In the early 1990s I taught politics at what was Liverpool Poly. I loved it, a great bunch of colleagues, fantastic students, and a senior management seemingly out of synch with both.
The Further and Higher Education Acts 1992 allowed the thirty-five polytechnics to become universities.
One of the issues for most institutions was what to do about a name. For a few it was relatively straightforward: Huddersfield Polytechnic, Portsmouth Polytechnic, and Wolverhampton Polytechnic all dropped the Poly suffix and became Universities.
In a few more, the insert Metroploitan was added, as in Leeds, London, and Manchester, clunky but doable.
Yet others decided to go with names of the great and good, Anglia Ruskin, De Montfort, and Oxford Brookes.
Now this practice is very common in North America (Yale, Harvard, McGill, etc.), Europe (Charles, Comenius, Palacký), and Asia (Chulalongkorn, Sun Yat-sen, Kim Il-sung University), but not so in Britain.
We had Heriot-Watt, Brunel, and Royal Holloway but all had been named after people long dead.
The problem of what to call Liverpool Poly exercised many people, The Liverpool Echo ran a competition and if I remember came up with Atlantic University, North West University, and Everton University as we already had a Liverpool University.
The Students' Union came up with Rigsby University in honour of the character from Rising Damp played by Leonard Rossiter who was born in Liverpool.
The management came up with (Sir) (John) Moores University. We were offended at the idea of naming our institution after a living person whose multi-million pound fortune had been built on gambling, as founder of Littlewoods Pools.
Yours truly, came up with Gladstone University in honour of the great Liberal and four-time Prime Minister who was born in Liverpool, and who introduced the first Irish Home Rule Bill on this day in 1886.
The management ignored my suggestion.
Thursday, 8 April 2010
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
The Siege of Sarajevo
When I was a teenager, I used to love travelling in the old Yugoslavia. You had mountains, beaches, lakes, plains, and forests and great cities like Mostar.
The food, schnitzel and kebabs; sweet baklava and Turkish coffee; rakia and šljivovica.
The music of Ivo Pogorelić, Esma Redžepova, and Goran Bregović. The cinema of Dušan Makavejev, and Emir Kusturica. The literature of Ivo Andrić, and Danilo Kiš.
Most of all however, I loved its multi-ethnicity, multi-linguality, and multi-culturality. I loved the fact that an Albanian could marry a Motenegrin, live in Belgrade, go to see a play by a Croat playwright, support Partizan Belgrade, ski in Slovenia and summer in Dalmatia.
Unfortunately, the perverse and reactionary forces of nationalism bubbled over in the late 1980s and eventually led to the collapse of the old Yugoslavia.
The point is that when it did all begin to go wrong there were not enough of us standing up to say how dreadful it all was, and what a pack of lies was being told.
Instead we let commentators and politicians, talk nonsense about how there had been centuries-long enmities, how ethnic, linguistic, and religious hatreds was all that the peoples of the Balkans knew. We let people with their own personal and political agendas set the dismemberment policies, and what had been genuine economic and political grievances were expressed solely through the language of chauvinism, xenophobia, and revanchism.
The ultimate and inevitable conclusion of that logic of hatred was the four-year-long Siege of Sarajevo, which started 18 years ago today. It began with the murder of Suada Dilberović and Olga Sučić on a bridge and ended with 10,000 killed or missing, including 1,500 children, and 56,000 wounded, including 15,000 children.
At the risk of offending you dear reader, we must be forever alert to the siren voices of division and dissemblance, fanaticism and falsehood, and remind ourselves and others, that there is much more that unites us than separates us, whether in Keighley, Yorkshire, Britain, Europe, or the World at large.
The food, schnitzel and kebabs; sweet baklava and Turkish coffee; rakia and šljivovica.
The music of Ivo Pogorelić, Esma Redžepova, and Goran Bregović. The cinema of Dušan Makavejev, and Emir Kusturica. The literature of Ivo Andrić, and Danilo Kiš.
Most of all however, I loved its multi-ethnicity, multi-linguality, and multi-culturality. I loved the fact that an Albanian could marry a Motenegrin, live in Belgrade, go to see a play by a Croat playwright, support Partizan Belgrade, ski in Slovenia and summer in Dalmatia.
Unfortunately, the perverse and reactionary forces of nationalism bubbled over in the late 1980s and eventually led to the collapse of the old Yugoslavia.
The point is that when it did all begin to go wrong there were not enough of us standing up to say how dreadful it all was, and what a pack of lies was being told.
Instead we let commentators and politicians, talk nonsense about how there had been centuries-long enmities, how ethnic, linguistic, and religious hatreds was all that the peoples of the Balkans knew. We let people with their own personal and political agendas set the dismemberment policies, and what had been genuine economic and political grievances were expressed solely through the language of chauvinism, xenophobia, and revanchism.
The ultimate and inevitable conclusion of that logic of hatred was the four-year-long Siege of Sarajevo, which started 18 years ago today. It began with the murder of Suada Dilberović and Olga Sučić on a bridge and ended with 10,000 killed or missing, including 1,500 children, and 56,000 wounded, including 15,000 children.
At the risk of offending you dear reader, we must be forever alert to the siren voices of division and dissemblance, fanaticism and falsehood, and remind ourselves and others, that there is much more that unites us than separates us, whether in Keighley, Yorkshire, Britain, Europe, or the World at large.
Monday, 5 April 2010
Il nous faut de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace!
Dare, dare again, always dare!
The words spoken by Georges Danton in the National Assembly in 1792, as good a motto for a political party as any.
The character was brilliantly portrayed by Gérard Depardieu in Andrzej Wajda's eponymous film of the 1980s. Although his nemesis Robespierre was equally brilliantly fleshed out by Wojciech Pszoniak.
The film drew parallels between the Reign of Terror and the then situation in Poland, in which Lech Wałęsa and the Solidarity movement were struggling against the military government of General Jaruzelski.
Well worth borrowing the dvd out of the library.
The words spoken by Georges Danton in the National Assembly in 1792, as good a motto for a political party as any.
The character was brilliantly portrayed by Gérard Depardieu in Andrzej Wajda's eponymous film of the 1980s. Although his nemesis Robespierre was equally brilliantly fleshed out by Wojciech Pszoniak.
The film drew parallels between the Reign of Terror and the then situation in Poland, in which Lech Wałęsa and the Solidarity movement were struggling against the military government of General Jaruzelski.
Well worth borrowing the dvd out of the library.
Violence begets only violence
I was shocked and horrified to read that the leader of a political party had been threatened with violence and even death by some members of his own party.
That it was in this country was doubly worse, and then it transpired that this was a story about the BNP, and it all made sense.
After all a party based on hatred, violence, and intimidation, many of whose leaders have criminal convictions, and whose current leader came to power in a "palace coup" can expect little in the way of loyalty.
Worse than this, has been the BNP's threatening of my friend Dominic Carman the Lib Dem candidate for Barking, East London.
I wish Dominic all the very best, and remind him that I trounced Griffin decisively in the 2005 general election in Keighley.
Despite all their bluff and bluster and their hatred and vileness the overwhelming majority of the electorate see through their lies, and will do so again.
That it was in this country was doubly worse, and then it transpired that this was a story about the BNP, and it all made sense.
After all a party based on hatred, violence, and intimidation, many of whose leaders have criminal convictions, and whose current leader came to power in a "palace coup" can expect little in the way of loyalty.
Worse than this, has been the BNP's threatening of my friend Dominic Carman the Lib Dem candidate for Barking, East London.
I wish Dominic all the very best, and remind him that I trounced Griffin decisively in the 2005 general election in Keighley.
Despite all their bluff and bluster and their hatred and vileness the overwhelming majority of the electorate see through their lies, and will do so again.
Sunday, 4 April 2010
AWB... No not the Average White Band
For many people Eugène Terre'Blanche was the rather sinisterly comical but also hateful central figure in Nick Broomfield's twenty-year documentary The Leader, His Driver, and the Driver's Wife.
While I fervently hope that the trial of the two people arrested for his alleged murder brings out the truth of what happened, and that justice prevails, I can't help but recall with a shudder what a horrible organisation the AWB were.
All full of bile, venom, and vanity.
What the bigots of apartheid and separatists of the AWB showed was how wrong they actually were. And how the dignity and the strength of the black, coloured, and Indian majority shone through in the new Rainbow Nation.
There is still a long road to travel for South Africa, but with plenty of hard work and love... truth, justice, and reconciliation will triumph.
While I fervently hope that the trial of the two people arrested for his alleged murder brings out the truth of what happened, and that justice prevails, I can't help but recall with a shudder what a horrible organisation the AWB were.
All full of bile, venom, and vanity.
What the bigots of apartheid and separatists of the AWB showed was how wrong they actually were. And how the dignity and the strength of the black, coloured, and Indian majority shone through in the new Rainbow Nation.
There is still a long road to travel for South Africa, but with plenty of hard work and love... truth, justice, and reconciliation will triumph.
Cameron's Tories: Stripey Leopards or Spotted Tigers?
I do not take pleasure in pointing out how the Nu-Tories "talk the talk" but rarely if ever "walk the walk".
I genuinely want them to have become de-toxified. I want them to have shaken off the shameful shackles of Thatcherism, and the poisonous politics of class-hatred.
As a liberal I believe that there should be a multiplicity of political philosophies competing for our attention and indeed votes.
The Tories however are not there yet, and one might argue will never get there.
The comments by Chris Grayling that B&Bs should have the "right" to turn away gay couples, because of their "faith" is offensive, illegal, stupid, and just wrong.
If you want to give these "rights" to homophobes running B&Bs, why not extend them to other businesses like furniture stores because gays might cuddle up on their sofas.
This dim-witted comment should send out a very strong message to any gay person who may have been thinking of voting Tory... Don't!
Cameron's Tories are, "Soft And Dull-Eyed Fools" more like Paper Tigers than lions worthy of leading the country.
I genuinely want them to have become de-toxified. I want them to have shaken off the shameful shackles of Thatcherism, and the poisonous politics of class-hatred.
As a liberal I believe that there should be a multiplicity of political philosophies competing for our attention and indeed votes.
The Tories however are not there yet, and one might argue will never get there.
The comments by Chris Grayling that B&Bs should have the "right" to turn away gay couples, because of their "faith" is offensive, illegal, stupid, and just wrong.
If you want to give these "rights" to homophobes running B&Bs, why not extend them to other businesses like furniture stores because gays might cuddle up on their sofas.
This dim-witted comment should send out a very strong message to any gay person who may have been thinking of voting Tory... Don't!
Cameron's Tories are, "Soft And Dull-Eyed Fools" more like Paper Tigers than lions worthy of leading the country.
"I've Been to the Mountaintop"... King
Today is the anniversary of the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shot in 1968 in Memphis Tennessee, he was just 39 years old.
King, and his espousal of non-violence, was one of most important influences in my formative political philosophy.
The previous evening he had given the famously prophetic speech comparing his struggle to lead the Civil Rights movement with that of Moses leading the Hebrews out of Egypt:
"We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!"
King, and his espousal of non-violence, was one of most important influences in my formative political philosophy.
The previous evening he had given the famously prophetic speech comparing his struggle to lead the Civil Rights movement with that of Moses leading the Hebrews out of Egypt:
"We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!"
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