There's been a wee bit of a stooshie in the media this week over a mocked up photo of Kate Garraway apparently breastfeeding a calf.
People like Ulrika Jonson are outraged at what she's done, for a documentary she has made about women who nurse other women's babies.
We are the only species, as far as I know, that habitually chooses to feed another animal's milk to our young - most infant formula is cow's milk based, and we seem not to worry about this at all. However, when presented with a photograph that appears to show the reverse going on, we go all hysterical. When you look at it, our milk is no more use to a calf than a cow's is to us. Yes, both could survive on the other's milk, but there's a world of difference in structure of a human being and a calf. Human milk is most suited to humans and cow's milk is most suited to cows. A huge and powerful corporate world has been built around telling us otherwise, but it's wrong.
The World Health Organisation recommends that babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months. If the mother is unable to feed the baby at the breast, the recommendation is that the next best thing is that her milk should be given to the baby in an alternative way. The next recommendation after that is not formula, but the milk of another human mother. If that is not available, then the last resort is infant formula.
Kate Garraway has been quoted as saying that making the documentary has made her question her initial distaste at the concept of wet nursing and that if she were unable to breastfeed a future baby, she would buy human milk from a human milk bank.
My own view is that there are lots of complex interactions between mother and baby that we shouldn't really interfere with. With the appropriate support, virtually every mother should be able to breastfeed if she wants to. The difficulty is that most mums don't get the support that they need because those around them have neither the experience nor the knowledge to help with even elementary problems - and in fact sometimes they create problems when none exist. If I'd had a glass of wine for every time I'd been told about a mother in law saying that babies should be feeding every 4 hours and no more, then my liver would be completely pickled. In reality, most newborns will feed somewhere between 6 and 12 times a day.
It would have totally shot my confidence as a mother to pieces if, instead of trying to resolve my breastfeeding issues (and believe me, there were many but I'll spare you the gory details), those around me had whipped my baby away and latched her on to someone else's perfectly lactating breast.
I don't condemn those who practice cross-nursing, but it wouldn't be for me unless there was a very good reason. There is no doubt that there are good reasons - Kate talked to a woman who went to the Sudan to help in a refugee camp and who ended up nursing babies there. Her act of selflessness turned out to be a lifesaver.
They only ever make tv programmes featuring controversial aspects of breastfeeding - isn't it time someone showed how it is for most mothers - and maybe featured the significant number of breastfeeding supporters who do so much to help mothers enjoy their breastfeeding relationship with their babies? I was lucky - I had the support I needed and got through the hell and discovered what bliss a properly functioning breastfeeding relationship can be.
Maybe that could be Kate's next project......
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Who should be in the Shadow Cabinet?
I was inspired for this post by the Liberal Democrat Voice Members' Survey of the month which asked which MPs we thought should be in the Shadow Cabinet.
First, one of my favourite politicians is Alistair Carmichael. He is down-to- earth, funny, hard working, intellectually well up to mastering any brief and a supportive adviser to a number of people. He is also brave enough to speak his mind when he needs to, as seen earier this year when he had to resign for voting for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
He has served his time now, though, and I think he should be brought back into the Shadow Cabinet as quickly as possible.
As regular readers will know, I backed Nick Clegg for the leadership. One of the questions in the survey was "Do you regret the way you voted?". My answer is resoundingly no - I think Nick has done a very good job in his first few months. He is working to sort the Party out and has managed to get a reasonable public profile for himself.
He has made one colossal mistake in my view, though - and that was to get rid of Paul Holmes, one of the best housing spokespeople we have ever had. Paul knows his stuff, was credible in the housing sector and is sorely missed. The current housing crisis can only get worse and we need someone with Paul's experience and credibility to take on that portfolio.
First, one of my favourite politicians is Alistair Carmichael. He is down-to- earth, funny, hard working, intellectually well up to mastering any brief and a supportive adviser to a number of people. He is also brave enough to speak his mind when he needs to, as seen earier this year when he had to resign for voting for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.
He has served his time now, though, and I think he should be brought back into the Shadow Cabinet as quickly as possible.
As regular readers will know, I backed Nick Clegg for the leadership. One of the questions in the survey was "Do you regret the way you voted?". My answer is resoundingly no - I think Nick has done a very good job in his first few months. He is working to sort the Party out and has managed to get a reasonable public profile for himself.
He has made one colossal mistake in my view, though - and that was to get rid of Paul Holmes, one of the best housing spokespeople we have ever had. Paul knows his stuff, was credible in the housing sector and is sorely missed. The current housing crisis can only get worse and we need someone with Paul's experience and credibility to take on that portfolio.
John McCain - what were you thinking?
I'd never heard of Sarah Palin until yesterday. All I really know is that she's Governor of Alaska, has been for about a year and a half, is under investigation for trying to get her ex brother in law fired from his State trooper job and that she's a "hockey mom" whatever that is.
I'm not really sure what was in John McCain's mind when he picked her to be his running mate, or why on earth she accepted. I would have thought that the best strategic thing for her career development would have been for her to give a barn storming Convention speech, kind of like the one Obama gave in 2004, and then for her to be considered for higher office in 4 years' time.
It's a shame to see a talented young politician - and to have beaten a Republican incumbent in the primaries in 06 she must have something about her - being forced forward ahead of her time. Instead, in a year or so we will have forgotten who she is as I think McCain has now seriously jeopardised his chances of winning in November.
Joe Biden is an experienced, competent man that it's easy to see assumimg the presidency if you had to. He is a safe pair of hands who is unlikely to be called upon. The opposite is true with Sarah Palin - let's face it, McCain is 72 and has had health scares.
This is not a time for the Democrats to get complacent though - this is, after all, the country that elected Dan Quayle as Veep in 1988.
I'm not really sure what was in John McCain's mind when he picked her to be his running mate, or why on earth she accepted. I would have thought that the best strategic thing for her career development would have been for her to give a barn storming Convention speech, kind of like the one Obama gave in 2004, and then for her to be considered for higher office in 4 years' time.
It's a shame to see a talented young politician - and to have beaten a Republican incumbent in the primaries in 06 she must have something about her - being forced forward ahead of her time. Instead, in a year or so we will have forgotten who she is as I think McCain has now seriously jeopardised his chances of winning in November.
Joe Biden is an experienced, competent man that it's easy to see assumimg the presidency if you had to. He is a safe pair of hands who is unlikely to be called upon. The opposite is true with Sarah Palin - let's face it, McCain is 72 and has had health scares.
This is not a time for the Democrats to get complacent though - this is, after all, the country that elected Dan Quayle as Veep in 1988.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Time for some campaignin'
Many thanks to Richard Coxon for pointing me in the direction of this clever take on the presidential election. Probably sacrilege to post it on Barack's big night, but it's kind of Glee Clubby.
Strictly Line Up Announced
It's all out now - we know this year's Strictly partnerships are out. You can see the full list here.
Nice to see Camilla Dallerup has got another good looking young man. She seems to have been compensated for having David Dickinson in the first series with the likes of Gethin, James Martin and now Holby's Tom Chambers. She has come so close in the last few years and it would be good to see her go all the way.
I knew Anton would get either Gillian Taylforth or Cherie Lunghi. Gillian has a great sense of humour and it may be that she at least has the personality, and hopefully the talent, to get them further than he has gone before.
I love Karen Hardy, but I'm not convinced that she and Gary will bring out the best in each other. They can both be very passionate about things in a way that can sometimes be slightly annoying. Just one of them in the partnership being that way would be fine - but both? Hmmmmm.
It's maybe a bit of a shame to give the new girl John Sergeant. We all know he's going to be grumpy as sin. We political people may have a huge affection for him but I suspect that the general public might not be disposed to spend 25p voting for him. Given the shallow nature of the voting public, mainly dominated by young girls, his having a face like a gnarled old leather boot will not help him. Not that I'm suggesting it would amongst a male electorate, either, you understand.
Lilia has, in Don Warrington, obviously drawn the big bloke with no sense of co-ordination who the public will love, for a while, like Peter Schmeichel and John Barnes. I don't think she'll get as far in this one as she has before. I guess it's her turn to take a back seat.
Darren and Jessie could be an interesting combination. She can be quite volatile if you believe what you read in the papers and he is calmness and serenity personified. Potentially a similar pairing to Letitia last year. Definite potential there.......
Christine Bleakley and Matthew Cutler just seem such a wholesome lovely couple, representing everything that is good about the World - it's hard not to fall in love with them already.
Andrew Castle and Ola Jordan will be brilliant, I'm sure - but will they have the chemistry in the latin dances? Andrew just seems a bit too domesticated for raw sexual energy:-) Let's hope they do the waltz first. However, Michael Underwood and Jenni Falconer have shown that the GMTV reality default position is not "rubbish" - anyone remember Fiona, Kate and Penny? And his sporting background makes him a contender.
I wish we didn't have to wait until 20th September for the series to start.
Nice to see Camilla Dallerup has got another good looking young man. She seems to have been compensated for having David Dickinson in the first series with the likes of Gethin, James Martin and now Holby's Tom Chambers. She has come so close in the last few years and it would be good to see her go all the way.
I knew Anton would get either Gillian Taylforth or Cherie Lunghi. Gillian has a great sense of humour and it may be that she at least has the personality, and hopefully the talent, to get them further than he has gone before.
I love Karen Hardy, but I'm not convinced that she and Gary will bring out the best in each other. They can both be very passionate about things in a way that can sometimes be slightly annoying. Just one of them in the partnership being that way would be fine - but both? Hmmmmm.
It's maybe a bit of a shame to give the new girl John Sergeant. We all know he's going to be grumpy as sin. We political people may have a huge affection for him but I suspect that the general public might not be disposed to spend 25p voting for him. Given the shallow nature of the voting public, mainly dominated by young girls, his having a face like a gnarled old leather boot will not help him. Not that I'm suggesting it would amongst a male electorate, either, you understand.
Lilia has, in Don Warrington, obviously drawn the big bloke with no sense of co-ordination who the public will love, for a while, like Peter Schmeichel and John Barnes. I don't think she'll get as far in this one as she has before. I guess it's her turn to take a back seat.
Darren and Jessie could be an interesting combination. She can be quite volatile if you believe what you read in the papers and he is calmness and serenity personified. Potentially a similar pairing to Letitia last year. Definite potential there.......
Christine Bleakley and Matthew Cutler just seem such a wholesome lovely couple, representing everything that is good about the World - it's hard not to fall in love with them already.
Andrew Castle and Ola Jordan will be brilliant, I'm sure - but will they have the chemistry in the latin dances? Andrew just seems a bit too domesticated for raw sexual energy:-) Let's hope they do the waltz first. However, Michael Underwood and Jenni Falconer have shown that the GMTV reality default position is not "rubbish" - anyone remember Fiona, Kate and Penny? And his sporting background makes him a contender.
I wish we didn't have to wait until 20th September for the series to start.
Those Iain Dale Lists
Thank you to everyone who voted for me - I truly did not expect to end up on any of Iain Dale's lists, but was at 30 in the Scottish Top 40 and 44 in the Lib Dem top 50.
My tribute blog rather proved its point by beating me in both lists.
Well done to Stephen who came in 11th in the Scottish blogs and 15 in the Lib Dems.
There were a few I thought deserved to be there more than me, most notably Duncan Borrowman, my first point of call when I want to read something intelligent about the US elections and Steve Webb's Webb Log.
My tribute blog rather proved its point by beating me in both lists.
Well done to Stephen who came in 11th in the Scottish blogs and 15 in the Lib Dems.
There were a few I thought deserved to be there more than me, most notably Duncan Borrowman, my first point of call when I want to read something intelligent about the US elections and Steve Webb's Webb Log.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Liberal Democrats select Harry Wills for Glenrothes
Businessman Harry Wills has been selected to fight the vacant Glenrothes seat for the Liberal Democrats. I spent Sunday up there delivering his Residents' Survey in Leven.
If this guy has even half the drive and energy of the last Liberal Democrat to win a by-election in Fife he would make an extremely good constituency MP. Good luck to him and to his campaign team.
So, the SNP and the Lib Dems have selected. Labour have yet to pick their lamb to the slaughter. In the absence of any big name volunteers, the Dunfermline Press suggests that Dunfermline Central Councillor Willie Sullivan might be in the frame. He was beaten in the selection contest for Dunfermline and West Fife last year.
If this guy has even half the drive and energy of the last Liberal Democrat to win a by-election in Fife he would make an extremely good constituency MP. Good luck to him and to his campaign team.
So, the SNP and the Lib Dems have selected. Labour have yet to pick their lamb to the slaughter. In the absence of any big name volunteers, the Dunfermline Press suggests that Dunfermline Central Councillor Willie Sullivan might be in the frame. He was beaten in the selection contest for Dunfermline and West Fife last year.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Caron and Bob - 20 years on
Well, some said it wouldn't last. On paper it was a big risk to run off and live with a divorced man almost twice my age but if I had my time again, I can honestly say that I'd do exactly the same thing.
I'm not going to tell you that the last 20 years has been all plain sailing - what life or relationship is? We've had our moments, but I know that I could not have had a better husband.
I, on the other hand, am a completely rubbish wife - at least judged on traditional values. I don't bake cookies that often, and my house is very rarely tidy. It only occasionally gets above complete squalor, and that's only when we are expecting visitors.
Anyone involved with an active Liberal Democrat knows exactly how much time and energy the Party takes. Bob has seen me disappear for weeks to go and fight elections, and then come back exhausted.
Bob has always, without fail, been there when I've needed him, even when I've been a complete witch, he's encouraged me to do things I thought I could never do, he has given me the happiness and security I never had growing up and he is the best father imaginable. We still have lots of fun and I think I'm very lucky to have such a lovely man.
I'm not going to tell you that the last 20 years has been all plain sailing - what life or relationship is? We've had our moments, but I know that I could not have had a better husband.
I, on the other hand, am a completely rubbish wife - at least judged on traditional values. I don't bake cookies that often, and my house is very rarely tidy. It only occasionally gets above complete squalor, and that's only when we are expecting visitors.
Anyone involved with an active Liberal Democrat knows exactly how much time and energy the Party takes. Bob has seen me disappear for weeks to go and fight elections, and then come back exhausted.
Bob has always, without fail, been there when I've needed him, even when I've been a complete witch, he's encouraged me to do things I thought I could never do, he has given me the happiness and security I never had growing up and he is the best father imaginable. We still have lots of fun and I think I'm very lucky to have such a lovely man.
Congratulations, Tavish
Congratulations to Tavish Scott as he wins the Scottish Liberal Democrats' Leadership contest.
These are challenging times for the Party in many ways and it is important that we make more of an impact on the Scottish scene. The Labour Party are in meltdown and the SNP can't be trusted with our civil liberties. The Tories haven't quite made up their minds what they are for. Government is spending vast amounts of money interfering in people's lives where it's not necessary and not enough where it is. The country faces some really serious problems ahead - energy supply, credit crunch, housing to name but a few.
We need to be relevant, to connect with people and for our elected representatives at all levels and activists to work together to deliver a distinctive and positive Liberal message.
We had a race with 3 excellent candidates, all of whom had some very good ideas. The contest was fought with good humour - although, to be honest, there was a point when I wanted them to have a good scrap, just for fun - and generated a useful and positive discussion about the future direction of the Party. I am sure that Tavish will have listened to the concerns of members and activists and will take these on board as he leads us to even greater success.
These are challenging times for the Party in many ways and it is important that we make more of an impact on the Scottish scene. The Labour Party are in meltdown and the SNP can't be trusted with our civil liberties. The Tories haven't quite made up their minds what they are for. Government is spending vast amounts of money interfering in people's lives where it's not necessary and not enough where it is. The country faces some really serious problems ahead - energy supply, credit crunch, housing to name but a few.
We need to be relevant, to connect with people and for our elected representatives at all levels and activists to work together to deliver a distinctive and positive Liberal message.
We had a race with 3 excellent candidates, all of whom had some very good ideas. The contest was fought with good humour - although, to be honest, there was a point when I wanted them to have a good scrap, just for fun - and generated a useful and positive discussion about the future direction of the Party. I am sure that Tavish will have listened to the concerns of members and activists and will take these on board as he leads us to even greater success.
A Big Day
Today is a very big day - first, the announcement of the new Scottish Liberal Democrat leader and, more importantly (more of this later) my 20th wedding anniversary.
Most of my friends would argue that my husband deserves a medal for putting up with me for so long and I tend to agree.
So, Happy Anniversary, Bob:-)
Most of my friends would argue that my husband deserves a medal for putting up with me for so long and I tend to agree.
So, Happy Anniversary, Bob:-)
Monday, August 25, 2008
Countdown to Strictly
It's not long now - just 2 weeks on Saturday - until Saturday nights get totally taken up with Strictly Come Dancing.
The BBC have posted this teaser on their website:
I am really looking forward to it starting up again. Yesterday's News of the World gave this year's line up as:
Girls: Christine Bleakley, Heather Small, Jessie Wallace, Gillian Taylforth, Cherie Lunghi, Rachel Stevens and Lisa Snowdon.
Boys: Tom Chambers, Don Warrington, John Sergeant, Phil Daniels, Austin Healey, Gary Rhodes and Andrew Castle.
Louise over at Strictly Come Blogging adds Jodie Kidd and Mark Foster from the Sun's prediction.
Unfortunately neither list has Alex Wotherspoon from the Apprentice. Teddy Sherringham, who last week was suppposed to have signed the contract, also appears to have sunk without trace.
There's no indication of which celebs the dancers are paired up with. I hope Anton gets someone he can win with - although some of his Latin routines have been truly terrible.
I quite fancy Andrew Castle's chances - with his tennis background he'll be fit and co-ordinated. Rachel Stevens also has to have a chance.
One person who definitely, and unfortunately, won't be back is Nicole Cutler The first indication she had that she wasn't being asked back was when she didn't receive a contract. She vented her spleen in yesterday's News of the World, complaining about the poor pay the dancers receive, the poor facilities they have at TV Centre, having to change in the corridors, how Brucie forgets the dancers' names, how Tess doesn't mix with the dancers off camera and how there are some feuds between the dancers.
Their pay of £17,000 for the series is pretty lousy when you compare it with the sums the judges receive. Sure, they can then charge a fortune for their private lessons for the half of the year when they aren't on Strictly, but this isn't nearly as big a premium as the celebs and judges get. The show couldn't happen without the dancers, so there is an argument for them to be paid more. Of course, there's a stronger counter argument for everyone else to be paid less. Brucie gets not much less than half a million, which is ridiculous.
As to the faciities, I am sure the dancers are all used to changing in front of each other in competitions so wouldn't really bat an eyelid at having to change in a corridor.
We all know that Brucie fluffs his lines and is a bit forgetful but he is 80 and I love him regardless.
As for the feuds, there's no more information that we knew already - tension between Vincent, Matt and Flavia - who would have thought that?
The saddest thing is that Nicole probably got paid a pittance for the article but will effectively have burnt her boats with the Strictly producers. Not much chance of being asked back next year, now..........
Anyway, I can't wait until we're back amongst the feathers and sequins and tears and bitching that makes Strictly so compelling.
The BBC have posted this teaser on their website:
I am really looking forward to it starting up again. Yesterday's News of the World gave this year's line up as:
Girls: Christine Bleakley, Heather Small, Jessie Wallace, Gillian Taylforth, Cherie Lunghi, Rachel Stevens and Lisa Snowdon.
Boys: Tom Chambers, Don Warrington, John Sergeant, Phil Daniels, Austin Healey, Gary Rhodes and Andrew Castle.
Louise over at Strictly Come Blogging adds Jodie Kidd and Mark Foster from the Sun's prediction.
Unfortunately neither list has Alex Wotherspoon from the Apprentice. Teddy Sherringham, who last week was suppposed to have signed the contract, also appears to have sunk without trace.
There's no indication of which celebs the dancers are paired up with. I hope Anton gets someone he can win with - although some of his Latin routines have been truly terrible.
I quite fancy Andrew Castle's chances - with his tennis background he'll be fit and co-ordinated. Rachel Stevens also has to have a chance.
One person who definitely, and unfortunately, won't be back is Nicole Cutler The first indication she had that she wasn't being asked back was when she didn't receive a contract. She vented her spleen in yesterday's News of the World, complaining about the poor pay the dancers receive, the poor facilities they have at TV Centre, having to change in the corridors, how Brucie forgets the dancers' names, how Tess doesn't mix with the dancers off camera and how there are some feuds between the dancers.
Their pay of £17,000 for the series is pretty lousy when you compare it with the sums the judges receive. Sure, they can then charge a fortune for their private lessons for the half of the year when they aren't on Strictly, but this isn't nearly as big a premium as the celebs and judges get. The show couldn't happen without the dancers, so there is an argument for them to be paid more. Of course, there's a stronger counter argument for everyone else to be paid less. Brucie gets not much less than half a million, which is ridiculous.
As to the faciities, I am sure the dancers are all used to changing in front of each other in competitions so wouldn't really bat an eyelid at having to change in a corridor.
We all know that Brucie fluffs his lines and is a bit forgetful but he is 80 and I love him regardless.
As for the feuds, there's no more information that we knew already - tension between Vincent, Matt and Flavia - who would have thought that?
The saddest thing is that Nicole probably got paid a pittance for the article but will effectively have burnt her boats with the Strictly producers. Not much chance of being asked back next year, now..........
Anyway, I can't wait until we're back amongst the feathers and sequins and tears and bitching that makes Strictly so compelling.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Iain Dale's Meme - What were you doing when.....?
I've never really understood what a meme was. I looked it up on Wikipedia once and lost the will to live.
Basically in blogging terms it's one of these quiz things that one person asks and then tags loads of other people to do it. Iain Dale, the Tory one, not my tribute blog started one off asking what people were doing at the time of certain great world events. No doubt I am committing some huge blogging sin by answering it before I was tagged to do so, but I never was one for convention. I just liked the look of it and thought I'd have a go.
So, here are my answers to his questions:
What were you doing when......
Princess Diana died, 31st August 1997.
I was lying in bed as it was my habit at that time never to get out of bed on a Sunday morning until Alastair Cooke's Letter from America was finished. The alarm was set to go off 10 minutes before it was due to begin. When the alarm came on, I was vaguely aware as I stirred into consciousness of someone saying something about the Royal Family being in mourning. I assumed that the Queen Mother had gone, like you would, and basically turned over to get back to sleep. When I heard the words "those two boys", I was out of bed like a shot and down the stairs. I put the tv on and couldn't quite take in why people were laying flowers at Kensington Palace so I checked on the Teletext.
I will admit to being one of the many millions who found her death hard to deal with. As a not entirely happy teenager, she had been a bit of an idol for me. As I became an adult and understood some of the pressures she had been under and some of the complexity of her character, I had a huge amount of sympathy for her. She didn't need to bother with land mines and stuff like that - she could have pocketed the divorce settlement and gone shopping for the rest of their lives. Yes, good, ordinary people die every day without the same fuss being made of them - at the time a friend of mine lost a colleague in a terrible road accident, which was an equally awful thing to happen. Diana's death hit me a bit simply because she had been my teenage idol - in much the same way as so many Celtic fans were devastated at the death of Tommy Burns earlier this year.
I guess the other thing to say is that Diana's death represents the one and only time I have ever been touched by anything Tony Blair said.
Margaret Thatcher's Resignation 22 November 1990
I was doing a college oourse at the time and as soon as I found out that she had gone, I actually skived off the rest of the day to go and watch the news coverage. Being a softie, I did feel a bit sorry for her. I thought the Tories were pretty much rotten to the core anyway and a change of leader wasn't going to do them any favours.
Not everything Margaret Thatcher did was bad, but I see every week people having to deal with the consequences of the selling off of Council houses - now we have an appalling shortage of social housing at a time when many people are mortgaged up to the eyeballs and repossessions are going to hit.
We are still suffering the hangover of the years of underinvestment in crucial public services and, as an aside, I think we as a Party need to deal with that before we start talking about reducing the overall burden of taxation.
Attack on the Twin Towers 11 September 2001
Anna was just over 2 at the time and we'd been to our Toddler Group. I came home and turned on the tv to watch Teletubbies, as I think it was her programme of choice at that time, to see what was going on. I phoned my husband at work and told him what was going on. His former boss, who was deeply unpleasant at the best of times, growled at him that he should just get on with his work. Uncharacteristically he had the good grace to apologise the next day once he had seen for himself the scale of the attacks.
I think my emotions were both of horror at what was going on, but even greater fear about what George W Bush would do in retaliation.
England's World Cup Semi Final against Germany, 4 July 1990
I can't remember why, but I watched it in a pub in Newbury with my husband and some friends. I think it was the first time in my life that I had got emotionally involved in wanting England to win.
Assassination of President Kennedy 22 November 1963
I wasn't born - I shall have to ask my husband what he was doing.
There are a few other events that shook me to the core, so I thought I'd add them to Iain's list
Dunblane Shooting - 13 March 1996
This was the horrendous shooting of 16 primary 1 children and their teacher by teacher. I was working, in Worksop in Notts, when my boss (I had a nice compassionate boss at that time, as now) came through and told us all what had happened. I think his wife had told him. We were all so shocked and stunned.
The reality of it really dawned on me years later when I had to leave Anna at school - I would have no control over what happened to her. At least if I was with her and anything bad happened, I would have a shot at trying to protect her, but I had to hand her over to other people who would be responsible for her. There is nothing anyone can do in the face of a random gunman, though.
I have never been able to understand the NRA lobby in the States - to me guns = dead people and we do have a right to be very careful about who we allow to use them.
Lockerbie Plane Crash - 21 December 1988
This was the day we moved into our house in Ayrshire. We were surrounded by boxes and heard huge numbers of sirens. We lived a good hour, if not more from Lockerbie, but our local emergency services must have been sent down there. It was a very shocking and awful loss of life. We had moved onto an Estate not dissimilar to the one where the plane crashed. A few more moments and the plane would have been over us.
Elvis Presley's death - 16th August 1977
I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of family holidays we had when I was growing up - I think this was number 2 of 3. We went to spent 4 nights with my Great Aunt Vera and Great Uncle Sandy at their then home in Blanefield in what must now be East Dunbartonshire. Bob and I went back there to try to find her house a few years back but couldn't. If the truth be told, I didn't much care for Elvis or his music - I have more time for it now but I didn't think it was that great. News of his death broke on the last day of our holiday. I can remember my parents being quite shocked about it all. It wasn't until I got to school the next week that I found that one of my friends was devastated at the loss of her idol.
I'm not going to tag anyone else - in true Liberal fashion, feel free to take this one up if you want to.
Basically in blogging terms it's one of these quiz things that one person asks and then tags loads of other people to do it. Iain Dale, the Tory one, not my tribute blog started one off asking what people were doing at the time of certain great world events. No doubt I am committing some huge blogging sin by answering it before I was tagged to do so, but I never was one for convention. I just liked the look of it and thought I'd have a go.
So, here are my answers to his questions:
What were you doing when......
Princess Diana died, 31st August 1997.
I was lying in bed as it was my habit at that time never to get out of bed on a Sunday morning until Alastair Cooke's Letter from America was finished. The alarm was set to go off 10 minutes before it was due to begin. When the alarm came on, I was vaguely aware as I stirred into consciousness of someone saying something about the Royal Family being in mourning. I assumed that the Queen Mother had gone, like you would, and basically turned over to get back to sleep. When I heard the words "those two boys", I was out of bed like a shot and down the stairs. I put the tv on and couldn't quite take in why people were laying flowers at Kensington Palace so I checked on the Teletext.
I will admit to being one of the many millions who found her death hard to deal with. As a not entirely happy teenager, she had been a bit of an idol for me. As I became an adult and understood some of the pressures she had been under and some of the complexity of her character, I had a huge amount of sympathy for her. She didn't need to bother with land mines and stuff like that - she could have pocketed the divorce settlement and gone shopping for the rest of their lives. Yes, good, ordinary people die every day without the same fuss being made of them - at the time a friend of mine lost a colleague in a terrible road accident, which was an equally awful thing to happen. Diana's death hit me a bit simply because she had been my teenage idol - in much the same way as so many Celtic fans were devastated at the death of Tommy Burns earlier this year.
I guess the other thing to say is that Diana's death represents the one and only time I have ever been touched by anything Tony Blair said.
Margaret Thatcher's Resignation 22 November 1990
I was doing a college oourse at the time and as soon as I found out that she had gone, I actually skived off the rest of the day to go and watch the news coverage. Being a softie, I did feel a bit sorry for her. I thought the Tories were pretty much rotten to the core anyway and a change of leader wasn't going to do them any favours.
Not everything Margaret Thatcher did was bad, but I see every week people having to deal with the consequences of the selling off of Council houses - now we have an appalling shortage of social housing at a time when many people are mortgaged up to the eyeballs and repossessions are going to hit.
We are still suffering the hangover of the years of underinvestment in crucial public services and, as an aside, I think we as a Party need to deal with that before we start talking about reducing the overall burden of taxation.
Attack on the Twin Towers 11 September 2001
Anna was just over 2 at the time and we'd been to our Toddler Group. I came home and turned on the tv to watch Teletubbies, as I think it was her programme of choice at that time, to see what was going on. I phoned my husband at work and told him what was going on. His former boss, who was deeply unpleasant at the best of times, growled at him that he should just get on with his work. Uncharacteristically he had the good grace to apologise the next day once he had seen for himself the scale of the attacks.
I think my emotions were both of horror at what was going on, but even greater fear about what George W Bush would do in retaliation.
England's World Cup Semi Final against Germany, 4 July 1990
I can't remember why, but I watched it in a pub in Newbury with my husband and some friends. I think it was the first time in my life that I had got emotionally involved in wanting England to win.
Assassination of President Kennedy 22 November 1963
I wasn't born - I shall have to ask my husband what he was doing.
There are a few other events that shook me to the core, so I thought I'd add them to Iain's list
Dunblane Shooting - 13 March 1996
This was the horrendous shooting of 16 primary 1 children and their teacher by teacher. I was working, in Worksop in Notts, when my boss (I had a nice compassionate boss at that time, as now) came through and told us all what had happened. I think his wife had told him. We were all so shocked and stunned.
The reality of it really dawned on me years later when I had to leave Anna at school - I would have no control over what happened to her. At least if I was with her and anything bad happened, I would have a shot at trying to protect her, but I had to hand her over to other people who would be responsible for her. There is nothing anyone can do in the face of a random gunman, though.
I have never been able to understand the NRA lobby in the States - to me guns = dead people and we do have a right to be very careful about who we allow to use them.
Lockerbie Plane Crash - 21 December 1988
This was the day we moved into our house in Ayrshire. We were surrounded by boxes and heard huge numbers of sirens. We lived a good hour, if not more from Lockerbie, but our local emergency services must have been sent down there. It was a very shocking and awful loss of life. We had moved onto an Estate not dissimilar to the one where the plane crashed. A few more moments and the plane would have been over us.
Elvis Presley's death - 16th August 1977
I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of family holidays we had when I was growing up - I think this was number 2 of 3. We went to spent 4 nights with my Great Aunt Vera and Great Uncle Sandy at their then home in Blanefield in what must now be East Dunbartonshire. Bob and I went back there to try to find her house a few years back but couldn't. If the truth be told, I didn't much care for Elvis or his music - I have more time for it now but I didn't think it was that great. News of his death broke on the last day of our holiday. I can remember my parents being quite shocked about it all. It wasn't until I got to school the next week that I found that one of my friends was devastated at the loss of her idol.
I'm not going to tag anyone else - in true Liberal fashion, feel free to take this one up if you want to.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Gloves off in Glenrothes
Seems like Labour and the SNP are already slugging it out in Glenrothes. The SNP's selection of Peter Grant has seen Labour have a go about Council budget cuts. Funnily enough, they don't mention years of Labour neglect at every level of Government which affected Glenrothes and other parts of Fife - but I suspect the voters will have longer memories.
The SNP are irrelevant at Westminster - what is the point of sending one of their second team down there to do nothing but moan about the union?
The Nats have shown this week that they can't be trusted to stand up for personal freedoms in their decision to pander to the Catholic church on HPV vaccination.
While Labour and the Nats take chunks out of each other, Glenrothes really needs someone to fight for the area. The Kingdom of Fife already has 5 very effective Liberal Democrat Parliamentarians in Elspeth Attwooll, Ming Campbell, Iain Smith, Jim Tolson and Willie Rennie - let's make it 6 in Glenrothes.
The SNP are irrelevant at Westminster - what is the point of sending one of their second team down there to do nothing but moan about the union?
The Nats have shown this week that they can't be trusted to stand up for personal freedoms in their decision to pander to the Catholic church on HPV vaccination.
While Labour and the Nats take chunks out of each other, Glenrothes really needs someone to fight for the area. The Kingdom of Fife already has 5 very effective Liberal Democrat Parliamentarians in Elspeth Attwooll, Ming Campbell, Iain Smith, Jim Tolson and Willie Rennie - let's make it 6 in Glenrothes.
Baldy's gone
Anyone who has been following Baldy's Blog will have expected the sad news that we finally learned on Wednesday - that Adrian Sudbury, campaigner for more education about bone marrow donation - had passed away. Like many other people, I only started following his blog when his campaign got national prominence earlier this year. By that time, it was clear that he did not have much longer to live, but in only a few months he persauded the Government to change things for the better.
If the changes he campaigned for are implemented and more lives are saved, that's a huge legacy in itself. I also think that his blog will provide a huge source of support and education for other Leukaemia suffers and those close to them. It contains practical information about the disease, a series of video diaries of his treatment and some crashingly, heartbreakingly, honest, genuine and often funny accounts of his last 21 months. He wrote very movingly about the pain, isolation and frustration of his condition in a way that other sufferers will be able to relate to.
The Blog is to be made into a book and sold to raise funds for the Anthony Nolan Trust. thus getting to a wider audience.
As a mother myself I can imagine only too well how heartbroken his parents must feel and I'm sure that they will be in everybody's thoughts.
If the changes he campaigned for are implemented and more lives are saved, that's a huge legacy in itself. I also think that his blog will provide a huge source of support and education for other Leukaemia suffers and those close to them. It contains practical information about the disease, a series of video diaries of his treatment and some crashingly, heartbreakingly, honest, genuine and often funny accounts of his last 21 months. He wrote very movingly about the pain, isolation and frustration of his condition in a way that other sufferers will be able to relate to.
The Blog is to be made into a book and sold to raise funds for the Anthony Nolan Trust. thus getting to a wider audience.
As a mother myself I can imagine only too well how heartbroken his parents must feel and I'm sure that they will be in everybody's thoughts.
Obama Biden 08
So, the secret is out. We now know that Barack Obama has chosen Senator Joe Biden to be his running mate. What has made me howl with laughter is the reaction from the McCain camp - that this shows that Obama is not ready to be president cos he's picked someone with so much experience.
Have they forgotten Dick Cheney? George W Bush wasn't fit to run a bath let alone a superpower in 2000 - nothing has changed there - so he picked ultimate Washington insider Dick Cheney to help him along.
I will be the first to admit that I am still learning to love Obama. I will obviously support his campaign for the very good reason that he is not McCain or any other Republican. He has managed to inspire hundreds of thousands of young voters to join his cause. They love his idealism and the fact that he stands for change. He has a lot going for him.
I have started reading his book "The Audacity of Hope" and so far I'm not convinced that he has the vision or the character to deliver the really radical change that would do America and the World so much good. It all seems a bit like he doesn't want to do anything that upsets anybody.
Biden may well turn out to be a good foil for him. I expect he will be the Campaign Rottweiler who will deliver the barbs while Obama does all the feelgood stuff. There are concerns about Biden's occasional lapses of Foot In Mouth disease, but that doesn't seem to be a barrier to electoral success - if Dan Quayle can get elected, after all...............
Have they forgotten Dick Cheney? George W Bush wasn't fit to run a bath let alone a superpower in 2000 - nothing has changed there - so he picked ultimate Washington insider Dick Cheney to help him along.
I will be the first to admit that I am still learning to love Obama. I will obviously support his campaign for the very good reason that he is not McCain or any other Republican. He has managed to inspire hundreds of thousands of young voters to join his cause. They love his idealism and the fact that he stands for change. He has a lot going for him.
I have started reading his book "The Audacity of Hope" and so far I'm not convinced that he has the vision or the character to deliver the really radical change that would do America and the World so much good. It all seems a bit like he doesn't want to do anything that upsets anybody.
Biden may well turn out to be a good foil for him. I expect he will be the Campaign Rottweiler who will deliver the barbs while Obama does all the feelgood stuff. There are concerns about Biden's occasional lapses of Foot In Mouth disease, but that doesn't seem to be a barrier to electoral success - if Dan Quayle can get elected, after all...............
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Teenagers, Jabs and the Catholic Church
I share Kezia Dugdale's outrage that the lily-livered SNP Government have bought off the Catholic Church's opposition to girls being vaccinated against the Human Papiloma Virus which causes cervical cancer. The deal is that pupils at their school can be vaccinated so long as no information is given to them about protecting themselves from other STIs and pregnancy.
Why on earth did Shona Robison not stand up to the Catholic Church and take the administration of the programme outside schools? Why not make sure that that jabs were offered at GP surgeries and bypass the Church's opposition completely?
I am appalled that anyone would deny a girl a potentially life saving treatment just because they were going to be given some information that they disagreed with.
Let's be clear. It's not as if anyone is trying to make teenage sexual activity compulsory. It's all about giving information in a neutral way which could potentially save their lives or their fertility.
I send my daughter to a Catholic school. I certainly don't want her being sexually active in six years time, as a third of 15-year-olds are. She will be very strongly advised by me that this stuff is always best within the constraints of a strong relationship. I will keep her father well away from this conversation as nothing other than a lifetime vow of celibacy from her will satisfy him. He was working out how he could get rid of her first boyfriend within hours of her being born.....
I want her to be confident about the decisions she makes in her adult life and you can bet your life that she will be getting as much guidance from me as I can lay my hands on about how to protect herself both physically and emotionally. There's always the chance that she'll choose not to take it but I couldn't live with myself if I hadn't warned her.
There's evidence that teenage pregnancy rates are highest where there has been little or no sex education. The Goverment should be acting in the interests of all teenagers and not pandering to the whims of any religious organisation. Shona Robison and Nicola Sturgeon have let down the next generation and as women should hang their heads in shame.
Why on earth did Shona Robison not stand up to the Catholic Church and take the administration of the programme outside schools? Why not make sure that that jabs were offered at GP surgeries and bypass the Church's opposition completely?
I am appalled that anyone would deny a girl a potentially life saving treatment just because they were going to be given some information that they disagreed with.
Let's be clear. It's not as if anyone is trying to make teenage sexual activity compulsory. It's all about giving information in a neutral way which could potentially save their lives or their fertility.
I send my daughter to a Catholic school. I certainly don't want her being sexually active in six years time, as a third of 15-year-olds are. She will be very strongly advised by me that this stuff is always best within the constraints of a strong relationship. I will keep her father well away from this conversation as nothing other than a lifetime vow of celibacy from her will satisfy him. He was working out how he could get rid of her first boyfriend within hours of her being born.....
I want her to be confident about the decisions she makes in her adult life and you can bet your life that she will be getting as much guidance from me as I can lay my hands on about how to protect herself both physically and emotionally. There's always the chance that she'll choose not to take it but I couldn't live with myself if I hadn't warned her.
There's evidence that teenage pregnancy rates are highest where there has been little or no sex education. The Goverment should be acting in the interests of all teenagers and not pandering to the whims of any religious organisation. Shona Robison and Nicola Sturgeon have let down the next generation and as women should hang their heads in shame.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Tapas in Inverness
I've never done a restaurant review on here before but I thought you needed to know about La Tortilla Asesina on Castle Street in Inverness.
Set on two levels, opposite the castle, this tapas restaurant is well worth a visit if you like good rioja, a pleasant ambience and excellent food - and don't mind if the service is done at a relaxed pace.
The bill came to around £110 for five of us with coffee and two excellent bottles of wine. We had a wide range of tapas, from a well flavoured pimiento and almond salad, through to classic meatballs, white anchovies, spicy potatoes, honied parsnips and aubergines and various forms of seafood with dips.
The decor is typically Spanish but the laminated menus with pictures of the food reminded me too much of being on holiday. They did lower the tone a bit.
Having said that, we really enjoyed our meal. The atmosphere was great and the food was delicious and would happily go back there.
Set on two levels, opposite the castle, this tapas restaurant is well worth a visit if you like good rioja, a pleasant ambience and excellent food - and don't mind if the service is done at a relaxed pace.
The bill came to around £110 for five of us with coffee and two excellent bottles of wine. We had a wide range of tapas, from a well flavoured pimiento and almond salad, through to classic meatballs, white anchovies, spicy potatoes, honied parsnips and aubergines and various forms of seafood with dips.
The decor is typically Spanish but the laminated menus with pictures of the food reminded me too much of being on holiday. They did lower the tone a bit.
Having said that, we really enjoyed our meal. The atmosphere was great and the food was delicious and would happily go back there.
A Weekend up North
I've been having a lovely weekend up north with my sister and her family. She has 4 children - or it might be 5 as I've barely seen Anna since we got here. She and her cousin Ru, who's only 10 weeks older, play so well together. They are equally obsessed with Doctor Who so occasionally we here the "Exterminate" of their remote control daleks. They appear when they want to be fed but so far there hasn't been a cross word between them.
Laura, who's almost 16, is beautiful, funny and bright. She's just had great results in her standard grades. She is so much braver than I ever was. She goes off to rock festivals and camps in fields. I wouldn't even do that now. I like my home comforts too much. She has just wanted to know what I was writing about her and she said that the only word she would add would be that she was amazing. I can't argue with that.
Emma, at 11, is incredibly sweet and always willing to help. She is very good at reading people and I suspect she is a future senior manager in the making.
The youngest, Aimee, is just a cute bundle of laughter and fun. She has spent much of today dressed as a bee, flitting around the place.
My sister had a huge party last night. She doesn't believe in making life easy on herself - I would have been down to Marks and Spencer buying pizza - she made them from scratch, and they were absolutely lovely. The food was gorgeous and the drink was plentiful. Not for me, though. I had had a couple of glasses of lovely rioja at lunchtime and didn't want to overdo it. By late evening I was completely sober and decided that there was very little point in starting as I'd only feel rough today. So, I didn't. I have to say that drink does help in the participation of Singstar, or at least in helping your ears appreciate everyone's contributions.
For the uninitiated, Singstar is a karaoke type game for the Playstation. It is highly addictive and was responsible for me being out at a party until 8.15am last year.
Maybe we should have introduced a Singstar round at the leadership hustings to make things even more exciting:-)
Laura, who's almost 16, is beautiful, funny and bright. She's just had great results in her standard grades. She is so much braver than I ever was. She goes off to rock festivals and camps in fields. I wouldn't even do that now. I like my home comforts too much. She has just wanted to know what I was writing about her and she said that the only word she would add would be that she was amazing. I can't argue with that.
Emma, at 11, is incredibly sweet and always willing to help. She is very good at reading people and I suspect she is a future senior manager in the making.
The youngest, Aimee, is just a cute bundle of laughter and fun. She has spent much of today dressed as a bee, flitting around the place.
My sister had a huge party last night. She doesn't believe in making life easy on herself - I would have been down to Marks and Spencer buying pizza - she made them from scratch, and they were absolutely lovely. The food was gorgeous and the drink was plentiful. Not for me, though. I had had a couple of glasses of lovely rioja at lunchtime and didn't want to overdo it. By late evening I was completely sober and decided that there was very little point in starting as I'd only feel rough today. So, I didn't. I have to say that drink does help in the participation of Singstar, or at least in helping your ears appreciate everyone's contributions.
For the uninitiated, Singstar is a karaoke type game for the Playstation. It is highly addictive and was responsible for me being out at a party until 8.15am last year.
Maybe we should have introduced a Singstar round at the leadership hustings to make things even more exciting:-)
Friday, August 15, 2008
Dunfermline Leadership hustings
Wednesday night saw an informal Scottish Leadership hustngs in Dunfermline. It was extremely well attended from members all across Mid Scotland and Fife.
What struck me most about Ross was how much he is thriving on this campaign - you can just tell that he is really enjoying meeting and talking to members all over the country.
It was a very lively meeting with lots of questions, ably chaired by Dunfermline South councillor Tony Martin.
Members were concerned that we are not doing as well as we should be, when there is a real need for a liberal point of view to be articulated at the moment. Ross's message is, basically, that we are here, we don't need to be re-invented because our approach to government comes from our deeply held principles of fairness and freedom - but we do need to find a way of communicating our practical and relevant solutions.
He made the point that we just aren't getting the superb work done by Westminster colleagues like Vince Cable aren't getting enough coverage - there needs to be more joined up thinking so that people know about our achievements at all levels.
I am looking forward to the Inverness event on Saturday. We are off for a few days' with my sister and her family there. I'm hoping to catch up with an old primary school teacher as well as popping into Danny Alexander's office to see my friends there.
What struck me most about Ross was how much he is thriving on this campaign - you can just tell that he is really enjoying meeting and talking to members all over the country.
It was a very lively meeting with lots of questions, ably chaired by Dunfermline South councillor Tony Martin.
Members were concerned that we are not doing as well as we should be, when there is a real need for a liberal point of view to be articulated at the moment. Ross's message is, basically, that we are here, we don't need to be re-invented because our approach to government comes from our deeply held principles of fairness and freedom - but we do need to find a way of communicating our practical and relevant solutions.
He made the point that we just aren't getting the superb work done by Westminster colleagues like Vince Cable aren't getting enough coverage - there needs to be more joined up thinking so that people know about our achievements at all levels.
I am looking forward to the Inverness event on Saturday. We are off for a few days' with my sister and her family there. I'm hoping to catch up with an old primary school teacher as well as popping into Danny Alexander's office to see my friends there.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Baldy, Brown and Balls
I don't usually have a lot of good things to say about Gordon Brown, but today I am giong to praise him to the hilt for the support he has given to Adrian Sudbury's campaign to raise awareness of the bone marrow register. Adrian is a 26 year old journalist who is currently in the final stages of two different types of Leukaemia. He has been campaigning to raise awareness of the Bone Marrow Register and all he asked was that secondary school children should be given one short promotional lesson about joining the register. Obviously a wider pool of donors means that more lives can be saved. It's not rocket science.
Anyway, Gordon Brown phoned Adrian today to tell him that he had personally written to a list of celebs chosen by Adrian and the Anthony Nolan Trust to ask them to think about promoting bone marrow donation.
That call clearly meant so much to Adrian as you can see from his latest blog posting. He has kept a blog throughout his illess, entitled Baldy's Blog, which is extremely well written combining humour and increasing poignancy as the illness takes hold.
Please can everybody reading this take a few minutes of their time to read Adrian's blog and think about whether they could join the Bone Marrow Register.
And now for the Balls bit. Adrian said that after speaking to Brown, he was able to speak to Ed Balls. Funnily enough, Tavish Scott said at tonight's hustings in Dunfermline that he had seen the said Mr Balls at the station as he travelled through on the train. Unfortunately he got South and North Queensferry mixed up, but never mind.
Today will have been a hard day for Gordon Brown, having lost a good friend, John MacDougall, to the wicked and cruel disease of Mesothelioma. I respect him for, in his grief, being able to reach out to someone else and really make one of his last days.
Anyway, Gordon Brown phoned Adrian today to tell him that he had personally written to a list of celebs chosen by Adrian and the Anthony Nolan Trust to ask them to think about promoting bone marrow donation.
That call clearly meant so much to Adrian as you can see from his latest blog posting. He has kept a blog throughout his illess, entitled Baldy's Blog, which is extremely well written combining humour and increasing poignancy as the illness takes hold.
Please can everybody reading this take a few minutes of their time to read Adrian's blog and think about whether they could join the Bone Marrow Register.
And now for the Balls bit. Adrian said that after speaking to Brown, he was able to speak to Ed Balls. Funnily enough, Tavish Scott said at tonight's hustings in Dunfermline that he had seen the said Mr Balls at the station as he travelled through on the train. Unfortunately he got South and North Queensferry mixed up, but never mind.
Today will have been a hard day for Gordon Brown, having lost a good friend, John MacDougall, to the wicked and cruel disease of Mesothelioma. I respect him for, in his grief, being able to reach out to someone else and really make one of his last days.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Highland Bound
I'm off to Inverness in a while to attend the memorial service for Lord Russell-Johnston. I spent the first 12 years of my life in Invernesss so he was one of the first politicians I was aware of. So many people grow up with a negative view of politicians these days, which is very sad. I was lucky enough to have Russell as my local MP, with his commitment to human rights and civil liberties during my childhood and then Bob Maclennan in Caithness and Sutherland during my teens. Those very positive role models encouraged me to get involved and I ended up joining the party on my 16th birthday.
The first time I met Russell as a party member was in Wick during the 1984 Euro election. He came up along with Charles Kennedy and Alan Beith to address a public meeting. I remember being very impressed with his commitment to Europe and willingness to stand up for what he believed in, even if it wasn't so popular. He'd done that for Home Rule during the dark days when that idea was out of fashion.
I'll post a report of the service when I come back.
The first time I met Russell as a party member was in Wick during the 1984 Euro election. He came up along with Charles Kennedy and Alan Beith to address a public meeting. I remember being very impressed with his commitment to Europe and willingness to stand up for what he believed in, even if it wasn't so popular. He'd done that for Home Rule during the dark days when that idea was out of fashion.
I'll post a report of the service when I come back.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Scottish Lib Dem Leadership hustings, Edinburgh
Yesterday saw the first of four official Scottish Lib Dem leaderhip hustings in Edinburgh. It was a miserable morning - wet, grey and cold, but even so the room was almost full. It was a good opportunity to catch up with some friends I hadn't seen for ages.
I'm not going to go through their speeches in detail - Stephen Glenn has done that very well himself with a different posting for each candidate. I want to give a bit of an overview with my own views on each performance.
Tavish delivered a competent speech outlining his ambition for the party, his view on the Scottish political landscape and what his policy priorities will be in terms of developing solutions to people's concerns. He talked about how he would be a leader who would talk bluntly and have sharp elbows in terms of the opposition. I have no doubt that he would be able to do that very well.
I see him in many ways as the candidate who stands most for continuity in terms of both policy and the way in which the Party is managed. One of my biggest concerns, shared by many others, about the Party in recent years has been its dominance from Holyrood. Communications between the Holyrood and Westminster parliamentarians have improved greatly recently and there have been meetings between councillors and MSPs - but not nearly enough. I share Ross's view is that no one part of the party dominating the others is fundamentally illiberal.
I feel that there needs to be genuine dialogue between the grassroots, councillors and parliamentarians. By dialogue, that means listening as well as talking. Centralised control has no place as the default management style in a party which values decentralisation. If you communicate well, you can spend less time doing it and have more time out on the streets campaiging, enthusing and bringing more people in to the Party.
I have a lot of time for Mike Rumbles. He was on the committee I chaired last year and he was always a constructive presence at meetings offering sensible advice. He was talking about how the Party had to go off in a completely different direction. I think we have to develop our narrative, but based on our own core values of fairness, freedom, decentralisation and empowerment. We have to show how that is relevant to people's lives and current concerns. He was right in that our strategy has to change from being in Government. Opposition demands a whole new extra skill set and completely different tactics. While I like Mike, I don't see him as leader
I had very high expectations of Ross's speech and he managed to exceed them. Yes, I'm backing him and it's no surprise I thought he was best, but I do feel he got the biggest laughs and warmest applause. He was relaxed, funny, incisive, sharp and to the point. From talking to people I felt that he won over most of the non aligned people in the room.
I think Ross can best give the party what it needs. He has the best skills to manage the change the Party needs. He is a team player, but can be decisive. This is the guy who insisted, in the face of opposition, on increasing the targets for renewable energy. It's a pity that the SNP Government is now undermining that work.
On the basis of yesterday's performance, it's clear that we have three very talented leadership contenders, but Ross, for me, is best placed to take us forward. He combines likeability and humour with credibility and experience.
I'm not going to go through their speeches in detail - Stephen Glenn has done that very well himself with a different posting for each candidate. I want to give a bit of an overview with my own views on each performance.
Tavish delivered a competent speech outlining his ambition for the party, his view on the Scottish political landscape and what his policy priorities will be in terms of developing solutions to people's concerns. He talked about how he would be a leader who would talk bluntly and have sharp elbows in terms of the opposition. I have no doubt that he would be able to do that very well.
I see him in many ways as the candidate who stands most for continuity in terms of both policy and the way in which the Party is managed. One of my biggest concerns, shared by many others, about the Party in recent years has been its dominance from Holyrood. Communications between the Holyrood and Westminster parliamentarians have improved greatly recently and there have been meetings between councillors and MSPs - but not nearly enough. I share Ross's view is that no one part of the party dominating the others is fundamentally illiberal.
I feel that there needs to be genuine dialogue between the grassroots, councillors and parliamentarians. By dialogue, that means listening as well as talking. Centralised control has no place as the default management style in a party which values decentralisation. If you communicate well, you can spend less time doing it and have more time out on the streets campaiging, enthusing and bringing more people in to the Party.
I have a lot of time for Mike Rumbles. He was on the committee I chaired last year and he was always a constructive presence at meetings offering sensible advice. He was talking about how the Party had to go off in a completely different direction. I think we have to develop our narrative, but based on our own core values of fairness, freedom, decentralisation and empowerment. We have to show how that is relevant to people's lives and current concerns. He was right in that our strategy has to change from being in Government. Opposition demands a whole new extra skill set and completely different tactics. While I like Mike, I don't see him as leader
I had very high expectations of Ross's speech and he managed to exceed them. Yes, I'm backing him and it's no surprise I thought he was best, but I do feel he got the biggest laughs and warmest applause. He was relaxed, funny, incisive, sharp and to the point. From talking to people I felt that he won over most of the non aligned people in the room.
I think Ross can best give the party what it needs. He has the best skills to manage the change the Party needs. He is a team player, but can be decisive. This is the guy who insisted, in the face of opposition, on increasing the targets for renewable energy. It's a pity that the SNP Government is now undermining that work.
On the basis of yesterday's performance, it's clear that we have three very talented leadership contenders, but Ross, for me, is best placed to take us forward. He combines likeability and humour with credibility and experience.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Bishop Gene in Glasgow
I was gutted that, due to a complicated set of family circumstances, I had to miss Bishop Gene Robinson preaching at St Mary's Cathedral in Glasgow yesterday.
He is a man of great grace and humanity. He embodies the sort of tolerance followers of all faiths and none should embrace.
His celebration of the Eucharistic prayer brought a tear to my eye. And it was in that modern language rubbish too:-)
He is a man of great grace and humanity. He embodies the sort of tolerance followers of all faiths and none should embrace.
His celebration of the Eucharistic prayer brought a tear to my eye. And it was in that modern language rubbish too:-)
Finnie Campaign Gathers Momentum
Ross Finnie's leadership campaign has in the past few days secured public endorsements from former leader David Steel, deputy leader of Fife Council Elizabeth Riches and immediate past convener Judy Hayman. Also supporting him are MSPs Hugh O'Donnell, Jim Tolson and former education minister Robert Brown, winner of the Queens Park by-election in Glasgow Margot Clark, Cllrs Robert Aldridge and Paul Edie from Edinburgh, former Chief Executive Andy Myles and former MSP for Gordon Nora Radcliffe. And me, of course:-)
I have been very encouraged by the amount of support for Ross there has been from the grassroots members. They like him very much, they respect his passionate liberalism and they see him as a credible alternative to our opponents.
I am not so thrilled that the Party has chosen my 20th wedding anniversary to announce the result of this election. My lovely, long suffering husband deserves my full attention on that day...........
I have been very encouraged by the amount of support for Ross there has been from the grassroots members. They like him very much, they respect his passionate liberalism and they see him as a credible alternative to our opponents.
I am not so thrilled that the Party has chosen my 20th wedding anniversary to announce the result of this election. My lovely, long suffering husband deserves my full attention on that day...........
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Mamma Mia
I went to see Mamma Mia as a birthday treat from my friend Siobhan. If you are in need of something to make you smile this Summer, go and see this film. You come out feeling like you've been bathed in Greek sunshine. Whether it's the beauty of the island location, the outrageous moments of high camp, the nostalgia that Abba songs awaken, or you just want to gaze at Colin Firth, you'll love it.
I have to be honest and say that my expectations for the soundtrack, and particularly Pierce Brosnan's contribution to it, were not that high. It was actually surprisingly good - and Brosnan wasn't so bad. Anyway, since we're being shallow, his looks more than compensated for his vocals.
For me, the highlight was Meryl Streep. She is such a versatile actress. You could not have two more different films than Sophie's Choice and Mamma Mia but she pulled off both and lots in between. She looks beautiful, her performance is energetic and believeable and she looked like she was really enjoying herself. Julie Walters was also great as her friend. It's good to see a major film with older women as the main stars for a change.
Profound this film certainly isn't, although I did cry at one point, just as I had at the stage show. There's one song which I'd never heard before I saw the stage show, called Slippng Through My Fingers. It was written by one of the Abba boys when his daughter was 7 years old and is all about how childhood is so special, goes so quickly and you should savour every moment. Certainly rings true for me.
Go and see this film for a totally feelgood experience - you know you want to, really.........
I have to be honest and say that my expectations for the soundtrack, and particularly Pierce Brosnan's contribution to it, were not that high. It was actually surprisingly good - and Brosnan wasn't so bad. Anyway, since we're being shallow, his looks more than compensated for his vocals.
For me, the highlight was Meryl Streep. She is such a versatile actress. You could not have two more different films than Sophie's Choice and Mamma Mia but she pulled off both and lots in between. She looks beautiful, her performance is energetic and believeable and she looked like she was really enjoying herself. Julie Walters was also great as her friend. It's good to see a major film with older women as the main stars for a change.
Profound this film certainly isn't, although I did cry at one point, just as I had at the stage show. There's one song which I'd never heard before I saw the stage show, called Slippng Through My Fingers. It was written by one of the Abba boys when his daughter was 7 years old and is all about how childhood is so special, goes so quickly and you should savour every moment. Certainly rings true for me.
Go and see this film for a totally feelgood experience - you know you want to, really.........
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Stephen Glenn's New Blog
Being of a sensitive disposition, I nearly choked on my Earl Grey this morning. I can't remember why, but I found myself looking at Stephen Glenn's Facebook profile and saw that he had two blogs, the second having the seemingly provocative name of nippledom.blogspot.com.
Well, I just had to have a look. I suspected that I was on fairly safe territory, but even if I hadn't been, my curiosity would have got the better of me. The blog itself, although entertaining, is not quite as exciting as it sounds. It's all about Northern Irish Professional People Living Elsewhere!
I remembered my other internet nipple story. A few years ago when I was training to be a breastfeeding counsellor, I very naively put nipple pain into google. Sure there were millions of sites - none of which, sadly, had anything to do with human milk or babies........
Well, I just had to have a look. I suspected that I was on fairly safe territory, but even if I hadn't been, my curiosity would have got the better of me. The blog itself, although entertaining, is not quite as exciting as it sounds. It's all about Northern Irish Professional People Living Elsewhere!
I remembered my other internet nipple story. A few years ago when I was training to be a breastfeeding counsellor, I very naively put nipple pain into google. Sure there were millions of sites - none of which, sadly, had anything to do with human milk or babies........
Friday, July 25, 2008
Happy Birthday, Magnus
Today marks the first birthday of my little friend Magnus. He is a wonderful, curious, energetic, happy little boy.
He brings so much joy to his parents' lives, and it's obvious how much he is loved by all of his family.
So, happy birthday, Magnus. You won't remember today, but those of us who love you will:-)
He brings so much joy to his parents' lives, and it's obvious how much he is loved by all of his family.
So, happy birthday, Magnus. You won't remember today, but those of us who love you will:-)
What's in a gloat?
I have to give credit to the person whose message to Radio Scotland was read out just before 6 tonight. Unfortunately, I didn't get their name. However they asked the question that if Scotland got its independence, would its currency be called teh Gloat?
The old ones are always the best:-)
The old ones are always the best:-)
Glasgow East - putting the result in perspective
There are few more annoying sights in life than a gloating Scottish nationalist. Apart from, maybe, a room full of them. I was struck by the lack of dignity of their victory celebrations in Glasgow East, with their candidate doing a wee victory dance before the recount had even been declared. It was kind of Rambo come embarrassing middle aged male relative dancing at a wedding. Compare and contrast with the way Willie Rennie reacted when he won the Dunfermline and West Fife by election. Sure, he recognised the political earthquake he had caused, but he did so in a way which showed humility and gratitude at receiving the trust of the people.
The voters in Glasgow East had a choice between a Government which had kicked the poorest people there with the 10p tax, benefit cuts and had nothing to offer except more rising food and fuel costs and its Scottish counterpart which is nothing but hot air. Removal of tolls on the Forth Road Bridge and a minor cut in prescription charges isn't really that much to show for a year in office. I guess a blast of hot air is nice in the middle of a wet and miserable Summer, but the SNP bubble will soon burst if the Government doesn't start making real progress on the issues which concern people - housing, education, health and crime.
I suspect Labour and the SNP will have spent close to the £100,000 limit each on their campaigns. The Liberal Democrats will have spent a tiny fraction of that. Ian Robertson was a good candidate with a fantastic team around him - but there's just no way he could compte with that sort of money being spent by the others. However, I am sure that this campaign is not going to be the last we will hear from him. He has actually listened to the concerns of local people and I am sure that he will continue to campaign on issues like the Parkhead fire station long after the by election circus has left town.
The voters in Glasgow East had a choice between a Government which had kicked the poorest people there with the 10p tax, benefit cuts and had nothing to offer except more rising food and fuel costs and its Scottish counterpart which is nothing but hot air. Removal of tolls on the Forth Road Bridge and a minor cut in prescription charges isn't really that much to show for a year in office. I guess a blast of hot air is nice in the middle of a wet and miserable Summer, but the SNP bubble will soon burst if the Government doesn't start making real progress on the issues which concern people - housing, education, health and crime.
I suspect Labour and the SNP will have spent close to the £100,000 limit each on their campaigns. The Liberal Democrats will have spent a tiny fraction of that. Ian Robertson was a good candidate with a fantastic team around him - but there's just no way he could compte with that sort of money being spent by the others. However, I am sure that this campaign is not going to be the last we will hear from him. He has actually listened to the concerns of local people and I am sure that he will continue to campaign on issues like the Parkhead fire station long after the by election circus has left town.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Leadership and Listening
Well, I guess you have to admire Ming Campbell's honesty and fair play to him for being so upfront about his views. In a Sunday Times article, he urges the new Scottish Lib Dem Leader, and he's supporting Tavish Scott, to vote against a referendum on independence even if the Party votes in favour of it.
The Lib Dems have a great tradition of the Conference being the sovereign policy making body of the Party. Clearly the Conference only meets twice a year and the Party needs to respond to issues a bit quicker than that. However, on something as fundamental as a referendum on independence, I would prefer it if the leadership stuck to the will of the Party. The Sunday Times could be seen as an indication that a Scott leadership would ignore Conference backing for a referendum.
That's not the sort of regime I would feel comfortable under. We have to keep in mind that our finest performance in recent years came when the leadership listened to the members over Iraq.
For the record, I have long favoured a referendum on independence, although I am opposed to independence itself. While I thought the stand we took during the 2007 election was wrong, it was right to stick to that position when it came to talking coalitions.
Let's hope that the new leader listens to the view of the Conference.
The Lib Dems have a great tradition of the Conference being the sovereign policy making body of the Party. Clearly the Conference only meets twice a year and the Party needs to respond to issues a bit quicker than that. However, on something as fundamental as a referendum on independence, I would prefer it if the leadership stuck to the will of the Party. The Sunday Times could be seen as an indication that a Scott leadership would ignore Conference backing for a referendum.
That's not the sort of regime I would feel comfortable under. We have to keep in mind that our finest performance in recent years came when the leadership listened to the members over Iraq.
For the record, I have long favoured a referendum on independence, although I am opposed to independence itself. While I thought the stand we took during the 2007 election was wrong, it was right to stick to that position when it came to talking coalitions.
Let's hope that the new leader listens to the view of the Conference.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Ian Robertson for Glasgow East
I was lying in my bed on the first morning of my holiday when I received a text message from Andrew Reeves, the Party's director of Campaigns in Scotland, telling me that there was going to be a by-election in Glasgow East. I spoke to him later that day (whilst lying by the pool) about how to go about candidate selection as I had been in charge of the last few by-election selections. He certainly did a very good job, because in Ian Robertson, we have a fantastic candidate who is even managing to impress the media.
I know Ian from when he stood in 2005 and was impressed with him them - he's very genuine and hard working and would be a dedicated MP for the people of Glasgow East. I watched him on Newsnight the other night and he really came across as someone who really understood, from first hand experience, the issues facing the constituency. He is campaigning to save the local fire station, he has raised the issue of rising living costs and his experience working with young people and involvement with the Glasgow Council on Alcohol would stand him in very good stead as he tries to find solutions to the problem of crime and violence in the area.
Ian and his amazing team have achieved a great deal with their positive and energetic campaign in a few short weeks and deserve to win on Thursday.
I know Ian from when he stood in 2005 and was impressed with him them - he's very genuine and hard working and would be a dedicated MP for the people of Glasgow East. I watched him on Newsnight the other night and he really came across as someone who really understood, from first hand experience, the issues facing the constituency. He is campaigning to save the local fire station, he has raised the issue of rising living costs and his experience working with young people and involvement with the Glasgow Council on Alcohol would stand him in very good stead as he tries to find solutions to the problem of crime and violence in the area.
Ian and his amazing team have achieved a great deal with their positive and energetic campaign in a few short weeks and deserve to win on Thursday.
Daft Idea of the Week - Performance Bonuses for Surgeons
Of all the daft ideas I've heard this week - and there have been a few - this has to be the daftest. Complex surgery on human beings can't really be given the piecework approach. There's also an argument to say that senior surgeons are paid enough, if not more than enough anyway. Recovery from surgery of any kind is determined by a huge number of physical, environmental and psychological factors. The surgeon may do the fiddling about with your internal organs, but it's nurses who are responsible for your hour to hour care, auxiliaries and domestic staff who keep the hospital clean, and physios and other specialists who aid your recovery. I don't see any mention of them being included in the bonus scheme.
Patients' groups are up in arms about this proposal, not surprisingly. Who's going to want to perform the high risk procedures with high mortality rates under such a system? Would they get forgotten as managers incentivise conditions with the longest waiting lists?
If the objective is to provide the best possible service to patients, surely we need to ensure that everybody involved in patient care is fairly rewarded for the job they do on a day to day basis and ensure that we have enough staff to enable all the required operations to be carried out in a reasonable timescale?
Patients' groups are up in arms about this proposal, not surprisingly. Who's going to want to perform the high risk procedures with high mortality rates under such a system? Would they get forgotten as managers incentivise conditions with the longest waiting lists?
If the objective is to provide the best possible service to patients, surely we need to ensure that everybody involved in patient care is fairly rewarded for the job they do on a day to day basis and ensure that we have enough staff to enable all the required operations to be carried out in a reasonable timescale?
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Rediscovering Doctor Who
I have loved Doctor Who ever since the first episode I ever watched - the last of Planet of the Spiders, when Jon Pertwee regenerated into Tom Baker. I have attended several conventions where I have met Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy, as well as Sophie Aldred (Ace) and Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah-Jane Smith).
My daughter's middle name is Elisabeth, partly in tribute to my favourite Doctor Who companion. Imagine my delight that she is now becoming a huge fan of the programme. We have spent the last few nights watching the last half few episodes of the series and we enjoyed the brilliant finale tonight.
It has been so good to watch the programme through the eyes of a child. I remember how petrified I was of Davros when I first came across him in Genesis of the Daleks. An adult maybe would have seen the obvious unreality of the situation, but my 8 year old self did not. Likewise Anna was terrified of the Vashti Nerada and was in tears at the end of Stolen Earth as she thought she was going to lose her beloved Doctor. She is so disappointed that there are only going to be 4 new episodes next year, but I have convinced her that there are many years of episodes that she hasn't yet seen to catch up on.
My daughter's middle name is Elisabeth, partly in tribute to my favourite Doctor Who companion. Imagine my delight that she is now becoming a huge fan of the programme. We have spent the last few nights watching the last half few episodes of the series and we enjoyed the brilliant finale tonight.
It has been so good to watch the programme through the eyes of a child. I remember how petrified I was of Davros when I first came across him in Genesis of the Daleks. An adult maybe would have seen the obvious unreality of the situation, but my 8 year old self did not. Likewise Anna was terrified of the Vashti Nerada and was in tears at the end of Stolen Earth as she thought she was going to lose her beloved Doctor. She is so disappointed that there are only going to be 4 new episodes next year, but I have convinced her that there are many years of episodes that she hasn't yet seen to catch up on.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Ross Finnie for Scottish Lib Dem Leader
We are very lucky to have 3 such strong candidates for the leadership in Scotland. All of them have their qualities, however I think Ross is best placed to take us forward up here.
He is very wise, excellent with people whether it's chatting on a one to one basis in the street or talking to a hall full, he's capable of listening and knows and respects the Party. He has a proven track record as a Minister - he mastered the rural affairs brief easily and was commended for his performance during Foot and Mouth. I think he is simply the best Minister, bar no-one, we have had in Holyrood so far.
He has credibility, experience and judgment I can trust. I think he'd be a superb leader of our party.
He is very wise, excellent with people whether it's chatting on a one to one basis in the street or talking to a hall full, he's capable of listening and knows and respects the Party. He has a proven track record as a Minister - he mastered the rural affairs brief easily and was commended for his performance during Foot and Mouth. I think he is simply the best Minister, bar no-one, we have had in Holyrood so far.
He has credibility, experience and judgment I can trust. I think he'd be a superb leader of our party.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Chocolate Heaven
I've just returned from almost 3 weeks relaxing in Mallorca and should really get round to doing some serious blogging about events on the Scottish political scene in my absence, but am still too chilled out to think about it.
Instead, I am going to tell you all about the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted. I had it in the lovely village of Valldemossa in Mallorca, where Chopin once spent a Winter with his lover, who produced a whinging book about how harsh Mallorca was in the Winter. I wonder what she would have made of Winter in Braemar in Scotland.
There are some quite upmarket eateries there, but we used to go to a place called Sa Foginaya on the main street which claimed to be the home of the traditional Horchata de Almendra, or almond milk shake (think sipping liquid marzipan - bliss). It was quite reasonably priced, but last year, without warning, we were rather rudely ejected by the proprietors because we didn't want to have a full meal. Anyway, it was with some satisfaction that we returned this year to see that establishment almost empty while Bar Meriendas, across the street was bustling with atmosphere. I had ordered my horchata de almendra when I saw someone else's hot chocolate. It looked so velvety and delicious that I had to have some as well. It was every bit as good as it looked - thick, smooth, dark, slightly bitter with the richest chocolate taste. Very reasonably priced compared to the snootier establishments in the area. Pink Dog should get out there immediately...........
Instead, I am going to tell you all about the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted. I had it in the lovely village of Valldemossa in Mallorca, where Chopin once spent a Winter with his lover, who produced a whinging book about how harsh Mallorca was in the Winter. I wonder what she would have made of Winter in Braemar in Scotland.
There are some quite upmarket eateries there, but we used to go to a place called Sa Foginaya on the main street which claimed to be the home of the traditional Horchata de Almendra, or almond milk shake (think sipping liquid marzipan - bliss). It was quite reasonably priced, but last year, without warning, we were rather rudely ejected by the proprietors because we didn't want to have a full meal. Anyway, it was with some satisfaction that we returned this year to see that establishment almost empty while Bar Meriendas, across the street was bustling with atmosphere. I had ordered my horchata de almendra when I saw someone else's hot chocolate. It looked so velvety and delicious that I had to have some as well. It was every bit as good as it looked - thick, smooth, dark, slightly bitter with the richest chocolate taste. Very reasonably priced compared to the snootier establishments in the area. Pink Dog should get out there immediately...........
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Woman Bishops - a simple truth
I do hope that the Church of England isn´t going to tear itself apart in an undignified way over gay clergy or woman bishops, although, sadly, that looks increasingly likely. I do still have a great deal of affection for the Church in which I was raised and the current wrangling is hard to watch.
One of the things I always liked about the Church was its tolerance and understanding and I hope that these qualities shine through as they debate these issues.
I do have one simple observation about woman bishops, though. The argument against them is that Jesus only chose men as disciples. In those days, most women were subject to the will of either their husband or their father and would simply not have been permitted to disappear off with some male stranger. I am sure that the opponents of women bishops would not wish to return to that sort of world, so I´d be interested to see how they would answer that point.
One of the things I always liked about the Church was its tolerance and understanding and I hope that these qualities shine through as they debate these issues.
I do have one simple observation about woman bishops, though. The argument against them is that Jesus only chose men as disciples. In those days, most women were subject to the will of either their husband or their father and would simply not have been permitted to disappear off with some male stranger. I am sure that the opponents of women bishops would not wish to return to that sort of world, so I´d be interested to see how they would answer that point.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Goodbye and Thanks, Nicol
I am currently on holiday in Mallorca, having a great time becoming subject entirely to the timetable decreed by the hotel´s entertainment team. Last night they organised a truly fabulous chillout party by the pool. However, I didn´t stay chilled out for very long after I received a text from my friend telling me that Nicol Stephen had stepped down as party leader.
In a way I´m not surprised. I was an office bearer of the Party until the end of December and even though I loved the job, the commitment to that, my day job as well as being a mum was just too much. Nicol has done the right thing in putting family first. His children will thank him for it, he will be happier and he´s still young enough to come back to the front line in the future.
My favourite memories of Nicol as leader are all around by elections. Just as he was elected, the Livingston by election happened. I couldn´t have asked more from him as he rearranged the MSP´s weekly group meetings to take place in our campaign HQ on a Tuesday evening and they would all go out canvassing afterwards en masse. He was totally engaged in the campaign and was a massive support to me as campaign manager.
Then there was Dunfermline, still one of the best campaigns ever. He would bring his family over at the weekends and devoted every single spare moment to getting Willie elected.
These campaigns showed an energised, passionate Nicol at his very best. He was also bold enough to make some huge commitments on renewable energy which nobody else has the courage to fulfil.
Nicol is a decent bloke and I wish him well for the future.
In a way I´m not surprised. I was an office bearer of the Party until the end of December and even though I loved the job, the commitment to that, my day job as well as being a mum was just too much. Nicol has done the right thing in putting family first. His children will thank him for it, he will be happier and he´s still young enough to come back to the front line in the future.
My favourite memories of Nicol as leader are all around by elections. Just as he was elected, the Livingston by election happened. I couldn´t have asked more from him as he rearranged the MSP´s weekly group meetings to take place in our campaign HQ on a Tuesday evening and they would all go out canvassing afterwards en masse. He was totally engaged in the campaign and was a massive support to me as campaign manager.
Then there was Dunfermline, still one of the best campaigns ever. He would bring his family over at the weekends and devoted every single spare moment to getting Willie elected.
These campaigns showed an energised, passionate Nicol at his very best. He was also bold enough to make some huge commitments on renewable energy which nobody else has the courage to fulfil.
Nicol is a decent bloke and I wish him well for the future.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Henley - looking good for the Lib Dems
No, I haven't been to Henley - a bit too far away when your daughter doesn't let you stay away overnight yet, but the feedback I've had from people who have has been very positive. Even grumpy people who never believe we are going to do well have been astounded by the warmth of the reception we have had. Apparently the Henley people are exceptionally friendly and polite.
The Tories seem to spend more time whinging about our literature and threatening to issue writs than actually promoting their candidate. What does that tell you?
Seems like they know that things aren't going quite as they liked. The people of Bromley saw through David Cameron 2 years ago when we came within a hair's breadth of winning there. It looks like the people of Henley are similarly unconvinced by him.
It could be an interesting result on Thursday. If my uber-pessimist friend thinks that we are all going to want to say we were there, then there's a chance we could do it.
The Tories seem to spend more time whinging about our literature and threatening to issue writs than actually promoting their candidate. What does that tell you?
Seems like they know that things aren't going quite as they liked. The people of Bromley saw through David Cameron 2 years ago when we came within a hair's breadth of winning there. It looks like the people of Henley are similarly unconvinced by him.
It could be an interesting result on Thursday. If my uber-pessimist friend thinks that we are all going to want to say we were there, then there's a chance we could do it.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Boris can't find what's under his nose......
I am still fairly gutted that Londoners elected Boris Johnson as Mayor a little over a month ago.
I was disappointed, but not surprised, to see that already the new Mayor is having a few problems mastering his brief. Yesterday he went on the Today programme to say that he couldn't find an agreement that previous Mayor Ken Livingstone had signed with the Government on funding for the Olympics. It wouldn't have been quite so bad if a few moments' googling had not revealed that the said document is in broad daylight here
Ken showed he was back to his old form by phoning the Today programme and kicking Boris' backside.
I was disappointed, but not surprised, to see that already the new Mayor is having a few problems mastering his brief. Yesterday he went on the Today programme to say that he couldn't find an agreement that previous Mayor Ken Livingstone had signed with the Government on funding for the Olympics. It wouldn't have been quite so bad if a few moments' googling had not revealed that the said document is in broad daylight here
Ken showed he was back to his old form by phoning the Today programme and kicking Boris' backside.
New SNP Age Limit for alcohol
My tribute blog doesn't accept abusive posts, but, boy, can it give them out
Thing is, (and please don't let him hear I've said this), but he's absolutely right. In Scotland you can marry at 16, but to have to wait 33% of your life again to be able to toast your nuptials does seem a bit weird.
I have to say that I was less than chuffed when Lib Dem MSPs defied party policy and voted in favour of the cigarette purchasing age to be raised to 18. I am therefore delighted to see that Health Spokesman Ross Finnie has condemned the SNP's proposals.
If there were enough test purchasing schemes and enforcement of the current laws, then it would make a serious dent in underage drinking.
There's a reason that Liberalism and Nationalism are polar opposites.........
Thing is, (and please don't let him hear I've said this), but he's absolutely right. In Scotland you can marry at 16, but to have to wait 33% of your life again to be able to toast your nuptials does seem a bit weird.
I have to say that I was less than chuffed when Lib Dem MSPs defied party policy and voted in favour of the cigarette purchasing age to be raised to 18. I am therefore delighted to see that Health Spokesman Ross Finnie has condemned the SNP's proposals.
If there were enough test purchasing schemes and enforcement of the current laws, then it would make a serious dent in underage drinking.
There's a reason that Liberalism and Nationalism are polar opposites.........
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
E-Mail Nightmare
I've had a bit of a catastrophic e-mail failure. For some reason the e-mail server I have been using is allowing me to send, but not receive, messages. Therefore I've had to spend hours on end configuring all my settings on all the websites that are important to me, including this one, to a new e-mail address. There should be one single product that allows you to do all this at the touch of a button - maybe there is and I'm too stupid to have discovered it.
I am quite proud of myself for seemingly managing to configure Outlook to my new address.
It just shows how reliant I, and no doubt you too, have become on the Internet....... It's fine until it goes wrong and then it affects every area of your life, from your bank account to Facebook, to Amazon, Tesco and the people you've got your holiday booked with. Hell, we might have won the lottery last week and I wouldn't have known.
No doubt, I'm going to keep remembering things over the next few weeks which will need changing. Let's hope I don't forget anything important................
I am quite proud of myself for seemingly managing to configure Outlook to my new address.
It just shows how reliant I, and no doubt you too, have become on the Internet....... It's fine until it goes wrong and then it affects every area of your life, from your bank account to Facebook, to Amazon, Tesco and the people you've got your holiday booked with. Hell, we might have won the lottery last week and I wouldn't have known.
No doubt, I'm going to keep remembering things over the next few weeks which will need changing. Let's hope I don't forget anything important................
Monday, June 16, 2008
Another needless tragedy
There hardly seems to be a week go by at the moment without the awful news that children have been killed in some horrific way at the hands of a parent, usually their father, on a contact visit.
I know that what I'm going to say will be controversial, but I am concerned that perhaps the courts are too keen to make contact orders in favour of people who simply are not stable enough to be trusted with the care of their own children.
I'm not quite sure what to do about this - perhaps some sort of psychiatric evaluation should be part of the investigation process to identify whether the father could be a potential danger to his children.
There is no justification for what these men do, but perhaps the whole process of family law needs to be based on counselling and mediation rather than an adversarial courtroom process which just invites divisive mud slinging. Both parents need to be aware first and foremost of the needs of their children.
I am in no doubt that there are some circumstances in which the children would benefit from having no contact with the absent parent. There are other situations where they would suffer without that parent in their lives. The courts have been following a slavish adherence to the theory that it is in the best interests of the children to retain contact with their absent parent. In some cases that is extremely undesirable for all sorts of reasons. If there is any doubt at all about a child's safety in the hands of a parent then they should not be allowed to be alone with that parent. End of story. Often the best judge of that is the parent the child lives with, whose views are not always taken into account.
My daughter could not do without her Daddy - they have a lovely relationship, and he would always, unquestioningly, put her needs ahead of his own. I am lucky enough to have complete trust in him as a father. Similarly, many of my friends are terrific fathers, even though they do not live with their children's mothers. They've had to work hard to maintain that relationship, and they are all sane, reasonable individuals whose rights the family law system should protect.
It must be horrible, though, for a mother to be forced to hand over her children to someone she fears would harm them. The system has to be better at identifying the people who would harm their children. Too many are dying at the moment and something has to be done about it.
I know that what I'm going to say will be controversial, but I am concerned that perhaps the courts are too keen to make contact orders in favour of people who simply are not stable enough to be trusted with the care of their own children.
I'm not quite sure what to do about this - perhaps some sort of psychiatric evaluation should be part of the investigation process to identify whether the father could be a potential danger to his children.
There is no justification for what these men do, but perhaps the whole process of family law needs to be based on counselling and mediation rather than an adversarial courtroom process which just invites divisive mud slinging. Both parents need to be aware first and foremost of the needs of their children.
I am in no doubt that there are some circumstances in which the children would benefit from having no contact with the absent parent. There are other situations where they would suffer without that parent in their lives. The courts have been following a slavish adherence to the theory that it is in the best interests of the children to retain contact with their absent parent. In some cases that is extremely undesirable for all sorts of reasons. If there is any doubt at all about a child's safety in the hands of a parent then they should not be allowed to be alone with that parent. End of story. Often the best judge of that is the parent the child lives with, whose views are not always taken into account.
My daughter could not do without her Daddy - they have a lovely relationship, and he would always, unquestioningly, put her needs ahead of his own. I am lucky enough to have complete trust in him as a father. Similarly, many of my friends are terrific fathers, even though they do not live with their children's mothers. They've had to work hard to maintain that relationship, and they are all sane, reasonable individuals whose rights the family law system should protect.
It must be horrible, though, for a mother to be forced to hand over her children to someone she fears would harm them. The system has to be better at identifying the people who would harm their children. Too many are dying at the moment and something has to be done about it.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Bishop Gene Robinson to visit Glasgow
I was absolutely delighted to see that Bishop Gene Robinson, the Bishop of New Hampshire, is going to be visiting Scotland in August to preach at St Mary's Cathedral in Glasgow. Bishop Robinson is the only Bishop not to have been invited to the forthcoming Lambeth Conference with the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the only Bishop to acknowledge that he is living in a gay relationship.
I am glad that he is going to receive a warm welcome here in Scotland. I know Kelvin Holdsworth, the Provost of St Mary's - he is one of the warmest, most genuine, wisest and most tolerant people I have ever met. It is hardly surprising that the services at St Mary's are so packed that they run out of consecrated communion hosts. Just out of interest, I wonder what happens then.....
I am glad that he is going to receive a warm welcome here in Scotland. I know Kelvin Holdsworth, the Provost of St Mary's - he is one of the warmest, most genuine, wisest and most tolerant people I have ever met. It is hardly surprising that the services at St Mary's are so packed that they run out of consecrated communion hosts. Just out of interest, I wonder what happens then.....
Thursday, June 12, 2008
David Davis' Empty Gesture
Before we all get swept away on a tide of hysteria about what a saviour of civil liberties David Davis is, we maybe want to take a long, hard look at his record. Here is a man who quite happily voted for 28 days' detention without charge not that long ago - a huge increase from the then 3 day limit. He is pro hanging. He has voted, as well as more recently created, the Tory line on immigration. I suspect that if he is re-elected he will continue to vote the Tory line on pretty much everything.
I wonder if he would have had such an unsurmountable attack of principle if he had represented a Tory/Labour marginal, where just a few votes switching could send him down to the Job Centre. Now that the Liberal Democrats have given him a free run at his own seat, he only really has to defeat a fairly negligible Labour vote.
I don't believe that this is some sort of heroic plan, hatched last night, to stand up for our rights as citizens. Election campaigns take time to plan, even with the modern by election sprint campaigns we have been used to. This is just another Tory opportunistic stunt.
Remember the Tories are the people who banned unions at GCHQ, introduced Section 28, failed to take effective action against South Africa during apartheid, failed to support devolution, fair votes, and equalities laws. They supported the Iraq war while the Liberal Democrats have consistently stood up for human rights and civil liberties as part of our core philosophy for a very long time.
Part of me wants us to take Davis on and beat him. If there is any sign of any Conservative management of his campaign, then I think we could honoourably change our minds and enter the contest. We are in a reasonable second place and could do it. Why let him fight a by-election on an issue of his choosing? If he wants to face the people, he should do so on his whole record, and that of the party he is still a part of.
The result of this unnecessary by election will be completely meaningless - Labour couldn't win if they tried there. Maybe we are right to refuse to dignify this opportunistic charade, but I can't help feeling it's an opportunity lost.
I wonder if he would have had such an unsurmountable attack of principle if he had represented a Tory/Labour marginal, where just a few votes switching could send him down to the Job Centre. Now that the Liberal Democrats have given him a free run at his own seat, he only really has to defeat a fairly negligible Labour vote.
I don't believe that this is some sort of heroic plan, hatched last night, to stand up for our rights as citizens. Election campaigns take time to plan, even with the modern by election sprint campaigns we have been used to. This is just another Tory opportunistic stunt.
Remember the Tories are the people who banned unions at GCHQ, introduced Section 28, failed to take effective action against South Africa during apartheid, failed to support devolution, fair votes, and equalities laws. They supported the Iraq war while the Liberal Democrats have consistently stood up for human rights and civil liberties as part of our core philosophy for a very long time.
Part of me wants us to take Davis on and beat him. If there is any sign of any Conservative management of his campaign, then I think we could honoourably change our minds and enter the contest. We are in a reasonable second place and could do it. Why let him fight a by-election on an issue of his choosing? If he wants to face the people, he should do so on his whole record, and that of the party he is still a part of.
The result of this unnecessary by election will be completely meaningless - Labour couldn't win if they tried there. Maybe we are right to refuse to dignify this opportunistic charade, but I can't help feeling it's an opportunity lost.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
A humiliating victory
Tonight's vote, won by the Government on the back of the support of Anne Widdicombe and the DUP, is another much more important travesty.
It was rightly described by SDLP MP Mark Burdan as a humiliating victory.
I have to say, though, that Nick Clegg's overtures to the DUP, on the grounds of their supposed commitment to civil liberties, stuck in my throat just a wee bit - has he met Iris Robinson, DUP MP, who, last week, while being questioned about a homophobic attack in Northern Ireland, suggested that homosexuals could be turned around with psychotherapy?
It was rightly described by SDLP MP Mark Burdan as a humiliating victory.
I have to say, though, that Nick Clegg's overtures to the DUP, on the grounds of their supposed commitment to civil liberties, stuck in my throat just a wee bit - has he met Iris Robinson, DUP MP, who, last week, while being questioned about a homophobic attack in Northern Ireland, suggested that homosexuals could be turned around with psychotherapy?
Shame on you, Sir Alan
To choose a mediocre man over a brilliant woman once was bad enough, as Simon Ambrose won over Kristina Grimes last year, but two years in a row smacks of vile misogyny. Claire Young seems to have missed out tonight simply because she speaks her mind. She was by far the best candidate - she has listened, taken and acted upon difficult feedback throughout the 12 weeks and carried Lee through the last task.
It was a travesty of justice that she did not win tonight.
It was a travesty of justice that she did not win tonight.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
The Evening Boris gloats..........
I have it on good authority that depressed Labour Party staff got into work on Saturday to find a huge pile of copies of the Evening Standard - the one proclaiming "Boris is the Mayor" along with a compliments slip from the publisher.
Let's see if they're as happy to be associated with him in a couple of years.....
Let's see if they're as happy to be associated with him in a couple of years.....
Saturday, May 03, 2008
10p Tax Misery
It was with some trepidation that I opened my payslip this week, falling as I do into the group of people affected by Gordon Brown's catastrophic abolition of the lowest tax rate, which he himself brought in to almost universal approval in 1999.
It's not like they weren't warned. Ming Campbell told them what a stupid idea it was in his response to the Budget last year. The Tories are now hanging on our coat tails on this one. Surely nobody really believes that Conservatives are actually going to stand up for the lower paid against the rich unless it was for purely opportunistic purposes.
Anyway, at a time when food and fuel bills are soaring, losing money is a complete nightmare for people. At least here in Scotland, we have a Council Tax freeze, but that's not the case south of the border.
This is as ill thought out and perverse a step as the Poll Tax and it should be immediately reversed. Not everyone who has lost out stands to be compensated and those who will won't see any difference until the end of the year. A Liberal Democrat victory in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election might bring some more immediate action from the Government, though..........
It's not like they weren't warned. Ming Campbell told them what a stupid idea it was in his response to the Budget last year. The Tories are now hanging on our coat tails on this one. Surely nobody really believes that Conservatives are actually going to stand up for the lower paid against the rich unless it was for purely opportunistic purposes.
Anyway, at a time when food and fuel bills are soaring, losing money is a complete nightmare for people. At least here in Scotland, we have a Council Tax freeze, but that's not the case south of the border.
This is as ill thought out and perverse a step as the Poll Tax and it should be immediately reversed. Not everyone who has lost out stands to be compensated and those who will won't see any difference until the end of the year. A Liberal Democrat victory in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election might bring some more immediate action from the Government, though..........
Liberal Democrats come second
The Liberal Democrats' leap into second place in the popular vote is mentioned in today's press but such an achievement deserves a bigger spotlight. It's not just a nail in Gordon Brown's coffin - it's spectacular in its own right.
Some of the kinder predictions in the media suggested that we would be doing really well if we lost only 50 seats. Well, we gained 34 nationally and made some amazing gains in Sheffield. Two of my friends were on campaign teams which were responsible for more than a third of our total gains, in Sheffield and South Lakeland. I was very pleased to see Cllr Clive Leal elected in South Lakeland, having done a fair bit of telephone canvassing for him.
The Tories completely failed to live up to their expectations that they would grab back the ground they lost to us in the nineties. They are being feted in the press as victors but we should not forget that behind the smiles and the cuddly green facade, they are still the same pro big business, pro the rich, anti commumity party they were in the days of Thatcher. Interestingly, Nigel Lawson is interviewed in today's Guardian doubting that we need to do anything about climate change.
Labour really do look like a bit of a pathetic rabble. Yvette Cooper was like the proverbial rabbit caught in the headlights on Channel 4 News last night. They're out of ideas, out of touch and seemingly out of energy to do anything about it.
People are still, rightly, dubious about David Cameron and I wouldn't let George Osborne run a bath, let alone the economy. Mind you, I can't really think of any Tory I'd leave in charge of any sort of fiscal policy.
I think the Tories only did so well because they weren't Labour in many places. Where the people were already served well by Liberal Democrat MPs and Councillors, the Tories actually went backwards. Tim Farron, who has a majority of about 250 in Westmorland and Lonsdale, found that Thursday's results showed 21000 Liberal Democrat votes against 13000 Tories. In Chris Huhne's Eastleigh constituency, we even took a seat off the Tories.
I hope that the successes of this week bode well for Elizabeth Shenton in Crewe and Nantwich, which Labour has called with indecent haste, even before the funeral of Gwyneth Dunwoody, one of their best Parliamentarians, for 22 May presumably because they are so scared of being beaten.
Some of the kinder predictions in the media suggested that we would be doing really well if we lost only 50 seats. Well, we gained 34 nationally and made some amazing gains in Sheffield. Two of my friends were on campaign teams which were responsible for more than a third of our total gains, in Sheffield and South Lakeland. I was very pleased to see Cllr Clive Leal elected in South Lakeland, having done a fair bit of telephone canvassing for him.
The Tories completely failed to live up to their expectations that they would grab back the ground they lost to us in the nineties. They are being feted in the press as victors but we should not forget that behind the smiles and the cuddly green facade, they are still the same pro big business, pro the rich, anti commumity party they were in the days of Thatcher. Interestingly, Nigel Lawson is interviewed in today's Guardian doubting that we need to do anything about climate change.
Labour really do look like a bit of a pathetic rabble. Yvette Cooper was like the proverbial rabbit caught in the headlights on Channel 4 News last night. They're out of ideas, out of touch and seemingly out of energy to do anything about it.
People are still, rightly, dubious about David Cameron and I wouldn't let George Osborne run a bath, let alone the economy. Mind you, I can't really think of any Tory I'd leave in charge of any sort of fiscal policy.
I think the Tories only did so well because they weren't Labour in many places. Where the people were already served well by Liberal Democrat MPs and Councillors, the Tories actually went backwards. Tim Farron, who has a majority of about 250 in Westmorland and Lonsdale, found that Thursday's results showed 21000 Liberal Democrat votes against 13000 Tories. In Chris Huhne's Eastleigh constituency, we even took a seat off the Tories.
I hope that the successes of this week bode well for Elizabeth Shenton in Crewe and Nantwich, which Labour has called with indecent haste, even before the funeral of Gwyneth Dunwoody, one of their best Parliamentarians, for 22 May presumably because they are so scared of being beaten.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
If I were a Londoner........
It will come as no surprise to anybody that I would be putting Brian Paddick first if I had a vote in the London mayoral election. It just seems that if you want a competent mayor who makes solving London's problems rather than ridiculous self promotion a priority, then he's your guy. Who could be better placed to make the strategic decisions necessary to tackle crime than someone with so much experience in the field.
But what would I do with my second preference? Would I decide "a plague on both your houses" and leave it blank?
I actually think I'd have to click my heels together 3 times, cross my fingers and hold my nose as I put Ken second. This is only because Boris is just so much of a joke. His record on everything I care about stinks and the thought of him as mayor makes my flesh creep. I reckon Ken is the least worst option if Brian doesn't win.
But what would I do with my second preference? Would I decide "a plague on both your houses" and leave it blank?
I actually think I'd have to click my heels together 3 times, cross my fingers and hold my nose as I put Ken second. This is only because Boris is just so much of a joke. His record on everything I care about stinks and the thought of him as mayor makes my flesh creep. I reckon Ken is the least worst option if Brian doesn't win.
Monday, April 21, 2008
10p Tax Meltdown
Like many others, I await my pay slip for this month with some trepidation, having heard scary things from friends and family who have already had their's. I come into the bracket who will be worst off as a result of Gordon Brown's abolition of the 10p tax rate.
This is no laughing matter for people who are already struggling with rising food and fuel costs.
It seems incredible that Labour simply have completely underestimated the effect of their actions. Even now they don't seem to have a clue how to handle it. Yvette Cooper's talk of a "process" today will not help those people who are struggling to make ends meet now.
This is no laughing matter for people who are already struggling with rising food and fuel costs.
It seems incredible that Labour simply have completely underestimated the effect of their actions. Even now they don't seem to have a clue how to handle it. Yvette Cooper's talk of a "process" today will not help those people who are struggling to make ends meet now.
Panic at the Pumps
Well, I've just wasted half an hour of my life buying petrol. It's always a bit of a panicky process for me - I usually wait until I'm running on the whiff of an oily rag before I even think of going to a petrol station and I'm sure I've come close to not making it on occasion.
However, tonight was different. The queue was horrific, people were bad tempered, and to cap it all, our lovely profiteering petrol station had put its prices up.
Minister for Everything John Swinney has helpfully brought in an independent expert to try to avert the strike - although it might have been a bit more helpful if he'd done it a couple of weeks ago.
Ineos, the owners of Grangemouth have done themselves no favours with all their scaremongering about the weeks' long effect of any industrial action - they have just succeeded in creating a self fulfilling prophecy out of the media frenzy. They would have done better to concentrate their efforts on the negotiating table rather than the media war. Mind you, why should they walk away from an excuse to make money.
I'm no great fan of trade unions - yes, in principle, they're great, but I often think that they're macho monoliths who don't really do much for their members. However, the actions of Ineos are making me quite sympathetic towards them.
However, tonight was different. The queue was horrific, people were bad tempered, and to cap it all, our lovely profiteering petrol station had put its prices up.
Minister for Everything John Swinney has helpfully brought in an independent expert to try to avert the strike - although it might have been a bit more helpful if he'd done it a couple of weeks ago.
Ineos, the owners of Grangemouth have done themselves no favours with all their scaremongering about the weeks' long effect of any industrial action - they have just succeeded in creating a self fulfilling prophecy out of the media frenzy. They would have done better to concentrate their efforts on the negotiating table rather than the media war. Mind you, why should they walk away from an excuse to make money.
I'm no great fan of trade unions - yes, in principle, they're great, but I often think that they're macho monoliths who don't really do much for their members. However, the actions of Ineos are making me quite sympathetic towards them.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
THAT Clegg interview
You can always rely on Piers Morgan to lower the tone of anything he takes part in, so it's no surprise that he subjected Nick Clegg to what I can imagine was for Nick a quite uncomfortable personal grilling. In an interview for GQ magazine, reported by the BBC, he answered some pretty intimate personal questions in his usual straightforward and honest manner.
I see that I was not alone in wondering if the reports of this interview were not an April fool. Christine suggests that some things are better left unsaid, but I think he did the best he could with such a cheeky line of questioning. He had 2 options - refusing to answer, which would have come across as prudish and po faced or making the best job he could of it. I think that he comes across as a likeable human being and escaped with his dignity intact. He wasn't crude or disrespectful to anyone.
I can't help wondering, though, what would people be saying if a female politican made the same comments. I suspect that the Fleet Street columnists would have a field day, calling her all sorts of names. There's still an expectation, even now, that women should have a relatively small number of sexual partners and should never, ever talk about them.
I see that I was not alone in wondering if the reports of this interview were not an April fool. Christine suggests that some things are better left unsaid, but I think he did the best he could with such a cheeky line of questioning. He had 2 options - refusing to answer, which would have come across as prudish and po faced or making the best job he could of it. I think that he comes across as a likeable human being and escaped with his dignity intact. He wasn't crude or disrespectful to anyone.
I can't help wondering, though, what would people be saying if a female politican made the same comments. I suspect that the Fleet Street columnists would have a field day, calling her all sorts of names. There's still an expectation, even now, that women should have a relatively small number of sexual partners and should never, ever talk about them.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Hold them to Account
Today seems the launch of holdthemtoaccount a new campaigning site from the Lib Dems to hold those MPs who voted for the Iraq war to account.
This come at the same time as a vote in the Commons on a Conservative motion calling for an inquiry into the war. Hang on, are those the same Tories who trotted meekly into the Aye lobby behind the Government when the Commons were debating going to war?
Everybody knows that the Liberal Democrats have consistently opposed the illegal invasion of Iraq, a war which has cost $6.5 billion and rising, 170 British soldiers' lives and thousands of Iraqi civilians there and as a direct consequence how many more in Afghanistan as a result of our troops being overstretched.
It's not just Labour who need to be held to account on this. This war could not have happened without the complicity of the Tories and the craven support of their front bench. Do visit the website, sign the petition, and if your MP voted for the war, demand they apologise.
There are also useful links to the campaign to give asylum to Iraqi interpreters. The Government seems to think it's ok to use Iraqi citizens and then dump them to be persecuted when we're finished with them. Such an approach is a moral outrage so make sure all your friends know about it and sign the petition.
This come at the same time as a vote in the Commons on a Conservative motion calling for an inquiry into the war. Hang on, are those the same Tories who trotted meekly into the Aye lobby behind the Government when the Commons were debating going to war?
Everybody knows that the Liberal Democrats have consistently opposed the illegal invasion of Iraq, a war which has cost $6.5 billion and rising, 170 British soldiers' lives and thousands of Iraqi civilians there and as a direct consequence how many more in Afghanistan as a result of our troops being overstretched.
It's not just Labour who need to be held to account on this. This war could not have happened without the complicity of the Tories and the craven support of their front bench. Do visit the website, sign the petition, and if your MP voted for the war, demand they apologise.
There are also useful links to the campaign to give asylum to Iraqi interpreters. The Government seems to think it's ok to use Iraqi citizens and then dump them to be persecuted when we're finished with them. Such an approach is a moral outrage so make sure all your friends know about it and sign the petition.
A Matter of Conscience
The forthcoming vote on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill is generating much more heat than light at the moment. There are some very complex issues up for discussion and at the moment the debate seems to be polarising between the Labour Party and the Catholic Church, with Labour MPs being forced to choose between the two.
Gordon Brown is taking control freakery to a whole new level by not allowing his MPs a free vote on this. Whatever happens now he will be damaged - either by being forced to back down or by losing what is projected to be up to 12 of his ministers.
It's rapidly being characterised as a debate between utilitarian scientists and a luddite religious community which does a huge disservice to the issues.
The debate over human-animal hybrids is a case in point. You would think we were going to be making bizarre pig people when in fact the truth is much less scary. As I understand it, you basically take a cow egg, scoop out everything that was ever cow about it so it becomes a container for a human embryo for the important stem cell research which could lead to cures for diseases which cause major suffering such as Parkinson's and Motor Neurone Disease. It's a lot less Brave New World than you would think.
What we deserve more than anything else is that our politicians vote after considering these complex issues after an informative debate with arguments presented in a rational manner. We need to see them weigh up the consequences of progress and decide for themselves how they are going to vote.
This isn't a straightforward matter of right and wrong and you can't make policy on it because of the conscience issues - no party could or should whip its MPs. Unfortunately, I suspect that all we'll have is scaremongering and talk of yet another blunder by Brown.
Gordon Brown is taking control freakery to a whole new level by not allowing his MPs a free vote on this. Whatever happens now he will be damaged - either by being forced to back down or by losing what is projected to be up to 12 of his ministers.
It's rapidly being characterised as a debate between utilitarian scientists and a luddite religious community which does a huge disservice to the issues.
The debate over human-animal hybrids is a case in point. You would think we were going to be making bizarre pig people when in fact the truth is much less scary. As I understand it, you basically take a cow egg, scoop out everything that was ever cow about it so it becomes a container for a human embryo for the important stem cell research which could lead to cures for diseases which cause major suffering such as Parkinson's and Motor Neurone Disease. It's a lot less Brave New World than you would think.
What we deserve more than anything else is that our politicians vote after considering these complex issues after an informative debate with arguments presented in a rational manner. We need to see them weigh up the consequences of progress and decide for themselves how they are going to vote.
This isn't a straightforward matter of right and wrong and you can't make policy on it because of the conscience issues - no party could or should whip its MPs. Unfortunately, I suspect that all we'll have is scaremongering and talk of yet another blunder by Brown.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
David Cameron, Saviour of Children?
So David Cameron has pledged to protect children from "ruthless marketers and shameless retailers."
So is he going to put his money where his mouth is and pledge to enshrine the WHO code on the marketing of breastmilk substitutes in UK law?
I bet not. I won't be holding my breath.
So is he going to put his money where his mouth is and pledge to enshrine the WHO code on the marketing of breastmilk substitutes in UK law?
I bet not. I won't be holding my breath.
Mehdi - it's not over yet
While it's definitely a good thing that Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has agreed to look again at gay Iranian Mehdi Kazemi's asylum application, the battle is not over yet. Now is the time to build support for Mehdi by ensuring that you and everyone you know signs the petition at
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/UKMADHI/
You will be asked to make a donation, but don't worry, you can skip through that part.
Also make sure that you write to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith MP and your local MP to stress your opposition to his deportation.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/UKMADHI/
You will be asked to make a donation, but don't worry, you can skip through that part.
Also make sure that you write to Home Secretary Jacqui Smith MP and your local MP to stress your opposition to his deportation.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Quit smoking for a good natured baby
I was intrigued by the article in today's Scotsman about a study which showed that women who gave up smoking during pregnancy were more likely to have good natured babies.
I quit a longstanding and heavy smoking habit the minute I saw a positive pregnancy test and I ended up with the world's easiest baby. I hadn't really considered that the two might be connected. Even now, she is generally sunny rather than stormy and a real pleasure to be around.
Unsurprisingly, the study reveals that babies whose mothers continued smoking were more likely to have babies who cried more and who had an irregular routine. I guess this is just the tip of the iceberg and you're quite lucky to have a baby who cries when you are exposing them to a greater risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS and respiratory complaints.
Intolerant? Probably, but justifably so. I have very little sympathy for women who continue to smoke when pregnant or any parent who smokes round their children. If I can give up, anyone can. Kerry Katona has gone on about how her health professionals advised her to keep smoking because it would be less stressful than giving up. I am sure that's her hearing what she wants to hear. I'm sorry, but there's no excuse.
I quit a longstanding and heavy smoking habit the minute I saw a positive pregnancy test and I ended up with the world's easiest baby. I hadn't really considered that the two might be connected. Even now, she is generally sunny rather than stormy and a real pleasure to be around.
Unsurprisingly, the study reveals that babies whose mothers continued smoking were more likely to have babies who cried more and who had an irregular routine. I guess this is just the tip of the iceberg and you're quite lucky to have a baby who cries when you are exposing them to a greater risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS and respiratory complaints.
Intolerant? Probably, but justifably so. I have very little sympathy for women who continue to smoke when pregnant or any parent who smokes round their children. If I can give up, anyone can. Kerry Katona has gone on about how her health professionals advised her to keep smoking because it would be less stressful than giving up. I am sure that's her hearing what she wants to hear. I'm sorry, but there's no excuse.
Friday, March 07, 2008
David Laws makes me proud - shock
I have never been excited by David Laws before but I am thrilled to bits that he and Annette Brooke have adopted an anti smacking policy, recognising the rights of the child.
I have always felt very uncomfortable with our previous position that we were happy with "reasonable chastisement". I got this the other day......
"The Liberal Democrats want to see that children have the same rights as adults against any physical assault. We do not believe that physical violence is acceptable against children, and it can often send out the wrong messages. We want to introduce policies to encourage more 'positive parenting' and more support services available to families. We believe that these policies will help to reduce harm and violence against children, as has been the case in other European countries, and in the longer term will lead to a culture in Britain where children's rights and protection are given the priority they deserve.
Annette Brooke MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Children, Schools and Families, supported calls by the UK's four children's commissioners for a ban on the smacking of children in January 2006. She said:
"This is a welcome call by the four commissioners. Smacking a child is not an effective way of changing behaviour and can make matters worse over the long-term.”
The Liberal Democrats were disappointed by the Government’s decision not to bring in a total ban in October 2007 after a review of the law. England’s Children’s commissioner called this decision a ‘betrayal’ saying that by not changing the law “we continue to send out confusing messages to parents about the acceptable use of violence across society.” There needs to be a clear signal that physical punishment is counter-productive and damaging. Children that are hit are more likely to hit others and are more likely to be bullies. If it is wrong to hit an adult, it is wrong to hit a child - children deserve equal protection. "
Now we just have to persuade the Scottish Parliamentary Party to take the same view. I get very cross with the idea that you can't discipline a child unless you hit him or her. My daughter, who has never, ever been smacked, was praised by her teacher for just about everything at her parents' evening the other night.
I have always felt very uncomfortable with our previous position that we were happy with "reasonable chastisement". I got this the other day......
"The Liberal Democrats want to see that children have the same rights as adults against any physical assault. We do not believe that physical violence is acceptable against children, and it can often send out the wrong messages. We want to introduce policies to encourage more 'positive parenting' and more support services available to families. We believe that these policies will help to reduce harm and violence against children, as has been the case in other European countries, and in the longer term will lead to a culture in Britain where children's rights and protection are given the priority they deserve.
Annette Brooke MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on Children, Schools and Families, supported calls by the UK's four children's commissioners for a ban on the smacking of children in January 2006. She said:
"This is a welcome call by the four commissioners. Smacking a child is not an effective way of changing behaviour and can make matters worse over the long-term.”
The Liberal Democrats were disappointed by the Government’s decision not to bring in a total ban in October 2007 after a review of the law. England’s Children’s commissioner called this decision a ‘betrayal’ saying that by not changing the law “we continue to send out confusing messages to parents about the acceptable use of violence across society.” There needs to be a clear signal that physical punishment is counter-productive and damaging. Children that are hit are more likely to hit others and are more likely to be bullies. If it is wrong to hit an adult, it is wrong to hit a child - children deserve equal protection. "
Now we just have to persuade the Scottish Parliamentary Party to take the same view. I get very cross with the idea that you can't discipline a child unless you hit him or her. My daughter, who has never, ever been smacked, was praised by her teacher for just about everything at her parents' evening the other night.
Shame on the Home Office - Again
You would think by now that I'd have become accustomed to the harsh and brutal decisions made by the Home Office regarding asylum seekers and people seeking to settle in this country. In two years I've seen breastfeeding babies separated from their mothers (which is against Home Office policy), several people deported to almost certain persecution and even when our Embassies make a clear error, it's still the person who wants to live here who suffers.
I'm still shocked and horrified every time I see a new injustice. Now Mehdi Kazemi, a young gay Iranian student has been refused asylum in Britain because, according to the Home Office, he'd be fine going back there as long as he was discreet. Fearing deportation, he fled to the Netherlands, a much more enlightened country where they understand the realities of the situation facing him. Unfortunately, because of some obscure treaty, the Dutch are not allowed to accept him as he is only allowed to apply to one EU country.
At best the Home Office's attitude is discriminatory. At worst, if they deport him, they are as guilty as the Iranian authorities of whatever fate befalls him. We believe in a free and liberal society. Labour, to their credit, have passed some good laws enshrining the rights of gay people. Why, then, on their watch, do they send people back to pretty much certain death? Mehdi doesn't have discretion as an option. His boyfriend gave the authorities his name under torture before his execution.
If you want the Home Office to grant him asylum, or to allow the Dutch to do so, please make your voice heard by writing to the Home Secretary. Simon Hughes is his MP and has written very eloquently in today's Independent about his plight. I agree with Simon that no lesbian or gay man should ever be sent back to Iran.
I'm still shocked and horrified every time I see a new injustice. Now Mehdi Kazemi, a young gay Iranian student has been refused asylum in Britain because, according to the Home Office, he'd be fine going back there as long as he was discreet. Fearing deportation, he fled to the Netherlands, a much more enlightened country where they understand the realities of the situation facing him. Unfortunately, because of some obscure treaty, the Dutch are not allowed to accept him as he is only allowed to apply to one EU country.
At best the Home Office's attitude is discriminatory. At worst, if they deport him, they are as guilty as the Iranian authorities of whatever fate befalls him. We believe in a free and liberal society. Labour, to their credit, have passed some good laws enshrining the rights of gay people. Why, then, on their watch, do they send people back to pretty much certain death? Mehdi doesn't have discretion as an option. His boyfriend gave the authorities his name under torture before his execution.
If you want the Home Office to grant him asylum, or to allow the Dutch to do so, please make your voice heard by writing to the Home Secretary. Simon Hughes is his MP and has written very eloquently in today's Independent about his plight. I agree with Simon that no lesbian or gay man should ever be sent back to Iran.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
A storm in a cafetiere?
I think we do best as a Party when we decide what we believe and stick to it.
I agree entirely with Nick Clegg's analysis of the Lisbon Treaty - it's not the same as the EU constitution, it's less radical than Maastricht and we don't need a referendum. I would have felt a lot more comfortable had we either allowed a free vote, as we did on Maastrict, or gone with our professed policy, against the referendum. We would still have lost three good people from our front bench, but it would have all looked more coherent and consistent.
Way back in '93, we had the chance to bring down the Major Government over Maastricht. We didn't, because we believed that the right thing to do was to back that treaty. We took some flack for it at the time, but it was the right thing to do.
Tonight was not our finest hour. Every party has moments they would like people to forget about and this rare tactical error is put into shade by Labour's relentless attacks on civil liberties, personal data losses and illegal wars. The opposition will remind people of tonight at every oppportunity, but we must move on with a radical and positive agenda.
I agree entirely with Nick Clegg's analysis of the Lisbon Treaty - it's not the same as the EU constitution, it's less radical than Maastricht and we don't need a referendum. I would have felt a lot more comfortable had we either allowed a free vote, as we did on Maastrict, or gone with our professed policy, against the referendum. We would still have lost three good people from our front bench, but it would have all looked more coherent and consistent.
Way back in '93, we had the chance to bring down the Major Government over Maastricht. We didn't, because we believed that the right thing to do was to back that treaty. We took some flack for it at the time, but it was the right thing to do.
Tonight was not our finest hour. Every party has moments they would like people to forget about and this rare tactical error is put into shade by Labour's relentless attacks on civil liberties, personal data losses and illegal wars. The opposition will remind people of tonight at every oppportunity, but we must move on with a radical and positive agenda.
Monday, March 03, 2008
How YOU can help miscarriage of justice victims
I have just come back from the Liberal Democrats' Scottish conference in Aviemore. A good time seemed to be had by all. I had thought that, not being an office bearer any more, I would be able to wander round doing pretty much as I pleased. No such luck - I spent less than an hour listening to debates all weekend as I kept being dragged off to various meetings. I managed to miss both Nick Clegg's and Nicol Stephen's speeches, much to my annoyance.
One meeting I was determined not to miss was the one organised by Willie Rennie MP to highlight the plight of victims of miscarriages of justice. Basically, if you have had your life ruined by being wrongly imprisoned, sometimes for decades, you are worse off once this injustice is recognised than you would be if you had been guilty.
The meeting was addressed by Paddy Hill, one of the freed Birmingham Six, and John McManus who works for the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation. Paddy powerfully told of his experiences and how the system had continued to let him down after the initial euphoria of his release after 17 years in prison.
If you have been in prison for a long time and you are guilty, a lot of effort goes into preparing you for release into the outside world. You get short visits home, or even outside. You are brought up to date with new technology. You are gradually prepared for life beyond the institution which you have known exclusively for many years. This is very sensible. Prisons can be hostile and unpredictable -Paddy Hill told how you could say Good Morning to a fellow inmate one day and be beaten up for daring to speak to him; if you said nothing the next morning, you could take a drubbing for blanking him. The rules of engagement in a prison environment don't transfer to the outside world, and if they are all you have known for years. If you were locked up in the mid 80s, you would be amazed by things we consider basic, satellite tv, laptops, mobile phones. It would be like being released to a totally different planet.
For those wrongly imprisoned, life is very different. You are basically thrown out of the Appeal Court and left to fend for yourself. You can't claim much on benefits cos you haven't paid NI contributions - cos you've been in prison. You aren't given advice on health care and finding employment. Paddy Hill described it as like a diver having the Bends from being taken to the surface too quickly.
It takes ages to sort your compensation out, too. Too add insult to injury, and you really won't believe this, the Government effectively charges you for the time you've spent inside - your compensation is reduced by a malevolent item called "saved living expenses." So, no mattr that your house might have been repossessed and your family might have suffered terribly, financially, physically and emotionally as a result of your wrongful imprisonment, but the Government thinks it's fine to charge you for your bed and board.
If you are outraged by this, please do the following 3 things:
Have a look here and see what the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation wants to achieve and to read some of the dreadful case histories of people. I am very familiar with some of those involved and have been horrified at their treatment by the state. They have been completely failed by local, Scottish and UK Government.
Tell all your friends about what you see and get them involved.
Write to the Scottish Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill (scottish.ministers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or kenny.macaskill.msp@scottish.parliament.uk), who, so far, incredibly, has refused point blank to even meet with MOJO, and ask him to do something to help. For all I have said about the Labour Government in the past, and will do in the future, at least Home Office Minister Maria Eagle did so and actually listened to what they had to say. It's going to take action at all levels of Government to get something done, and why Mr MacAskill has chosen not to get involved is a mystery. Let's try to change his mind by showing we care, so he should.
One meeting I was determined not to miss was the one organised by Willie Rennie MP to highlight the plight of victims of miscarriages of justice. Basically, if you have had your life ruined by being wrongly imprisoned, sometimes for decades, you are worse off once this injustice is recognised than you would be if you had been guilty.
The meeting was addressed by Paddy Hill, one of the freed Birmingham Six, and John McManus who works for the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation. Paddy powerfully told of his experiences and how the system had continued to let him down after the initial euphoria of his release after 17 years in prison.
If you have been in prison for a long time and you are guilty, a lot of effort goes into preparing you for release into the outside world. You get short visits home, or even outside. You are brought up to date with new technology. You are gradually prepared for life beyond the institution which you have known exclusively for many years. This is very sensible. Prisons can be hostile and unpredictable -Paddy Hill told how you could say Good Morning to a fellow inmate one day and be beaten up for daring to speak to him; if you said nothing the next morning, you could take a drubbing for blanking him. The rules of engagement in a prison environment don't transfer to the outside world, and if they are all you have known for years. If you were locked up in the mid 80s, you would be amazed by things we consider basic, satellite tv, laptops, mobile phones. It would be like being released to a totally different planet.
For those wrongly imprisoned, life is very different. You are basically thrown out of the Appeal Court and left to fend for yourself. You can't claim much on benefits cos you haven't paid NI contributions - cos you've been in prison. You aren't given advice on health care and finding employment. Paddy Hill described it as like a diver having the Bends from being taken to the surface too quickly.
It takes ages to sort your compensation out, too. Too add insult to injury, and you really won't believe this, the Government effectively charges you for the time you've spent inside - your compensation is reduced by a malevolent item called "saved living expenses." So, no mattr that your house might have been repossessed and your family might have suffered terribly, financially, physically and emotionally as a result of your wrongful imprisonment, but the Government thinks it's fine to charge you for your bed and board.
If you are outraged by this, please do the following 3 things:
Have a look here and see what the Miscarriages of Justice Organisation wants to achieve and to read some of the dreadful case histories of people. I am very familiar with some of those involved and have been horrified at their treatment by the state. They have been completely failed by local, Scottish and UK Government.
Tell all your friends about what you see and get them involved.
Write to the Scottish Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill (scottish.ministers@scotland.gsi.gov.uk or kenny.macaskill.msp@scottish.parliament.uk), who, so far, incredibly, has refused point blank to even meet with MOJO, and ask him to do something to help. For all I have said about the Labour Government in the past, and will do in the future, at least Home Office Minister Maria Eagle did so and actually listened to what they had to say. It's going to take action at all levels of Government to get something done, and why Mr MacAskill has chosen not to get involved is a mystery. Let's try to change his mind by showing we care, so he should.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Another Labour Brainwave
So Labour Minister Caroline Flint thinks it would be a brilliant idea to chuck the unemployed out of their Council houses. You couldn't make it up!
How are you supposed to get a job if you are homeless? It's rich coming from a Government which has not yet eliminated the poverty trap and has invented a tax credits system so complicated and unable to cope with changes in circumstances that in itself is a great disincentive to employment.
This has to be one of the worst examples of scapegoating and pandering to the Daily Mail I have seen recently.
How are you supposed to get a job if you are homeless? It's rich coming from a Government which has not yet eliminated the poverty trap and has invented a tax credits system so complicated and unable to cope with changes in circumstances that in itself is a great disincentive to employment.
This has to be one of the worst examples of scapegoating and pandering to the Daily Mail I have seen recently.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
GP Phone line Scandal
I was totally shocked to open my phone bill yesterday to discover that it was much higher than usual. Surely I couldn't have gone that mad voting for Alesha to win Strictly Come Dancing?
The cause of this high bill totally shocked me. Regular readers will know that both my husband and I have been ill over the holidays, Bob being quite seriously affected. We have spent more time at our GP surgery than we ever have before. Trouble is, the only way of getting an appointment is to ring on the day. If you don't ring early, you will simply not be seen that day and you'll have to go through it all again tomorrow. Bob was so ill that I couldn't take the chance of having to wait.
When you ring up the first thing you hear is "This is the Medical Practice, please wait until we connect you to the surgery." Most of the time, the next thing the artificial voice says is "We are experiencing high call volumes. Please call back at a less busy time."
This is just frustrating, so you would think - but for each one of those abortive calls, we were charged £0.095 plus VAT. The total sum wasted on calls to the surgery was £15.68. In two weeks. Now, we can afford to take that kind of unexpected hit. Many people who would be contacting the surgery could not. The other important point is that our phone deal gives us free calls to UK numbers as long as they don't start with 08 or 09. Our Practice has an 08 number which will be charged much more highly from mobiles. Having landlines is increasingly uncommon among those on low incomes because of the high connection costs.
GPs are usually the first point of contact you have with the health service when you are ill. It is an absolute outrage that people should have to pay such high rates to access this vital service. Again we see those on lower incomes being penalised more than the rich.
I think we should have a campaign for all GP's surgeries to be accessible by a landline with a local exchange number with no call charge if you are unable to get through to the queue. Wh ultimately pockets my £15.68? Is it the phone company or the surgery?
This scandalous practice must end and people have to be able to make appointments with their GP at minimal cost to themselves.
The cause of this high bill totally shocked me. Regular readers will know that both my husband and I have been ill over the holidays, Bob being quite seriously affected. We have spent more time at our GP surgery than we ever have before. Trouble is, the only way of getting an appointment is to ring on the day. If you don't ring early, you will simply not be seen that day and you'll have to go through it all again tomorrow. Bob was so ill that I couldn't take the chance of having to wait.
When you ring up the first thing you hear is "This is the Medical Practice, please wait until we connect you to the surgery." Most of the time, the next thing the artificial voice says is "We are experiencing high call volumes. Please call back at a less busy time."
This is just frustrating, so you would think - but for each one of those abortive calls, we were charged £0.095 plus VAT. The total sum wasted on calls to the surgery was £15.68. In two weeks. Now, we can afford to take that kind of unexpected hit. Many people who would be contacting the surgery could not. The other important point is that our phone deal gives us free calls to UK numbers as long as they don't start with 08 or 09. Our Practice has an 08 number which will be charged much more highly from mobiles. Having landlines is increasingly uncommon among those on low incomes because of the high connection costs.
GPs are usually the first point of contact you have with the health service when you are ill. It is an absolute outrage that people should have to pay such high rates to access this vital service. Again we see those on lower incomes being penalised more than the rich.
I think we should have a campaign for all GP's surgeries to be accessible by a landline with a local exchange number with no call charge if you are unable to get through to the queue. Wh ultimately pockets my £15.68? Is it the phone company or the surgery?
This scandalous practice must end and people have to be able to make appointments with their GP at minimal cost to themselves.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Strictly Come Exercise
I'm trying to ease myself gradually into a routine of healthy eating and exercising. I've done the yoyo dieting often enough to realise that going cold turkey on everything that is remotely pleasurable in life is not going to lead to anything good so I'm trying to make little changes, a step at a time.
If I was going to have a hope of losing the weight I need to without moderating my eating habits, I'd have to get on the treadmill now and stay there for the next 50 years, so there will have to be some progress on the food front at some stage. I have started reasonably well with the exercise, though - I've done a lot of swimming so far this year, and have Aquafit and Pilates classes booked for later this week.
Anna and I had some fun tonight having a go at the Strictly Come Dancercise DVD. I say having a go, but clearly it's going to take some time before I can cha cha cha like Alesha Dixon.
Given that I have no co-ordination whatsoever and that the presenting dancers, Erin Boag and Karen Hardy look as though they weigh the same as one of my arms, even buying the DVD might seem like insane and irrational optimism. It was actually great fun, though. I doubt I managed 10% of the steps, but Anna did really well and I think we'll keep doing it.
Just as well I'm doing this for my health. Gordon Brown's comments the other day about restricting NHS treatment to the likes of smokers and the obese made me so angry. If the Government had put sufficient resources into effective health promotion, invested in sport, done more to encourage breastfeeding which has been shown to prevent obesity and all sorts of things, then we might not be in the unhealthy mess we are in today.
If I was going to have a hope of losing the weight I need to without moderating my eating habits, I'd have to get on the treadmill now and stay there for the next 50 years, so there will have to be some progress on the food front at some stage. I have started reasonably well with the exercise, though - I've done a lot of swimming so far this year, and have Aquafit and Pilates classes booked for later this week.
Anna and I had some fun tonight having a go at the Strictly Come Dancercise DVD. I say having a go, but clearly it's going to take some time before I can cha cha cha like Alesha Dixon.
Given that I have no co-ordination whatsoever and that the presenting dancers, Erin Boag and Karen Hardy look as though they weigh the same as one of my arms, even buying the DVD might seem like insane and irrational optimism. It was actually great fun, though. I doubt I managed 10% of the steps, but Anna did really well and I think we'll keep doing it.
Just as well I'm doing this for my health. Gordon Brown's comments the other day about restricting NHS treatment to the likes of smokers and the obese made me so angry. If the Government had put sufficient resources into effective health promotion, invested in sport, done more to encourage breastfeeding which has been shown to prevent obesity and all sorts of things, then we might not be in the unhealthy mess we are in today.
The Best Laid Plans
I thought I would be writing this having just returned from 11 days over Christmas in Mallorca. In fact, I had wondered if I might be able to do the occasional posting from Mallorca.
However, we did not get there. My husband was the first to succumb to 'Flu in early December. I followed but mine was the Wimp's version, 'Flu Lite, if you like. It was deeply unpleasant, but not as serious as my husband's became. He ended up with a very severe chest infection and was very sick indeed. He is still off work and quite weak, but, thankfully, on the mend. I don't ever want to have to see anyone, even Tony Blair, struggling to breathe, ever again. It was so horrible for him and a wake up call for us both that we need to get healthier and fitter.
Christmas was very different, but we did have a relaxing two weeks at home. I didn't start to feel well again until the day after Boxing day - I ended up with my own antibiotics for Tonsilitis just before Christmas. It was so quiet that I even did some housework. The non public bits of my house are still pretty much a disaster, but downstairs is mostly organised and clean. I have turned into a domestic goddess who makes home made chicken soup.
It was quite a shock to go back to work again today, given that I hadn't been there since mid December, but it worked out fine.
The best surprise was finding a Christmas pressie from the boss - actually the only one I got that I hadn't either gone out and bought myself, or knew what was in it. A voucher for a spa treatment. Nothing could have been more appropriate or welcome. Just what I need to banish the stress of the Winter to come.
However, we did not get there. My husband was the first to succumb to 'Flu in early December. I followed but mine was the Wimp's version, 'Flu Lite, if you like. It was deeply unpleasant, but not as serious as my husband's became. He ended up with a very severe chest infection and was very sick indeed. He is still off work and quite weak, but, thankfully, on the mend. I don't ever want to have to see anyone, even Tony Blair, struggling to breathe, ever again. It was so horrible for him and a wake up call for us both that we need to get healthier and fitter.
Christmas was very different, but we did have a relaxing two weeks at home. I didn't start to feel well again until the day after Boxing day - I ended up with my own antibiotics for Tonsilitis just before Christmas. It was so quiet that I even did some housework. The non public bits of my house are still pretty much a disaster, but downstairs is mostly organised and clean. I have turned into a domestic goddess who makes home made chicken soup.
It was quite a shock to go back to work again today, given that I hadn't been there since mid December, but it worked out fine.
The best surprise was finding a Christmas pressie from the boss - actually the only one I got that I hadn't either gone out and bought myself, or knew what was in it. A voucher for a spa treatment. Nothing could have been more appropriate or welcome. Just what I need to banish the stress of the Winter to come.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Steve Webb is popular as well as real
Steve Webb's experience with Facebook has sent some ripples of laughter round the blogosphere. it is quite ironic that they booted out their biggest Lib Dem proponent. Thankfully he now appears to have been rightfully restored. I can imagine the Facebook press office groaning at the sight of 200 e-mails all saying "I know Steve Webb and he's really nice."
Anyway, it shows how popular he is because in just a few hours, the Steve Webb is real amassed almost 200 members.
Anyway, it shows how popular he is because in just a few hours, the Steve Webb is real amassed almost 200 members.
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