It’s not poverty that’s breeding the new populism. It’s wealth | Phillip Inman
Steve Coogan wants people to see his new film, The Penguin Lessons, and think about how they might be living in a wealthy cocoon, disengaged from the world.The film’s central character – a Briton teaching expat children in Argentina – rescues a penguin and tries to help local people persecuted by the rightwing government.Re-enacting a true story, Coogan is showing how it’s possible to be involved in local communities even when the protagonist is an outsider.Coogan is concerned about a political shift to the right built on a more selfish outlook, one that focuses on close family and casts a cold eye on people less fortunate.We see it in the US, in the rise of Reform in the UK, and in France and Germany.
In the UK, local elections next month will be an opportunity to see if Reform is gaining ground,It’s clear that a large and growing group of voters support rightwing candidates, and increasingly those from the far right, who promise to cut taxes, scrap regulations, reduce immigration and protect a singular freedom – “the freedom to spend your own money as you wish”, whether from a salary or drawing on family wealth,To Make America/Britain/France/Germany great again, policies become ever more outlandish, without any apparent concern for the often terrible side effects,We saw this in the act of economic delusion carried out by Liz Truss in 2022, and we are witnessing it now in the White House,Worse could be to come in the UK should Reform and the National Rally in France and AfD in Germany gain the level of votes needed to influence, if not control, the state.
Political scientists have been tracing the link for some time between financial security and an almost revolutionary, devil-may-care spirit in a growing number of voters.As transformations go, it is a radical shift, and explains the disappearance of political groups like the home counties liberal Conservative – those who put the rule of law, a mixed economy and community spirit near the top of their wish list.They will be replaced by legions of well-heeled suburban voters in big metropolitan areas who rarely read or listen to news bulletins and care more about being left alone, especially by the government.It brings about a different kind of social contract.Not the one that ties the rich to the poor because the rich understand everyone is better off if the poorest are raised up and given opportunities.
That was the inclusive postwar capitalism that gave baby boomers all their advantages.This new social contract is one between the better-off baby boomer and the state, which agrees to keep the poor behind high walls and out of sight, allowing the affluent to retain their ill-gotten gains from 30 years of house price increases and final salary occupational pensions (conveniently cancelled across the private sector for the next generation).Oxford academics Jane Green and Raluca Pahontu found financial security reduces people’s risk aversion, making them more tolerant of taking large political risks.Ben Ansell, professor of comparative democratic institutions at Nuffield College, Oxford, calls the impulse to vote for radical right policies Fadfo – or “fuck around, don’t find out”.Another Fadfo group votes for radical economic policies because they feel left out by society in some way, “whether it matches to their material circumstances or not”, says Ansell.
“It’s about respect and status – or rather the lack of both.”Was Truss the high-water mark for this way of thinking, after millions of people with mortgages found out very quickly the costs of the short-lived prime minister’s revolutionary tactics?Not so fast.Those left worse off were far from being in the Trussian vanguard.They had not supported her or Boris Johnson or Brexit before that.They were, and are, the house-buying millennials, whose higher level of education puts them more in the Labour/Lib Dem/Green camp.
Rob Ford, professor of politics at the University of Manchester, says age and education have been the defining characteristics of voters in the last three elections.The younger and better educated a person is, the more likely they are to see themselves as progressive.The opposite is true for those turning rightwards.Ford says it is still true that affluent boomers vote more often than other groups, especially the young.These are depressing messages for Coogan and anyone who is concerned about late-stage capitalism becoming an era when households turn in on themselves – to the benefit of the professional classes and the plutocrats, who get to keep their ill-gotten gains.
Maybe the Truss experiment will be a turning point,Trump’s tariffs could be another: a decade when the gamblers and hucksters promising lottery wins for all are shown to be charlatans,
TikTok trend for ‘Dubai chocolate’ causes international shortage of pistachios
Product promotion on TikTok is now powerful enough to influence the vast agricultural economies of the US and Iran – at least when it comes to the consumption of high-end confectionery.A chocolate bar stuffed with a creamy green pistachio filling has become incredibly popular after a series of video clips shared on the social media site. The first bit of footage praising the taste of the expensive so-called “Dubai chocolate” was posted at the end of 2023 and has now been viewed more than 120m times, to say nothing of the many follow-up videos.The result has been an international shortage of the vital ingredient, pistachio kernels, which are largely grown in either the US or Iran. In a year, prices have surged from $7
‘It’s less intimidating, less vulnerable’: why cooking in company helps us to talk
On the day after Boxing Day last year, my dad and I went to buy some cabbage. My aunt and cousins were joining us for dinner that evening and we had a meal to prepare. The local supermarket was closed and the cabbage, sourced from an Italian deli around the corner, was obscenely overpriced. In a bind, we bought some anyway and headed back home to begin cooking. Standing around the kitchen island chopping and peeling vegetables, preparing a rib of beef and assembling a side dish of dauphinoise potatoes, we listened to music and chatted
Roast chicken and citrus salad: Caroline Eden’s walnut recipes
The South Caucasus is a region that has taught me just how much can be done with herbs and nuts. Intensely fresh and fragrant, herbs are used liberally in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia, and never as an afterthought or as mere garnish. In fact, entire bunches of basil, coriander and tarragon will often accompany grilled and roast meat from springtime right through to autumn, while bulgur salad is always more leaf than wheat; sorbet may be basil and soda is often tarragon, too. Walnuts are another mainstay of kitchens throughout the region, where they go into salads and cakes and, perhaps best of all, are ground into thick, rich sauces.At a restaurant in Dilijan, northern Armenia, we ate roast chicken that, given its wine and walnut sauce, had a distinctly Georgian flavour
How to make flourless chocolate cake – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass
Rich, dark and squidgy, this cake is very much an after-dinner, rather than an afternoon-tea affair – something you’ll need a fork for, and quite possibly a spoon, too. Somewhere between a cake and a mousse, it’s the perfect end to an Easter celebration (serve with creme fraiche and chilled sliced blood oranges) and a great make-ahead dessert at any time of year.Prep 35 min Cook 40 min Serves 8-10260g dark chocolate Neutral oil, baking spray or butter, for greasing260g butter 1 tbsp strong brewed coffee 8 eggs 100g soft light brown sugar 160g caster sugar 85g cocoa powder ½ tsp fine salt 2 tbsp cocoa nibs (optional)Break or chop the chocolate into chunks (I favour one with about 70% cocoa content for this, but your taste may differ). I find that whacking it still in its packaging on a hard surface is the most satisfying way to do this, but otherwise a serrated knife such as a bread knife is the most effective tool, followed by a heavy cleaver.Using neutral oil, baking spray or extra butter, lightly grease a loose-bottomed 23cm cake tin (if you don’t have one exactly that size, it’s always better to go with something smaller and be prepared to bake the cake for slightly longer, to account for the increased depth of batter), then line with greaseproof paper
How to turn surplus egg whites into marshmallows – recipe | Waste not
Marshmallows are a magical sweet, with vivid, popping colours and an unbelievably soft, squishy texture. Even after 25 years as a chef, I still love making them and, like most things, they taste better homemade.The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more
Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for earl grey and lemon panna cotta with almond tuiles | The sweet spot
Panna cotta is one of those desserts that looks more technical than it really is. But, in fact, it’s probably one of the easiest desserts you can make, and there are so many ways to infuse it with different flavours. Recently, I’ve been ditching individual moulds and serving it in large, sharing-style dishes, which means you can make it with a softer, silkier consistency, because it doesn’t need to hold its shape. Instead, you can just scoop and serve.Prep 5 min Cook 45 min Chill 2 hr+ Serves 6-82½ gelatine sheets 200ml milk 500ml double cream 100g caster sugar 3 earl grey tea bagsFor the tuiles35g unsalted butter 35g icing sugar 40g egg whites 45g plain flour 70g flaked almondsFor the lemon syrup1 large lemon 3 tbsp caster sugarPut the gelatine in a bowl of cold water and leave it to sit for five minutes, until softened
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