Monkhouse’s comedy, and the conventions that shaped it, belong to a bygone era of British entertainment. That does not make it shameful or malicious, but it does make it historically situated.
The Mail jumped on Coogan’s Irish passport, while the Express amplified “anti-British” criticism.
Editors may relish the drama, but behind the scenes they must be tearing their hair out as the feud escalates. “Stop fighting each other and end the Labour nightmare,” pleaded the Daily Mail, like a weary parent begging quarrelling children to behave.
Quite what constitutes “the very worst left-wing feminist” remains unclear, beyond, perhaps, a woman who doesn’t particularly enjoy being corrected by men.
For years, London has been portrayed by Khan’s critics as a city in terminal decline, undone by liberal governance, diversity and supposed softness on crime. The hard evidence now points in the opposite direction.
So much for “anti-establishment.” Reform’s high-profile recruitment drive, hoovering up failed Conservative politicians whom the public roundly rejected, reeks of old-era Conservatism.
It is apparently acceptable for Brigitte Bardot to spend decades whipping up racial hatred and still be celebrated as a national icon, perhaps helped by glamour, distance, and nostalgia. But it is unacceptable for Gary Lineker to voice contemporary moral objections to cruelty and injustice.
As ever, responsibility for this alleged civic misery was pinned on a single figure – Sadiq Khan.
Does the far right’s capture of a debased Christianity matter in the UK, where religion holds far less sway than in the US? Given America’s superpower status, and the reluctance of global leaders to challenge Trump, it should concern us all.
Place your bets now. In 2026, don’t be surprised if we’re reading headlines about “woke” fonts being purged from Reform-run councils altogether.
