;  and the political situation is dire, from almost every angle. There was an interesting recent piece by a political journalist (I'm afraid I can't remember who it was) which argued that the French presidency was designed by de Gaulle for himself; more or less worked for him for most of…
Read More