Does anyone think Cameron know what he's doing?

It is rare that a day goes by when Cameron doesn't enrage me in some ways. Yesterday's brilliant idea however left me gobsmacked! Clamp down on absent fathers, name and shame them, but hey it's the women who are left behind who are to be (financially) resposible for tracking these men down. And what about those women who for very good reasons don't want to track them down, violent partners, abusive fathers, rapist dad's, serial dad's etc, why should they be made to suffer financially. Cameron says he wouldn't be the man he is today without his fathers influence ( I'll leave you to decide whether that's a good or a bad thing ) and that it 'simply isn't acceptable" for single mothers to be left to bring their children on their own, like this is a life choice NOT! Come on Dave, the rest of us live in the real world, the answer is not to punish women, it is to educate men, radical though that may sound.

No lessons are being learnt.....

Following the events in Luton at the weekend, David Cameron made a few booboos regarding multiculturalism, conveniently forgetting that the British Isles has been multicultural since men and women walked across the none existent English Channel, then the odd invasion or 3, then colonialism..... need I say more.

or each and every action there is an opposite reaction.....

Newton I believe, regarding physics ?%@***? Thank you Eastenders, my 'slough of despond' begins in September, 4 children, 2 alive and brilliant, 2 victims of SIDS and still brilliant. Anyway their birthdays are all within a month of each other, and the deathdays also fall in birthday remits, after 18 years and 16 years we have now come to the point where we still miss, but we can also be grateful, Sam and Eleanor, carrying them, meeting them, loving them, and probably making those that knew them better people. So then comes Eastenders, and back it all comes, partly because of the storyline but mostly because an awful lot of people I thought better of keep telling me 'it's just a soap', with millions of viewers who have just been fed the biggest load of misinformation, where were results from the forensic examinations of the baby's bedding, oh and where was the coroner and the autopsy report. I could go on.... Positive Anger directed in the right directions should never be undersestimated.

now it's not wot you call rocket science!

oh dear oh dear oh dear! Apparently Northampton Patriot ( and by association the EDL ) are being victimised By Hope not Hate, and by implication myself and Anjona ( although Anjona gets a mention by name......can't have been gobby enough!). Denying them freedom of speech again, how awful! FREEDOM of speech requires FREEDOM of reply. We have the freedom to speak against you, to leaflet and campaign against you, to oppose you in anyway we can that precludes violence, and we will use every power within the law to defeat you......simples

an another one from 'mad ramblings'

Marianne Faithful FOREVER X !

Re-dicovered stuff...

I rediscovered something I wrote many years ago regarding 'social inclusion'(I use the inverted comma's intentionally). It is a document entitled 'Mad Ramblings of a Menopausal Mother', I was writing down these frustrations many years ago and many of them are still the same....

'Social Inclusion, under Major it was 'the classless society', but sorry this is not what we mean. We did not mean a society where 'cass' (however you define it) didn't matter, just one where it was ignored, similarly with social inclusion, only if you agree to play by the rules, if not we will punish you.... it is not our problem, it you who cannot fit in, not us with our impossible rules.'

Happy Shiny People Again

I keep forgetting the world really is full of happy shiny people and that it doesn't actually take much, on a day to day basis, to help people be happier and shinier..... the wonderful community that is the United Kingdom, for those of us that are proud to be part of this small collection of islands, to be tolerant, inclusive, opposed to injustice and unfairness, to be, as a community prepared to fight tyranny to the depths of our souls, regardless of prejudice.

To those bigotted individuals who claim to be patriots, who claim to be 'British' or 'English', there is no such race, and no such Nation. We are the United Kingdom, we are celtic. we are pict, we are roman, we are saxon, we are viking, we are irish, we are norman, we are welsh, we are scandinavian, we are scots, we are dutch, we are asian, we are chinese, we are afro carribean, we are african, we are jewish, we are catholic, we are protestant, we are methodist, we are quakers, we are hindu, we are buhdist, we are calvinist, we are muslim, we are jehovahs witnesses, but above all we are the Borg! Resistance is Futile!

there is a big scary lion out there

What is going on? well actually we all know what going on, the poor will be crushed, the NHS will be destroyed, as will public services! one is beginning to wonder what the Tories, and now the Lib dems consider to be 'front line' services, obviously not the police, obviously not the health service, obviously not education, social care, obviously not local government services ( pest control, benefits services) services for the disabled, the benefits agency, community initiatives.....so what is left, obviously the Civil Service in Whitehall are vitally important.....of course we could move them out of London, no great shakes given that we have the ability to communicate via the internet etc, and the real estate is worth how much? Would be interesting to send a few estate agents in.......

Never thought I would...........

I never thought I would feel slightly ashamed at having once been a member of the Liberal Party, but I am now. So we gained no ID Cards, big whoop, most of us already carry more than one form of ID and most people don't lie about who they are. We have also gained higher VAT, although Darling may have been going to raise VAT, I would humbly suggest it wouldn't have been to 20%. And yet again the rise in VAT will affect the poorer members of society more than the well off, because VAT on fuel affects the price of EVERYTHING. It is amazing how many people I talk to cannot grasp this concept.

And now, these insane plans for the NHS, GP's managing huge budgets, NEWS FLASH, these people are Doctors, they are not accountants, they are trained to look after and treat ill people, to save lives, not to add up accounts. People do not enter any area of the medical and caring proffessions to do sums, they do it because they care.

Onwards and ever Upwards

Well hello people. Sorry I'm late, but a lot has been going on...... Firstly I am pretty amazed that my last few posts have been ignored (or at least not reported to) by 'The Powers That Be', but maybe that is because they would have to admit that I was right all along! BUT I would also like to say a BIG BIG thank you, because you powers have achieved something you never intended. We now have a united, fighting battle machine that will, despite you, achieve wonderful things come next May and put you to shame. The things you did not take into consideration are the things that make us strong. We love OUR party, to us it is not just a job and certainly NOT about the money, we love and respect each other, and what is more we communicate this to OUR electorate and our friends. I am so proud that people voted Labour here because of US! So many have said 'I voted Labour because of you, (by you I mean US) but who and where was your candidate? The illustrious leader of our Borough Labour Group no longer lives in the County, let alone the Ward he is meant to represent. I would humbly suggest that the Regional Party should concern themselves more with this dishonesty than picking on, and bullying, long standing activists who actually do work long and hard for the Labour Party, rather than those who are only in it for the money and position. The people of Northampton (and the rest of the Country) deserve far far better, and if you are not ashamed, then myself and my colleagues will have to be ashamed for you. And apologise!

You couldn't make it up part 679

S***, F***, B*******, C***! I hate to say it :) but I told you so! How on earth did this happen in Northampton. I am proud to represent both the Labour Party and the Co-Operative Party in this town. This town that has a long and distinguished history of being inclusive, tolerant and above all, open and honest. Not naming names, but certain people, employed by us (amongst others) have sought to be divisive, uncomradely and wear suits! ( couldn't think of anything else that wasn't very rude). For the record, YOU WILL NOT PREVAIL! You can throw us out of OUR party, you can waste OUR money doing it, BUT you will never ever stop us from doing our best to get a Labour Government elected, we are loyal to our Party, above and beyond the call of duty, personal ambition is not in our vocabulary . Love and Peace as always, x

You really really couldn't make it up part 429

Well, it just gets better, or do I mean worse? Not only did CLPPC not turn up for the Northampton South Question time at Sixfields (tho' to be fair he probably doesn't know where it is!), the ONLY candidate not to do so, it also seems that he won't be going to the Count (todays Chron). I am so proud that this man was selected to represent my party in Northampton South, so proud that words are actually beginning to fail me, and as you know that is not a common occurrence!

You couldn't make it up part 362

Gordon came to Northamptonshire at the weekend, and gained some absolutely superb coverage in the Chron as a result, but hey what is this I read under the report of Gordy's visit. Oh yes, CLPPC has made Aufona yet again (I am beginning to assemble quite an impressive dossier of absolutely appalling publicity) regarding his 'campaigning' in Northampton South, every Tuesday until the election (5 days campaigning in all!!!!). He obviously hadn't seen fit to inform the National Party of this because I am sure if he had Gordon would have adjusted his visit to coincide with Clydes............

They Seek Him Here, They Seek Him There, that demned elusive PPC

You couldn't make it up!!!!

Since the public revelation from Clyde Loakes that he only ever intended on being a paper candidate in Northampton South (surprise surprise!) the e-mails are flowing thick and fast......not that any of them are being acknowledged by the powers that be, but again who is surprised? Not me! The press can't get hold of him, either locally or nationally, local party members can't get in touch with him!

It is now under 4 weeks until the general election and our printing machine is totally silent, our constituency office is deserted and the activists (myself included) are wondering what to do with themselves.........

Answers on a postcard please.......

Wasn't that a nice surprise!

Walking home from Kingsley the week before last, I discovered this as I came out of the Racecourse. Isn't it lovely and wouldn't it be nice of everyone were so public spirited, sadly they are obviously not, as just over a week later all sign of plants and flowers have disappeared.......

Don't you just hate it when you are proved right? Not Always.

Strike me down with a feather, or two! Yesterday, our very own Chronicle and Echo, ran a story in which Clyde Loakes, the Labour Parliamentary Candidate (for the past year and a half in case anyone was wondering) admitted he had only ever been a 'paper candidate'. This story had also appeared earlier in the week in the Waltham Forest Guardian from whence Clyde hails.

At the time of the selection, a close run contest between Clyde Loakes and Anjona Roy (who, for the record, is a close personal friend and has been for over 30 years), I wrote a blog entry that gave my opinion. My opinion was that a white man from London (despite his claims of a Northampton childhood) was not the right Candidate for Northampton South, and would only serve to re-open wounds of the past. To cut a very long story short I was 'asked' by the regional office to remove the entry (4 months after publication!) as it may bring the Party into disrepute.

At the risk of eternal damnation, I would publicly ask the Labour Party Regional Office, (and to make myself very clear I do not mean The Labour Party, at the moment we have a country to run and an election to win for everyone's sake!), to remove Clyde Loakes, he appears to have no regard for his Constituency, his electorate, his comrades, and still less for the reputation of the Party.

How Very Dare You

'One mans terrorist is another man's freedom fighter' says Mr Northampton Patriot, whose banal comments on my blog I am beginning to find rather tedious I might add.

People who fight for freedom fight oppression and terror, terrorists cause oppression and create fear. Which category would you put the BNP in? Individuals who seek to cause division, hate and fear within our society cannot, by any stretch of semantics, be defined as freedom fighters.

If Nick Griffin and his ilk expect the right to free speech, however odious some of us might find them, then they should at least allow the same freedom for 0thers. Pleading victimisation doesn't quite do it for me, if you wish to espouse views that the overwhelming majority of people find offensive, then surely you can accept that you are likely to be vilified. This is what is known as common sense.

Most politicians, of whatever hue, accept that being criticised is part of the job. If you can't stand the heat, as they say, get out of the damn kitchen......

Question Time Rocks

Universal contempt and loathing! Just about sums up the reaction to Nick Griffin on Question Time last night. What he admirably demonstrated throughout the programme was his utter disregard and lack of respect for anyone else's opinion or views.

One comment particularly stood out for me, regarding Jack Straw's dad being a conscientious objector during the second world war. Whilst most of my family did join the forces, one great uncle was also an objector. Despite the fact that it made him unpopular, even with the majority of his own family, he stuck to his principles and refused to go to war. Despite this he still became a war casualty when he was killed whilst guarding prisoners of war. Whatever Nick Griffin may believe pacifism is NOT a form of cowardice, the old saying 'wars will cease when men refuse to fight' is an irrefutable fact.

It takes more courage to stand by your moral compass than it does to follow the herd, but then Nick Griffin proved, beyond doubt last night, that what seperates the BNP from other political parties, is their total lack of a moral compass.

Transparency and Honesty

So Nick Griffin is on Question Time tonight, all well and good if we believe in transparency and honesty within the democratic system. However, the BNP do not, if they did then they would allow transparent and honest coverage of their Red, White and Blue Festival which is the closest they come to a political conference.

It is all well and good arguing that with around 6% of the vote in some areas they should be afforded the same democratic rights as other political parties/organisations. But unlike other political organisations they are not prepared to allow the same public access to their events. I hope I am not the only one questioning the motives behind this. Could it be, that unlike other organisations, they have something to hide and do not want the electorate witnessing the 'real' BNP first hand.

I am proud to see that former Ex Young Liberal Chair, Anti Nazi League member and now Labour MP, Peter Hain, is standing up and being counted. The more of us that do so the better,
regardless of party politics or position.

Smoking Cessation

Now there's a mouthful. With the imminent (well 6 months ) arrival of my first grandchild I have decided the time is right to give up smoking. Well, just getting an appointment has been stressful enough. I would have thought they would have bitten my hand off (so to speak), but oh no, I have had to wait over 2 weeks, and not I might add because there are queues of people waiting to quit. Oh no, people want their flu jabs, so all the qualified nurses are busy (or have flu themselves!). aaaargh. Well things can only improve I hope.....watch this space, let battle between me and Nicotine addiction begin (well as from Friday anyway.......).