Lion & Unicorn

@lionunicorn

Culture | History | Politics thelionandunicorn.com

1135 Siguiendo633 Seguidores1394 Publicaciones

Bluesky

¿Es tu perfil?Reclámalo y lionunicorn.dirty.social es tuyo.Reclamar perfil

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· 7d

COMING TOMORROW from Lion & Unicorn, a new post on Margaret & Victor from the legendary @hellothisisivan.bsky.social👇

Image from BBC sitcom ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· 24d

The "botched attempt at state-assisted suicide" was one of the Starmer initiatives that @alwynturner.bsky.social labelled "anti-British and anti-Labour", along with curbing trial by jury. How many more will come under Andy's Axe? thelionandunicorn.com/2026/07/18/k...

Text reads: "Starmer’s delusions about ‘international law’ meant he was prepared to pay another country to take a strategic military base off our hands, while opening the way to still more prosecutions of ex-service personnel. He led a government that sought to cancel elections and to curb trial by jury, failed to address the politically awkward question of child-rape gangs, proposed the reintroduction of blasphemy laws (but only for Islam), and backed a botched attempt at state-assisted suicide.

These are things that go beyond policy to philosophy. To me (and I understand that this is subjective), they stink. They are anti-British and anti-Labour. On these grounds, I think Starmer has been a thoroughly disreputable, even disgraceful prime minister."

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· 25d

"Historically, the radical block has been particularly susceptible to splits (Liberal Unionists, Labour, SDP). The difference this time is that dissatisfaction is found in both blocks, and is therefore taking longer to resolve" From @alwynturner.bsky.social 👇 thelionandunicorn.com/2026/06/23/r...

Reads: "Nonetheless, the logic of first-past-the-post suggests that the internal divisions will be resolved, as they have been before, and the most plausible outcome is a return to the old, established parties. That assumes that both Labour and Conservative reinvent themselves (again), to absorb their next-door rivals."

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Jul 23

"There is no great lesson, no grander point. This isn’t a polemic on personal liberty or a glorified public information film on the evils of drugs, nor some kind of holy moral lesson so characteristic of dramas today. Instead, there are just people & places & decisions" 🔗 below

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Jun 23

As Keir Starmer pepares to leave office, here's @finlay24.bsky.social for Lion & Unicorn on the final hours in Downing Street of an earlier Labour prime minister — 🔗 follows👇

Reads: "As the day wore on, a procession of ashen-faced soon-to-be-ex ministers passed through Downing Street, offering words of commiseration to the defeated ex-premier. That afternoon, there was one final meeting of the outgoing cabinet. Few could attend, and even fewer had anything to say. The now former minister of technology Tony Benn asked if he might take some photographs of Wilson, as he sat in the cabinet room for the last time. It was, thought Roy Jenkins, ‘a climax of embarrassed bathos’. Later, when Benn tried to develop the film, the images were returned blank."

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Jun 22

"Kilroy’s been silent in the debate. How are we supposed to make an informed decision if we don’t get the benefit of his wisdom, as a veteran of three parties and of none?" On the eve of the #EUref, L&U implored Britain's greatest minds to give us a steer.👇 thelionandunicorn.com/2016/06/22/w...

Text: "So, in the hope that it’s not already too late, we appeal to the following thirty(ish) opinion-formers to give us a lead on ‘the most important political decision in a generation’ (copyright all media outlets). In the words of Delia ‘Remain’ Smith: come on, let’s be having you…

Keith & Lily Allen, Martin Amis, Jeffrey Archer, Paul Burrell, Linda Bellos, Jimmy Carr, the Cheeky Girls, Cheryl Cole, Jimmy Cricket, Nancy Dell’Olio, Anita Dobson, Liam Gallagher, David Hare, Ainsley Harriott, Roy Hattersley, Derek Hatton, Gloria Hunniford, David Icke, Derek Laud, Ivan Massow, Steven Norris, Katie Price, Esther Rantzen, Vanessa Redgrave, Arthur Scargill, David Starkey, Sting, Janet Street Porter, Peter Taafe, Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor, Jeanette Winterton. Oh, and Virginia Bottomley (especially)."

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Jun 2

Our @finlay24.bsky.social on the end of Be Kind Britain.

Reads: "The establishment of Be Kind Britain – our politicians and our media classes – don’t debate. They excommunicate. Dissent becomes bigotry and scepticism becomes heartlessness. The result? A nation where the chattering classes’ obsession with moral purity drowns out reason. A country where nuance is a sin, complexity is an inconvenience and where Paddington Bear is drafted in whenever our leaders are too timid to face a problem head on. If this doesn’t sound like the Britain you know, pop your head out the window. The sermon’s already started.

Luckily, this can’t last much longer, and the establishment classes seem to be realising as much, albeit slowly. In another ten years’ time, Be Kind Britain may be remembered as a naive experiment, its legacy amounting to little more than a trail of suppressed truths and unaddressed crises, and a new politics where kindness has become a synonym for cowardice."

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· May 6

thelionandunicorn.com/2020/01/25/a...

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Mar 23

What does our Finlay waaant? More "smaller pods – the indies, the up-and-comers, the weirdos with a dream" to counter the Rest Is Industrial Complex — that's what Finlay waaants. Pods like @wheezingpod.bsky.social👇 thelionandunicorn.com/2025/09/10/d...

Read: "For Lion & Unicorn readers I can wholeheartedly recommend John Rain’s comedy commentary circuses Smersh Pod, which focuses on Bond (and Bond related-ish) films, and A Wheezing Groaning Sound, where John Rain, Paul Litchfield and Tom Neenan giggle about Doctor Who. Goon Pod, hosted by Tyler Adams and focusing on projects involving any and all of The Goons, is also a joy, as is I am the Eggpod, a now ex-podcast about all things Beatle. Or for those of a more political bent there’s Since Attlee and Churchill, with Lee David Evans and Richard Johnson, which delves into post-war British politics with aplomb. A recent episode with Conservative party historian Dr Mark Garnett about working with Ted Heath was a particular joy."

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Feb 24

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Jan 7

High praise for our @alwynturner.bsky.social's forthcoming book.👇 www.amazon.co.uk/Shellshocked...

Image of re-tweet by broadcaster & writer Andrew Marr which describes the forthcoming book A SHELLSHOCKED NATION by Alwyn Turner as "fine & thought provoking".

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Dec 31

COMING SOON from Lion & Unicorn...

Montage with the title BRITISH DANCE BANDS

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Dec 23

The Lion & Unicorn editorial board has convened to decide this year's festive Dalek special...

Image from DOCTOR WHO serial 'The Daleks' Master Plan'

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Nov 30

"Starmer’s insouciance about the collapse in numbers – from 649,000 last year to 204,000... – was just the latest example of how damagingly detached from reality political debate about migration has become" Heather's x-axis starts in 2012, of course. thelionandunicorn.wordpress.com/2016/06/25/t...

Guardian graph of migration to & from the UK, 2012-2025

L&U graph of migration to & from the UK, 1975-2013

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Nov 17

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Nov 15

Tonight on Amazon Prime, THE LION IN WINTER (1968), Peter O'Toole's second cinematic turn as Henry II. The greatest of all Christmas movies.

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Nov 13

News coming in that our @finlay24.bsky.social has committed content again...

Image from BBC sitcom TO THE MANOR BORN showing character Audrey fforbes-Hamilton reading a newspaper at the dining table

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Nov 12

Stevens, outside the Global Chemicals plant in Llanfairfach, South Wales

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Nov 10

Re-watching BECKET was wonderful. Obviously Burton (born #OTD 1925) is brilliant. But O'Toole is an astonishingly charismatic monster as Henry — surely his best Sixties role, after Lawrence? Peter Glenville's direction & Geoffrey Unsworth's cinematography are gorgeous too. Spielberg gorgeous.

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Nov 10

Made using the Zohran Mamdani political signs generator:

https://homes.luddy.indiana.edu/ccshan/for/for.html

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Nov 9

"Have you watched the John Lewis Christmas advert yet?"

Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt interview the Leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch on BBC Breakfast.

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Nov 1

And the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role goes to...Michael Kitchen's lips.

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Nov 1

A film you’ve seen more than seven times with a gif

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Oct 26

BREAKING: Two men have been arrested in connection with the heist of France’s Crown Jewels from the Louvre

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Oct 25

💔

The late Nabil Shaban as Sil in DOCTOR WHO

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Oct 25

The editorial team at L&U are pleased as Punch for our @finlay24.bsky.social that his essay on the PARKINSON debate between Kenneth Williams & trade union legend Jimmy Reid has now been endorsed by two generations of Reids. (Thank you @joanireid.com.) thelionandunicorn.com/2025/10/23/l...

Screen grab of a Tweet from Eileen ReidBoulter

Screen grab of a Tweet from Joani Reid MP

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Oct 24

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Oct 20

The first real sign that Nu Who is going to succumb to 1980s-style fan wank is when Davison-fan Moffat puts Chibnall on a Silurian story (👋 Saward and Byrne). They're a good idea, but not common culture. And just dull in the hands of a poor writer.

A scene from DOCTOR WHO story 'Warriors of the Deep'

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Oct 20

IMO, Davros makes complete sense in 2008: he's the only remaining 1960s-70s monster who's part of common culture; the war-ravaged, insane creator of the Daleks is an inherently strong concept (and where you go when the tin pepperpots are losing impact); and he easily fits into the Time War.

Lion & Unicorn@lionunicorn· Oct 4

It'll take a lot to convince me that the much-lauded title sequences for THE WHITE LOTUS weren't inspired by those for Auntie's MISS MARPLE. Mike White's show often feels like Christie — just with more Yanks and guaranteed bumming.