My official anthropological opinion about tired Tory phrase "Broken Britain" is that the most interesting bit about it is what gets picked as an example of the happy days when Britain was whole/unbroken/fixed/virginal.  But this isn't an article about that: this is Deborah Orr on how come, if the Tories think Britain is broken, they think it'll help to cut benefits?  And how come, if Labour thinks Britain isn't broken, they think cutting benefits is the apocalypse? At any rate, Simon Jenkins reckons the Tories better get around to blaming someone else for their cuts. 

Baroness Warsi has addressed the bishops, promising that the government 'gets' G-d.  With quite a bite at the last government on that front.

Mervyn King ('e's governer of the Bank of England, 'e is), got up in front of the TUC.  At last report he is still alive, but banks, bailouts, and bonuses were discussed, so it's a wonder.  A slow clap to the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union crew, who ditched the speech to watch kids' telly instead.  

Also comedy gold: Simon Hoggart reimagines Harriet Harman and David Cameron as Lizzie and Darcy.  Incidentally, turns out Jane Austen was not hot on punctuation.  Duly noted by Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells, I hope.

Also literary, the British Library has acquired a stash of Ted Hughes' letters.  This is him, in 1957, on being in the US: "luxury is stuffed down your throat, - a mass-produced luxury - till you feel you'd rather be rolling in the mud and eating that". 

In British history news, this is anniversary season for the Battle of Britain, which can be indulged in here , but it's also the anniversary of the Benares tragedy, a U-boat attack on a passenger ship which killed 81 evacuee children.
 

Nottingham is the UK's least car-dependent city, according to a study of 19 of 'em (cities, not cars).  Steal cars from the rich and give public transport to the poor! 

In tradition news, the HCA report that Sheffield Council are actually taking steps to do something about metal trade skills.  Let's hope they take it further than just doing an audit and popping it in a filing cabinet.  

There's also a rather good Guardian forum going on how green it is to live in a canal boat.  Apparently size/space issues mean boat dwellers have to become more aware of their resource usage, but the big black mark against them is that they're apparently bloody freezing in winter and nigh impossible to insulate.  Sounds like a caravan in water, then.  

Charlie Peer, who I've just added to my RSS reader, has an article from a few weeks back now about Sarehold water mill at Brum, which was Tolkien's childhood home.  I'm a sucker for a bit of mill restoration.   

On to suckers of another sort ... Phil Woolas, not just a name to try and say 10 times really fast, but former immigration minister and the sort of all-round nice guy one would expect to go with the role, is in the muck for possibly pretending he'd had death threats to evidently try and win the racist vote in Oldham.  He denies it, of course. 

Speaking of the election, do enjoy this photograph of Jacqui Smith looking lonely in Redditch.  Official election artist (yes, it exists) Simon Roberts has an exhibition opening. 

Here is an article/takedown from Simon Jenkins about another former Labour politican who shan't be named but might have a big wodge of book out.  And wodges of money. 

The Real IRA, not to be confused with the IRA, are promising to target English banks.  However, seeing as they have a vast membership of about 100, best not take the marshmallows down to your nearest Barclay's just yet. 

The TUC actually do have a vast membership, and deputy general secretary Frances O'Grady wants a big campaign.  Which is a bit better than the last union idea about having someone dress up as Batman.    

Women biships and the CofE watchers will find literally hours of edification in Jonathan Clatworthy's history of conservative Anglo-Catholicism and the Church Catholic (or Catholick if you like it 1662). 

James Davidson's article in the LRB is ostensibly about Greek first names, but the first half is a rather delightful look at the past couple of centuries of naming in Britain.  I'm quite keen on "Unless-Jesus-Christ-Had-Died-For-Thee-Thou-Hadst-Been-Damned Barbon". 

That was a long one ... some links aren't quite as freshly squeezed as I'd like, I've got a lot of catching up with RSS to do! 

I never thought Trident was a particularly tuff name for the UK 'continuous nuclear deterrent' seeing as I'm more familiar with it as a cheap and cheerful brand of pot noodles and sticky sauces.  Having looked at the photo in this article about the probability that it'll be getting less dosh thrown at it, I can add "maaaaaan, that's ugly" to my deep and meaningful assessment.

But enough of things that go bang, because leading almost all the news today are cuts! strikes! unions!

In a cunning strike, thousands of BBC staff are set to walk off for four days, creating an effective telly blackout of, amongst other things, the Tory party conference.  (Those asking how the deprivation can be borne might perhaps head off to their local and keep real ale sales on the rise.)  I am slightly suspicious that this may be some sort of karmic retribution for the Tories delaying the Queen's speech (not that it's really hers) to ... 2012.  All I'm saying is hands off the Christmas message. 

Because everyone should have their media moment to mount a 'plaint about cuts, the Police are having a grizzle.  Britain's sweethearts are worried that they won't have enough funding to be able to go out and bash other people who don't have enough funding. 

In the midst of all this strikery, a Guardian editorial suggests that the unions 'learn the language of middle Britain'.  'Middle Britain', not to be confused with Middle Earth or Little Britain, is really a sort of nebulous throw-it-about-in-your-campaign-vid term, so I'm not convinced this is a deeply helpful suggestion. 

Lots of the strike talk turns to the North.  As a student of the North, and 'cos I've read books about this stuff y'know, I'm planning a whole post of its own about this at some stage this week.  Oooh!  Eeee! 

Speaking of the North, I commend this Hud Examiner reportage on light sticks on trains to everyone.  (Thankyou to the artist in residence for giggling at it earlier.)

Down south, Lymington, who headlined yesterday's newsfest, are still in the news, with Patrick Barkham suggesting they might not be quite as rebelliously anti-High Street as I had hoped.  I did rather enjoy the suggestion from some of the local young 'uns that the town might suit a Slug and Lettuce more than a Wetherspoon's. 

Since the Lymington coverage now comes with a whiff of nimbyism, and since wind farms are a classic nimby is-sue, everyone should be pleased that the world's largest offshore wind farm is opening off the coast of Kent.