New Page: The Last Word Column (1997)

As promised, new pages for the blog. These new pages of old Socialist Standard columns will eventually be grouped together in one page at the head of the blog alongside the pages for the current Socialist Standard columns, film reviews and theatre reviews.

The Last Word was a short lived column that appeared on the back page of the Socialist Standard, replacing the long-running Sting in the Tail column. All the columns were written by Steve Coleman, and were usually illustrated with a Peter Rigg cartoon alongside them. Come January 1998, Voice From the Back took over the back page.

1997

Feb: Trained to kill

Mar: The Madness of King George (and the rest!)

Apr: A tale with two characters and two endings

May: And so to bed

Jun: Praise the Fraud

Jul: Moving statues

Aug: The right to eat landowners

Sep: The Undeserving

Oct: No need for cops and robbers

Nov: Why I am a Socialist

Dec: Why Santa should get stuffed

New Page: Caught in the Act column (1989-1992)

As promised, new pages for the blog. These new pages of old Socialist Standard columns will eventually be grouped together in one page at the head of the blog alongside the pages for the current Socialist Standard columns, film reviews and theatre reviews.

The clue to this series of columns is in the title of the first piece. This was very much 'Ivan's' (Ralph Critchfield) first incarnation of the long-running Greasy Pole column. Month on month, Ivan primarily covered the vicissitudes of British domestic politics, focussing on those career politicians who had made it their lifetime work to climb over their colleagues in order that they ascend to the top of political greasy pole. Both this column and the latter Greasy Pole columns are excellent introductions to post-war Britain and its political life.

1989

• July: The Greasy Pole
• Aug: No, No, Nigel
• Sep: High Hopes
• Oct: Back to Work
• Nov: Cutting Up
• Dec: Breakdown

1990

• Jan: The Loyalty Game
• Feb: Also rans [Article on Denis Healey, Kenneth Clarke and Willie Whitelaw.]
• Mar: Punishers and Moonlighters
• Apr: Missing a stroke
• May: Out of touch
• Jun: Who's afraid of Labour?
• Jul: Mad Politicians Disease
• Aug: Check out
• Sep: One of us
• Oct: Oil and carrots
• Dec: Brylcreem Boys

1991

• Jan: Two Of A Kind
• Mar: Goodbye To All That
• Apr: Chequered career
• May: A Matter of Timing
• Jul: Eric Heffer
• Aug: Relief for the Rich
• Sep: On the agenda
• Oct: Review of Tariq Ali's novel Redemption by Steve Coleman
• Dec: In the raw

1992

• Jan: Whimper, Whimper, You're Dead
• Feb: At Issue
• Mar: Politics and Sex
• Apr: Future Uncertain