The return of Trump

KAMALA HARRIS	226	🗽	312	DONALD TRUMP
Dist. of Columbia DC (3)	Colorado CO (10)	Wisconsin WI (10)	Nebraska-01 NE-01 (1)	Mississippi MS (6)
Vermont VT (3)	Connecticut CT (7)	Georgia GA (16)	Texas TX (40)	Tennessee TN (11)
Hawaii HI (4)	New York NY (28)	Michigan MI (15)	Arkansas AK (3)	Alabama AL (9)
Massachusettes MA (11)	Maine ME (2)	North Carolina NC (16)	Kansas KS (6)	Arkansas AR (6)
Maine-01 ME-01 (1)	Illinois IL (19)	Pennsylvania PA (19)	Missouri MO (10)	Kentucky KY (8)
Maryland MD (10)	New Mexico NM (5)	Arizona AZ (11)	South Carolina SC (9)	South Dakota SD (3)
Washington WA (12)	New Jersey NJ (14)	Nevada NV (6)	Indiana IN (11)	Oklahoma OK (7)
California CA (54)	Virginia VA (13)	Maine-02 ME-02 (1)	Montana MT (10)	Idaho ID (4)
Delaware DE (3)	Minnesota (10)	Ohio OH (17)	Utah UT (6)	North Dakota ND (3)
Oregon OR (8)	Nebraska-02 NE-02 (1)	Florida FL (30)	Louisiana LA (8)	West Virgina (4)
Rhode Island RI (4)	New Hampshire (4)	Iowa (6)	Nebraska NE (2)	Wyoming (3)
		Flipped states in BOLD		Nebraska-03 NE-03 (1)

US ELECTIONS 2024

DONALD TRUMP will return to the White House in January after sweeping all seven key swing states to take an unexpectedly comfortable victory over Kamala Harris in the 2024 United States presidential election.

Mr Trump flipped the three Rust Belt states - Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin - back into the Republican column while he also regained Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and held North Carolina to finish on 312 Electoral Votes.

In his victory speech, Mr Trump declared: "This was a movement like nobody’s ever seen before - and frankly, this was, I believe, the greatest political movement of all time. 

"There’s never been anything like this in this country, and maybe beyond."

On a great night for the Grand Old Party, the Republicans also retook the Senate with gains in Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia - and then completed a powerful trifecta in Washington DC by retaining its narrow control of the House of Representatives. 

Undoubtedly then, all of this makes for extremely sobering viewing for the Democratic Party of incumbent President Joe Biden and its 2024 candidate Ms Harris.

But Mr Trump's victory this time did not register quite the same level of shock as his victorious emergence on the political scene in 2016 when he defeated Hillary Clinton. 

After all, the Democrats were defending a pretty weak position and made it even worse by sticking with the clearly ailing Mr Biden for far too long.

The final straw for Mr Biden came in the first presidential debate in Atlanta, Georgia on 27 June, in which the President was criticised, even by some of his own supporters, for providing rambling and incoherent responses. 

So it was to the great surprise of nobody that President Biden formally dropped out of the race on 21 July. 

Vice President Ms Harris was hastily left to pick up the pieces - although, by the time she officially accepted the Democratic nomination on 5 August, there were only 92 days until polling day.

Yet there was genuine initial hope - though it was perhaps also blind hope - that Ms Harris might be able to pull off victory.

After all, the much-speculated Republican red wave in the midterm elections in 2022 never really emerged - and much of the reasoning behind that was the surge in young female voters following the effective repeal by the Republican-leaning Supreme Court of abortion protection under Roe v Wade. 

However, abortion was ultimately rated as the most important issue in the general election by only 14% of all voters, well behind the economy which was cited by 32%. 

Now, Mr Trump actually inherits a growing economy in terms of Gross Domestic Product - but GDP will have meant very little to the average person in the critical Rust Belt states. 

Instead, high inflation early in Mr Biden's term meant voters had seen his or her basic food and gas prices increase significantly over the past four years.

"It's the economy stupid" was the mantra of the Bill Clinton campaign upon his election in 1992 following a similar period of high inflation - and there is no reason why such a fundamental element of politics will have changed. 

Border security was another issue with which the Democrats struggled to convince after official figures confirmed a record number of 2.2 million unauthorised southern border crossings into the United States in 2022.

There was little solace either to be found for the Democrats in terms of their foreign policy record with the start in the collapse of Mr Biden's approval ratings in August 2021 coinciding with the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan which resembled the Fall of Saigon at the conclusion of the Vietnam War in 1975.

Meanwhile, the conflict in Ukraine has largely ground to a bloody stalemate - and, to cap it all, the Middle East has exploded once again into a scene of death and destruction with the American-backed Israelis indulging in a collective punishment of the Palestinian people following the appalling Hamas terrorist attacks on 7 October 2023.

For his part, Mr Trump inevitably produced plenty of rabble-rousing while staying short on detail - and indeed the key moment during his campaign arrived unexpectedly at an open-air rally in Butler, Pennsylvania during which he was subject to an assassination attempt. 

It produced one of the most notable political photographs of recent times - and, having survived, it seemed only to add further to the resolve of Mr Trump and his supporters. 

Unsurprisingly, there has already been a ton of articles forewarning the devastating things which now will occur upon Mr Trump's return to the White House - but history suggests a far less dramatic turn of events. 

After all, Mr Trump will be 82 years old by the end of the term, and spent much of his first stint playing golf or involving himself in all-too-frequent and largely pointless personality clashes. 

There were also two federal government shutdowns, despite the Republicans also controlling Congress, as Mr Trump's agenda was far from merely waved through. 

It is not yet clear if an ageing Mr Trump will be more committed to the day-in, day-out business of running a government. 

Unquestionably, though, this was a truly devastating loss for the Democrats - worse than the 2016 defeat which came down to a narrow Electoral College loss based on a handful of votes in a few places. 

Instead, this time, Mr Trump - despite being outspent by $1.2 billion to $750 million - won pretty convincingly, and became only the second Republican (after George W Bush in 2004) to win the popular vote since George Bush Snr in 1988.

Mr Trump improved his standing across the board - with black voters, Latinos, and young voters - as the United States actually became somewhat less racially divided by party. 

By contrast, Ms Harris underperformed recent previous Democratic candidates in virtually every county including the Latino-heavy Miami Dade in Florida which Mr Trump won by 10%, having lost it to Mrs Clinton in 2016 by 30%.

The likes of Florida, Iowa and Ohio - all of which were considered to be in the toss-up category at the turn of the Millennium - are now firmly Red states, while Ms Harris was reduced to single-digit wins even in Democratic strongholds like Illinois, Minnesota, and New Jersey. 

To be honest then, the return of Mr Trump felt inevitable - and, having been ousted from office so convincingly, the greatest concern for the Democrats really now should be over who and what comes after him. 

Pele, the first King of football, dies

FOOTBALL legend Pelé died on Thursday at the age of 82 following a battle against colon cancer. 

The Brazilian catapulted himself on the world stage as a teenage phenomenon in 1958, and transcended his sport thereafter. 

He remains the only player to have won the World Cup three times - and, in 2000, was named as Player of the Century by FIFA. 

At his best, defences simply could not live with Pelé - he possessed skill, pace, and strength, could hit a powerful shot with either foot, and leapt like a salmon. 

Indeed, perhaps the best-remembered moment in England involving Pelé at a World Cup came in the 1970 tournament when he made a towering jump at the far post and directed a header towards the bottom corner in a group match against the Three Lions. 

In response, England's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks produced that now iconic save. 

Notably, though, Brazil fashioned a similar move two weeks later in the World Cup Final against Italy - and, on that occasion, Pelé found the net to make it 1-0 with the last of his 12 goals in World Cup finals. 

Pelé had, of course, started young. At the 1958 World Cup, aged 17, he was a relative unknown and did not make an appearance until the third group game against the Soviet Union when he became the then-youngest player in finals history. 

The teenager provided an assist on debut but really announced himself on the world stage in the semi finals as Brazil beat France in a 5-2 thrashing which included a 23-minute second half hat-trick by the Santos striker. 

In the final, Brazil won 5-2 again, against hosts Sweden, as Pelé made it five goals for the tournament with a brace. 

Next, though, came two frustrating World Cup tournaments in the 1960s, as the young forward became a marked man. 

In 1962, Pelé only played the first couple of games before suffering a thigh injury while attempting a classic long-range shot, although Brazil retained the title. 

However, there was no such consolation at the 1966 World Cup in England as Pelé was subjected to a number of brutal fouls from the Bulgaria and Portugal defenders - and the Seleção were dumped out in the group stages. 

Four years later at the 1970 World Cup, Brazil - in response - had built their strongest ever team. 

Pelé, by then aged 29, was in his prime - and, even in a deeper role, he would carry the ball from midfield areas to set up the likes of Jairzinho, Rivellino, and Tostao. He also still contributed four goals. 

Of course, the crowning moment in 1970 came when, after a flowing team move, Pelé played a blind pass straight into Carlos Alberto's running trajectory - and, without breaking stride, the latter fiercely struck the ball in the bottom corner to make it 4-1. 

With a third World Cup win out of four, FIFA allowed Brazil to retain the Jules Rimet trophy for perpetuity - while the tournament in Mexico, broadcast for the first time in glorious technicolour, also secured Pelé's worldwide legacy. 

Thereafter, Pelé's biggest moments of the 1970s came in exhibition football in places as far flung as Hong Kong where he once scored a hat-trick as his club, Sao Paulo-based Santos, came from behind to beat Newcastle United 4-2. 

In 1973, Santos made the last of their semi-regular visits to England where they played Fulham and, bizarrely, Plymouth Argyle - who actually won 3-2. 

Later, Pelé attempted to popularise football in the United States by joining the New York Cosmos in the North American Soccer League (NASL) but the competition suffered a sharp decline following his retirement in 1977. 

Pelé starred as himself as one of the players in the hit 1981 film Escape To Victory and, inevitably - with such a high profile - eventually engaged in the murky arena of Brazilian politics. 

Named Sports Minister by President Fernando Henrique Cardoso for a three-year period between 1995 and 1998, it was a role in which Pelé was clearly never at ease. 

Meanwhile, his subsequent advertisement of Viagra, a drug to assist with erectile disfunction, also caused him to suffer some rather unmerited, if predictable, mockery. 

Worst of all, though, some members of younger generations had, by the time of his death, begun to besmirch Pelé's football achievements - although, in this regard, he also did not help himself. 

Pelé claimed to have scored 1,283 goals in 1,366 matches but many have disputed his count on the basis that he included goals scored in friendlies or matches against semi-professional and even amateur teams. 

For the record, Wikipedia shows Pelé as having scored 775 goals in 840 official games - however, this far more veriable statistic results in a ratio which is just about as prolific. 

At his death, Pelé was still Brazil's record goalscorer with 77 goals in 92 caps, having only recently been joined on that total by Neymar at the 2022 World Cup. 

In other words, Pelé was a true football great whichever way you look at it. He helped to coin a phrase recognised throughout football - The Beautiful Game - or O Jogo Bonito in Portuguese, which itself serves an appropriate epitaph for the man. 

Pelé was the Beautiful Game - and the Beautiful Game was Pelé.

Irresponsible reporting on suicide

THE NEWS of the suicide of much-loved actor and comedian Robin Williams has unsurprisingly generated a huge response from the media over the past couple of days.

A lot of it has been a genuinely heart-warming remembrance of a hugely talented man who played a big part in my childhood for his roles in Mrs Doubtfire, Jumanji, Aladdin and Flubber.

And there were, of course, many, many others.

Williams' greatest success came in his portrayal of a psychiatrist in Good Will Hunting, for which he won an Oscar in 1997 as Best Supporting Actor.

But, while there is much to eulogise about the fine catalogue of work which he has left behind, it is massively disappointing to see the front pages of several of the tabloids this morning have instead focused heavily on the nature of his death.

Worse still, the biggest culprits have shown scant regard for the well-thought-out general advice provided by the Samaritans on the reporting of this sensitive topic.

"Tortured" is the prominent, one-word headline on the front of the Mirror - while the sub-heads carry speculation that money troubles were the trigger for the suicide.

The Daily Mail has reserved the whole of its front page for Williams - but again concerns itself solely with unconfirmed speculation surrounding his passing.

Meanwhile, the Sun and the Daily Star - as well as, surprisingly, the normally more reserved Metro free-sheet - all use dramatic language and describe in some detail exactly how he took his own life.

Even though it really should not matter how he did it - or why he did it.

Indeed, it simply does not matter. For, while journalists are admittedly usually there to explain how or why events have occurred, in this case and other similar ones, reporting the fact that he did it and that it is newsworthy because of his talent really should be enough.

Moreover, beyond the fact that Williams had depression, trying to guess at a trigger at this stage - even if it is a so-called 'educated' guess - is truly nonsensical, and actually not at all classy.

After all, ultimately only he knows exactly what thought processes he was going through.
 
Thankfully, some of the broadsheet newspapers produced some more thoughtful coverage.

The Guardian still dedicates a significant proportion of its front page to Williams - but simply reflects, in classy pictorial form, on his comedic versatility. A tribute from Russell Brand sits neatly below.

A further tribute is posted in the Times pull-out, the T2, a small mention of which is made in the strap-line at the top of the front page just below the masthead.

Credit where it is due, then, to those sensible editors who have perhaps taken a bit of thought before laying out the front of their newspaper.

Now, if only the tabloids would follow suit and end their rather grisly attempts at one-upmanship, determined by sensationalism and nothing more.

From today's evidence, though, there is fat chance of it happening any time soon - and so I'm off to watch Williams as the unforgettable Euphegenia Doubtfire.

You never know, it might just cheer me up.

RIP Robin McLaurin Williams (1951-2014), aged 63. May you never lose your little spark of madness.

Samaritans

08457909090 

Available 24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year to provide confidential emotional support for people who are experiencing feelings of distress, despair or suicidal thoughts.

100 years on... the Titanic still attracts a morbid fascination

IT WILL have escaped few people's attention that today marked 100 years since the Titanic sank with the loss of 1,514 lives.

At 2.20am on 15 April 1912, the ship went under having fatally hit an iceberg just before midnight.

Most of the liner's occupants died by drowning or hypothermia after being plunged into freezing cold waters in the North Atlantic where temperatures were only 28°F (-2°C).

Crucially, the number of the lifeboats aboard did not meet the ship's capacity, meaning only 710 of the 2,224 passengers and crew survived.

All of this is well-known as, such was the scale of the disaster, it has been firmly fixed in the public consciousness ever since it actually happened.

In 1997, a new generation were made aware of the tragic events when James Cameron directed a $200m film starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo di Caprio in an unlikely tryst.

Now a 3D version of that movie has been released and is currently showing in cinemas but, of course, Cameron's epic was hardly the first time that the Titanic had made it onto the big screen.

Indeed, the 1958 film - A Night to Remember - is often cited as the better screenplay in tedious tit-for-tat internet discussions.

Even Joseph Goebbels commissioned a German version as part of the Nazi propaganda campaign in 1943. Naturally, on that occasion, J Bruce Ismay - the president of the company which built the ship - was portrayed as a power-mad Jewish businessman who ignored the warnings of a German First Officer.

And so, it has really come as no surprise then that the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic has been met with a barrage of coverage.

ITV has produced an expensive four-part costume drama, directed by Julian Fellowes, which concludes tonight having received a lukewarm response from reviewers.

Meanwhile, the BBC has strangely decided to show a three-part PBS production from the USA of Len Goodman out of his Strictly Come Dancing comfort zone.

Goodman, of course, is hardly a spring chicken but - born in 1944 - he is still a whole generation later than the unfortunate folks who were on RMS Titanic.

His presence is apparently justified by the fact that, for a short time in his youth, he was a welder at Harland and Wolff, the company which built a famous trio of White Star ships, including the Titanic.

But that still seems rather tenuous and, frankly, his celebrity status is no replacement for analysis by a proper historian.

Nevertheless, there have been other events which have seemed even more inappropriate.

A Twitter feed, @titanicrealtime, has spent the last few days providing a blow-by-blow account of the journey which intended to go from Southampton to New York City.

Tweets overnight included "the ocean is awash with screaming people and bodies – it is an unimaginable sight" and "those poor souls floating in the ice cold water, I want to pull them into the boat but others resist. Why?"

Rather inexplicably, BBC Radio 2 followed suit with a broadcast called Titanic: Minute by Minute... presented, in part, by Dermot O'Leary.

Perhaps the biggest dollop of 'disaster porn', though, has been provided by the Titanic Memorial Cruise.

This rather morbid way of commemorating the centenary has seen people pay thousands of pounds for the strange privilege of repeating the very same journey that the Titanic did 100 years ago.

Presumably, this time, the patrons expect to make it to the Big Apple but it begs the question what was wrong with simply attending a memorial service in Southampton, where the ship set sail from?

Or Belfast, where she was built? Or New York City where she was meant to arrive? Or even Lichfield from where the captain Edward John Smith heralded?

After all, historical events should still certainly be marked and analysed - even 100 years on, or especially 100 years on, to try and ensure that humankind does not repeat the same mistakes.

However, this curious obsession of re-living disasters as they happened really should stop. It was surely traumatic enough on the first occasion.

The Raven

THE RAVEN 1845
by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)

1 Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
      Only this, and nothing more.'

2 Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
       Nameless here for evermore.

3 And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
`'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; -
      This it is, and nothing more,'

4 Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
`Sir,' said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; -
       Darkness there, and nothing more.

5 Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!'
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!'
       Merely this and nothing more.

6 Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
`Surely,' said I, `surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
       'Tis the wind and nothing more!'

7 Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
       Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

8 Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
`Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven.
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
       Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

9 Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door -
Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
       With such name as `Nevermore.'

10 But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'
       Then the bird said, `Nevermore.'

11 Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
`Doubtless,' said I, `what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
       Of "Never-nevermore."'

12 But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
      Meant in croaking `Nevermore.'

13 This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,
       She shall press, ah, nevermore!

14 Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
`Wretch,' I cried, `thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee
Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!'
       Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

15 `Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!'
      Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

16 `Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore -
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?'
       Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

17 `Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting -
`Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!'
       Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'

18 And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
      Shall be lifted - nevermore!

 

Deconstructing the Iron Lady

 The Iron Lady (12A)
Dir: Phyllida Lloyd
Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent
Running time: 105 minutes


THE IRON LADY has split the opinion of the critics right down the middle - and many will suggest, not unfairly, that it is quite an appropriate verdict on a figure as divisive as Margaret Thatcher.

But, while I think little for Thatcherism and feel some disdain at the extent to which it sadly pervades British politics today, at the same time I found this biopic rather engaging and also strangely moving.

The film benefits from a simple background plot in which an ageing Mrs Thatcher (Meryl Streep) is being helped by her daughter Carol (Olivia Colman) to clear out the clothes of Mrs Thatcher's late husband, Denis (Jim Broadbent).

We find that Denis is never far away from Mrs Thatcher's thoughts. In fact, she still sees him all of time and his sharp sense of humour ensures that he gets many of the best lines.

In the same way as Denis is close to Mrs Thatcher's thoughts, so are the former premier's political memories, and these are presented in a series of flashbacks.

This device may seem a little contrived for some critics but it logically allows the film to shift time from present to past with a smooth chronology.

We get to see how Mrs Thatcher rose through her party from an unpromising position to win power in the 1979 general election; how she then overcame her early problems in government with decisive victories in the Falklands abroad and at home against the miners.

And, finally, how she ultimately fell from grace with her party split over Europe and her popularity diminished by her introduction of the regressive poll tax.

There are, of course, scenes throughout the film of Mrs Thatcher debating in the House of Commons and heading her Cabinet meetings. However, none of the issues mentioned above is presented in the context of a political discourse.

For, that is not what this film set out to do - these are, more simply, the sepia-tinged memories of Mrs Thatcher and her thoughts upon them now.

Still, nothing of what I have written yet explains why someone like me - far removed from the Thatcher political philosophy - found the film "rather engaging and strangely moving".

Well, while I am not about to start paying subscription fees to her fan club, even this Thatcher detractor must concede that the drive and ambition which the young Mrs Thatcher showed in rising to the top was remarkable.

In this regard, Streep does fantastically well to convey the conviction and steely determination of the green-grocer's daughter, written off by many even from inside her own party.

Nowhere in the film is this better shown than in the scenes in the Commons where, at the height of her power, Mrs Thatcher's screechy oration was able to control the attention of a rowdy chamber full of men.

However, for me, Streep really excels with her portrayal of the much older Mrs Thatcher as a dementia sufferer in the present.

Dementia is an illness which is no respecter of authority and Streep's accurate representation of how it affects one of the previously most powerful persons in the world is highly commendable.

As you may have guessed, dementia is something which is rather close to home for me. Two of my deceased grandparents suffered from it, and my remaining 80-year-old nanna is also having her final years blighted by it.

I do not think I will ever understand how the brain will allow a person to remember vividly a moment from 30 years ago or more, and yet that same person cannot say what month it is, or what they had for breakfast. 

Oddly, the illness is still largely treated as a bit of a taboo subject when it comes to film and television, and so members of the Alzheimer's Society forums have been heartened to see it highlighted on the big screen.

I can only add my support to this and, consequently, I am happy to concede that Meryl Streep's Iron Lady has found an unlikely ally.

F1 2011 Special: Senna-sational

Senna (12A)
Dir: Asif Kapadia
Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, Frank Williams, Ron Dennis
Running time: 106 minutes

AYRTON SENNA gets the documentary which his legendary status deserves in this epic biopic about the three-time Formula One world champion.

Senna was released in the UK on 3 June and has received rave reviews ever since. As of June 2011, it has a 100% fresh critical consensus on the film review website Rotten Tomatoes.

And it has already received notable recognition at the prestigious 2011 Sundance Film Festival where it won the World Cinema Audience Award for a documentary.

So, is Senna actually as good as virtually everyone is saying? I had feared that it would not be.

Modern life, by its very nature, teaches you to be cynical, especially when something is quite as hyped as this film had been.

Thankfully, for just short of two hours, modern life was put on hold and replaced by childhood memories and an awe of Senna which wiped away the fears... and brought in the tears.

My interest in Formula One originated in the early 1990s but it was really only a patriotic pursuit on the back of Nigel Mansell's world championship for Williams in 1992.

Back then, in my uneducated eyes, Senna and his great rival Frenchman Alain Prost were just two of Mansell's opponents. Clearly, my tender years meant I did not appreciate the sport like I should have.

Of course, I had read about the rivalry since but had, strangely, declined to seek out footage of Senna and Prost at the peak of their conflict.

And so, the early parts of Senna, which looks back at 1988 and 1989 when the pair were both at McLaren, made for truly fascinating viewing.

Even non-F1 fans will be gripped by the dynamics of the established champion Prost and his upstart of a new team-mate in Senna, and their complete contrast in styles.

Senna sought glory every time he took to the race-track whereas Prost was more pragmatic, willing even to turn into a corner too early if it meant he could take out his rival and win the championship.

By 1990, the relationship between the pair was so fractious that Prost had moved to Ferrari. The move meant that Senna was established as the clear number one driver at McLaren and the Brazilian responded with successive championships.

His 1991 success included a first-ever Grand Prix win at his home circuit in Sao Paulo. This was my favourite part of the film, a high-point which brought a lump to the throat and made the tear ducts well.

On-board footage, which is used extensively throughout, serves its purpose particularly well when capturing this special moment.

The cameras show how Senna battled extreme physical pain to ensure he would see the chequered flag first despite his car being stuck in sixth gear, making low-speed corners almost impossible.

The pictures then show how Senna celebrated his Sao Paulo win with his parents, McLaren team principal Ron Dennis and the adoring public from his home city.

Indeed, Senna does a wonderful job to convey just what its subject's success meant to a country which was run by an oppressive government and beset by poverty.

Of course, as the years roll on towards 1994, everyone knows how the film will end up.

Nevertheless, the archive footage remains just as haunting as you would expect and, once again, it is difficult to keep your eyes dry while watching the spools of Senna being interviewed.

Some interviews show Senna discussing his relationship with God and his awareness of his own mortality. Others show him becoming increasingly preoccupied with the dangers of his profession.

On the weekend that Senna died at Imola in San Marino, both of those subjects had already been brought to the forefront by two high-speed crashes.

First, there was an accident featuring his protege Rubens Barrichello - and, then worse, Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger was killed in qualifying.

Senna still took the track, though, considering that by failing to do so he would cease being a racer.

It was this demand of perfection - not just victory - which separates him from the rest.

And so it is apt, then, that Senna's life and legend is celebrated by a film which is just about as close to perfect as you can actually get.

Almost picture perfect

A Christmas Carol (PG)
Dir: Robert Zemeckis
Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth
Running time: 96 minutes

THE NEW version of A Christmas Carol introduces another generation to this classic tale in brilliant style.

Robert Zemeckis' production may use the modern wonders of 3D animation but remains largely faithful to the original text with much of the script unaltered.

Arguably, Charles Dickens' wonderfully descriptive writing style leaves little room for deviation but Zemeckis still deserves credit for keeping traditionalists like me happy.

Jim Carrey provides the voice of miser Ebenezer Scrooge with a good understanding of the required tone.

At first, Scrooge is an unsympathetic old man who refuses to celebrate Christmas.

He suggests that the poor should live in prisons or workhouses, or better still, they should die to decrease the surplus population of the world.

But, as the film progresses, Scrooge is shown to be vulnerable too and he wishes to repent well before the visit of the final ghost, The Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come.

Carrey is ably supported by Gary Oldman who voices humble clerk Bob Crachett to a tee, as well as the ghost of Jacob Marley, Scrooge's former partner who has been dead for seven years.

Marley promises that three spirits will visit Scrooge in an attempt to show him the error of his miserly ways.

The visits of the three spirits, the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, form the basis of the main part of the film.

The three ghosts, each played by Carrey, are all excellent representations of Dickens' descriptions.

The Ghost of Christmas Past is a flickering candle flame who uses a metal cap used to extinguish himself once his visit is over.

The Ghost of Christmas Present is a large Santa Claus figure, a jolly giant in a fur-lined robe, who makes his first appearance atop a Christmas tree.

And the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, is a cloaked phantom, similar to the Grim Reaper, with a bony hand and fingers which point the way.

Unfortunately, the film threatens to drift just as it should be reaching its climax.

A miniature Scrooge with an unfathomably squeaky voice is chased through London by the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come on horseback.

The scene seemed to serve little purpose other than to show off the new 3D technology.

This is despite the fact that the 3D effects had already been successfully included during the course of the film - and with far more subtlety.

Snow appears to fall inches from your face throughout while the flying scenes around London with the other ghosts make for a thrilling experience unless you are easily travel sick.

Thankfully, once the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come's chase is over, the plot gets back on track with a fright at the famous graveyard scene.

Scrooge wakes up the next day and repents, promising in particular to help his clerk Bob Crachett and his ill son, Tiny Tim.

But, except for one rather unnecessary scene, there is gladly no need for an apology from the makers of this fine production.