Thank-you Gordon

Gordon-Brown-3_716147a.jpg

 

Gordon Brown has done more than a good job. He guided not only the UK but also large parts of the economic world at a time when financial structures of our society were undermined by unscrupulous bankers and money dealers. He was a man who genuinely believed he could make things better for everyone through justice, fairness and good judgement. Sadly he was unable to convince enough of the British electorate that he should remain in office and at the election he failed to secure enough seats to stay at No. 10.

So tonight Gordon went to Buckingham Palace and offered The Queen his resignation, followed with almost indecent haste by David Cameron, summoned to take his place.

We don’t yet know if David Cameron can command a working majority to form a government. The Liberal Democrats have yet to ratify the deal that their leaders are believed to have brokered with the Conservatives. We will have to wait and see if Mr Cameron, the new Prime Minister, can keep the first promise he has just made to The Queen.

I’m not comfortable with the future but I am comfortable about the past 13 years of Labour rule. There have been mistakes – some significant ones – but there has also been progress. Many of our public services are in much better shape than they were when Tony Blair first stepped into Downing Street in 1997. This seems like a good place to thank Tony and Gordon for enduring the years of pressure in leadership as they stood on the bridge of the good ship UK.

 

 

Don’t buy The Sun

I am angry at the way Rupert Murdoch’s empire is exploiting the grief of a bereaved mother to further its campaign against the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown. I am also angry that The Sun newspaper is undermining this country’s difficult military strategy in Afghanistan.

Remember that Rupert Murdoch is only interested in building his empire and making money. He doesn’t care about the future of this country, the feelings of the mother, Jaqui Janes, or the lives of our soldiers in the conflict. News International wants to make money – full stop. It seems to me that if it means undermining a government, exploiting grief or putting military lives at risk that’s all part of the money making plan. By publishing a surreptitiously recorded phone call between the PM and Mrs Janes, The Sun has clearly gone against Press Complaints Commission’s code of conduct to grab another headline and extend the story by another day.

I am also unhappy that the BBC made such a big deal of the story – adding fuel to the fire and exciting the frenzy. Have the other papers gone big on this story today? No, because they recognise it for what it is. They have their own profits to make and thankfully for some of them, their own standards below which they won’t allow themselves to fall.

I’ve heard no end of commentators this morning saying how Gordon Brown must be feeling, but when I heard him speak and answer their questions at his press conference, he sounded perfectly composed and in control. Do they believe that if they tell us he’s losing it often enough it will somehow come true?

So I suggest that if you care; if this has also bothered you; that you stop buying the things that put money in Rupert Murdoch’s pocket – The Sun, The Times, films from 20th Century Fox and Sky TV, and lets starve his empire until he comes to his senses. Or do we want the future of our country to be determined by media barons instead of the ballot box. So Don’t Buy The Sun. OK

OFCOM reply

I complained to OFCOM about the Conservative Party’s Euro Election broadcast. They have replied by saying that it’s up to the Conservative Party how they campaign and what they say in their broadcasts. At what point would a campaign be unacceptable I wonder?

ofcom_letter_webjpg

Complaint to Ofcom

I have just submitted a complaint to OFCOM about the way the Conservatives abused their privilege in tonight’s Party Election Broadcast.

“This was a European Election Broadcast but the Conservatives failed to address any European Issues. The entire Broadcast was devoted to Westminster and English Local Government issues, attacking Gordon Brown and calling for a UK Parliamentary Election.


These Election Broadcasts are given to the parties to inform the public about their policies and why we should vote for them in the appropriate election. In this case Elections to the European Parliament in June.

My complaint is that the Conservative Party used the airtime for another purpose, therefore abusing their privilege.”

Watch this space for their response.

Harrogate Stray to be opened up to cyclists

BBC NEWS | England | North Yorkshire | Stray to be opened up to cyclists

Harrogate Stray

Harrogate Stray

So common sense has prevailed in Harrogate. Cyclists will soon be allowed to use a number of footpaths across this extensive area of grass that encompasses a good part of the town centre.

Some thanks must go to the Cyclists Touring Club for their high profile campaign

Good move.