Is truth stranger than fiction? Kompromat was originally conceived as a counter-factual, satirical work of fiction. However, in light of recent events, has Stanley in fact, pinpointed some of the glaring truths behind 2 of the biggest political earthquakes in recent history?
Kompromat explores, in a light-hearted way, the increasingly plausible possibility of Russian involvement in both the Brexit vote and Donald Trump’s election as the 45th President of the United States.
Link to book here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kompromat-Stanley-Johnson/dp/1786074141
Stanley Johnson
Stanley Johnson is a former MEP, environmental campaigner, journalist and author of twenty-five books. Stanley won the Newdigate Prize for Poetry and has awards from Greenpeace and the RSPCA. He recently received the RSPB Medal as well as the WWF’s Leader of the Living Planet Award, both awarded for services in conservation. In the run-up to the EU Referendum 2016, he founded and co-chaired Environmentalists for Europe. Stanley Johnson recently starred in ITV’s I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! He was one of the first presenters of More 4’s The Last Word, and has appeared on Have I Got News For You, The One Show, Pointless and the Fake News Programme.
Rachel Johnson
Rachel Johnson is a journalist, author and television presenter. Rachel is an author of seven books as well as currently a columnist for The Mail on Sunday. Over her career she has worked for the BBC, The Financial Times, The Evening Standard and several other publications. In 2014 Rachel was a judge on the BBC Woman’s Hour Power List. She sits on the boards of Bright Blue, the modernising Tory think-tank, and Intelligence Squared.
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Acclaimed journalist and artist Molly Crabapple has drawn and reported on stories from Guantanamo Bay, Syria, the West Bank, Iraqi Kurdistan and across the United States. With her powerful illustrations she has pushed the boundaries of visual reportage – and established an important place for art in hard news.
On the release of her memoir Drawing Blood, which intersperses testimony of her own artistic and journalistic engagement with full-colour illustrations, we welcome Molly Crabapple to the Frontline Club to reflect on recent projects and to share her personal insight into the use of art as a tool for better understanding and documenting current events. With US presidential primaries now firmly underway, she will discuss her ongoing work on topical home turf issues including policing and the justice system, as well as her experiences covering the effects of conflict across the Middle East.
Molly Crabapple is an artist, journalist, and author of the memoir, Drawing Blood. Called “an emblem of the way art can break out of the gilded gallery” by the New Republic, she has drawn in and reported from Guantanamo Bay, Abu Dhabi’s migrant labor camps, and in Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank, and Iraqi Kurdistan. Crabapple is a contributing editor for VICE, and has written for publications including The New York Times, Paris Review, and Vanity Fair. She is the winner of a 2015 Front Page Award for her drawings of Aleppo for Vanity Fair, and was shortlisted for a Frontline Award in 2013. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
This event will be chaired by Natasha Lennard, a British-born, New York-based writer of news and political analysis, focusing on justice, power, biopolitics and dissent. She writes regularly for the Intercept, Fusion and Al Jazeera America, and has written for VICE News, The New York Times, Salon, The Nation and Politico, among others. She is editor-at-large at The New Inquiry journal.
Illustration: Molly Crabapple for VICE: ‘What Life is Like Inside the Besieged, War-Torn Syrian City of Aleppo’
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As Americans go to the polls we invite you to join us to follow the live coverage of the 57th US Presidential election night. In what is set to be a tight race we will have coverage from Sky News and other networks as results unfold state by state.
Complimentary wine and American beer will be served courtesy of onefinestay and hotdogs and nachos will be available.
The evening will begin at 8pm but make sure you are set for a long night and book a table in the restaurant, where we will be serving a special US election themed set menu from 6 – 9pm. Book a table via the restaurant page, or call 020 7479 8950.
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It was standing room only as an energetic audience gathered for the Frontline Club’s monthly showpiece First Wednesday. Chaired by the BBC’s ever exuberant Paddy O’Connell, a panel of political experts and commentators tackled the state of play as the US gears up for the Presidential election on 6 November.
Following Mitt Romney’s controversial response to the attacks on the US missions in Egypt and Libya, proceedings opened with an inspection of the candidates’ foreign policy credentials. The speakers discussed his British blunder when he suggested London was unprepared for the 2012 Olympics and his strong rhetoric over Russia. Referring to the latest Romneyshambles, Channel 4 News’ Felicity Spector argued that foreign policy is one of the incumbent’s strengths:
“This could be just the kind of incident that changes people’s minds. … One of the criticisms that Obama brought forward at his convention speech is that Mitt Romney’s very inexperienced at foreign policy. Obama’s had those four years in the White House, taking those 3 am calls making difficult decisions. He now feels that he’s allowed to make that kind of criticism.”
Alex Spillius of the Daily Telegraph suggested that foreign policy could prove decisive come November:
“It was meant to be an economy election but because the race is so tight small factors could make a key difference and Romney’s messing up foreign policy. I don’t think he’s got the measure of how to deliver his policy yet. Obama killed Osama and that’s a huge score.”
The panel agreed that the state of the American economy is of utmost importance for the majority of American voters. Stacy Hilliard, former vice chairman of Republicans Abroad UK stated that the Obama camp is attempting to avoid discussion of economic policy.
“I saw the Democratic convention and it sounded like a Baptist revival. They were talking about issues that people don’t talk about when they go to the polls. The fact that they don’t talk about the economy suggests that they’re afraid to. Every person who spoke talked about abortion.”
Chair of Democrats Abroad UK Robert Carolina responded with a staunch defence of Obama’s economic legacy.
“The United States’ auto-industry was saved by government intervention. That was a tremendously good investment that helped to save the economy and save Detroit, Chrysler and General Motors. Let’s not forget that half of the entire debt is attributable to over spending by George W. Bush.”
Yet this message has proved difficult to sell to the electorate in the past and the panel agreed that this is the main worry for the President.
As the evening progressed, an engaged audience opened debate on specific battles that will be fought over the next 8 weeks, including immigration, socio-cultural issues including gay marriage, rape, race and religion. However the panel came full circle and agreed that it will most likely be economic policy that will secure the next President his place in the Oval Office.
Watch the full debate here:
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