Paul Richards is the latest to lament the lack of a decent left-wing magazine in Britain:
Why do our cousins have erudite, enlightened and entertaining politican publications like the Atlantic (and the much-missed George) but we have to hold our noses and read New Statesman? Actually, I don’t anymore since I cancelled my subs after yet another load of garbage from Pilger or one of his ilk.
It’s a point that has been made here a few times of course and the ability to read the quality magazines in the States via the internet does make the absence of a serious British read even more striking.
But I was wondering, if some benefactor came along and decided to put together a quality weekly magazine of the left in Britain, as a lively and popular alternative to the Stopper-infested Staggers, who would be the best recruits to actually write the thing?
So lets have a little try at fantasy recruitment. Put your suggestions in the comments box and we’ll see what kind of line-up we can come up with:
Christopher Hitchens is the obvious choice for US correspondent, especially if you are going to promote yourself as the refreshing alternative to the News Statesman.
I’ll also offer up Hugh McIlvanney as chief sports writer – a man steeped in good Scottish working class culture and by far the best sports writer in the British Isles.
But what about columnists, political writers, cultural and media commentators?
