Hello and welcome to rock and roll politics, the twice weekly podcast with me, Steve Richards.

Thanks a lot for tuning in wherever you are and we've got tons to get through in our time together, as ever. In a moment, a few notices. Then, if it's

okay with all of you, I'll reflect briefly on the epic drama being played out in Russia,

before moving on to the implications of the domestic theme that nothing bloody works

in the UK. And looking at where that will lead with some precise examples, if that's

okay, with you. And then we will return to some of your brilliant questions, not return.

All the questions are new and fresh and illuminating. So that's what we're going to do in our time together as you are baking, running or whatever.

Beginning with a new notice, there's an emergency rock and roll politics taking place at the Hitchin Festival

on July the 11th at 7.30. So any of you who kind of live in that area or nearby, please come

along. It's an emergency because it's going to reflect. I haven't done one. I usually do one in King's Place in July, but this, I'm not doing one this year. And this will be the last one before the Edinburgh Festival, the Hitchin Festival. It's an emergency in the sense that there is so much going on. You know, the by-elections will be looming, three, perhaps four by-elections, the economic

crisis that I'll be talking about shortly in this podcast and much more. But more importantly

than any of that, it's the event is a tribute to a councillor in Hitchin, a Labour councillor, Judy

Billing, who sadly died a short time ago.

And two of the organisers wanted a rock and roll politics evening as a tribute to Judy.

And Judy, I met through rock and roll politics and the podcast and other things.

And she was an incredible person. And so it's going to be big in that respect, too. I remember vividly with Judy. Some of you may know during the lockdown, I used to do a live rock and roll politics from my bedroom once a month, organized via King's Place.

And everyone could join in on the chat, you know.

And I remember it started at 7 o'clock each time.

And at about 5 to 7, the first one, Judy Billings' name came up on the chat.

And it just said, I hope this works.

And I kind of laughed because there was absolutely no reason why any of it should have worked.

But she was fantastically engaged with all the stuff that the rock and roll politics cooperative is involved with.

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