General Election - Candidates

There are two topics of conversation which should be avoided if you want to stay friends with your friends! Religion and politics. You will have noticed that this blog deals almost exclusively in both, and sometimes in the same article. This time, I want to help you to recognise the top players in our up and coming lottery, sorry free for all, sorry election! They are in no particular order of either significance or importance, or even integrity, and not to be taken too seriously!


The Conservative Party has David Cameron. I like his first name. When I see him in action on TV, he reminds me of a spiv who could be right in place in Dad's Army. He's got the well groomed look of someone who has a dozen watches strapped all the way up his arm, under his coat. He talks like he is giving you a deal you can't possibly refuse. A kind of 'fur coat, and no drawers' image!! (I stole that one from my mother).


The Labour Party has Mr Grey himself, Gordon Brown. He never looks well dressed, even in his best suit, and his hair always looks tossed. Or to put it another way, like a busted couch! He has a face and style for radio, not TV, and watch for the hinging chin! He is the serious one, even when he is trying very hard not to be!


The Liberal Democrats have a secret weapon in Nick Clegg. Actually, the secret weapon is really the treasury man, Vince Cable, but Nick hasn't tumbled to that yet. Nick strikes me as the wee boy in the big boys' playground at primary school. Desperate to play, but no one wants to have anything to do with him. He looks a bit out of place, and I think he even knows it.


Now the Scottish National Party has our own 'wee Eck' (remember Oor Wullie's pal?) Alex Salmond. Alex is always good for flashing a toothy grin for the cameras, with his head cocked cheekily as he enjoys the limelight. An easy way to recognise him is, when you see the paparazzi running, or the journalists rushing, then the wee guy chasing them for a picture is our wee Eck. He just loves the camera. Remember your 3 year old child who always seemed to see when the camera came out, and smiled like a Cheshire cat? Alex Salmond has never grown out of it.


Please note this should not be used as a guide to how you should vote. This has nothing to do with policy or substance, but in the absence of these things, should let you know who is who. It's just to give you the kind of insight on them that you won't get on radio, newspaper, or TV. Maybe now you will recognise them next time you see them on the box! 


May you enjoy, and use, your voting rights.... seriously!! 

Marriage and Commitment

Labour and Lib Dem election chiefs have attacked Tory plans to give low-income married couples a tax break of £150.

There are many sides to this argument, and depending on your own circumstances, will like the plan or hate it! I find the responses from the opposing parties, say more about their 'moral politics' than the announcement of the tax break!

Labour says,"If you're a widow you get this money taken away from you and if a woman's husband beats her up and she leaves him, she loses out as well." This says nothing about the commitment of a couple who are in it for the long haul, and show a moral conviction.

Lib Dem says, "The proposal from the Conservatives for tax breaks for marriage are patronising drivel that belong in the Edwardian age".

Why is it that the opposition parties are only good at that? Opposing? How about tackling the long term family neglect that this country has suffered over the past number of years? How about supporting the single most important institution in any society, marriage?

I would say on this one point, two parties have shot themselves in the foot. I know the election outcome will depend on more than one issue, but it is one of the moral points where they all speak clearly, and are counted! 

Bankrupt!

I am one of those people who watches and listens to the news and current affairs, and yes even politics! I, like you, am expected to vote on the 6th May, and don't get me wrong, I will!! I will vote because it's my democratic right, and because living a democracy is a lot better than not living in one. No matter how bad our system is, it is better than none at all.


So what's the problem? I'll tell you. They have only started... all of them... and they seem to be bankrupt on a couple of key issues. They are telling us that the country is bankrupt, and that we will have to make sacrifices, and that they (the politicians) will have to make 'tough choices', no matter who gets into number 10. That's their favourite saying. Now none of them want to tell us the whole, bad news. It's not good politics. 


The bankruptcy is not only on the economy. Our politicians are bankrupt. They all say that all the others' sums 'don't add up', so that means they all stand accused of not being able to count. They all also say that they have the answer, and that the others don't. To my mind, that means they are all bad at sums, but they are also morally lacking as well. What is it about politicians, that they can never give credit for a good idea that someone else has? Whoever gets into number 10 will undoubtedly use some of their 'enemy's' policies. They (not us) have just emerged from the worst expenses scandal to hit the Westminster Parliament in 200 years, so what is it about the words, "... we don't trust you..." that they don't understand? They must all be thinking it applies to everyone else, and not them. The old saying, "..abodys oot o' step but oor Jock..." seems to apply here.


Yes, in spite of that, I will still vote on May 6th, but they don't make it easy, do they? I wonder if that's deliberate?

Playground Fights

I couldn't believe my eyes. There in the playground were two heads of department, arguing violently about the merits of their own areas of 'expertise'. There they were facing each other in full view, hurling insults at each other, while many of their department members stood behind their leader yelling their approval, and almost baying for blood! This is so humiliating for the others watching. There were people there who had nothing to do with the fight, but previously had been asked to join the parent/student committees by these same leaders! Who can blame them from walking away?


These people should know better. They are 'pillars of our society' and should be looked up to, and not allow themselves to be lowered to a level that the kids are given conduct cards for. I wonder who will reprimand the heads of department? Eventually, the Head Teacher came out and told them to behave, and quieten down. The Head Teacher finished what he was saying, and these same two people immediately started at each other again with their insults, and personal abuse. The trouble is, I couldn't actually understand what it was they were arguing about, so it was all in vain!


Ok, so now replace the playground with the floor of the House of Commons, the arguing teachers with the leaders of the major political parties, and the Head Teacher with the Speaker of the House. See what I mean? They behave like kids in the playground. Actually, kids in the playground don't even behave like that, even with those they don't see eye to eye with! These same leaders expect us, the spectators, to vote for them and their party. Why? Why should anyone vote for someone who behaves like that? Don't they realise there will be a General Election very soon?


I would like to see a rational debate, with real questions and answers. Not 'political replies' which always seem to side step the most basic and sometimes obvious answers. Why can't these very clever (but not very wise) leaders learn to behave responsibly, just like we train and educate our own children to act? Is that really too much to ask? Answers on a postcard, please!!    

Gordon Brown gets angry... Shock, Horror!!

So, the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown has a temper. Add this to the fact that he lost the use of an eye in his youth, and is known to cry over his lost baby daughter, and what do you have? Answer, journalistic fodder!


Since when are any of these things news worthy? Since when do we pick on people who show human characteristics? Impatience leading to frustration, or bad writing because of poor sight, or an expression of deep personal grief? Politicians are not my favourite people, but guess which profession(?) has just knocked them off their perch? Yes, the journalists. The past few days have seen an endless stream of interviews with anyone who has been near the Prime Minister when anything like an outburst has been seen or heard. People have reported him thumping his papers on his desk in exasperation, and oh yes, he has been impatient with staff for not doing as he had asked. He even shouted... wow! What happened to the basic tenet of British law that you were innocent until proven guilty. We usually go out of our way to show this to the most undeserving criminal, but not to the PM! Seems he is an easy target. Even the helpline who helped break the story has now lost two of its sponsors, and the position of the chief of staff is in doubt, because they broke their fundamental rule of privacy and confidentiality. Can they be trusted now with YOUR call if you felt you were being bullied? I thought not! I would find another helpline!!


Perhaps at this point it would be wise to mention that the whole reason this has come up is because someone has written a book with unfounded allegations of fits of temper, coming from Gordon Brown. Aaahhhhh yes, now I get it! Someone wants to sell more books, and make more money, but it is more sinister than that. The opposition parties (all of them) are baying for blood. They see a man down, and instead of helping him to his feet, they sink the boot in while he is down. Have they never heard of the old wise saying, 'there but for the grace of God go I'? It seems not. Instead they talk piously as though they have never raised their voice at their staff, or lost their temper temporarily in frustration. I think it's this hypocrisy that really gets to me. Not the temper. It's the wide eyed innocence of the politicians who throw stones in the face of being reminded, 'let him who is without sin cast the first stone'. If you would prefer a non biblical phrase, then how about 'people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones'. Yes, we are back to throwing stones again. As Shakespeare said, 'methinks he protesteth too much'.


It will not have escaped your attention that there will be a UK General Election before May, and if this strikes you as being an example of the type of opening salvo, you will be right. This will be a dirty election campaign. The opposition parties have seen to that already. Whatever happened to discussing the real things that affect us all, like health, education, crime, unemployment, and yes, of course the basic morality of our country (and why not start with our politicians)?   

General Election- Glossary of Terms!

2010 will see a General Election in the UK, and as a non party political person, I felt it would be helpful to provide a set of words used by all politicians of all parties, and a guide to what they really mean! Here are a few. You will have your own, which you are welcome to add.....


'Clearly'. ...as clear as mud but I will dress it up in jargon so that you have no excuse but to know what I mean.


'I have always been clear about this'. ...still clear as mud, but the politician will now make you feel (without actually saying so) a numpty for not seeing it in the first place. Don't feel bad. The thing being clarified will still not be clear, as this word can be replaced by another simpler word, 'waffle'!


'We have to ensure'. A great way to make you think they will do something about the problem being talked about. It's a great and vague way of seeming to address something important, but not actually having any solution. In other words, they know as much as you. Actually, you will know more than them, but they will find this hard to accept.


'I have always said'. Probably said to the dog while out walking, or in the shower where no one else listens, or to the yes-men and yes-women who surround them and bask in their presence.


'I am calling for'. Sounds like a yodel from a high hill or mountain. All politicians will call for something in their career, but we all know (they don't) it's who will listen that's important, and even more important, who will do something about it! Anyone can 'call' but it takes someone special to 'do', and they are few and far between in the ranks of Westminster, or even any government body... including the Scottish Government.


'We will set up a committee to look at this'. A good way to put off making any decisions right now, while making it look like the obvious solution (which will be hard to implement) might not be the right one.


'Let's be careful not to offend'. Wow, this is one of the best ones. They will hide behind the PC flag, which allows the minority groups to take cover while the majority view is ignored. What is democracy if not the wishes of the majority(?)... except when we might offend someone, or a group. Now run over in your mind the types of people or groups who get most protection from this? Certainly not the mainstream voting majority.


'We will make the difficult decisions'. No they won't! These decisions are difficult, and therefore political suicide. So there is talk about decisions being difficult, but little or no action. Difficult solutions are needed for difficult decisions, and that is why there is no action taken.


'Manifesto promise'. This is different from all other promises. When other mortals make a promise, your word is your bond and can be counted on. Not so for the politician. As long as it is written in a manifesto document, it is open to being broken at will, because you can count on them saying 'but the situation has changed since the intention (it's not a promise at this point) was made'.


So what method can we use to help us decide which party to vote for? How about things like....
Has a nice face
Eyes are not too close together
Colour of eyes
Doesn't resort to insults
Stays calm under pressure
Not arrogant
Not ashamed of their roots or faith
Defends the underdog at the expense of the wealthy
Stays faithful to their spouse and family
Honest with expenses and allowances.


Another look at that list tells you that there is not a party political element to it. There is, however, something about honesty and integrity which should be the bedrock of anyone serving the public in office. Let's go for a choice along those lines, then whoever it may be, male or female, from whatever party, we are best placed to get a good return on our vote. Oh yes, and of course the eyes!!