Is Westminster going back to normal?
A strange era in British politics is coming to an end
THE BREAK-UP of Parliament for summer recess has seen the revival, after last year’s lockdown, of one of Conservative Westminster’s great traditions, the summer party. As usual the Spectator, the Tory house journal, had the best drinks. Policy Exchange, a right-leaning think-tank, had the best warm-up act in the form of Tory MP Michael Gove. A third event, a book launch for “Greater” by Penny Mordaunt, the paymaster-general, and Chris Lewis, was a veritable festival of Britishness. Guests were served scotch eggs and fish and chips. The whole social whirl felt as if Brexit and covid-19 had never happened.
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “The new normal”
Britain July 31st 2021
- Northern Ireland’s schools are slowly becoming less segregated
- Northern Irish Catholics are becoming less devout
- A conservative sport gets a glitzy makeover
- The pandemic has disrupted services trade
- Boris Johnson’s gamble looks like it will pay off
- London’s flooding is sure to worsen
- Is Westminster going back to normal?
From the July 31st 2021 edition
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