My Rambling Thoughts

Mary Queen of Scots had her head chopped off....

2008-10-14T09:11:00.004+01:00

I'm intrigued by Christine Grahame's call for the remains of Mary, Queen of Scots to be repatriated to Scotland from their current resting place of Westminster Abbey.

I can understand this opinion - after all Mary was Queen of Scots, she was murdered in England and it seems tactless to keep her remains in England. However Mary requested in her will that she be buried in France and her son asked for her to be buried at Westminster Abbey. So who gets to decide her fate now?

I would always say that a person's last wishes should be respected so really if she is to be moved it should be to France, however family wishes are also important. So if we take her son's wishes into account then she should stay where she is.

I can see the flip side though - after all these years and with a figure of national and religious importance there are more important considerations than personal wishes.

I'm not convinced. Someone's resting place is quite a sacred consideration - I'm not sure that it should be changed for political purposes. But I am open to be persuaded otherwise.

Why does Brown's disability matter?

2008-10-13T09:02:00.003+01:00

I'm not a fan of Gordon Brown. While I think he is generally a good man with good intentions I don't think he has the ability to run the country well. Having said that there's few if any on the Labour benches who do have that ability. There are also rumours about his mental suitability for the job and if the rumours are based on fact rather than vitriol then that would be of real concern.

I found this article in today's Telegraph distasteful in the extreme - snarkily pointing out that his physical disability is getting worse and that assistance such as large fonts in printed and email texts is now needed. The implication - though never said - is that if he is becoming increasingly blind he can't do the job. Nonsense. He can't do the job because he's a leftie who doesn't have the right policies. Frankly whether he receives emails in size 12 or size 36 font is completely irrelevant to his ability to do the job.

If he is becoming more blind as the years go on then it's only right that changes are made to assist him with his work - I would expect it in mine. A blind Prime Minister doesn't bother me in the slightest. A media which heaps scorn on someone because of their disability does.

Stop pandering to the lowest common denominator

2008-09-24T08:56:00.002+01:00

The news today that nine universities in England are looking at offering interviews to "disadvantaged" youngsters even if their grades don't merit it annoys me immensely. Why should people who don't achieve the necessary results be offered interviews? It patronises them and it insults the students who have achieved the grades needed.

It also, much more damagingly, helps to perpetuate the system we have at the moment where failing schools (and for that read bad teachers) are allowed to thrive happy in the knowledge that somewhere further up the system someone will bail them out. I went to school in a deprived area and as far as I know only two students in my year went to university. That's not to say that everyone at my school was stupid but we had no encouragement and no support from 90% of the teaching staff. It was a fairly common thing to be told "No-one from this area will amount to anything" or "You'll never achieve anything". When we had our discussion - with the school librarian - about university she gave the same answer to everyone. Do an English degree. So when I asked about medicine her answer was "Do an English degree."

Pupils from disadvantaged areas don't need patronising, they don't need false methods of entry into university. They need good schools and strong teachers. They need teachers who tell them they won't amount to anything to be sacked. They need the first step to be the right one, not the final step to be a muddle.

Musings from the journey from hell

2008-08-08T18:56:00.004+01:00

Have just endured a rubbish hour on a South West Trains journey from Waterloo home and as I was standing and couldn't nod off so I had to think. Always a dangerous thing to do.

Why does a fatality at Surbiton so badly affect trains which go nowhere near Surbiton?

Why, on a busy train, is it always the men sitting and the women standing? I don't expect men to give up their seats for me, but nor do I expect to be sent spinning as men rush past me for the free seats.

Do people understand the concept of the Olympics? A couple were speaking about the opening ceremony (which I've still to see) and complained that each Olympic host city was trying to outdo the previous city? Apparently the Olympics isn't about competition.

In the event of everything going so wrong on the trains (ie train leaving an hour late with 100 people standing per carriage) does the guard really have to keep to his idiotic script? "On behalf of South West Trains I would like to wish you a pleasant journey". Oh piss off.

Rant over - I feel much better now. But if anyone has the answers to the above questions please let me know.

Foolish and Inappropriate? Only the Decision!

2008-08-08T09:30:00.002+01:00

So Councillor Jahangir Hanif has been suspended from the SNP for firing a gun two and half years ago in Pakistan. According to some nameless, presumably unelected, spokesman his behaviour was "foolish and inappropriate".

Oh do bugger off with your puritanical, holier than thou stupidity. As far as you know the man broke no laws, has been charged with no offence, presents no danger to the public and has never fired a gun in Scotland. So why has he been suspended? Because you're spineless cowards afraid of the bad publicity of an ethnic minority councillor being seen with a gun. Grow up.

And as for foolish and inappropriate? Getting drunk and being thrown into a police cell to cool off for a few hours is a pretty bloody stupid thing to do. But was Kenny MacAskill suspended from the SNP? Hell no - he's now telling us how much we're allowed to drink, when we're allowed to drink it and how much we have to pay for our booze.

This whole incident is nothing more than a gutless show of spin being more important than any sort of reasoned consideration.

Hooray for the Olympics

2008-08-07T15:00:00.003+01:00

I love the Olympics. I'm not a huge sports fan - I like to watch Wimbledon, but don't watch other tennis tournaments very often. I like cricket but again don't watch it too often. I love Celtic and want them to win every match they play but don't care if I never see them. I really love the Olympics. I watch the Olympics religiously, sports I would normally mock I get caught up in drama of - synchronised swimming, speed walking, beach volleyball, you name it I love watching them.

I also love the idea of the Olympics. The training for so long to have the honour of competing for your nation, the glory of standing on the top step and being awarded the gold medal. As for "athletes of the world unite" - I cry. I believe in the Olympic ideal, I believe that if you strip away the craziness and the drugs cheats and the over-commercialisation there is still a very pure message about hard work, dedication and honest competition. Maybe I'm just a schmuck but for me the next few weeks will be pure bliss and probably lots of tears too.

There is a lot to say about the wisdom of awarding the Olympics to a nation with such a poor human rights record as China, one which is complicit in an on-going genocide and which doesn't allow its own citizens freedom of religion, thought or speech. I'm not sure this is the weekend to do it.

Good luck to all the competitors, especially Team GB (and for their cracking stand on Darfur Team USA). I'll be watching and loving every minute of it.

Go Team USA

2008-08-07T08:57:00.002+01:00

While I will of course be supporting Team GB in the Olympics my respect for Team USA has just gone up 100-fold. Despite athletes being begged not to make political statements, Team USA have made a powerful, meaningful and best of all peaceful statement about China's support for the Sudanese government by appointing a former Darfuri refugee, Lopez Lomong as their flag-bearer tomorrow.

Well done Team USA for highlighting China's appalling position on the genocide in Darfur. I hope that if Britain doesn't come top of the medal table you do.

Why No Front Page For Michael Causer?

2008-08-04T08:52:00.003+01:00

It seems like every day there's another murdered teenager on the front page of the newspapers. Young boys stabbed to death by other young boys have dominated the news for weeks now. We're told that "something must be done!" about it.

On Saturday an 18 year old boy, Michael Causer, died in hospital a week after receiving serious head injuries in what police are describing as a homophobic attack, yet a glance through the newspapers this morning has no sign of it. Is it because he wasn't stabbed to death, therefore it isn't a fashionable crime or is it because Michael came from Liverpool and well, we expect that kind of behaviour up there?

Or maybe it's because Michael was a young gay man and homophobic crimes are really quite acceptable. If a young black man had been beaten to death it would have been front page news, and rightly so. But not for Michael. All crime is an act of hatred but we also have crimes motivated by nothing but hatred of the victim because of their race, religion, sexuality or disability. It isn't enough just to fight crime, we have to recognise where hate crime is taking place and face it head on. Admit that it is going on and work on ways to educate people about our differences and challenge them to accept the differences as a good thing rather than as an excuse to attack others.

Please don't let Michael Causer's death go unreported and unknown. He and every other victim of homophobic hate crime (and every other victim of hate crime) deserve better than to be ignored in favour of more "newsworthy" crimes.

Tory MPs Reading List

2008-08-03T19:49:00.004+01:00

I'm slightly bemused by the story in today's Sunday Telegraph about Tory MPs being given a reading list designed to make them better MPs. A more pretentious bunch of claptrap I've never come across. First of all, who has the right to tell their sub-ordinates what they have to do on holiday? If my boss gave me a list of 38 work-related books to read on my fortnight on the beach I think I'd tell her to get stuffed.

And the books on the list aren't exactly fun frolics. Muqtada al-Sadr and the fall of Iraq, or 1948: The First Arab Israeli War don't quite lend themselves to a poolside and a pina colada. Why do we insist that MPs must always be serious? Why can't they get away from work for a couple of weeks when they are on holiday? Would my MP be less good at his job if he read the latest John Grisham or Jilly Cooper or Alexander McCall Smith on holiday rather than the historical reading list they've been given? Of course not. Nor will he become a better constituency MP by reading about Lloyd George's women. Of course, if these are the books that individuals want to read then by all means of course they should.

And we're always told that the long recesses aren't all holiday, that MPs work just as hard in their constituencies during recess as they do in Parliament during session. So are they expected to read these 38 books in their two/three week holiday? I'm a pretty voracious reader but even on the laziest of holidays I only average one book a day. So what will they be losing to read this list? Precious and deserved time with their families or time with their constituents? I'd rather they had both.

I also want a governing party that respects the rights of individuals to choose their own leisure activities and how to lead their own lives. If David Cameron makes it clear he can't trust his own MPs then what hope have the rest of us got?

So - What Next?

2008-07-25T14:32:00.003+01:00

As the dust begins to settle (and it is settling already) the parties all have to look at their next moves. Immediate concerns for the SNP will be getting John Mason working hard as an MP - difficult to do when the House has shut down for the summer. It will take at least until after recess before he has any help whatsoever in terms of money (after all he's not technically a Member of Parliament until he has been sworn in, so no allowances) but not hitting the ground running is not an option.

And there's the Baillieston by-election to think about too with John Mason having resigned already. Is there a candidate in place? Is there a suitable candidate in place? The SNP will need to select someone who can fill John's shoes as a first-rate councillor. And then get campaigning immediately. No rest for the winners here.

As I said in my post yesterday they also need to get a good answer to the question of what the policy is in the event of a failed referendum campaign.

As for Labour - well, they've got to select their Parliamentary candidate pretty sharpish. Theoretically they should take this seat back, even if they lose the General Election but they won't win it by just assuming it will come back to them. If the rumours about their lack of canvass data is true - and the fact they couldn't get their vote out would imply they were - they need to be spending the next couple of years knocking on every door in the constituency. Twice. And I'm sure MPs in other "safe seats" will be wanting to know if they need to do the same, the answer's yes.

They also need to treat the council by-election with a lot of respect. They could win it, although I'm not convinced. This is one election where I think that candidate selection will matter a lot. As will an early start.

As for the others, well the Lib Dems need to sort themselves out a leader and rethink their by-election strategy. This was a pretty shocking performance from them. The Tories - more of the same from them would be good. They were gutsy, spirited and put up a good show in the face of public antipathy and a major squeeze operation. Solidarity and the SSP need to ask if they still have a place in Scottish politics. Between them they were less popular than the Conservative candidate. In the East End of Glasgow. The writing's on the wall.

So an interesting night, but the story didn't end at 2am. There's still a lot more fights to be had in the East End over the next few weeks. Stay tuned.

Predictions, predictions, predictions

2008-07-25T09:13:00.001+01:00

Well apart from the turnout, winning party and majority my predictions were totally spot on. I'm giving up the prediction lark.

Until the next time that is.....

Election Day Campaign Review

2008-07-24T09:39:00.003+01:00

So it's finally election day and early accounts indicate that its a slow one. Time for a totally unscientific campaign review and a bold, but probably flawed prediction. Living in Surrey I've not been on the ground in the campaign so am relying on blogs, news coverage, snatched bits of gossip and my own opinions to make these judgments.

SNP

Started brilliantly and captured the Big Mo early on. Picked a good, local, popular candidate - then did their level-best to stop him speaking in case he was a bit off-message. It was easy for Labour to attack the campaign as another Salmond ego-trip as he spoke more than the candidate. Ultimately though that won't make a huge difference as people like to hear from the party leaders and many people in the area know John Mason anyway.

The Party needs to get a better answer to the question about what they'll do if the referendum on independence goes against them.

A good, solid campaign. 8/10

Labour

Dear God - how bad was the start of this campaign? They failed to abide by the first rule of elections - if you don't have a candidate don't call an election. The crucial first weekend was a disaster which has tainted the rest of the campaign by allowing the SNP to grab the momentum then run with it. When they selected their fourth/fifth/nineteenth choice candidate it was a good one and that helped to steady the ship. There have been a few gaffes and bad news stories since but nothing that will matter to people outside politics.

Before Mags Curran 0/10
After Mags Curran 6.5/10

Lib Dems

Have been anonymous, bland and focussed only on the fire station, admittedly a damn good local issue. Don't rate their campaign or their chances of keeping third spot.

Dull dull dull 4/10

Conservatives

A good show in a seat they will never even have a sniff of winning. A good candidate and a well liked Scottish leader have given the Tories more airtime and control of the agenda than is really their right. Will still get a kicking, but a respectable one and could possibly overtake the Lib Dems into third.

Punching above their East End weight 7/10

The others

Well, not being in the constituency there's not much to see or say. Looks like the SSP and Solidarity may finally wipe each other out of any sort of relevance. Expect the Greens to come fifth.

Prediction

Low poll of about 31% with Labour just holding on by about 1000. Conservatives to come third and everyone below them to lose their deposit. I expect everyone to be back in Baillieston in about 8 months time as Margaret steps down and Steven Purcell goes for his place in Holyrood, lining up a leadership bid as the next hapless Labour leader falls by the wayside.

There has been no number-crunching, no inside information, nothing but gut feeling so expect this prediction to be utterly wrong. :-)

Nailing the Lie

2008-07-22T23:03:00.003+01:00

How often have we heard the assertion "If you're innocent you've got nothing to fear"? Reassuring us that ID cards, biometric tracking, CCTV everywhere and 42 days dentention won't affect anyone who isn't guilty of some evil plot against the state. We're being lulled into a false sense of security, safe in the knowledge that its only other people who will lose their civil liberties and not us.

Hopefully this story will cause just a few more people to ask questions about the use of legislation in a frightening and dangerous manner. Because a woman had a mixed race child she was accused of trafficking him. Then because she stood up for herself she was detained under the Terrorism Act - you know the one that only the guilty will be affected by. The officer in question has been removed from the particular duty and Kent Police have paid compensation - both good - but the fact remains that this family were targeted because the legislation and the power to curb the rights of the British public exists for police officers and authority figures to use as they damn well like.

But don't worry folks - if you've got nothing to hide then you've got nothing to worry about.

Why Shouldn't MPs Holiday Abroad?

2008-07-22T14:25:00.003+01:00

I've been meaning to blog about this for a few days but an entry on Tom Harris MP's fab blog and an article by Mayor Bo-Jo in the Telegraph brought it back to mind.

In all of the great witch-hunt of MPs over expenses one casualty seems to be their right to choose a family holiday abroad. The UK party leaders are falling over themselves to show their green/caring/committed to UK/thrifty credentials by holidaying in the UK and I'm sure the snippy comments will come in soon about fat cat Cabinet Ministers sunning themselves while catastrophe X happens.

But really, it's none of our business where anyone goes on holiday. I don't expect my boss to get snippy about my holiday destination or anyone who uses the services of my workplace to complain that I'm not holidaying in the UK, so why should we care where our MPs go with their families on holiday? Every family is entitled to go away and relax together and it is up to them where they go. Why should they have to justify it to their purient constituents - or worse a purient newspaper? The vast majority of MPs (from all parties) actually work very hard and face a lot of unneccessary criticism for the actions of some who are playing the system in an underhand manner. Let's not drive good people out of an important job just because they're not prepared to play our cynical games.

MPs have a tough job - let them enjoy their holidays.

Mamma Mia - The Review

2008-07-21T23:01:00.002+01:00

Just come back from Mamma Mia - the movie not the stage show.

It was stupid, camp, with ropey singing - really Pierce Brosnan can sing nane and Colin Firth isnae much better. I loved it. Loved it. Loved it. The campness was delicious, the action was fantastically fun, the scenery was gorgeous (I have to go to Greece!), the acting was much better than the singing and it was just fantastic.

The dodgy singing is totally forgivable as its all done with great humour. You should go see it. As soon as possible.

Do they never learn?

2008-07-16T10:10:00.003+01:00

Following the failed £120 bribe at the time of the Crewe and Nantwich by-election, the government is at it again.

A postponement of the 2p fuel duty increase has been announced. Yet again in the middle of a tricky by-election. Do Gordon Bown and Alistair Darling think we are mugs? Taxes are surely set for a reason - the economic well being of the country. If it's ok to change them every time the government looks like losing a seat in the House of Commons it means it wasn't necessary. If the revenue was needed then how is going to be replaced?

The government should stop trying to bribe the electors and treating us like fools. Hopefully it will backfire in Glasgow East in an even more spectacular fashion than in Crewe and Nantwich.

Speak up - or shut up

2008-07-15T13:02:00.004+01:00

I've been trying to steer clear (mostly) of the Glasgow East by-election. My dad is a councillor in the constituency and I regard Davena Rankin as an old mate so I don't want to say anything that would annoy either of them. But I'm intrigued by the news of Dorothy-Grace Elder having a pop at SNP candidate John Mason. Unfortunately I don't have a link to the article but Kezia Dugdale's blog has reproduced it. Naturally Kezia and labour people love it. Nats aren't so keen. Even Lib Dems have stepped in.

If (and I'm relying on Kezia reproducing the article faithfully) Dorothy-Grace did say "Facing a feisty woman will be the last thing this man wants. He has failed to accept a woman in politics in the past" this is an allegation which should be taken seriously. Sexism and bullying can't be tolerated in any sphere of public life and if she has evidence of this then she should bring it forward and let people judge it.

If, as I suspect, this is a case of two people not liking each other then she should admit it, accept that it happens and say that her comments are based on personal antipathy rather than any sort of concern about John Mason's ability to do the job properly.

Dorothy-Grace Elder shouldn't hide behind her newspaper column. If she has evidence she has to present it, otherwise she has to shut up and stop dealing in mean gossip and innuendo.

The Cold Wet Nose Show

2008-07-11T10:06:00.002+01:00

Darren and I - along with some friends - will be attending the Cold Wet Nose Show tomorrow where thousands of people will be bringing their dogs. Darren will be taking action shots of the dogs and I'll be printing and selling them on site for the bargain price of £10 each - buy 2 get the 3rd free.

We'll also be offering gift items such as mugs, mousemats, t-shirts, key-rings and coasters.

The show promises to be a great day out - do pop along and see us if you're attending.

I WILL Stop Wasting Food - Maybe

2008-07-07T15:23:00.004+01:00

I'm intrigued by Gordon Brown's latest proclamation that we should all stop wasting food. I agree with him - food wastage is a big problem and I'm as guilty as the next person. If not more so. It's not that I throw away perfectly good food. It's that I allow food to go off and then throw it out. I try to plan my menus and buy my food in advance. Store it properly. All that carry on. It all goes wrong when I get home from work at night. Sometimes, in fact a lot of the time, I get home and the last thing I can be bothered doing is peeling and chopping and making something sensible with the nice fresh food I've bought.

I don't think I'm alone in this one. I think in many households time in the evening is scarce and unless cooking is a particularly pleasurable activity it's something that doesn't become a priority. Relaxing, catching up with your partner's day, doing other housework all take precedence. And as a consequence we don't make that nice risotto we had bought fresh veggies for. We grab a snack or a takeaway.

The average British worker has a 45 minute commute and we work longer hours, have fewer holidays and a lower standard of living than our European neighbours. Is it any wonder we're knackered and can't be bothered cooking?

I get that it's wrong to waste food. I understand that we are putting pressure on our bank accounts and the environment by buying food we don't use, but frankly I don't want to be patronised by a man who has a stay-at-home wife, an army of staff, official dinners prepared for him and the ability to eat out every night at taxpayers' expenses without producing a receipt telling me where I'm going wrong in life. Yet another example of Government interference at its most insidious.

A Tricky By-Election

2008-06-30T09:44:00.003+01:00

The news that there will soon be a by-election in Glasgow East has sent many of my political friends into a frenzy of excitement.

On the face of it this is a rock-solid Labour seat. The last majority was 13,507 and the SNP need a 22% swing to capture it. Normally a swing of that magnitude would be just that little bit impossible at a General Election - but by-elections are something different. The expectation, given Labour's woes, will surely be that the SNP will pull off a stunning victory.

But it won't be that easy - rumours are swirling that the candidate will be Elaine C. Smith. Where does that leave the already selected candidate Lachie MacNeill. And if Lachie MacNeill is the candidate - does he have the experience, knowledge and abilities for such a high-profile campaign? I don't know Lachie so wouldn't like to say but it tends to be that the best candidate to put up a good fight in an unwinnable seat is not always be the best person to take it on to win it in the spotlight of a media frenzy. Will Elaine C. Smith - a woman whose own "Chairities and Politics" page on her website doesn't mention independence go down well with the local members?

As for Labour - they really are in trouble. Anything except a win for them will be a disaster. Everyone knows that, but do they have the stomach for such a battle? Or will the campaign for a new Scottish leader overshadow everything else?

And the Conservatives? Well everyone knows they won't win Glasgow East. In 2005 their share of the vote was 6.9%. The campaign team from Crewe and Henley won't be troubling themselves on the doors of the East End. But the last story that David Cameron wants is the wheels coming off the election machine which is doing so well. A squeezed vote and lost deposit (likely outcome surely?) will mean that one story to come out of the by-election is that the Conservatives are still unwelcome in Scotland, that the Crewe vote wasn't a sign of making genuine and sustainable progress in Labour's heartlands - it was nothing more than a protest vote. If Labour lose they will want to deflect some of the pain, and this will be the easiest (and cheapest) way to do it. So the Conservatives will be looking to hold their share of the vote - or even increase it - and probably overtake the Lib Dems for third place. And the Lib Dems? Well they will want to stop the rot of Crewe and Henley so I imagine there will be an interesting - if irrelevant - scrap for third place.

If Labour win, even by the tiniest majority, it will be touted as a major success and defeat for the SNP. If the SNP win it will undoubtedly be a great victory but will it come at cost of upset members? The Conservatives could see a grinding halt to their relentless march to the next general election and the Lib Dems could just slide further into obscurity.

Its a tricky by-election for every party which of course should make for great viewing for those of us not involved.

Carbon Credits - The Worst Idea Ever

2008-05-27T09:52:00.003+01:00

The Environmental Audit Committee's recent suggestion that we can all improve our carbon footprint by having our own carbon credit limit is one of the most idiotic suggestions I have ever heard.

I'm not a climate change sceptic - I think the planet is facing problems and I think there are some simple steps we can all take. I now recycle when I can, remember (sometimes) to take used plastic bags shopping with me. I put on a jumper when I'm cold rather than turning up the heater, I walk to the train station most days rather than drive, when a large group of us flew to Kenya we decided to offset our carbon emissions - not by giving money to a profit making organisation but by donating to a local wildlife charity. Everything I have done however has been my own choice. And it might not be enough to save the planet but it is my choice and my attempt to make things a little better.

I object strongly to a group of MPs telling me that I should have a limit on how much carbon I use - but if I want to I can sell it to the rich for a cash bonus. Have they really thought this through? I'm ok now, public transport from my home to my office is good but it hasn't always been - how does the committee suggest that people who have to drive to work cope? Refuse to go on holiday so they can make sure they have enough credits to work? What about people who have to attend hospital to visit sick relatives - or get treatment themselves? Will there be a bonus credit for the ill? How about international aid charities who send assistance to disaster zones such as those in Burma and China - will they have to limit their ability to do so? Or will they have to use some of their precious finances to buy additional credits?

And how about travelling MPs? Who will pay for (for example) Tim Yeo's credits.

From November 2006 - November 2007 Mr Yeo - the man whose committee came up with this plan - had a busy time. He visited California, Cuba (trip paid for by a mining and energy company), Lebanon & Syria, Washington DC and Bucharest. And this doesn't include his family holiday - I hope he had one.

And he did a lot of driving - in 2006/07 he claimed £5,226 in mileage - roughly 13,000 miles or the equivalent of driving 156 times from Westminster to his constituency office. This environmental champion by comparison claimed only £636 in rail fares.

I'm not questioning the honesty of the expenses or the necessity of the trips abroad. What I do have a problem with is a man with a carbon footprint which I'm sure is considerably higher than mine having the audacity to tell me that I have to limit my output just so that I can sell him the credits he so desperately needs.

Wildlife Photographer

2008-05-25T20:24:00.003+01:00

Just because I've been ignoring this blog doesn't mean I've been resting on my laurels. I've written a piece for Darren's blog about some of fantastic things I've learned since he started his photography business. Pop over to his blog to read about my new cheetah, lion and mayfly knowledge. And see the great photos.

Riled into posting again...

2008-05-23T19:45:00.005+01:00

Despite having a lot of issues recently which have interested me - Wendy's conversion to the idea of a referendum and missed opportunity to cause some real problems for the SNP, the despicable behaviour of Rangers fans in Manchester and the idiocy of letting people drink all day in confined spaces, the election of Mayor BoJo, Celtic's stunning last minute victory and yesterday's Crewe and Nantwich by-election - I've just not been inspired to post. Presumably just a bit of blogger fatigue. That's all changed though with one phone call.

It's that time of year again - car insurance renewal time and when the notice came through from Diamond it seemed like a decent deal so decided to phone and give the ok to renew. One thing I did want to ensure though was that my credit card details weren't being kept on file. I don't want any company to have the right to take money from my bank or credit card without my explicit permission and when you give companies your details you can't control when they go in and take money. We've learned this the hard way in the past when it has been a struggle to get our money back.

I was a bit taken aback to find that Diamond refused to remove my credit card details from their records. Apparently this was in case there were any amendments to the policy which required payment. When I pointed out that if there were any further payments needed I would decide at the time how best to pay it it didn't seem to matter. Now that Diamond had my credit card details they were holding on to them.

I cancelled my policy and found another - slightly more expensive - quote.

This isn't just Diamond's policy. We've dealt with several companies who insist on this and I really object to it. I wouldn't post my credit card details here, nor would I email them to anyone, so why should I give a company unlimited rights to keep my financial information? Its not as if companies have been entirely successful at protecting customers' privacy and even if they had it's still my right (and duty) to protect my own financial details. Just because something like this is a company's policy and their own method of protecting their incomes doesn't mean that we as customers have to put up with this nonsense.

Its yet another example of corporations controlling the public through their control of databases. We should make sure we know our rights and stand up to these information gathering bullies.

Aaron Meijers

2008-05-01T11:05:00.002+01:00

Today is Yom HaShoah, the Day of Rememberance for the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. When I get home this evening I will be lighting a candle for Aaron Meijers.

Aaron was born in Brummen in the Netherlands on 22 April 1917 and died in the Buchenwald concentration camp on 26 February 1945. He was 27 and single. Other than this and the names of his parents there is nothing else I know about Aaron. Yet tonight I will remember him and will do so each Yom HaShoah.

Genocide isn't just about the murder of individuals - its about the attempt to remove all trace that those individuals lived and that their communities existed. By remembering the individuals we make our own small stand against genocide.

You can become the Guardian of the Memory of a Holocaust victim by contacting Yad Vashem UK. There is no cost involved (but donations are welcome) and you do not have to be Jewish - I'm not. All that you need to do is commit to remembering one person once a year.

Stop the Shipment

2008-04-23T20:30:00.003+01:00

I've just signed an on-line petition regarding the shipment of arms currently trying to get to Zimbabwe.

This ship carrying arms, including 3 million rounds of ammunition, bound for Zimbabwe is currently trying to find a way of delivering its deadly cargo. It is highly likely that these weapons will be used to fuel violence, killings and intimidation in Zimbabwe’s growing political crisis.

The Chinese ship, carrying 77 tonnes of arms and ammunition has been forced to leave the South African port of Durban after dockers refused to unload the shipment and a judge ruled that the weapons could not be transported across South Africa.

The ship is now trying to find another dock in order to unload its weapons and transport them to landlocked Zimbabwe. These 6 containers of arms must be offloaded from this ship and immediately impounded to stop them being sent to Zimbabwe. There is only a matter of days to stop this arms shipment. Please help stop this shipment.

Click here to sign the online petition to help stop the Zimbabwe arms shipment. The International Action Network on Small Arms will deliver the petition to the chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the governments of countries in the region with a port, including Angola, DR Congo, Mozambique, Namibia and Tanzania.

This shipment should never have been authorised in the first place. All governments must take action to strengthen controls on the international arms trade to prevent irresponsible arms deals such as this one fuelling conflicts, poverty and human rights abuses around the world.

Will I or Won't I Vote?

2008-04-23T13:36:00.004+01:00

There's a question I never thought I would ask myself. With the elections only a week and a bit away I don't yet know whether or not I will be voting. I know that I won't be voting for a specific candidate - the Conservative Party have put two leaflets through my door since last year's election, both this week and one which was missing its second side. I just can't bring myself to vote Lib Dem even though the candidate is a good guy. I just wouldn't even consider voting for UKIP. So I have no candidate to vote for.

The question now is do I walk to the polling station and spoil my ballot paper? Part of me says absolutely I have to do this - voting isn't only a right, it's a duty and if we don't vote as individuals we have no cause for complaint. The other part of me isn't so sure. If I feel that the political system doesn't care for me, offer me a candidate I want to vote for or does anything to inspire my action why should I offer the victors legitimacy?

If I spoil my ballot paper (carefully, these people know how to claim a spoiled ballot paper as a legitimate vote) I have taken part in the election, increased the turnout yet my protest is not registered. If I don't show up then the turnout reflects my lack of support for any of the candidates. Although I will be classed as lazy and uncaring. I am neither, I wrote to my councillors this year about an issue which I felt strongly about. One replied saying she agreed completely with me but nothing else, one sent me a copy of the council's press release on the issue and the third didn't bother to reply. I copied this letter to the leader of the council, I didn't get a reply. Who is lazy and uncaring? Me or them?

Still, the thought of not using my vote is alien to me and now I'm left with a really difficult choice. Will I or Won't I vote this year?

Over-commercialisation, surly service, annoying neds - Welcome to Scotland

2008-04-22T10:50:00.003+01:00

Like most people I don't pay attention to the tourist attractions near where I live and work. I walk along the Embankment at 5.30 every night and get grumpy with the tourists stopping to look at the big building across the river. Why are so many people interested in the Houses of Parliament? It was the same when I lived in Glasgow. A view of the Campsies from the living room window? Unimpressive. Less than an hour to Loch Lomond? Dull. When I was home for a few days last week we decided to be a bit touristy and go for a day out to Loch Lomond and Luss.

And we were faced with somewhere we wouldn't want to go back to. We got to Balloch and were faced by a hideous over-commercialisation of one of the most beautiful sites in Scotland. Noisy buskers, fairground rides, hot dog stands, a "petting zoo" (why show your children the nature in front of them when an animal in a cage will do?) and buildings along the shore spoiling the bloody view. We endured the spectacle of a sheepdog chasing a group of ducks around squealing children and a forest of mirrors.

The loch itself had rubbish floating in it and there were no walks signposted around the shore. I accept that there has to be some degree of commercialisation with gift shops/tea shops etc but it seems that the Loch has become the backdrop to a funfair rather than the main focus of the area.

So from a disappointing Balloch we moved onto Luss. Which was much nicer. Kind of. We went into the only pub in the village for lunch. Messy tables, scowling waitress, being told they couldn't make a cappuccino for us yet the people at the next table getting theirs and a half hour wait for a sandwich all made this a less than welcoming establishment. Although the food was really nice.

Then to a little walk along the pier, where a gang of neds were throwing each other around, drinking cheap lager, swearing loudly and slagging off the area. They weren't being aggressive to other pier users but their presence did make others feel uncomfortable and several people turned on their heels and left the pier. Couple this with the abuse that (another) gang of neds were shouting at a group of young asians Luss wasn't really that appealing either.

The tourism industry should be alive and vibrant in Scotland, but from what I saw our natural resources just aren't being cared for and developed properly. I hope that the powers that be aren't just relying on a good reputation. It won't last long.

Commemorating Rwanda

2008-04-07T10:07:00.005+01:00

Today is the 14th anniversary of the first day of the genocide in Rwanda. In just 100 days nearly 1 million people were murdered. The victims were mostly Tutsis, but there were many Hutus who stood up against the genocide murdered as well.

In 1994 the international community, despite the pleas of UN commander on the ground Romeo Dallaire, stood by and did nothing to stop the frenzy of violence.

The genocide is not over though. Approximately 21,000 survivors are still without shelter, women and girls raped are being denied justice and are dying of AIDS, and doubts exist over the role of the gacaca (local courts)and their ability to deliver justice.

We must remember the victims of the genocide in Rwanda, and use these memories to push our government about tackling genocide in Darfur and Burma.

Useful Links

Survivors' Fund
Hope Survivors Foundation
Romeo Dallaire Speech

The Olympic Torch

2008-04-06T14:49:00.003+01:00

I have very mixed views on the protests surrounding the Olympic torch relay through London today.

China is undoubtedly guilty of mass human rights abuses, some of which - including the silencing of protests on Tibet and the treatment of construction workers - have been exacerbated rather than eased by the Olympics being awarded to Beijing.

It's quite obvious that the IOC should never have awarded the Olympics to China in the first place.

Having said that - I feel very uneasy about the protests that are taking place today. I believe firmly that the Olympic ideal can and does exist. I always cry at the opening ceremony especially when all the athletes come in and the torch is lit. There are thousands of competitors from across the world who have been working for years to achieve their goals, and more importantly there are thousands of young people who want to look ahead to London 2012. By attacking the torch and trying to douse it no damage is being done to China - only to the participants and viewers of the Olympics. By refusing to attend the opening ceremony Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy are showing a huge lack of respect for those representing their own nations.

I'm also quite concerned about the police presence for what was - in essence - a publicity stunt for a foreign nation and sponsors of the Olympics. I would love to see that many police on the street catching muggers. Miraculously all the paperwork that normally keeps the cops busy was missing today and they were free to rugby tackle demonstrators. Always a good show.

Like I say - I'm a huge fan of the Olympics so to see it brought into disrepute the way it has been today is a sad event. I hope that Tessa Jowell and Gordon Brown took the opportunity to strongly condemn his it government's behaviour to the Chinese Ambassadoe - but I very much doubt.

For a great piece defending the protests go to today's Sunday Times.

Clashing Calculators

2008-04-01T14:26:00.004+01:00

I'm wondering how long it will take the SNP to realise that you can't continue to cut taxes, freeze taxes, cut charges and not face the bitten arse of cutting services too.

As regular readers and friends will know I'm in a constant state of flux on my opinions on independence - I think Scotland could be a successful independent country, but I'm yet to be convinced of the need.

I've been really impressed by some of the work of the new Scottish Government and I think Alex Salmond is genuinely the best person for the job of First Minister, but over the past few days doubts have started to creep in. While I'm generally against prescription charges I'm unsure about the wisdom of gradually abolishing them. If 92% of prescriptions are free anyway is it such a big thing? Would the return of free eye tests not be a more useful first move?

I'm also quite disturbed to find that the Scottish Government is abolishing the ring-fenced funding for CVS and Volunteer Centres and passiing the buck to local authorities instead. Local councils are forced into a council tax freeze - the last thing they need is more fiscal responsibility passed onto them.

And the reporting of John Swinney's meeting with Yvette Cooper is concerning. Taking aside the fact that Alistair Darling, not Yvette Copper, is John Swinney's counterpart if this BBC report is true it just reinforces the belief that the SNP want to do a load of cool things in Scotland, but won't take responsibility for the payment of it.

The SNP have some great policies, and I strongly support their principle of social justice and equality, but these policies have to be paid for. By Scotland. Until the SNP government takes the tough decisions rather than just the popular ones it will appear less like a government and more like an Opposition party getting one (or several) over the actual government.

**Update**

As pointed out by Jeff in the comments, eye tests are already free in Scotland. So apologies for getting that one wrong. My point remains the same - just with a different viewpoint. It's probably more important to ensure that the 30.1% of children not currently registered with an NHS dentist are given the opportunity than to abolish a charge with less than 10% of users pay. Will try to get my facts straight next time.

Smoking Facists

2008-03-18T13:37:00.004+01:00

I am so sick and tired of people who don't like something telling me that I can't do it, want to do it or watch someone else doing it on the screen.

The latest bat-shit crazy idea to hit the headlines is that any film with a character smoking in it should be given an 18 certificate.

I don't smoke, I don't like smoking and despite my reservations about the smoking ban I like going into pubs where no-one is smoking. But come on. Banning smoking on screen? Don't be bloody stupid. I accept that perhaps smoking in a Disney film shouldn't be encouraged, I don't think the sight of Shrek lighting up would be in any way responsible. But really - how many films have smoking scenes? I've not noticed any in the films I've been to see recently - genocide in Burma, bank robberies, many people having their throats cut, but not smoking. Doesn't mean there hasn't been smoking in them, just I've not noticed it.

One film with lots of smoking was Good Night and Good Luck - set in a time and place when smoking was the norm. Do we excise all references to historical accuracy to satisfy these morons? What about Casablanca? Do we re-classify our classics? Of course not.

If you're worried about your kids smoking and want to stop them seeing films with smoking in them then don't let them go to the cinema. People have to start taking responsibility for themselves and their families rather than creating more rules for us all to follow.

Community needs

2008-03-17T14:58:00.002+01:00

The story of Shannon Matthews has brought up some questions for me. Taking aside the issues of stranger vs family danger I was perplexed by the public meeting yesterday for members of the "community".

It seemed that some members of the community are unhappy at the Police's handling of the case and are demanding to know when Shannon will be home. I heard one dreadful woman saying she won't be satisfied until she sees Shannon on the doorstep and there is a party.

I don't know what has been happening to the little girl in the past three weeks and wouldn't even begin to speculate but how dare these people demand to see her and say that they won't be happy until their demands are met? Who says that it would be in the best interests of the child to be paraded in front of a bunch of assorted neighbours and press? Frankly if the mother is reassured that her daughter is safe no-one else's opinion matters in the slightest.

Since the death of Princess Diana there has been a creeping sense of public grief and hysteria at every news story. How many of these community members who demanded to know the truth in Dewsbury knew the family? And cared about them before Shannon went missing? We lay thousands of bunches of flowers at the roadside for people we never knew who were stupid enough to run out in front of a car, we hold 2/3/5 minutes silence for victims of different disasters or acts of terrorism, we leave messages on internet forums and set up facebook groups calling for whatever the missing child this week is to be returned home or saying RIP to the latest murder victim that we never knew. Whenever a kid at a school dies there are trained counsellers available for the 1100 kids at the school - 1075 of whom had no idea who the dead child was.

And in our grief do we do anything useful? Do we tell the police that we know who shot the 11 year-old at the bottom of our street or does the wreath assuage our guilt. And when we're holding 5 minutes silences do we think about the thousands dying of malaria every day? Do we donate to charities?

I don't want to see a return to the days of the stiff upper-lip when no-one showed emotion however I'm sceptical that the situation we have at the moment is anything other than sheer self-indulgence.

George Galloway - Human Rights Champion

2008-03-14T16:05:00.003+01:00

If anyone thought George Galloway was a defender of Human Rights or some sort of harmless kook then all you need to do is read this story from the Pink News where he claims that gay men in Iran are not executed for being gay.

I would say exactly what I thought of George Galloway but I'm sure that saying that I consider him a scumbag of the highest order would lead to me being sued. So I'll just keep quiet.

Swearing Allegiance

2008-03-11T11:02:00.003+01:00

Part of the Government's review of citizenship is to suggest that teenagers swear allegiance to the Queen. Mmm, this is a tricky one for me. I am an absolute monarchist, I believe the Queen has been a wonderful head of state and abhor the idea of a republic. Yet this makes me feel slightly uncomfortable.

I can't help feeling its a cheap stunt. Teenagers who feel alienated and at odds with the community won't all of a sudden change their minds just because they've been forced to attend a special assembly at school and recite some meaningless words. And presumably that's how they'll view them - the same way I viewed having to participate in Catholic masses at school. And is it a quick jump from swearing allegiance to the Queen (something I would have no problem doing) to swearing an allegiance to Her Majesty's Government?

And what about Republicans? I don't agree with the view, but to many people it is a passionately held opinion. Can it be fair to demand that they swear allegiance to the Queen? To some Catholics in Northern Ireland and the West of Scotland the monarchy represents repression of their faith.

Also, it seems ridiculous that we're asking young people to consider their rights and responsibilities as citizens at the age of 16. By then its far too late. And why only teenagers? Why not everyone?

There's nothing wrong with swearing allegiance to the Monarch, but I fear this is a poor way of encouraging good citizenship and loyalty to the country.

Westminster Council Are Idiots

2008-02-21T11:28:00.003+01:00

Was parking up in Pall Mall last night before yet another trip to see Avenue Q. Normally we manage to park free or pay at the machine. Not last night. Westminster Council have come up with a new scheme where you pay by phone. Taking aside the fact that not everyone has a mobile phone it was the most idiotic scheme I've ever come across.

Despite the fact that we're all, women in particular, warned about the dangers of using mobile phones in public there I was flashing both my new expense mobile phone and credtit card at a post with no lighting. I felt very exposed and vulnerable.

On top of that the electronic answering system is as frustrating as every other bloody idiotic electronic answering system and as my fourth attempt to enter my card number ended with me seemingly cut off before I could confirm my details.

We gave up and drove to a parking bay with a pay and display machine.

It's time for a rethink on such moronic plans.

So long, farewell Fidel

2008-02-19T13:34:00.003+01:00

I'm sure that Comrade Fidel's announcement in the middle of the night that he's stepping down as Cuban President will leave many idealistic lefties traumatised. Boo-hoo to them.

Castro standing down is the best thing that's happened to Cuba in over half a century. The revolution that promised so much delivered so little. The Baptista regime was corrupt - I don't think that's in any way doubted but the Castro regime was cruel, damaging and dangerous.

I'm in no way an expert on Cuba, I have visited it but only for two weeks. But two weeks can tell you a lot about a place. Our tour guide was very well versed in the regime's successes. Free education, most kids go to university, free healthcare. Blah blah communist manifesto blah.

A little digging however paints a different picture - doctors are leaving the health system in huge numbers for better paid jobs such as taxi drivers, individuals can set up private businesses such as in hairdressing or dressmaking - but if they start to make a success of their small business and turnover even the slightest profit they are closed down and their assests seized. Families live in squalor as they are afraid to decorate their homes for fear of being regarded as rich and being robbed/having their assests seized. Children in education are encouraged to inform on any anti-government activities in which their parents may participate.

A bloody paradise that sounds to me.

Castro's gone, hopefully he won't be followed by his brother who may make the right noises but has been number 2 all along.

Good luck to the people of Cuba.

Film Trailer

2008-02-15T16:24:00.001+01:00

OK, I am now officially excited

The Moral Imperative - Where and When?

2008-02-15T15:04:00.004+01:00

Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the other day that the UK has a moral imperative to intervene to spread democracy.

"My plea is not to let divisions over those conflicts obscure our national interest, never mind our moral impulse, in supporting movements for democracy."

And generally I tend to agree. I would have supported the Iraq war if Blair had said it was intended to remove Hussein from office as Britain could no longer stand by while dictators perpetrate genocide on their own citizens. I would have welcomed it rather than opposing it, and asked if he'd be taking out Mugabe next.

So with Miliband saying that we have a moral duty can I direct him to one country in particular?

The country where an illiterate woman faces beheading for being a witch after hearings she and her representatives were unable to attend.

The country where flower and gift shops were raided this week to remove roses, wrapping paper and teddy bears in an attempt to stop the un-Islamic sin of celebrating (St) Valentine's Day.

The country where two gay men were recently sentenced to 7,000 lashes each for sodomy.

The country where rape victims are sentenced to lashings for adultery, and then further punished for speaking out.

Or does Saudi Arabia, a country with some of the most shocking human rights violations in the world, not count?

Hat-tip to Mr Eugenides for the Valentine story

One Minute For Darfur

2008-02-12T15:42:00.001+01:00

Unlike many other campaigns this really is only a one minute job. Reading the details takes longer.

In August 2003 the International Criminal Court's Chief prosecutor that Ahmad Harun, a Sudanese Government Minister, and Ali Kushayb a leader of the Janjaweed, organised the destruction of Bindisi - a town in Darfur. The ICC prosecutor states that their followers murdered over 100 civilians from the Fur tribe, raped women and girls, destroyed the mosque and food stores, and forced 34,000 people to flee.

Since the warrants for their arrest were issued by the International Criminal Court neither man has been handed over to the ICC or prosecuted by Sudanese courts. Instead, Ali Kushayb has been freed from prison while Harun has remained in his post as State Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and was appointed to co-chair a committee charged with investigating human rights complaints, including those committed in Darfur. As Minister he is responsible for those displaced by the violence in Darfur, and is also charged with liaising with the UNAMID peacekeeping force currently being deployed to protect those same people. Thus one of the chief suspects in an investigation into mass murder is now responsible for the fate of the victims.

Due to China's veto the United Nations Security Council did not even issue a Presidential Statement about Sudan's refusal to hand over the suspects - it will soon be almost one year since the arrest warrants were issued.

Please express your deepest concern at Sudan's defiance of international law and call for the United Nations Security Council to:
- visit Khartoum in May 2008 to ask for the Sudanese government to hand over the two suspects
- impose targeted sanctions (asset freezes) on the Sudanese Government ministers protecting these two men.

Please visit Wanted for War Crimes to send an email to all fifteen members of the UN Security Council - this should only take ten seconds.

For more information on Darfur please visit the wonderful Aegis Trust.

Who'd have thought it? A tax-cutting government at last.

2008-02-11T11:08:00.001+01:00

The removal of tolls from the Forth and Tay road bridges today has ensured one thing that I never thought would happen. The SNP has become the first tax-cutting government in Britain for well over a decade. All around us stealth taxes are biting into how many money individuals get to keep to make their own choices. An 80p (per journey) tax cut may not sound huge - but the principle is. People get to keep their own money. Not everyone we do has to be taxed.

Well done Alex Salmond and John Swinney. Keep it up.

Time For MPs to Follow the Same Rules As Me & You

2008-01-30T16:15:00.000+01:00

It's not been a good few days for the reputation of parliament or parliamentarians. First the brouhaha over the publishing of MPs' expenses and in the past couple of days the whole Derek Conway debacle.

Immediately the calls have come in for expenses to be slashed and for MPs to be barred from employing family members. As usual the reaction is an over-reaction. There is no need to bring in draconian measures, just treat MPs the same as the rest of us.

When I claim expenses from work I'm expected to hand in receipts. So don't slash MPs' expenses, just make them hand in receipts. Seems reasonable.

And there's no need to stop MPs employing family members, it's actually understandable wanting to have staff that you know you can trust 100%, but perhaps there should be less variation in the salary scales and an independent review and appraisal process in Parliament.

As with most things there's little need for new rules, just a little better enforcement of current ones.

The Gallery

2008-01-17T10:58:00.000+01:00

Testimony by Barbara Stimler

2008-01-15T17:23:00.001+01:00

Hush Little Baby

2008-01-14T11:47:00.000+01:00

Is 2 Years 2 Years Too Long?

2008-01-08T10:08:00.000+01:00

I'm really heartened by the announcement that the Conservative Party will take a tough line on getting people to move from welfare into work. There are plenty of people who know that claiming benefits is a much easier ride than getting up at 7 every day and working for 8 hours. Anything that can be done to get as many people back into the workplace is a good thing. And pointing out that state benefits are not a right is a great place to start.

I've been properly unemployed once in my life and it was a horrible time. It took about 6/7 weeks to get an appointment at the Job Centre and when I finally did make it I was astonished by what I saw. I was sitting at a communal table, happily filling out my little forms, listening to one ned say to his pal "Just tell them if they don't give you money today you'll rob someone - that's what I do". When I handed my completed booklet to the advisor (and I do use that word under caution) it was clearly the first time in a long time anyone had done so.

Change really does have to come from the bottom up from ensuring that threats from thugs aren't taken as an excuse to ensuring that the advisors act as such.

But the one thing I did learn is how easy it is to become depressed and fall into a rut. Weeks of looking through newspapers and finding nothing you like the look of, failing to even get a job at the local supermarket all take their toll very quickly. It's far too easy (and understandable) to become unwilling to get out of bed for yet another day of being disappointed and depressed by your situation. That's why I think 2 years before instigating some form of community work is too long. After 2 years people have lost key skills and the energy for returning to work. A programme of community and voluntary work beginning after 6 months would be a much more suitable option. Perhaps with some sort of "bonus" scheme added and of course part-time to allow job-hunting to continue. Of course the 2 year limit should remain so that this doesn't become a substitute for work.

Photo Album

2008-01-07T11:42:00.000+01:00

Blair's Final Betrayal

2007-12-23T13:12:00.001+01:00

So Blair has done what most people expected and converted to Catholicism. As to the conversion itself and anyone's personal beliefs I really don't care. I do, as a Catholic myself, feel deeply betrayed by this conversion and the timing of it.

This was not a decision made lightly or even in the few months since he left office. His wife is Catholic as are his children. He has attended Catholic mass for years. The conversion was really always on the cards. And again - a personal decision for him to make and act on himself.

But why in his years as Prime Minister, particularly the final year and a half when we all knew he was stepping down soon, did he never speak out against the institutionalised anti-Catholic legislation in Britain? Why did he never say that the Act of Succession which prevents a future monarch marrying a Catholic is wrong? Why didn't he say that the rule which prevents a Catholic being First Lord of the Treasury is an insult to the millions of Catholics in the country? Catholicism is the only religion that these rules apply to. Blair knew he was going to become a Catholic, why did he not speak out in defence of the religion he respects so much?

As usual with Blair it was a case of making sure his power trip came above everything else. He knew that by following his beliefs he would never have been PM, and that position mattered more to him than anything else. He's a hypocrite.

Tory Survey Benefits Cancer Charity - Yuck.....

2007-12-21T15:29:00.000+01:00

The political blogs are in a bit of a tizz over the Caroline Nokes cancer survey. Conservative PPC Caroline Nokes branded one of her surveys (with permission, perhaps erronously given but given none the less) with the logo of Breast Cancer Care prominently branded and a promise to the electorate of a donation to charity for every survey returned. It wasn't a survey about health and it was made clear that it was a political survey from a political candidate.

The Guardian and Channel 4 both gleeful reported the story as a huge scandal. Conservative Home claims it's a non-story. The soon to be defunct Recess Monkey is terribly self-righteous about it all.

I don't think it's either a scam or a non-story. It's a sign of the growing cult of morality that politicians from all parties like to build up around themselves. It's twee, it's sickening, it's cloying. If I want to give money to a cancer charity I will. I don't want some candidate to tell me they're doing it on my behalf.

Giving money to charity used to be something that we did privately. Now politicians love to tell us about their donations, their marathon running, their arctic treks, and whatever else they do. It is demanded of MPs that they take part in sleepouts for homeless charities or give up their Christmas days to help in a hospital. If this is something that a particular politician feels strongly about then that's well and good. But leave the digital camera at home eh?

Why Not Tell People Not To Be Criminals?

2007-12-20T15:08:00.000+01:00

I've become increasingly wound up in the past few days by the amount of crime-prevention warnings around. On a bus stop poster near my office are about three or four threats of your house being burgled if you don't lock up, hide your presents, throw empty boxes away immediately, buy Christmas presents. We're told not to talk on our mobile phones in the street, listen to MP3 players or drink more than a small sherry for fear of being mugged. Catholic churches are even moving midnight mass for fear of them being upset by drunks.

I'm all for protecting yourself and your property and it's right that people should be reminded of their responsibilities. But why don't these posters say things like "If you break into someone's house you'll be jailed you little shit" or "A short skirt doesn't mean you can be all rapey" or "Get a job and buy your own MP3 player"?

A huge amount of money is spent on these crime prevention advertising campaigns.

Here's another way to use the money - more police and longer prison sentences.

Desperately Seeking Susan to Close

2007-11-30T14:56:00.000+01:00

There are some things that you can see coming a mile off.

When will theatre producers realise we want to see either new and original musicals like Avenue Q or the classics, not just rehashed nonsense based on films/pop music. I blame Mamma Mia and We Will Rock You, their success has led every faded pop star to believe that the audiences want to hear their songs in a "new" way. We don't - now bugger off and leave us singing about Porn.

A Pointless Rule - But Your Rule

2007-11-27T11:55:00.000+01:00

I've never been a fan of PPERA (the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act). You know the one that made the simple process of elections and donations to political parties a whole lot more complicated. And doesn't know the correct word is actually referenda. And established that idiotically useless body The Electoral Commission.

I never saw a reason to have to report donations to parties. The vast majority of which have always been open, honest and done with no intention other than helping parties out. But the Labour Party in their infinite wisdom brought in PPERA and established the Electoral Commission. So despite me not really seeing a reason to it all I obeyed the law on reporting donations. And it was generally really simple to understand and comply with.

Which makes the Labour Party's knowing acceptance of donations via a third party from David Abrahams incomprehensible. There is no room for doubt in the law. No wiggle room.

The Act states that a donation is (among many other thing):

"any reference to anything being given or transferred to a party or any person is a reference to its being so given or transferred either directly or indirectly through any third person;"

OK - a bit wordy, but you get the gist.

When Peter Watt says he didn't know he couldn't take a donation through a third party he is either lying or so utterly incompetent he should never have been in his position. Either way he was quite right to resign.

The Labour Party has to realise that when it brings in these annoying and pointless laws they don't just apply to the evil Tories (who they were doubtless introduced to trip up) but to themselves too.

Oxford Union Debate

2007-11-26T15:24:00.000+01:00

This story about BNP leader Nick Griffin and Holocaust denier David Irving speaking at the Oxford Union has troubled me. It gets to the very heart of the limitations of free speech. Just because people's views are abhorrent - and blatantly wrong - does this mean they shouldn't be allowed to express them?

Generally I would say I come down on the side of freedom of speech, but I have real mixed emotions with this one. Partly because while I think anyone should be able to express an opinion I think there has to be limitations on being able to insult other people. Holocaust denial, for example, is not a matter of opinion. The Holocaust happened and to deny it is not simply to challenge historical wisdom but is a form of particularly nasty anti-semitism. We shouldn't stand by and allow people to be blatantly racist or offensive.

Of course, freedom of speech and allowing someone to be able to voice their opinions is not the same as inviting them to do so or engaging in debate with them. Nick Griffin and David Irving do have the right of freedom of speech but I have the right not to listen to them or take part in debate with them. This is the right the silly little boys of the Oxford Union should have exercised when considering who to invite to speak at their debate. To invite one Holocaust denier to your debate is bordering on distasteful, to invite two is opening yourself up to queries about the reasons behind your invitations.

Oxford Union should be ashamed of themselves today - as should everyone who legitimises the opinions of these men by taking part in debate with them.

A Silver Lining

2007-11-21T10:16:00.000+01:00

The financial data fiasco is a nightmare for everyone involved. We assume, even if we don't like the politics of a particular governing party, that we can trust the "Government" to keep our information safe.

If there is one silver lining to a very dark cloud it will hopefully be that the suggestion of having a National ID card system will be closed off for good.

ID Cards are un-necessary, expensive and an attack on our basic civil liberties. We don't need to put all of our data on a piece of plastic just so that some jumped up oik can demand to know who I am.

So - who still thinks the Government holding all our personal data is ok?

Guto Harri on the Lib Dems

2007-11-19T10:09:00.000+01:00

"It is striking - within a party that's generally regarded as nice - how nasty the Liberal Democrats are quietly capable of being."

Know what Guto? Sometimes they're not even quiet about it.

Does The Spectator Know Anything About Scottish Politics?

2007-11-16T10:00:00.001+01:00

First of all let me say I am a huge fan of the Spectator. When I was a student and got a cheap subscription I would love it hitting the floor on Friday mornings. And I also think that Alex Salmond did a top-notch job at winning the Scottish elections this year. A brilliant campaign led by a charismatic figure which really changed the face of British, not just Scottish, politics.

Having said that I am at a loss as to why Alex Salmond won Parliamentarian of the Year. And my confusion comes with the comments of the editor of the Spectator. He said:

"Whatever your view on that great question, the judges felt it was right to salute the man whose brilliant tactics in the Scottish Parliament laid the foundations for an extraordinary victory."

Now the first half of the statement, right up until tactics I have no problem with. But I do wonder if Matthew d'Ancona, the editor of the premier political magazine in the country knows that until May Alex Salmond wasn't a member of the Scottish Parliament. His tactics were great, they did lay the foundations of victory, but they weren't laid in Parliament. So is this a snub to Nicola Sturgeon who was brilliant as leader of the opposition in the Scottish Parliament, another snub to Scotland by the English establishment who just don't care enough to know the basics, or (much more likely)shoe-horning recognition of Salmond into some category, no matter what one it was?

Anyway - well done. A richly deserved victory if a little bizarre.

Rehabilition Is A Good Thing - Unless Of Course You're A Tory

2007-11-12T12:16:00.000+01:00

I've been a bit knocked back by the response to the news that Iain Duncan Smith has asked Jonathan Aitken to head a working group looking at prison reform. It's as though the sky has fallen in with suggestions that this is the start of his political comeback and that the Tories are looking back to the days of sleaze. Particularly smug and insulting is Tom Watson's take on the issue.

Jonathan Aitken committed a serious crime and it was right that he went to prison - although I'd like to see a breakdown of non Conservative Party members jailed for 18 months for perjury.

Surely the point of prison isn't just to punish, although it is an important part of the process - the most important but. But there is also a huge rehabilitation role to be played. Just because you're rich, or come from a Conservative background doesn't mean you are exempt from being rehabilitated. It seems to me that Jonathan Aitken is actually an ideal person to help with this. He has been in the prison system but because his background is one of privilege he hasn't had to rely on it for his future after jail, therefore he can look at it both from an involved and detached perspective.

Just because someone commits a crime shouldn't mean they are stigmatised for the rest of their lives. If they, like Jonathan Aitken, have served the sentence that they have been given and can make a valuable contribution to society this should be allowed.

Tom Watson and other sneering lefties should remember that when they attack Jonathan Aitken for having a life after jail they're attacking every single former prisoner attempting to move on. Unless of course this only applies to Conservatives.

Ugly Betty Trailer

2007-11-08T09:44:00.000+01:00

I'm sure it makes me the most shallow person alive that this makes me quite as happy as it does.

Don't Live Like The Broons

2007-10-29T17:47:00.000+01:00

Following my rant last week about chocolate bars comes the news that Maw Broon's cookbook might not be the most nutritionally balanced.

On top of that the Broon's carbon footprint must be massive with all those weans, the chance of passive smoking from Paw and Grandpaw's pipes in that wee tenement must be shocking, the amount of animals killed testing the lipstick that Maggie wears will be enormous and it's really not responsible for one couple to have so many children. On the positive side, the bairn has been wearing the same dress for 80 yeard and it won't have come from Gap so child labour isn't an issue.

Aye, the Broons. May every family in Scotland live just like them.

What Politicians Can Learn From Kate Garraway

2007-10-29T10:14:00.000+01:00

Image from Strictly Come Dancing website

I am a huge fan of Strictly Come Dancing. The costumes and camp make me very happy - and the judges... Well, I just adore my ickle Bruno and Craig is very tough and manly in a camp sort of way. I gives me fuzzy feelings to watch it, and I'm loving the fact it is now on twice at weekends. It's just a nice way to spend the weekend.

Imagine though the horror at last night's results show. Penny and Gabby in the bottom two. Penny and Gabby? Possibly two of the best dancers in the show. Not the rubbish dancers like Kate Garraway or Kenny Logan or even John Barnes. Frantic text messages went flying about saying little more than "No" "God" and "Are you watching this?" Then after poor Gabby flipped her last flip the vitriol started - Kate Garraway was evil personified. How dare she still be in the show? All thanks to muppet GMTV viewers who blindly voted for her despite the fact that she dances like a rhino on heat. But without the grace and elegance.

Then I started thinking about it and actually Kate is playing a blinder and the exact campaign that politicians should.

Have a simple message - Kate's message for her GMTV viewers is really simple - "I really want to stay in and achieve my potential. There's so much more I can do."

Repeat your message ad nauseum - I watch at most 15 minutes of GMTV in the morning while flicking between SKY, BBC and Everybody Loves Raymond and I've heard Strictly Come Dancing mentioned every day

Third Party Endorsements - not only does she get the message across on a regular basis, but her co-presenters do too. Ben Shepherd is a little star at this.

Know your audience - I could be wrong but Kate hasn't trawled round other shows to sell her message. She has her audience and she is targeting them ruthlessly.

Ability isn't everything - We've all watched election results and thought "But they're useless, how did they win?" Voters don't always care about ability, especially if you minimise how important it is in comparison with trying hard and being likable.

Be nice - There's no point being the best at something if you come across as arrogant, and that was Gabby's downfall. In the end Kate is just more likable.

Be aspirational - Kate focuses on how much can still be achieved. So much better than - oh I did this wrong.

So it might not be fair that Kate is still in and Gabby isn't but that's what happens when democracy is allowed to run riot. An inferior candidate with a good campaign will beat a good candidate with a rubbish campaign. Look and learn politicians - just don't wear the sequinned tops...

Thank God for Aviemore

2007-10-26T14:00:00.000+01:00

It's perhaps not been the best few days for Alex Salmond. I would say for the first time since May, even counting the defeats in Parliament, he's had a bad week. And unfortunately for him it's been on good policy issues.

First the nuclear story. It was a sound move to write to countries signed up to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to highlight Scotland's opposition to nuclear weapons and to ask for support in Scotland receiving observer status. It continued well the policy of pushing forward Scotland's position as a nation seperate to England. But for God's sake, check who you're writing to when you send letters. Don't just accept that whatever Excel spits out at you is a good thing. Remove the nasty people like Iran, Burma and Zimbabwe from your database. I can just see it now "Dear Mahmoud, Please, please support us and we'll ignore your views on the Holocaust and women and stuff, yours aye, Eck."

There's some people you just don't do business with. First because you don't want to make a stand at any costs, second - well it's just embarrassing to allow Nicol Stephen to score points off your actions and third - the good policy has been lost.

And the 1000 extra/additional/equivalent police officers. The dangers of making promises in opposition that you can't keep in government bit him in the bum this week. It must have been a right red-neck for both Wendy Alexander and Nicol Stephen to make direct hits in the one week.

Still, it's conference this weekend. And he'll perform brilliantly, the SNP members will love it and there will be a bounce. Which will hopefully allow the focus to start to go back onto the good policies.

But the opposition parties will start to have a glimmer of hope - he can be damaged. He isn't invincible after all. There may even be a light...

Fat? Stop Eating So Much Then

2007-10-17T12:24:00.000+01:00

***rant alert***rant alert***rant alert***rant alert***rant alert***rant alert***

It seems to be a week for the Nanny State annoying me. First it was drinking, now there is the report that says that Obesity isn't the fault of the individual and that the Government has to do "something".

Bollocks. Bollocks. Bollocks.

I'm overweight, I'm technically obese. Despite most things in this country being the fault of the Labour Government this isn't one of them. I know why I'm overweight - it's because I eat too much rubbish and don't exercise enough. I made a decision earlier this year to lose weight. I lost over 2 stone through sensible eating and exercise. I stopped the sensible eating and exercise and have put on a little bit of weight again.

I'm overweight because Krispy Kremes are tastier than vegetables as a snack. I don't hate myself, I don't have a childhood trauma that I'm hiding away from, I don't use food as a substitute for love. I like the taste of chocolate - it's a pleasant thing in life.

Stop bloody telling me that the decisions I make in life should be taken out of my hands and put into the hands of the goverment. I don't want some supercilious leftie telling me what I can do with my life.

I'm going to have a newly re-released Wispa for lunch just to rebel.

Leave Me and My Bottle of Wine Alone

2007-10-17T09:34:00.000+01:00

So its not only the neds who down 20 Snakebites a night who are being targeted for government anti-drinking initiatives but the "middle class" drinkers whose bottle of Chardonnay a night habit who are being nannyed now.

First things first before I get accused of not caring about people with drink problems. Alcoholism is a disease and people who suffer need help not abuse, laughed at or most importantly - lectured about their habits. And it can hit all sections of society. When I was a student I worked in the cigarette/spirits kiosk of Safeway in a very working class area. The woman who came in from the suburbs every day for her litre bottle of Smirnoff was just as much an alcoholic as the old men who came in for their magnum of British sherry. She was just cleaner, better dressed and didn't drink sitting outside the shop. Apart from that there was little to distinguish them. And I felt sorry for them all, but kept selling them their booze because it really wasn't my business to interfere in their lives.

I think it is fine that there are suggested safe limits and that these are publicised. I think it's fine that alcohol bottle labels show how many units each bottle/glass contains. I think it is absolutely right and responsible that shop assistants/bar staff refuse to sell alcohol to people who are clearly hammered - and a little more of this would go a long way. But I am sick and tired of being told what I can and can't drink and how much I'm allowed to drink in a day.

I don't want the government to tell me how much I can drink and if I drink more than that it makes me at high risk or a dangerous drinker and I most certainly don't want the drinks companies to tell me (when advertising their overpriced products) to "drink responsibly". Please - if everyone drank responsibly the profits would plummet - don't be politically correct hypocrites and tell me that you don't want me to buy as much of your product as possible.

The government really has to learn to let us make our own choices and if those are the wrong choices then we have to pay the consequences but don't try to insist that government targets are the best way of running the lifes of individuals. They never are.

Les Mis - In Lego

2007-10-16T20:19:00.001+01:00

Absolutely brilliant

Protection of minorities or destruction of freedoms?

2007-10-15T10:57:00.000+01:00

I've been meaning to blog for a few days about the proposed bill banning incitement of homophobic hatred in England and Patrick Harvie MSP's campaign to extend race hate laws to encompass discrimination against LGBT and Disabled people.

I'm torn on this. I truly believe that there is no place in any civilised society for the kind of abuse these laws are designed to stop. But will it just be abuse that is stopped or will it be used to stop genuine debate or expression of religious and moral beliefs? I have my suspicions that the laws will be interpreted in the narrowest possible manner which will crack down on genuine debate and not do anything to stop the spread of homophobia, racism etc.

There is a real conversation needed on whether or not gay couples should be allowed to adopt. My opinion is absolutely yes, but I respect the right of someone who says the opposite to say that in a measured way. Just because someone's religious or moral beliefs are totally opposite to my own or I find their views unpalatable doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed to express those views. When we stop one side of an argument from speaking out we only encourage the extremists. The stifling of the debate on immigration is a perfect example. By accusing anyone who mentioned immigration in a negative manner of racism only the BNP was left speaking from one point of view. We've seen a Church of England vicar visited by the Police for expressing an opinion about Muslim women wearing the veil - I'm sure that this wasn't the kind of comment that the race hate laws were designed for, but that's what they are being used for.

I want to see an end to homophobic comments, I'd be quite happy to see certain rappers in jail for their song lyrics but I don't want someone visited by the police because they say in a reasonable manner that they don't approve of gay relationships. I think I'll reserve judgement on these laws until we see how they work in practice....

Full Of Babies

2007-10-05T11:41:00.000+01:00

I am getting so sick of Formula 1 drivers and their whining. Apparently Vettel bashed Webber because Hamilton ran wide. Really? If you can't drive a fast car round a track without smashing into someone else because of another driver's actions then go banger racing or trolley pushing or something.

We're all used to Ralph Schumacher's whining but we live with it because he's in the shadow of a much more talented and successful big brother but this year seems to be a procession of moaning and weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Grow up guys. You live in the lap of luxury travelling to exotic locations (and for the most part) getting damn well paid for it. Stop whining because someone split your nails or made a bitchy comment about your latest hairstyle, it's getting dull.

November Election?

2007-10-05T09:37:00.000+01:00

It does seem to be the only topic of consideration on the lips (and keyboards) of anyone interested or involved in politics.

The Conservatives are playing "come and have a go if you think you're hard enough" and Brown isn't yet replying.

I've always been in the camp that said there won't be an election this year. I still believe that (although I've gone from 99% sure to about 75%). I just don't see why Brown would do it. Having spent 10 years plotting to become PM and making his desire plain the chance of risking it after only 100 days seems foolish. And while the claims that he has no legitimacy as he wasn't elected make a good playground taunt they actually mean nothing. We don't elect prime ministers, we elect parties and the Party Leader is PM. John Major didn't go in 1990 and there is no reason for Gordon Brown to go to the Palace now.

He's also missed the boat. A week is (as the old cliche goes) a long time in politics. If he had made an announcement this time last week it would have gone well, but the Conservatives have had a good week. Some good, sensible policies have been announced, a stunning show of unity was on display and by all accounts Cameron played a blinder. The polls are already showing an upturn for the Conservatives which, if the doubters can keep their opinions in check for just a bit longer, will probably continue.

The trip to Iraq didn't go as well for Brown as he had hoped. People saw it as the shabby headline grabbing trick it clearly was.

And then there's just the practical reasons. It's hard enough to get people to go out to vote on a warm spring evening in May - it will be damn near impossible in November. Particularly in Scotland and Wales where election fatique will still be in place.

If there's a postal strike it will screw up postal votes and the delivery of election communications - a death knell for many of the smaller candidates.

And of course the register is 11 months old. Even with the rolling registration now in force about 10% of the population wiill still be losing their votes.

Of course the cynics among us may think this plays well with Brown, I'm not sure. A determined Get Out The Vote operation could kill some of his marginal seats. And as for Scotland? The SNP are doing well, despite some defeats in the chamber they are still in their honeymoon period. This could take out some MPs where Brown can least afford to lose them - if he can't keep his backyard happy can he keep the rest of the country?

An election now would be a massive waste of time and money. I don't think Brown will go. Having said that - I did make sure to post my electoral registration form just in case....

Too Much To Say

2007-10-04T09:48:00.000+01:00

Since coming back from holiday things have been just a little busy and I've neglected the blog appallingly. I know that all 2 of my regular readers must be heart-broken....

And it's not as if I don't have things I want to speak about. Darfur, early election, crackdown on trafficking women, and abusive(?) Celtic fans are all on my mind this morning alone.

I'll try to talk about some of this stuff over the next couple of days. I know you can't wait.

Worrying News from Burma

2007-09-25T10:46:00.000+01:00

A recent news release from Burma Campaign UK. This is hugely concerning. David Milliband speaks to the Labour conference today at 12.30 - I look forward to hearing his comments.

Burma Campaign UK sources in Rangoon have reported that soldiers have been ordered to shave their heads, in possible preparation for infiltrating peaceful demonstrations. They would start rioting or attacking police, providing the regime with a pretext for a brutal crackdown on protestors.

Sources indicate that soldiers from Light Battalion 77 in Rangoon have been given the order. Sources also report that the regime has ordered 3,000 monks’ robes from a factory in Rangoon.

It is a tactic the regime has used in the past, including at the Depayin massacre in 2003, during which Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested. Regime militia dressed as monks were involved in the ambush which left up to 100 democracy activists dead. State television today reported that action would be taken against protestors.

“We know from experience that the regime is capable of opening fire on civilians,” said Mark Farmaner, acting Director of Burma Campaign UK. “The regime came to power on the back of a massacre in 1988 that left at least 3,000 civilians dead. They have also been accused by the UN of breaking the Geneva Convention for their deliberate targeting of civilians in attacks on ethnic minorities.”

Despite the widespread expectations that the regime will use violence to suppress protest, the international community has been remarkably silent, with the French government being the only one to make a strong statement warning of consequences if the regime responds with violence. ASEAN has also expressed concern.

“The regime has been held in check by the peoples’ respect for the monks and the fact that the world is watching, but the scale of protests means they will be looking for options that allow them to justify a crackdown,”said Mark Farmaner. “The UN Secretary General and other world leaders must speak out and make it clear that a violent response in unacceptable. At the moment the international community seems to be willing to watch from the sidelines as the regime moves closer to a massacre. If the regime does attack protestors, this will have been one of the most widely predicted massacres in recent history, and makes a mockery any government’s claim to be committed to human rights.”

A better day for wildlife - and wildlife photographers

2007-08-31T11:29:00.000+01:00

You might remember a few weeks ago I wrote about the Yangtze River Dolphin potentially becoming extinct. Turns out that this might not be the case after all...

As was pointed out in the comments by Darren - who has used this as the starting post for his new blog on life as a wildlife photographer. Please take some time to visit his blog and follow our journey as Darren adds more stories and photos. It's going to be quite exciting.

And coincidentally it's just 200 hours now until we go to Kenya.

Theatre Review - Absurdia

2007-08-28T11:39:00.000+01:00

So I decided to be clever and move my theatrical visits on from the musicals. And I took my friends along to expand their minds too. A non-musical play. That's what we needed.

So on the whim of an attractive looking e-flyer from the London Theatre Newsletter I picked Absurdia. A play about absurdities in life. Starring Peter Capaldi. And you got a free toy elephant when you booked. What could go wrong?

Well, the script for a start. Maybe I'm not clever or middle class enough but it was rubbish. Mr and Mrs Paradocks (or whatever they were called) were unhappy that the elephant they had delivered was too big. And where were the gum boots? And could Mr P please form a government. And on and on with the inane ramblings. Other people laughed. They seemed to get it. We were the only ones who appeared to be lost. It was bad, bad, bad.

The first member of our group walked out after 50 minutes. The next two found the tea-cosy on the man's head after witterings about why was the wallpaper pushed up against the wall the final straw. The pub down the road from the theatre provided an enjoyable place to spend the night. I've never walked out of the theatre before and felt really bad about doing so but on the other hand - life's too short.

If you like French absurdist comedy, or you're just a bit poncy, then this might be the play for you. For us it was a waste of hard earned cash. I'm going back to see Avenue Q - it's the only thing to scour the experience out of my head.

Also - I never got my elephant.

Remembering Raphael Lemkin

2007-08-28T09:30:00.000+01:00

Today is the 48th anniversary of the death of Raphael Lemkin - the man who created the concept and word "genocide".

Lemkin was a Polish-Jewish lawyer who became interested in the as yet unnamed crime of mass murder and extermination of specific groups. His interest was first raised by the events in Armenia and the experience of Assyrian Christians in Iraq.

Lemkin first presented his theory of a crime of barbarity as a crime against international law to the League of Nations in 1933. The same year Hitler came to power in Germany.

Following the Holocaust which decimated Lemkin's family he continued with his fight to have genocide - the word he created in 1943 - recognised as an international crime.

He died at the age of 59, having seen the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide come into force in 1951. Only 7 people attended his funeral.

Today we should all remember Raphael Lemkin - he gave a name and a definition to a crime which have previously not been defined. We honour Raphael Lemkin by recognising where genocide is taking place and working to stop it.

Protect Darfur
Massacre of Assyrian Christians
Genocide Watch

Call to Action - Urgent

2007-08-24T11:24:00.001+01:00

This from Harry's Place, c/o Iain Dale.

"Pegah Emambakhsh is an Iranian national who sought asylum in the UK in 2005. Her claim was rejected and she was arrested in Sheffield on Monday 13th August 2007. She is scheduled for deportation to Iran on 27 August 2007.

If returned to Iran, she faces certain imprisonment, likely severe lashings and possibly even stoning to death. Her crime in Iran is her sexual orientation - she was in a same-sex relationship.

Ms Emambakhsh escaped from Iran, claiming asylum, after her lover was arrested, tortured and subsequently sentenced to death by stoning. Her father was also arrested and interrogated about her whereabouts. He was eventually released but not before he had been tortured himself.

Ms Emambakhsh has a more than well founded fear of persecution if she is returned to Iran. She belongs to a group of people - gays and lesbians - who, it is well known, are severely persecuted in Iran.

According to Iranian human rights campaigners, many lesbians and gay men have been executed since the Ayatollahs came to power in 1979.

In 2006 a German court ruled that an Iranian lesbian could not be deported as she risked death because of her sexuality.

The UK Border and Immigration Agency (BIA) have chosen not to believe that she is in danger if returned to Iran, even though the UK government are well aware of the dangerous situation that gay people face there.

The BIA will be committing a serious miscarriage of justice and a gross human rights violation if they insist on Ms Emambakhsh's deportation.

The Asylum Seeker Support Initiative in Sheffield are now getting Pegah new solicitors in order to make a fresh claim for asylum based on new evidence and expert testimonies. A stay of deportation is needed to give Pegah time to prepare and submit this fresh claim.

Pegah's MP, Richard Caborn, has already won one stay of deportation and is working secure another postponement of deportation on 27 August.

You can help. Please write or email asap the British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and to Pegah's British constituency MP, Richard Caborn (see details below).

Pegah Emambakhsh's Home Office reference number is: B1191057. This number must be quoted in any letter, so the Home Office can identify
and access her case.

Letters need to be sent TODAY by first class post to arrive tomorrow, Friday 24 August, at the latest. If you can't send a letter, a fax is a good alternative, and an email is certainly better than nothing. Mark all correspondence "For the personal attention of..."

Please write to:

Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP, Home Secretary,
2, Marsham St,
London SW1P 4DF

Fax no: + 44 (0) 207 035 3262 or +44 (0) 207 035 2362
Email: smithjj@parliament.uk

Rt Hon Richard Caborn MP,
Sheffield Constituency Office
2nd Floor, Barkers Pool House
Burgess Street
Sheffield S1 2HF

Fax: + 44 (0) 114 275 3944

Please don't let Pegah be quietly deported to face torture or death. Our letters can make all the difference."

As I have only found the story it is too late for a letter but please do consider sending an email or a fax - no matter how basic it is. The Labour Party has a good record on LGBT rights - don't let something like this shame the Government or the country.

You'll Win On Health - Just Get It Right

2007-08-23T16:58:00.000+01:00

There are three subjects that the electorate care about - health, crime, education. Get those three right and no matter what else is happening you'll win the election. Other issues will have an impact but if you don't get these three core issues right then you're dead in the water. William Hague knows that - about 90% of the country backed the Save the Pound campaign in 2001, people queued up to sign the petition but in the end it didn't change their vote. People care about the environment but will choose who to vote for based on who'll get the yobs off their streets, not who'll save the polar bears. And try being in the line of fire when parents don't get their first choice schools - county councils change hands over these issues.

David Cameron is absolutely right to take Brown on over the Health Service. It's in a shocking state and people care and will choose who to vote for based on who they trust on health. Telling people that despite the spin local hospitals and services are under threat and pledging to protect them is a winning strategy. As long as people have faith you will act on it. Nicola Sturgeon can vouch for that one.

But for god's sake get it right. You had a great start to the week - I bet members loved the thought of a bare-knuckle fight on such a key issue, then it all went wrong. Turns out the research wasn't good enough, local MPs weren't fully on board and then an idiot researcher (probably the same one who bollocksed up in the first place) got bullied into apologising. Things like this detract from the strong central message.

A couple of tips - get your research right from the start and double check the work of 17 year old Emily and Tarquin, make sure the local MPs/PPCs know what's going on in their area and are fully behind it, know that the vested interests (the Trust managers) will come back at you and be ready to take them on too, never apologise to them and for god's sake keep going. Use Andrew Lansley more - he's attractive and appealing to the general public. Oh and yes - keep banging on about health.

Health, crime, education. Might never be the causes de jour - but will always be the things the swing voters care about.

Assault with a cocktail sausage

2007-08-23T10:24:00.000+01:00

The "you couldn't make it up" brigade is having a little paddy at the moment. Some little cretin has been charged with assault for throwing a sausage roll or a cocktail sausage or some finger buffet food at a man.

All very innocent apparently and how dare the evil police take this poor delicate little angel into custody? Wasting tax-payers money and making a mockery of our courts?

Here's how:

1 - The man was in his 70s and had been subject to intimidation from gangs of feral little brats. He thought he had been hit by a stone and reported it to the police.

2 - The innocent little hero of our story was charged because he had already faced three reprimands for his behaviour. Not quite the little saint mumsy would have us believe apparently.

3 - The weapon of choice doesn't actually matter. What does matter is that people are scared to go out of their houses because of the behaviour of children aged 11 and 12. Big brick or cocktail sausage the intent behind the abuse is the same - to bully, to intimidate and to stake out areas as uninhabitable for anyone except the gangs.

I'm only sorry the little thug didn't get sent down for 6 months. One less of the little bastards on the street.

Women - Beware This Man

2007-08-21T12:32:00.000+01:00

This is Colin Read. Colin is 25, soon to be divorced and earning £90,000 per year. Colin isn't that bad looking. But women, do take care not to get involved with Colin. He's a violent, wife-abusing thug.

Colin's wife committed the vile offence of not making his sandwiches. Colin slashed her feet while she slept. When a few days later his wife tried to speak to him about it he beat her up again. Stupidly she hadn't learned her lesson and didn't iron his shirt for a work function. He branded her on the back with an iron.

His wife had to be summonsed to be court to give evidence against him. He was found guilty of ABH. The sentencing recommendation was for a community service order.

Colin was handed a £2,000 fine. As he and his abused wife are getting a divorce "the circumstances of the marriage" which led to the attacks no longer exist so a prison sentence would "help no-one". Because Colin has a job with long hours the Recorder didn't think he could fit a community based punishment into his busy schedule.

So girls, if you see this man in a pub or a club and you think he looks nice, protect yourself against him. The courts will do nothing to protect you.

Classic FM - Broadening The Mind

2007-08-16T14:37:00.000+01:00

I've taken to listening to Classic FM while reading in bed. It's all fairly standard, "famous" classical music - nothing experimental here, just right for winding down while reading.

The other night though I learned two new things:

1. The soundtrack to the film Trading Places is mostly based on Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro"

2. Billy Joel's This Night is based on Beethoven's sonata Pathetique.

Of course Classic FM didn't tell me that - I had to get up at 11.30 and google it when I heard the Beethoven and was lying in bed saying, "but it's Billy Joel, what's going on, it's Billy Joel".

Classic FM - educating philistines the world over.

Time to close Chessington Zoo

2007-08-15T09:14:00.000+01:00

The foot and mouth outbreak in Surrey has led to part of Chessington World of Adventure's "petting zoo" being closed and included in the exclusion zone.

Let's take this opportunity to close what to me appears to be an entirely cruel animal hell-hole. I've visited Chessington Zoo once and I was brought to tears at the sight of the animals in their enclosures. A "family" of lions was in a pretty small area, not much bigger than the office I work in, and since when is a natural family unit of lions a male lion, one lioness and two cubs? Visitors are also subjected to the patronising spin on their signs telling us that the pacing and excessive grooming is natural behaviour. No it's not - it's abnormal and it's caused by their imprisonment.

I'm dubious about the role of zoos at all but Chessington is the worst I have ever seen, the animals in this zoo are nothing more than features in a theme park, kept behind glass to keep the visitors happy while they queue for the more exciting rides. I can see no conservation or education value whatsoever. In my opinion it's time to close it down.

Visit the Born Free Foundation website for more information on Zoos in the UK.

Good on you hen

2007-08-15T09:02:00.000+01:00

One of the things that really annoys me is lottery winners being all smug and sanctimonous and "It won't change my life, all I want is a little second hand Ford KA, I'll stay in my job" etc, etc. Bugger that.

I play the lottery to change my life. If I won £5million quid I would get a new house, I'd get that Jaguar XKR or Aston Martin DB9 that I keep being told that I couldn't drive because it's too big for me, I'd have the holiday home in Barbados and much as I love my job it would be Adios King's Cross.

So I was really pleased to hear that a woman who has just won £30something million on the Euromillions Draw has quit her job and is looking for a villa in Italy.

Well done on your win and have a fabulous life with no more money worries.

Why Are The Unionist Parties Scared to Talk?

2007-08-13T15:24:00.000+01:00

I was really quite annoyed to see the three unionist parties in Scotland come out in opposition to the Independence White Paper. Of course they don't agree with the White Paper, they are unionists, they don't want to see independence but I don't see what the problem is with a White Paper or with the "national conversation" that Alex Salmond has suggested.

My views on independence are mixed. In the past couple of years I have moved towards thinking it's a good idea. I've joined the SNP but not just out of a desire for independence but also because on issues like civil liberties the SNP view is closest to my own. And there's the family connections too. If I lived and voted in Scotland I would be exactly the kind of person the conversation would be aimed at. I would have voted SNP this year, I was delighted to see the SNP become the largest party in both Holyrood and Local Government but ask me if how I'd vote in an independence referendum and I'd really struggle.

I get so angry when people say that Scotland COULDN'T be a successful independent country. Of course it could. It's a country of intelligence, talent and a solid base of natural resources. When I hear the English argument of "we fund them Scotch they should be grateful" I get so wound up and feel like singing Corries songs until the cows come home.

There are questions that need to be answered on both sides. A couple of quick examples off the top of my head:

What would happen about the Royal Family? I'm not a commited Unionist these days but having a Republic of Scotland would be a crunch for me.

Why are the SNP so keen to leave one Union but will happily sign up to deeper union in Europe? It seems a contridiction to me.

Why are the Conservatives happy to support a referendum on Britain in Europe but not Scotland in Britain?

I think both sides of the debate have persuasive arguments. Neither has anything to fear - although the Unionist knee-jerk, debate-stifling reaction would imply that they are scared. Putting their fingers in their ears and shouting la-la-la won't stop the White Paper being published and it won't stop people thinking about it.

Politics should be about great debates - this could be one of the greatest ever. It would be a shame if only one side was talking.

Not a Good Day for wildlife

2007-08-09T11:10:00.000+01:00

So if you're a wildlife lover yesterday pretty much sucked.

First the news about the Yangtze River Dolphin. Another species extinct and let's be blunt, more are on the danger list including tigers, pandas, polar bears and many more that aren't quite so famous or popular.

Then the horrendous story from the Democratic Republic of Congo about the shooting dead of four mountain gorillas. Not for their meat, or their skin, or anything else that might drive desperate people to poach animals, but just because a human had a gun and could shoot them.

Man may be the most advanced animal on the planet, but sometimes when you see what we're doing to our fellow creatures it just doesn't seem like it.

The things you learn....

2007-08-08T10:56:00.000+01:00

...when you're surfing the internet instead of working.

Anson Williams who played Potsie in Happy Days is the second cousin of Dr Henry Heimlich, of Heimlich Maneouvre fame.

There you go...

My Annual Problem

2007-08-03T11:53:00.000+01:00

As part of my job I have to write resources for people to use and I'm very lucky that I have some colleagues who can offer support and informed advice which always makes what I write better. But every year the same problem comes - how do I incorporate everyone's excellent comments and suggestions and simultaneously keep the word count down?

If anyone knows how to square this circle I'd love to hear it.

Scotland loses an MEP - World Keeps Turning

2007-08-02T12:32:00.001+01:00

So the Electoral Commission (spit, spit, curses upon them) have recommended that Scotland - along with most other UK regions - should lose an MEP.

I should care. My newly-found Nationalism should be rearing up in several respects. Scotland isn't just a region of the UK it's a country. While the number of MEPs Scotland has is proportionate to other UK "regions" it isn't to other countries in the EU. Slovakia and Finland have roughly comparable population to Scotland and both have 14 MEPs - double Scotland's current quota. This is clearly another case of Scotland being done down by being in the Union. I really should care.

I don't. The number of politicians a country has doesn't interest me in the slightest. Add Europe to the equation and I start to rock back and forth in boredom. Yes it's appalling that Scotland is under-represented, yes the European institutions control 99.99999999% of our laws, yes it's all very important. But really - I couldn't care less.

Do any of us get a good deal from our MEPs? Are the seven current Scottish MEPs earning their whack as it is? Okay, I live in Surrey so can't really speak with great authority on the coverage of Scottish MEPs in the local press and TV but the only one I've seen getting any sort of coverage is Struan Stevenson and his excellent animal fur campaign. The rest all seem to be a bit anonymous.

So yes, I'm sure it's all very important, but wake me up when there's an interesting politics story in the headlines.

Designer Babies

2007-08-01T09:26:00.000+01:00

I'm concerned about the potential for "saviour siblings" and the relaxation of the rules which MPs are apparently calling for. "Saviour siblings" is a highly biased way of describing these babies, it makes it sound all very cuddly, innocent and positive. Of course "designer babies" is equally as biased and has less positive connotations. The idea sounds positive enough, allow embryoes to be developed which will help to cure illness in children. But what is the cut-off? What will happen if the babies born turn out not to be as helpful as had hoped? What is the extent of their usefulness? Blood transfusions? Gene therapy? Organ harvesting?

To me this is a dangerous precendent to set and there are many, many more questions to be answered before such a move could be allowed.

Babies are not a commodity be it in monetary or genetic terms.

In defence of David Cameron

2007-07-27T17:51:00.000+01:00

Since I left the Conservative Party two years ago (at roughly the same time as David Cameron became leader but not because of that) I have undergone a real change in attitude towards it. When in the past people told me that the nasty element so often seen was the face of the party I argued against that, but I came to realise that they were right. Not that every member is nasty, in fact some are fantastic and there are some elected representatives who are fantastic and who I would vote for, and even work to see elected again. But the truth is that the real face of the Conservative Party is too often the smug, sneering, nasty, frothing-mouthed, Daily Mail reader that we're all used to.

And boy has is reared itself up over David Cameron and his trip to Rwanda. The howls from the loony wing of the Party have been deafening. How dare he go to Africa and find out what's happening around the world? Why do we care what happens to the colonials? The Rwandans don't vote - why bother? Why wasn't he in the country looking at the flood?

Well, let's take the last point - yes, for some people the flooding this week has been devastating. But really - do they want some politician to fly over them in a helicopter tutting and rolling his eyes? If he didn't have a bucket and a mop to help clear up then he wouldn't be of any use to anyone. But on the other hand, he had already visited flooded areas in his own constituency before he went to Rwanda. A Prime Minister must be able to concentrate on several urgent issues at once, running the country and fulfilling international duties cannot stop because of a crisis. Instead our leaders must be able to juggle lots of balls in the air.

And it was a good thing going to Rwanda. If we want to stop genocide happening in the future we have to understand what happened and why. We must learn to read the signs. No genocide ever starts as a genocide - it starts with name-calling, it starts with exclusionary policies and it starts with labelling people as different. If we can recognise the first stages then maybe we can help stop the second, third stages taking place. And if we can stop genocide occuring, if we can help people to be safe in their own countries, maybe we can stop so many coming to the UK (shameless nod to right-wing sensibilities).

13 years ago the world stood by and allowed a genocide to take place in Rwanda. And the genocide is still taking place there - women and children are still dying of AIDS; people are still dying from their wounds and killings are continuing. I'm delighted that David Cameron went to see for himself what is happening in Rwanda. It can only make him a better politician and perhaps even a better Prime Minister.

Daily Mash Gets It Right Again

2007-07-23T09:42:00.000+01:00

First a dislaimer - I am a huge Harry Potter fan, I was queuing at 1am outside a bookshop in Zurich to make sure I got my book, I was upset at a couple of the deaths but people do need to get over themselves.

Thankfully the Daily Mash puts it all into perspective for us.

CHILDLINE TELLS POTTER FANS TO FUCK OFF

CHILDLINE, the charity for abused children, will tell distraught Harry Potter fans, upset at the ending of the final book, to 'fuck right off'.

The charity is predicting a deluge of pathetic, over-indulged youngsters when the final installment of the fantasy series is published this weekend.

A Childline spokesman said: "Children have become so detatched from reality that they will gladly waste our time crying down the phone because of an entirely fictional trauma.

"It's very easy to blame people like Esther Rantzen and Lorraine Kelly for this relentlessly sentimental and immature approach to life, so let's just do that."

As fears grow of mass suicide among seven to 39 year-olds, Harry Potter publisher Bloomsbury has been installing nets and crash mats around tall buildings .

And the owners of large Gothic buildings are bracing themselves for millions of bouquets being left at the gates, because it bears a faint resemblance to Hogwarts school.

Child psychologist Dr Wayne Hayes, said: "Are you fucking kidding?

"There are children trying to get through while they're being beaten up, but by all means give Childline a call because you don't like the ending of a book, you spoiled little shit."

Where's the Taliban when you need them?

2007-07-20T07:49:00.000+01:00

Frankly, I can't imagine anyone who could rouse me into a homicidal rage more than Jude Law. But if he can sort out peace in Afghanistan then fair play to him.

Organ Donations - Consent or Presumed Consent?

2007-07-17T11:26:00.000+01:00

This story about the Chief Medical Officer for England suggesting that we move from consent driven organ donation to presumed consent concerns me.

I carry (I think) an organ donor card. I have since I was very young and first understood what organ donation was and what it meant. I have always felt very strongly that should anything happen to me I very much want my organs to be donated. I have also warned my family that should this not happen I will haunt them - and not in a good way.

This has always been my choice. I know that not everyone in my family feels the same way and I know that others just don't know how they feel about it. That's fine. If (and I pray I'm never) in the situation where I have to make such a decision I hope that I will always respect the feelings of my family members.

I am really concerned about the idea of presumed consent and how this could develop. Presumed consent takes the decision away from the individual and their family about their body. I accept that as suggested there is an opt-out option, but how likely are people to actually find out how to opt-out and do so? People never think that dreadful things will happen to them and won't therefore prepare. Hence the lack of people with donor cards despite the estimated 70% of the population who would be willing to donate organs.

And if consent is presumed does this mean that organ harvest will become a consideration in treatment? Will families be rail-roaded into making decisions about turning off life support as the state already has a call on the body parts?

Surely there are better ways to increase proactive organ donation? A first step would be to ensure that inclusion on the register was binding. As far as I know it currently isn't. Increase awareness of need for organ donation, make it easier to sign up to be a donor - have cards in every library and every supermarket in the country.

Let's make sure that a rise in proactive consent negates the need for the government to take away yet another of our civil liberties - the right to control our own bodies.

If you haven't already registered and do want to - sign up here.

And in more breaking scientific news

2007-07-13T10:18:00.001+01:00

Old people are humourless grumpy so and so's.

Anyone who has shared a Glasgow bus with the muppets on that or have been subject to a long queue in a Post Office can confirm this one.

People really are quite nice

2007-07-12T09:39:00.001+01:00

Sometimes, just sometimes something happens which reminds you that on the whole humans really are quite nice animals.

This is one of those times.

Make Pompous Celebrities History

2007-07-11T11:48:00.000+01:00

From today's Third Sector news:

Levels of understanding about poverty in Africa are lower now than they were before Make Poverty History, according to the latest research.

Public Perceptions of Poverty, a report compiled by Comic Relief, is based on responses from 2,000 people to questions asked at regular intervals from December 2004 until January this year.

The proportion of respondents who were "very concerned about poverty in poor countries" fell from 30 per cent in 2004 to 22 per cent.

In the latest round of research, 57 per cent said they knew nothing about trade justice, and only 26 per cent said they strongly believed that the debts of the world's poorest countries should be cancelled in full. This figure was down from 33 per cent in 2004.

Andrew Darnton, an independent researcher who coordinated the results for Comic Relief, said the findings were "broadly depressing".

He added: "People are more aware that the causes of poverty can be political. However, MPH didn't open up the issues of debt, trade and aid to the public, and there are massive gaps in their knowledge, which nobody in the sector has done anything to address."

Hopefully this will encourage all the sanctimonous climate change bandwaggoneers to stop their preaching

Well Done Roger

2007-07-09T09:50:00.001+01:00

Well done to Roger Federer on his amazing five in a row. The match was one of the best Wimbledon finals I have seen in years - both played brilliantly and it was a delight to watch. Roll on next year - can we see a six in a row? And will it take another 25 years for someone else to match it?

This is how we deal with terrorists in Glasgow

2007-07-02T12:02:00.000+01:00

John Smeaton - hero of the failed bomb plot

Join the Facebook appreciation group

The definition of Irony...

2007-06-29T14:19:00.001+01:00

An English actor playing Ian Hamilton, ringleader of the gang of students who stole/repatriated the Stone of Scone, in a new film.

Not all Americans are dumb....

2007-06-29T10:55:00.000+01:00

Glasgow SNP councillors - possibly the best council group anywhere ever

2007-06-22T09:25:00.000+01:00

Lots of members of the Glasgow SNP council group sponsored me in my Walk for Life - despite the fact that I actually don't know most of them, so big thanks to:

Cllr John McLaughlin (well he had to really!)
Cllr Grant Thoms
Cllr Alison Thewliss
Cllr Alex Dingwall
Cllr Billy McAllister
Cllr Craig MacKay
Cllr Kenny McLean
Cllr Iris Gibson (although her son hasn't paid up yet!)
Cllr David Ritchie
Cllr Alison Hunter
Cllr Phil Green
Cllr Jahangir Hanif
Cllr George Roberts

Sorry if I've missed anyone out and a massive thanks to everyone else who sponsored me too.

Celeb-Spotting - The Return

2007-06-18T13:34:00.000+01:00

After an extended absence Celeb-Spotting returns.

Today I spotted Noel Fielding of The Mighty Boosh at Kentish Town Tube. Skinny bloke, needs to put on some weight - particularly on his little girl legs.

Could this be the start of a flurry of rubbish celebs? We can only hope.

Craig Was Robbed!

2007-06-15T23:14:00.000+01:00

I have become utterly addicted to Britain's Got Talent. Partly because - as it turns out - Britain really doesn't have very much talent.

The semi-finals are now on, and tonight the baton-twirling Craig was knocked out. In favour of a bloody sqwaking child who people voted for because the country is too damn sentimental to tell children that they're really just a little bit rubbish. I enjoyed Craig's baton twirling show and found it much more entertaining than the precocious nonsense that got through.

Of course, having defended Craig, the winner really does have to be Paul Potts.

I swear if a brattish child beats this guy I will have a hissy fit.

Born Free

2007-06-14T15:26:00.000+01:00

Having seen the news about the CITES agreement on the Ivory Trade and wanting to blog on it I immediately turned to the Born Free Foundation website. And wow - what a transformation. Soooo much more attractive and responsive than their old website.

I will be back with more on the Ivory Trade agreement and my thoughts on that - but in the mean time do pop into Born Free and find out more about their work. Also have a look at the Chief Exec's Blog.

Fantastic people, fantastic job.

Dropping the Debt Monster

2007-06-14T08:48:00.000+01:00

As I said yesterday I am delighted that the new SNP Executive has abolished tuition fees for Scottish students in Scottish universities (and none of your nonsense about endowments - it was a tuition fee). As someone who would never have gone to university without my fees being paid the thought of University becoming some sort of exclusive preserve for those who could afford it horrified me.

There aren't many things that government/taxpayers should provide for the public but education is one of those things. A country needs teachers, lawyers, doctors, etc etc and it should pay for their education. That's not to say that unlimited years should be covered with a whole load of perpetual students being funded forever though and I'm also not so convinced by the need for grants though, there is only so much money in the public purse and life isn't perfect.

When I worked for the Conservative Party pre-2005 I was delighted that the policy was to abolish student fees and in the constituency I worked in we worked quite a lot on this policy because we knew it was the right thing to do. I was horribly disappointed when David Cameron reversed this policy - it was just one more example of a very rich man assuming that the rest of the population could afford the lifestyle he can.

This was a good statement yesterday and the £15/£20 million cost is one well worth paying - in fact at approximately £3.63 per person it's a downright bloody bargain.