Don’t Blame Me I Voted Yes!
Usually, I’m the one who gets blamed for everything. After all, I’ve had so much bad luck and sorrow lately, that people feel that to heap a bit more on me won’t do any harm!
But if you’re disappointed that you voted Yes to AV and didn’t win, then you can’t blame me, as I did the same! At least though after the result and a good lunch with a friend in Carluccio’s, I had enough strength to take back the bottomless box to IKEA and get it replaced and buy another four!
One of their guys told me that bottomless Branas boxes are a bit of a problem. So when you buy them check you have the five parts and they are all strapped together. After all, what use is a Branas without an as?
Scot Nats Sink Prudence’s Aircraft Carriers
It looks like Prudence’s jobs bribe to Scotland of the manufacture of two unnecessary aircraft carriers has been sunk by the performance of the SNP in the elections yesterday. Labour voters have deserted the party in droves.
I watched the most unusual double act this morning on the television when Alex Salmond of the SNP and Annabel Goldie of the Scottish Conservatives had a forthright discussion on their cooperation in the future.
Scotland has a lot of problems, like funding the NHS and universities, poor health, too much drinking and creating worthwhile jobs that will last.
I wish the new government of Scotland a lot of luck. They’ll need it.
I have said many times, that Gordon Brown will rank alongside Lord North as one of our worst Prime Ministers. It would seem now that his country and his supposedly loyal supporters there have deserted his policies.
Libel Reform Campaign
I received this letter from the Libel Reform Campaign, whose aim is to stop the law of libel being used to silence critics.
Look out on BBC 1 tonight at 10:40pm for the next part of the BBC libel series: See You in Court. The program will follow science writer Simon Singh through his case and through the beginning of the Libel Reform Campaign.
We have been scrutinising the Government’s draft Defamation Bill since its publication in March, and tomorrow we will be appearing before a joint committee of the Lords and Commons in Parliament to tell them what we think, and discuss the Government’s proposals. You can come along to Committee Room Six between 9:30 to 10:30am to support us, or watch online on the Parliament website [http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/joint-select/draft-defamation-bill1/].
We’re heaping pressure on Government to ensure they deliver a bill that is fit for the internet age. The bill isn’t quite there yet so if you haven’t already done so, please ask your MP to sign EDM 1636, to show their support for substantive reforms [http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2010-11/1636]. You can find your MP and their email address at www.theyworkforyou.com.
I have written and urge everybody to do the same.
Here’s my letter.
I am writing as one of your constituents who has spent a lifetime developing ideas, that bring wealth, employment and better standards of living not just to this country, but hopefully the whole world. I am also deeply concerned about the effect our libel laws have on medicine, science, journalism and literature. I very much support the Libel Reform Campaign, especially as my late wife was a barrister, who knew the field of defamation and its limitations and excesses well, although she practised in a more worthwhile field.
I would urge you to sign cross-party EDM 1636 Libel Reform welcoming the publication of the Government’s recent draft defamation bill and calling for improvements to fully protect citizens’ rights and the public interest.
I believe, along with the Libel Reform Campaign, that any individual whose reputation is damaged by a false and defamatory statement should have recourse to the law. But beyond that we need to protect discussion of matters of public interest and expressions of opinion.
This draft bill recognises that England’s libel laws are unfair, outdated, complex and costly, and that as a result they chill free speech. It must ensure that final legislation matches our objectives.
Will you please sign EDM 1636 Libel Reform or if you can’t then pleasesign other EDMs that indicate support for its objectives?
Feel free to copy.
The Good Thing About AV
AV or Alternative Vote is something that politicians can’t agree on.
I was tending towards saying No, but mainly for conservative reasons. Note the small cee.
However a few days ago, I was at the Angel and both sides were handing out their leaflets. On the bus home, many people were reading the leaflets and that was a surprise and a good thing. Anthony Berry would have approved. I say he would have approved as I remember he was one of three candidates who came to my school at probably a General Election in 1964. Whereas the other two candidates, brought out their parties’ lines, Berry concentrated on how voting was a right and we should always exercise it.
So when there was a meeting on AV tonight, I went along. It was a genteel meeting, with both sides putting their views eloquently and answering some intelligent questions from the floor. Wouldn’t it be so much better, if Parliament behaved better and dare I say it more independently and scientifically correct.
I think that AV will not have much effect on the two major problems of our elections; the mediocre nature of many of the candidates and the low turn out. Although with better candidates would we get a better turn out.
I asked a question about which system would bring forward better candidates, but neither side seemed to think it would make much difference!
As the debate proceeded, I came to a logical conclusion, that perhaps AV might improve the candidates in certain circumstances.
I should say that I’ve been represented by some good MPs, I’ve met a couple too, who retained their seats because they looked after their constituents. And I’d also met a couple of real political hacks, who ticked all the right boxes, but who you’d never trust.
But thinking about my last constituency, Newmarket, AV might persuade someone from the racing industry to come forward. They would not stand a chance under first-past-the-post, but under AV many in the town would place them second. So AV might mean that important single issues in a constituency, could give a good single issue candidate a chance. We might see a few more good doctors, like the one in Kidderminster.
On the other hand, single issue parties like UKIP and the BNP might benefit. Which in my view would be a bad thing!
So I think I might have changed my mind and will say Yes to AV.
On the other hand, I might spoil my paper.
To AV Or Not To AV
I probably won’t be voting in the AV referendum. Or I might spoil my paper by writing 1 in one and 2 in the other!
As quite a few papers have shown, there would have been little difference if we’d have AV for the last couple of elections. And anyway according to some of my Australian friends, there is a tendency for people to give the first candidate your first preference, the second your second and so on. So you are more likely to elect Charles Aab than Samantha Zyzzx!
There has been some well-written stories in the papers too. I like this one, which quotes Anthony Eden extensively.
At the Angel this morning, both pro- and anti-AV supporters were handing out leaflets.
To my surprise and I suspect to many politicians, when I got on the bus to go home, about half the people on the Dalston Omnibus were avidly reading the leaflets they had been given.
So does this mean that people actually take more interest in elections, than the turnout suggests?
Damned If He Does and Damned If He Doesn’t!
There are reports questioning what David Cameron will be wearing to the Royal Wedding. It looks like he will break with tradition and not wear a tailcoat.
My view is that as the Palace has said that you can wear either morning dress or a lounge suit, the decision is up to him.
It should not be determined by any of the press on any side of the political spectrum.
In some ways, I wonder if he’s hoping that something comes up and he can’t go!
Clarke Says Prison is a Waste of Money
On Saturday this was the lead story on the front page of The Times. It was also in the Guardian.
He is so right!
I first met a prison governor at University in the 1960s and he said the same thing.
So why if this has been generally known for many years, do we still lock up so many people for long periods of time?
Is it just that politicians are so frightened of the tabloids and the vengeance tendency who read them?
Perhaps we should have a referendum on capital punishment, corporal punishment and a three-crimes-and-its-life law? All those who voted in favour would have a 90% rate of Income Tax to pay for the policies.
Icelanders Give the UK and The Netherlands Two Fingers
Th Icedlanders did what was expected and rejected the deal to repay the UK and The Netherlands in a referendum. After all it wasn’t the fault of the good people of Iceland, that their banks went bust.
The trouble is there is a hell of lot more than one born every minute. A few ended up running the Icelandic banks and many more individuals and councils from the UK and The Netherlands invested in banks that were paying a rate that was too good to be true.
If you put any money in something that is outside of both the banking regulations and the UK, you’re asking for trouble. I know people who put all their savings in such as Icesave. They’d have got a better return in Corals, backing horse number 7 in each race.
But the individuals were all compensated by Gordon Brown, using our hard-earned taxes. After all if he hadn’t, the election result might have been different!
Councils, like these in Scotland are still waiting.
Commentators and politicians say the dispute will end up in court. So the lawyers will love that one!
Ken Dodd and Bessie Braddock
Lime Street station hosts one of the more unusual street sculptures in the UK on the station concourse. It commemorates two local heroes; Ken Dodd and Bessie Braddock.
Ken Dodd and Bessie Braddock
I have never seen Ken Dodd perform, although if I’d gone to university a year earlier, I would have seen his legendary performance at the Students Union in Panto Week, where he told jokes for several hours. Panto Week was a uniquely Liverpool University name for their Rag Week. It was so named because the students used to block book the last night of the pantomine in the Liverpool Empire. That tradition had died out before I went to the University, but it was still part of University life and raised money for charity. There is an account of Panto Week in 1936 here.
Alan Duncan Wins Few Friends For Stating the Truth
Alan Duncan has been criticised fior stating that the price of oil will rise. With all the volatility in the Middle East and the strong rise in demand the price just has to go up.
I’d far rather have a politician give us the truth, than give us platitudes and hope it will be alright in the end.
The Anonymous Widower 