SENSE CHECK
Issue 03 - Friday 9 October 2026
Good Afternoon.
What happens to patriotism when one side of politics decides it speaks for humanity itself? This week we sat down with someone who left the left and was called evil for it. Melanie Phillips, journalist, author and columnist, took us through British and Western patriotism, her argument that the left now sees itself as the side of humanity, and the demonisation of the right wing.
Elsewhere, Labour held Holborn and St Pancras, the seat Keir Starmer left behind, and saw off Green leader Zack Polanski in an early test of Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
THE ONE THAT MATTERED
I Left the Left: Melanie Phillips on Being Called Evil
Melanie Phillips on why the left now casts itself as the side of humanity, and what that does to everyone who disagrees with it. She makes the case as someone who once stood on the left, which makes it far harder to wave away.
FROM THE SAME CONVERSATION
Was The Odyssey Designed to Destroy Western Civilisation? Melanie makes the case that the film celebrates Western culture, and explains why she was startled to be called “woke” for praising it. Watch Here
Why is Patriotism Declining in Britain? Melanie and Mike explore why young people in Britain appear to feel less attachment to their country than their counterparts in America and Israel. Watch Here
STILL WORTH YOUR TIME
Ex World Leader on How We Can Save The West? John Anderson.
Mike sits down with John Anderson, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, for a wide-ranging conversation. They discuss political power, spirituality, personal growth, societal change, and the recurring patterns that shape civilisations, exploring what we can learn from the past and what it might take to build a stronger future.
The podcast: Rabbi Pesach Wolicki Answers the Hardest Questions on Israel, Palestine & Iran
ELSEWHERE THIS WEEK
Navi Pillay wins the Nobel Peace Prize
The South African jurist began as an anti-apartheid activist and went on to become the UN’s High Commissioner for Human Rights. She later headed the UN commission that accused Israel of genocide. Whatever you make of that finding, a Nobel Prize puts it in front of a far bigger audience than any UN report manages.
France’s students are protesting against the education system.
The protests began in late September over the state of the education system, and unions want 10 billion euros for school repairs and a large teacher recruitment drive. Police have since arrested around 6,100 people, most of them under eighteen, and fired tear gas at pupils blockading high schools. The government says the hard left has hijacked the movement, and the hard left says ministers are politicising it ahead of the presidential election. The first reform proposals are due by the end of October.
COMING UP
For Black History Month, on Thursday 15th October. Kelechi Okafor sits down with Adwoa and Solomon of Adeche Atelier at Common Sense Studios for an evening on African spirituality and mythology, and what it means to take it seriously as an adult. Get Your Ticket
On Tuesday 27th October. Mike leads a masterclass on building a portfolio career at Common Sense Studios, Warspite Road, London SE18. It is free for Hyphen House members and £25 for everyone else, and it finishes with an open Q&A, so bring the question you have been saving.. Get Your Ticket
New guest lands on Tuesday! Find out who it is on Monday and more Editors Desks episodes on the way next week!
That’s the week. If something in here was useful, forward it to one person who’ll disagree with it.
Okiki
Chief of Staff & Head of Operations, Common Sense Network
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