Saturday 27th June
All quiet on the Labour Party front…it would seem, but also haven’t heard anything from UKIP and Liberal Democrats in the last few weeks either. Have we become a ‘one party nation’?

Sunday 28th June
Our prospective leaders concentrated on Wales today; a good thing because Wales often gets overlooked. I know I want them all to be honest but, Andy, admitting that you knew Wales had got a raw deal in the first and not feeling able to do anything about it, does not demonstrate strong leadership skills. Wales is a place that Labour could really focus on and has to win in; the Welsh people have a history of voting Labour – if we can’t get Wales to vote Labour then we won’t be able to get others to vote for us either.

Just heard banks in Greece will be closed for at least a week. This is significant and will impact on the EU renegotiations and, possibly, the outcome of the Referendum.

The death toll in Tunisia increases, with possibly 30 British dead; a horrific tragedy. ISIS is not diminishing and it not going to go away; the world does not know what to do. It’s an ideology that we do not fully understand and makes many feel powerless. Together, the world needs to find a solution.

Monday 29th June
Register of interests always throws up some interesting info. Looks like Andy and Jeremy both received Union money for their general election campaign; interestingly the women wanting to be leader didn’t get any Union money, but did get funds from particular individuals and business people. Perhaps an indication on who the Unions will be supporting…not a woman!
Greek exit from the Euro looks even more probable. A huge decision for the Greek people and a significant impact on Europe – and that includes the UK.

Tuesday 30th June
The hottest day in the last 10 years and the heat is also building on schools. Nickyhas released her definition of a ‘coasting’ school and even though she’s willing to give schools three years to improve (if they have the right plan in place) we know that many of those plans will be seen as not sufficient and the school will therefore be on ‘fast track’ to Academy status…whether they like it or not! Getting 60% of children to achieve 5 good GCSEs is not an easy task, particularly if those GCSEs have to include a foreign language. Learning a foreign language is tough for many children, there is a shortage of good language teachers and it is often taught badly by in qualified teachers. Not too sure what the Labour Party thinks of the definition and what they would do; not a ‘dickybird’ from Tristram and the team!

And on top of ensuring your school is not ‘ coasting’ they also now responsible for ensuring their children are not radicalised. I know teachers and schools want to ensure their children are educated in a safe environment and are not exposed to potential radicalisation in school, but are they really best placed to identify children who may have the potential to be radicalised and then report them? This is not their job; it should be treated as a safeguarding issue and should be treated in the same way as any other safeguarding issue.

Wednesday 1st July
Today Heathrow was the hottest July day in the UK since records began, 37.6 degrees. And the temperature wasn’t the only thing heating up at Heathrow; today, Heathrow was announced as the best place to build another runway, and not everyone is happy. Many Tory Ministers, Boris and Zac are all against expansion at Heathrow, even Cameron said he would never support it, but that was before the election! And the Labour Party is now supporting Heathrow; although it also looks like Sadiq Khan, London Major hopeful, and other labour MPs was now supporting Gatwick expansion. Cameron kicking it into the long grass until Xmas; huge political arguments ahead. What fun!

And the heat must have got to some people…Norman Lamb decided to discuss the rights and wrongs of Peppa Pig. One way to liven up a leadership contest!

Thursday 2nd July
It looks like the Labour Party are thinking of supporting air attacks on Syria. I understand we need to review the decision from two years ago in the light of the existing situation, but we should ensure we take all the information into account and that we don’t make a bad decision as a reaction to the terrible terrorist attack in Tunisia. We need to be confident that the action we take, if we do, will make a difference and that there is sufficient evidence that it is the best course of action.

Friday 3rd July
So Nicola Sturgeon is top of Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour most powerful ‘influencers’. Congratulations. Her anti-austerity and anti-tax raising agenda has won over many voters and admirers; so why is the Labour Party so worried about Jeremy’s similar agenda?

And as we move into Budget week it also appears there will be more Inheritance Tax breaks for those with family properties up to £1m. Well that’s very nice for those who have parents with properties of that value but I am sure they are doing well enough anyway, so why is this a priority? Oh yes, for all those London voters that didn’t vote Tory.