Mr and Mrs Middle England – Dodgy Advertisement by David Palethorpe Mr Middle England recently watched a television advert for a life insurance company. To say he viewed it with a mixture of amusement and bemusement would be an understatement. For those who haven’t seen it: a young couple are moving into their first home.…

Donald Trump – The American Dream Revisited by David Palethorpe When I first wrote about Donald Trump in October 2016, I did so with a sense of foreboding — a deep unease that the people of the United States might actually elect him as President. At the time, I described him as a liar, a…

Needle of Bliss by David Palethorpe The pain subsides The needle slips in Oh, the sweet relief From life’s hell begins I float easily free From this existence My dreams abound In doped delirium Then visitors come Sneaking into my mind The unconscious dreams Many of them benign Then follows the demons The tremors and pain…

Beware: Plant-Based Politicians by David Palethorpe The other morning I encountered something that genuinely made me stop mid-sip of my tea and say, out loud, “What the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday…?” It was a croissant. But not just any croissant. Oh no. This croissant had a declaration. A warning. A moral mission, printed in bold, self-congratulatory type: “PLANT-BASED…

100,000 Interviews – A Genius in his own Mind by David Palethorpe Some months ago, a distinguished Teignbridge District Councillor — a man of such vast intellect, boundless confidence, and self-proclaimed professional eminence — made the rather astonishing declaration that, over the course of his illustrious and unparalleled career, he had personally conducted over 100,000…

No Such Thing as “Illegal Immigrants” It’s always telling when someone posts a seemingly innocent question about “illegal immigrants” — often with the pretence of holding the moral and legal high ground. We’re seeing this repeatedly from Reform UK councillors and politicians, armed with half-truths, distortions, and social media soundbites. But the reality is very…

Celebrating the Contribution of Overseas Born and Asylum-Seeking Residents At the Teignbridge District Council meeting on Thursday, 23 October 2025, I will be proposing a motion to recognise the huge contribution and impact that overseas-born and asylum-seeking residents make to our district — in the NHS and care services, our schools, hospitality and tourism, and…

Free Me from This Hell by David Palethorpe Look at me “LOOK AT ME” I don’t look ill I know that’s true But I’m crying out Calling out to you  Please hear my voice Please hear my plea Take these chains away Chains that bind me In this hell Chains that bind me In this cell Of…

Immigrants: The Easy Target — A 2025 Reflection by David Palethorpe Immigration has always — and perhaps will always — provide an easy target for politicians all too willing to stoke fear in their pursuit of power. The story is not new. It has been repeated across decades and continents, and yet the pattern remains…

Mr and Mrs Middle England – Take Up Sustainability by David Palethorpe Having mastered the arts of clean eating, clean living and occasionally clean recycling, Mr and Mrs ME of Ipplepen have now discovered their latest crusade: sustainability. It began, as these things do, with a documentary and a guilt-ridden trip to Totnes. Mrs ME…