Lockdown

Life in Brighton & Hove, life in Britain, life almost everywhere is surreal in Covid Lockdown.

In my exercise hour, I have taken some pictures of what it looks like where we live: the beautiful scenery, the empty spaces, the sense of desolation.

An iconic holiday resort in excellent weather with no people, a Marie Celeste city - something straight out of a science fiction movie.




The drip-drip-drip of terrible news from around the world, with many thousands of deaths, makeshift mortuaries and unconscionable suffering is hard to comprehend in the context of the empty beach, the passing joggers, the relentless sunshine.

Sometimes it seems unbearable, the tidings too painful to absorb.

Yet there is no doubting the immense spirit of the people of the UK, and of every country stricken by this terrible virus.

Yesterday (Sunday, 29 March 2020) I spoke on the phone to a friend who was celebrating his 90th birthday.

He said he was reminded of 1940 with the 'general feeling to pull together'.

I have noticed that too. People are often kinder and more generous than they usually are.

Hundreds of thousands of good-hearted citizens in Britain have volunteered to help, possibly putting their own safety at risk.

People who are fortunate enough to be still working are making a huge effort to keep their organisations, companies and charities going.

Sometimes, of course, signs of public discontentment bubble to the surface.

Food hoarding in particular has been insane, an animal reaction against the forces of reason.



But on the whole, people have understood the need for social distancing and the stay-at-home-where-possible policy, and are acting responsibly.

They understand the colossal battle the National Health Service faces to keep the unfortunate alive - a fight that, sadly, all too often it will lose to the hearses and bodybags.

Everywhere life is different.


Marrocco's restaurant and cafe, where habitually I enjoy my early morning cup of tea, has closed for the first time in more than half a century, although, strangely, work is allowed to continue at pace next door where a pop star is building a modern mansion for himself on the site of the former far-smaller bathhouse.

In Brighton and Hove, almost everything else is closed: only supermarkets, corner shops and pharmacies remain open to customers - and takeaways deliver, scooterists the unsung heroes.

A police officer told me that most people in Brighton & Hove are being sensible and social distancing - only a few teenagers clumping in groups.

Rough sleepers are being given hotel rooms to self-isolate in, he added, many of them staying in.

The people out are exercising alone or in couples and, maybe, enjoying a few rays of sunshine at the same time.

It is the strangest time in my life, stranger than the Falklands War, stranger than the Miners' Strike, stranger than the time of the Three Day Week, with its delightful power cuts.

But every day I count myself lucky to have what I have. I count my blessings.

Our War With Coronavirus

We live in extraordinary, almost incredible times. In my lifetime, I cannot recall a stranger situation: Britain in lockdown; cafes, pubs, clubs and restaurants closed; no live sport; the Government pulling the plug on the economy and then attaching it to a massive life support system - and tens of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, set to die in the UK.

Like everyone else, I have found the past week tough. By Friday night, after days of mainlining the news on the dreaded Coronavirus (Cv), I felt deeply depressed.

I have been toiling away all week at home, on Cv-related things for the homelessness charity for which I work. I find the whole situation upsetting and find myself in tears listening to news updates from the UK and overseas.

Today (Saturday, 21 March 2020), I tried to listen to less news and get out for a long motorcycle ride, between Hove and Littlehampton.

Greggs was still open but only for takeaways, which was great.

The few customers kept well away from each other, and I was able purchase a vegan sausage roll and large hot chocolate for next to nothing - and enjoy them sitting on my own on a bench outside in the precinct.

A little way down the street, in an attractive old-style arcade, a lone man looked at Mothers' Day flowers.

Further down still, a lovely bookshop was closed to customers but had left out a good selection of its wares on a couple of trestle tables - for people to take for no charge.

A message from the bookseller included the words: 'Sorry we are closed but please help yourself to the books on this table for free!
If you are anticipating being stuck at home, hopefully a good book will help you through.'

So well done to Fireside Bookshop of Littlehampton. You should be proud of yourself!

It made me think of something the Chancellor of the Exchequer said about the little acts of kindness that people would remember when this time is over.

I am impressed by Rishi Sunak, his substance and presentation. He is a great talent who one day, I suspect, will become the UK's first Prime Minister from a BAME background.

Overall, the Government's response to the crisis has been fairly good, although there is more they could do for the most vulnerable in society, such as people experiencing homelessness, and for the self-employed.

Things are moving very quickly, however, and I hope more will be done to help these groups this coming week.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson sees this crisis as a wartime scenario - and he is right.

In terms of demanding that people behave in particular ways contrary to their financial interests and basic freedom, nothing like it has happened since World War Two.

We are all in this together.

Sadly, the hoarding that has occurred through panic buying in the supermarkets is damaging the food chain, hitting key workers and hurting national morale.

It is ridiculous, selfish and pointless - there is plenty to go round.

My partner Laura and I have been strict with ourselves in buying food just as normal and also to spend just as usual in general.

To spend all your money on food, depriving others, and save otherwise is crazy.

This is a time when self-control and consideration for others is vital - to keep food on everyone's plates and, with non-food items, keep consumer money going into the economy, as far as possible.

And we all have a moral duty to keep away from others as much as possible to slow the spread of Cv and save lives.

Stopping in Worthing, I was shocked to see how people were happy to rub against each other, when there was no need.

It seems to me that people are still struggling to grasp the immensity of the risk that our nation faces from Cv. I can understand that.

Putting your life on hold is tough, separation is very tough.

But we need to show a bit of love for each other by washing our hands and keeping our distance.

* I have left and picked up writing this post again. It is Mothers' Day - Sunday, 22 March - and I have been thinking of my Mum who died in April 2018.

On the last visit Mum made to Brighton, in 2017, I took her to Birling Gap, a Sussex beauty spot, and today, on a motorcycle ride, I went there again, on the way to Eastbourne.

The weather was beautiful today but it took me an hour and 15 minutes to ride from Hove to Eastbourne, partly because of a diversion and partly because of my cautiousness in quite strong winds.

Separation in Eastbourne was not a problem - it was almost deserted. Virtually everything was closed.

However, the Emporium store had stayed open, with hardly any customers.

Keeping a sensible distance, I chatted with the owner who said he expected to be ordered to close at any time under a 'non-essential trader' order. 'But I believe music is essential,' he added with a grin. I bought a couple of singles.

Across the road, a bar was interpreting the 'take-away' rule with its own 'Beer Drive-Through', selling pints through a window for a sole punter to drink in the street.

I saw similar thing later in Brighton, with drinkers standing outside a pub, surely being creative with the 'take-away' definition, which I'd have thought would apply only sealed drinks which customers took away to consume in other locations.

I hope people are generally sensible and the Government doesn't have to move to a curfew scenario with the majority of citizens confined to their homes.

How can we all get through this?

We have been taking our minds off it by watching the excellent series Better Call Saul, a prequel to the extraordinary Breaking Bad.

I also appreciate the BBC's effort to get into the wartime spirit, showing old episodes of Dad's Army and classic football matches in the place of the live equivalent. Watching the latter made me think how much more earthy and fun soccer used to be before the Premier League days.

Laura took part in Virtually Funny, an online comedy gig staged by a friend of ours in the place of a live comedy show. A fine idea, although hard to do using teleconferencing technology.

How ever tough it becomes, I know that Britons will get through this with a determined smile on our faces, whether working or at home. And that our national institutions - the NHS, the Government, our representatives at all levels and of all political hues - won't let us down.

Most of all at this time I think of my family and particularly my daughters, Edlyn and Frances who I miss.

I will leave you with an image from Devil's Dyke taken at dusk tonight. Have a good week, everyone!

Labour Leadership and Deputy Leadership Contest Part II

On the 120th Birthday of the Labour Party, a small group of activists gathered in the slightly faded glory of The Hove Club where, beneath old portraits of Her Majesty The Queen and HRH Prince Philip, Hove and Portslade MP Peter Kyle was in conversation with his friend Ian Murray, Scotland's only Labour MP and a candidate for Deputy Leader of the Party.

It was a very interesting, informative and entertaining evening.

When I had embarked on finding out something about the candidates for Labour Party Leader and Deputy Leader, I had not expected it to be quite so much fun.

But it has surprised me. Ian Murray was as straight as a die in his views but also witty and amusing, while Peter Kyle, with his gentle humour, proved an excellent interviewer and complemented him perfectly.

They had become fast friends during the time when Peter had been the only Labour MP in the South of England, excluding London, and Ian was the only Labour MP in Scotland, as he is once again. Between them, they epitomised how good, campaigning, sensible Labour MPs can buck the trend and be a speck of red in a sea of blue or yellow.

As I wrote last month in my blog Why I Am Backing Keir Starmer for Labour Leader, I have made up my mind on the candidate to support for the Leadership. But I was less sure about the Deputy Leader - a mysterious role.

I was impressed by the way in which Ian Murray spoke about the urgency to get Labour back into a shape in which we can win a General Election again, which means winning back Scotland. A council estate boy, brought up by his mum after his dad died suddenly aged just 39, he has already pulled himself up by his bootstraps and has a no-nonsense approach to the problems that have beset the Party during the Corbyn years.

With Ian as Deputy Labour, there would be zero tolerance of anti-Semitism. And when I asked him about dealing with a "party within a party" [Momentum], he simply said it would have to stop.

One of his funniest stories was about bumping into the Labour Party Chairperson in the tunnel between buildings at Westminster and baiting him about the failure of General Election leaflets to arrive, only to be angrily told that he [Ian Murray] had only won his seat because "you get Tories and Liberal Democrats to vote for you!"

Fuelled by the free wine, the Labour faithful at the Hove Club clearly enjoyed the evening, literally getting behind Ian Murray in the selfie above.

The following day, the whole Labour Leadership and Deputy Leadership circus was in town. Initially, I'd heard that the hustings were not venturing south of London, so the surprise chance to see all the candidates speak just a few hundred yards from my apartment proved irresistible.

I had expected a lot of argy bargy between the factions of the party but, once again, I was wrong. Arriving at Brighton's Grand Hotel, I bumped into an old mate from my years on Brighton Trades' Council who was outside handing out leaflets for Leadership Contender Rebecca Long-Bailey - the "unity candidate", or so he said.

Inside, I registered, filed a couple of questions and found a seat in the front row next to a chatty former punk rocker called Peter. It appeared that people had come from far and wide for the hustings and, although it was blowing a gale outside, they were determined to enjoy their day out at the seaside.

I espied "Becky" Long-Bailey by the windows and walked over to say hi.

"Hello, My Lovey!" she responded with a grin. You certainly couldn't fault her on her friendliness. Her supporters clearly adored her.

When the hustings started in the packed banqueting suite, I was struck by how much respect the three remaining candidates - Keir Starmer, Lisa Nandy and Rebecca Long-Bailey - appear to have for each other, and how the 500-strong audience applauded almost every answer.

Keir Starmer said: "Divided parties don't win elections. I think and I hope that the way the three of us have modelled the election bodes well for the future."

There is not space here to report 90 minutes of debate, but I will say I found myself agreeing with most of the things that Keir Starmer and Lisa Nandy said. 

I am still backing Keir but I like Lisa. It was great the way she applauded points made by her rivals that she agreed with.

And she is clearly very clever and gutsy. Even if she doesn't win this contest, there must surely be a big job for her in a future Labour Government.

Rebecca Long-Bailey came over much better in the flesh than she does on TV. She is affable and almost charismatic but I had my doubts over some of the things she said, such as abolishing the House of Lords - it's been pretty useful at times over the years - and statements such as: "If we just want to win, we might as well join the Conservative Party!"

But it was a good-natured hustings - and an example of party unity in action.

At lunchtime, I chatted to another former Trades' Council comrade, a member of the Socialist Workers Party, who was demonstrating outside in support of Rebecca Long-Bailey.

In the afternoon, Deputy Leadership hustings were held. I had nipped home for a pizza and was slightly late.

I have to confess that once I'd found the one spare seat in the front row, I surveyed the five candidates and realised I didn't recognise them all.

Who was the incredibly passionate and confident woman in the yellow dress?

I racked my brain and realised, to my shame, I hadn't a clue.

As the debate continued, I could see it had a different tenor from the morning's session. Becky, Keir and Lisa had been the grown-ups. Together, this lot were more like slightly delinquent teenagers!

The Lady in Yellow turned out to be called Rosena Allin-Khan, a hospital doctor. She impressed me with her flamboyant performance - there was a bit of showbiz about her. At one point, she even belted out a verse of a pop song in a fine X-Factor voice. I liked Rosena, although I am not sure she is experienced enough to be Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.

Angela Rayner, to whom I recall I gave a vote at the recent Hove Constituency Labour Party gathering on the recommendation of some comrades sitting behind me, put me off a little at the hustings.

Describing herself as a "Ninja Ginger Warrrior", she did a good deal of ranting. When the microphone failed, it didn't really trouble her. I liked quite a lot of what she said but am not convinced she would make a great Deputy Leader.

Ian Murray came over very well again, arguing that Labour should not be "trashing its record" from when it has been in Government.

"If we do not listen to the public," he added, "we will never get back into Government."

Richard Burgon - who has described himself as a Continuity Corbyn candidate - I found a slightly scary, although I certainly concur with his dislike of the Liberal Democrats who "enabled austerity by putting the Tories into power".

Dawn Butler was the most experienced and instantly likeable candidate. She didn't seem to take herself as seriously as the others, banging on about her "Plan for Power" in a strangely self-deprecatory way.

I wasn't sure if this was a good or a bad thing and, when I asked her about it afterwards, was none the wiser.

Still, I did what she probably least expected anyone at the hustings to do - picked up a copy of her 24-page publication and read it cover to cover.

It is pretty good. Much better than I'd thought it would be when she said in the hustings she'd started writing it after waking up on the day after the Election in bed with a bottle of vodka and no glass!

I like its digital campaigning content and the pledge to "reduce gatekeeping". She, and Labour in general, could do with a bit of a lift in their understanding of the national media, particularly the newspapers, but, with the right leadership in place, I am sure that will come.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my day and evening of Labour leadership and deputy leadership events. Allowing a long period for reflection in the Party after December's devastating defeat is perhaps the smartest move Jeremy Corbyn has made as Labour Leader. I have no issues with the length of the process - it only seems to be doing good. The tide it is a-turning.

So, who am I backing for Labour Deputy Leader? Ian Murray - because I trust him and believe he can win back Scotland for Labour, which is absolutely vital. But also because he has pledged that, if he wins, he will ask for a second Deputy Leader for the female candidate who gets the highest number of votes. My second-preference vote is going to Dawn Butler.