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.......).

Whatever happened to free speech?