I. R.

Oliver Letwin is coming to York University to make a speech on 'Why Toleration?'. It's the big keynote annual speech type thing organised by the Political Philosophy/Theory branch of the Politics Dept. Every year a fairly well known figure comes in to make a speech on the niceness and goodness of toleration mmkay. I really should go. All of the previous ones that I have attended have been very interesting and very well done. But I'm afraid I just can't face this one. Even the thought of free wine at the after speech reception type thing (it's a tough life, academia) doesn't quite do it.

Funnily enough I wouldn't mind seeing Letwin speak. Sure, the man's a complete twerp. But he is, at least, an engaging twerp. He's an interesting twerp. He's an articulate twerp. I just cannot stand the thought of sitting in a lecture theatre half full of braying undergraduate Tory boys and Tory girls and half full of doddering old hangemandflogems from the local Tory party branches. I just cannot stand it. I'll burn up. It won't be good for my health. I'll spend the entire duration of the lecture thinking hateful thoughts.

I'm afraid I can't go. The trouble is that it feels like I am running away.