I’m angry, baffled and bewildered! Why is the powers that be allowing Israel to continue slaughtering Palestinians by the thousand, mainly women and children? I shake my head in disbelief as the violence continues. Of course it is only one conflict that is currently going on but its horrendous killing is unacceptable, as it is in every one! What will it achieve? Does Netanyahu and his hard line govt. genuinely believe they will eradicate Hezbollah or Hamas? Not matter what they do these two groups will survive and continue! This is genocide, plain and simple. The US must stop supplying them with weapons, though no doubt their money is good wherever they buy them. Netanyahu is clinging to power, making excuses to prolong the conflict, delaying any ceasefire or negotiations. How any western government, no matter how strong their guilt is towards the Jewish people for atrocities they suffered, has not strongly condemned Israel is beyond my understanding, strong pressure must be applied openly for all the world to see. The Israelis are rapidly becoming a parallel with the regime that caused 6 million to be put to death, the scale may not be the same but the proportion of deaths comparable is!

I do not claim to have the slightest idea of what efforts maybe going on through channels but whatever is happening, it has not stopped Israel. It cannot continue, it must not continue. 

I had to get that off my chest. I confess I don’t care much about Israel one way or the other and certainly the attack perpetrated against them was horrific but their retaliation is way out of proportion!

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 These Tories must go

We have had enough of their show

14 years of it

Not one PM who could give a shit

Couldn’t govern their way out of a wet paper bag

Sunak the last of the drag

Brexit screwed us big time

Johnson reign full of slime

Truss deluded and mad

Mad sad and bad

The worst government ever

So much corruption and sleaze

It is like a disease 

And now Hunt the C**t

Says the will be a “black hole” in which Labour will fall 

How much money did you spaff up the wall?

They must must go!

Like Captain Picard “Let’s make it so”

 

I wonder if most women are aware that their hard fought rights are being rapidly eroded. Equality has never been achieved but the fight for votes, equal pay and most importantly the right to their own bodies, amongst others,  has been a long one and still goes on. In America the repeal of Roe v Wade has single handily set back women’s rights by decades and the sad part is others in the so called democratic west are bordering on following suit and making it harder to get an abortion! There are many countries where women are second class citizens still subjected to it by laws and religious belief, I am sure I don’t need to point out the countries in question? 

Since my early days I have always supported equality, though I would be a liar, as a man born in the fifties, if did not admit to always behaving the right way.  With some exceptions the world would undoubtedly be a better place if run by women, though regrettably many who have gained power have oft proved worse than their male counterparts but it would be better.

I have never understood it. Men maybe physically stronger, women bear our children but after those two differences there are few others? 

The promotion of LBGT rights and prominence has done nothing to further the progress of female rights, indeed it has set it back! 

The world will never accept total equality of anyone, human nature, being what it is but we all need to try.

I confess to getting angry on occasion with my wife’s decisions but I am wise enough to keep my mouth shut, it is her life and if she wants my input she will ask for it, I hope that does not sound too patronising. 

In a country that is slowly eroding all our rights we must not forget those whose rights are being taken faster. We need to shout loudly about all inequality but women need to shout louder than ever, the battle is far from won!

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 Another week has disappeared and what have we learnt? Yet more Tory MP’s are corrupt, the PM keeps making stupid statements, Trump can’t stay awake at his own trial, the Ukraine is struggling to contain the unjustified aggression of Putin, the Middle East is more of a powder keg the usual, Rwanda is far from safe and no law will ever make it so, the Daily Mail is determined to attack Angela Rayner! I could go on but you get the general gist! 

On a different note I went out yesterday riding with the Kettering Cycling Club, we rode 17 miles around the local area, the road surface as we all know are a disgrace! There is a unwritten rule in cycling, in a group that you point with your left hand where the road surface is bad or the pot holes would damage your wheel, to warn those behind you, it was almost a constant pointing, even on supposedly “main” roads!

I am not a person who worries and I live for the moment, it is also fair to say, generally I am an optimist but it is obvious to anyone that our country is falling apart both figuratively and literally. Much due to Brexit but is was on the decline years before. It is easy to blame the Conservative govt. and world events but we are all to blame. The apathy and selfishness of most of us is astonishing ( I include myself) We no longer have any community feel. We all sit looking at a screen, looking at crap and swearing at all the misinformation we are fed everyday! We have become a nation of sound bites, glib phrases, stupid quotes and a surfeit of poor judgement and corruption! 

We have the potential to be a great country, all the ingredients are there but we seem to be obsessed with what has gone wrong and not how we can make it better ( yes I get the irony of that) Each of us must try to improve things no matter how small that improvement is. We have poor unimaginative leaders but that should not stop us. 

We have, after meaning to for some time bought biodegradable bags and have a separate bin for food waste, yes we should have been doing it for years but now we are, a small thing but a change.

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A new simpler team oriented version of Scrabble for Gen Z (whoever they are?)! On one hand a man of my advanced years would say wtf! Poor little darlings don’t like to lose, can’t spell and have a poor vocabulary? On the other a more friendly co-operative form that allows you to play the game in a different way. It is easy as you get older to be entrenched in your view and fail to understand the changing attitudes of those who are so much younger. We did it this way what are they scared of, is to be unappreciative of the mindset of the younger generation. It is a time honoured tradition for the old to critique the young even though we were young once and in my lifetime things have developed at an unbelievable pace! When I was born, we did not have a TV or a telephone now we all walk around with a small device that is both and infinitely more powerful than we ever could have imagined except in Science fiction stories. Who knows what our 21 month old granddaughter will see by the time she is my age? Not all progress is good and much of it has as many downsides as it does advantages. For example, electric cars, they may be more environmentally friendly than the internal combustion engine but the environmental damage done in order to produce them is actually worse! It is my opinion that electric cars are not the answer, they are one answer but there has to be alternatives which if built economically and made affordable would be better, Hydrogen, alternative “clean” fuels etc: Without wishing to be depressing, it is a tragedy that humans, with all our “progress”, have not developed beyond the desire to destroy each other and the planet. It is the human condition that no matter how advanced we become, no matter how developed and advanced technology is, we can’t stop using it to destroy as well as build! 

A simpler version of many things might be a good thing, if only we could simplify interaction between , countries, religion, race, gender, politics and so much other stuff, well we can dream!

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So we are now in the “fag” end of this Conservative govt. All the current predictions indicate that they have absolutely no chance at the General Elections and will lose so many seats that they could all but disappear! I think that is unlikely but hope it is true. If the predictions are anywhere near correct they will definitely have far less MP’s than at present and then the in fighting will begin. We don’t know whether any of the big names in the party will hold onto their seats, so it is hard to say who will become the next leader, as it is a sure thing that Sunak will lose the job. It would be redundant to list the damage that have perpetrated on our country and I written extensively about it over the years they have been in power. Naturally they had to react to events beyond their control but when they did they never handled it well, almost every time it was bungled or the wrong decisions were made or if right far to late. The amount of wasted money is unprecedented, the corruption and disregard for the rules criminal, how several of them are not in jail or at the very least awaiting trial is a mystery? Since Brexit the governance of our country has been shambolic, chaotic, whilst they played musical chairs with every ministerial post including PM! Surely we have never been governed by a worse bunch than this incarnation of the Tories. Thatcher was bad enough but this lot made her time look like a golden age by comparison! We will reserve judgement on Starmer and the Labour Party assuming it looks inevitable that will form the next government. their task is unenviable, nothing they do will easily rectify the damage done by the Conservatives. They could turn our to be just as bad though I’m not sure that is possible? 

Whomever you vote for (you must vote) is your choice and at least we still live in a country where you have one but do not expect Labour, if they win, to turn things around, that is a mighty task!

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It is not often I write three days running but there is stuff and it deserves comment. Today’s rant is about stuff you could not write even if it was a comedy. So here we go. 

1. Rwanda

We all know that the governments plan is ridiculous, Aside from the financial waste, the human cost should it come to pass, will be a tragedy. Do you remember Suella Braverman flying out to Rwanda and posing in front of the housing that had been built to accommodate the non exsistant refugees? Well the Rwanda govt. has got feed up waiting and has sold 70% to private buyers. So if and when we send people to Rwanda there is nowhere for them to live! What a fucking nonsense! Millions of pounds poured into to a scheme that will never come to pass, the Rwandan’s must laughing all the way to the bank!

2 Scottish Hate Law

I am sure you maybe aware that the SNP have enacted a law making certain speech a hate crime. You may have also read that J K Rowling had dared them to arrest her for comments made about trans men not being women (They said it isn’t a hate crime) In the days since it has been enacted the police has been inundated with calls reporting “hate” crimes. It has become 80% of reported crime and if it continues it will swamp them. It is the initial launch of the legislation and perhaps it will calm down but seriously you could not write it!

3. Another Conservative moron!

Mr Wragg caught in a honey trap. He’s done the decent thing and resigned from the deputy chair of the 1922 committee. What sought of idiot MP hands over contact details to anyone. How did this “hooray Henry” get elected in the first place? He does not need to stand down as an MP because I’m sure he either won’t stand again or lose his seat at the General Election. Is there a single conservative MP you would trust to even get their own name right!

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 It will come as no surprise to anyone that I am no fan of the Conservatives. The damage they’ve done to our country, over many years, both now and in the past has been unbelievable and I struggle to think of a single thing that has helped or enhanced our lives? I shan’t list the many policies they implemented that have destroyed the fabric of our society nor will I defend the Labour Party for not reversing many of them when they had the chance! Who can honestly say that the privatisation of our public utilities have made them more efficient, cost effective and more importantly actually able to run their industries for our benefit and not for the benefit of their shareholders? Do the water companies run well, are you proud of our railway system, does your energy choices really give you the best of the competition? I don’t expect prices or processes to remain stable, we don’t live in a stable world. Public ownership would have been costly but at least we had a chance of the companies priorities behaving in favour of the customer. It is a wonder that the NHS has not been fully privatised. The health system cannot continue as it is, it is no longer fit for purpose in 2024. The pandemic did not help but it was already creaking and in dire need of reform which will include private medicine. We pay for a private healthcare scheme and although we had not used it until last week. Wendy had need of a consultation with a Doctor but getting through our GP is not easy, who has not been 65th in the queue! She went on the website for Beneden Helath and within an hour received a call from a Doctor who was very efficient and issued a prescription. I have every admiration for GP’s and the work they do but they are fighting a losing battle against overwhelming odds. Who, once fully trained honestly wants to become a GP? The NHS is a wonderful health care system and has been the envy of the world but unless it is radically reformed, I’m afraid it will no longer be!

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It has come to my attention that Donald is running to become the Republican nominee to be President, well I’ll be hog tied and hung up for Easter, I thought my campaign to defeat him last time had contributed to his demise! You have to give the man credit for his unbelievable delusion. It used to be we had “village idiots” admittedly he is a privileged, wealthy village idiot who for some reason became President and now thinks he can be again! I am trying to be amusing but of course there is nothing amusing about this very dangerous man, he is the single biggest threat to America and the world. We have a President that is 81 years old and a rival who is 77, a constant factor in the debate over who might win but the bigger question is why are there no younger candidates, no rising stars, nobody who seems capable of rivalling these two “old” geezers? Trump is mad and Biden is prone to gaffs, does the US really want either of these two to be in charge for another 4 years? 

The world is not a peaceful place, Trump will only make it worse, much, much worse! He lies, he cheats, he says anything he can to court controversy, he insults anyone who opposes him, not to mention his various legal problems and history of abuse to women! I think to most people in the rest of the world are incredulous that he is so well supported and that the Republican Party are afraid of him. Unfortunately we have too many “leaders”who are of the same mind as him, Erdogan, Orban, Putin and Netanyahu, to name just 4! We can only hope that Biden will defeat him.

Democracy is going through a rocky patch at the moment, have too hope the balance will be restored, the damaged will be very difficult to rectify if it can be? I will endeavour to ruin his campaign once more after all it had such an impact last time!!!!!

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Being a grandfather is not unique millions of men have become grandfathers. Individually being a grandfather is unique. The offspring of your child brings forth a love and pleasure that until you experience it is unexplainable. Hannah is now 21 months old and full of personality and an energy that seems to rival the energiser bunny!. As a grandparent and retired, you have time to interact with no disruption, something you were not always able to do with your own children. We have her on Mondays and Fridays (nursery on the other week days and that’s not cheap). All the things you had to do for your kids coming flooding back, feeding, changing nappies, dirty clothes, chaos, toys spread everywhere, draws and cupboards throughly explored and much more! She has been walking for some time and is beginning to talk and is very chatty. She loves books and is a huge fan of Bluey, which I must confess is one of the better kids cartoons (I quite like it too!) She makes us laugh a lot even when she is up to something naughty!  It is no secret that I write occasionally about all the crap going on in the world, of which there is far too much but having Hannah makes all that seem insignificant as we watch her curiosity and the way she plays. Playing with her is fun and fortunately we are still fit enough to be a climbing frame! I have no idea what her world will be like as she becomes an adult and I can only hope I am still here to see it. Wendy’s and I, alongside her parents will endeavour to educate her with imagination and wonder! 

We never thought we would be grandparents and were resigned to that but Hannah came along unexpectedly and has blossomed a love that I never imagined to have!

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Rwanda, safe? I think it highly unlikely! Yet this government instead of admitting that they have made a terrible error of judgement, keep doubling down and insisting it is a fair policy. Sunak is now making noises about withdrawing from The European Court of Human Rights! This is not just a terrible idea for refugees but affects all of us, it removes all of our rights, which the Conservatives having being eroding for years! What has happened to our country that we are so afraid of people trying to escape their circumstances? Let them in and improve the processing. If they have no right to be here or are undesirable then send them back. It is not a difficult decision. I think we all realise, that we cannot take everyone applying to live in the UK. I would ask who is going to do all the jobs that our indigenous population no longer wants to do? These people want to earn money live their lives and many will pay taxes and contribute to our society. There always be an element of criminality that slips through the net, that is inevitable and we have laws that deal with that. 

I am convinced that the majority of people are firmly against this cruel and unjust policy. You certainly don’t hear many people putting their heads above the parapet to support it. There are many who clearly oppose the scheme and have said so publicly. 

Changing the subject completely, Golf! The Saudi’s have set up a rival golf tour LIV. We all know that the Saudi’s have a terrible human rights record and are often accused of trying to improve their reputation by what is known as “sports washing”! Leaving that to one side, what is the problem with professional golfers who earn their living by playing joining another tour. There are many golf tours in a number of places, so if a player decides he or she can do better, is paid more, plays less for more money than so what? Without getting into the politics or details about world ranking points or exemption to play in the 4 majors, these are not amateur’s who have suddenly defected to the professional ranks. Golfers have been playing professionally for 100 years or more. In any other profession you are allowed to choose who you are employed by and if you choose to earn more working for another then that is your choice. I know it not quite the same but the principal remains!

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I have just read that China has imposed Article 23 which among many draconian restrictions can impose a sentence of 10 years for “incitement of hatred against the Chinese Communist Party” ! I will not list the other powers they have introduced or the long prison term sentences for being found guilty (which once arrested is inevitable). 

It occurred to me that should such a law be passed in our country and this government  is a whisker away from similar legislation, there would be far to many people who would fall foul of the “incitement” part. I am sure that there are many thousands who would happily incite hatred against our inept Conservative Government! I am not diminishing the terrible regime of China and the crushing hold they have on any form of democracy (whatever that is these days)! The UK is a beacon of freedom by comparison and we have few restrictions in reality and those we do have are not easy to enforce.

There will be a general election this year, unless Sunak tries to hang on to the bitter end? Assuming the vast majority of our voters will not wish to see any return of the Tories, who do you vote for? Labour have the lead and in our “first pass the post” electoral system are likely to form the next government. There is no credible alternative and many will find voting for Labour to be just as unpalatable. If we had proportional representation, things would be massively different and other parties would stand a chance of at least getting a share of government. This lack of meaningful choice may well lead to a large proportion of the electorate not bothering to vote at all. Many of us no longer feel we are represented by any party and certainly those of us on the more “liberal left leaning side” have no party that speaks for us. Having said that I urge you all to vote, it is you hard fought right and your only means of getting change! 

The feuding within the Conservative Party (which has never stopped) continues at a pace as they are already debating who takes over from Sunak when he loses the election. Whilst it is understandable that you have to have the support of your own party in order to govern and implement legislation, the Conservative have been fighting each other for their entire term of office. Decisions have been made which were solely to placate various wings of their members and had nothing to do with the us. However you voted in the 2016 referendum, Brexit was nothing to do with giving the people a choice but entirely to do with the internal wrangling of the Tories and those wealthy patrons who support them! Throw in Farage and you had a recipe for disaster, Can you honestly tell me that had we not had a referendum we would all be shouting and protesting that we should leave the EU?

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It seems some while ago, someone, within this nonsense of a UK government, pitched the idea that refugees could packed off to Rwanda. short of any other more sensible solution for reasons we the public fail to understand they decided to run with it! Not withstanding that it has been roundly condemmed, deemed illegal, they refused to drop it and have continued to waste money and time to the point, where we now have the utter lunacy, that if you enact legislation, that Rwanda is a safe place then it must be! Of course the whole premise is based on the stupidity that it will stop the illegal trafficking of refugees and asylum seekers coming across the channel? Two things: Rwanda is not safe (which they themselves openly admit) and it will not deter people who want to come to the UK. Ironically we need people to fill vacancies. If the money spent on the Rwanda project had been used to process the people waiting for their case to be heard perhaps the backlog would be reduced and people could find work and pay taxes? One further point if there are undesirable refugees arriving surely processing them quickly will determine if they should be allowed to stay. It is safe to say that I for one am not threatened or against people fleeing poverty, war, persecution and other issues trying to find a better life in our country. It is inevitable that some elements of criminals will get in, although one would ask why would an existing criminal want to risk coming across the in a dangerous craft?

The issue of immigration will not be solved by ridiculous schemes and glib soundbites. Europe is an attractive place for those who come from somewhere much worse but many of these people are actually no better off than they were when they get here! Immigration is going to get worse for many reasons . Climate change will affect millions of peoples habitat prompting them to move, we need to come up with solutions that are humane and practical.

The “West” has no appetite to confront Putin directly. We are not prepared to put our forces lives on the line to combat his illegal aggression. The last 30 odd years have seen too many conflicts, where our military has lost many lives and the result of prolonged occupation, such as Afghanistan proved to be a disaster. As a result, governments and the public do not want o see our forces embroiled in another war. The West is relatively weak, which is one reason, why Putin is conducting his aggression against the Ukraine. Be warned, if he succeeds, he will not stop and other countries, such as Poland, Estonia, Latvia etc will be under threat as he continues to “claim back” territory he believes belong to Russia. If we do not stop him a war like no other is coming. As pessimistic as that reads there is always hope and situations can be negotiated to arrive at a peaceful solution but beware, he is a nutter, a mafia boss, a dictator of the worse kind and unlikely to listen!

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As the year passes flowing past like an unstoppable torrent , we reflect on the short period we have experienced this year. Not an encouraging one for the world, conflict and division, death and destruction, the seemingly irresistible rise of the populist right. In America it is going to be Biden v Trump once more, neither man being a particularly good choice but Trump of course would be a disaster, an incomprehensible mistake that would encourage right wing politics everywhere. Let’s hope that their voters are sensible. Biden is too old and the lack of alternate candidates on both sides is concerning! 

We will also have an election this year, unless Sunak decides to hang on to the bitter end? It seems almost certain that Labour will form the next Government but there is still a long way to go and anything could happen. Starmer maybe in the lead but he is not personally popular and cannot afford to make any more mistakes. If the predicted defeat of the Conservatives comes to pass, it will be interesting to witness how they react and how the internal factions will fight each other to control the party. There are many sitting MP’s who will be standing down at this election, including as of this morning Theresa May. 

Whilst there are always new candidates hoping to become a member of parliament, it is one of the worst times in my memory to want to be one. Having said that, I recently listened to a podcast about the troubles of the Heath government in 1974 and the problems they had with powerful unions, oil prices, 3 day week and much more, it did put todays problems in perspective without diminishing them in any way! We all have witnessed the decline in our country, its health and social services, councils going bankrupt, the roads in terrible condition and so many other issues, far too many to list here. We understand that not all the causes are controllable and world events affect much of what has happened but there can surely now be no doubt that Brexit, the prevarication that followed and then he heightened by the pandemic bears much of the blame for our present problems. 14 years of poor governance and a merry go round at no 10, as the party that is supposed to be governing seems to have spent more time fighting itself!

We may never get the representatives we want, not all of us will get the government we would like, we may be disillusioned with all politicians but when that election comes around those who can must vote, it is our only recourse to have our say! Indeed I believe that we should have compulsory voting, Australia do and it has changed their political landscape for the better.

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I am often baffled by events in America, often angered beyond my ability other than to shake my head sadly, unable to say anything. Today was one such, when I read that a court in Alabama, ruled that it is illegal to carry out IVF treatment because the embryo is considered to a viable child! Aside from the lack of understanding of basic biology, the stupidity of this ruling is beyond belief. Wendy says it because they are restricting women/couples to only having children by “natural” means? It is bad enough they have overturned the abortion laws. The damage done by the big orange baboon and his relentless campaigning to role back any laws that might upset the righteous religious fringe. Further evidence that a supposedly civilised democratic country is going backwards. Now admittedly this is just one state but we have seen before that once one state rules others often follow.  

Appro pro of nothing I have just read that Italy is second to the US in gun shootings! Ironically, unlike America, that have very strict gun laws. There are a number of other countries I would have put ahead of the Italians for this, not least a number of South American countries but there you go!

As Trump continues his ceaseless campaign to regain the Presidency, you wonder how he still manages to hold a significant percentage of the population in his thrall? He is not a Republican and yet the party is scared of his power and of losing their own. A number of commentators from that side of the pond have said they don’t think he will win. The legal cases against him and the loss of belief by people who previously thought he was God, will ultimately damage his prospects, we can only hope this is true because he is the single most dangerous man in the World and another four years of him would do untold damage to an already fragile and volatile planet!

So Navalny has finally lost his fight with life and there can be no doubt that under Putin’s dictatorship his number was always going to be up. Putin will not tolerate any form of opposition and like so many leaders of his ilk, he eliminates them permanently by any means although his favourite is poison. Lets us be clear, if Putin succeeds to win in the Ukraine, do not think for a single moment he will stop his aggression and not try to invade another east European country, say Poland? This is why the “west” must give as much aid as possible to help Ukraine stop him.

On that cheery note!

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Which ever side of the vote you were on, I think we can all agree that Brexit has been a fucking disaster. Lies, deceit and utter bullshit, not to mention the totally misunderstood idea of “sovereignty “ has lead our country to become a backwater economy! Every time I read about the difficulties British business has with the EU, our biggest market, it emphasises what a terrible mistake it was!They are told to find “other” markets, as if it is the easiest thing to do, no further proof is needed than witnessing the  pathetic one sided “trade” deals, the government has negotiated. 

Now in what appears to be an election year, the Conservatives are suddenly appearing everywhere trumpeting all the things they are going to do, to improve all the things they have mishandled in 14 years! It would be an understatement to say that I am no fan of the Conservative Party and whilst I would not necessarily endorse Labour, surely anyone observing the utter disaster that have perpetrated on us, would ever vote for them again?

I saw a brief clip of Michael Gove on the BBC, yesterday, he apparently is responsible for housing? Looking like a smoother version of the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, he asserted we must build more and bring older housing stock up to standard plus using our empty office space to convert into residential accomodation WTF, 14 years of underinvestment, prevarication, indecision and total ineptitude and now because we want you to vote for us…………………

If you care even a little for the state of our country, then we must, must vote this lot out of office in a massive landslide for the opposition, they may struggle to make things better but they could not do any worse!

Stay well 

So the King has cancer, I bet there was no waiting for him to get treatment! Don’t get me wrong he needs care and of course he should get it, I hope he fully recovers. Over 24 years ago the NHS saved my life, I had Leukaemia, a rare form called Hairycell, fortunately they knew it could be treated with Chemo and there was a 50/50 chance of being successful. It was. Leukaemia of itself won’t necessarily kill you but your immune system is so weak that any kind of infection or bug will. I was so pumped full of anti-biotic , that there were times when I believed I was back in the sixties! 

The NHS, a shining example of “free at the point of delivery” care system, that the world envied. What the hell happened to it?  It should have gone from strength to strength but instead the reverse has happened as years of underinvestment and poor management has undermined it’s very purpose and has not evolved to cope with an ever changing population. We all know it is in desperate need of reform, radical reform. Top heavy management, a poor buying policy, Brexit, an unreasonable reliance on targets, the pandemic, has brought it to its knees. The last 14 years of underinvestment in all social care by a Tory government that has been riven with internal in fighting that has lead it to react more to its own members than what is needed for it’s citizens, has caused much of the NHS to crumble. It is not solely down to money, we too are responsible for its decline placing ever more burdens on an already overworked system.

Judging by the plethora of motobility scooters whizzing around Kettering, you would think that there is an epidemic of people who for one reason or another have such poor health they are unable to exist without a four wheeled battery driven vehicle? 

The NHS is doing its best and I am sure the staff care deeply about looking after those in their patients. You will remember we were encouraged to clap for them during Covid, how poorly they have been treated after their dedication to that unprecedented virus!

In order for our health system to be  “fit for purpose” it needs to be looked at with a hyper critical eye. Perhaps a return to only being responsible for the core tenants of health care is required and to cut away the more superficial elements which drain funding from its main purpose? Whatever is required, there is no doubt it is an unenviable task which will be akin to turning round a very very long supertanker!

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I have a simple but easy way of solving the immigration issue. Never mind the Rwanda nonsense, a scheme so ill thought out, so out of step with the British people, unfair, unjust and down right nasty. My solution, spend the money to process asylum seekers at a rapid rate, determine whether they have a genuine right to asylum and if not send them back. Instead of wasting money on an unworkable 5 year agreement with Rwanda, spend it on something practical. It would take some time to set up and there has to be the will to see it through.

Mr Sunak and his pathetic government must understand that neither the asylum seekers or the criminals will be deterred by schemes and threats. Maybe if you were determined to stop the boat smugglers at source, with a ruthless campaign, you might get somewhere? If you are fleeing for economic reasons or fear for your safety and Britain is where you want to be, no amount of threats and barriers are going to stop you!

Process them efficiently and quickly. If they can stay, they can work and contribute and lets face it we have enough shortages in our workforce, especially as the our own indigenous population are not keen on doing many of the jobs that are available! It is pointless having these refugees kicking their heels in accommodation waiting interminably to be processed, unable to do anything.

We are a country that has traditionally welcomed people from all over the world and whilst it has not always been easy to integrate, can you honestly say that any of us have got a family history that is pure British, whatever that means?

The refugee problem is only going to get worse, look around the world at all the conflicts that are currently happening. Climate change will cause further migration. If it was you and your family would you want to stay where you maybe killed of can’t get enough to eat!

It is easy to appeal to a certain part of our electorate, who mistakenly fear the influx of immigrants, it is nothing new, it has been a thread of our history for my entire lifetime! I often write that it is the old imperial powers that have historically caused much of the world’s problems,  you reap what you sow and they have come knocking on our door asking to be let in!

Stay well

 Cynicism is the standard reaction to almost every bit of news that gets reported, thats not to say none of it is accurate but it is difficult to trust reports and particularly ones that predict the coming election. Admittedly the projections by their very nature are nothing more than speculation. At present there is a lot of predictions that are giving a huge victory to the Labour Party. There is even a local one that predicts that our MP (Conservative) will be unseated, here’s hoping! Naturally I hope the Tories get a massive spanking at the general election, it is no more than they deserve after their appalling tenure over the last 14 years. 

Polls are also predicting a big loss for the SNP and after the leadership scandals, that comes as no surprise. Polls and predictions should be read with a healthy dose of cynicism, after all we have seen how inaccurate they have been in the past. The Labour Party have momentum and frankly if they can’t beat the Conservatives after their behaviour of the last few years, then they never will! Personally I think the election will be much closer than many pollsters are predicting, indeed I have a nagging worry that the Conservatives might just sneak back in, albeit it with a very reduced lead, maybe even a hung parliament. Starmer and his front bench need to ramp up the pressure on Sunak and be much more forthright in their approach or they risk letting their lead evaporate. 

Democracy across Europe is shaky at present as the “right” of many countries have made their voice heard in a number of countries, including those where we it would be unheard of only a few years ago! All I would say to those who listen to the rhetoric of these right wing advocates is be careful what you wish for! 

The wheel always turns, unfortunately too much damage can be done before it turns round. 

Vote for whomever you want but please vote, your tick in on that ballot paper counts!

Stay well

I seem to write about the state of our country and the world and who could blame me judging by the state of both! 

However, there are things going on that are positive and inspiring. People all over the world are achieving and helping others in all walks of life. I’m sure in your own lives each day brings positive vibes or some small happening that makes you smile. Our granddaughter Hannah is already 18 months old and watching her energy curiosity and smiling disposition is a delight (in spite of her temper when the mood takes her, a family trait!) I can’t wait to hold a conversation with her and impart my considerable wisdom😂! At the moment Bluey is her favourite and I already know several episodes by heart. she was also completely fascinated by the Robin Hood pantomime on the Ceebeebies, oh yes she was! When you’re a parent the minute detail of your children’s development sometimes passes you by as daily lives, work and running your home consume your day. As a grandparent you can spend every minute with the child, on those days we look after her, you notice every little thing and laugh at her throwing food on the floor or emptying stuff everywhere! Best of all as been said by grandparents for years and years you can hand them back to their parent and tidy up! 

We all have wonder and tragedy in our lives, that after all is the human condition but make the most of your children and grandchildren they are the future and just maybe they will put right the mess we are leaving behind!

Stay well 

 2024 are you looking forward to it? General election? Change of government (please)? Some peace in the world (please)? We trundle on seemingly unable, unwilling or incapable of do much about anything! the problems seem insurmountable and yet if the leaders of the world came and spoke to Wendy and me, we could solve all the problems! Of course we don’t know all the intimate details but like us do you sit there and think if only they did this or that things could be different? Sometimes it is just having the will and the bravery to take action but we have been wrong and misguided so many times, ending up in disaster, that our collective bravery has become eroded and ultra cautious! It is hubris of the worse kind to think the  “West” is the arbiter of all the worlds ills. We have cocked it up so many times, it is no wonder we are reluctant to get involved. 

You may ask yourself how do we end up with the power hungry perverted leaders we seem to have at present? We give labels like popularism and right wing to these protagonists who have an agenda that is far removed from the peaceful tolerance that I believe most people want. Having said that should we trust any of them, whichever side of the divide they are on? There are voices of reasons and restraint but at present they are over cautious and not able to get their message across as effectively as those who seem to shout the loudest, like Trump. How is it that in a violent gun obsessed country like America, some lunatic has not assassinated this orange candy haired arsehole?  

There are so many conflicts currently that it is hard to know where to begin. Some never get more than a mention. 2024 has already started with shootings int the USA and we are not even a quarter of the way through January! The Israelis continue to pound Palestine and Netanyahu seems oblivious to even the will of his own people who have condemned his actions.

Putin continues his madness in Ukraine and that conflict trundles on in its never ending circle of stalemate! 

We should have an election this year and finally the Tories hopefully will be ousted but what a mess Labour will inherit, who could envy them having to clear up the shambles that 14 years of Conservative governance has left? This country among many others needs radical reform both of our parliamentary systems and public institutions. they are not fit for purpose, most importantly the NHS, which needs a root and branch overhaul to update it for our different needs and an increasingly changing demographic!

It is not just about money, it is about the will and the intelligence to think clearly to implement change. 

As you eat your breakfast this morning you can ponder why they just don’t ask Wendy and me, we can solve all of it, just ask!

Stay well