The Notebook: Ben Roback takes the political temperature, investigates e-waste and reveals a secret swim spot
Turning down the political temperature, for now…
The long, hot summer we all hoped for hasn’t exactly materialised. Politically, the temperature seems equally mild.
Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer disagree widely, but you get the distinct feeling a base level of respect exists between the two men. Putting politics to one side, they could feasibly sit and chat over a few Mexican cokes.
This is in marked contrast to the United States, where the political temperature feels higher than ever. Legal questions swirling around the President’s son are set to become a central feature of the next election. Allegations of “WITCH HUNTS”, “HOAXES” and “THE BIG LIE” have become normalised.
Candidates for the Republican nomination for president of the United States are facing a tsunami of personal attacks; Chris Christie has been mocked for his weight, while the Florida governor has been nicknamed “Ron DeSanctimonious”.
Negative campaigning the other side of the pond is priced in, with hundreds of millions of dollars of PAC money poured into TV, radio and Facebook advertising to great effect.
Meanwhile, closer to home, guests are made to squirm at 08:10 on the radio be it because of worse-than-expected full year results or disappointing government data.
It might be optimistic to think that the cordial undercurrent that exists between the two main political party leaders will continue. As we slowly saunter towards a general election, signs are beginning to emerge that the gloves are already coming off, but even when recess is over, few expect a bruising scrap akin to Trump/Biden.
Whereas the tenures of Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn were defined by the individual, it is welcome that our national politics has become less personal and more professional. A lower political temperature is good for us all – even if the August weather matches it.
From e-tickets…
It was an unusually slow start to the new Premier League season for Arsenal on the pitch, with matters worse off it. Issues with the new e-ticket system left tens of thousands of fans stuck stationery outside the turnstiles while the system was reset and kick off was delayed.
It was a calamity that absolutely everyone saw coming minus anyone who works at the football club.
The clue? Arsenal’s digital ticketing FAQ page has 25 questions about the new process. To their credit, the club has spent months emailing season ticket holders about the changes but to little demonstrable effect.
Initiatives to clamp down on ticket touts and forfeits are of course to be admired, but the justification that it’s “an easier way to go green” by printing less feel like a stretch for a football club that once flew 14 minutes by private plane for an away game at Norwich.
Let’s hope both the ticket system and central midfield work better in time for Fulham at home next Saturday.
…to e-waste
The buzz around AI and machine learning is the exciting face of technology, but e-waste is at
the ugly end of it. The United Nations Environment Programme estimates 54m metric tonnes of e-waste is produced a year.
That makes the work of charities like Community Techaid, based in Oval, even more important. Working with individuals and corporates, they have connected over 2,250 people with one of the 4,000 wiped
and refurbish.
A secret swim spot to blow off the cobwebs
It’s the sort of place locals and regulars might not talk about in case it gets too popular. Divers Cove in Godstone was once used for sand extraction, but now the hidden venue hosts outdoor swimmers into its welcoming and surprisingly warm water.
There’s an inherent risk in using a London paper to recommend getting out of London, but this small slice of Surrey is too good to miss. Wet suits not required.