Black Country Boy: News and politics

The Bigoted Bishop of Carlisle

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 09:38:13 GMT

These kinds of comments make me so angry. Idiots. Do they have nothing better to do with their lives.

The floods that have devastated swathes of the country are God's judgment on the immorality and greed of modern society, according to senior Church of England bishops.

One diocesan bishop has even claimed that laws that have undermined marriage, including the introduction of pro-gay legislation, have provoked God to act by sending the storms that have left thousands of people homeless.

While those who have been affected by the storms are innocent victims, the bishops argue controversially that the flooding is a result of Western civilisation's decision to ignore biblical teaching.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/07/01/nflood201.xml

Farewell Tony

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 18:44:21 GMT

Finally, managed to settle down to watch the highlights of the day's events.

Tony Blair was outstanding in PMQs this afternoon; a stark and rather worrying reminder of the talent we are losing. The end of an era. In unprecedented, and by my own admittance, quite emotional scenes, the PM received a standing ovation from all sides of the Commons. Mistakes have been made; they always are. But, let there be no doubt, Britain is a changed country from 1997. More liberal, progressive, understanding and tolerant; a fairer and more decent society. So many of these social advances are taken for granted by an electorate never satisfied; constantly demanding more than can ever be realistically achieved. Mark my words, history will judge Tony Blair a damn sight more kindly than today's 'feral media'.

Tony - a heartfelt thank-you from a proud and loyal supporter. Gordon - good luck, you have a tough act to follow.

In other news:

Managed to snatch a 68% on my final MA exam - just a couple of % off that elusive distinction. Chuffed - nan would have been proud. Just got to plough on with the dissertation now.

Finally decided to take the plunge and buy a season ticket at the Molineux; such is my faith in Big Mick.

Deputy Leadership Shock

Sun, 24 Jun 2007 18:34:12 GMT

I am still in a state of shock. Where on earth did Harriet Harman pull that victory from?! I really thought that she would struggle to finish in the top four; a win was never on the cards. Or so I thought. I don't even know a single friend or colleague who backed her. And what happened to Benn?! The bookies were seriously off scent.

I did not think Harriet performed well in the hustings but the Party and affiliates have spoken and we should all now rally behind the new leadership team. One of the primary reasons for me backing Blears was to ensure that there would be a strong female voice at the heart of the Party. At least Harriet should offer that. She will be ok.

Brown delivered a really good speech this afternoon; it should serve as a rallying call to the party faithful. The 'Brown Bounce' is already becoming evident. The MORI poll in today's Observer makes for heartening reading. Finally, a stake has been thrust into the heart of Cameron's honeymoon period. Interesting times ahead.

Backing Blears for Deputy

Thu, 07 Jun 2007 16:19:22 GMT

Yes ok, I have done a whopping u-turn.

Received my ballot paper this morning along with a stack of election literature from the candidates; except Benn and Johnson. Oddly, I have received nothing from either candidate. It has had no impact on my decision though.

The camapign has split the 3 Wolverhampton MPs. Rob Marris (WSW) is backing Benn, Ken Purchase (WNE) is backing Harman and Pat McFadden (WSE) is backing Blears.

I was pretty sure from the outset that my vote would go to either Benn or Johnson. On reflection, after watching the Newsnight hustings and following the respective campaigns, neither seem suited to the role of Deputy. In fact, their talents would be wasted in a post almost solely concerned with boosting membership and morale. Both should be heading major departments of state in a new Brown cabinet. Cruddas was a non-starter for me, Harman blew-away any lingering support I had for her during the Newsnight hustings and Hain, well, is just not quite right for the post. Which leaves me with Hazel Blears; a moderniser, a passionate activist and importantly, a very able female politician.

My votes will be cast as follows:

1. Hazel Blears

2. Hilary Benn

3. Alan Johnson

4. Peter Hain

5. Harriet Harman

6. Jon Cruddas

The Global Peace Index

Wed, 30 May 2007 13:06:45 GMT

Have a quick visit to this site, fascinating: Global Peace Index

The Global Peace Index is a ground-breaking milestone in the study of peace. It is the first time that an Index has been created that ranks the nations of the world by their peacefulness and identified some of the drivers of that peace. 121 countries have been ranked by their ‘absence of violence’, using metrics that combine both internal and external factors. Most people understand the absence of violence as an indicator of peace. This definition also allows for the measuring of peacefulness within, as well as between, nations.

Peace is a powerful concept. However, the notion of peace, and its value in the world economy, is poorly understood. Historically, peace has been seen as something won in war, or else as an altruistic ideal. There are competing definitions of peace, and most research into peace is, in fact, the study of violent conflict.

Vision of Humanity contains the results from the Global Peace Index and other material of interest on peace. It also contains a section on institutions that need help to fund peace-related initiatives. Over time this source will be updated to combine more relevant material that will demonstrate the linkages between peace and sustainability.

Top Ten:

Norway

New Zealand

Denmark

Ireland

Japan

Finland

Sweden

Canada

Portugal

Austria

Bottom Ten:

Angola

Cote d' Ivoire

Lebanon

Pakistan

Colombia

Nigeria

Russia

Israel

Sudan

Iraq

UK at No. 49

The Rise of Mrs Pepperpot

Wed, 30 May 2007 11:32:27 GMT

Settled down in front of Newsnight for the first time in months last night to watch the first televised hustings of the deputy leadership contest. It was interesting. Can't abide Paxman but his style and approach made for a riveting watch. Just had a quick glance at the BBC Newsnight website and its online poll; looks like the wacky left have been out in force on their laptops overnight. The day we revert back to the 1980s is the day the Party dies; why is is that some people just cannot see this?

Anyway, my thoughts:

Hilary Benn: I saw the best and worst of Hilary last night. He spoke well, without notes, and answered Paxman's questions with relative ease and confidence. Clearly, the most intellectual of the bunch. But, I am genuinely concerned about his public image. He looks and sounds like a politician from Attlee's first cabinet; we need to drag him out of the 1940s/50s and quick. And we can start with the glasses.

Harriet Harman: The former Wolverhampton Girls' High pupil was poor tonight; she stumbled over her introductory speech and floundered on a number of questions. She has taken the easy route by almost taking on the anti-Blair mantle; assuming (possibly correctly), that this will win her votes. Given her loyalty and voting record over recent years, this just served to make me cringe. A definite no.

Alan Johnson: Spoke very well in his opening gambit; a smooth operator and a very talented politician. Held the government line when right and necessary but also availed himself to new policy ideas. Clear and concise, he effortlessly glided through Paxman's questioning. Deeply impressive.

Peter Hain: I found this one difficult. His opening speech wasn't great; he had obviously practised it over and over again; it sounded a tad wooden and overly-rehearsed. His passionate gesticulating was a bit over-the-top and just made me cringe. However, he loosened up as the questioning progressed and took a very balanced and common sense approach in his answers. Gone up in my estimation but still some distance from deputy leadership material.

Hazel Blears (aka Mrs Pepperpot): For me, the surprise package of the night. Opening speech wasn't great; she was reading straight from text. However, her handling of Paxman was excellent. She spoke clearly, confidently and with a firm understanding of policy and public opinion. In many respects she was also the bravest and most honest; it is not easy to back Blair and the New Labour project at the moment. The Cruddas/Harman line is the easiest in the world to take. And importantly, she is a woman.

Jon Cruddas: I was amazed to see that in the aftermath of last night's programme, Cruddas is leading the polls. Cruddas has injected certain [much-needed] policy debates into the campaign but he is most certainly not deputy leadership material. He looked nervy and out of his depth. All credit to him for standing though; he came across as a genuinely decent bloke. But, please please somebody sort out his over-sized, ill-fitting suit.

So, there you go. I think last night firmed up my top three (Benn, Johnson and Blears), but I am probably further from settling on a No. 1 than before.

In other news:

Missed the first episode of Andrew Marr's Modern History of Britain but managed to catch last night's episode: 1950/60s Britain. I love this period of political and social history and if I ever do advance to a Phd, it will surely be my focus. Marr is just brilliant at presenting this kind of stuff; you can just feel his energy and passion for the subject. Went straight online to Amazon and bought the book.

A Rainbow Coalition?

Sat, 26 May 2007 09:35:48 GMT

Just days after Rhodri Morgan was re-appointed as First Minister of Wales, the Liberal Democrats are reconsidering efforts to form an anti-Labour governing alliance between Plaid Cymru, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives. In days gone by I used to have a semblance of respect for the left element of Plaid; not now. The Lib Dems just do not surprise me; they are a disgraceful bunch of political opportunists - nauseating political scavengers without so much as single guiding principle. My Lib Dem friends should hang their heads in shame. Unlike the Lib Dems, Labour does not do deals with the Conservatives. It just exposes the yellow peril for what they really are - socially and politically-inept freaks. Grrr. Nick, if you see a Welsh Lib Dem, give them a kicking from me please.

In other news:

Made a return to friday evening football last night. Due to exams at St. Peter's we played outdoors at tidy 5-a-side venue in All Saints. It's such a relaxing and refreshing way to wind down from a heavy week at work. We won, fairly convincingly; the series now rests 7-6. After a couple of weeks without football I did struggle with my fitness; I can barely move this morning.

Off to Barratts at mid-day to select carpets, kitchen units etc for the new house, then off with mum to see grandad.

Hoping to meet Al, Jaz and Ricky for a drink in town tonight.

Deputy Leadership

Thu, 10 May 2007 19:21:13 GMT

I am down to a decision between two: Alan Johnson or Hilary Benn. Not yet heard enough from either of them to make up my mind - campaign teams, please get in touch...

Cruddas - No.

Hain - Still not quite forgiven him for having a pop at me on the front page of the Swansea Evening Post.

Harman - Too lightweight.

Blears - I like her, but something tells me no.

Alastair Campbell for PM...

Thu, 10 May 2007 18:39:05 GMT

I will return to Tony Blair's resignation speech later.

In the meantime, Alastair Campbell has just destroyed Jon Snow on Channel 4 news. The media's portrayal of the PM's resignation was entirely expected: biased and snide, snide, snide. Snow has had that hammering coming for some time now. Campbell absolutely battered him. Now, bring on the bloody BBC.

I had forgotten how damn impressive Campbell is. And importantly, like Blair, he carries no heirs and graces. He is impressively down-to-earth and normal; unlike most political operators. We need this man.

Election Reflection

Sat, 05 May 2007 20:17:00 GMT

It was a bad night for Labour but it could have been a damn sight worse. Mid-term of a third parliamentary term, did we really expect anything else? Pleasingly, the Lib Dems lost seats and the Tories failed again to break through in the North of England; that doesn't bode well for Cameron in advance of 2009/10. The Scottish result was widely expected but comes a shock nonetheless; it will be fascinating to watch the SNP struggle by in a coalition or as a minority government. Rhodri's Welsh Labour Party did better than expected and will most likely forge a coalition with the Lib Dems.

Most importantly, the BNP took a good kicking. Dudley (thanks in large to Ian Austin MP, J et al) and Sandwell (Tom W et al) did a stirling job in repelling strong BNP campaigns; the anti-BNP movement did the people of the Black Country proud. Well done, and thank you. Nevertheless, we shouldn't underestimate the amount of work that went in to fighting the fascists; they remain a real danger across the country and need to be fought wherever they spout their foul and vicious lies.

A quick roll-call of well-dones and commiserations:

Rachel Taylor, or is that Councillor Rachel Taylor?! (Castle, Lincoln)

865 votes in Castle Ward and a new, fresh-faced Councillor in Lincoln. Exactly the kind of representative so many local authorities are crying out for. So pleased for you, keep up the good work.

Ricky Chima (Penn, Wolverhampton)

His second attempt in Penn, Ric did a tremendous job in slashing the Penn true-blue majority. One day Labour will win this seat. Sadly, both Ricky and Parambir's votes were affected by the red-neck effect; too many members of the affluent blue-rinse brigade will still not vote for an asian candidate in Penn. Sad.

Name		Description	Votes	Majority
Chima	Ricky Jaspal Singh	The Labour Party candidate	1304
Hemsley	June Marion Alice	Liberal Democrat	968
Singh	Parambir	The Conservative Party candidate	2026	722
Ballot papers issued			4317
Electorate			9937
% poll			44%

He needs to start looking for a safe seat.

Andrew Davies AM (Swansea West, Wales)

Solid result for Andrew and Nick. Importantly, they saw off an exceptionally odd Liberal Democrat candidate. My friend Stuart aside, the Welsh Lib Dems are utter freaks. Why oh why, are these people drawn towards politics?!

LAB HOLD

CANDIDATES
Name	Party	Votes	%	+/- %
Andrew Davies	LAB	7,393	32.3	-3.9
Peter May	LD	5,882	25.7	+7.6
Harri Lloyd Davies	CON	4,379	19.1	+3.1
Ian Titherington	PC	3,583	15.7	-7.3
Richard Lewis	UKIP	1,642	7.2	+5.4
Majority		1,511	6.6
Turnout		22,879	44.5	+11.5

Swing: 5.8% from LAB to LD

Dudley North

Ian, J and co have worked this patch so hard; thankfully their hard efforts paid off. Lab gains and the BNP robustly beaten in Coseley East. Keep up the hard work.

Edna Stevens (Harlow, Netteswell)

Shock result of the night for me. During my time in Harlow, Netteswell never even featured on our target list. Somehow, Edna turned over a safe Lib Dem seat at her first attempt.

Harlow Council remains NOC. I always said that if you lifted up Harlow and hoisted it in to the West Mids it would be a rock solid Lab Council/Constituency. Touch of Essex man I think.

Netteswell	Turnout 34.85%
Gough, Mark	Conservative	613
Pailing, Jim	Liberal Democrats	594	Previous seatholder
Stevens, Edna	Labour	642	Elected. New seatholder

And finally, commiserations to Sandra Samuels in Park Ward, Wolverhampton. The Lib Dems unseated her by just over 100 votes. Tragic. Park Labour and Sandra will both be back.

The Sun Says: Be Proud, Tony

Tue, 01 May 2007 18:02:16 GMT

The liberal elite may sneer, but The Sun remains the most widely read daily newspaper in the UK and is the nearest we have to a voice for working people (however disagreeable it may be at times). Today's editorial is spot on:

TEN years ago today, Britain overwhelmingly put its faith in a young politician to guide our nation into a new era.

And despite all the moaning, Tony Blair is entitled to feel pride today at his historic decade as Labour PM.

Three times the Tories have tried to beat him. Three times they failed.

After ten years at No10, Blair is one of the world’s senior statesmen.

At home, however much has gone wrong, he has kept his pledge to provide massive extra funding for the NHS and schools.

His government has delivered 58 quarters of unbroken economic growth, low inflation, the minimum wage and millions of new jobs.

In Northern Ireland, which for so long defeated politicians of every party, the PM is about to seal what looks like permanent peace.

And, despite Iraq, he can claim moral victories abroad in Kosovo, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan.

No leader expects total success.

Blair has admitted that some things have gone wrong — things he knows should have gone better.

But despite looming defeats in Thursday’s elections, he should raise a glass in quiet celebration.

As Gordon Brown writes of today in a remarkable personal tribute to Blair, their own inevitable personal ups and downs should never be allowed to disguise their comradeship and pride in Labour.

Sometimes it’s too easy to knock politicians without sufficiently appreciating that a man like Blair has dedicated his life to serving his country — 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for ten gruelling years.

If the boyish grin of May 1 1997 has been replaced by greying hair, is it any surprise?

When you look at the burdens a PM has to carry, it seems a miracle that anyone wants to take it on.

Now it looks like Gordon’s turn to take the strain.

His first duty should be to buy Blair a drink. He has earned it.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,31-2007200095,00.html

The Paul Uppal Saga

Sun, 15 Apr 2007 11:18:28 GMT

I'm going to keep this short because I know it is going against the grain of supposed opinion. In recent days the local blogosphere has been (quite literally) aroused by tales of deceit, conspiracy, mischievous anonymity and libel laws. And it all relates to the blog of Paul Uppal, Conservative PPC for Wolverhampton South West. The following comments are not intended as a sleight against any individual or individuals merely a reflection on what I believe has been a damaging episode for all involved - and importantly, for those they profess to represent.

I was first directed to the site earlier in the week. Disagreed with much (in fact all) of the content but for the neutral observer it's a fairly tidy, interesting site. And then the controversy. In the space of a few days each post had been weighed down with 20+ of the most anal comments on the most anal and irrelevant of subjects; mostly from anonymous sources. And then, the earth shattering news: the editor of the site had deleted all comments. Suddenly, a raft of intelligent local bloggers became exercised to the point of no return. Is this really indicative of the political blogging community? Most probably, yes.

Please, to all of you involved (from across the political spectrum), just stop. It is pathetic, and very, very sad. Politicians and their sidekicks have a bad enough reputation as it is; this episode does none of us any favours. Moreover, it simply reinforces the perception that we are a bunch of self-obsessed oddballs, desperately detached from the wider public. Step out of your bubble...just for a moment. Nobody else (outside of the 5-10 of you) gives a monkeys. Joe public doesn't care a jot about the legal intricacies of the blogosphere, nor do they care whether a blog is fully functional in Firefox. In fact, most people have never visited a blog. And if they do, a party political one, I suspect, is unlikely to feature in their 'favourites'. The general public would not give a damn about this episode; in fact they would baulk at your excitement and tell you to 'piss off you weirdo'. Harsh, but true.

It is reminiscent of my sabbatical terms at Swansea SU. A frustrated President, I had to continually slap down the little oiks on Union Council (who were so thoroughly un-representative of the student body it was painful) when they obsessed over the minutiae. The petty rules, the regulations, the 2-hour discussion on the sole poster across campus which had forgotten to adhere to the bi-lingual policy. And they wondered why we had a problem with election turnout. GOD, GET A LIFE.

So, a final plea. Leave Paul Uppal to his blog. Detach yourselves from it. Don't let it keep you awake at night. It really isn't worth it; especially when the electorate doesn't care. Instead, make that bold step away from your laptops and engage with real people about real issues. You never know, you might like it...

Guardian Letters

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 20:23:33 GMT

Two of the most eminently sensible contributions to the Guardian I have read in a long time:

Oh, how I agree with Anne Newton's comments about a Labour government that believes in state provision (Letters, June 19). The generosity of the government towards the less fortunate needs to be trumpeted from the roof-tops. My wife suffered a stroke in 2003 which left her physically disabled and with severe dysphasia. She now receives a generous disability living allowance, which allows us to lease a Motability car, with free road tax, insurance and servicing. Due to Gordon Brown's generosity, she is exempted from VAT on any items she needs for her personal care or mobility.

In addition, she has been provided by the local primary care trust with a powered wheelchair for indoor use and a folding one for outside, not to mention the life-saving drugs provided free by the NHS. We have also received a grant from the government towards improving the energy efficiency of our home. Our local social services (run by a Tory-controlled council, but largely funded by the Labour government) have also given us wonderful financial and practical support.

For these reasons, I broke the habit of a lifetime in May, when I voted Labour in the local elections. In this Tory area, it may have been regarded as a wasted vote, but I at least wanted to thank Labour for the magnificent support we have received. It's time to stop bashing the government at every turn. Tony Blair or Gordon Brown? It hardly matters, as long as we have government by a party which cares about the disadvantaged, which I don't think we'll get from David Cameron given his Thatcherite legacy.
John Morgan
Reigate, Surrey

So the Labour party is now credited with achieving hatred for itself while working tirelessly and successfully in creating a progressive government over the past decade. The truth is Britain is an overwhelmingly conservative country dominated by a conservative establishment, with a conservative media that day in day out bleats out an anti-Blair/Labour message. You express surprise that the Lib Dems have moved rightwards (Leaders, June 9), but they are also an anti-labour-movement party. It is journalists and newspapers - even the Guardian - which have consistently let down the working class by ensuring a climate of mistrust has surrounded the most progressive government in the past century. Ordinary people will tell you how successful the Labour government has been in tackling poverty and raising the standard of living for the vast majority. Unfortunately, working-class views are never heard in our media.

Chris Trude
London

Galloway

Fri, 26 May 2006 17:18:46 GMT

I am absolutely fuming today. Galloway's comments in GQ, suggesting that it would be morally acceptable/justifiable for a suicide bomber to assassinate Tony Blair are f*****g disgraceful. Perhaps someone should instead put that egoistical, arrogant tosser out of his misery.

Not only are they ludicrously dangerous, stupid and irresponsible comments to make they also undermine the views of the genuine anti Iraq-war movement. Furthermore, they damage the credibility of the broad left. When the 'idiotic left' make comments like that do they not realise how far out of touch they are with the general public mood? I haven't always been Tony Blair's No.1 fan but he is a damn good PM and is head and shoulders above any existing alternative from the 'left'. In fact, I wish he would reverse his decision and stand for a fourth term as leader of the Labour Government.

Idiots like Galloway drive me further and further away from the moaning, irresponsible Left.

Iraqi Parliament

Sat, 20 May 2006 13:51:49 GMT

Finally, some positive news from Iraq. For the first time since the 2003 invasion, Iraq's parliament has approved a new, full-term government. It has a hell of a job on its hands but the new PM, Nouri Maliki, has quite rightly called for the Iraqi people to 'denounce terrorism' and an 'objective timetable' for western withdrawal.

I was broadly opposed to the invasion in 2003 although I do not believe the war was fought for the purely cynical reasons [ie oil] argued by some. For many in the USA, September 11 changed the world profoundly. No longer could rogue states that harboured terrorists or promoted aggressive regional policies be allowed to flourish. In a world with few borders the USA recognised the cornerstone of their own national security being the the spread of democracy in the Middle East. They had to draw a line in the sand somewhere - and Iraq was that place [who incidentally, were still in breach of a series of UN resolutions dating back to 1990]. Although their actions have been suspect I broadly agree with their goals - it is critical for us all that democracy does take hold the Middle East.

A withdrawal of international troops now would be an absolute disaster and precipitate the bloodiest civil war imagineable. Let us hope that a new Iraqi government can bring the Iraqi people back on board and oversee a sensible, phased withdrawal of forces.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5000016.stm

On the domestic front I am pleased to hear that Hilary Armstrong [Minister for Social Exclusion] has focused a recent speech on the urgent need to tackle the underlying causes of poverty. Let's hope it results in some real and lasting change.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4999922.stm

5-a-side last night was awesome. We destroyed Jaz's boys 18-7, bouncing back from a barren spell. It was arguably our best ever performance, some of the football we played was worthy of the new Wembley turf - well almost. Young Tony had a great game in goal, his most confident yet. Al and I were solid at the back - few can breach a united Angus defence. Andy was back to his goalscoring best and Ricky and Chris put in their best performances in months. Must be a bloke thing, but the outcome of my Friday night football can determine my entire weekend.

Polly Toynbee

Wed, 17 May 2006 18:47:02 GMT

One of the few journalists/political commentators I admire. Polly's views on religion are absolutely spot on:

Cardinals, bishops and doctors must not deny us our last rights:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1773204,00.html

This is a clash of civilisations - between reason and superstition

http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/comment/story/0,,1753745,00.html

What's at stake is the right to insult and cause offence

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1698557,00.html

Losing faith

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1647464,00.html

In the name of God

http://www.guardian.co.uk/attackonlondon/comment/story/0,,1534014,00.html

Core British Values?

Wed, 17 May 2006 17:44:42 GMT

I was going to begin by criticising my former boss, Bill Rammell MP, for his recent comments relating to the teaching of 'core British values' in our schools and colleges. Given the hysteria whipped up by the liberal press you would think that he was calling for a return to slavery, the reintroduction of capital punishment, the compulsory serving of bangers 'n' mash and new regulations governing afternoon tea. However, after re-reading his comments I am in full support. See link for article.

http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,1774972,00.html

The press/media have spun the story out of all proportion. His comments relate to the promotion and cementing of core values relating to democracy, free speech, liberty and freedom. Common sense to many of us I know but worth reaffirming. PSE/Citizenship has not been taught well in schools and does need extending and improving. We should look to the US model which expects students to spend at least one week with a campaigning organisation or political party to help them better understand why democracy and freedom is are so important. Personally, I would also make voting compulsory - getting fed up with cynical and lazy ppl who 'can't be arsed to vote' and contribute F**K all to society outside of their 9-5 job.

Freedom of speech in particular has come under fire in recent years from the religious right - fundamentalist Christians, Muslims and Sikhs please take note [Satanic Verses, Jerry Springer Show, Bezhti etc] - and should form the basis of core British values.

Labour hold Wolverhampton

Sun, 07 May 2006 13:59:45 GMT

Tried to avoid the laptop over the weekend and concentrate on getting some revision done.

Still, it is worth a quick flashback to the events of Thursday/Friday. Overall, the results were not good for Labour - but not as catastrophic as some commentators had predicted. The blow was softened somewhat by the Lib Dems also faring badly.

The Tories polled well and are beginning to re-establish themselves in the South of England. Interestingly, they failed to break into any major cities in the North however. Incredibly, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle etc remain tory-free zones. Until Cameron can redress this, then the Tories will struggle in a General Election. Perhaps we are seeing an extension of the traditional N/S political divide in the UK? For years, the Tories have been a spent force in Wales and Scotland; are we seeing the same thing happen in the North of England?

Bizarrely, the Tories have made further inroads into the Midlands though. The seizing of Coventry City Council adds to exisiting control in Birmingham, Walsall and Dudley. How on earth are the Tories in control of Walsall and Dudley???!!!!

On a more positive note Wolverhampton [as it so often does] remained absolutely loyal - a credit to the government and the excellent Council. We lost one marginal seat (Bushbury North) but held many others with increased majorities. Labour continues to command an impressive majority in the city. Apparently, the Wolverhampton result rated as Labour's 2nd best in the UK [of those councils already under Lab control].

I was also delighted for my brother (who works for Ian Austin MP) and the people of Dudley, who fought off an aggressive campaign by the BNP. Again, Labour/Searchlight activity [no support from the Lib Dems or Tories] staved off the BNP. Incidentally, Labour also gained a couple of seats in Dudley.

The re-shuffle came as a bit of a shock so soon after the election but seems eminantly sensible. Glad to see the back of Kelly; Johnson will do a good job at DfES. Sad to see Clarke go but I am a great admirer of John Reid; he is do-er and will sort out the Home Office. The biggest surprise was not the ousting of Straw [it has been on the cards for some time] but the replacement of him by Margaret Beckett. DeFRA is usually the graveyard for ailing ministers and i expected her to return to the backbenches. A surprise but on reflection I think she will do a good job. My old boss, Bill Rammell,remains as a Minister at DfES - pleased for him.

Disappointed to hear that a letter is circulating the Commons calling for Blair to announce his resignation date. I have disagreed with a lot of Blair's policies but will defend his leadership skills to the hilt. He remains our greatest asset and should see out a full third term. Interestingly, 45% of the population (Lab and non-Lab) believe he should see out his third term or even steer Labour into a 4th. Brown is not our future and will preside over a meltdown if/when he becomes leader.

Quite frankly I am getting pissed off with Dobson, N. Brown, Abbott et al, sniping from the sidelines. They owe an awful lot to Blair (whatever ppl may think of him, he made us electable again) and are playing into the hands of our enemies. Sometimes, I do think that they would prefer the easy option of 'opposition' where difficult decisions don't have to be made and they can return to their preferred method of politics - lots of angry demonstrations which effect no real or lasting change. They ought to take notice of Dennis Skinner, a man for whom I have great admiration. Skinner is not a 'New Labour' man but saves his criticism for the debating chamber - he doesn't tour the studios or Islington restaurants briefing against the government to the right wing trash press and media.

For in-depth analysis of the election results visit: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk_politics/2006/election_2006/default.stm

Rant over. Must get back to study.

Keep The Red Flag Flying

Thu, 04 May 2006 21:21:55 GMT

Well, finally home after a 14 hour day on the campaign trail. Just realised that I have now been doing this for 19 years - my first experience of elections was being dragged round doorsteps by my dad in the 1987 General Election. Almost a veteran.

Spent most of the day in Penn, leafleting and collecting numbers from the polling stations. Absolutely glorious day, think i even have a tan. Started the day by driving an elderly Jamaican woman to vote. She moved to Britain in the early 1960s and has voted Labour at every election since. She remains so proud of that record and maintains that only a Labour government can deliver for her and her family. Hearing words like that makes it all worthwhile. Another elderly asian gentleman recounted how only Labour stood up for him in the 1960s when the Tories were signing petitions to stop asians moving into the local area. No other party gave a shit.

Although turnout appears low in Penn the doorstep reaction has been positive. Interestingly, across the district, [acknowledging that this is a local election], nobody has mentioned the war, nobody has mentioned pensions and nobody has mentioned education. Moans and complaints have been limited to sleaze, high taxation and immigration. It does make you wonder what the effect of a 'leftward shift' might be.

Fingers crossed, despite a low turn-out, we should hold the key seat of Park; and Wolverhampton will remain under the firm grip of a Labour administration. Heaven help us otherwise.

The wider Black Country is looking less positive however. Very concerned about the potential for BNP gains in Sandwell and Dudley.

Preparing for heavy national losses but it is to be expected. The muesli eating pinkies of London will abandon Labour (as they always have done) and vote Lib Dem, the 'underclass' feel disenfranchised (which we need to urgently address) and won't vote whilst the aspiring and 'other' middle classes will toy with key issues relating to local issues, tax and immigration. What is evident however, is that our 'slippage' isn't going anywhere else in any vast numbers - Cameron has failed to turn round the Tories who remain on the verge of meltdown.

Decided not to attend the count tonight - freed up my ticket for some of the young members who i thought would appreciate the experience more. I will watch the results come in via the good old BBC.

Really proud of Ric today, he has worked Penn (against all odds) so hard. Check out the pics.

Vote Labour

Wed, 03 May 2006 21:15:28 GMT

Finally home after hammering Penn with eve of poll cards. My good friend Ricky Chima is the candidate and deserves to do well. I just hope he doesn't get 'rednecked' by the white middle classes.

It's not the easiest time to be a Labour party activist; the events of recent weeks are not helping the cause. Having said that, the doorstep reaction, although a tad apathetic, has been generally supportive. I remember Tory candidates literally being chased from doorsteps in the mid-90s - my experience over recent weeks suggests that we are a million miles away from that.

I expect us to lose swathes of council seats tomorrow (especially in London) but we shouldn't be too downbeat; after all, we are 9 years into government. It's amazing that we've managed to maintain power at a local level for so long - the Tories, despite being in government, were wiped off the local map for much of the late '80s and '90s.

Although tomorrow should be about local issues, realistically people will cast their ballot as a protest against the national government.

Sadly, the government is so tied up fire-fighting that it is struggling to effectively get over its message to an increasingly hostile press and media. I sincerely hope that people think carefully before casting their vote tomorrow. Do they genuinely believe that the country is in a worse state than in 1997? No, I don't think so.

We can all moan and complain and argue that Labour should have done more but we have achieved a massive amount - within the difficult constraints of a conservative liberal democracy. Just a little reminder of exactly what has been achieved...

1. Lowest inflation since the 60s
2. Low interest rates
3. Introduced the National Minimum Wage
4. Record police numbers in England and Wales
5. Cut overall crime by 35 per cent
6. Record levels of literacy and numeracy in schools
7. Best-ever primary school results
8. Funding for every pupil in England to double (since 1997) by 2007-08
9. Lowest unemployment for 29 years
10. Written off up to 100 per cent of debt owed by poorest countries
11. 78,700 more nurses
12. 27,400 more doctors
13. Brought back matrons to hospital wards
14. Devolved power to the Scottish Parliament
15. Devolved power to Welsh Assembly
16. Banned anti-personnel mines
17. NHS Direct offering free convenient patient advice at any time
18. New Deal - helped over a million people into work
19. Local government funding has increased by a third in real terms
20. Equalised the age of consent for gay men
21. Free entry to all national museums and galleries
22. Overseas aid budget more than doubled
23. Restored city-wide government to London
24. Child benefit up 25 per cent since 1997
25. Created Sure Start to help children from low income households
26. Introduced the Disability Rights Commission
27. £200 winter fuel payment to pensioners & extra £100 for over-80s
28. The biggest rolling stock replacement programme ever seen on our railways
29. Negotiated the historic Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland
30. Over 30,000 more teachers in England schools
31. Implemented the Freedom of Information Act
32. All workers now have a right to 4 weeks’ paid holiday
33. Record rises in the state pension
34. 700,000 children lifted out of relative poverty
35. Introduced child tax credit giving more money to parents
36. Banned handguns
37. Cut long-term youth unemployment by 75 per cent
38. Free nursery places for three and four-year-olds in England, Scotland and Wales
39. Free fruit for all four to six-year-olds at school
40. Free school milk for five, six and seven-year-olds in Wales
41. Record police numbers in Scotland
42. Implemented the Human Rights Act
43. Cleanest rivers, beaches, drinking water and air since the industrial revolution
44. Free TV licences for over-75s
45. Banned fur farming and the testing of cosmetics on animals
46. Halved maximum waiting times for NHS operations
47. Free local bus travel for over-60s
48. Record number of students in higher education
49. Extended the Race Relations Act so that all public bodies and functions now have a duty to promote race equality
50. Five, six and seven-year-olds in class sizes of 30 or less

Don't turn back the clock and throw away what has been achieved at a local and national level since 1997. Use your vote wisely tomorrow...VOTE LABOUR.

The People vs The Racists

Tue, 02 May 2006 09:32:20 GMT

Had these flyers e-mailed to me this morning, think they are pretty cool.

Check out the BLINK website for further information and a host of interesting anti-fascist articles: http://www.blink.org.uk/

Left Foot Forwards

Mon, 01 May 2006 18:31:16 GMT

Had a pretty quiet Bank Holiday weekend, mostly spent studying and campaigning.

Had a good 5-a-side win on Friday night but then got thrashed in the league last night. Desperately need our injured players to return to fitness.

Spent the afternoon with my brother and his boss, Ian Austin MP, in Dudley trying to stave off the BNP threat. I think we have a real fight on our hands. I get so frustrated with people who seem to think that the BNP can miraculously cure society of all ills. Here is just one example of their talent:

Dan Kelley (BNP Barking & Dagenham). Resigned from the council only eight months after being elected after admitting that he was completely out of his depth. “There’s meetings that go right over my head and there’s little point in me being there,” he told the local paper even before he resigned.
Check out this web page for other prime examples: http://www.stopthebnp.org.uk/index.php?location=councillors_2

Oh, and here a few more interesting tit bits:

Who says today’s politicians lack convictions. The British National Party is brimming with them – all of a criminal nature. “The BNP will crack down on crime and restore public safety and confidence,” its website states. But despite claiming to be a party of law and order, the BNP is home to criminals, racist thugs and football hooligans. The ranks of the criminals extend to the very highest level of the party. They include:

Nick Griffin (Party Chairman) Received a two-year suspended sentence in April 1998 for inciting racial hatred. His magazine The Rune carried obscene anti-Semitic and Holocaust denial material as well as crude racism.

Tony Lecomber

Tony Lecomber (Group Development Officer). In 1985 he was convicted on five counts for offences under the Explosives Act, including possession of homemade hand-grenades and electronic timing devices. Sentenced to three-years imprisonment.
In 1991 he was sentenced to another three years imprisonment for unlawful wounding for his part in an attack on a Jewish schoolteacher whom he caught trying to peel off a BNP sticker at an underground station. He has a total of 12 convictions.

Colin Smith (South East London organiser). Has amassed a total of 17 convictions for burglary, theft, stealing cars, possession of drugs and assaulting a police officer.

John Tyndall (founder of the BNP). Six convictions. In 1962 he was jailed for organising a paramilitary organisation. Four years later, he was again sent to prison for possession of a loaded gun. In 1986, he was convicted for incitement to racial hatred under the Public Order Act and sentenced to 12 months imprisonment.

Warren Bennett (Chief Steward). Supposed to keep order in the party yet has convictions for football hooliganism. In 1998, he was deported from France with over 50 other Scottish hooligans, including several BNP members.

Steve Belshaw (East Midlands BNP organiser. Was convicted in 1994 for assaulting a lawyer in his home-town of Mansfield. At the time, Belshaw combined his BNP membership with Combat 18 activity.

Kevin Scott (North East Regional Organiser). Was convicted in 1993 for hurling a glass at a black customer in a pub.

Alan Gould (Waltham Forest Organiser). Was convicted in 2000 for racially abusing people in a local pub. He told the court that it was the drink getting the better of him.

Robert Bennett

Robert Bennett. A leading activist in Oldham BNP during the 2002 elections campaign, Bennett has served five years in prison for the gang rape of a woman. He has also served seven years for armed robbery and has over 30 convictions in total.

Mick Treacy. The Oldham organiser has five convictions for violence, theft, and handling stolen goods

Darren Dobson. Found guilty of racially aggravated assault at Oldham magistrates in November 2001. Fined £300. Connected to football hooligans in the Oldham area, and has links to the nazi terror group Combat 18

Darren Hoy. April 2002, the BNP supporter was sent to prison for 3 months for racially abusing people as they left an anti-fascist rally in Oldham.

In spite of this imposing list, when pressed by the BBC Panorama team in September 2001 on the convictions of its leading members, party leader Nick Griffin just lied. He claimed Tony Lecomber, his deputy merely had a conviction for handling fireworks. He also claimed that party chief steward Warren Bennett had a minor conviction “some 15 years ago” but had not been in trouble since. The truth is that Bennett has been named in the Scottish press for violence as recently as 2002. Griffin also tried to claim that Colin Smith had no convictions.
One a final note, can I wish all my 'red' friends a very happy May Day. Power to the people. Check out the TUC website for info:

http://www.tuc.org.uk/theme/index.cfm?theme=mayday

Euston Manifesto

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 18:11:31 GMT

I dislike the word progressive. It is used far too frequently yet no-one can ever explain to me exactly what it means. Experience suggests it is little more than a convenient euphemism for privatisation.

You can imagine my cynicism therefore when the much talked about Euston Manifesto opens with line, 'We are democrats and progressives...'

Unabashed, I flicked through the manifesto, nodding largely in agreement. Certainly it is a very important document for anyone interested in the development of the labour movement. Indeed, the No apology for tyranny and Opposing anti-Americanism sections echo much of what I have been arguing in the pub for a number of years; and represents a break from what i guess can be deemed the 'standard' left view.

Check out the website and view the manifesto at: http://eustonmanifesto.org/joomla/

The Euston Manifesto

On a Saturday last May, right after the general election, 20 or so similarly minded people met in a pub in London. We had no specific agenda, merely a desire to talk about where things were politically. Those present were all of the left: some bloggers or running other websites, their readers, a few with labour movement connections, one or two students. Many of us were supporters of the military intervention in Iraq, and those who weren’t - who had indeed opposed it - none the less found themselves increasingly out of tune with the dominant anti-war discourse. They were at odds, too, with how it related to other prominent issues - terrorism and the fight against it, US foreign policy, the record of the Blair government, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and, more generally, attitudes to democratic values.

Glenn Roeder

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 17:49:54 GMT

Speculation is rife in the North East that Newcastle Utd are on the verge of appointing Glenn Roeder as their new manager. Now, the man has admittedly done a great job since taking over from Souness (why on earth was he ever appointed?) but his management experience and credentials are not what is needed to make NUFC great again. Besides, his cockney accent is f****** annoying. The board must persevere with their efforts to appoint Martin O'Neill.

Apparently the FA are due to make an announcement in the next few days about who will replace Eriksson. I really hope they go for the best man for the job and not an English manager purely for the sake of him being English. McClaren would be a disaster. If O'Neill rejects the Newcastle job then he's my No.1.

Received another essay back today - 65%, which is cool. Takes the pressure of me a little going into my exams. Also managed to get some revision done on UN sanctions!

STOP THE BNP

Sun, 23 Apr 2006 23:56:07 GMT

Tired and thoroughly inebriated. Just back from the opening night of Billy Bragg's 'Hope Not Hate' tour in Wolverhampton. 1,100 people packed into the Wulfrun Hall for a real St' George's celebration (St. George was actually born in Cappadocia, East Turkey - probably the world's most famous economic migrant!).

Bragg pulled off a quality gig and sent the Black Country crowd home with a determination to stave off the local BNP threat. Incidentally, Nick Griffin gatecrashed the St. George's celebrations in Sandwell this afternoon. Bastard. The BNP are nothing more than scum.

Managed to get backstage after the gig; nearly a rock 'n' roll star. Billy is actually a really nice guy and made the effort to chat to us in the changing room for 30+ mins over a few beers. He's had a good day: West Ham into the FA Cup Final and an amazing response from the Wolverhampton crowd.

He has really stirred me up for the election campaign ahead. I can also tell you something - there we no fucking liberals or tories in the audience tonight. The only mainstream political party that has ever given a damn about fighting racism is Labour; and that is why you must vote for them on May 4.

Check out the pics of me and my brother with Billy.

On The Campaign Trail...

Sun, 23 Apr 2006 09:16:25 GMT

Delivered hundreds of election addresses in Park ward yesterday but really enjoyed being back on the campaign trail. Woke up ridiculously early for a Saturday morning so was out on the streets with my Ipod by 8:30am. It's really peaceful at that time in the morning; even found some time to have a wander around West Park.

My legs started aching (!) by about 11:30am so came home for lunch and most importantly of course, Football Focus. Had a walk into town mid-afternoon to pick up the Billy Bragg tickets for tonight. It should be a really good gig.

I then settled down into my usual Saturday afternoon routine - cup of tea, choc biscuits, Sky sports and Five Live.

Wolves managed to scrape a 1-0 win against already relegated Brighton. Not much of an achievement really and by all accounts both sides were woeful. Disappointed that there wasn't a more coordinated protest against Hoddle at the final whistle. Genuinely think we could be involved in a relegation battle next season.

On a more positive note, Newcastle relegated the Baggies with a great 3-0 victory and Pompey look to have secured their Premiership status with a win against Sunderland. Plenty more West Mids derbies in the Championship next season then.

Met my mate Ricky [who is the candidate] for a voter id session in Penn at 5pm. Penn is a true blue seat but we always like to put up some kind of presence. I haven't done much doorstep work since the GE last year so approached it with soime hesitancy. However, it proved to be a really successful session. For some time I have been saying the the press and media have been spinning an unrepresentative view of Blair. I was half expecting to be chased off doorsteps and verbally abused along the way. Nothing of the sort; our vote seems to have held up almost without exception. Of course, there is some apathy but certainly not the hatred the press would have you believe. In particular, the large Sikh vote remains rock steady. Any suggestion that the popularity of the current government somehow mirrors that of the Tories' in the mid-90s is grossly inaccurate. Yes, we will lose swathes of seats in the forthcoming elections but sitting governments always do. Even in Thatcher's heyday she had little power at a local level.

Anyway, got some more leaflets to deliver this morning...

The Adventures of Dave the Chameleon

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 19:40:20 GMT

Absolute f***** genius. Saatchi and Saatchi eat your heart out, you aint gonna beat this party political broadcast.

Visit http://www.davethechameleon.com/ and keep up-to-date with his adventures. You can also watch his new movie.

Seriously if anyone falls for Cameron's nauseating attempt to 'modernise' the Tories they need their head checking. The remain a nasty, racist, homophobic bunch of wasters. Which reminds me of my favourite quote:

“No attempt at ethical or social seduction can eradicate from my heart a deep burning hatred for the Tory Party . . . So far as I am concerned they are lower than vermin.” Nye Bevan

Love Me, I'm a Liberal

Wed, 19 Apr 2006 19:08:19 GMT

Time for some new music on the blog media player so with the local elections just round the corner, here's a little number dedicated to the Liberal Democrats. Ok, Phil Ochs wasn't exactly singing about Ming and co, but still so so relevant...Take heed and keep the red flag flying on May 4.

I cried when they shot Medgar Evers
Tears ran down my spine
I cried when they shot Mr. Kennedy
As though I'd lost a father of mine
But Malcolm X got what was coming
He got what he asked for this time
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I go to civil rights rallies
And I put down the old D.A.R.
I love Harry and Sidney and Sammy
I hope every colored boy becomes a star
But don't talk about revolution
That's going a little bit too far
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I cheered when Humphrey was chosen
My faith in the system restored
I'm glad the commies were thrown out
of the A.F.L. C.I.O. board
I love Puerto Ricans and Negros
as long as they don't move next door
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

The people of old Mississippi
Should all hang their heads in shame
I can't understand how their minds work
What's the matter don't they watch Les Crain?
But if you ask me to bus my children
I hope the cops take down your name
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I read New republic and Nation
I've learned to take every view
You know, I've memorized Lerner and Golden
I feel like I'm almost a Jew
But when it comes to times like Korea
There's no one more red, white and blue
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

I vote for the democratic party
They want the U.N. to be strong
I go to all the Pete Seeger concerts
He sure gets me singing those songs
I'll send all the money you ask for
But don't ask me to come on along
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal

Once I was young and impulsive
I wore every conceivable pin
Even went to the socialist meetings
Learned all the old union hymns
But I've grown older and wiser
And that's why I'm turning you in
So love me, love me, love me, I'm a liberal