Tag Archives: Nicola Sturgeon

Labour Party, Politics

Diary of a Frustrated Labour Supporter – Week 8

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.

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Labour Party, Politics

Diary of a Frustrated Labour Supporter Week 5

Saturday 6th June
With Farage the self proclaimed leader of the NO vote campaign that may be good for us YES voters. However, he does have a knack of whipping up support with his ‘down to earth’ lingo and exaggeration of the problem and his ability to solve it…so I am a bit worried. I think the YES campaign has Mandleson at the moment which, sadly, is no contest. We will have to get some more charismatic leaders to front the YES campaign if we’re going to get over the 50% mark…and not Blair. Hopefully Mandleson will get his Manchester University job and that will keep him busy!

Sunday 7th June
And so we have the first split in the Tory party. I shouldn’t really rejoice, but…YIPEE! It looks like 50 Tories want to vote NO and Cameron won’t want that. Is this the beginning of the end? We’ll see. I wonder how many of them will move over to UKIP.
Could sense Andrew Marr’s frustration with Liz today…she wasn’t keen on answering his specific questions. It’s OK to say we need to focus on the ‘ big issues’ but a potential leader must also have a view on detailed policy. I agree with her that we need welfare reform, we need fiscal credibility and responsibility and we need growth in all parts of the country but she speaks in a disconnected way that does help me warm to her.
It’s interesting that Alistair Campbell thinks the Labour Party may not have yet reached the bottom; even though I don’t want to, I tend to think he may be right. Getting the Labour Party to be a ‘political movement’ again may be one way but it will be a difficult thing to achieve…thinks we can do it and I like her optimism. I think she would do well as our deputy leader, but we have to find a reason for people to want to vote Labour. But do you need to be involved in the political movement to vote for it? I’m not that involved in the party, on a day to day basis, but I am a member and I vote Labour…but I do not feel part of a political movement.

Monday 8th June
Ahhh! We all seemed to have misunderstood what Cameron was saying about his ministers having to agree with the YES vote or otherwise they need to resign from the Government! I don’t think every journalist could be wrong…he’s just running scared! A huge U-turn that Cameron is going to have to deal with in the future.
Jeremy Corbyn speaks so naturally, you feel he actually believes in what he is saying..not like some of the other leadership contenders! I actually agree with a lot of what he is saying…equal society, nobody needing to live in poverty, decent housing for all…but I fear we no longer live in a country that supports his kind of beliefs. People seem to be much more selfish and focused on the individual…ie. themselves!

Tuesday 9th June
Labour Party leadership nominations are open…it’s going to be so exciting! Or not! On the first day Andy has got most MP support so far…not surprised, and at least he is now acknowledging how good the Labour Party 2015 manifesto was, focusing on reducing inequality.
And what a day of the bizarre! Harriet’s comments are bizarre…no real Labour Party supporter was relieved we didn’t win; of course we wanted to win. It would have meant we could have implemented our policies that would have supported those who really need help, those on low wages, those who rent, those who do not want to be on zero hour contracts. Surely that is better than having a Conservative MAJORITY? And Nicola on an American talk-show! She actually came across really well. She doesn’t seem to be afraid of saying or doing anything…which is good to see in a politician…a female Farage; maybe the Labour Party leadership contenders can learn from her!
But it looks like 16 and 17 years olds may not be able to vote in the EU Referendum. Very disappointed. It would be a fantastic opportunity to get young adults engaged in politics and would ensure the debate on both sides was clearly and fully articulated – a real shame. Let’s hope the Lords get an amendment through which the Commons will eventually support.

Wednesday 10th June
So, we’re going to sell off RBS for a loss and this is a good thing! I’m not convinced and don’t really understand the rush to sell it off – apart from the political reasons, i.e. getting the bad stuff done early in the Government. And whether his announcements that all future governments will ‘need to have budget surpluses’ is also the right thing for the economy who knows. All we do know is that he probably wants to be Conservative leader and will say and do anything to get that job.

Thursday 11th June
All parties have their own factions so I’m not surprised that a group of labour MPs want to push forward and create a Pro-European campaign group. Supposedly Harriet is worried but I’m not too sure why; it is in line the party view. We should allow each MP to campaign and vote as they wish to…a true free vote; it is the right thing to do and it would demonstrate to the public that this should not be a party political issue…it is a cross party, country wide issue. There will be labour voters who want to leave the EU and those who want to stay, there will be Tories who want to leave the EU and those who want to stay, ditto SNP voters and Liberal Democrat voters; although that is probably not the case for UKIP voters! The Labour Party should come out and allow a free vote; take the initiative and don’t worry about being seen as being too attached to the Tory agenda. Define our own agenda.
And once again the Tories have forgotten their One Nation mantra. Cutting support greats to students from less well off families does not encourage and support those who really need help to improve their levels of education and get skills for improved their job opportunities. And turning unemployment benefits into loans may save £5bn from the welfare bill but burdens the low paid with debt which have an impact on their ability to pay for food, housing, transport…it doesn’t appear to ‘be on the side of working families!

Friday 12th June
And now there are 4; tonight we say goodbye to Mary Creagh who has withdrawn from the leadership contest. I am not surprised as she seemed unable to get the momentum behind her campaign. It is now critical that Jeremy Corbyn gets his 35 nominations so that members have a real choice in this election…every MP should back someone and there must be some who would like to nominate Jeremy – so have the guts to do so and don’t grumble about the outcome when you don’t get the person you wanted. My heart is sympathetic to Jeremy but my mind seems to be moving towards Yvette…let’s see what the next few weeks bring.

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Politics, Uncategorized

Diary of a Frustrated Labour Supporter – Week 4

Saturday 30th May

Why do we need a Labour Party? By the looks of it we might as well all just join the Conservative party because all the potential leaders, and some deputy leadership candidate, seem to now agree with all their policies!

Andy, are you really going to support £12bn welfare cuts and a reduction in the cap to £23,000? And Ms Flint, even though I do agree that ‘living off benefits’ should not be choice, ‘giving people a kick up the backside’ does not seem to be the best way to achieve this. It may use the language that some UKIP and conservative voters may like to hear, but surely there is a better way of ensuring people rely less on benefits when they have a voice. Have we really thought about what we are saying as a party or are we just now going to go along with everything the Tory’s say because more people voted for them than us? I hope not! Even though for 2013/14 the country’s welfare budget was £251bn and £12bn may not seem a high % (although it is about 5%), over £100bn is spent on pensions so that only leaves about £150bn from which cuts can be made (ie. nearly 10%). So the £12bn welfare cuts are will affect many people especially those that really do need help.

And Liz, I believe all Labour Party members want to ‘love their party’ and ‘want it back in government because it’s the only way we will change people’s minds, and their lives’ but what really does that mean in practice? She really needs to explain what this means.

Sunday 31st May

So Yvette has decided to speak..at last and saying some good things; ‘not swallowing  the Tory manifesto’ is right but she will need to, more clearly and more precisely set out labour ideas for the future which do reflect labour values and are policies for the many and not the few! Also glad she is supporting the 50p income tax band, which is fair and progressive, and she is speaking out against the kind of language some of the candidates have been using which could stigmatise those who need to receive benefits. She talks about ‘radical changes’ to suit 2020, which could be very exciting, but what these are only time will tell.

We can’t ditch everything the Labour Party said just over three weeks ago…although many seem to think we can.
I’ve only just got round to seeing the challenge she gave May and Gove in… which was impressive and demonstrates that she has the potential to hold the government to account.

Monday 1st June

The 1st day of summer and the 1st flagship Conservative Manifesto pledges to turn into a fiasco! 30 hours free childcare for each working person per week…sounds great, and people liked it…but the Government don’t quite know how it’s going to work! Yes, they should have thought this one through before the election, but they hadn’t and non-one seemed bothered to ask them. There were numerous questions to Ed about the mansion tax was going to work but not a ‘dicky bird’ to Dave about how his childcare policy was going to work; one rule for one and one rule for the other…as usual.

No wonder they don’t know how to implement it, because their current 15 hours of free childcare isn’t even working; many childcare providers are not getting the money to pay for the 15 hours and they, and parents, have to provide the rest. It’s so bad that I heard some nurseries had refused a visit from Cameron…good on them.

And … this policy is wrong. It does not help the people who really need it to get back to work or continue to work. Working parents, regardless of what they earn, will get free childcare. I’m sure that most of the money will go to those who are already working and paying for childcare, ie. those who can afford it. Why do they need more free childcare? Wouldn’t it be better giving more childcare to those who need it…maybe those who are on the minimum wage so they can actually work the hours they need to work to earn a decent wage. 30 hours of childcare is only 6 hrs per day and many jobs require you to work at least 7 hours a day and often at weekends or evenings and I am sure childcare will not be available at those times. Labour could provide a better policy that really helps people to go back to work…one that is fair and progressive.

And Nicola, where have you gone? Are you on holiday? I’m so used to you being in the news every day, politics doesn’t seem the same without your coordinated chic suits!

Tuesday 2nd June

Just heard Charles Kennedy has died; I remember him as an authentic politician who spoke about what he believed in and not what he thought he should say. I know he will be missed by many both inside and outside politics.

Have to chuckle about the way Jeremy Hunt is tackling the problem with agency and locus staff costs; hasn’t anyone ever told him about supply and demand? I thought he belonged to a party that believed in the free market and entrepreneurship; don’t now criticise the agencies who may have exploited this position…although I am sure it is only a few agencies not all of them. I agree that the money spent on agency and locus costs should reduce but this needs to be achieved by the NHS directly employing more staff and training more staff to meet the future demand.

And Nicola is back. But she needs to stop threatening the country; it did not help before the election and it is not helpful now. Her threats before the election made many people fearful and therefore did not vote in the way they have wanted to, if she keeps repeating her veiled threats the country may vote NO in the EU Referendum and end up leaving the EU. Be a bit more savvy and political for the sake of the country.

Wednesday 3rd June

The other Nicky is back too…I must be careful not to get the two Nicola’s mixed up.

She is now saying that parents do not know what is best for their children and therefore should not have a say on whether their child’s school becomes an academy but, of course, she still believes parents are always right if they think a Free School is the best one for their child; double standards. I do not support Academies but would be happy to look at the evidence that demonstrated that academies are better for children than an equivalent local authority run school, but I have not seen this evidence. Her agenda continues to be about diminishing the powers of the local authorities and teacher unions not about enabling each child to reach their full potential.

And we should all be asking why MPs need a 10% pay rise. I don’t buy the argument that we have to pay a higher salty in order to attract good people to become an MP. I have never seen a shortage of people wanting to put their name forward to be an MP and I really don’t think the additional £7k is going to make a difference. Considering the average salary is about £26k then the current MP salary is already way above that…and  MPs get considerable expenses in addition to a five year contract (often extended if they perform well), sick pay, holiday pay as well as a nice pension….not bad compared to the pay and conditions most people get). The main costs are incurred by people wanting to be an MP who often have to give up work to focus on campaigning. Oh…and we shouldn’t forget that they can also have a second, third, fourth..or any number of jobs on top of their MP job. Surely if being an MP is a 24/7 job they should not really have the time to do another job; even though I recognise that some MPs may need to undertake a number of hours work to keep their professional registrations this is very different from taking additional jobs which should be banned.

Thursday 4th June

I have to admit I read old papers; in fact I have been known to take month’s old papers on holiday with me in my suitcase to read whilst sitting by a pool. Is that weird? Anyway, I tell you this because I have just got round to reading the rest of the Sunday Times from 10th May and came across the headline ‘With so much choice of leader, surely Labour will get it right this time’…it made me laugh!

Less than 4 weeks ago, even though we had lost on 7th, there was some optimism about the potential for a new leader who would take the Labour Party forward to winning in 2020…or before, if Cameron’s majority disappears over the next few years. Now I look at the list of potential candidates and wonder why the nomination field is so small…no Rachel (although I do realise she is on maternity leave), no Chukka, no Tristram, no Dan…even though I hear that Jeremy Corbyn has thrown his hat into the ring! The Labour Party has many talented people who could be our leader, but most don’t want to be or prefer to go for the deputy post; that is sad. Being leader of the Labour Party used to be an honour…it feels like people don’t think that way anymore.

So I wonder where the first £2.5bn of efficiency savings announced today are going to fall? No detail yet…not surprised, but they’re likely to affect non-school budgets, public health budgets, local government budgets, and justice and defence budgets. They may appear relatively small and not directly impact on the cash people receive, but they will impact on the services we get which will have to be reduced…and those who cannot afford to buy them themselves will have to do without; so that’s what ‘One Nation’ means?

Hopefully we’ll get better value for money from selling off the remainder of the Royal Mail than we did last time. And what are the other assets they plan to sell off? Whatever it is they’ll sell if off cheaply and quickly!

Pleased to see Ed back in the Commons. He has taken defeat gracefully and in good humour and shows that he will not shy away from supporting the Labour Party in the future. Well done.

Friday 5th June

So Yvette has got her 35 MPs, I’m pleased. But considering we are nearing the final date for nominations I wonder why others haven’t. Each MP should be required to nominate someone..they must want someone to be their leader? If each MP was required to nominate someone then there could possibly be a wider field to choose from. At this rate it could be a two horse race (Andy had already got his 35), although I am pretty sure Liz will get hers.

And the debacle about MP pay increases goes on…will they, won’t they? I really think they shouldn’t. I am pretty sure a Government does not have to accept a pay review body recommendation…they don’t for other pay review bodies! Why is this so different? Ah yes, it’s their pay and not the pay of the porter or the cleaner or the nurse who works for the local hospital. MPs pay should increase at the same rate as other public sector workers then they would be treated the same. And the excuse about them having to pay more into their ‘gold plated’ pensions…well so are other public sector works and they are only getting 1% not 10% increase!

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Politics

Diary of a Frustrated Labour Supporter Week 1

Thursday 7th May 2015 10pm

It can’t be true. Exit Poll shows Conservative will have most seats…by a long shot! Just a few hours ago I was saying the exit polls are always right. Now I don’t want them to be….although, secretly, I know they are and cannot bear to think about the consequences. I’ll still stay up to watch the results come in; it can ‘only get better’!

Friday 8th May 2015

7am. OMG…it got worse…not better. Conservatives are due to have a MAJORITY…yes, a MAJORITY!!! What are we going to do? What have people done? Do they realise what they’ve done? They will when they take away peoples’ child benefit, withdraw from Europe, increase University fees, etc., etc., etc. Well that’s democracy for you! All very well but when it does not produce the result I want I start to wonder whether we’ve got it quite right.

I blame everyone; the voters for not voting Labour , Nicola Sturgeon  for backing Ed into a corner rather than just being more political and keeping quiet, the Conservative campaign for encouraging fear, Nick Park (whoever he is) for creating Wallace, the pollsters for getting their stats wrong, Nick Clegg for….being Nick Clegg!!!

My 14 year old daughter has become politically interested. Continuous questions about how many seats each party has got and what it would mean for the country. I am proud of her knowledge and interest…she probably knows more than the 33% of the country who didn’t bother to vote. She asks me to message her during the day and keep her updated on progress.

9am Time to do something enjoyable and try and forget about what is happening…went off for big, high-fat, fry-up with hubby. Farage did not get his seat…the best news I’ve had so far…I text friends and family as I need to send some good news to them.

Home in time to see the leader resignation speeches. Have messaged daughter to let her know; she says she already knows as she is sitting in her geography lesson also watching the continuous media coverage. Love Clegg’s speech. Do not much love Miliband’s speech…there is more to winning that just fighting on! We need to understand why we didn’t get enough votes, what we need to do, what we need to change, we need to listen, we need to give people a reason to vote for Labour.

I now feel more numb and dumbfounded!

David Cameron’s acceptance speech makes me cringe…One Nation…my a**. He sounds conciliatory but we know it was his ‘sweetest success’…a real ‘career defining’ moment. He appoints his top team…no change…continuity was his pledge. Oh, aren’t we all so lucky!

Fortunately we’re due for dinner at some friends’ house tonight. It will provide a chance to really rant, express my views and offload my anger…they are all Labour supporters. Although, having now returned home, I wonder whether one of them may be a ‘shy Tory’ or a ‘quiet Lib Dem supporter’ …he was unusually quiet and didn’t seem to support my points of view!!! So some people really did vote Tory….I didn’t really want to believe it.

Saturday 9th May

I wake up sad….with a bit of a sore head…and very tired.  Two late nights is too much for me. The papers are full of the election. I can’t bring myself to read the detailed seat by seat results…I love looking at the stats but I fear it will be too upsetting, reinforcing the size of the losses across the country…except in Hove and London.

They are really putting the boot into Ed…and Nick; I must stop buying The Telegraph on a Saturday! But I love their magazine, the weekend section, the review…hubbie likes the sport section…and perversely, I enjoy reading the articles written from a different perspective. It’s infuriating at times, sometimes funny, usually informative, – always worrying!

And it’s not just the Tory press who are having a field day…labour supporters seem to be appearing from everywhere with harsh words about Ed, our policies and the campaign. However, I am impressed by Tristram Hunt’s words of wisdom…they are sensible, loyal, measured….I’m sure he’s going to go for the leadership.

I feel for Ed. I voted for him as Leader; I wanted a non-Blairite, I wanted someone more to the left, I wanted someone who would think of others before himself, I thought his brother was too smarmy! Was I wrong? I am not sure? I’m puzzled. I am disappointed with him; why did he wait to get Russell Brand to support him AFTER the date to register to vote had gone?

Where was the tough opposition in the last 4 and half years? Why did we not listen to the voter? Why were we unable to put our message across?

Can’t even be bothered to get out of my pyjamas but do so in order to go for an early Thai supper before settling down to watch Mockingjay Part 1. It’s a good film, not as good as the first ones, but my mind is wondering…I keep thinking about the reality of a Conservative majority…I keep nodding off!

Sunday 10th May

What joy…reading the papers and watching political programmes…hoping they support my point of view, seeking out alternative analysis and getting even more irritated and worried about the future of the country…is no one else worried?

A rare opportunity to watch The Andrew Marr Show….Mass will have to be missed this week. And it was well worth it. Mandleson was as anti-Ed as ever; does he not realise we can learn from the past but we cannot go ‘back to Blair’? Blair moved on to earn millions of pounds and left us to pick up the anger over the invasion of Iraq. Chuka Umanna was slick! He is charming, intelligent, answers questions well, dresses well, handsome….Andrew seems to warm to him and encourages him to say he is going to go for the leadership, but he declines with a small smile and twinkling eyes.

And now for Andrew No2 (aka Andrew Neil). He is actually my No1…the best political interviewer on TV. He has the job of interviewing Liz Kendall; who? you may ask. She is the Shadow Health Minister and, although I have heard of her I am sure many haven’t. I am worried about how she is going to perform, Andrew is no soft touch; but he is kind to her. In fact, she stumps him by asking him why he thinks he succeeds in life. His reply consists of being paid a lot of money by the BBC and living in London…well, he is a lucky boy! I feel he knows he has said the wrong thing and quickly shifts the focus back to Liz. She does better than I had thought but I don’t see her as a leader…but, I may be wrong…I will not write her off, just yet!

Friends over for supper this evening so keen to get their view on the election. We talk a little about it, but I think we are exhausted from it all and find talking about holidays, moving house, jobs, school, education, exams, children’s eating habits, good and bad music teachers much  more relaxing……ahhhhh back to normal, at least for one evening.

Monday 11th May

I can’t even get away from the election at my pilates lesson. A brief comment to a fellow pilates friend about how disappointed I was with the outcome of the election ended up in a full conversation with another fellow pilates attendee whom I had never spoken to before. I think it’s not good that I have never spoken to this guy before (even though we have been attending the same pilates class every Monday for over a year. Anyway, he also blames Nicola Sturgeon for helping to allow the Cameron to create fear in the electorate. I agree with him but deep down I know there is more to our loss.

Post-pilates coffee chat leads to further post election analysis….what more is there to say? I walk home the long way and buy a pair of shoes on the way…I deserve a post election treat!

Cameron announces his cabinet. One notable absentee is Boris. Having used him to get his majority he is not even rewarded with a proper job…it’s a tough life. I’m pretty sure Boris is quite happy; keep a low profile and then…bang…when it all starts going wrong, he can truly say that he had not been part of the collective cabinet decision making. Clever?!

Cameron may call it ‘blue collar conservatism’ but actions speak louder than words.’  They announce they are going to do away with the Human Rights Act…it didn’t take them to show their true colours. It will be a disaster for people in this country but, as the meaning of it and reality of this is badly explained on TV, in the papers and on the radio, many will not truly understand what the impact will be until it’s too late. There must be better ways of helping people to make informed decisions…or do they not really care?

Andrew Pierce relishes in taking the p*** out of Labour’s loss with Kevin Maguire. For once, Kevin lets him have his moment of glory. We know it won’t last for long…at least it had better not!

Farage is not allowed to stand-down as leader. His party will not accept his resignation letter…really? I laugh out loud…this is a farce. Another politician you can’t trust.

Tuesday 12th May

Surprise Surprise. Chuka Umanna says he’s going to put his name forward for the Leader of the Labour Party. You could tell he was going to…it was obvious. I need to stop singing ‘Chaka Khan I Feel For You’ every time I say his name. It’s a great song but must stop singing the song in my head and dancing whenever I hear his name.

David Cameron allows the TV cameras into the Cabinet Meeting. He’s not as pumped up as he was in the election campaign but he waves his manifesto around telling his followers that they now the party of the working people; he may say it but I don’t think those working people on a zero hours contract and working for minimum pay would think he was on their side. Or do they? I begin to worry again.

Get a message from a friend who is a Conservative SPAD (special adviser). He’s back at his desk…happy for him and his family…..he is such a nice guy, not like the other Tories.

Wednesday 13th May

All Conservative ministers have been told they must repeat the phrase ‘One Nation’ 100 times a day within every sentence. Just heard Teresa May on Good Morning Britain and she repeated it so many times. I am already irritated by the phrase and we’re only 5 days into a Conservative MAJORITY. She is one to watch…fear that fast tracking her ‘extremist’, ‘anti-democratic’ plans could lead to erosion of freedom of speech and not make any of us safer….very worrying.

Andy Burnham has also thrown his hat in the ring to become Leader of the Labour Party. I really like him…an ex NHS manager, an Everton supporter, a nice guy…he was my second preference last time but I don’t think I’ll be voting for him this time; he’s been around too long (even though I definitely not ageist) and I think he is not the right person to inspire and lead Labour to our next victory. His announcement doesn’t even get a headline on Channel 4 news, they mention it 45 minutes into their schedule; well, they don’t think he’s going to be leader either. I like Channel 4 news!

However, we do have 4 months to choose a leader; I think it’s too long. I mean, what are we really going to do during that time? People will vote for the leader they want based on their personality, their values, their beliefs and …what they look like; it does not take 4 months to show us that! In the meantime, the Conservatives and SNP will fill the vacuum.

Better job figures announced…George Osborne is ecstatic. I know this is a good thing for many people, but still don’t believe the story they are trying to tell; many people who work are still on low pay and still can’t afford to pay their rent and bills and buy god food. Headline figures only tell you part of the picture.  Did these people really vote Tory or did they not care enough to vote?

Or why don’t we just let Prince Charles run the country? Evidence now shows he has views on many topics and is keen for the government to listen and implement his wishes. He is meant to be impartial; if he wants his views known he should write an article in a publicly available newspaper, not privately to Prime Ministers and ministers.

UKIP having problems….hooray! UKIP (Farage) wants Mr Carswell to take the taxpayers money he is entitled to to run his office, but he doesn’t want to; he says he doesn’t need 15 people working for him…quite right too! I respect him for that and for standing up against the ‘Farage Followers’ but I’m sure Nigel thinks he’s just being awkward as he is their only MP. This relationship is going to get interesting.

Thursday 14th May

Osborne’s travelled north to offer cities the opportunity to be part of the ‘Powerhouse’….it may work for Manchester, but not yet convinced it’s a model that can work for people living in less fortunate areas. People living in those cities need good jobs, good quality housing, good schools, good healthcare, good transport…is this really the best way of achieving this or is it just a gimmick?

Caught up with sisters tonight for a celebratory pre-birthday dinner. We are all Labour supporters but it clearly demonstrates how different each supporter can be. Labour supporters are not a homogenous group. The new leader and the party will have to have very wide appeal if my sisters’ views are anything to go by.

Other party’s leadership discussions continue…Farage getting flack from his Euro MEP and Mr Fallon pitches for those who are interested in music, poetry and art….all very well but he’ll need to offer more than that to get elected..or will he?

Glad to see Mark Carney, Bank of England Governor, acknowledging the big advantage the UK economy has from being able to access the European Market. Hopefully more people will start to outline the benefits of being in the EU so the voter will be making an informed choice when it comes to saying YES or NO.

Friday 15th May…Happy Birthday H

It’s interesting how the news that the welfare cap is having on people being evicted from their homes and out of their communities has come out a week after the election….did Shelter and the rest of them really not have this information last week? I think not! And it’s only going to get worse as the £12bn welfare cuts start to hit people.

And who is this new bod throwing their hat in the ring for labour leader? I do not know but have been told it is a woman….Mary Creagh, the shadow international development secretary. I know nothing about her! And at last….Tristram has come out of his hiding place to try and enter the ring, but he is still seeking more MPs to support him. I’m surprised he would have been the last to get picked for the team (I’m sure that wasn’t the case when they were picking sports teams at his independent school), but maybe he’s finding it difficult to get support….particularly amongst the trade union supporters; I wish he hadn’t crossed that picket line because otherwise I think he would have been a good leader. There you go! Your actions do come back to haunt you! And, oh yes, Yvette is also in the running. Haven’t seen or heard much from her yet, but I do think she should smile more and not look so serious all the time. I know politics is a serious issue, but she is definitely a glass half empty person rather than a glass half full person. Cheer up…it’s not that bad…well it is, but we must remain positive, we have to survive 5 more years.

It’s getting worse for Farage….’snarling, thin-skinned, aggressive’…..I always knew that was the case, but 14% of voters voted for him (well, his party), but I’m sure they were voting more for the one man band, rather than the party; do they really know what UKIP stands for?

What a lovely photo of David and Nicola having a little chat about how best to break up the Union…they look so good together! I bet the electorate didn’t think they were going to get this…deals being done between Tory and the SNP!

As I post this weeks’ diart I have just heard Chuka Umanna has withdrawn from the leadership race! OMG!!!!

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