How ‘The Remains of the Day’ Helped Me Understand Brexit and Trump

Hidden within Nobel winner Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel is a powerful critique of neoliberalism


At the end of Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the DayStevens, the former butler whose reminiscences constitute the entire plot of the novel, wonders what kind of dignity is to be salvaged from his life.

Stevens is an indelible narrator because he is in the business of convincing himself, over and over again, that his life has significance, that he is a consummate professional, a loyal butler, one of great standing. Underneath the voice lies the tremulous undercurrent of his shattered self: feelings of shame, heartbreak, worthlessness.

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Celtic Connections fears for future of Scottish music being ‘shut out’ of Europe after Brexit

MUSICIANS could be ‘shut out’ of European culture in the wake of Brexit, the leader of one of Scotland’s biggest festivals fears.

Donald Shaw, the musician and creative producer of CelticConnections, the roots, folk and traditional music festival which opens in venues across Glasgow today, said he fears that Scottish musicians will find it much harder to play in Europe after the UK severs the cord with the EU.

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‘I’m not British, I’m Britirish’

A Northern writer’s view on Brexit, borders and bars

Rosemary Jenkinson | IRISH TIMES

Brexit is manna from heaven to a satirical writer and I’ve had great fun with it in plays like Michelle and Arlene. On the serious side though, it’s thrown up huge uncertainty over the future of the Irish Border.

I grew up a Protestant in Belfast with my mum, dad and brother, but we often travelled across the border. We spent summers with my cousins on Achill Island as my Aunt Moira was a Southern Irish Catholic and loved it there. Once, when we went on holiday to Brittany, we were asked by a Breton where we were from. I expected Dad to say Northern Ireland, but he said Ireland instead which met with delight. It was at that moment I understood that leaving the “Northern” out could be socially advantageous.

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Britain’s Most Successful Pub Owner Gives His Recipe for Full English Brexit

James interviewed pub owner Tim Martin on this week’s episode of Delingpole, discussing how Martin built his $400 million business, what it feels like to own 900–count ’em–pubs, and why he has succeeded where others have not.Then it’s on to Brexit, of which Martin was the most vocal backer in the business sector – even to the point of printing pro-Brexit arguments on his beer mats.

Martin is optimistic about the post-Brexit future – and knows exactly whom to blame for Britain’s failure to implement it so far. It’s all those Oxbridge educated elitist types. Not James, obviously. Just all the others…

Listen to the podcast at: Britain’s Most Successful Pub Owner Gives His Recipe for Full English Brexit