After 14 years at the helm, the polls tell us the British Tories are facing a slaughter on Thursday. To get at the party’s collapse, Henry hops across the pond to discuss British politics with a couple of swell chaps. First up is The Times’ Tim Montgomerie, who covers the post-Brexit smashing victory and the subsequent failure to deliver to the new coalition. Then Matthew Goodwin joins to dig into the rise of Nigel Farage, UKIP, and the Reform Party’s challenge to the status quo.

And if you’re new to the British parliamentary system, fret not! Henry’s got a rant to get you up to speed.

– Music from this week’s show: “Rule, Britannia” performed by the Prince’s Military Band and “The Star Spangled Banner” performed by Frank C. Stanley (via the Library of Congress)

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There are 6 comments.

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  1. She Member
    She
    @She

    “Britannia.”

    And there’s a comma after “Rule.”

    • #1
  2. She Member
    She
    @She

    I am not familiar with the “Prince’s Military Band.”  Is it even British?

    If what you want is Rule, Britannia, performed con energico, I suggest this:

     

    • #2
  3. colleenb Member
    colleenb
    @colleenb

    I generally don’t listen to Olsen as I think he leans left and has the usual pollster tunnel vision. However I’m interested in the Brit election. Enjoyed both the interviews.

    • #3
  4. Steve Fast Member
    Steve Fast
    @SteveFast

    She (View Comment):

    I am not familiar with the “Prince’s Military Band.” Is it even British?

    If what you want is Rule, Britannia, performed con energico, I suggest this:

    “Rule, Britannia” always gives me chills, and I’m not even British. If they had just avoided that damned socialism after the War, they could have rebuilt from the destruction of WWII and continued to rule the waves. America, take heed.

    BTW, who is the soloist and why is he wearing a tracksuit?

     

     

     

    • #4
  5. Steve Fast Member
    Steve Fast
    @SteveFast

    She (View Comment):

    “Britannia.”

    And there’s a comma after “Rule.”

    The comma changes the meaning entirely.

    • #5
  6. She Member
    She
    @She

    Steve Fast (View Comment):

    She (View Comment):

    I am not familiar with the “Prince’s Military Band.” Is it even British?

    If what you want is Rule, Britannia, performed con energico, I suggest this:

    “Rule, Britannia” always gives me chills, and I’m not even British. If they had just avoided that damned socialism after the War, they could have rebuilt from the destruction of WWII and continued to rule the waves. America, take heed.

    BTW, who is the soloist and why is he wearing a tracksuit?

    I believe it’s Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja, wearing the Team GB Olympic tracksuit, in honor of the 2012 London Olympics.

    Other costumes in  other years have been something like this:

    or this:

    You sort of have to get with the program and understand that the Brits regard these performances, whoever sings them–and the artists over the decades have come from all over the world–with the same sort of affectionate, benign but obstinately loyal, ridicule that they do the Royal Family.  And that they don’t like it when others take such things too seriously.

    Susan Bullock at the Last Night at BBC Proms. Photograph: Chris Christodoulou

    • #6
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