Sunday, 24 October 2010
Hibernation
At this time of year I really wish I was a bear. First off I'd be living somewhere nice with fresh air, mountains, streams teeming with fresh fish and all bear mod cons whilst I gorge myself on the bear equivalent of pie, crumble and other seasonally inspired high carb high sugar highfat food. Then I'd find a warm cave and sleep for a few months to wake up skinny, pretty grumpy and ready for the spring. Lucky bears. I am craving the hibernation food and a really long sleep but instead of snuggling up away from reality for a few months I have to keep going. Instead I am hibernating from the cuts. I know that as a woman, with a child and an income that is above the very lowest (although seriously, swanky gym we can't afford aside, it really doesn't feel like it once the debts have been paid there is very very little left, debts, may I remind you, caused by redundancies not profligate living more's the pity. Swanky gym aside although thanks to the Lib Dems who ran my spot of red for years, council sport facilities are somewhat stretched locally and private is the only way forward. Here, in my spot of red, we always knew the Lib Dems true colours were blue.) I am in the hardest hit group but I can't deal with it, not yet. At some point I will be typing vitriol, anti tory thoughts and my ideas for how to change it but not today. Today I am hibernating and hoping against hope that it'll look better in the spring.
Wednesday, 20 October 2010
Saturday, 9 October 2010
Not got the Balls?
Alan Johnson?!? Alan Johnson as Shadow Chancellor? A man who doesn't even have maths O-Level and admits he doesn't know much about economics? Well done Ed, in a time of recession with the Tories leading us ever closer to economic meltdown as they gleefully widen the gap between rich and poor ensuring the hard working middle class pay for it all we need a Chancellor with integrity, charisma and a firm grasp of numbers - oh hang on a minute. We have the man who wanted us all to fork out £100 each for an ID card. Meanwhile Balls and Cooper are sidelined, shadow home and foreign may sound good but really they are trophy roles. the two MP who fought hardestand have been most vocal against the Tory cuts sidelined. Ed,I am despairing already, stop worrying about your own position and give us the best the strongest and the most effective shadow cabinet.
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Retreat
He didn't have the integrity! Stories of angry wives and hissed asides meant David decided to concentrate on his family and constituency for now. It's been a week and I am already a little concerned by our new leader.I don't give a toss that he's unmarried, atheist or Jewish but I am a little concerned that he isn't on his child's birth certificate. "Sorry little Johnny, I was too busy being important to register your birth even though you can do it in Asda nowadays."just screams arrogant tosser at me. Secondly I am worried about his living arrangements; he apparently lives in Doncaster and appeared in a Guardian Spread about his low expenses and extolling the virtues of his modest semi - only the family home is really a much swankier pad in London. A little bit call-me-Dave on his bike with chauffeur just behind. I want him to do good, I will give him my support, bu it's qualified, it's for now and he needs to prove he deserves this.
Esp as Gideon drives this country further into a rich/poor division. Who put this trust-funded idiot in charge of our finances anyway? When even the Daily Mail is ranting in despair things must be bad. They have no mandate so come on Lib-Dems, ditch Nick and come over to the red side. Or disappear altogether...
Esp as Gideon drives this country further into a rich/poor division. Who put this trust-funded idiot in charge of our finances anyway? When even the Daily Mail is ranting in despair things must be bad. They have no mandate so come on Lib-Dems, ditch Nick and come over to the red side. Or disappear altogether...
Tuesday, 28 September 2010
Birthright
and so it's Ed. Not my Ed, in the end I went for Balls over polished campaigning. I admired the grit, determination, and pure aggression. Sure, I was concerned about the back stabbing and the bullying, tempted to Twitter him and beg for reassurance "@EdB, you're not a complete hypocrite and bully who drove the yellow-livered Lib-Dems straight into the arms of the Tories are you?". But then I figured, what the hell? He ain't going to win despite his terrier-like team so ED B 1st and ED Jnr (our new leader) 2nd. Andy 3rd cause I really did like him... I liked David too, that was the problem. Four completely able, intelligent and articulate men. If they can just work together the Con-Dems shoud be quaking in their hand stitched boots.
Of course Murdoch is spitting blood - it's not the younger brother he invited for an audience, it was the heir anointed, pipped at the post by his brother of all people, his younger brother cod psychologists are having a field day, our own Shakespearian tragedy playing out on News 24. Will he stay, will he go, can he take orders from the younger sibling? I don't know, only David knows that. But, if he was man enough to lead then he's man enough to stay. If he walks, maybe he didn't have the backbone ad integrity after all... Over to you Miliband Snr
Of course Murdoch is spitting blood - it's not the younger brother he invited for an audience, it was the heir anointed, pipped at the post by his brother of all people, his younger brother cod psychologists are having a field day, our own Shakespearian tragedy playing out on News 24. Will he stay, will he go, can he take orders from the younger sibling? I don't know, only David knows that. But, if he was man enough to lead then he's man enough to stay. If he walks, maybe he didn't have the backbone ad integrity after all... Over to you Miliband Snr
Friday, 6 August 2010
Communicating with the masses
The candidates may be on their well deserved holidays (although with Eden Project talks by Miliband Jnr and constant communications by Team EdB the campaigns feeds are as busy as ever) but those of us with important voting decisions to make cannot ease up on the ever engrossing task of research. So, I took advantage of an hour long hole in my busy schedule (between dropping A off at a birthday party and taking her to the doctors - it wouldn't be the holidays without some infectious ailment)to multitask - catching up with the Archers and looking at the candidate's websites. First off Alice and Chris got married! In Vegas! Secondly it turns out website researching is so dull I needed the distraction of the Archers to keep me at the computer.
They are all so slick - good communications training comes as standard with this crop of wannabe leaders and their young, enthusiastic army of volunteers can put together good multi media whilst ordering a hot skinny macchiato. Every website urges us to follow them on Twitter(complete with the latest 140 character pearls of wisdom) and Facebook (you have still not responded to my friend request David!), join Labour and, of course, Donate. They want our money - and our time but most importantly our money. Don't they know that we are heading back for the double dip faster than Call-me-Dave's heading for his next diplomatic row and gambling £25 on a candidate who might not win is £25 that might be better spent on wine to numb the latest news headlines? The communications-savviness may explain why they are all so bland. I got no real idea who the candidates were and what they stood for apart from a fairer deal natch, but although the bastard Tories and lap dog Liberals may be disintegrating society faster than you can say "come on old chap", really candidates you had 13 years to sort all these things out and I hate to point this out but you didn't.
First off Andy Burnham at www.andy4leader.com. I do like Andy Burnham but couldn't help sniggering at the name, I could imagine A coming up with something similar in the playground. It's all very clean though with a nice picture and campaign messages clearly displayed "Reconnecting Labour putting the heart back into the people’s party”. Nice messages though not the snappiest slogan I ever heard - and makes me think a little of a cosy Sunday night drama set somewhere in the Dales. Andy is cleverly playing the anti-elitest card and positioning himself as the outsider and One of Us, for instance he wants payment for interns and to ensure all internships are advertised although I can't help pessimistically thinking that the elite will still find ways of favouring their own. Reading his blog I was treated to a dull selection of endorsements and articles sadly akin to reading the Council's self-congratulatory newssheet and there was no sense of him at all.
Next I looked at Diane. Who has also gone with the "4leader" web address. Her website kicks straight in with a movie which as I was still on the Archer's omnibus made her sound like a very loud background character in the Bull. I didn't actually hear what she was saying as I was too busy tutting over Will's jealously and devoutly hoping the writers aren't going to bore us with another Will Grundy storyline. The site is stylish and the most individual of the five with red slashes on a grey background and loads of really good photos but I didn't find it that userfriendly with text hard to read. When I found her campaign message five out of the first six lines begin with "I". Which I find offputting. I know, I know they have to sell themselves to us but it comes across as a little narcissistic. At least the blog is in the first person but unfortuantely it is more a series of defensive aruements, a little humour would have gone a long way although she does label call-me-Dave a Bully.
I found it really hard to find Ed Ball's leadership site and found myself on his constituency one which leads with things to do over summer holidays, he didn't mention canvassing and hustings, nor driving in a campervan through Boston but it was still a nice touch. Finally I managed to link through to edballs4labour.org.uk where I was quite disconcerted by his bizarre coronation st type logo. The blog is by his (very committed, they are Twitter fiends)team and again very article driven leaving no sense of him apart from the campaign message although I was amused by the “Ed said” and “Ask Ed” buttons at the top.
Miliband Jnr doesn't have a new website, he is using his own. He (or his evangelical team) is very comfortable with social media and it shows with his Facebnook page shown on the site along with Twitter feeds and lots of talk about his "innovative text conversations". I haven't signed up for these, I feel harassed enough by Twitter and now Facebook but am intrigued. Again the Blog is a series of articles and I was quite horrified to find a plea for £25 at the bottom of the page I read (skimmed through). People are very pro-Ed but his website gave me no reason why.
Last but not least Miliband Snr although by now I had had it with platitudes and was having to restrain myself from restarting one of my Facebook farms (8 months cold turkey but I still get tempted every day). Not surprisingly he has the best website (sign of all the money he has) with loads going on visually such as lots of photos. It felt really interactive with a Blog that was written in the first person and not just a series of lectures and sermons - not laugh out loud funny but human at least. He wants us to fundraise, with dinner parties (can you imagine inviting the Free School neighbours for a nice political debate over some Sauvignon Blanc and Kettle Chips?) and there was a very serious blog by a woman who had done exactly that with cocktails and Cheese Jack Straws and Gordon Brownies. Seriously.
Ithought it was Miliband v Miliband but now I am seriously wondering whether a. Andy Burnham can stand up to call-me-Dave and perform at PMQ and b. Is Ed B too tarnished by his association with and renunciation of Gordon (who I love, turning on Gordon is not favourably looked upon). Because maybe, just maybe, they could be my 1 and 2. Could they?
They are all so slick - good communications training comes as standard with this crop of wannabe leaders and their young, enthusiastic army of volunteers can put together good multi media whilst ordering a hot skinny macchiato. Every website urges us to follow them on Twitter(complete with the latest 140 character pearls of wisdom) and Facebook (you have still not responded to my friend request David!), join Labour and, of course, Donate. They want our money - and our time but most importantly our money. Don't they know that we are heading back for the double dip faster than Call-me-Dave's heading for his next diplomatic row and gambling £25 on a candidate who might not win is £25 that might be better spent on wine to numb the latest news headlines? The communications-savviness may explain why they are all so bland. I got no real idea who the candidates were and what they stood for apart from a fairer deal natch, but although the bastard Tories and lap dog Liberals may be disintegrating society faster than you can say "come on old chap", really candidates you had 13 years to sort all these things out and I hate to point this out but you didn't.
First off Andy Burnham at www.andy4leader.com. I do like Andy Burnham but couldn't help sniggering at the name, I could imagine A coming up with something similar in the playground. It's all very clean though with a nice picture and campaign messages clearly displayed "Reconnecting Labour putting the heart back into the people’s party”. Nice messages though not the snappiest slogan I ever heard - and makes me think a little of a cosy Sunday night drama set somewhere in the Dales. Andy is cleverly playing the anti-elitest card and positioning himself as the outsider and One of Us, for instance he wants payment for interns and to ensure all internships are advertised although I can't help pessimistically thinking that the elite will still find ways of favouring their own. Reading his blog I was treated to a dull selection of endorsements and articles sadly akin to reading the Council's self-congratulatory newssheet and there was no sense of him at all.
Next I looked at Diane. Who has also gone with the "4leader" web address. Her website kicks straight in with a movie which as I was still on the Archer's omnibus made her sound like a very loud background character in the Bull. I didn't actually hear what she was saying as I was too busy tutting over Will's jealously and devoutly hoping the writers aren't going to bore us with another Will Grundy storyline. The site is stylish and the most individual of the five with red slashes on a grey background and loads of really good photos but I didn't find it that userfriendly with text hard to read. When I found her campaign message five out of the first six lines begin with "I". Which I find offputting. I know, I know they have to sell themselves to us but it comes across as a little narcissistic. At least the blog is in the first person but unfortuantely it is more a series of defensive aruements, a little humour would have gone a long way although she does label call-me-Dave a Bully.
I found it really hard to find Ed Ball's leadership site and found myself on his constituency one which leads with things to do over summer holidays, he didn't mention canvassing and hustings, nor driving in a campervan through Boston but it was still a nice touch. Finally I managed to link through to edballs4labour.org.uk where I was quite disconcerted by his bizarre coronation st type logo. The blog is by his (very committed, they are Twitter fiends)team and again very article driven leaving no sense of him apart from the campaign message although I was amused by the “Ed said” and “Ask Ed” buttons at the top.
Miliband Jnr doesn't have a new website, he is using his own. He (or his evangelical team) is very comfortable with social media and it shows with his Facebnook page shown on the site along with Twitter feeds and lots of talk about his "innovative text conversations". I haven't signed up for these, I feel harassed enough by Twitter and now Facebook but am intrigued. Again the Blog is a series of articles and I was quite horrified to find a plea for £25 at the bottom of the page I read (skimmed through). People are very pro-Ed but his website gave me no reason why.
Last but not least Miliband Snr although by now I had had it with platitudes and was having to restrain myself from restarting one of my Facebook farms (8 months cold turkey but I still get tempted every day). Not surprisingly he has the best website (sign of all the money he has) with loads going on visually such as lots of photos. It felt really interactive with a Blog that was written in the first person and not just a series of lectures and sermons - not laugh out loud funny but human at least. He wants us to fundraise, with dinner parties (can you imagine inviting the Free School neighbours for a nice political debate over some Sauvignon Blanc and Kettle Chips?) and there was a very serious blog by a woman who had done exactly that with cocktails and Cheese Jack Straws and Gordon Brownies. Seriously.
Ithought it was Miliband v Miliband but now I am seriously wondering whether a. Andy Burnham can stand up to call-me-Dave and perform at PMQ and b. Is Ed B too tarnished by his association with and renunciation of Gordon (who I love, turning on Gordon is not favourably looked upon). Because maybe, just maybe, they could be my 1 and 2. Could they?
Tuesday, 3 August 2010
Records and revelatiosn
SO. Time to take this seriously. Which means researching. I start off by declining Harriet's email asking me to take part in a q&a as it is at 2.30pm on a Monday in the School Holidays when most women, Harriet, are either at work or in a park/museum/play area wearily refusing a request for yet more sweets and wondering if 4am is too early for the first glass of wine....(no is obviously the answer, not in school holidays). My plan involves reading each candidates website in depth and watching some hustings on the labour website but severe lack of time means all I have managed so far is sending friend requests to the Milibands on Facebook. Ed has agreed, David, at this moment, has not. This could prove costly DM.
Instead I have taken a short cut and have used "They work for you" drawing up a nice little grid of voting histories and expenses. Ed wins the expenses race hands down coming in at 578 narrowly beating big brother at 569. Diane and Andy are also respectable but I was surprised to see Ed Balls was 199th. Could do better Mr Balls. Voting records are a bit of a shock and a wake up call that passionate as they all say they are about change they are all part of an establishment that made some pretty big mistakes. They attack the Con-Dems on education and health but both Eds voted to give schools more autonomy with only Diane disagreeing and David and Andy were both for Foundation hospitals with Diane again the only one to vote against. None of them voted for climate reform bills, all the men want to replace Trident and none wanted a more transparent Parliament or an enquiry into Iraq. On the plus side they were all pro smoking and hunting bans and Lords reform and strongly for Gay Rights.
Most disappointingly for me none of them were out right against ID cards and only Diane (again) was against the anti terrorism legislation. Not one of them openly rebelled against any party decision in the last Parliament. This does make their claims of change, new thinking and a new way slightly unbelievable.
Meanwhile the return to the eighties vibe I get whenever I switch on the news was reinforced with a trip to see Pet Shop Boys in Newcastle and a reminder that at least the last Tory government inspired some great music. My Twitter fear is intensifying with new followers to replace those that have dumped me and even some retweeting of my words of wisdom which is far far too stressful for this particular novice. Apparently most Tweeters aim for 500 followers - are they mad? My phone buzzes continuously with new tweets so I can wish Bon Voyage to Ed M as he travels to Cornwall and Ed B (flying to Boston), I am sure the others have equally nice holidays planned and will be twittering them to me soon. Better than a postcard - bring me back some maple syrup will you Ed B?
Finally the supporters of Ed M have set up a phone bank here in my own little dot of red. I am tempted to join in just to be involved even though I still have to decide. One tweeter suggested I volunteer for each campaign to help me decide which if I wasn't a hideously overstretched working mother would be a great plan. Other ideas on a postcard please!
Instead I have taken a short cut and have used "They work for you" drawing up a nice little grid of voting histories and expenses. Ed wins the expenses race hands down coming in at 578 narrowly beating big brother at 569. Diane and Andy are also respectable but I was surprised to see Ed Balls was 199th. Could do better Mr Balls. Voting records are a bit of a shock and a wake up call that passionate as they all say they are about change they are all part of an establishment that made some pretty big mistakes. They attack the Con-Dems on education and health but both Eds voted to give schools more autonomy with only Diane disagreeing and David and Andy were both for Foundation hospitals with Diane again the only one to vote against. None of them voted for climate reform bills, all the men want to replace Trident and none wanted a more transparent Parliament or an enquiry into Iraq. On the plus side they were all pro smoking and hunting bans and Lords reform and strongly for Gay Rights.
Most disappointingly for me none of them were out right against ID cards and only Diane (again) was against the anti terrorism legislation. Not one of them openly rebelled against any party decision in the last Parliament. This does make their claims of change, new thinking and a new way slightly unbelievable.
Meanwhile the return to the eighties vibe I get whenever I switch on the news was reinforced with a trip to see Pet Shop Boys in Newcastle and a reminder that at least the last Tory government inspired some great music. My Twitter fear is intensifying with new followers to replace those that have dumped me and even some retweeting of my words of wisdom which is far far too stressful for this particular novice. Apparently most Tweeters aim for 500 followers - are they mad? My phone buzzes continuously with new tweets so I can wish Bon Voyage to Ed M as he travels to Cornwall and Ed B (flying to Boston), I am sure the others have equally nice holidays planned and will be twittering them to me soon. Better than a postcard - bring me back some maple syrup will you Ed B?
Finally the supporters of Ed M have set up a phone bank here in my own little dot of red. I am tempted to join in just to be involved even though I still have to decide. One tweeter suggested I volunteer for each campaign to help me decide which if I wasn't a hideously overstretched working mother would be a great plan. Other ideas on a postcard please!
Wednesday, 28 July 2010
Making my Mind Up?
Right up to Saturday night I was finding excuses for skipping Sunday's women's event - missing the daughter, getting there, lack of time. All perfectly valid reasons but I couldn't fool myself, I was scared stiff of going alone. Still there was a certain inevitability when I set the alarm on Sat night, printed out the directions "just in case" and fell asleep thinking outfits. Not a suit, not too frivolous, not too warm (it is summer) but not too much flesh either. So Sunday morning clad in a brightish dress with a demure cardigan and wedge sandals I climbed into the car, feeling a little interviewish, muttering to myself the whole way that I was an idiot and why wasn't I staying home (except when I passed the Dog's Trust when all I could whimper was "puppies").
My original plan was to hide behind a potted plant with a glass of wine but a. it was 10am, b. I was driving and c. there was a distinct lack of potted plants. I got a coffee and stood nonchalantly to the side "Yes, look at you all laughing and chattering and at home but I choose to stand alone" when hurrah, another lone soul with whom I could make polite conversation and very nice she was too and we were in the same group. Problem solved. And it was a great day thank you so much Labour WOmen! A brilliant talk and q&a from Yvette Cooper (why aren't you standing Yvette?) and new MP Rachel Reeves who were both funny and inspiring; an opportunity to get to know other attendees who were all friendly, interestIng and so diverse - long standing members, brand new like me, all ages and backgrounds and all ready to do whatever they need to to make a difference; lunch (teetotal natch but still very nice) and then the q&a with the leaders. And? Oh God I don't know, how do I choose?
First off Andy Burnham (or as D texted the one you won't recognise). Except I did recognise him. Vaguely. I liked him! We'll take intelligent, articulate and committed as a given as they all were and I can't keep repeating it, but he was warm too, had really long eyelashes (not a prerequisite but nice to see) and answered the questions really well. He said I asked a good question and I felt all glowey (it was of course about Free Schools). Is he a leader? Seriously, I don't know. I would vote for him to be an MP no doubt but a leader? I was undecided when Next!
Diane. Oh Diane I wanted to like you. And I didn't dislike you but you left me cold and I am not sure why. I didn't get the impression you wanted to be there although you were polite and gave some good answers but a definite no. Next!
Ed B. I liked him! Funny but not too much so, showed signs of wanting to sit down and have really long free school chat when he was ushered away. I liked him! He could be a good leader for sure BUT there is the tarnish. I hate that it is there but it is. he is so closely linked to Brown and is trying to deny it so I feel a little the cock crowed three times about him. Yet... Next!
David, see previous post, nothing has changed, still like him, still not quite sure. Next!
Ed M. There is a cult growing about Ed M. Did I join? No, not yet. Will I? I DON'T KNOW! We are so lucky to have four (yep, Andy I am including you) four such brilliant candidates I dn't know where or how to vote. For whoever will win a General Election but who?
My original plan was to hide behind a potted plant with a glass of wine but a. it was 10am, b. I was driving and c. there was a distinct lack of potted plants. I got a coffee and stood nonchalantly to the side "Yes, look at you all laughing and chattering and at home but I choose to stand alone" when hurrah, another lone soul with whom I could make polite conversation and very nice she was too and we were in the same group. Problem solved. And it was a great day thank you so much Labour WOmen! A brilliant talk and q&a from Yvette Cooper (why aren't you standing Yvette?) and new MP Rachel Reeves who were both funny and inspiring; an opportunity to get to know other attendees who were all friendly, interestIng and so diverse - long standing members, brand new like me, all ages and backgrounds and all ready to do whatever they need to to make a difference; lunch (teetotal natch but still very nice) and then the q&a with the leaders. And? Oh God I don't know, how do I choose?
First off Andy Burnham (or as D texted the one you won't recognise). Except I did recognise him. Vaguely. I liked him! We'll take intelligent, articulate and committed as a given as they all were and I can't keep repeating it, but he was warm too, had really long eyelashes (not a prerequisite but nice to see) and answered the questions really well. He said I asked a good question and I felt all glowey (it was of course about Free Schools). Is he a leader? Seriously, I don't know. I would vote for him to be an MP no doubt but a leader? I was undecided when Next!
Diane. Oh Diane I wanted to like you. And I didn't dislike you but you left me cold and I am not sure why. I didn't get the impression you wanted to be there although you were polite and gave some good answers but a definite no. Next!
Ed B. I liked him! Funny but not too much so, showed signs of wanting to sit down and have really long free school chat when he was ushered away. I liked him! He could be a good leader for sure BUT there is the tarnish. I hate that it is there but it is. he is so closely linked to Brown and is trying to deny it so I feel a little the cock crowed three times about him. Yet... Next!
David, see previous post, nothing has changed, still like him, still not quite sure. Next!
Ed M. There is a cult growing about Ed M. Did I join? No, not yet. Will I? I DON'T KNOW! We are so lucky to have four (yep, Andy I am including you) four such brilliant candidates I dn't know where or how to vote. For whoever will win a General Election but who?
Friday, 23 July 2010
Feeling hot, hot, hot
My tiny dot of red become was quiverful of excitement when one of the Big Five (to those who frequent members.net on the labour website, I challenge anyone else to name all 5 with the national media ignoring the leadership election)finally rode into town to woo us. And he was only 25 mins late. Me and many other party faithful crowded into a stultifyingly hot room (standing room only proudly tweeted the candidate) to witness a massive love in between our local MP and Milliband D. "He is so intellectual, honest and handsome" warbled our MP with tears in his eyes as he gazed up (MD is very tall)at the candidate. "I learned everything I know about politics from this man" riposted MD with an equally loving gaze. Beautiful.
And? Well, he is confident, a really good speaker, charismatic, clever. He is painting himself as the whiter than white cabinet member who turned down great opportunities in Europe in order to lead the faithful back into power. Do I believe he is as clean as he says? No but definitely less tarred than Balls. And he is good, will definitely run rings around Call-Me-Dave during PMQs and the international community loves him. He will make a good leader, who knows might even win a election. Not sure if he gets my vote though... he is handsome as one besotted member of the audience publicly pointed out. Let me make this clear this is politician handsome not boyband handsome, two completely different scales. So what did 6 year old make of the whole procedure? "Many of the questions made no sense" she opined. Truly it is out of the mouth of babes. How he managed to answer some of the long, rambling monologues that passed for questions from some audience members I do not know. No wonder they are taking August off if this is how they spend their days.
All candidates will be present and correct at Women Only event on Sun and I want to compare contrast and shake off bedazzlement at the perfect style and smile of Milliband D. But, apart from my natural fear of all such events, do I have the time? Its just one day. But I am volunteering tomorrow afternoon and 6 year old is being whisked away for half the week as my favourite annual event Finding Affordable Summer Childcare begins. Do I want to lose half my weekend with her too? MD understands - he hates the 24/7 campaigning he said with real believable conviction, because he misses his kids. I want to be engaged with this, I am engaged with this but 3 days without 6 year old is a day too many (2 days on the other hand is a relaxing break).
Meanwhile the 36 medium sized campers were returned, just a little scratched and bruised from 3 days of running riot in the woods, back to the loving bosom of their families leaving me needing 5 days of recovery time. Unfortunately the five days included overtired 6 year old also needing recovery time (expressed as tantrums), extra work commitments and executive meetings. The executive meeting took place in a local Church Hall where we camping survivors stared blankly into space with lost exhausted eyes, half the room also facing the bleak prospect of the annual school summer fayre. Next door was a meeting of a different stamp as another committee took shape, the steering committee for the much needed area Free School. Suddenly battle lines seem to be drawn in the community and interestingly, those who already do, those who spend their free time volunteering, organising, fundraising and keeping the community ticking over, they are the ones who are opposed. They stared as their neighbours and fellow parents slipped, half shamefaced, into the room next door commenting only "I should've known she was for it". The local councillor is confident they have no chance but the damage is already being done as those of it who are anti gather in corners to vent our frustration and anger trying not to make it personal because we live near, drink with and know these people. We don't want our friendships ruined but it is so emotive when our children are involved.
And? Well, he is confident, a really good speaker, charismatic, clever. He is painting himself as the whiter than white cabinet member who turned down great opportunities in Europe in order to lead the faithful back into power. Do I believe he is as clean as he says? No but definitely less tarred than Balls. And he is good, will definitely run rings around Call-Me-Dave during PMQs and the international community loves him. He will make a good leader, who knows might even win a election. Not sure if he gets my vote though... he is handsome as one besotted member of the audience publicly pointed out. Let me make this clear this is politician handsome not boyband handsome, two completely different scales. So what did 6 year old make of the whole procedure? "Many of the questions made no sense" she opined. Truly it is out of the mouth of babes. How he managed to answer some of the long, rambling monologues that passed for questions from some audience members I do not know. No wonder they are taking August off if this is how they spend their days.
All candidates will be present and correct at Women Only event on Sun and I want to compare contrast and shake off bedazzlement at the perfect style and smile of Milliband D. But, apart from my natural fear of all such events, do I have the time? Its just one day. But I am volunteering tomorrow afternoon and 6 year old is being whisked away for half the week as my favourite annual event Finding Affordable Summer Childcare begins. Do I want to lose half my weekend with her too? MD understands - he hates the 24/7 campaigning he said with real believable conviction, because he misses his kids. I want to be engaged with this, I am engaged with this but 3 days without 6 year old is a day too many (2 days on the other hand is a relaxing break).
Meanwhile the 36 medium sized campers were returned, just a little scratched and bruised from 3 days of running riot in the woods, back to the loving bosom of their families leaving me needing 5 days of recovery time. Unfortunately the five days included overtired 6 year old also needing recovery time (expressed as tantrums), extra work commitments and executive meetings. The executive meeting took place in a local Church Hall where we camping survivors stared blankly into space with lost exhausted eyes, half the room also facing the bleak prospect of the annual school summer fayre. Next door was a meeting of a different stamp as another committee took shape, the steering committee for the much needed area Free School. Suddenly battle lines seem to be drawn in the community and interestingly, those who already do, those who spend their free time volunteering, organising, fundraising and keeping the community ticking over, they are the ones who are opposed. They stared as their neighbours and fellow parents slipped, half shamefaced, into the room next door commenting only "I should've known she was for it". The local councillor is confident they have no chance but the damage is already being done as those of it who are anti gather in corners to vent our frustration and anger trying not to make it personal because we live near, drink with and know these people. We don't want our friendships ruined but it is so emotive when our children are involved.
Thursday, 8 July 2010
Call me
Tomorrow I take 36 medium sized children camping for the whole weekend as I am quite clearly insane. The beauty of it is that I will have no time to worry about the state of the nation, budgets (national and personal) or to join in David's conference call. My heart did leap slightly when I received the message with "Call Me" on (although I firmly pledged to one of the two Eds, I just need to decide which...) only to plummet when I realised I was just part of a cynical exploitation of communication media. Plus how hideous! Conference calls are mortifying enough when you HAVE to do them let alone join up with god knows how many (strange) people all politely trying not to interrupt , cough or snore whilst trying to sound intelligent. Besides I will be meeting David twice in the next two weeks both at the women's event (aaaggghh) and also when he visits my small dot of red. The local MP has kindly and bravely said I can bring small child along and sheis VERY excited. "Ask him what he can do for you" I have primed her but truth be told she would sell her vote for sweets.
Meanwhile the madness continues as I sent D along to the Free School meeting ensuring he missed the first half of Spain-Germany. Verdict? Never going to happen, he predicts calmly. They have no site, management team, formal proposal, proper grasp of the finances or real need - and they want to open in 2 years. All well and good BUT apparently as school rebuilding is stopped and education budgets are slashed the money for this particularly nasty Tory experiment with back door education privatisation is ringfenced. Priorities Call-me-Dave and Gideon, priorities. It will come as little surprise to anyone with half a brain that half the interested parties are consultancies... Still a small ray of sunshine comes in the form of Michael Gove having to grovel apologies in sackcloth and ashes. We need some stocks, I'll rot tomatoes especially...
Meanwhile the madness continues as I sent D along to the Free School meeting ensuring he missed the first half of Spain-Germany. Verdict? Never going to happen, he predicts calmly. They have no site, management team, formal proposal, proper grasp of the finances or real need - and they want to open in 2 years. All well and good BUT apparently as school rebuilding is stopped and education budgets are slashed the money for this particularly nasty Tory experiment with back door education privatisation is ringfenced. Priorities Call-me-Dave and Gideon, priorities. It will come as little surprise to anyone with half a brain that half the interested parties are consultancies... Still a small ray of sunshine comes in the form of Michael Gove having to grovel apologies in sackcloth and ashes. We need some stocks, I'll rot tomatoes especially...
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
Keeping up with Ed et al
Twitter is a nightmare. I forget about it due to my phone's sensible rejection of the media then am bombarded with tweets when I remember to log in. As a result 3 of my 5 followers have deserted me. I don't miss the news organisation I deserted first or the insurance saleswoman but Labour_news? The shame and humiliation although as I haven't actually tweeted anything for a week I guess its fair enough.
A working weekend (last) followed by a volunteering weekend (next) with work and chauffeur duties (aka motherhood) inbetween has left me feeling very behind with the campaign. I have had to reluctantly decline my first invitation to a buffet and quiz night due to the weekend away but along with the terrifying prospect of the Women's-Only event is the dizzying heights of an afternoon with Miliband D. Well a 3.30 meeting (me and many others, its not a one to one wooing session mores the pity still at least ONE candidate is willing to visit our spot of red thanks apparently to our MP -guess who he voted for?). 3.30pm on a Thurs is perhaps not the handiest time for a worker or mother but obviously M.D is a v busy man. My request to bring a 6 year old with me to the meeting has yet to be replied to...
Nationally communication has slowed down. Diane hasn't emailed for 2 weeks, her last was about the budget with her three ways to sort out the budget which seems nice and simple, thanks Diane. She twitters a little but not to the same extent as Balls and MD who are quite the users of modern technology. Andy however hasn't tweeted at all - did I remember to follow him? On a lighter note I haven't had much from ME but he has emailed me personally asking me to allow him to text me. I've been keeping away from the texts but with balls and ME actively wanting my number its getting tempting, I am going to have to choose between them at some point.
Finally I am trying touse the old modern technology and watch newsnight and question time but I have a JOB and a CHILD and a husband who has to watch football 24/7 and I am TIRED by 10pm. Why are these shows on so darn late?
A working weekend (last) followed by a volunteering weekend (next) with work and chauffeur duties (aka motherhood) inbetween has left me feeling very behind with the campaign. I have had to reluctantly decline my first invitation to a buffet and quiz night due to the weekend away but along with the terrifying prospect of the Women's-Only event is the dizzying heights of an afternoon with Miliband D. Well a 3.30 meeting (me and many others, its not a one to one wooing session mores the pity still at least ONE candidate is willing to visit our spot of red thanks apparently to our MP -guess who he voted for?). 3.30pm on a Thurs is perhaps not the handiest time for a worker or mother but obviously M.D is a v busy man. My request to bring a 6 year old with me to the meeting has yet to be replied to...
Nationally communication has slowed down. Diane hasn't emailed for 2 weeks, her last was about the budget with her three ways to sort out the budget which seems nice and simple, thanks Diane. She twitters a little but not to the same extent as Balls and MD who are quite the users of modern technology. Andy however hasn't tweeted at all - did I remember to follow him? On a lighter note I haven't had much from ME but he has emailed me personally asking me to allow him to text me. I've been keeping away from the texts but with balls and ME actively wanting my number its getting tempting, I am going to have to choose between them at some point.
Finally I am trying touse the old modern technology and watch newsnight and question time but I have a JOB and a CHILD and a husband who has to watch football 24/7 and I am TIRED by 10pm. Why are these shows on so darn late?
Big Society
Its been a manic few days and I suddenly find myself so tired I can't summon up enough energy for the righteous anger that has carried me through the last few weeks. When Call-me-Dave's big society was first mooted to hoots of derision from anyone with a brain some self confessed Tory used the Guardian's CIF pages to boast that only the right volunteer and cited two teachers neighbours who "got home at four and watched their big TV all evening" as an example. Apparently spending all day attempting to educate the youth wasn't enough for Mr self confessed Tory, they also needed to spend their evenings making up food parcels to feed the jobless so we can save money on cancelling all welfare, or whatever Call-me-Dave's latest compassionate Conservative Crazy idea is.
So that's the Big Society! We feed our less fortunate neighbours on our left overs whilst using up the slashed school budget on Free Schools to make sure our children are kept away from the malnourished kids slurping down our out of date organic yogurt. Mind you who am I kidding? I can barely sleep for worrying that soon I'll be meekly standing in line to bob a curtsey in thanks as I am given my food parcel. We barely make ends meet yet thanks to Gideon we face the loss of £50 a month, there's a leak in the roof we can't afford to fix and my husband has no stability in his job at all.
I spend my life yelling at the TV or the computer "But they have no mandate!" Then I go to my third sector job (cuts in grants, cuts in donors'incomes), raise my daughter, volunteer at a local community project, fundraise for charity and worry that I don't do enough and wonder just where the time has gone. That enough for you Mr self confessed Tory or shall I start putting a few spare tins aside now?
So that's the Big Society! We feed our less fortunate neighbours on our left overs whilst using up the slashed school budget on Free Schools to make sure our children are kept away from the malnourished kids slurping down our out of date organic yogurt. Mind you who am I kidding? I can barely sleep for worrying that soon I'll be meekly standing in line to bob a curtsey in thanks as I am given my food parcel. We barely make ends meet yet thanks to Gideon we face the loss of £50 a month, there's a leak in the roof we can't afford to fix and my husband has no stability in his job at all.
I spend my life yelling at the TV or the computer "But they have no mandate!" Then I go to my third sector job (cuts in grants, cuts in donors'incomes), raise my daughter, volunteer at a local community project, fundraise for charity and worry that I don't do enough and wonder just where the time has gone. That enough for you Mr self confessed Tory or shall I start putting a few spare tins aside now?
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Serendipity
So... someone at Labour HQ is obviously reading this and thinking other people are too BECAUSE not only did my local branch contact me as I typed my last post about not being contacted(do keep up) but less than two hours after I posted I got an invite to an all woman network event followed by hustings. Oh yes bring it on! Not in my own home city natch I'll have to travel but even so.
Behind the excitement (and immediate worry of what does one wear to such an event?) is panic. I hate networking and am rubbish at it. Will probably hide behind a potted plant and drink warm white wine before indulging in slurred heckling at the Hustings bringing an abrupt end to my political career. That's if I don't bottle out.
I have also had quite unexpected and inexplicable success on twitter with 3 whole followers on the first day. As I have no idea how to or any intention of promoting it it is all very strange - especially as very first tweet was a tentative "Plan to celebrate day off with more tennis and less depressing Con-Dem news". Not really that attention grabbing!
Which leads me to - how do I blame the terrible loss of Federer on the Con Dems?!?!
Behind the excitement (and immediate worry of what does one wear to such an event?) is panic. I hate networking and am rubbish at it. Will probably hide behind a potted plant and drink warm white wine before indulging in slurred heckling at the Hustings bringing an abrupt end to my political career. That's if I don't bottle out.
I have also had quite unexpected and inexplicable success on twitter with 3 whole followers on the first day. As I have no idea how to or any intention of promoting it it is all very strange - especially as very first tweet was a tentative "Plan to celebrate day off with more tennis and less depressing Con-Dem news". Not really that attention grabbing!
Which leads me to - how do I blame the terrible loss of Federer on the Con Dems?!?!
Tweet Tweet
A day off in the middle of the week is a treat - breakfast with the mummies, Wimbledon, catching up with the Archers (ok, ok I know that sounds like I live in a Vicarage and wears pearls - one day!). Sadly Pip's teenage rebellion and Federer's progress are simply background noise as I wade through websites and try to grips with Twitter.
So far my political knowledge is solely supplied by the Guardian. I don't always agree with them - after all they threw their hat in with the turncoat Lib Dems and advised tactical voting - BUT for thoughtful insightful debate and articles I can bore my friends with by posting onto Facebook they are invaluable. However who I vote for in this Leadership election has got to be something I decide for myself.
So today I signed up for Twitter and have become a follower of all 6 candidates. Is it supposed to take an hour and is TMobile really the only network not to support mobile Tweeting (whatever that may be)? It feels like a massive, incomprehensible wall of words and I am as flummoxed as my mother faced with an ipod. What happens next, am I supposed to keep logging back on to find some pearls of wisdom? OK what has David got to say?
Education is not the filling of the pail but the lighting of a fire.
Hmmm, thanks David, that's very clear.
Maybe my local party can help me? They have been very quiet about welcoming new members to the fold. I have been invited to a monthly meeting I can attend but not speak or vote at and there was talk of a cream tea social that was sadly cancelled. After 6 weeks I decided to take the initiative and asked about hustings but sadly we may be the only spot of red in a sea of blue but we are far too insignificant for actual candidates to visit, they'll be off to the big cities instead. I feel disappointed and a little insulted. Come on guys, this isn't wooing. I want eye contact and a firm handshake!
Ooh Stop Press as they say- an email has arrived with exquisite timing inviting me to a local Party buffet with a quiz! I hope its not a quiz on obscure Labour policies. Or on the candidates. Twittering made me so dizzy I decided to leave their websites y and an indepth look at their actual policies for another day...
So far my political knowledge is solely supplied by the Guardian. I don't always agree with them - after all they threw their hat in with the turncoat Lib Dems and advised tactical voting - BUT for thoughtful insightful debate and articles I can bore my friends with by posting onto Facebook they are invaluable. However who I vote for in this Leadership election has got to be something I decide for myself.
So today I signed up for Twitter and have become a follower of all 6 candidates. Is it supposed to take an hour and is TMobile really the only network not to support mobile Tweeting (whatever that may be)? It feels like a massive, incomprehensible wall of words and I am as flummoxed as my mother faced with an ipod. What happens next, am I supposed to keep logging back on to find some pearls of wisdom? OK what has David got to say?
Education is not the filling of the pail but the lighting of a fire.
Hmmm, thanks David, that's very clear.
Maybe my local party can help me? They have been very quiet about welcoming new members to the fold. I have been invited to a monthly meeting I can attend but not speak or vote at and there was talk of a cream tea social that was sadly cancelled. After 6 weeks I decided to take the initiative and asked about hustings but sadly we may be the only spot of red in a sea of blue but we are far too insignificant for actual candidates to visit, they'll be off to the big cities instead. I feel disappointed and a little insulted. Come on guys, this isn't wooing. I want eye contact and a firm handshake!
Ooh Stop Press as they say- an email has arrived with exquisite timing inviting me to a local Party buffet with a quiz! I hope its not a quiz on obscure Labour policies. Or on the candidates. Twittering made me so dizzy I decided to leave their websites y and an indepth look at their actual policies for another day...
Educashun, Educashun, Educashun
I live in a really nice area. Pretty terraces. lots of trees, a park on the doorstep, lovely primary schools and just a short cycle ride to town - middle class heaven. Sadly the nearest deli is 20 mins walk away but we just have to be a little organised with the Ocado shop and use the Spar for emergencies.
The only drawback is the lack of a really local secondary school. There are five secondaries less than a mile away but two are church run, one is far too rough for the delicate children of this area, one is private (and girls only) and the fifth, well the fifth is fine but just because all the local kids who wanted places there have got places there in the past doesn't mean our children will get in - and they do have to cross several roads to get there. It just isn't good enough. What can we do?
Luckily those nice Conservatives have a brilliant solution! We could start our own school. There is some wasteland we could use or maybe we could convert a shop - in New York they use a restaurant during the day so lets just be creative. OK there is the small matter of a 25% cut in the local education budget but as long as our kids are ok what does it matter?
Michael Grove says lots and lots of teachers are in favour of this brilliant solution and they even want to start their own schools too where they can get rid of all that nasty paperwork and just teach creatively free of targets and standardised assessments. Perfect. Sadly no one seems to have told the local teachers this, they seem to be very negative about the idea. Their loss.
We will of course be open to all but keep the intake local - just because the area is mostly middle class professionals and the interested parents are so far middle class professionals simply doesn't make our admissions policy exclusive. As long as the parents support our academically adventurous curriculum and are prepared to spend lots of time supporting us all are welcome. How we will achieve the academically adventurous curriculum with our target of just 30 children in a year when private schools of similar sizes are closing all over the country despite 3 times as much money per pupil is something we will worry about later. Managing games, science labs and DT is also something we will worry about at some other time.
Apparently the LTA only spends about 2% of the budget on centralised administration which will be hard to match, plus someone will have to organise pensions and payroll. Luckily some company is bound to competitively quote to organise all the dull stuff leaving us free to do the fun stuff. What do you mean privatisation by the back door?
The only drawback is the lack of a really local secondary school. There are five secondaries less than a mile away but two are church run, one is far too rough for the delicate children of this area, one is private (and girls only) and the fifth, well the fifth is fine but just because all the local kids who wanted places there have got places there in the past doesn't mean our children will get in - and they do have to cross several roads to get there. It just isn't good enough. What can we do?
Luckily those nice Conservatives have a brilliant solution! We could start our own school. There is some wasteland we could use or maybe we could convert a shop - in New York they use a restaurant during the day so lets just be creative. OK there is the small matter of a 25% cut in the local education budget but as long as our kids are ok what does it matter?
Michael Grove says lots and lots of teachers are in favour of this brilliant solution and they even want to start their own schools too where they can get rid of all that nasty paperwork and just teach creatively free of targets and standardised assessments. Perfect. Sadly no one seems to have told the local teachers this, they seem to be very negative about the idea. Their loss.
We will of course be open to all but keep the intake local - just because the area is mostly middle class professionals and the interested parents are so far middle class professionals simply doesn't make our admissions policy exclusive. As long as the parents support our academically adventurous curriculum and are prepared to spend lots of time supporting us all are welcome. How we will achieve the academically adventurous curriculum with our target of just 30 children in a year when private schools of similar sizes are closing all over the country despite 3 times as much money per pupil is something we will worry about later. Managing games, science labs and DT is also something we will worry about at some other time.
Apparently the LTA only spends about 2% of the budget on centralised administration which will be hard to match, plus someone will have to organise pensions and payroll. Luckily some company is bound to competitively quote to organise all the dull stuff leaving us free to do the fun stuff. What do you mean privatisation by the back door?
Friday, 25 June 2010
And it is perfectly obvious that Labour Stands for the principle of sharing, kindness, gays, single mothers and Nelson Mandela
Poor Bridget. Two months in, blissfully happy - and then she discovers that Mark Darcy is a Tory. "How???" she (and we)cries. How can her human rights lawyer boyfriend be one of them, because, as she sagely points out. Everyone votes labour. Except as last month so depressingly shows, everyone doesn't.
Who is a Tory? And Why? There are the obvious types, the County lot sitting at Wimbledon this week, drinking Pimms, and looking forward to some regatta or the other (what exactly is a regatta? Is it boats?). They look like Tim Henman and just like that plucky Brit don't consider golfing all day a waste of time. Many people with money also vote Blue because they hope it will help them hold onto more of their money (until they go on secret millionaire to publicly and philanthropically help the deserving poor).
But there aren't enough of them to turn my county map blue surely?
Well, rural types are naturally Conservative and conservative (in my youth a Young Farmer refuse to buy me a pint because "girls don't drink pints". I bought my own. I bet he votes Tory). And then there are the rest. the ones who want a change, who think "surely they can't be worse|" (ha ha ha that'll teach you), those who read the right wing press and believe every scare story and piece of vitriol they print.
An old boss thought that Thatcher "was the best thing that ever happened to this country!". Naively, like Bridget, I thought that one thing this country did agree on was that Thatcher was A Bad Thing. But he was an object lesson in the perils of privatisation. A DT teacher who was in the right place at the right time and spouted the right jargon to switch to the first privatised pieces of education and, honing those all important skills of saying the right thing at the right time, being overbearing and self-important he rose swiftly through the ranks despite actually doing very little indeed.
In the lead up to the election several friends publicly wondered if they might see how Cameron did because "we need a change" Yes, many of them read the Times (vile Murdoch propaganda) but their willingness to make such a fundamental change to the way the country is run with no real knowledge of issues, policies or consequences was scary.
I did a Sky News test online. I have to admit I was tad worried it would default me automatically to being a Tory or even worse I might unknowingly be one! What if, in a blind test, I was a raving conservative? Luckily I chose Labour for every single policy except health (Lib Dem, ha ha ha). It was a massive relief! Maybe we should all have done such a test before we were allowed to set foot in a voting booth so we could at least have checked that our head and our hearts were working together.
Who is a Tory? And Why? There are the obvious types, the County lot sitting at Wimbledon this week, drinking Pimms, and looking forward to some regatta or the other (what exactly is a regatta? Is it boats?). They look like Tim Henman and just like that plucky Brit don't consider golfing all day a waste of time. Many people with money also vote Blue because they hope it will help them hold onto more of their money (until they go on secret millionaire to publicly and philanthropically help the deserving poor).
But there aren't enough of them to turn my county map blue surely?
Well, rural types are naturally Conservative and conservative (in my youth a Young Farmer refuse to buy me a pint because "girls don't drink pints". I bought my own. I bet he votes Tory). And then there are the rest. the ones who want a change, who think "surely they can't be worse|" (ha ha ha that'll teach you), those who read the right wing press and believe every scare story and piece of vitriol they print.
An old boss thought that Thatcher "was the best thing that ever happened to this country!". Naively, like Bridget, I thought that one thing this country did agree on was that Thatcher was A Bad Thing. But he was an object lesson in the perils of privatisation. A DT teacher who was in the right place at the right time and spouted the right jargon to switch to the first privatised pieces of education and, honing those all important skills of saying the right thing at the right time, being overbearing and self-important he rose swiftly through the ranks despite actually doing very little indeed.
In the lead up to the election several friends publicly wondered if they might see how Cameron did because "we need a change" Yes, many of them read the Times (vile Murdoch propaganda) but their willingness to make such a fundamental change to the way the country is run with no real knowledge of issues, policies or consequences was scary.
I did a Sky News test online. I have to admit I was tad worried it would default me automatically to being a Tory or even worse I might unknowingly be one! What if, in a blind test, I was a raving conservative? Luckily I chose Labour for every single policy except health (Lib Dem, ha ha ha). It was a massive relief! Maybe we should all have done such a test before we were allowed to set foot in a voting booth so we could at least have checked that our head and our hearts were working together.
More Balls
Why is it I have decided against Ed B again? Partly because of this "He wrote the speech in which Brown said that he was committed to "post-neoclassical endogenous growth theory" during his time as chancellor, leading to Michael Heseltine's famous retort about the phrase: "It's not Brown's. It's Balls.""
Partly because he is strategically but disloyally disassociating himself from Gordon, Partly because he has a reputation of being cliquey and with the Bully Boys running the country Lord knows we don't need any more cliques. Oh yes, and he handed the Lib Dem turncoats over to the Cons - yes we know now that the Cons were also not going to compromise but at least they made the effort to pretend they might!
But he does write a good letter:
Dear ,
VAT to 20%. Child benefit frozen. Disability benefits cut. Public services, jobs and pensions savaged. Can you believe this is happening?
As I feared in my email last week, the Tory-Liberal government has announced that they are going ahead with an unfair rise in VAT - in a Budget which hits the poorest hardest.
So, if you haven’t done so already, I am asking you to join our campaign to Stop the VAT Bombshell – and to join the thousands of Labour Party members who have already signed up to stop this unfair rise in VAT going ahead.
We didn’t expect anything different from the Tories - I warned in Tribune before the election that George Osborne would do this.
But - as I argued on Question Time last night - for the Lib Dems to support a rise in VAT is an unbelievable betrayal. It’s the same “Tory VAT bombshell” that Nick Clegg and Vince Cable campaigned against in the election campaign!
In 1993 the Tories planned to put VAT on people's gas and electricity bills. Labour’s campaign stopped them in their tracks. If we all come together we can stop nextJanuary’s 20% VAT bombshell as well - you can read my article in yesterday’s Daily Mirror and the Mirror’s comment.
So please do sign up to Stop the VAT Bombshell and:
we‘ll send you a campaign pack of materials to fight your own local campaign;
we will send you model letters, petitions and facts to put Lib Dem MPs, candidates and councillors on the spot – and Tories too;
we will send you details of how best to get your MP to sign the House of Commons motion opposing the VAT increase which one of my supporters has organised - you can read the motion here.
Next week I will also be launching my campaign to save free school meals. Do let me know if you’ve got any other ideas to step up the campaign on public service and benefit cuts – and we’ve got until January to stop what I think is the most unfair tax increase of all, especially for families, the unemployed and pensioners.
It would be great if you could forward this email to your family, friends and colleagues and ask them to sign up too.
I will never forget that my first responsibility as a Labour and Co-operative MP and shadow cabinet member is to fight against this unfairness. That’s why I am standing for the Labour leadership. You can read more about my campaign at www.edballs4labour.org
I am determined to show you over the next two months that I have the judgement, experience, determination and track record in fighting for social justice to lead our party. But my priority this weekend is to get your support to fight this deeply unfair Tory-Liberal budget.
Together we must continue the fight for fairness.
Best wishes,
Ed Balls
P.S. You can get involved in my campaigns on my website www.edballs4labour.org, including my campaign to save free school meals for half a million children. You can also read my ideas on how we rebuild our Party from the ground up.
My campaigning is financed by donations from well-wishers, and volunteers are helping in the campaign office and with our regional campaigns - so you can donate or sign up to help out too.
And to get updates from my campaign please text the word 'join' to 07797 800613
I might just text Ed, I might just...
Partly because he is strategically but disloyally disassociating himself from Gordon, Partly because he has a reputation of being cliquey and with the Bully Boys running the country Lord knows we don't need any more cliques. Oh yes, and he handed the Lib Dem turncoats over to the Cons - yes we know now that the Cons were also not going to compromise but at least they made the effort to pretend they might!
But he does write a good letter:
Dear ,
VAT to 20%. Child benefit frozen. Disability benefits cut. Public services, jobs and pensions savaged. Can you believe this is happening?
As I feared in my email last week, the Tory-Liberal government has announced that they are going ahead with an unfair rise in VAT - in a Budget which hits the poorest hardest.
So, if you haven’t done so already, I am asking you to join our campaign to Stop the VAT Bombshell – and to join the thousands of Labour Party members who have already signed up to stop this unfair rise in VAT going ahead.
We didn’t expect anything different from the Tories - I warned in Tribune before the election that George Osborne would do this.
But - as I argued on Question Time last night - for the Lib Dems to support a rise in VAT is an unbelievable betrayal. It’s the same “Tory VAT bombshell” that Nick Clegg and Vince Cable campaigned against in the election campaign!
In 1993 the Tories planned to put VAT on people's gas and electricity bills. Labour’s campaign stopped them in their tracks. If we all come together we can stop nextJanuary’s 20% VAT bombshell as well - you can read my article in yesterday’s Daily Mirror and the Mirror’s comment.
So please do sign up to Stop the VAT Bombshell and:
we‘ll send you a campaign pack of materials to fight your own local campaign;
we will send you model letters, petitions and facts to put Lib Dem MPs, candidates and councillors on the spot – and Tories too;
we will send you details of how best to get your MP to sign the House of Commons motion opposing the VAT increase which one of my supporters has organised - you can read the motion here.
Next week I will also be launching my campaign to save free school meals. Do let me know if you’ve got any other ideas to step up the campaign on public service and benefit cuts – and we’ve got until January to stop what I think is the most unfair tax increase of all, especially for families, the unemployed and pensioners.
It would be great if you could forward this email to your family, friends and colleagues and ask them to sign up too.
I will never forget that my first responsibility as a Labour and Co-operative MP and shadow cabinet member is to fight against this unfairness. That’s why I am standing for the Labour leadership. You can read more about my campaign at www.edballs4labour.org
I am determined to show you over the next two months that I have the judgement, experience, determination and track record in fighting for social justice to lead our party. But my priority this weekend is to get your support to fight this deeply unfair Tory-Liberal budget.
Together we must continue the fight for fairness.
Best wishes,
Ed Balls
P.S. You can get involved in my campaigns on my website www.edballs4labour.org, including my campaign to save free school meals for half a million children. You can also read my ideas on how we rebuild our Party from the ground up.
My campaigning is financed by donations from well-wishers, and volunteers are helping in the campaign office and with our regional campaigns - so you can donate or sign up to help out too.
And to get updates from my campaign please text the word 'join' to 07797 800613
I might just text Ed, I might just...
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
£23,000
Gideon has a personal fortune of £4 million. Nice. He still felt the need to flip his homes and claim for DVD copies of his own speech. Not so nice. He has two children, an Hon as a wife and a baronetcy to inherit some day.In Tipperary. Isn't Tipperary in the Republic so how does that work? Anyway. As I was saying not only is Gideon extremely fortunate but he also earns around £135,000 and has a grace and favour home perfect for birthday parties. But even when he was just a plain MP (the good old days) he earned £65000. So how exactly does he calculate that £23,000 is the cut off point for child tax credit for a working couple with one child. Ah yes we are indeed all in this together.
It never felt exactly fair that a couple with a combined income of £23 000 got the same amount of tax credit as a couple on £50 000 but this little gem, hidden away in the detail of the budget shows Gideon for exactly what he is. I would like to see him raise his children on that income! The truth is that it is not much money for a young family burdened with student loans, mortgages, council tax, other rising bills, 20% VAT (sigh)plus the costs of feeding, clothing their children. Of course if you want your child to have any of the many activities no doubt enjoyed by the fortunate offspring of a True Blue Tory you need to have the time, transport and cash to take them swimming, or to Brownies (let alone suzuki violin, mandarin lessons or ponyclub). Possible on £23,000. Impossible. I've tried it.
A Recessionary Cautionary Tale
Once upon a time I lived in a DINK fairytale(dual income no kids). I lived in a tiny flat on the outskirts of London where I enjoyed my DINK lifestyle to the full - holidays, weekends away, meals out, new clothes. Not that extravagant really, it was budget airlines and more Pizza Express than Nobu but fun.
Then I had the one and only and moved up North to an insanely overpriced historically picturesque small city. I moved for D's job, foolishly assuming that I would be able to find a part time professional job. Ha ha ha. D brought in just £24 000, I did a year part time evening work at a book store on minimum wage. The only other part time work in this beautiful, economically static small city was admin so badly paid that it wouldn't have covered the cost of nursery.And no, Gideon, I am not lazy I just couldn't bear the idea of a nursery raising my child. And we sank. The bills just added up to more than our incomings and we had jettisoned all the DINK luxuries long before. It was the aforesaid mortgage, council tax etc etc that was killing us.
A respite. D got a promotion that required him to be in London all week - but having left we couldn't afford to move back. I found a pt semi professional job (back to an assistant but pt) with childcare on site. Yay! Things looked up for a whole two year, maybe just maybe we could now think about no. 2 when... Northern Rock.
Six months later we are both redundant and things are looking desperate. The redundancy is running out the mortgage is behind and there are NO JOBS. D finally gets a contract - 2 hours travel away, no pension, sick or holiday pay or stability but a job.I freelance write and withdraw from the two places I have to study Law as we can't afford the fees. A year goes by. The arrears are nearly paid off when...
His company lays off 40% of staff and natch contractors first to go. The local rag I have been putting 12 hour days in for whilst using the TV as a babysitter tells me not to worry, I have a long term future with them - just to let me go 6 weeks later when a new desperate writer shows up with all kinds of sub ed and photography skills and no pesky school pick up. We are both unemployed. No redundancy. Our savings are depleted in 6 weeks. I lie down and howl like a dog. There seems to be no way out.
Everything is in arrears. Mortgage, bills, the credit cards which we are living off. No benefits come through. I ebay everything - clothes, furniture, my beloved boots. Still no benefits. Every time the phone rings I feel sick. And its always a polite call centre employee wondering if we could just pay a little now. But how can you pay when there is NOTHING to pay with.
But one benefit does come through. Child tax credit. And its a lot - not enough to pay the bills but we can eat! Of course the downside with tax credit is it is calculated on an annual basis so as soon as we earn again we are massively in arrears with tax credit as well and haven't been been paid any for months.
No benefits. I am so ill and anxious that I just know I need cigarettes or prozac. But I worry if I admit to depression I'll never ever climb out again. And I can't afford to smoke.
And job hunting is a job! Of course we have applied to supermarkets etc to tide us over but we spend hours a day filling in forms, revamping CVS, searching for something anything.And even the supermarkets don't want us. Then Success for D - another contract and a lot less money and still no pension, sick holiday pay etc but work! Then me pt and admin but a job!
So here we are ten months later. Earning. So in debt I never ever stop worrying. Minus tax credit as we are in arrears till next year. This is the reality of recession. This is the reality of life in the golden private sector. This is the future Gideon has planned for thousands and thousands of families.
Its been grim up North.Thanks to Gideon it is about to get even grimmer
It never felt exactly fair that a couple with a combined income of £23 000 got the same amount of tax credit as a couple on £50 000 but this little gem, hidden away in the detail of the budget shows Gideon for exactly what he is. I would like to see him raise his children on that income! The truth is that it is not much money for a young family burdened with student loans, mortgages, council tax, other rising bills, 20% VAT (sigh)plus the costs of feeding, clothing their children. Of course if you want your child to have any of the many activities no doubt enjoyed by the fortunate offspring of a True Blue Tory you need to have the time, transport and cash to take them swimming, or to Brownies (let alone suzuki violin, mandarin lessons or ponyclub). Possible on £23,000. Impossible. I've tried it.
A Recessionary Cautionary Tale
Once upon a time I lived in a DINK fairytale(dual income no kids). I lived in a tiny flat on the outskirts of London where I enjoyed my DINK lifestyle to the full - holidays, weekends away, meals out, new clothes. Not that extravagant really, it was budget airlines and more Pizza Express than Nobu but fun.
Then I had the one and only and moved up North to an insanely overpriced historically picturesque small city. I moved for D's job, foolishly assuming that I would be able to find a part time professional job. Ha ha ha. D brought in just £24 000, I did a year part time evening work at a book store on minimum wage. The only other part time work in this beautiful, economically static small city was admin so badly paid that it wouldn't have covered the cost of nursery.And no, Gideon, I am not lazy I just couldn't bear the idea of a nursery raising my child. And we sank. The bills just added up to more than our incomings and we had jettisoned all the DINK luxuries long before. It was the aforesaid mortgage, council tax etc etc that was killing us.
A respite. D got a promotion that required him to be in London all week - but having left we couldn't afford to move back. I found a pt semi professional job (back to an assistant but pt) with childcare on site. Yay! Things looked up for a whole two year, maybe just maybe we could now think about no. 2 when... Northern Rock.
Six months later we are both redundant and things are looking desperate. The redundancy is running out the mortgage is behind and there are NO JOBS. D finally gets a contract - 2 hours travel away, no pension, sick or holiday pay or stability but a job.I freelance write and withdraw from the two places I have to study Law as we can't afford the fees. A year goes by. The arrears are nearly paid off when...
His company lays off 40% of staff and natch contractors first to go. The local rag I have been putting 12 hour days in for whilst using the TV as a babysitter tells me not to worry, I have a long term future with them - just to let me go 6 weeks later when a new desperate writer shows up with all kinds of sub ed and photography skills and no pesky school pick up. We are both unemployed. No redundancy. Our savings are depleted in 6 weeks. I lie down and howl like a dog. There seems to be no way out.
Everything is in arrears. Mortgage, bills, the credit cards which we are living off. No benefits come through. I ebay everything - clothes, furniture, my beloved boots. Still no benefits. Every time the phone rings I feel sick. And its always a polite call centre employee wondering if we could just pay a little now. But how can you pay when there is NOTHING to pay with.
But one benefit does come through. Child tax credit. And its a lot - not enough to pay the bills but we can eat! Of course the downside with tax credit is it is calculated on an annual basis so as soon as we earn again we are massively in arrears with tax credit as well and haven't been been paid any for months.
No benefits. I am so ill and anxious that I just know I need cigarettes or prozac. But I worry if I admit to depression I'll never ever climb out again. And I can't afford to smoke.
And job hunting is a job! Of course we have applied to supermarkets etc to tide us over but we spend hours a day filling in forms, revamping CVS, searching for something anything.And even the supermarkets don't want us. Then Success for D - another contract and a lot less money and still no pension, sick holiday pay etc but work! Then me pt and admin but a job!
So here we are ten months later. Earning. So in debt I never ever stop worrying. Minus tax credit as we are in arrears till next year. This is the reality of recession. This is the reality of life in the golden private sector. This is the future Gideon has planned for thousands and thousands of families.
Its been grim up North.Thanks to Gideon it is about to get even grimmer
We're all in this together
OK -WARNING. The following comes from the Daily Mail. I know! Filth, vitiriol and a worrying obsession with working mothers and women's weight. BUT. Just read it. If they are finding fault with Gideon's budget that we know we are in trouble...
"At present, all families with a combined income of up to £58,000 receive varying amounts of child tax credit.
From next year, only those earning up to £41,329 will receive this benefit.
But detailed figures hidden away in Budget documents show that from 2012, those with joint incomes worth more than £23,275 will lose their tax credits. Treasury sources admitted that 5.7million families will not be able to claim a penny of the credit from 2012, leaving just 1.3million of the country’s poorest households benefiting from the payment.
Nicola Roberts, of accountants Deloitte says: ‘This is going to be a massive shock for all middle income families.
‘A cliff edge has been created, and they will be amazed to see their credits taken away so quickly.
‘The amount you can earn before you lose all tax credits has more than halved.’
At present, child tax credit is made up of a family element worth up to £545 a year, and a child element of up to £2,300.
On top of this, those who have a baby get an extra £545 credit in the first year.
The Chancellor announced yesterday that from next April, the rate at which the child element would be taken away would increased to 41p for every £1.
And those earning above £40,000 would start to have their family element removed at a much quicker rate until they lose everything at £41,329.
In a move not announced by the Chancellor but buried in the Budget documents, from 2012 this £40,000 income limit will be withdrawn. It means that families with one child would receive no tax credits once they earn above £23,275."
So two people scraping barely over the minimum wage with one child will get a big, fat zeo nothing. Thanks Gideon, how many kids have you got again? Oh, but of course. You have a Trust Fund.
"At present, all families with a combined income of up to £58,000 receive varying amounts of child tax credit.
From next year, only those earning up to £41,329 will receive this benefit.
But detailed figures hidden away in Budget documents show that from 2012, those with joint incomes worth more than £23,275 will lose their tax credits. Treasury sources admitted that 5.7million families will not be able to claim a penny of the credit from 2012, leaving just 1.3million of the country’s poorest households benefiting from the payment.
Nicola Roberts, of accountants Deloitte says: ‘This is going to be a massive shock for all middle income families.
‘A cliff edge has been created, and they will be amazed to see their credits taken away so quickly.
‘The amount you can earn before you lose all tax credits has more than halved.’
At present, child tax credit is made up of a family element worth up to £545 a year, and a child element of up to £2,300.
On top of this, those who have a baby get an extra £545 credit in the first year.
The Chancellor announced yesterday that from next April, the rate at which the child element would be taken away would increased to 41p for every £1.
And those earning above £40,000 would start to have their family element removed at a much quicker rate until they lose everything at £41,329.
In a move not announced by the Chancellor but buried in the Budget documents, from 2012 this £40,000 income limit will be withdrawn. It means that families with one child would receive no tax credits once they earn above £23,275."
So two people scraping barely over the minimum wage with one child will get a big, fat zeo nothing. Thanks Gideon, how many kids have you got again? Oh, but of course. You have a Trust Fund.
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
New Balls Please
Its Wimbledon! OK, I am not middle-aged, middle class or living in middle England but nothing gets me quite so excited as tanned legs in white shorts on a sea of green. Federer nearly made me as depressed as the Con-Dems but I did, I did, I did believe in fairies, crossed my fingers, yelled at the TV and this time the result was right. Today though Nadal and Murray had to deal with a far scarier foe for my attention - Gideon. First off, ignoring the permanent sneer, the millions in the bank, the privileged background (ok I can't ignore it either but try) first off he is a year older than me and has never had a real job! And he is in charge of the country's finances - oh but it is ok he has the conch. He's having fun with it too. VAT at 20%! Freeze child benefit!Freeze pay! Slash budgets! But we are all in this together - except I don't have a trust fund.
But here comes acting leader Harriet with an idea (Harriet why aren't you standing? As if anyone who would ever vote Labour cares what the Daily Mail says!). She has a solution - I can, erm, email my local paper. Oh, alright then. Email sent. My first act of political activism.
But here comes acting leader Harriet with an idea (Harriet why aren't you standing? As if anyone who would ever vote Labour cares what the Daily Mail says!). She has a solution - I can, erm, email my local paper. Oh, alright then. Email sent. My first act of political activism.
Those Milliband Boys
"I want to be wooed" I texted excitedly to M when it transpired that we had both, almost simultaneously,succumbed to the Labour Party's clever Facebook campaign to sign up new members. So many had voted Lib Dem either carried away by the Nick-Love floating around the non-Murdoch press or, like M(stuck in call-me-Dave's constituency), they voted tactically. My home city remained rose red but the post election maps showed us as a tiny dot of red floating in a large, depressing sea of blue. Now those Lib Dem voters needed to vent their disgust somewhere and Labour were ensuring they provided a useful outlet.
As for me I was just excited that I would have a say in the forthcoming leadership election. Never having once been doorstepped I was ready for some political wooing. Sadly, the first attempt left me feeling like a wallflower at a school disco.
"David Milliband wants me to take a journey with him!" messaged M.
What?! Why take M on a journey, why not me? Was I not good enough? Did she hold more political allure living in call-me-Dave's constituency? When my own not so personal message finally appeared half an hour later I felt less wooed, more used. It was sexy though.
"Yes I’d like your vote. But I’m not writing about that today - this is about something bigger.
I’m writing to ask you to join me on a journey to examine, redefine and rebuild our Party. Because to be frank – I need you."
He needed me. But hang on a minute. You wait desperately for attention from one Milliband brother then just like buses along comes another, equally needy.
" I hope that we’ll meet over the next couple of months" he cooed. It was short, it was sweet and most importantly he emailed me first. I felt wooed again.
It took a couple of days before the next starters made it out of the gates. Andy Burnham is apparently a very nice chap but Andy, its all about you. The email is full of "me, I, my". Andy, what about us? What can I do for you and you for me?I was sadly uninspired.
Mr Balls was fourth. Poor Ed, I wasn't predisposed towards him anyway, did he really scupper the coalition talks with the Lib Dems? It was a great message though."I am writing to you today - not just because I want your support to be the next Leader of our party, but because I need your urgent help in campaigning against the unfair attack on jobs and services that this Tory-Liberal government is planning for next week’s Budget." Ooh straight in there. Nice one Ed B.
And he went on "I am very proud of what we achieved together in government. Labour's legacy is every child who is sitting in a brand new school, the winter fuel payment, our new hospitals, our Sure Start children's centres, tax credits and the national minimum wage.
But the Tories and Liberals are going to put all this at risk.
So this is my first pledge to you: I will work with all of you and with MPs, MEPs, trade unionists and councillors across the country to make sure our legacy is not destroyed by David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
Labour needs a leader who will fight unfair Tory-Liberal cuts. We also need a leader who can make tough calls under pressure. And we need a leader who understands why too many ordinary, hard-working people thought they couldn’t support us this time.
We all met former supporters who thought we just didn't “get it" on jobs, migration, housing, tuition fees. I believe it’s possible to persuade former Labour voters to believe in us again - because I’ve seen the difference a Labour government made for my family.
My grandfather, a lorry driver, died from cancer when my father was only 10. Despite coming from a widowed family in a working-class community in Norwich, he was able to stay on at school at 16 and go to university.
All the opportunities that he had were only made possible because of the welfare state the Labour Government created in 1945, reflecting our core belief that opportunity should be available for all, not just for the privileged few.
The reason I’m standing for Labour leader is because I want these same chances for every one of my constituents and for every family in our country."
YES YES YES! I said definitely not Balls but this was far more like i, this is what I want to hear - fighting passion.
Last but not least Dianne. It took a while, I had to wait but finally, today I heard from her. It was short, to the point, ended "Yours in Comradeship" which was a lovely touch.
So here we are, five candidates, five messages, several weeks to go. Woo me would-be-leaders, woo me.
As for me I was just excited that I would have a say in the forthcoming leadership election. Never having once been doorstepped I was ready for some political wooing. Sadly, the first attempt left me feeling like a wallflower at a school disco.
"David Milliband wants me to take a journey with him!" messaged M.
What?! Why take M on a journey, why not me? Was I not good enough? Did she hold more political allure living in call-me-Dave's constituency? When my own not so personal message finally appeared half an hour later I felt less wooed, more used. It was sexy though.
"Yes I’d like your vote. But I’m not writing about that today - this is about something bigger.
I’m writing to ask you to join me on a journey to examine, redefine and rebuild our Party. Because to be frank – I need you."
He needed me. But hang on a minute. You wait desperately for attention from one Milliband brother then just like buses along comes another, equally needy.
" I hope that we’ll meet over the next couple of months" he cooed. It was short, it was sweet and most importantly he emailed me first. I felt wooed again.
It took a couple of days before the next starters made it out of the gates. Andy Burnham is apparently a very nice chap but Andy, its all about you. The email is full of "me, I, my". Andy, what about us? What can I do for you and you for me?I was sadly uninspired.
Mr Balls was fourth. Poor Ed, I wasn't predisposed towards him anyway, did he really scupper the coalition talks with the Lib Dems? It was a great message though."I am writing to you today - not just because I want your support to be the next Leader of our party, but because I need your urgent help in campaigning against the unfair attack on jobs and services that this Tory-Liberal government is planning for next week’s Budget." Ooh straight in there. Nice one Ed B.
And he went on "I am very proud of what we achieved together in government. Labour's legacy is every child who is sitting in a brand new school, the winter fuel payment, our new hospitals, our Sure Start children's centres, tax credits and the national minimum wage.
But the Tories and Liberals are going to put all this at risk.
So this is my first pledge to you: I will work with all of you and with MPs, MEPs, trade unionists and councillors across the country to make sure our legacy is not destroyed by David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
Labour needs a leader who will fight unfair Tory-Liberal cuts. We also need a leader who can make tough calls under pressure. And we need a leader who understands why too many ordinary, hard-working people thought they couldn’t support us this time.
We all met former supporters who thought we just didn't “get it" on jobs, migration, housing, tuition fees. I believe it’s possible to persuade former Labour voters to believe in us again - because I’ve seen the difference a Labour government made for my family.
My grandfather, a lorry driver, died from cancer when my father was only 10. Despite coming from a widowed family in a working-class community in Norwich, he was able to stay on at school at 16 and go to university.
All the opportunities that he had were only made possible because of the welfare state the Labour Government created in 1945, reflecting our core belief that opportunity should be available for all, not just for the privileged few.
The reason I’m standing for Labour leader is because I want these same chances for every one of my constituents and for every family in our country."
YES YES YES! I said definitely not Balls but this was far more like i, this is what I want to hear - fighting passion.
Last but not least Dianne. It took a while, I had to wait but finally, today I heard from her. It was short, to the point, ended "Yours in Comradeship" which was a lovely touch.
So here we are, five candidates, five messages, several weeks to go. Woo me would-be-leaders, woo me.
What did Labour ever do for Me?
Flash back one month...
As two publicly educated Oxbridge graduates shake hands on a deal to drag Britain back into the dark age of greed and exploitation I down my third glass of wine and, somewhat shakily, log into Facebook. Amongst my friends, people of all ages, experiences and circumstances, there is a sense of loss and betrayal especially those who tactically or hopefully had voted Lib Dem. I feel sick, scared, worried for my child’s future. I feel hopeless. And then I do something, I make a small stand. I join the Labour Party. OK I was drunk, I could hardly type in my direct debit details, but at least it felt like I could do something.
The election map shows my home city as a sole red dot in a depressing sea of blue. What short memories we all have! For months people have been shaking their heads gloomily as they read their Murdoch owned papers and said “Well, the Conservatives can’t be worse, what have Labour ever done for me?” Intelligent people Friends, relatives, colleagues. Have they really forgotten?
This is what Labour has done for me:
Clean hospitals
Beds in hospitals
Shorter NHS waiting times – and expanded hours
Sure Start
School rebuilding
Enough textbooks for each child to have their own
Investment in libraries
Free museums – yep that’s FREE museums
Back to work initiatives
Tax breaks aimed at families not married couples
Free swimming, bus passes and fuel allowances for the over 60s.
Fruit in school for infants
Free swimming for children
Fantastic playgrounds in every city, town and village
And so much more…
Monday, 21 June 2010
From pale blush to bright red
It feels odd to be newly politically aware at the age of 37. But its only now I realise how spoilt I have been... sure I was brought up in the 70s and 80s but actually I don't remember the three day week, the miners strike was something that happened on the news and long doom stories about wards shutting were as as inevitable as Easter. Sharing wall paper bound text books and sitting in portacabins in crumbling schools happened to everyone, apart from posh people who had to pay for an education that didn't include days off for striking teachers (as a grammar schoolgirl we despised the private lot as "rich but thick").
We all hated Thatcher of course - the sixth form common room erupted in cheers when she was finally ousted, but until I turned 37 my most political acts were refusing to pay my poll tax (my mum paid it for me so it was a bit of a non protest) and staying up all night THAT night in 97 when the Tories who had dominated my whole life finally were expelled from Government. But I now realise, lucky me! There has been no need to be political, instead I have been complacent with my whole working and marital life lived under a Labour Government.
Of course we've had our ups and downs. The war felt like a betrayal and ID cards made me cross eyed with rage and yet, despite very bad personal recession fall out, I have remained a pale blush red. Not political, unthinking but sure this is the right way and the everyone else would remember the eighties and would never be stupid enough to vote the Tories back in whatever Murdoch said! But the day before budget day knowing two millionaire trustafarians are about to start stripping this country bare with no real mandate makes me realise blush isn't good enough. The colour has to be red.
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