The end of Paxo?

Anyone who watches Newsnight, will be aware of Paxman's harsh interview technique. However tonight's interview with Lord Adonis was quite astonishing.

It's become normal for journalists to berate people regularly during interviews. Journalists seem to think this makes them look edgy, tough and consequently watchable. However sometimes it makes them look incredibly foolish.

Lord Adonis was questioned about the aftermath of the volcanic eruption, an event nobody foresaw! However he was also being criticised for the imposing of a no fly zone, over Britain. This, I felt was bizarre! When all the experts are claiming it would be unsafe to fly in the volcanic ash, would it not be astonishing for the Government to demand our airspace remains open? When several countries across Europe have taken the same measures, is it not bizarre to claim the British Government should have acted differently? Most importantly, is it not irresponsible to put pressure on ministers to make rash decisions and putting passenger safety at risk?

Perhaps the BBC will start to rethink conducting such irresponsible journalism. However I somehow doubt it.

A Vote For Change?

The Tories have announced their campaign slogan. "A Vote For Change". This sums up the Tories' lack of substance, giving people no hint of what kind of change we may see.

The Labour slogan will be "A Future Fair For All".

Here's my own, rather crude, take on the two slogans.

Why I support Labour

To some it's obvious, to others less so. Why do I support the Labour Party? It's a question I've been asked since 2001, when I first started door knocking when not studying for A Levels. My parents had never been strong Labour supporters and my friends weren't particularly political. However I felt compelled to join Labour in 2001.

The main reason I joined the Labour Party is, quite simply, that I felt Labour values matched my own. I was inspired by the words of Tony Blair, promising sweeping changes to bring about a much fairer society. Since 1997 a lot has been achieved.

The National Minimum Wage (opposed by the Conservatives) has helped millions of people, together with child benefits and tax credits.

The NHS (a 60 year mistake according to Tory Dan Hannan MEP) has seen waiting times cut dramatically, thanks to Labour investment. Cancer patients are now seen within two weeks of their referral.

The opening of over 3,000 Sure Start Centres, has benefited 2.4 million families across the country. Many of these Sure Start Centres are expected to be closed by a Conservative Government.

These are just some of the achievements which could only have been accomplished by a Labour Government.

However it was my time working for Labour MP Sally Keeble, which had the biggest influence over me. I saw how Sally Keeble worked tirelessly for all sections of the community, not simply to win votes but because she cared passionately about improving the lives of her constituents. It's this passion which defines what the Labour Party is truly about, people coming together to bring about a fairer society. Without the Labour Party, there would have been no NHS, no welfare state and no minimum wage.

Despite all of Labour's achievements there is still a lot left to do. Hopefully the good work of our Labour Government will continue after the election. However whether in Government or in opposition, I am proud to be a member of a party which strives to better the lives of every person in society.

Climate Change

Today is Blog Action Day 2009, a perfect excuse to reawaken my blog. This year, Blog Action Day is focusing on climate change, a topic I'm particularly passionate about, believing it to be the single most important issue facing us today.

When at university, I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to work for a local MP, organising a climate change event in the constituency. I used the opportunity to learn everything I could about climate change, reading books, watching documentaries, watching Commons debates and observing committee proceedings.

I immersed myself in everything relating to climate change, learning everything I could about the subject. So much so that my dissertation tutor was baffled as to why I didn't choose it as my dissertation topic (I wish I'd listened to him). The most important thing I realised was that there is no longer a credible debate about human induced climate change. In face, the debate has now shifted to how soon we will suffer the consequences.

One experience I will never forget, was watching Lord Lawson appearing before the Joint Climate Change Committee (a committee responsible for scrutinising the draft Climate Change Bill). The bewildered faces addressing Lawson as he confidently asserted climate change wasn't happening, sea levels weren't rising and that temperatures were in fact falling, seemed to represent the whole climate change debate. A single voice of denial opposed to the many who accept we need to act to combat climate change

I am glad to see we currently have a Government prepared to act on Climate Change. The Climate Change Bill should see a significant reduction in carbon emissions. However the words of Douglas Carswell, calling climate change a 'lunatic consensus', demonstrate we must remain vigilant. We must drown out the voice of denial and pressure any future Government to do what is necessary to stop climate change, before it's too late.

Visit http://www.blogactionday.org and participate in Blog Action Day 2009

Why people MUST vote today, to keep out the BNP

The European Parliament elections are today and it's important that every person votes to keep out the fascist BNP.

Heres a few facts about what a BNP Britain would look like, taken from the Hope Not Hate website, together with a video showing the BNP's true face

* The BNP would kick out all those people who were not born in Britain. What if every other country in the world kicked out the Brits? A staggering 5.5 million people would be sent back here – far more than would leave our shores. This includes 800,000 from Spain, most of whom are pensioners.
* What if ... In a BNP BritainIf non-white people were ordered out of Britain then the NHS would collapse overnight. 16% of nurses are from minority ethnic communities, as are 40% of new dentists and 58% of new doctors!
* The BNP would introduce apartheid into Britain. The BNP call for whites to be given first preference in housing, education and jobs. This is no different from apartheid South Africa, a racist regime which the BNP supported.
* Mixed-race relationships would be outlawed. The BNP constitution opposes any racial integration. Articles in BNP journals condemn mixed-race relationships as “mongrelising the white race”.
* The BNP’s answer to violent crime is to allow every household to have a gun. We kid you not. This barmy idea was in the BNP’s 2005 general election manifesto.



The BNP require a small proportion of the vote to get a MEP elected. The electoral system means that EVERY vote counts. So a vote against the BNP is one more vote the party needs to find somewhere else. PLEASE go out and vote today!

The Greatest Club in the Land?

If anyone was in doubt as to which club is the greatest football club in the land, on Sunday they got their answer. Could I talking about Manchester United, who snatched a last minute victory against Aston Villa? No, in fact I'm talking about Luton Town FC!

Before calling out the men in white coats, let me present the fact. Luton Town, a club at the bottom of the Football League and facing relegation to the Conference, took 40,000 fans to Wembley Stadium. This was three times as many fans as Scunthorpe United, a team currently aiming for promotion to the Championship. Such was Luton's support, complaints were made that Luton were unable to increase their ticket allocation. How many other clubs could count on such fantastic support in such dire circumstances?

They also took part in what has been described in the Guardian as the greatest Wembley final since 1988, the year when Luton Town beat Arsenal to win their only major trophy so far. In fact this is a club that has a habit of playing in memorable matches, think also of their battling performance against Liverpool in 2006. Of course this was only the Johnstones Paint Trophy Final but for a club which had been unfairly deducted 30 points, due to the inept running of the club by the previous owners, this game meant so much. That passion could be seen on the pitch and produced a fantastic match, won 3-2 in extra time by an ecstatic Luton side.

Of course Luton don't have the great players seen in the Premier League and would get annihilated playing the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool. However football is not just about great players. For me, no other club could have produced such varying emotions for its followers, from elation to total despair. I truly believe they have the greatest fans in the country, who have stuck with them through thin and thinner. Their attractive football has also seen them play in some of the most entertaining matches of recent times. It will be a sad day when they are eventually relegated from the Football League. However for a club which has so often triumphed over adversity over its history, I'm sure they won't be languishing in the Conference for long.

Plain Stupid

Many people are well aware of my feelings on climate change. Having studied climate change at university, as well as helping to organise a screening of 'An Inconvenient Truth' for a local MP, I have become passionate in my belief that it is the greatest threat facing us. The vast majority of scientists accept that the planet is warming and that this is down to the levels of carbon dioxide we are all pumping into the atmosphere. It is an incredibly serious problem, made even harder to solve due to the scepticism which still exists over the issue.

It is crucial to win over the general public if we are to have any hope of cutting carbon emissions and solving this crisis. This is precisely why I strongly oppose the actions of "Plane Stupid", who are doing more damage than good.

Let me be clear, I don't oppose direct action entirely. If used correctly, direct action can bring about real change. However any action should only be taken if it will benefit the cause. Clearly throwing green custard over a cabinet minister does nothing to win the argument and only makes all environmentalists appear irrational and moronic. It does not take very much to throw a cup of green slime over someone. Clearly this was the selfish act of someone who wanted to get her face in the media, without any thought to the negative consequences for the cause she claims to support.

I strongly oppose a third runway being built at Heathrow! However we must face facts. The runway is being built because there is still a high demand for air travel. If this is to change, we must convince the general public. Juvenile pranks can only make this harder.