Articles by Niall McCrae

Are trains interesting? It’s a question I ask myself whenever browsing the magazines at WH Smith, where shelves are devoted to a plethora of publications on railways now and then. Steam engines remain a prominent theme, although memories of the billowing smoke must be fading. The trainspotter, with anorak and notebook on a windswept platform, is a rather sad stereotype, … [Read on]

Monday 12th April was a milestone in Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown. Pubs reopened, at least in England. Hurrah! But forgive me for my lack of excitement, because the conditions for drinkers are far removed from the convivial and relaxed atmosphere of this British institution.  First, you cannot simply walk in and order a pint at the bar. No, … [Read on]

Knowledge is a power structure, maintained by manipulation of language. So, we learned from Michel Foucault, who inspired the postmodern turn in universities and emancipatory activism. Fact has been replaced by narrative, and objective reality by relativism. The framework of identity politics accepts neither individual nor universal truths. Your group status (gender, race, etc) determines how you are seen, and … [Read on]

Newspapers are reporting mental health crisis as fact, despite official statistics showing no significant increase in mental illness in younger people. Many reported surveys do not refer to diagnosed conditions but self-reported feelings, and articles rely heavily on expert opinion. The Guardian claims to represent the views of campaigners, politicians and therapists, as well as students, yet a mere eight of its … [Read on]

Never let a good crisis go to waste. Covid-19 has been exploited by political leaders and the medical profession to pursue social objectives that would normally face stiff public opposition. Alcohol is a prime target. Who would have believed, earlier this year, that all pubs would be forced to close at 10pm, alongside other irksome regulations such as no standing … [Read on]

When the government banned our old soldiers and sailors from attending the Cenotaph for Remembrance Sunday, I was determined to turn up anyway. Deterred by advice that Whitehall would be blocked off, I went instead to my local event at Carshalton Ponds. Expecting a small gathering but no dignitaries, I penned a short speech, as follows: – ‘Ladies and gentlemen, … [Read on]

Hardly Martin Luther and the Diet of Worms, you might think. But amidst the global crisis of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Great Barrington Declaration has caused epic controversy.  This scientists’ petition, calling for a different strategy to manage the novel coronavirus, opposes the group-think that has led to a tightening ratchet on citizens’ liberties with consequent economic carnage. Campaigners against … [Read on]

First they came for Tommy Robinson. Then they came for Brexit activists. And then they came for doctors and nurses at anti-lockdown rallies. Who will be next, in the tightening ratchet on British liberties? There was no outcry by politicians about the police brutality at Trafalgar Square on 26th September, just as in 2018 little concern was expressed about the … [Read on]