Politics is often about the unexpected, just ask anyone living in 15th century Spain where no one expects the Spanish inquisition. What do you call an unexpected gardening tool? A non sequiturs. It seems that this one one of those weeks with the news being caught off-guard by the sudden and shocking murder of Southend politician, and from what I can tell all-around goo d bloke, David Amess.

I’d started writing another script about the supply chain and a failure by politicians on either side to do anything or even be seen, the PM just got back from a holiday and I’ve seen more strategic constructive advice come from the mouth of an astrologer like Mystic Meg then I have come from Westminster. I can almost see Grant Shapps saying he will reduce fuel duty but only when Jupiter is in conjunction with either Mars (or William Shatner). Perhaps the MOD is on the fence about Taiwan because the Daily Star’s phone-line astrologer told Ben Wallace to be care about matters concerning a friend. All of a sudden though the news media is clambering for statements about the tragic events in southend and the politicians are flooding onto the news to say something reassuring and condemn the attack albeit without beginning to address the possible underlying causes and shift is society, especially in seaside towns.

Knife culture is far more out of control than the news dare let on, a 16yo was killed in Twickenham on Friday night and in many places, drugs are everywhere and stabbings are an almost daily occurrence; it’s grimly reminiscent to anyone who lived in the 1980s, also an era when British politicians were being attacked and regularly sent death threats. David Amess, when he was younger, actually worked for Michael Portillo who only became an MP in 1984 because his predecessor Sir Anthony Berry was killed by the IRA in the Brighton bombing.

All a bit depressing, anything else in the news?
The Saudi’s now own Newcastle football club. Presumably the new management are planning some especially harsh rules for any player that gets caught hand-ball. Meanwhile spare a thought for the poor Saudi prince who thought he was buying a new castle, with turrets or like Versailles. Well you can’t always get what you want I guess. Also, William Shatner went into space, except I’ve Star Trek enough to know that he promised us a 5-year mission and yet he was only up for there for about 10 minutes. Lazy if you ask me.