I'll Be There For You

Thirteen and a half years after everyone else (well, I never was an early adopter), I have finally developed an addiction to Friends. I'd watched odd bits before but it never really did it for me. During the Holyrood campaign, my big thing was to come home and watch two episodes before I went to bed and I found that they could have me in absolute hysterics, laughing until tears rolled down my face.

Everyone else had 10 years to watch every episode, but we seem to have managed it over the Summer. Amazon had a reasonable deal on DVD boxed sets so we now have all but one. Anna loves it too, although some of the humour goes a bit over her head.

Favourite episodes? In no particular order, The One with the Giant Poking Device, The One where Everyone Finds Out, The One where Ross got high, The One in Vegas, The One with Chandler in a Box, The One with all the Thanksgivings, The One where No-one is Ready, The One where Ross and Rachel take a Break and The One with the Morning After. Good, not quite clean fun.

Time to decide, Gordon

Gordon Brown may well be crying into his Horlicks tonight, wondering how he had managed to make such a spectacular muck up of the snap election. He's now taking a risk if he does and looks like a great big scaredy cat if he doesn't.

I suspect it all started out as a bit of a ruse to try to get the Labour Party to behave itself and to think about an election either next Spring or the one after. The speculation was then allowed to get out of control and now it's going to be difficult to re-bottle the genie and emerge with dignity intact.

The only way out really is to use the postal strike as an excuse. After all, if they can't guarantee the distribution of the postal votes, the legitimacy of any poll is immediately in question.

However, I have a sneaking suspicion that a solution to the dispute will, entirely coincidentally (yeah, right) be found at the beginning of next week, or the week after and an election called.

I also have it on good authority that one Council has closed down a suite of rooms, and sent round an e-mail saying that the election team will be using them from 9th October to 22 November. Make of that what you will.

I now have two bottles of wine at stake with different people - I still say it's going to happen. I just want the waiting to be over and the campaign to begin...............

Hong Kong or Leith?

Kevin and Jennifer Lang should be living it up in Hong Kong on the holiday of a lifetime at the moment. Instead, they are at home in Granton, putting the final preparations to an election campaign.

Kevin is the prospective Liberal Democrat candidate for Edinburgh North and Leith. When he and Jenni booked their holiday to see Jenni's sister in China in March, nobody could have predicted that there would be an election in November. They made the decision to cancel on Wednesday, the day before they should have left, when an election announcement next Tuesday looked virtually certain.

Not only has this cost them money, but you know what it's like to be all geared up for a break and then for some reason you can't go. I am full of admiration for both Kevin and Jenni for putting the people of North and Leith first. Kevin only requires a 2.5% swing to unseat the sitting Labour MP and would make a first class MP.

He is very sharp and astute and has a sometimes scary amount of energy. I see quite a lot of similarities between Kevin and Willie Rennie - he would be the sort of MP you would see about in the street and would always be approachable and dedicated to helping his constituents with their problems.

Today's polls make an election look less likely, but I don't think that his decision will have been in vain in the long run.

Free Burma

Just a few days ago, I was really pissed off at the prospect of a free election in this country and of how it would inconvenience me.

In complete contrast, 200 people have lost their lives in Burma fighting for the right to have a free election, away from the tyranny of a brutal military regime.

I salute the bravery of all those who have taken to the streets and share in the mourning for those who have brutally lost their lives.

I call on the international community to take whatever measures it can to ensure that democracy is restored to Burma and that those who lead the call for freedom and human rights, including Aung San Suu Kyi are freed to enable them to build a free nation.

I add my voice to the many bloggers who are calling for a Free Burma today, 4 October, 2007.

Turning 40

I would be lying if I said that turning 40 had been completely stress and depression free, but the actual day itself was so special.

It started at 6:50 am with a phone call from my sister and cousins on holiday in Canada. I was as sober as a judge, they were completely off the planet. I hadn't laughed so much in years.

The effort my husand and daughter put into the day was wonderful. From choosing a lovely organic, maple cured kind of bacon for breakfast (and subsequently, unexpectedly, lunch) to ensuring I had enough dark chocolate to sink a battleship, to providing me with beautiful drawings and cards, they made sure I had a perfect day.

Bob gave me a beautiful rose quartz pendant - apparently the symbol of both fertillity and unconditional love.

My friend Anne gave me the most beautiful willow tree figure called Mother and Daughter in an embrace.

And just when I thought I'd opened all my pressies, the doorbell rang and the Interflora man was there with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers, with my favourite lilies and roses.

I had kind of wanted to head off to the Gallery of Modern Art for lunch, but my Inner Capitalist Ruthless Bitch got the better of me. Bob and Anna had given me the Edinburgh version of Monopoly and we ended up embroiled in a long game before going for a walk.

In the evening, Anna chose to go and play with her best friends while 15 of the people I care about most in the World gathered at my favourite restaurant. I am lucky that this place is just across from where I work - it's Oohla's in Dunfermline.

I had the most succulent spiced king prawns, followed by the most luscious, flavoursome and perfectly cooked fillet steak. The desserts they do in that place are to die for - you can have tarte tatin, chocolate brownies, strawberry cream meringues the size of small Balearic islands, fruit tartlets of so many colours and varieties, a cheese board assembled with love and proper thought. My friend Pippa had baked me a cake and covered it in a deep chocolate icing made with Green and Black Maya Gold. Could that be any more perfect?

One very non political and very special friend had been scared that she would be overrun by intellectual Lib Dems and had to be persuaded that political types could be normal sorts who liked reading OK magazine and the like. I was so glad that she made the effort to come even though she was a bit worried about it. I think she had a good time too, and I would not have wanted to be without her.

All in all, it could only have been more perfect if it had gone on for another 24 hours.

Battle Preparations

I have long been convinced that we would see a General Election this Autumn, particularly as Labour's lead over the Conservatives grew and grew. I can't say I relished the prospect with much enthusiasm. Once every couple of years I can handle, but twice in six months is a big ask. I spent much of last weekend in doleful and tearful frustration at the thought of having to give up my much anticipated school holiday at home with Anna to pound the streets on freezing cold, dark nights. However, the adrenalin rush has now kicked in and I'm ready for it - in fact I now just want to get on with it.

I might be whinging about my holiday, but spare a thought for the dedicated person I won't name who should be on holiday now on the other side of the World. They cancelled yesterday so that they would be available for the campaign. I know how much they had been looking forward to being away and I thoroughly admire their dedication to duty. I will be so annoyed with Gordon Brown on their behalf if this has all been a great big wind up.

I am quite amazed at how ready we actually are to fight this election, should it be called. It's my responsibility as Campaigns and Candidates Convener to make sure we have candidates in every seat. I have had some help with this, (thanks to all involved) and have been really impressed with how everybody has worked together to assemble a full slate of candidates ready for the off.

Back to the Blog

I can hardly believe it's been over 4 months since I last posted on here. I had meant to but a frenzied work schedule, holidays and illness have kept me away. I hope to be able to post a lot more regularly now - although, come next Tuesday, an election announcement might put paid to that for a while.

Janipher Maseko - Good News at Last

Thankfully common sense has prevailed and Janipher and the babies are to be released.

I know that many of you have written to the authorities to complain about the appalling way in which she has been treated and I have been asked to pass on her heartfelt gratitude.

She is obviously very relieved. The road ahead is not going to be easy for her but at least she is now out of danger.

The thing that really made me cry was hearing that she'd said that she'd been delighted to be able to tell the doctor that the babies didn't need Malaria jabs after all.

How could we have put such a vulnerable family under such a threat?

There clearly needs to be an independent enquiry into Janipher's specific case, but the chilling thing is that she is not alone. Although the Government promised last year not to separate breastfeeding mothers and their babies, that disgusting practice still goes on. We have enough evidence about the complex interactions between mother and baby on every level, physiological and emotional, to know that to do so is extremely traumatic for both. The only time it should ever be allowed is if there is a clear risk to the baby's safety.

John Hemming has been raising the issue of the high number of inappropriate adoptions from care, particularly in England for some time. I have to confess that I hadn't taken him that seriously until now. Have a look at some of the information on his blog.

Update on Janipher Maseko

As you will see from the comments to my earlier post - thanks, Morgan and Helen - separate removal orders have now been issued for the children. This obviously doesn't make everything all right. Imagine if you had given birth just over a month ago and you were suddenly to be taken away from your whole life and put back to a country that had brought you nothing but fear and tragedy, where you had no family, nowhere to call home, no means of providing for yourself and your two small children. That would be bad enough if you were in good health, but if you were ill, traumatised and depressed, how much worse would it be?

Is this an appropriate way for a civilised country to act?

Helen is right that there needs to be a proper enquiry into the way in which she has been treated by Hillingdon Social Services, the Borders and Immigration Agency and SERCO. I have been assured that questions relating to her case will be raised in Parliament and I know that Lord Avebury has done some already. Obviously Janipher's evidence to that enquiry is critical.

Thank you to everyone who has let me know they have written to Liam Byrne about this. Janipher's plight has affected many people who don't normally get involved in politics and has opened many eyes to the disgraceful injustices of which Janipher is, sadly, just one example.

This battle is not over yet, so please continue to spread her story so that more can be aware of her situation.

Stop Removal of Janipher Maseko, 18 year old breastfeeding mother

Breastfeeding supporter colleagues of mine have been involved in helping Janipher Maseko, an 18 year old Ugandan woman who is currently being held in Yarls Wood Immigration Detention Centre. She has two babies, aged 15 months and 4 weeks. The tiny baby is being breastfed. She has been told that she will be removed from the UK without her children on Friday 1st June.

Janipher sought asylum as an unaccompanied minor after coming to this country as an orphan and after being raped in Uganda. Her asylum claim had been closed in March 2007 when she was heavily pregnant. Hillingdon Social Services, responsible for her at the time, immediately stopped all support and evicted her and her baby daughter. Staff at Hillingdon Hospital had to press Social Services to rehouse her. But at the end of April, a week after her son was born, she was evicted her again and threw away all her belongings. Ms Maseko tried to reach a friend in Brighton and was sleeping rough in Crawley when passers-by found her and called the police. Sussex Social Services put her babies into foster care even though she was breastfeeding her infant son and there was no cause to doubt her fitness and eagerness to care for her children - Ms Maseko needed shelter, money and healthcare. No arrangements were made to help her keep in touch with her children. Still bleeding after childbirth and with engorged breasts, Ms Maseko was held in a cell for four days without a shower or change of clothes.

When my colleagues went to see her, they were refused permission to give her an electric breast pump, the most efficient way of maintaining lactation and also of relieving the intense discomfort from the engorgment she was suffering and they were only able to get a manual pump to her after some discussion.

The children were reunited with her after the intervention of advocates on her behalf including the Black Women's Rape Action Project.

I am horrified at such brutal and inhuman treatment of this young mother and her children. How can it be justified to deport a mother to a country where she has fled rape and violence and has no family to help her and leave her babies here? How can a supposedly civilised government treat human beings in this way?

She is getting legal and practical help, but the more people who can raise awareness of her plight over the next few days the better.

Below are some ways in which you can to support Janipher and ensure she and her children can build their lives in the UK:

1. Urge that Ms Maseko and her children be immediately released, housed, supported and granted asylum, and that there be a prompt independent investigation into her treatment by all those in authority who were responsible for her care. Fax or email your letter to:· Liam Byrne MP, Minister of State for Immigration, Nationality and Citizenship, Fax: 020 7035 4745 liam.byrne.submissions@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk ·

Meg Munn MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Women and Equality)Fax: 020 7944 5891 munnm@parliament.uk·

Beverley Hughes MP, Minister for Children, Young People & FamiliesFax:020 7219 2961 hughesb@parliament.uk ·

Patricia Hewitt MP, Secretary of State for Health, Fax: 020 7210 5410.MB-SofS@dh.gsi.gov.uk·

Brian Pollett, Head of Detention Services, Brian.Pollett2@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk ·

Victoria Jones, Director of Yarl's Wood, Fax: 01234 821152

2. Alert your networks, the press and other media.

3. Write to your MP as a concerned constituent asking her/him to raise it in Parliament.

Harry and Iraq

I was so annoyed that they even considered sending Harry to Iraq in the first place. It was a bit of a no brainer that he would attract the attention of insurgents and put not just to himself, but those whom he served with, in even greater danger.

If I were the mother of a soldier, which I suspect I will never be, given Anna's propensity against violence and the killing of even animals to eat, I would have been furious if my beloved child had been put in an even more dangerous situation by the unhappy accident of being out there at the same time as a member of the British Royal Family.

It worries me that the addened danger was not recognised by the Armed Forces until this week.

Parliamentary Disgrace

I am extremely proud that my party has stood firm against David MacLean's Bill on Freedom of Information. Unfortunately, even their expert applications of Parliamentary procedure (David Heath mentioning buckets left in corridors as a health and safety hazard made me laugh out loud) were not enough to win the day today.

It looks like this reactionary measure might become law as Labour and the Tories have made a bit of an unholy alliance in its support. I can only hope for a big enough public outcry to make them think better of their support for this ill considered measure.

Everybody needs good Neighbours

I don't often watch Neighbours these days, but I used to be a bit of an addict. Who can forget the days of Scott, Charlene, Daphne, Des, Henry, Bronwyn, Madge and Harold?

I'm quite sad to see that it's leaving the BBC. I'm not about to argue for £300 million to be spent from the public purse to retain it, but I'm sure it compares favourably to the extortionate daylight robbery football tv rights have become. I can't find what the BBC paid for its football rights, but I do know that Sky paid more than a cool billion for their's.

How come the boys get their sports on the taxpayer, but a national institution like Neighbours doesn't matter?:-)

Good Luck, Angela

I am absolutely thrilled to bits for Angela Constance. I fell pregnant unexpectedly as I was focussed on an approaching election campaign (in my case the 1999 Euro election), and there's no greater feeling in the world. I have to admire her for getting through the recent election so serenely - I felt so sick during my pregnancy and the tiredness was something else. I wish Angela and her husband all the very best. I hope they enjoy this special time - the last for just them - and enjoy the adjustment to parenthood. It's the best thing you will ever do, and, nearly 8 years on, I can promise that it still gets better every day, even when you think it can't get any more fantastic.

I can only hope that the Labour opposition will act with sensitivity when it comes to Angela's maternity leave. The sensible thing for them to do, if they have the slightest commitment to equality, would be for them to immediately offer a pairing arrangment so that Angela would not have to rush back to Parliament prematurely and is able to take as much time as she needs and wants in those precious early days. Frankly, I don't care that it was the SNP who stopped the last pairing arrangement, in case anyone wants to comment to that effect. Now is what matters.

Mayor banned from breastfeeding her baby

I was quite speechless after reading this article outlining the appalling treatment of the Mayor of Trafford.

Imagine writing to an elected official telling them they shouldn't wear the mayoral chain when looking after their child - like who would? And that their child shouldn't travel in the official car.

No wonder there are so few women in politics.

A New Dawn?

Ok, I'm a big softie. I admit it. My heart wasn't hard enough to remain unmoved as a non Labour First Minister was sworn in. I haven't forgiven him for what he needlessly did to my very good friend Nora Radcliffe but the recent election has shown that Scotland can turn away from Labour.

The success of this Government or otherwise will depend on its ability to listen, negotiate and work with the Parliament. In some ways, a minority Government could lead us to the sort of non tribal politics I've been wanting for, well, all of my life. I want to see people working together for the good of the country. It looks already as if Labour are going to be very bitter and twisted in opposition. If that's the case, I hope they get what they deserve at the polls in the future.

To succeed as a minority will require skills, maturity and a sense of responsiblity that I have yet to see in the SNP. Most of them haven't run so much as a bath in their entire lives, but there are some good people in their midst. In addition, the Lib Dems have pledged to be constructive in opposition, so it is possible that some very good policies for Scotland could be implemented in the next 4 years.

If they succeed, in a few years' time, Labour could be the 3rd or 4th party in Scottish politics. How good would that be?

The Hardest Working Man in Scotland

I don't think there are many nicer people in politics than John Swinney. He is a very clever man, too. I wasn't aware that amongst his many talents was an absence of the need to sleep.

Thatcher was bad enough, needing only 4 or 5 hours, but Swinney will simply not have time for such luxuries as napping as he gets to grip with his massive workload.

His new ministry covers everything from enterprise to Scottish Water to e-governance to planning. Given the amount of casework one relatively small constituency generates on the latter two issues, I hardly think that one Cabinet Minister can effectively manage all of this.

Time will tell, of course. I actually suspect, though, that Swinney is the sort who would work himself into the ground through dedication and diligence. I tend to think that work-life balance is important (all around me will guffaw, I'm sure, but there are limit). You work more effectively if you have time to relax away from the office.

The other Cabinet Ministers also have full portfolios. I do hope the new Government has not saved a few quid only to compromise the health and lives of its members. The work ethic is good to a point....................

How you know it's Breastfeeding Awareness Week

You can always tell when it's Breastfeeding Awareness Week - instead of positive reports of difficulties overcome and harmonious mothers and babies, the media is full of reports about how painful it can be and, well, formula's ok, isn't it?

This, unfortunately, completely misses the point. In cultures where breastfeeding is the norm, problems are virtually unheard of, partly because new mothers are going to be surrounded by people who have breastfed or are breastfeeding their babies who can recognise and put right the first signs of trouble.

I think it is criminal that mothers and babies are being denied the benefits of a breastfeeding relationship simply because they don't have access to accurate information and support. Of those who give up in the first 6 weeks, 90% would have preferred to continue according to English Dept of Health figures.

It was disappointing that breastfeeding rates in Scotland are holding their own but not increaasing substantially, except in Edinburgh, where they increased by 6%. I suspect that this is partly down to the work of Karla Napier, the Infant Feeding Adviser at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. She is one of the UK's breastfeeding experts and has done much to ensure that mothers have the sort of professional information and support they need. She has a lovely, gentle, patient manner which inspires both the mothers she works with and the professionals and lay counsellors she has trained.

I have been disappointed on occasions to find out that I, as a lay breastfeeding counsellor, know much more than trained health professionals in the basics of breastfeeding management. I have seen mums and babies in a terrible mess simply because a health professional has not recognised a glaringly obvious problem or suggested an appropriate solution. A lot of the time, the difference between successful feeding and not is down to a tiny bit of fine tuning - a tiny fraction of an inch in adjustment of a position, or feeding more frequently - or simply just slowing down, relaxing and enjoying the baby. Having said that, there are many health professionals who do a magnificent job and give mothers wise counsel - it's important that every woman who wants to breastfeed can access the support she needs.

After all, if someone had invented a living substance which adapted to circumstance, preventing diseases, protecting from many serious health conditions and providing babies with the optimum physical and emotional start in life, they would charge a fortune for it.

Media Superstardom dawns

Well, not quite, but I did join the likes of Kylie, Britney and Kate Moss on the pages of the Sun (Scottish edition) today.

I was asked as a Lib Dem supporter to give my take on Blair going so took the opportunity to lambast him on the war in Iraq and to remind everyone that Gordon Brown paid for it as well as all the other Labour disasters.

It was quite surreal - one minute talking to the journalist on my mobile phone and the next a photographer turned up at my house to take a photo. The house was a tip as well - its usual post election guddle. They won't be interviewing me for housewife of the year, that's for sure. Maybe I should watch out in case Kim and Aggie turn up:-)

Bye, Blair

I remember lying in bed watching Tony Blair walk into Downing Street, all smiles and hopes for the future. The crowds looked really happy and optimistic that things were really going to change. I felt absolutely nothing. I wasn't as elated as I should have been given that the Tories had finally been beaten.

I never really thought he would deliver. You can't really trust someone who can abandon their core philosophy the way he did just for electoral gain. It's ok to change your views, but the New Labour phenomenon simply seemed to operate in a philosophical vacuum. They floated this way and that, dependent on the views of focus groups, rather than their core beliefs.

The only time I have ever had a positive emotional reaction to anything he said was the day Diana died. He seemed to sum up the shock felt by everybody.

Whatever good things he has done, and there have been some - improved maternity leave, civil partnership legislation, Northern Ireland to name a few, I can't forgive him for leading us into the illegal war in Iraq. He has damaged Britain's credibility so badly that it will take us decades to recover.

We needn't think that things will change with his departure, either. Everything Labour has done, including Iraq, ineffective and expensive ID cards, and the tax credit fiasco, has been bankrolled by Gordon Brown.

I felt nothing at Blair's arrival and I don't feel that we are on the dawn of a new, brighter, future with his departure.

Dunfermline Delight

It was a great moment, in an otherwise very sad evening, to witness the election of Jim Tolson as the MSP for Dunfermline West. It made the long hours, the exhaustion, the sheer slog, all worthwhile. We had a fantastic team ably managed by Willie Rennie, Tony Martin and Elspeth Finlay. The amount of work everybody put in was phenomenal.

The icing on the cake came the following afternoon when 8 councillors were elected across Willie Rennie's constituency.

We now have representatives at all levels, including Elspeth Attwooll as MEP, to deliver for the people of Dunfermline and West Fife.

It's a fabulous team to be part of, even just as a minion.

E-Counting Misery

I can't stand e-counting. Thursday night was as close to torture as I'd ever come. We were all gathered at the Fife Institute with no real idea what was going on as the screens did not update regularly, and stayed the same for several hours. First we were ahead, then we weren't, then we were again - and we had no idea which boxes still had to be counted so we knew if our best areas had been done. This is a system which sure knows how to mess with your head.

Usually at a count, there is plenty to do as you are doing your box counts and then watching out that the votes are being counted correctly. We ended up unable to take the uncertainty and went and huddled round a tv screen to take in what was going on nationally - where we found the Tories who had brought the wine with them, but they didn't offer us any!

Anyway, all was well in the end and we were thrilled to see Jim Tolson elected as MSP at around 4 am.

Deal or No Deal?

I am pretty well disposed to the idea of talking to the SNP. Apart from the obvious disagreement on independence, we do have some similar ideas on policy and could probably form a stable government which would be good for Scotland.

However, having said repeatedly since way before the start of the election that we would not support a referendum on independence, we can't really go back on that now. To do so would be a betrayal of our commitment to the people who voted for us and would make us look like we had no integrity whatsoever. There might be an argument for changing our position if there had been a majority within the Parliament for such a referendum, but there isn't.

Ultimately it is for Alex Salmond to decide whether the most important issue is pursuing a policy that most people don't care about or providing Scotland with stable and responsible government.

On the campaign trail, not one single person raised the issue of a referendum as being of any importance to them. They were more concerned about health, education and crime. The Party had very kindly provided me with lots of facts about why a referendum would not be a good idea and not once did I have to use them. At the major hustings meetings, the subject was not even raised.

The Scotsman poll today shows that a referendum with the SNP's chosen wording would be lost anyway. If Mr Salmond and his colleagues want to show themselves as responsible leaders, they should recognise this, forget the idea for now and get on with the business of governing the country.

Help Stop Rene being deported tomorrow

Can I urge everyone reading this to please go
to http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/rene/index.html to sign a petition against the deportation tomorrow of Rene Murabukirwa. Full story is in the Evening News

It seems extremely unfair to deport someone who has friends and fiancee and who has made their life here for 11 years and been an active part of the community.

Labour's negative campaign turns people off

I might disagree with Alex Salmond on independence, but I'm sure he's not a bad man. A bit indecisive about what Parliament he wants to be in and which constituency he wants to represent, and his party's policies do stray into fiscal illiteracy a fair bit of the time, but that hardly puts him in the same league as Beelzebub or King Herod or the Daleks. However, if you listened to anything coming from Labour, or watched their PEB tonight, you would be forgiven for thinking that the Nationalists would be at your door claiming your firstborn for breakfast if they win on Thursday.

Labour actively seems to be trying to lose this election. They have barely uttered a positive word and generally seem tired and uncaring. The only thing that gets them going is having a go at their opponents. That, alone, makes them unfit to govern and they deserve to lose heavily on Thursday. And they will, in places like Edinburgh and Dunfermline. They will also lose control of councils in many if not all of their heartlands.

To be fair, the Nats are not always renowned for being positive and people are pretty sick of this style of politics. They want to hear about positive attempts to make things better and that's why Nicol Stephen and his clear, bright vision of the way he wants to transform Scotland, to make us a cleaner, fitter, happier nation, will do better than expected on Thursday.

McConnell slams Scottish Towns

Residents of Dunfermline, Cumbernauld, Alloa, Motherwell and Wishaw will no doubt be bemused by Jack McConnell's comments reported in today's Sunday Herald saying that ......"the town centre almost symbolises a lack of civic pride" among other things. He also calls the place he represents, Motherwell, a pigsty.

Which party, I wonder, has been in power in all of those towns for as long as anyone can remember? I only really know Dunfermline out of the ones mentioned, where Labour has completely neglected the town centre for decades. Liberal Democrat Councillors, and now Willie Rennie MP, have put forward constructive suggestions for centre revitalisation for a long time and until recently those calls fell on deaf ears. There remains much to be done to give that proud city the centre it deserves and Labour has proved that it's not up to the task.

No doubt Jack will have plenty spare time in the next few years to take up the cause of revitalising Motherwell to make it more to his taste.

Lib Dems on course to win Edinburgh Central

The Evening News has done a profile on Edinburgh Central. In it under-threat Labour incumbent admits that people are thinking about the SNP. How interesting. I seem to remember the struggling Labour campaign in Dunfermline talking up the SNP as their main rivals when they knew perfectly well that their support was haemorraging to Willie Rennie. In 2005 the struggling Labour campaign in Edinburgh South talked up the Tories as their main rivals when they knew Marilyne MacLaren was breathing down Nigel Griffith's neck. In fact, Marilyne was just 405 votes behind.

The moral of the story is that a vote for the SNP in places like Edinburgh Central and Dunfermline West might as well be votes for Labour.

Labour knows that Siobhan Mathers is on course to win and the only thing that will save their skin is an increase in the SNP vote.

Children and Alcohol

I'm quite saddened by the calls today to ban alcohol being given to children under 15. I was always allowed, in fact encouraged, to have a glass of wine with Sunday dinner. This has undoubtedly given me a rather expensive fondness for decent red, but it did mean that I knew what it was all about and I learned to drink sensibly. I have overindulged over the years, but not to huge excess.

I'm never very keen on these knee jerk solutions which involve banning things. We need to learn to drink better, and to do that we need to look at why young people are developing dependencies to drink and drugs at such young ages. What is missing from their lives and how do we put it back?

As usual I think part of it comes down to strong family life, loving parents, and close attachment. There's nothing as good as spending quality time with those you love and it's very sad that many people don't get to experience as much of that as they need.

The solution is not to ban, but to tackle the causes of the serious problem.

Prescription Relief

The Liberal Democrat pledge on prescription charges is set to bring relief to anybody who currently has to pay large amounts of money for prescribed drugs for chronic conditions not covered by current exemptions. The plans mean that the maximum anyone will pay will be one prescription charge per month. Everything above that will be free to all, and those people currently exempt will pay nothing at all.

I have been in contact with a fair number of people through my work whose lives have been blighted by illness and who currently have to find the money to find essential prescribed drugs. This move would make life easier for them.

Coupled with that is a pledge to give pharmacists greater powers to prescribe so that GP's time is freed up to concentrate on those who really need it.

The Hidden Cost of the SNP

Having been ordered to take the day off by the boss (he also forbade me from going anywhere near the computer, so please don't tell him) I was looking around for a new laptop. I went on one well known site and saw what I thought I wanted at a reasonable price. By the time I'd got through all the extras, the cost had pretty much doubled.

It's a bit like that with the SNP. They can talk but they sure can't count. If all their spending pledges were implemented, you'd have to put income tax up by around 9p to pay for it. Frankly, it's just not worth the pain.

Just as an aside, does anyone else find that countdown thing on their website and on their broadcasts irritating. You'd think they'd have made it more exciting but it's all a bit scary and looks like it's counting down to some huge explosion or something.

People turning to the Liberal Democrats

The Times poll this week showing the Liberal Democrats gaining support is no surprise to me. On the ground, all over the country, there is evidence that people want change. They are totally fed up with Labour because of cash for honours, Iraq and Trident, among other things. They absolutely do not want independence - not even a quarter of people actually support the idea.

So, they are turning to the people who have made the difference over the last eight years - free personal care, free eye and dental checks, ending tuition fees and now pledging to end the graduate endowment, delivering a new Forth crossing, STV for local government elections and all sorts. If the last one sounds boring, just wait until May 4th to see how liberating it is - local authorities will at last be free from one party dominance. People will have a real and fair choice in their local representation.

The Labour manifesto has so few ideas in it. It's almost like they sat round a table and thought - "Gosh, we haven't got a clue what to put in it and we can't be bothered thinking anything up - why don't we just throw some money at education cos people are interested in it." In contrast, the Liberal Democrat vision is clearly outlined and costed - free playgroup places for 2 year olds, one hour's physical education per day, zero tolerance of bullying - even the News of the World has given us positive comment on that one today. A positive vision rather than Labour's cynical and tired effort at manipulating the electorate.

Borrowman Fan Club - Scottish Branch

There's a lot of high quality literature going out in Scotland at the moment - and much of it is due, either directly or indirectly to Campaigns guru Duncan Borrowman. He has trained many of our best literature writers as well as coming up here to help in Edinburgh Central.

I remember during the Livingston by-election when we were working to a very tight timescale, Duncan went in to Cowley Street on a bank holiday weekend to finalise the production of our first tabloid. He then held my hand through a couple of major crises during the campaign.

He has a very good tactical mind, and he is always willing to share his knowledge and help out.

If I had a vote in the GLA selection, he would definitely be top of my list.

Siobhan Mathers for Edinburgh Central!

There's no point in pretending that I don't get emotionally involved in election campaigns - in every election, I have close friends standing and I desperately want them to win. So I'm going to use this blog to do a bit of shameless plugging for some of them - starting with my friend Siobhan Mathers in Edinburgh Central. We have a friendship which was forged on the streets of East Dunbartonshire helping Jo Swinson in 2005. Since then we've been through the Livingston by-election, where Siobhan's husband Charles Dundas was the candidate, the Moray by-election, the Dunfermline by-election where she worked on casework with me and the build up to her campaign to win Edinburgh Central.

Don't just take my opinion as to her prospects. The Observer both acknowledges her great personality and her chances of winning. In Edinburgh Central, it's clearly a two horse race between Labour and Liberal Democrat and a vote for anyone else just helps Labour.

I was amazed to find Siobhan all over the front page of the Scotsman on Easter Monday. It's not often you go to get petrol and Tesco and find your friend in the same sort of position usually reserved for supermodels and celebs:-)

Siobhan has tremendous energy and enthusiasm and is very focussed - she's good enough to be a minister in time - and will totally devote herself to getting the best deal for her constituents if elected. She has such a breadth of knowledge on so many issues and, having cut her professional teeth on the BSE Enquiry and in Europe, she certainly knows how to master a complex brief. Her analytical mind will have absorbed and understood a complicated document while I'm still struggling with the introduction.

She and I share a love of food and wine, but she is much more disciplined about it than I am.

She also wins the prize for the best campaign headquarters - I have never, in my life, seen a lace tablecloth on the envelope stuffing table. And flowers in the window too.

I hope she makes it into Holyrood - she will liven it up a bit, bringing flair, energy, humour and knowledge to benefit both the parliamentary party and, most importantly, her constituents. So, if you live in Edinburgh Central, vote for Siobhan.

News from the Dunfermline Front

Sorry I haven't been around for some time - I have barely had time to eat and sleep , in common with many political activists over the last 3 weeks, let alone find witty and interesting things to write here.

My day goes something like this. The alarm goes off somewhere between 6 and 7. I think "Noooooooooo. Not already. Please." I fight my way to semi consciousness, throw on some clothes, have some caffeine and get in the car and head over to Sunny Dunfermline. There I drown in a sea of casework until late evening when I come back in time to put Anna to bed and deal with e-mails or write envelopes or some other such campaign job. This is every day. I am lucky, though. I had the last weekend in March off, one of two I've had this year - actually it might have been 3 but I was ill on the third one. One of my colleagues hasn't had a day off since February.

It's all worth it in the cause of getting Jim Tolson elected to Holyrood. The Team is working really well together and it is a fun campaign. We have managed to do a huge amount of stuff and have had so much positive feedback. We believe in Jim and think he would make a fabulous MSP, but what really drives us on is that so many people get in touch and say that they are supporting us because Willie or one of the councillors have helped or they can see what a difference we are making. Some of the communications we have had have shown so much trust in Willie - one letter made me cry the other day, it was so lovely.

What really amazes me is that we are now almost three weeks in and I haven't had any junk food yet. In fact, my appalling diet has been transformed. No alcohol since 31 March, drinking loads of water and eating industrial quantities of fruit. There might be something in all this healthy eating stuff, because within days I felt better than I had in months and I although I feel exhausted, I don't feel unwell.

The family is resigned to never seeing me. This is the most involved I've been in a campaign since Anna was born. I did say to her the other day that I would have lots of time to spend with her after the election. She said "That sentence was going well until you mentioned the election." She doesn't seem too traumatised, though. My poor husband is suffering from my grumpiness but is being the glue that holds us all together. It's funny how different people react - my non political friends think I'm mad and being unreasonable to him, and the political ones think "It's an election. He should be used to it by now."

It is actually hell being away from them - I do miss them terribly and hate tearing myself away day after day. However, I was talking to a friend of mine recently. I first knew her when she was not much older than Anna and she has grown up with the rough and tumble of the electoral cycle dominating her family life. She is now standing as a Council Candidate with an excellent chance of winning. Maybe this will be Anna in 15 years' time. Eleanor has the best attributes of both her parents and will be a caring and hard working representative so good luck to her.

The Next First Minister

In less than 5 weeks we will have a good idea about who the next occupant of Bute House will be - who will lead Scotland through the next 4 years. The testosterone poisoned rants and name calling of Salmond and McConnell are hardly inspiring. Who can respect someone who slates another politician's teeth, as Salmond did Douglas Alexander? Who can be bothered with the tired old tirades which come from McConnell, Brown and Blair. I don't think he's said one single positive thing recently.

In contrast, Nicol Stephen has set out a bold and ambitious programme to tackle climate change, to deliver health care as locally as possible, to invest in young people rather than demonise them, to get rid of the unfair Council Tax. The target to produce 100% of electricity from renewable sources by 2050 will provide a cleaner and more sustainable future and attract investment to boost Scotland's economy.

I can barely bring myself to admit this, but it's nearly 20 years since I first came across Nicol during the 1987 when he stood in Kincardine and Deeside. That campaign laid the foundations for his stunning by-electon victory four years later. Over the years he has gained experience from local government, the Westminster Parliament, running his own business and, latterly, as a Minister. As a father of 4 young children, he understands exactly the pressures on Scottish families.

I've seen him at quite close quarters since he became leader two years ago so I have a reasonable idea of what makes him tick. He is at his best when he's out and about meeting people and listening to what they have to say. During the Livingston and Dunfermline by-elections, I lost count of the times when he would approach a group of young people who initially looked at him with, at best, suspicion. Within a few minutes, they were having a good, positive dialogue. He does make you feel that he is bothered about what you think.

Anyone with a family and a demanding job will know how difficult it can be to balance both and, for Nicol, his ministerial and party responsibilities do mean spending a lot of time away from home. I have always been impressed to see him taking the time out to ring his kids round about bedtime, no matter what else he is doing. You can't really imagine McConnell and Salmond paying much attention to the minutiae of domestic life, but Nicol understands what life is like for real people. I met him on a train on his way to Livingston during the by-election. He was on his mobile phone having a discussion with the customer services department of some company who had mucked up delivering some new appliance to his home. He was clearly getting the runaround but he deliberately and calmly got the matter sorted to his satisfaction.

He is not the sort of person to let anyone pull the wool over his eyes, be they civil servants, Party staff or Party workers. If he thinks he's not getting told the full story, he doesn't scream and strop, but he does question you quite forensically until he knows the exact situation - and if there's a problem he will give clear guidance and advice to sort it - he resolves instead of blaming.

While Nicol might not have the hot air and theatrics of the others, he's a decent human being and he does have the vision, the experience and the passion to lead Scotland forward.

Vince Cable on Strictly?

Thanks to Louise for pointing me in the direction of an Independent interview in which Vince Cable of all people says he'd love to do Strictly Come Dancing and put Craig Revel Horwood in his place. Now, much as I love Vince, mainly for coming to the Livingston by-election, working like a Trojan and being generally fabulous, I have to say that my money would be on Craig. I really don't think Vince could compete with the master of the put down and Craig is just that tiny bit better looking.

Unfortunately Vince can dance already which probably means he wouldn't be eligible for it, but I was trying to work out what dancer he should be partnered with. Karen Hardy's partnership with another quiet unassuming 50 something with a wicked sense of humour (Bill Turnbull) was legendary and I could just see her with Vince. Or of course Miss Whiplash herself, Erin Boag.......... So far she's had 3 sportsmen and Julian Clary. I wonder what she'd make of a politician. I'm exempting Camilla Dallerup because I want her to win this year if Anton doesn't:-)

Seriously, though, after Julia Goldsworthy's excellent run in The Games, I'd love to see one of our lot do Strictly, especially one of the Scots so I could badger them for tickets:0)

Sister Alert

I discovered earlier tonight that my sister reads this blog. I have no idea how on earth she found it, but, Honor, welcome to my world. And remember that if you were a nurse in England, you would have had to wait until October to get your pay rise in full............ Now what's the difference between the Government in England and the Scottish Executive?

She tells me that she would have commented on here before now if she had known she could have done so anonymously. So from now on, she will get the blame for every anonymous comment.

So, will I change what I write now I know she's reading it?

Nah.......:-)

Singalonga..........

Last night we had our last pre-election night out, to Singalonga Sound of Music in Edinburgh. It was absolutely fabulous, although I had been somewhat worried by my daughter's insistence that, rather than put on her readily available cat costume, she would go as a wild goose flying high with the moon on her wings. With the help of Debbie at work, and with Elspeth's inspiration, we managed to create a sweet costume.

I had never been before and had rather stupidly assumed that we would simply watch the film and sing along. In fact, there was an hour's entertainment before the film even came on - lots of singing, learning the actions to Doe a Deer, discovering what parts of our goodie bags to wave at what point in the film.

I have never seen so many nuns under one roof in my life but I was slightly bemused to see what looked like a chapter of the Klu Klux Klan out and about. It turned out that they were a mountain range with snowy peaks. Anna and Elspeth (a very fetching girl in a white dress with a blue satin sash) went up on stage but, incredibly, didn't win anything. Some of the costumes were inspired - someone in full Orthodox Jewish garb saying they were "adieu, adieu, adieu" from the song the "Clock in the Hall"

The showing of the film was pure panto - cheers for Maria, hisses for the Baronness, boos for the Nazis, but by 11.30 when it finished we were all exhausted. Not good on a school, let alone a work's night, but well worth the consequences today.

I must have watched the film millions of times, but never on the big screen. It was truly spectacular and great fun - and probably more effective than any anti-depressant:-)

It definitely raised the spirits - now I'm looking for Singalonga Abba...........

Tabloid Trouble

The local SNP has been putting out a tabloid newspaper where I live. My first thought is that whoever designed it needs to go to Desk Top Publishing School. Two extremely unflattering mugshots in the front page doesn't necessarily pass the "Bin Test" - being able to grab the reader's attention in the time it takes from doorstep to bin. I only read it because I have to and I can't imagine it inspiring anyone else. I guess they may have been relying on the fact that it takes longer to get to the recycling bin these days, but even so.............

I was also particularly bemused by an unfunny caricature of one of the local Labour councillors, who just happens to be significantly higher up the food chain than most Labour politicians I've come across in my time.

I would also have been spitting furious if my daughter had appeared in another political party's newspaper simply by taking part in an event in her school. I hope they had the permission of every single parent of every single child to publish that photo.....

Happy Mother's Day

I have suffered a grade 1 assault on my emotions in the run-up to Mother's Day. First came the Brownies Posh Pink Party on Wednesday. Mums were invited along and served with juice, cake, songs and poems from our talented daughters.

On Friday, Anna's school held a Mother's Day assembly where the staff were handing out tissues at the door. Before the children had even come into the hall, we were treated to Westlife songs coupled with heart with loving messages on each chair and a display with sweet quotes about motherhood.

The tears really did start to flow when the children started reading. Anna's reading was "I can't put into words how much you mean to me, how much I admire you and how much I appreciate the things you do for me." Some of my so-called friends say that it should be Bob who was there given my frequent absence on election preparation at the moment, and they are probably right - but he'll get his turn come Father's Day:-)

This morning was very sweet - Anna had made me some wonderful cards which brought a tear to my eye and gave me 3 presents - The Queen on dvd, which I am just about to go and watch, a CD called "Me Time" - 2 weeks from an election campaign, not very likely, but I can listen to it in May, maybe, and a box of chocolates from Plaisir du Chocolat. The Prune and Armagnac ones are particularly heavenly.

This was all very lovely, but it's Anna who deserves the praise today. I could never do anything in my life which even comes close to the joy she gives me every single day. I always think that every phase she goes through is the cutest ever and she couldn't get any better, but she always does.

A special thought today to Dani and Siobhan - this is really your first Mother's Day, so enjoy it as you prepare for the arrival of your babies later this year.

What does half a million buy?

So, Brian Souter has decided to give half a million to the SNP. His last major financial contribution in the political arena came with his homophobic Keep the Clause campaign seven years ago.

Certainly it's up to him who he gives his money to. What worries me is that the SNP does not have any clear philosophy which respects the rights of the individual and they are accepting money from someone who does not support the rights of same sex partners to enjoy the same rights as heterosexual couples. What might this mean for future legislation? Already we have seen the SNP support exemptions for Catholic adoption agencies to allow them to turn away gay couples, regardless of what is best for the child.

Can we trust them to protect hard-won recognition for same sex partnerships?

Celebrity Fame Academy

So I've been indulging in some Sunday night reality tv. Not good, but just what I need at this moment. It's quite scary how attractive I find both Richard Park and Craig Revel Horwood (but not Patrick Kielty under any circumstances) no matter how much rubbish they talk. Mel Giedroyc was fantastic, so was Tara P-T. Tricia Penrose was slated by the judges for no good reason other than the fact that her stylist should be shot. Ray Stubbs, like football, hugely over-rated. Fred Macauley will probably get my patriotic vote and Shaun Williamson did the business but I don't want him to win. Colin Murray has the lovely Irish accent but he can't sing for toffee.

I don't actually care that much, but this brings a pleasant interlude, for a good cause, to a stressed pre election Sunday.

Congratulations to Ed and Dani

I was delighted to get a message from Ed Maxfield this morning directing me to the news on his and Dani's website.

It's great that they are going to be welcoming a little Maxfield in September. Let's hope he or she will be a good playmate for Baby Dundas at conferences in the future.

Scottish Tory Party Conference Broadcast

Tonight's Scottish Tory broadcast should go down in history as one of the worst ever. I wish I had a copy so I could post it to show how dire it was. It almost makes Rosie Barnes and her rabbits look good. Cheap and irrelevant.

All it basically showed is that the Tories have no ideas and are worth ignoring. It makes you think David Mundell had a point.

Compare and contrast with the professional and positive Lib Dem effort posted here. And, no, I'm not just saying that cos I'm in it.

Rail Strike Mayhem

Typically, the only day in ages I needed to use the rail network was yesterday when the signallers were on strike. There was still a reduced service between home and Edinburgh which meant we were not put to too much inconvenience.

Others weren't so lucky as there were no trains beyond Stirling.

I always like to look into the circumstances of these disputes and look at the behaviour of the participants. What I like to see is genuine negotiation and continued attempts to resolve the situation.

I was disappointed to see that the RMT had refused to go to conciliation. What can they possibly lose by sitting round a table?

However, I was truly horrified by a quote from the Union which included the phrase "Network Rail have been drafting in scab managers". I have always felt sorry for the way strikebreakers across the history of disputes have been villified. I guess it's the Liberal in me, valuing the rights of the individual. If a Union has a good case it will win the hearts and minds of its members. That doesn't apply in this case, but the use of the word scab is offensive and inflammatory and it should be sent to Room 101 immediately.

You don't see industrial unrest in organisations where employees are valued and where there is a healthy, positive culture. Large public sector monoliths are havens for bullying, archaic, ineffective management styles and general discontent. Both management and workforce should put their minds to improving the culture of their organisation and start behaving like adults in the way they resolve disputes.

Public name calling is a turn off - stop doing it and sort your issues out. I certainly couldn't afford to lose 6 days' income in a month - it must be a nightmare for the union members out on strike. I don't think that unions always serve their members' interests well and it's time they committed themselves to finding a speedy, satisfactory resolution.

Raining on our Parade

Norfolk Blogger thinks he can rain on our parade by pointing out that lunar eclipses happen really, really often. However, this is the first one we've enjoyed as a family and got excited about. It's also supposed to be the best in years. It may never happen again like this for us. So we're enjoying it. So there:-)

Totality

Well it should be by now but there's still a white edge to the moon. What's strange is that we're the only family out viewing this. Or maybe we're strange............

Have just remembered I haven't had any dinner. Lovely Oohla's Dunfermline burger at lunchtime has left me satisfied until now.

The First Bit of Orange

In amongst the pearly white of the little bit of moon still visible, there's the shadow and a definite bit of orange round the edges.

Daughter is out there with clothes, dressing gown, fleece and blanket.

Husband still in t-shirt.

But he's making hot chocolate for all.

The moon is starting to disappear

It looks so much better through the binoculars. The camera doesn't pick up the half of it.

Darned technology

It looks fab. But when we try to take a photo on full zoom - no luck, and we can't find the shiny new camera we bought when we went to Mallorca at Christmas.

Climate Change action needed

He says it's 'cos of global warming. I disagree. The front door is open and it's bloomin' (this is a family blog) freezin'

Mad Husband

Can you believe it? It's early March, after dark, and my husband is outside in his t-shirt looking at the eclipse. Not good.

Lunar Eclipse - Live

Have gone to look for myself. It's not cloud. It's the start of the eclipse. Wow.

Lunar Eclipse Disaster

I can't believe how excited I am about the forthcoming lunar eclipse. Only half an hour to go.

Typically, a cloud has just started to pass before the moon where we are.......................

That Trident Vote

I was absolutely heartsick when I heard the result of the Trident vote. Only 40 votes in it and I wasn't there. If I had known the strength of feeling in the party at large was so close, I would have gone. It wasn't just the result - the quality of the debate was utterly magnificent and the atmosphere must have been incredible.

It does take guts for a leader, staring defeat in the face, to take to the rostrum and speak for his cause. He took a risk - if the vote had gone the other way we would have had a procession of sombre faced journalists in best obituary writing mode. I suspect he made the difference, but he made it well so I can't feel annoyed with him, however hard I try.

There is every possibility that, when the time comes, the party could still decide that the international situation warrants unilateral nuclear disarmament. These weapons are aimed entirely at civilians so my position is that having them at all is wrong. However, this doesn't set me at odds with my party.

The vote that matters in weeks to come is the one in the House of Commons later this month. Whatever side of the debate we were on today, we would all vote against the Labour Government's ludicrous position - to nip down to Bombs R Us and get whatever's on offer.

Ming - One Year On

This weekend's conference in Harrogate marks the first anniversary of Ming Campbell's election as leader of the Liberal Democrats. It's no great secret that I did not support his campaign, but I have been pleasantly surprised by his first year in office.

I think he compares well to Blair, Brown and Cameron. Cameron is just Blair Mark 2 and there's no evidence that the public has any great regard for him. Brown signed the cheques for the war in Iraq and is just as culpable for Labour's failings as Blair. Ming, on the other hand, brings authority, consistency and an unwavering Liberal approach. I would sleep a lot easier in my bed if Ming were making the decisions on global and internal security and justice. I like also the change in emphasis on taxation - the Green Tax Switch.

Within the party, he has made some incredibly sensible appointments. There also appears to be a less combative approach towards the grassroots of the Party - some previous leaders' offices have tended to treat the activists as a minor inconvenience, and this is definitely not the case with Ming's team. He is also giving significant time and effort into encouraging greater diversity amongst our candidates.

In Scotland, Ming and Nicol complement each other very well. Ming has the expertise to restore our global standing and to work towards a more peaceful world, while Nicol's passion for the environment and giving young people all they need to fulfil their potential is exactly what Scotland needs at the moment. They also seem to like each other, and talk to each other sometimes in contrast to Blair and McConnell and there's not much evidence that David Cameron knows who Annabel Goldie is.

Not bad for an English bloke

That nice Duncan Borrowman has a pretty good understanding of Scottish politics for an English bloke.

I am gutted that I saw neither him nor Pink Dog at Aviemore. This has to show how big Scottish conference has become.

The big thing about the SNP is how much they would cost. Not only would they insist on a referendum on independence even if it was the expressed will of the Scottish people that they didn't want to be a separate state, but if you added up all the spending pledges they have made over the years, you would have to put 9p on income tax to implement them.

I suspect the Nats are a bit like those toys you always wanted at Christmas which looked shiny and glitzy but when you took them out of their packaging you discovered that they were a bit artificial and couldn't do half the stuff you'd imagined.

It's difficult to respect a leader who makes such pointless personal attacks on people. I can think of many issues to take with New Labour policy, but there's no justification for going on about someone's teeth.

Choose a Bright Future

I haven't got time to post my conference report at the moment, but it was a fantastic weekend. Do scroll down and see the new conference broadcast, posted entirely self indulgently, as I'm in it. It's the second video link down. Enjoy. It looked pretty wicked shown on a huge screen in the Conference auditorium.

Fast Response

I sent an e-mail to ITV to complain about a remark Russell Brand made while presenting the Brits. I can just about cope with him going on interminably about his private parts, however unfunny I might find it, but referring to breastfeeding babies as "little perverts" to an audience comprised of a significant number of young people was pretty irresponsible. Yes, I'm a Liberal, and he can say what he likes, and I would never stop him - but I reserve the right to argue with him.

I always believe that if you feel strongly enough about something you should do something about it so I fired off an e-mail to ITV, feeling fairly confident I'd never hear anything again but at least I'd said my piece.

Within 10 minutes I had an obviously standard response, so they'd had a few complaints, but I was impressed that they'd bothered to respond.

Off to Conference

Tomorrow we all converge on Aviemore for Scottish Conference. It should be a fantastic event. I'm looking forward to the consultation session on Trident and to the debates on health and early years education and lots of exciting fringe meetings with everyone from Children First to the Society of Podiatrists.

It's also a great chance to catch up with everyone. I expect there will be quite a buzz with the elections rapidly approaching. Danny Alexander MP or his extremely persuasive staff will no doubt try to thrust a bundle of leaflets to deliver on each of us as we leave.

One prospective candidate for May who had better remain nameless found out from reading this blog that I had been in his constituency and chastised me on our next meeting for failing to deliver any leaflets while I was there. Such single mindedness is to be admired - I think.

I'm particularly pleased to see that we're having a young candidates' session - that there are enough of them to make it worthwhile. Stuart Douglas at just 18 will be taking on Jack IMcConnell in Motherwell and Wishaw. I first met him during the General Election in 2005 when he was so keen to learn and help and listen. He will do us proud. So will Shabnum Mustapha in Glasgow. She has a very calm, clear air of wisdom and authority and is a lovely person. She would make an excellent representative and, I hope, will go far.

I remember being a young, enthusiastic new party member way back in 1983. It's quite scary to think that it's not long until I've been involved for a whole quarter of a century and I'm not yet 40.

I hope that my daughter takes something from my political involvement. I have always told her that the main reason I do it now is to try to make sure the world she grows up in is a good and fair world. Maybe she will stand as a 20 year old in the 2019 Holyrood elections......

She has been exposed to the Liberal Democrats ever since I carried her round as 3 week old and read her all the leadership election manifestos. Her first proper trip out of the house was to stuff a regional mailing. She was my inspiration for the spoonsored labour I did to raise funds for the 1999 European election campaign. I don't think I've ever told her that, though.......

Anyway, I will report back next week once the exhaustion wears off. Conference is quite a frenetic experience.

I should mention that the person who organised an AGM to take place at 9.15 on Sunday morning, so that I have to get out of bed 45 minutes earlier than I should, has a very special place in my heart.

A Valentine's Appreciation

Okay, I won't make this too slushy, I promise, but I do feel that I should publicly express my appreciation for my husband Bob. Even more so given the exotic and delicious chocolates he brought home for me yesterday.

I was a teenager when I met him nearly 20 years ago and he was a divorced man nearly twice my age. He has put up with all sorts over the years, not least playing second fiddle to the Liberal Democrats. All my friends (I was told in no uncertain terms last week that it wasn't, as I'd thought, just my non political friends) feel sorry for him because he spends so much time supporting our family. If he were a woman, he probably wouldn't attract quite so much sympathy, but he does probably deserve it for surviving two decades with me. He once said that one of the things he liked most about being with me was that he didn't know quite what I was going to do next:-)

The best thing about him is that he's a wonderful dad - he's trusted my parenting instincts, he has such a strong relationship with our daughter and she absolutely and utterly adores him.

His support has brought out the best in me and I know that my life would not have been as good without him.

So, thanks for everything...........

Children First?

I was quite impressed to read Steve Webb's take on yesterday's report which stated that British kids, despite living in one of the wealthiest countries on the planet, did not fare so well in wellbeing - coming bottom of a study of children in 21 industrialised nations. It was good to see a politician recognise the value of raising confident citizens who can fulfil their potential.

It is an abomination that so many children are still living in poverty. You would think a Labour government would have done something about it, but yet again they are found wanting.

In terms of mental health, it's hardly surprising that we have such a poor record. The Netherlands and Scandinavian countries who have the top four places are renowned for healthy lifestyles, healthy breastfeeding rates and, in the case of the Scandinavian countries, much more severe restrictions on the sale of artificial baby milk. Their maternity leave provision is also much more generous than our's. Anyone who has ever been to Spain, who came fifth, will know how highly children are valued. When we go there, we tend to eat late along with all the Spanish families and it's very telling to see how involved the children are in the conversation and how, without exception, the entire family tucks into the biggest mound of fruit and vegetables, showing that it's not impossible to wean them off the chicken nuggets. Jamie Oliver would be in Heaven.

Here, the prevailing culture seems to be that children are some sort of inconvenience to socialise with when necessary. The rise in the number of "family pubs" with vast soft play areas keeps children out of proper restaurants, where they would be welcome in Spain. I am appalled to hear parents complain about the advent of the school holidays because they will have the kids around all day. I cherish every moment I have with my daughter and dread the Easter holidays only because I will hardly see her due to the election campaign - it will really hurt not to have that time with her. She will be fine, as she'll be home with her Dad, but I will suffer.

The way in which we handle relationship breakdown in this country also leaves a lot to be desired. The whole system is designed to create an adversarial environment, and often the needs of the kids are not treated as a priority. People talk about their rights and not about what is best for the children. My aunt and uncle provide a fantastic example of how to break up properly - they split up completely amicably, found a routine for the kids that worked for everyone and even now, 20+ years on, the whole family has lunch together every Sunday.

I wasn't surprised to see another study show a benefit to breastfeeding. There are so many obvious benefits to establishing a successful breastfeeding relationship. The authors of this study can't suggest whether the benefit is emotional or physiological but my guess is that it's a bit of both.

There is enough evidence now to warrant significant investment in ensuring that mothers are not let down by bad information and inadequate support. Department of Health figures in England show that of all mothers who give up breastfeeding within the first 6 weeks, 90% don't want to. I have been shocked to find, over the years, that health professionals don't know things about breastfeeding management that I would consider basic. Even worse, we actually have to pass legislation to give women the right to feed their babies in public.

Our cultural attitudes to breastfeeding are bizarre. Russell Brand, that great childrearing guru, made a really obnoxious comment about breastfeeding babies being little perverts, not helpful in a programme being watched by so many young people.

Anyway, this campaign gives hope that something is being done to ensure that women are given the information and support they need. Without the support I got, the initial hell would never have been able to turn into the eventual bliss and both my daughter and I would have suffered.

Conrad Carruthers,welcome to the Big Siblings Club

My good friend who lives in Kinross celebrated the birth of her new nephew this weekend. I wish many congratulations to the happy family on their new arrival, Cameron. As an older sibling myself, I also wish to welcome 2 year old Conrad to the Big Siblings Club. I know that he will be an excellent big brother and will lead Cameron into all sorts of mischief in years to come. Today is also his second birthday, so I hope you had a fantastic day, Conrad.

Pink Dog and Dino

Mr Maxfield has sent me down Memory Lane again.

My daughter has become addicted to Pink Dog's blog and reads it faithfully. Today's posting just shows how much of a Dog after My own Heart she is.

Anyway, last year, Anna was worried that Pink Dog was lonely and so provided a companion. I do wish to make clear at this point that neither Dino nor Pink Dog (to my knowledge) have ever dated a Cheeky Girl.

Scotrail's dismal start to the year

It's not just Ayrshire and Glasgow which has been suffering poor performance on the railways since the start of the year. Those of us who had been moderately impressed with First Scotrail's running of the service are thinking again in the face of delays, ill considered re-timetabling and insufficient coaches. Willie Rennie MP has taken this up with them because it simply isn't good enough.

In West Lothian, they have changed the times of the trains so that my husband now can't get home until after 6, when he used to be in nearly half an hour earlier. He says it feels like they are slipping into the old days, with delays and cancellations for no apparent reason and a complacent, nonchalant attitude from staff.

CSA Bonuses - £25 million for what?

I almost choked on my breakfast when I heard that senior staff at the discredited Child Support Agency were being given bonuses totalling £25 million this year. What on earth would they have been given if they'd done their jobs well? A country house and a private jet?

This is an organisation which spectactularly fails in its objectives - it is not efficient in collecting money from those who won't pay, can be unfair on those who can't pay, and there are many families living in poverty as a result of the CSA's poor performance.

What a difference the £25 million would have made to those families.

One Year On

By rights I should have posted this on Friday but I got in way too late, having been at a dinner celebrating the first anniversary of the election of Willie Rennie MP.

Now, much more important than the political significance of the occasion, was the quality of the food, which was absolutely fantastic. I started with pate and oatcakes with plum chutney, which I knew would be a winner from our work Christmas lunch, then I had roast beef, which was gorgeous. Usually when you go to these affairs, the beef is much more overcooked than I would like it to be but this was perfect. I finished off with meringue, cream and lots of fruit. The portions were a decent size (unless you had the melon starter). So, where was this wonderful place? The Wood Mill restaurant in Dunfermline. The owners of that also have Oohla's restaurant, which just happens to be across the road from the office and we almost inevitably end up there if we are working at weekends.

Anyway, it was a fabulous night. Over the last few weeks, I've been enjoying quite a few flashbacks to the campaign - the suboptimal, shall we say, political background, the long hours worked by the campaign team, the joy of outnumbering the opposition anywhere we found them. For a campaigner, it was the ultimate learning experience.

I will never forget the moment when I found out we'd won. I'd really felt for a few days that it was on the cards - you know your message is getting across when you start to hear it back from people on the doorsteps, and you could just feel it in the air. Anyway, after the polls closed, my friend Liz and I had the glamorous job of heading to Tesco to buy bin bags. We decided as well that we would buy ourselves some half decent wine to drink - but forgot that we couldn't as it was after 10pm. Anyway, we did our shopping and then I realised that my car was running on the whiff of an oily rag. My mobile phone rang just as we were pulling in to the petrol station. I know you're not supposed to answer them, but when I saw it was Somebody Who Was Likely to Know Something, I couldn't resist. As that person told me that we had won by around 2000 votes, I shouted out some extremely bad language. Liz thought that it had all gone disastrously wrong, but when she realised the truth, we cheered all the way down the road to HQ.

Party leader Nicol Stephen and Willie Rennie both gave very positive speeches about our prospects in May and particularly our hopes to elect Jim Tolson as MSP for Dunfermline West and Alex Cole Hamilton, Andrew Arbuckle and Peter Barrett as list MSPs for Mid Scotland and Fife. All the signs are good, but the next 81 days will be an exhausting blur.....

Bird Flu

I didn't really need Norfolk Blogger to wind me up about Bird Flu. I have already been petrified at the prospect for a good couple of Winters. If we don't keep it under control and it starts spreading from human to human, we are in trouble as there aren't enough antiviral drugs to go round. With a child and (albeit a very young) 55 year old in this house, I worry.

Today's news about the outbreak in Suffolk is much worse than the death of a lonely swan in picturesque Cellardyke last year. I guess I just have to put my faith in Ross Finnie who was almost univerally praised for his performance during the Foot and Mouth epidemic in 2001.

As an aside, I am a fairly committed carnivore but do try to make sure that what I eat has had as good a life as possible. My daughter, at 7, already refuses completely to eat meat. She loves animals and cannot reconcile herself to the idea of eating them. This causes me no end of grief as I panic over whether she's getting enough protein as she doesn't like many of the more reliable non animal sources, but she's growing, she's healthy and she's pretty much perfectly built so maybe I should just relax.

I wonder if the reports of the conditions in which these birds were kept will help to improve life for them in the future. What struck me was someone saying that they didn't know how the virus could have got in because the birds never went outside - that's 160,000 of them, all cooped up in not very much space. Maybe awareness of their plight will inspire people to be more choosy about what they buy.

Strictly Come Blogging

I am aware that at least one of the regulars here is a fellow Strictly Come Dancing fan - so for a special treat I thought I'd do a bit of a plug for Strictly Come Blogging. The author, Louise, certainly knows her stuff and has provided an entertaining commentary on all things Strictly which, thankfully, continues all year round, just like the Liberal Democrats.

Get Well Soon, Helen

My friend Helen has been in hospital for the last 3.5 weeks but, I'm delighted to say, is finally well enough to go home. There was no earthly point in posting this before because they don't tend to have internet connections on hospital wards, so I just want to say that she's a star, and I hope she is soon back to full strength.

Any suggestions of suitable websites to make her laugh during her recovery will be greatly appreciated.

170 Days to Go

So what will you be doing in 170 days' time?

I will be switching off the phone, sending the family out somewhere, and curling up on the settee with the final Harry Potter.

I will be desperate to read it and desperate not to finish it because then the whole journey will be over.

Being of a fairly cowardly disposition, I will have to finish it in daylight. I came to the climax of the last one lying in bed with all around me asleep at around 2 in the morning and I was absolutely petrified. I know it's not really that scary, but I get upset when Fraulein Maria goes back to the Abbey in the Sound of Music.

For the record, I think Snape is a goodie. But then that's typical Liberal optimism and belief in human (or wizard) nature shining through.

Some people have no stamina

So Iain Dale's (our's not the Tory's) blog seems to have been a bit of a one day wonder. Some people just haven't got the stamina:-)

I do hope I'm wrong because I was quite looking forward to his ruminations on a fairly regular basis - and to the other one getting a bit upset at his thunder being stolen.

Taking choice from Parents

I'm slightly concerned at the Government's proposals to force lone parents back to work and off benefits when their youngest child reaches the age of 12. Yet again the value of raising children goes unrecognised. I know of a fair few parents who worked when their children were small but gave up when they were teenagers because they needed a parent around for all sorts of reasons. Adolescence can be scary and difficult and having a loving parent around when you need them can make the difference between a damaged adult and an effective contributor to society.

It's not the principle of working parents I object to - I'm one myself and I know that if my mum hadn't gone back to work, one of us would not be alive today to tell the tale. It's more the idea of compulsion. Parents know their own children's needs best, and it's the taking away of that choice to do what they consider best to meet those needs that I think is wrong.

Actually it's not just lone parents who have that choice taken from them. Many families can't afford to live without two incomes with the lack of affordable housing and rising energy costs.

I'm not impressed by the argument that all we have to do is provide childcare. The reason we are usually born one or two at a time is because we need a fair bit of nurturing in our early days, preferably from a small number of people. I would always recommend a book called "Why Love Matters. How affection shapes a baby's brain", by Sue Gerhardt for a comprehensive illustration of why responsive, individual care is required for optimum brain development. Put simply, take a baby out if its comfort zone, away from a parent, and you risk flooding the brain with cortisol and interfering with the development of the part of the brain that deals with social skills.

For older children I worry about the move to have schools open from 8 until 6. The school day can be quite onerous and many children need some quiet time and space after school just to rest or play. The noisy environment of an after school club can be quite stressful for them.

I think we need to find more flexible methods of working and supporting parents to be with their children if they want to do that, not invest massive amounts of money solely in keeping parents and children apart.

Of course, working is much more stressful if you are a lone parent. You don't always have anyone else to take care of the children if they are ill. You can be totally lost if your shifts are changed or you are expected to work extra hours and employers are not always understanding about time off for family responsibilities. I wonder if the Government has actually thought about what it is actually like for real people to have to do this. Somehow I doubt it.

Imitation is...........

Can I recommend that you take a look at this brand new blog - you may need sunglasses as it's a bit loud. I was quite struck by the title........

I'm quite flattered really.

Doctor Who Heaven

I would have thought that I would have been in the deepest of disgrace after my behaviour outlined in the previous post, but I was delighted when my poor long suffering husband came back from shopping yesterday with Season 2 of Doctor Who on DVD for me.

I missed a few episodes due to the Moray by-election so am looking forward to catching up. I loved Doctor Who as a child and totally fell in love with Tom Baker when I was about 6. I am also one of the few who thought Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred made a fab combination. Having met both of them several times at various conventions, they are great fun. My most bizarre convention moment was seeing Elisabeth Sladen smoking - I thought, Sarah Jane Smith can't do that. And she hadn't aged that much, either.

Anyway, I am looking forward to having the time to sit down and watch the new season two. Daleks and cybermen in the same episode - pure genius. "This is not war, this is pest control" was not a pleasant sentiment, but very funny.

Life Begins

This weekend seems to have disappeared quite quickly - partly due to some quite disgraceful over indulgence on Friday night. Our neighbour celebrated her 40th birthday with a wonderful and lively party in a local community centre and then we all went back to her house. My long suffering husband took our daughter home at around 2am and I said I'd be home in 10 minutes when I'd finished my glass of wine.

Err, well, it was actually 8.17 when I rolled in. I always suspected disaster if I were ever allowed anywhere near a karaoke machine. I always had dreams of pop stardom as a child and I had a great time belting out the likes of Total Eclipse of the Heart. Rumours of windows shattering in the street have, fortunately, proved to be entirely unfounded, but the problem with even a relatively small excess of alcohol is that you think you are a lot better at things than you actually are.

Boy, was I ill on Saturday. Not quite as bad as the neighbour who missed his daughter's birthday party, but bad enough.

The tragic thing is that I was secretly proud that there was life in the old dog yet. The slightly worrying thing is that there are 3 more 40th birthdays in the street, mine included, in the next 6 months.

What about the children?

I hope that all we Liberals are writing to Tony Blair and Ruth Kelly to argue against any exemption for Catholic adoption agencies to the new equality laws.

The most important thing in deciding on the suitability of prospective adoptive parents is surely their ability to provide a loving, stable home for a child who may well have been damaged in early life. If they have the skills and the commitment to do that, then they should be allowed to adopt. End of story.

The laws of the land apply to everybody equally otherwise we create all sorts of problems for ourselves. I bet if we went to John Reid and said "We're liberals and we don't agree with ID cards on principle, can we be exempt from having one?" that he'd laugh in our faces so it's important that they don't accommodate the narrow view of a few religious organisations.

What worries me in these circumstances is that the non Liberal forces are extremely good at mobilising, whereas the liberal voice isn't quite as loud - which is why we all need to get e-mailing.

Where is Pink Dog?

Duncan Borrowman is being overly pessimistic in suggesting that some terrible fate has befallen Pink Dog. Does he not realise that being a chocolate coinosseur takes time? Although I hope better quality chocolate was being used than in the Domestic Doggess video to be found on PD's blog.

However, it has been some time and a sign that all was well would be very welcome.

Go Hillary

I'm glad to see that Hillary has thrown her hat into the ring. Conventional wisdom says that she's too much of a polarising figure and that she won't, even if teamed up with Barack Obama, be able to lead the Democrats to victory. I think with a bold campaign she could win, as long as she ensures she campaigns on her agenda and not that of the Republicans.

Duncan Borrowman and Ed Maxfield have put it much better than I have on their blogs, which, in the absence of me knowing how to put a link here, you will need to access from the Lib Dem Blogs button below.

I am not entirely sure, though, that either Gore or Condi could put too much of a spanner in the works. Certainly Al has become a lot more user friendly and useful in the years since his 2000 victory in the popular vote, but I'm not persuaded he could carry support across the country. Condi is way too much associated with Iraq, where the situation is only going to get worse.

Anyway, I hope that two years from today we are watching the first full day in office of a Democrat President who will be a force for positive change and will finally get the US to do something about global warming.

Not so Goody

I may be the only one in the country to feel like this but I must confess to having quite a bit of sympathy for Jade Goody. Not because I condone her behaviour in the Celebrity Big Brother house, because I don't. The way she and the other girls treated Shilpa was immature and unacceptable. However, I am appalled by the way in which she has now become our national hate figure. Headlines such as Beauty and the Bigot and the heated words which accompany them are much, much worse than anything she did or said in the house.

Jade has made something of a living out of being immature and, on occasion, obnoxious. I remember her first stint in the house in 2002 where she argued with anyone who crossed her about trivialities. I probably shouldn't admit to this but I saw her in another reality programme a couple of years ago where she behaved in much the same way. Her behaviour in the current programme is pretty much par for the course. Channel 4 and Endemol knew what they were getting when they asked her to participate in the programme.

I worry about all the bile being thrown at her which is not that far away from mass hysteria. If the tabloid press, which is doing so much to stir it up, really wanted to advance equalities in this country, they might choose to be a little more responsible in the way they conduct their businesss. When did they ever campaign against the appalling detention of families in Dungavel? Why do they frequently print scaremongering articles which are bound to incite tensions between communities? When did you last see a positive article about asylum seekers? Why do they kick up such a fuss at the thought of gay people being treated equally in commercial matters?

It's almost like they're whipping up this tide of resentment against Jade to convince us that she's the baddy and the rest of us are just fine. We can show what a tolerant lot we are by voting Jade off the programme and out of our lives. The reality is that, unpleasant though Jade and Co's comments might have been, they are nothing compared to some attitudes out there. Most people I know would recoil in disgust if they read a piece of BNP election literature, yet they are scarily popular in some places. And while we're on the subject, how come Simone Clarke, the English National Ballet principal dancer has virtually escaped disapproval for her membership of the BNP? Double standards, surely?

This sorry episode just goes to prove how far we have to go on all sorts of equality issues.

The First Flush of Love

It's a long time since I've fallen in love, but I do remember the passion, the intensity, the desire to share every detail with my friends. However, unlike Gabriela Imiria, my friends did not include Fiona Phillips and her one million viewers, not to mention anyone who read the full account on the BBC Website.

I wish both her and Lembit well, but do we really need to hear every intimate detail on every media outlet?

I hope this relationship lasts because I don't think I could cope with the break up.

Touch My Bum

Don't worry, I don't mean literally.........

Poor old Lembit. You couldn't make it up. Old girlfriend talks to Mail on Sunday, new girlfriend talks to the News of the World.

One of the problems of being in public life - you can't do the normal things that happen in life without the world knowing about it. It's sad, but relationships do end. I'm sure the intervention of tabloid newspapers can't make it any easier for anyone, though.

I hope that everyone's favourite asteroid spotter finds happiness in the future.

Much Ado About Trident

There has been much controversy about whether we should replace Trident. My instinctive reaction is that we should not. While we can't equip our troops with the basics, I'm not convinced that we should be rushing out to Bombs 'R' Us to spend billions on some smart missile which, we hope, will never be used.

The policy to be debated at Party Conference in March has obviously been carefully thought out. It is based around the recommendation of an influential Parliamentary Select Committee that the decision does not have to be made yet. The debate within the Party over the next 3 months will, I hope, be constructive and thoughtful.

The whole thrust of the policy is to encourage disarmament eventually, with an immediate halving of our nuclear arsenal. There is a part of me that thinks that the UK has spread so much bad karma around the world over the last few years that maybe we should spend some time trying to get disarmament to happen on a global scale.

If we abandon our weapons unilaterally and slink away from the international top table, nobody will really notice or care. However, if we were to use the forthcoming few years to make some progress in some way towards sustainable worldwide disarmament, then the question of buying a new system may not arise. It may well be worth a try.

The Government's unseemly dash for renewal is completely unnecessary and typical of their knee jerk responses to most things. Remember, these are the people who think ID cards will combat terrorism..................

Sad Times

It has been a rather sad few weeks in our house. First there was the untimely demise of the daughter's much loved hamster. It was horrible to see her go through real grief for the first time. I was so impressed by the way she dealt with it - particularly as it was she who lifted his body out of the cage and laid it in a shoebox for burial. I could never have done that at her age and probably not even now. She drew some pictures of him and we had a small burial ceremony in the garden at which she and her best friend lay flowers.

This lesson in the rituals surrounding death unfortunately turned out to be reinforced just a week later when my legend of a great aunt died. I will miss her so much. To an outsider she could have appeared formidable, but I could talk to her about anything. When my husband and I got together amid shock and horror from some parts of the family, she was very supportive. I was so surprised when we went to stay with her a few months after we had started living together and were shown to a double bedroom. I would never have expected her to allow such a thing but she was totally cool about it.

She and I disagreed politically on just about everything. She couldn't have been more Tory but we had some illuminating and enjoyable debates. Her son, my second cousin, is a bit of a leftie and he, in the most perfect eulogy I have ever heard, summed up how they had their differences and arguments, but how the arguments didn't matter because they were about interesting things.

One thing she could never be accused of was holding back her opinions - she told you exactly what she thought, but never with any malice, and usually with a great deal of humour.

She and her husband, who died 8 years ago, were kind, welcoming, wise and humorous. I spent a fair bit of time with them as a small child and loved it, but it wasn't until I grew up that I really got to know and appreciate them.