Thoughts Of A Progressive - David Skelton's Blog

Ricky Ponting's Unbelievable Rant

2010-12-27T11:10:00.000Z

The pressure is clearly getting to Ricky Ponting. He knows that he will probably be out of a job in the next few weeks and (if the test match keeps on going like this) he knows that he will be remembered as the man who lost the Ashes both at home and abroad.

The pressure seemed to get to him in yesterday's play. The review of a decision against Kevin Pietersen showed that KP was clearly not out. 'Punter', in that bizarre parallel universe that only tends to exist on the sporting field in the midst of the action didn't quite see things that way. And he told the umpire about it... at length... before also informing KP of his displeasure. Check it out here:

Maybe Ricky needs to borrow Tevez's dummy. He certainly spat it out yesterday. Ponting was always the cricketer England fans loved to hate and its hard to see how yesterday's antics will be making things any better.

It may not have been quite as bad as Mike Gatting's effort a few years ago, but Ricky should know that he was standing on VERY thin ice.

Ponting has been fined 40% of his match fee. Quite right too. Hopefully now England can finish the job in the next few days.

Anger Management At The World Darts Championships

2010-12-27T10:42:00.000Z

The darts starts again at Ally Pally today - the World Darts Championships always represents one of the most entertaining sporting weeks of the year.

Round 1 of the tournament, which took place before Christmas, produced its fair share of memorable moments. Dutch wunderkinds Van Gerwen and Klaasen were dumped out in the first round (how long until they live up to their massive potential in the PDC, a clearly flu ridden three times World Champion, John Part, was beaten in the first round, but most of the other big names battled through to the business end of the tournament.

One of the most memorable moments though was this one from Colin 'Jaws' Lloyd. Lloyd has been struggling a bit in the televised tournaments of late and was clearly frustrated that he had allowed his opponent to launch a comeback. And then this happened:

OUCH! I bet he regretted doing that in the morning. Lloyd somehow regained his cool and battled his way in to the second round. I'm sure there will be many more memorable moments in the next week.

The Ashes and Sleep Avoidance

2010-11-24T18:50:00.000Z

The Ashes are certainly likely to play havoc with people's sleep patterns over the next few months as we look to keep that little urn from out of the Aussie's clutches.

The BBC kindly put together a piece about how you could watch plenty of the action without becoming a zombie for the following day.

They reckon that, "carefully-timed naps, caffeinated drinks, avoiding certain foods and keeping yourself stimulated" are key to the whole thing."

The whole article is here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11814630

Hopefully England's performance will be worth staying up for.

Cricket's Greatest Sledges

2010-11-24T18:40:00.002Z

The Ashes, at long last, get underway this evening. A sparky, lively encounter, which will hopefully lighten up the cold winter for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere.

And the Ashes have certainly contributed to the dubious poetry of cricket that is the art of sledging. Just to get us in the mood for the start of the series at midnight, here are a few of cricket's greatest sledges:

Viv Richards was one of the most exciting, swashbuckling batsmen of the past 30 years. But for a few balls, Greg Thomas had got the better of the great West Indian. Thomas couldn't resist throwing a jibe at Richards, telling the great man, "it’s red, its round and weighs about 5 ounces.” Needless to say, Viv hit the next ball out of the park, before telling Thomas,“you know what it looks like, go and fetch it.”
Arjuna Ranatunga, not necessarily the fittest man in professional sport, asked for a runner when Australia were playing Sri Lanka on a very hot Sydney night. Aussie wicketkeeper, Iain Healy's response was that “You don’t get a runner for being an overweight and unfit fat ****.”
Shane Warne also tried to lure the big Sri Lankan down the pitch in another game. Healy suggested, “put a Mars Bar on a good length. That should do it.”
Daryll Cullinan, who had been one of Shane Warne's victims many times over the years was heading to the crease. Warne immediately shouted to Cullinan that he had been waiting two years to have another crack him. Cullinan responded, “looks like you spent it eating.”
Freddie Trueman was even happy to sledge his own teammates. After letting the ball go through his legs from an outside edge off Trueman's bowling, the guilty fielder, Raman Subba Row came up to Truman and apologised: “Sorry Fred, I should have kept my legs together.” Truman responded, “So should your mother.”
Malcolm Marshall was bowling to David Boon who had played and missed a couple of times. Marshall: "Now David, Are you going to get out now or am I going to have to bowl around the wicket and kill you?"
Merv Hughes was beating Robin Smith with a sequence of great deliveries. After beating the bat for the again, Merv quipped, “Mate, you can’t f****n bat.” Smith then hammered the next ball to the boundary before saying, "hey Merv, we’d make a fine pair. I can’t f****ng bat and you can’t f****ng bowl.”
James Ormond met a tirade of abuse from Mark Waugh, who kept saying, “mate, what are you doing here? There is no way you’re good enough to play for England.” Ormond responded, “maybe not, but at least I’m the best player in my family.”
When the great Iain Botham came to the crease , Aussie ‘keeper Rod Marsh asked him: “So how’s your wife and my kids.” Botham's response - "the wife's fine but the kids are retarded."
“All right, which one of you bastards called this bastard a bastard?” – The way the Aussie vice captain dealt with complaints that somebody had sworn at Douglas Jardine.
Ian Healy once said to Mike Atherton, "You’re a f*****ng cheat.” To which Athers responded, "When in Rome, dear boy.”

Hat tip to Aussie Daily Telegraph

Lamenting The Loss Of The Tom Harris Blog

2010-11-16T08:44:00.000Z

Like many others in the blogosphere, I'm very sorry to hear that Tom Harris is hanging up his blogging gloves.

His blog is always one of the must-reads and will create a big void.

Harris is one of the few remaining spokesmen for that great working class Labour tradition that stretches back to the likes of Ernie Bevin and Herbert Morrison - very much on the right of the party, but resolutely Labour and resolutely working class.

He is one of the Labour MPs who dares to agree with his constituents on various issues, when plenty of people in the Labour Party now knowingly ignore the views of their working class constituents on issues like welfare reform and immigration.

In an age where many political blogs read like they have been dictated by party HQ, Harris is renowned for his independence of mind.

His blog will be a great miss to the blogosphere.

Jordan Henderson Really Is A Breath Of Fresh Air For England

2010-11-16T08:28:00.000Z

Jordan Henderson has been exceptional for Sunderland this season and fully deserves his place in the England team. He played a massive role in our sensational win against Chelsea on Saturday.

It's good that somebody like Henderson has made his way into the England team. The only shame is that thug Andy Carroll has, for whatever reason, made it in at the same time, despite being charged with assaulting his ex girlfriend.

There is a great interview with/ profile of Jordan Henderson in this morning's Independent, here:

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/henderson-brings-breath-of-fresh-air-to-england-2135043.html

My favourite paragraph, at a time when all the rent-a-quotes in the national (otherwise known as London and Manchester) press are desperately trying to talk up the chances of Henderson moving to Man Utd, Man City or Chelsea. Henderson has this to say:

The man of the moment was at England's hotel in Hertfordshire yesterday, an unassuming new boy in the squad whose accent immediately locates him. He is Sunderland born and bred and has been at the club since he was seven years old. With that in mind, was there ever a chance he might go elsewhere? "No. My dad is a Sunderland fan, all my friends are Sunderland fans and I am a Sunderland fan. I got asked to go on a trial when I was seven and I have been ever since.

I think the Southern based press might find that Henderson has more loyalty than the average footballer. Henderson has a massive future both for Sunderland and England.

Mick Jagger and Frank Black Join The Fight To Save The 100 Club

2010-11-16T07:59:00.000Z

The campaign to save the iconic 100 Club is gathering pace.

I wrote about the campaign here a few weeks ago and suggested that some of the legends who have frequented the club over the years should help out. It now seems that they are beginning to do so.

Stones legend Mick Jagger has given his support to the campaign. He has said:

"This is really bad news if another great venue is threatened with closure. There's a real need for these places - they have a connection with the past. And what is important is that you have places where bands can cut their teeth and places of a certain intimacy and size, that new bands can experiment in. There aren't that many great places in London, or indeed any city, that you can say that about."

It isn't clear whether he has given any financial help to the campaign but the brilliant Frank Black of the legendary Pixies certainly has. According to The Sun, he has given £100,000 to the campaign. Fantastic stuff. And, just to illustrate the measure of the man, he apparently also asked for his donation to remain secret.

Hats off to that man.

Don't forget the campaign site can be found here:

http://www.savethe100club.co.uk/

Don't Mess With A Member Of The Cash Family

2010-11-08T16:54:00.000Z

Johnny Cash was known for his rugged individualism and his devotion to causes, such as prisoners' rights, the rights of Native Americans and his hatred of poverty (which he experienced in his youth). He was of course primarily famous for making some majestic music that changed the face of both country and rock n'roll.

His daughter, Rosanne Cash, also has the rugged individualism and the musical talent. With this in mind, Republican House leader, John Boehner decided to use Johnny Cash's name in a political 'joke' last week. He said:

"Remember when Ronald Reagan was president? We had Bob Hope. We had Johnny Cash. Think about where we are today. We have got President Obama. But we have no hope and we have no cash."

Of course, that's a terrible line anyway. And Rosanne, like her father a lifelong Democrat, wasn't going to let it go by without comment. She tweeted:

She certainly seems to have her Dad's proto punk attitude. I remember when 'Unchained' won the Grammy for Country Album of the year and Cash put out this full page ad in Rolling Stone:

Votes For Prisoners And The Peril Of Judicial Activism

2010-11-02T08:15:00.000Z

The European Court of Human Rights judgement isn’t a judgement about human rights or prisoner’s rights. What it represents is a startling illumination of the amount of power given to unelected, unaccountable judges in British society.

Whether or not prisoners should be allowed to vote is an issue that has strong arguments marshalled on either side of the debate. On one side, some suggest that prisoners should be deprived of their liberties (including the right to vote) while incarcerated. On the other side, others argue that giving prisoners the right to vote is crucial to their successful resettlement in society.

There are compelling arguments on both sides. But is should be for elected politicians, not unelected judges to make a call on the matter. It is a sad truth about modern Britain that a judge, who was not elected; who comes from a narrow social background; is pretty much out of touch with modern Britain (or Europe for that matter); an is entirely unaccountable, has more power than the vast majority of elected representatives.

The judiciary haven’t, after all got an exemplary record of protecting freedoms. As Michael Foot famously said:

It does so happen to be the case that if the freedom of the people of this country…if those precious things in the past had been left to the good sense and fairmindedness of judges, we would have precious few freedoms in this country.

Surely it is about time that our democratic institutions took back control of decision making and policy making from activist judges who are playing a bigger and more pernicious role in public life. Judicial activism in the United Kingson can only mean a weakening of democracy in the United Kingdom

Keith Richards Earns A Great Accolade - Condemnation From Reactionary Peter Hitchens

2010-10-25T22:29:00.001+01:00

Regular readers of this blog should know that I'm a massive Stones fan and I'm looking forward to reading the autobiography of this legend of rock n' roll. He is the walking riff, the embodiment of the rock n' roll spirit, the lynchpin of the greatest band the world has ever seen.

And he has now earned one of the greatest accolades. He has been savaged by that right wing, reactionary caricature, Peter Hitchens.

Hitchens has described 'Keef' as a "sneering lout who did even more damage than Blair."

Hitchens, living in the shadow of his ultra talented brother, thinks that the world came to a grinding halt in the 1960s. And the Stones represent everything that he hates. He seems to think that the exoneration of Jagger and Richards after their drugs trial of 1967 was where everything started to go wrong.

All nonsense of course. Such an analysis defies logic. It is, as John Gray argued in the London Review of Books a few months ago, based on romanticising a 1950s created to a large extent by war socialism and the great Attlee government of 1945 (not something Hitchens would ever admit). Like reactionaries from de Maistre onwards, Hitchens glorifies a golden age that never was.

Keith Richards should feel proud to be the object of Hitchens' ire.

Direct Ski Advert Is A Shabby Insult To The North East

2010-10-25T22:17:00.001+01:00

Some moron at an advertising agency has clearly decided that the best way to sell their cheap skiing holidays is to have a go at people from the North East of England. This is how some two bit skiing holiday company I had previously never heard of has decided to advertise their holidays:

Unsurprisingly, I haven't seen any of these idiotic adverts in the North East!

The offensive advert is based on a silly stereotype of our region and of North Easterners. For a cheap laugh, it ignores the fact that the North East is now a culturally exciting, vibrant place, which has, over the past few years regained its vitality after the body blows of deindustrialisation.

There is probably a reason that people from the North East decide not to take up Direct Ski founder Anthony Collins on his delightful and charming offer of cheap skiing. They probably choose not to travel with Direct Ski because of their idiotic adverts. There is also, quite often a fair bit of snow in the North East and just over the border. And perhaps, just perhaps, North Easterners prefer not to squander hard earned holidays on the skiing holidays beloved of rich people in the South.

Hopefully Direct Ski will decide not to run campaigns with a cheap shot at the North East again. Maybe the advertising execs responsible for these ads should spend their holidays in the North East so they can understand the absurdity of their ads.

Join The Fight To Save The 100 Club

2010-10-22T19:53:00.001+01:00

The 100 Club is one of Britain's great music venues. Step inside and it simply screams rock n'roll history. The heritage of British rock n'roll is in every corner of the Club and there are few other music venues that are so utterly intimate, with a consistently first rate gig selection.

The Club has a special part in the heart of most music lovers. The Stones have played there twice - the image below is of them playing in the 80s.

So many giants of the jazz world have played there (funnily enough I was there when Charlie Watts, the Stones elegantly cool drummer, played there with his jazz band - what a gig it was). And, of course, the club is dripping with the history of punk - that revolution that started in England (and I know that some people will come back with Ramones arguments) and changed the world of music for the better. The Clash were regulars in the 100 Club during the early years.

A few weeks ago came the sledgehammer news that this pulsating piece of Britain's musical heritage is to close. It needs £500,000 or it will close by the end of the year and Oxford Street will lose a historic music venue and probably gain another generic coffee shop or clothing store. This is not the kind of thing that should be allowed to happen.

These are, of course, difficult times for everybody but the campaign to Save The 100 Club, which can be accessed via the following link is well worth supporting:

http://www.savethe100club.co.uk/

There are some cracking gig coming up at the Club, including a 'Save The 100 Club' gig, which has Stones legends Mick Taylor and Ronnie Wood, as well as Mick Jones being heavily rumoured to join the line up:

http://www.nme.com/news/the-rolling-stones/53474

It would be nice to think that some of the millionaires who have played the 100 Club over the years could help to save the Club. Together, hopefully we can all help save one of London's oldest, greatest and most atmospheric music venues.

The OFT Decision On Pubs Is A Big Blow To The Consumer

2010-10-14T08:30:00.000+01:00

It was maybe a bit much to ask that the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) would defend the consumer against big business. That doesn't seem to be the way consumer protection works.

The fact that big business is generally favoured over the consumer was illustrated by the OFT's judgement about the 'beer tie' today. CAMRA launched a 'super complaint' to the OFT that serious competition failings in the UK pub market were leading to higher prices, reduced amenity and pub closures. The OFT, unsurprisingly, ruled against the CAMRA complaint.

The OFT was shown a great deal of evidence that the pub industry was becoming anti-competitive in a way that adversely affected the consumer. The 'beer tie' imposed by the big pub companies means that tied landlords pay , on average, £20,000 a year more for their beer than landlords in no tied premises. The power of the big pub companies means that the number of landlords not in tied premises are falling. This means that real competition is dwindling and consumers are suffering because of this.

The OFT has, of course, decided to ignore the impact upon consumers. In doing so, it is ignoring its fundamental duty.

If the beer tie issue and its effect upon consumers and the pub trade is not properly addressed, small breweries will be adversely affected, diversity and competition in the pub trade will be increasingly diminished and the consumer will suffer. The pub is a vital element of British community life. It represents the beating heart of the local community. Today's OFT decision is a victory for big business and homogeneity. It is a defeat for the consumer, diversity and small breweries.

Kay Burley, Stafford Cripps and Chris Bryant

2010-10-07T17:37:00.001+01:00

Kay Burley on Sky News interviewed 97 year old Tory member, Harry Beckough yesterday. It is probably not Burley's finest broadcasting moment.

Check out the full interview below (hat tip to Political Scrapbook):

Probably the most jaw dropping moment was when Kay Burley made clear that she hadn't heard of Stafford Cripps, that austere Chancellor and the man described by David Marquand as one of the two titans of Attlee's post war Government (along with Ernie Bevin). As Political Scrapbook suggests, Burley seems to think that Stafford Cripps was "some kind of WWII military regiment from the West Midlands."

You would imagine this would make most people with a knowledge of post war British politics pretty cross. But biographers of Cripps must be particularly incensed by Burley's lack of historical knowledge. Step forward one of Cripps' most recent biographers (a good read it is too):

Having said that Chris Bryant, the author of Stafford Cripps - The First Modern Chancellor, made his opinion of Burley's interviewing style fairly clear a few weeks ago:

Glasto, See Tickets And The Nightmares Of 'Ticket Day'

2010-10-03T11:24:00.000+01:00

It is now two and a half hours since Glastonbury tickets went on sale.

I'm still trying to get a ticket. As, by the looks of the top trending #glasto and #seetickets on Twitter are quite a few other people. Each stage of the ticket buying process seems to crash as the servers get overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the traffic.

This happens every year and it's a complete nightmare. Seetickets have had this gig for years and the service doesn't seem to get any better.

Surely Seetickets can do better than this. Maybe they could improve their systems to accommodate more traffic. Ticketmaster (despite their hideous booking fees) doesn't seem to have this problem for massive gigs.

It isn't as though the volume of traffic is taking Seetickets by surprise.

I'm keeping on trying. Good luck to everybody in the great rush for tickets. It will be worth it.

The Offensiveness Of 50cent

2010-10-01T10:57:00.003+01:00

50cent is a moderate rapper but it turns out he is also a deeply offensive man.

One of his latest tweets says this:

50cent

I'm assuming that this tweet was by the actual 50 Cent, his account is verified by Twitter.
Let's look at a few statistics to put his silly little comment in perspective. Studies have shown that lesbian, gay or bisexual adolescents are between two and three times more likely to attempt suicide than straight adolescents. The Health Education Authority says this:
A large study has confirmed earlier research suggesting that gay and bisexual men face a higher risk of considering and attempting suicide, and of killing themselves. The researchers interviewed nearly 3,000 gay and bisexual men between 1996 and 1998. They found that 21 per cent of the men said they had previously made a plan to kill themselves, and 12 per cent said they had attempted suicide.
With this in mind, 50cent's offensive tweet becomes downright dangerous, given the level of hero worship that there is for 50cent among young people, particularly in the USA.

Just To Show They're Still Sincere. They Sing The Red Flag Once A Year

2010-09-30T08:06:00.000+01:00

All eyes will be on Ed Miliband today during the Labour conference singing of the Red Flag. Tony Blair always looked uncomfortable during this bit (at times doing a passable impression of John Redwood singing the Welsh national anthem).

The right wing tabloids will be seeing the fervour with which the ridiculously named 'Red Ed' sings the old Socialist anthem.

It all reminded me of the old song, 'The People's Flag Is Palest Pink, part of the genius of Leon Rosselson, amongst others. The first line of that song goes:

The people's flag is palest pink
It's not as red as you might think

Probably an interesting analysis of those who think that opportunist Ed is really a reincarnation of Nye Bevan.

The most apt verse for the present state of the Labour Party is the second one though. Union barons (note not Labour Party members or MPs) have decided that the working class are best represented by a privileged, middle class, liberal intellectual from North London. Ed Miliband probably represents one of those middle class intellectuals derided by Tony Blair in his autobiography as not understanding ordinary working class people or working class aspiration. He is one of those Hampstead liberals who has an idealised version of ordinary working class people, while being happy to constrain their ambition or aspiration.

As Matthew Parris says in The Times today:

"He is one of those North London Labour intellectuals who find it genuinely difficult to believe that there could exist people of sound mind and humane instincts outside the circle of light in which the intelligent Centre Left feel they are bathed."

Of course, the Labour establishment and the trade unions rejected Andy Burnham, the one candidate who does genuinely understand working class aspiration and the one candidate who could genuinely have connected and empathised with aspirant voters.

Still, as the second verse of that old song said, the liberal middle classes always think they know what is best for ordinary working class people anyhow:

The cloth cap and the woollen scarf

Are images outdated

For we're the party's avant garde

And we are educated

So raise the rolled umbrella high

The college scarf, the old school tie

And just to show that we're sincere

We'll sing The Red Flag once a year

Cadbury's Dairy Milk and The Absurdity Of European Rules

2010-09-29T08:47:00.002+01:00

Apparently, Cadbury's Dairy Milk will no longer be able to use the slogan "a glass and a half of milk in every bar" on its wrappers.

EU rules apparently mean that Cadbury's will, instead, have to use the slogan, "the equivalent of 426ml of fresh liquid milk in every 227g of milk chocolate." Not quite as catchy is it?

Isn't this just petty and nonsensical? Is there any wonder that ordinary people across Europe are becoming increasingly detached by the unelected, meddling monolith that is the EU?

It's a shame that Cadbury's didn't decide to hold on to its heritage, rather than caving in to the bureaucratic nonsense of EU rules.

Daylight Robbery On The East Coast Main Line

2010-09-28T19:20:00.002+01:00

I'm a regular user of the East Coast main line. Working in London, but spending a lot of time in my beloved North East, I find that the train remains by far the best way of heading North.

The line can be very expensive and you occasionally get the impression that East Coast are trying every trick in the book to get as much money out of you as possible (the same went for GNER and National Express). Passengers are treated like suspected fare avoiders during heavy handed ticket checks and the mark ups for food and drink can be pretty excessive. Penalty fares are excessive, fares are excessive and the passenger is almost always presumed wrong.

Jobsworth is often a phrase I would use for the ticket collectors on the East Coast.

I wasn't, therefore, surprised to read this story of the man fined £155 for getting off at Darlington rather than Durham. Such a fine is staggering, shocking and disgraceful but it is probably justified in one of the 'war and peace' sized rule books that always seem to be heavily weighted away from the passenger and towards the monopoly train company.

Professor Evans, who was the victim of the wrongdoing by the rail company, said:

“Anyone would understand that you’d be liable to pay extra if you stayed on the train too long. But if you get off early, you have not used all the product you have paid for...The whole process made me feel like a wrongdoer from the start and that disgusted me more than the money itself.”

And now it seems that East Coast is going to charge passengers to use the previously free wireless internet service. Again, that is not on.

It's about time that the passenger is given a fair deal by East Coast.

How All Labour MPs Voted In The Leadership Election

2010-09-27T14:55:00.001+01:00

I have long been a fan of transparency in public life and you have to take your hat off to Labour for publishing the voting preferences of each of their MPs and MEPs in the leadership election.

All of the information is below:

http://www2.labour.org.uk/leadership-mps-and-meps

It is intriguing that Labour make this kind of information public. Maybe the level of transparency ensures that MPs are far less likely to switch horses mid race (as happened in the Conservative election a few years ago).

Time For Sunderland To Take The Next Step

2010-09-26T21:58:00.000+01:00

It was a great point for Sunderland against Liverpool. Indeed, given without absurd refereeing decision we probably would have won. This comes hot on the heels of a richly deserved draw against Arsenal last week (nothing is quite as relieving as a 95th minute equaliser).

Good to see Darren Bent remaining in devastating form after his ridiculous omission from the England squad for the World Cup that Fabio Capello will long live to regret.

The big point is, though, that we are getting points out of games from which we were expecting none. What we need to be doing is getting three points from the games we are expecting to win. Last season, we got some great results against some big names, only to come to a juddering halt against some of the lesser lights of the Premiership. We cannot afford to do the same this year.

Sunderland have the talent, the management and the regular goalscoring flair to make the next step and hit the top 10 of the Premiership this year. If we continue to play as we did yesterday, then that is where we will end up.

There Is Only One Thing That Is Bennite About Ed Miliband

2010-09-23T17:55:00.002+01:00

The right wing popular press have already christened Ed Miliband as 'Red Ed'.

Bagehot takes up the point here:

According to the newspaper narrative, Ed Miliband, the younger brother and former cabinet minister in charge of climate change, is significantly to the left of David Miliband, the elder brother and former foreign secretary. I have seen the word Bennite bandied around, in homage to Tony Benn, the former Labour cabinet minister who really was a proper lefty in his day, advocating capital controls and the wholesale nationalisation of British industry. It is true that the pair have been sending little hints and signals since the contest became a two horse race, indicating that MiliE is to the left of MiliD (as some call them) and is more tempted than MiliD by some form of core vote strategy to woo back disaffected Labour voters and former Liberal Democrat voters who are disgruntled by the Con-Lib coalition. But Bennite? Come off it.

There isn't much Bennite about Ed Miliband. He is still, seemingly attached to the idea of unelected European Commissioners having more power than elected politicians. As far as I'm aware, he isn't advocating unilateral disarmament, or capital controls, or industrial democracy, or withdrawal from the EU.

There is however one thing that links Ed Miliband and Benn together. That is the sudden transformation of their worldviews after an election defeat. Michael Foot told the story of the Benn transformation brilliantly in his 'Loyalists and Loners':

"Tony Benn was once an up and coming, middle of the road Labour MP with an excellent chance of becoming Prime Minister... in the attitudes he adopted on questions of policy, there were not so much as a list towards left-wing demagogy. He gave every impression of being a good administrator and was always a good defender of his Department in the House of Commons. He was a strong supporter of Britain's entry into the Common Market. He backed... In Place Of Strife. He was not notable for protesting against the Wilson Government's support for the American war in Vietnam... He had never been a member of the Tribune group or the Keep Left group or the Victory for Socialism Group... he did vote for Gaitskell in the 1955 leadership election... However, during the decade of the 1970s he was transformed - the word is too weak; reincarnated might be better - into a different political animal altogether."

Such a transformation seems to have occurred to Ed Miliband over the past few months. From Brownite minister, he has transformed himself into some kind of keeper of the Bevanite flame. The man criticising the New Labour establishment was, after all, the man who depended on that establishment for his advance. He did serve, without showing any open signs of disloyalty or hostility, under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He did serve as an adviser to New Labour for many years before that. He did, after all, write the election manifesto in 2010.

I'm not of course suggesting that the younger brother's sudden volte face on a number of issues is an opportunist one. It has, though, been almost as sudden as the Benn conversion of the 1970s. Benn suggested that it was "his experience as a Labour Minister" that brought about his transformation. Similarly, Miliband claimed [in today's Guardian] that he had been "liberated to say what he finally believed."

Who Does This European Commissioner Think She Is?

2010-09-16T07:45:00.000+01:00

This is Viviane Redding.

She is a European Commissioner.

Nobody, of course, elected her to that position. And the people certainly cannot remove her from that position. Despite this, she has more power than most elected politicians in Europe. That, to most people who love democracy, is a pretty unacceptable situation.

On Tuesday, this lady took it upon herself to lecture a national Government in the most remarkable terms, describe the French policy regarding the Roma as both a "disgrace" and "shocking". She then went on to compare Sarkozy's policy with the atrocities of the 1930s. She said, "this is a situation I would have thought Europe would not have to witness again."

The response of the French Minister for Europe was pretty damning:

"France is a big sovereign country, we're not at school."

This whole things just sums up what is wrong with the EU at present. An unelected, all powerful Commissioner lecturing elected national politicians in the most remarkable terms. The EU must learn to respect democracy or it will continue to drift further and further from the people of Europe.

The AV Vote. Where Is The Yes Campaign?

2010-09-11T15:18:00.001+01:00

There will, almost certainly, be a referendum on the shift to an AV system of voting next May.

You Gov already has the 'No' campaign leading and it looks increasingly likely that Labour might be putting politics over principle in the campaign.

The No campaign already seems to be organisationally strong. They have appointed Matthew Elliott of the 'Taxpayers' Alliance' to head up the campaign; the GMB has promised a large donation; and @VoteNoToAV seems to be a strong Twitter presence.

On the flip side, the Yes campaign, which as LabourList suggested yesterday may be battling against the odds, is virtually silent. According to Next Left, they have a steering group (with weak Labour links and not a single Tory). They have a very basic, very beta web site here:

http://www.yestofairervotes.org/

But, other than that, the Yes campaign seems content to let the anti reform people make the running and set the agenda. That is, to say the least, a high risk strategy. A Yes campaign needs to be set up decisively and early, if it is to avoid the teething troubles that affect the early stages of most campaigns.

It needs to start attempting to close down arguments against and win the early battle for the public psyche. It needs to consider early polling and where to focus its message. It needs to make extensive, ambitious and innovative use of social media. As far as I am aware, the 'Yes' campaign is doing none of those things.

Campaigns may not be won nine months out from polling day but they can easily be lost through lack of organisation nine months out. The Yes campaign needs to get organised, and quickly, if it is to stand a fighting chance next year.

Will The Triple Crown Ever Be Won Again?

2010-09-11T11:45:00.000+01:00

Once a year, the American public and media turn their attention to horse racing (and, yes, I know I'm ignoring the brilliant but ESPN based Breeders' Cup). Every spring, even the New York Times takes to asking, 'will we get a triple crown winners this year?' Once the first leg of the triple-crown, the Kentucky Derby has been run, all attention is turned to the second leg, the Preakness Stakes. If the Kentucky Derby winner, wins the Preakness, then all attention turns to the Belmont Stakes. If the Kentucky Derby winner fails to win the Preakness, then media interest in horse racing returns to a polite whisper for another year.

Of course, there used to be a triple crown that meant just as much in this country. The third leg of the triple crown, the 1m 6f St Leger, is being run this afternoon at Doncaster. The winners of the other two legs, the 2000 Guineas and the Derby will not be running in the race. Indeed, they haven't run in the St Leger for many years.

Nijinsky in 1970 was the last horse to win the triple crown. Reference Point in 1987 was the last horse to win both the Derby and the St Leger. These days, Derby winners don't even think about going for the Leger. The Champion Stakes, Prix De L'Arc De Triomphe or the Breeders' Cup are seen as better end of season targets. The extended distance of the St Leger is regarded as damaging a champion's stud value, in an age where bloodstock is dominated by speed, rather than stamina (although some of the best sires of recent years are stamina laden).

That is all a massive shame. Flat racing all too often resembles, to paraphrase Churchill, a pudding without a theme. There is nothing to hold public interest, in a way that Cheltenham does for jumps racing. While 'Racing For Change' tinkers at the edges, it hasn't really proposed anything to make flat racing more mainstream and more popular. Restoring the importance of the triple crown (with something resembling the Betfair bonus in national hunt racing) might go some way to keeping mainstream media interest on flat racing.

Who knows if the triple crown will ever be won again. But we should hope that it is restored to its former pinnacle, in the eyes of trainers, the media and, more importantly, the public.

Dennis Skinner and David Miliband. The 'Laughing Halibut Pact'?

2010-09-10T18:48:00.001+01:00

There were gasps of surprise and astonishment when it emerged earlier on today that the bastion of the 'hard left', Dennis Skinner had backed David Milband for the Labour leadership.

It probably shouldn't have come as too much of a surprise.

Although probably opposed to Miliband on every policy issue, from the EU to Trident, Skinner is keenly aware of what it takes to do well in the House of Commons and has opted for the man he thinks is most likely to trouble the coalition.

Anybody who has read Tony Blair's memoirs shouldn't be so surprised. This is what Blair said about 'the Beast of Bolsover':

"In later years, Dennis was one of my best (if somewhat closet) supporters. He didn't agree with any of my policies, but he liked someone who whacked the Tories... In particular, he used to give me brilliant PMQs advice... feeding me one-liners and explaining what would rouse the troops behind me."

So, where was the unlikely Miliband-Skinner axis formed?

Pure, tongue in cheek speculation, but Mr Skinner is a bit of a regular at 'The Laughing Halibut' in Strutton Ground. And, last week, when asked what his favourite London discovery was by the Evening Standard, David Miliband replied, "the Laughing Halibut on Strutton Ground."

Maybe the Granita accord has now been replaced by the Laughing Halibut agreement!

More Like It From England As Darren Bent Proves A Point

2010-09-08T21:11:00.000+01:00

That was more like it from England last night.

After the insipid performance in the World Cup, it is good to see a much improved standard of performance over the qualifying matches.

And wasn't it brilliant to see Darren Bent scoring. As I made the case at the time, Bent should have been selected for the World Cup finals. That a woefully out of form Heskey was picked instead remains a real disgrace. Let's face it, he would have buried that chance that Heskey had against the USA and the rest of the tournament might have panned out very differently.

Let's hope that Bent is treated fairly from now on.

Total Politics Blog Poll - Thank You

2010-09-08T21:03:00.000+01:00

The Total Politics blog awards, the Oscars for political bloggers, has been announcing its results over the past week.

Congratulations to Iain Dale, who has won the best Tory blog; Labour List, who have won the best Labour blog; and Lib Dem Voice, who have polled as the top Lib Dem blog.

This blog came in 32nd in the Conservative blog list, which I'm pretty chuffed about - particularly as it has only been running for a few months.

So, thank you to everybody who cast their vote for this blog and thanks to everybody for reading. I've got little doubt that the next twelve months will give plenty to blog about as well.

The 'Eurobarometer' Shows How Out Of Touch the EU Is

2010-09-07T18:19:00.000+01:00

Every year, the EU spend more of our money in a survey of European public opinion called the 'Eurobarometer'. It shows quite how out of touch and distant European elites have grown from ordinary people. Of course, we didn't need an expensive piece of taxpayer funded market research to tell us that. The casually ignored French, Irish and Dutch referenda all made that quite clear. Nevertheless, there is plenty in the Eurobarometer report to have the bureaucrats of Brussels sobbing into their beer. Here are the 'highlights':

A minority of Europeans now believe that EU membership is a 'good thing'

Despite the fact that we are always told that Euroscepticism is a 'little Englander' idea, it also seems to have a fairly strong following throughout the EU. Only 49% of people regard EU membership as a 'good thing'. The % of people who regard it as a 'bad thing' is at a record high. Public opinion has turned against the EU in all but four member states.

More Europeans do not trust the EU than trust it. Only 20% of people in Britain trust the EU

47% of people surveyed do not trust the EU. Only 42% say that they trust it.

And in the UK, trust in the EU stands at a miserly 20% (hats off to my fellow countrymen). Check out the chart below, which has a country by country breakdown (hat tip EU Referendum blog):

The only surprising thing is that 20% seems a bit high!.

British people associate the EU with 'bureaucracy' and 'waste of money'. The Greeks associate it with unemployment.

The pollsters gave a series of nice, benign words like 'peace' and 'prosperity' for people to choose from when answering the question, 'what do you most associate with the EU'. To this, 28% of Brits said 'waste of money' and 26% said bureaucracy. 27% of Greeks associate the EU primarily with unemployment, 28% of Portugese and 46% of Cypriots associate it primarily with unemployment (not massively surprising given the EU sponsored deflation happening in Greece and Portugal).

This annual report is useful to highlight quite how out of touch the EU is with the citizens of Europe. They will, of course, continue to ignore the people and continue to impose top down political integration on a hostile citizenry.

The Cancellation Of The Blair Book Signing - A Triumph For A Violent, Anti Democratic Mob

2010-09-06T18:11:00.001+01:00

Tony Blair's book signing in London on Wednesday has been cancelled, with security concerns being cited as the main reason. A book signing on Saturday in Dublin was marked by protests from anti war protesters.

Regardless of what you thought about the war or what you think about Blair's policies, who the hell do these protesters think they are?

They shout their nonsensical language of war criminal (ridiculous) and liar (untrue, unless you think the entire international intelligence community was lying at the same time - see Chris Mullin via John Rentoul here). You would think that Blair was some kind of dictator figure who forced us into war. The truth is that, after months of anguished debate, soul searching and record breaking marches, the House of Commons voted in favour of taking the country to war, after a tremendous speech by Blair.

Ironically, these protesters seem pretty detached from the democratic processes in this country. Indeed, many of them seem more attached to a handful of tinpot dictators around the world.

You may disagree with Blair on almost every major issue but the violence of potential violence of protesters should not stop citizens from meeting their PM of a decade. Tony Blair won three elections with landslide majorities. One of these elections was two years after the decision to go to war. A recent poll of academics marked him down as the third most successful PM since the war. His autobiography has been one of the best selling of all time.

It is only reasonable that people would want to attend his book signings. It is rather a shame that the protests of a handful of activists has prevented those book signings from taking place. The protesters will probably regard the cancellation as a triumph.

What it really represents is a defeat for pluralism and free speech. It represents the triumph of an anti democratic mob.

The Ryder Cup Selection Process Needs An Overhaul

2010-08-30T15:55:00.000+01:00

Paul Casey should be in the European Ryder Cup team.

He is one of the best players in the world (world number 9) and has shown that he is capable of handling the unique pressure of the big occasions.

He has committed most of his time to taking on the best in the world on the PGA Tour. Pretty much the same could be said about Justin Rose.

However, neither player will be in the Ryder Cup squad this year, making way for players who have concentrated on playing in the less cash rich European Tour.

I understand why the European Tour want to protect their own tour. However, the Ryder Cup captain should be able to pick the strongest possible squad to take on the American team. That is simply not the case at the moment. The system is badly in need of reform.

The GOP Should Distance Itself From The Absurd Conspiracy Theories

2010-08-25T22:58:00.001+01:00

I posted on Platform 10 a few months ago about how the Republican fringe was becoming the Republican mainstream in the States.

Obama's election has provoked a fair few conspiracy theories about the man who could prove to be the greatest domestic reformer in the US since LBJ. Obama is, according to the conspiracy theorist you are talking to, a 'Socialist' (this normally removes any respect of the conspiracy theorist's knowledge of political philosophy) or that he was born outside the US (utter nonsense but the birther movement as it has become known has the support of over 40% of people who self identify themselves as Republican.)

Another conspiracy theory reared its ugly head recently when the GOP new media director tweeted this:

This is a particularly pernicious conspiracy theory. It is worth remembering the words of Colin Powell when endorsing Obama in 2008 (via Mehdi Hassan at the New Statesman blog):

I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to [say] such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be associated with terrorists." This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards -- Purple Heart, Bronze Star -- showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith.

And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life. Now, we have got to stop polarising ourselves in this way. And John McCain is as non-discriminatory as anyone I know. But I'm troubled about the fact that, within the party, we have these kinds of expressions.

This is one of the best of many good reasons why the Republican Party should distance itself from these absurd conspiracy theories.

Sky Sports News Get Sunderland and Benfica Mixed Up

2010-08-23T21:19:00.001+01:00

Sky Sports News have been running images of the potential host stadia for the 2018 World Cup. This was the screenshot they showed for the Stadium of Light (via the excellent SAFC fan forum Ready2Go.net):

There is a bit of a problem with this one though. Look t their image for the Stadium Of Light in Sunderland. This is the Stadium Of Light in Sunderland, where I am a regular attendee:

And this is the Estadia de Luz (roughly translated as Stadium of Light) in Benfica:

You would have hoped that somebody at Sky Sports News would have been able to tell the difference!

Joey Barton's Latest Outburst Of Idiocy

2010-08-23T16:36:00.000+01:00

Joey Barton has tried to defend himself for making this gesture in Newcastle's match against Aston Villa yesterday:

What the hell was he thinking about?

Even as a rather cack handed attempt at humour it was dire. Surely he realises how offensive that salute is.

Talented footballer that he is - it is becoming increasingly clear that he never learns from past mistakes!

Test Match Special and 'Boycott Bingo'

2010-08-21T13:15:00.000+01:00

It will come as surprise whatsoever to readers of this blog that I'm a massive fan of Test Match Special. If ever a radio programme could be described as a national treasure, then TMS is it.

One of the joys of the existing line up of TMS is the musings of that Yorkshire great Geoffrey Boycott (who is, apparently, also a hero of Labour leadership contender, Ed Miliband.)

We all know that Boycs has his fair share of sayings and a keen eared TMS listener has devised Boycott bingo (a relation no doubt to the more profane version of bingo that people who have had to sit through tedious business meetings will be familiar with.)

Check out the TMS version of Boycott Bingo here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/testmatchspecial/4910566798/

It contains such gems as:

"You could book in for a bed and breakfast on this wicket."

"I could have hit that with a stick of celery."

"That's buffet bowling that is."

It seems that a version of 'Blofeld Bingo' is in the works for the Lords test.

Prepare for pigeons, buses and cakes...

100 Radical Days

2010-08-19T18:20:00.000+01:00

It was never going to be easy. The coalition Government has faced a set of challenges largely without parallel in post war history.

In May the Government was faced with a record deficit; an economy gradually getting back to its knees following the deepest recession since records began; plummeting faith in the political system; widening inequality; stalling social mobility; and seemingly intractable social problems.

100 days is always a slightly arbitrary time to judge a Government’s record. However, it is actually crucial – the political capital of any Government is at its highest at the beginning. It marks the perfect time to get things done.

On May 9^th, I called for a ‘coalition of the progressive centre.’ I argued that:

“With the support of the Liberal Democrats, a Conservative-Liberal coalition of the progressive centre can deliver the radical economic, political and social reform the country needs.”

I believe that the coalition has, so far, lived up to those lofty expectations. It has governed in a progressive and radical manner. Already, in 100 breathless days, the coalition has:

Dealt with one of the biggest fiscal catastrophes the country has faced since the war. Faced with a choice of setting out a credible plan to pay down a record budget deficit or letting our domestic policies be placed at the whim of global financiers (as Greece, Spain and Portugal have found), we wisely opted for the former;
Laid the framework for renewed growth and renewed job creation;
Placed as a priority delivering social justice and enhancing social mobility;
Created a bonfire of restrictions on civil liberties. Even after 100 days, this Government has claim to be the most civil libertarian since the war – a welcome change after New Labour’s social authoritarianism;
Set out the biggest programme of constitutional change for decades. House of Lords reform is, after a century and more of dithering, set to be achieved. Governmental transparency looks set to improve both visibility and performance of Government. Ideas of recall and referenda (albeit slightly too limited at this early stage – as Douglas Carswell argues) have at last been injected into the body politic. Indeed, the cooperation across party lines in itself is something that most people outside of the political class have welcomed;
Already decentralised power to local people to an unprecedented extent. Hopefully more decentralisation will follow;
Instituted a Great Repeal Bill – with the aim of repealing unnecessary legislation that impinges on freedom;
Unveiled an evidence based policy on prisons that has more in common with traditional Conservative views than the authoritarianism of recent years.

After thirteen years of small ‘c’ conservative Government, it comes as a breath of fresh air to have a Government prepared to make the brave and radical decisions that are in the national interest. Despite the heckling from nay sayers, it is the coalition that has made this possible.

The Economist has described the Government as a “radical force.” I am confident that 100 radical, progressive days will become five radical, progressive years.

This blog was originally posted at www.platform10.org

Is Zoe Williams Gunning For The Jan Moir Award For Idiotic Journalism

2010-08-19T07:55:00.002+01:00

On Comment Is Free last night, Zoe Williams has come up with the most ignorant piece of tripe since Jan Moir told us her spectacularly ill informed views about the sad death of Stephen Gately.

According to Williams, "If sex with HIV is a crime, so is swimming with verrucas."

Her article is referring to the trial Nadja Benaissa, of the German pop group No Angels. Banaissa is on trial for manslaughter after having unprotected sex with a man and not telling him that she was HIV positive. She claims that such trials are about sexual morality. She is speaking idiocy of the worst order.

This is spectacular, utter, grotesque nonsense. There is still no cure to HIV. Two million people died from AIDS in 2008.

If somebody knows that he or she has HIV and has sex without informing their sexual partner of their HIV status they are knowingly putting the life of the other person in danger. That is malicious. That is manslaughter. It is not the same as swimming with veruccas. Any such comparison is offensive and wrong. Risking passing on a verucca is in no way comparable to recklessly endangering the life of others.

Improving Social Mobility Must Come Before Tribal Point Scoring

2010-08-16T21:07:00.004+01:00

I have already posted both here and on Platform 10 that the appointment of Alan Milburn as social mobility 'czar' is one to be welcomed. Improving social mobility is one of the biggest challenges facing British society today and it is a good thing that somebody as talented and passionate about the subject as Milburn feels ready to continue to contribute to the subject.

As Peter Bingle said in his excellent blog earlier on today:

"Politics was the loser when Alan Milburn stood down from the House of Commons at the last election. One of the few genuine stars of the New Labour Project, Alan was the most radical Health Secretary since Aneurin Bevan.

A former member of the hard left, Alan had all the conviction and passion of a convert. He embraced the market in a way that no other Labour Cabinet Minister dared to do. In the end he was thwarted by the then Chancellor Gordon Brown and left the government ...

In the dying days of the last government, Alan Milburn was asked to chair a commission into social mobility. It is an issue about which he cares passionately. From a poor background himself he believes (and has said so publicly) that nowadays it would be almost impossible to achieve the social mobility which he has achieved himself.... The commission's recommendations were largely ignored by Gordon Brown to the intense irritation of its chairman ... I was therefore not surprised to learn that Alan had accepted an invitation from the PM to become the Social Mobility Czar. I suspect that his political instincts are much closer to those of this PM than the last one.

Alan is the latest in a long line of senior Labour figures to accept a role advising the coalition. They all deserve our thanks and support for putting country before party."

Like Alan Milburn, I come from a North Eastern working class background and share his passion about the importance improving life chances for people from low income backgrounds.

What followed the announcement was a number of Labour figures abusing Alan Milburn in very personal terms. This was John Prescott's 'tweet' on the matter: "So after Field & Hutton, Milburn becomes the 3rd collaborator. They collaborated to get Brown OUT. Now collaborating to keep Cameron IN."

Now I'm a fan of John Prescott. One of the reasons that I like John Prescott is that he came from a very humble background to be a great success in politics. Maybe before throwing the word collaborator about, Lord Prescott should consider that what Alan Milburn is doing is channelling his passion to help more kids from humble beginnings realise their dreams and aspirations.

Andy Burnham also attacked Alan Milburn for his decision.

Maybe people on the left attacking Milburn should consider what is more important - the kind of tribal politics that turns so many people off or ensuring that the life chances of people from lower income backgrounds are improved. Milburn clearly believes the latter. Throwing insults about a man who is channelling his talents to helping improve social mobility seems pretty unedifying to me.

And then there was Iain Dale on the right. He had a blog paraphrasing Martin Niemoller's remarkable poem 'First They Came' and suggesting that the job should have gone to a Tory. First off, I reckon there are some pieces of poetry that shouldn't be used for partisan slagging and this is certainly one of them. Secondly, Milburn is a highly talented individual, hugely respected and an expert in the field. He understands the issues regarding social mobility and cares passionately about them. He would be, for most people on both sides of the divide, one of the first names that come to mind when you ask who should head up this kind of work on social mobility.

This is simply too important an issue to be reduced to tribal posturing and party political point scoring. The snipers may think that tribal purity is more important than helping improve social mobility. They are wrong. Thank goodness that Milburn has decided to put country and improving life chances of lower income people ahead of tribalism.

The US PGA and The Psychology Of Winning

2010-08-16T20:17:00.001+01:00

It was quite a night of golf yesterday for the final round of the US PGA. I have written before about the massive importance of psychological factors in politics, business and, massively importantly, sport.

This couldn't be seen much more clearly than in the enthralling final day yesterday. Going into the final round, Nick Watney went into the final round with a three shot lead after a superb third day.

You would have thought, of course, that all he had to do was turn up and he would win. But that takes away the psychological pressures when sport gets to the 'business end' - when it really starts to matter. The pressure got to Watney straight away and he tumbled down the leaderboard as the day went on

Towards the end of the round it looked like Dustin Johnson virtually had his hands on the trophy. He stood on the final tee with a one shot lead and the tournament at his mercy.

Johnson was the man who led at three shot lead in this year's US Open disappear. And on the final tee, when he needed a straight drive, the pressure got to him and he hit a wild drive way to the right. An altercation with what might or might not have been a bunker followed and he (following a run in with the rules of golf) didn't even make the play off that followed.

What mattered wasn't just the grounding of the club in the bunker it was the losing of the cool on the final tee.

Yesterday's US PGA showed the importance of the 'pscychology of winning'. Some players are capable of withstanding the pressure of that big occasion. Some even revel in it. Think Woods in his pomp, or Taylor in darts, or Federer a few years ago. They have a winning mentality and a winning psychology.

Others, without this mentality, are adept at plucking defeat from the jaws of victory. Most weeks on the PGA or European Tour, at least one player proves himself unable of handling the final day pressure.

Yesterday's US PGA was a wonderful example of players lacking that winning mentality and the psychological steel needed for the big occasion.

Social Mobility Matters And Alan Milburn's Appointment Should Be Welcomed

2010-08-16T19:37:00.002+01:00

In the short term, the Government will be judged by successfully dealing with the catastrophic financial situation left behind by its predecessor. In the long term, the Government will be judged on making Britain a more socially mobile and open society.

Social mobility matters.

It matters that so many people are not fulfilling their potential or aspirations.

It matters that life chances are more likely to be decided at birth than at any time since the 1920s.

It matters that, although only 7% of children go to private school, such schools account for almost 80% of judges, 70% of finance directors and barristers; 55% of Tory MPs; and over 50% of top journalists.

That is why the appointment of Alan Milburn as social mobility ‘czar’ is to be welcomed. At the moment, after 13 years of a Government that promised so much but delivered so little, Britain one of the least socially mobile countries in the world and less mobile than at any time since the war.

The report of the cross party commission (which I praised at the time) headed up by Alan Milburn for the last Government was a devastating indictment of the previous Government’s failure to act on the issue. It said that, “access to the professions is becoming the preserve of a smaller and smaller part of the social spectrum.”

This is something that a highly talented man such as Alan Milburn feels strongly about and it is only to be applauded that he will be avoiding the tribal taunts of members of the opposition about the fact he wants to do all that he can to help improve the life chances of the poorest.

Social mobility is also something I care deeply about. I went to a North Eastern comprehensive school (probably of the kind that Tony Blair would have derided as ‘bog standard’). I saw so many exceptional people who were let down by the system and didn’t always achieve their potential.

There are some people who suggest that an attachment to enhancing social mobility is ‘un-Conservative’. They couldn’t be more wrong. It wasn’t un-Conservative when Churchill talked of creating a floor below which none could fall and a sky through which all could rise.

What is more Conservative than ensuring that each and every human being is able to fulfil their potential. What can be more Conservative than raising people’s aspirations? A modern economy needs highly skilled people to prosper. What can be more wasteful than seeing so many people not fulfilling their potential?

Congratulations To the Evening Standard On Their Campaign To Raise Awareness Of Poverty In London

2010-08-13T16:44:00.001+01:00

The Evening Standard in London has been running a great campaign over the past few weeks in which it has been raising the issue of poverty in London. In only 18 days, it has raised £1,000,000 to go to charities helping the poor in London.

The campaign has highlighted what it calls "the dispossessed" - the low wage workers struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living has outstripped the growth in wages. It has highlighted the 650,000 children in London living in poverty and the pockets of deprivation in the shadow of London's centres of wealth.

Such a campaign is a very good thing and the cause is a noble one and one that deserves more attention. Hopefully the national press and regional newspapers nationwide will highlight the issues of poverty and extreme inequality that exist nationwide. Hopefully, the Evening Standard will be able to continue raising money to go towards this cause.

However, it shouldn't be forgotten that policy makers, as well as charities and philanthropists, have a crucial role to play in tackling poverty and alienation. Government needs to deliver high quality education to provide opportunity for all. It needs to continue lifting the poor out of tax altogether and continue considering the merits of a Living Wage.

You can find out more about the campaign at: www.standard.co.uk/dispossessed

Day One Of The Football Season - Hope Springs Eternal

2010-08-13T16:29:00.000+01:00

Here we go again. It seem like only yesterday that the Spanish were lifting the World Cup and tomorrow the domestic stuff starts all over again.

The first day of the season is the only day of the season when every football fan is equal. The Blackpool fan can be as optimistic as the Man Utd fan. There is no league table to tell fans the cruel truth. Experiences on the pitch haven't deflated hopes and expectations.

It is the one day of the season when every football fan can think that this season just might be their season. It might be the season when everything clicks into place, when all the luck goes your team's way.

As a Sunderland fan, I know that nothing is ever predictable but I would like to think that we would make a top 10 finish this year. Of course, the first day of the season optimist in me is still thinking that the top 6 isn't totally unrealistic.

The first day of the season is, after all, the only day of the season when ungrounded optimism is expected.

We Shouldn't Let Sentimentality Get In The Way Of The Beckham Decision

2010-08-12T17:12:00.000+01:00

So David Beckham's career in competitive internationals seems to be over. Fabio Capello made that quite clear last night..

We shouldn't get lost in sentimentality about this decision. There should be no room for sentimentality in the cut throat world of international football.

It has been clear for a while that Beckham's international career is in the 'swansong' phase. His club form and recent form at international level hasn't really justified international inclusion (although that doesn't always make a difference as the preposterous Heskey selection shows). The only reasons for selecting him in future would be sentimental rather than footballing ones.

Beckham will probably go down in the second tier of England internationals. Not quite up there with the likes of Bobby Charlton and Bobby Moore (or some members of the 1990 squad) but somebody who would easily make the top 40 all time England players and has served his country with distinction over the years.

On O'Neill's Resignation - Boardroom Interference In Football Matters Never Ends Well

2010-08-10T08:50:00.001+01:00

It looks like Martin O'Neill has walked away from Aston Villa after taking one too many humiliations over the sale of James Milner to Man City and the inability to gain extra money to strengthen Villa's squad. We are also told this morning by The Sun that O'Neill was being forced to endure a further clear out of top players.

It is a big loss to Villa. I'm a massive Martin O'Neill fan - he's an astute tactician and a great man manager. He is very much a manager in the Brian Clough mould. He was my choice as England manager when the FA lost their collective marbles and appointed Steve Maclaren as manager a few years ago.

O' Neill's resignation just goes to show that boardroom interference in the footballing side of the club is almost always counter productive. It is quite clear that Milner is being sold against the wishes of the Manager. It is also clear that O'Neill wasn't getting the financial support he thought the team needed to go to the next level.

This saga illustrates the gap between the top four in the Premiership and the rest. It illustrates that the concept of loyalty amongst most top players is an endangered species. Above all, it proves that fundamental point that boardroom interference in footballing matters almost always ends with declining performance on the pitch and a managerial departure.

Quite A Recovery For Eminem

2010-08-09T22:02:00.000+01:00

I have just picked up Eminem's latest album, 'Recovery'. After his last two efforts, I wasn't expecting much but, I'm pleased to say, it is a real return to form.

The Slim Shady LP and the Marshall Mathers LP were brilliant, his 'Renegade' duet with Jay Z on Blueprint was witty and awesome and Lose Yourself was a genuine anthem. But since then the creativity seemed to dry up. It might have been the eventful private life, the drug problems or the fame. Whatever it was, the magic seemed to disappear. The cleverness in the lyrics was replaced by retreads and machismo.

He admits as much on 'Recovery', saying on Talking To Myself:

"Them last two albums don't count
... I got something to prove to fans 'cause I feel like I let em down"

For a hip hop album, Recovery feels staggeringly vulnerable. It presents the artist as being human and having human frailties. Once again, the lyrics have rediscovered their bite. Eminem sounds like he has rediscovered his hunger. The album is well worth a listen (even to see how he has sampled Haddaway of all people!)

The Observer Sets Out The Decline In Test Match Crowds

2010-08-08T14:10:00.002+01:00

I have blogged a few times over the past few weeks on declining crowds at this summer's test matches. This morning's Observer has a report on the matter. As Paul Weaver's article says:

The redevelopment work at Edgbaston has cut the capacity to 15,000, but just 10,020 pitched up for the first day and the match is expected to be completed tomorrow, the third day of the match... The situation at Nottingham was no better, with a poor attendance on the opening day, while the ground was also mostly empty when England won the match on the Sunday.

The Oval are also, apparently, "struggling for day one."

Weaver put forward a number of very valid reasons for the decline in crowds. Too much international cricket, the poor form of Pakistan and the baffling decision to hold back to back tests in the Midlands, followed by back to back tests in London are mentioned. The fact that cricketing authorities have totally ignored the North for this series is, of course, unforgivable.

However, Weaver doesn't mention two very important potential factors on declining crowds. Firstly, there is a sense that the series is somehow hidden away on Sky. Secondly, and crucially, the pricing policy for test matches puts test match cricket out of the reach of too many people. Most tickets for the Oval test match are between £70 and £80. That isn't really a working man's price - particularly for a series that is (surprisingly) beginning to look like a mismatch and for a match that starts after the football season has started.

Hopefully, the cricketing authorities will review their pricing policy before next season so that new fans and supporters on a budget are not excluded on the basis of price.

Tony Judt RIP

2010-08-07T19:30:00.004+01:00

I'm very sorry to hear that, according to the New Statesman and a number of other sources, the historian and essayist, Tony Judt, has died. He will be a big loss.

His magnus opus, which probably has the pride of place in plenty of bookshelves around the country, is his massive, scholarly and utterly readable 'Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945'. He has also been responsible for some great studies and reappraisals of the French left.

Along with the likes of David Marquand and John Gray, he has played a role in making the intellectual case for the state and civil society against a market driven hegemony. Alongside Marquand's majestic 'Progressive Dilemma' and John Gray's prophetic 'False Dawn' (I remember trying to persuade so-called 'Socialists' of the ultimate insecurity of unregulated global financial markets - as predicted by Gray- at the same time as they tried to sell me deregulation in the late 90s), Judt's 'Ill Fares The Land' has to be regarded as a guiding text for those of us who believe that the market should serve society and not vice versa. Judt argued that society (and the parties of the so-called left) has become so infatuated with the market that it has forgotten how much can be achieved when we work together and Government is used for noble aims.

He didn't believe that liberty was enough without a belief in equality of opportunity. He believed in freedom to, not just freedom from. He said in the London Review of Books (via Guardian on line):

I think what we need is a return to a belief not in liberty, because that is easily converted into something else… but in equality. Equality, which is not the same as sameness. Equality of access to information, equality of access to knowledge, equality of access to education, equality of access to power and to politics. We should be more concerned than we are about inequalities of opportunity, whether between young and old or between those with different skills or from different regions of a country. It is another way of talking about injustice. We need to rediscover a language of dissent.

In 'Ill Fares The Land' , he says that:

"Something is profoundly wrong with the way we live today. For thirty years we have made a virtue out of the pursuit of material self-interest: indeed, this very pursuit now constitutes whatever remains of our sense of collective purpose. We know what things cost but have no idea what they are worth. We no longer ask of a judicial ruling or a legislative act: Is it good? Is it fair? Is it just? Is it right? Will it help bring about a better society or a better world? Those used to be the political questions, even if they invited no easy answers. We must learn once again to pose them."

What really marks out Judt in my eyes is his ability to show both ambition and a belief in the power of ideas (and, in an age where such an ambition can be limited, the power of politics and Government to change things for the better), but also his scepticism when other scholars seemed swept aside by big ideas.

Take his Grand Illusion essay on the Common Market and its successors. He acknowledged the benefits that the Common Market had brought to the Benelux countries since the war and to relations between France and Germany in particular. But he displayed caution as 'progressive'voices around him suggested that the then embryonic European Union suggested the best way forward. He pointed out that achieving homogeneity in an utterly disparate continent (the point that Tony Benn made very well when pointing out the EU's many flaws) was virtually impossible. He pointed out the lack of democracy inherent and obvious in the European project, comparing it to some of the "enlightened despotisms" of 18th Century Europe.

Judt always understood that radical principles should include and be governed by the sovereignty of the people and democratic representation.

In an age in which politics is too often driven by people who 're-tweet' the latest spewing of 'facts' by Labour, Liberal or Tory HQ, Tony Judt represents the embodiment of what we should be seeking. The politics that is that of thought and independence rather than subservience. The social media that represents open argument and debate, rather than the views of political parties. Hopefully politics will rediscover the inquiring, intellectual spirit; the spirit of Tyler and Lilburne; that Judt stood for.

Tony Judt RIP

Progressive Postings - The Best Of The Blogosphere, Friday 6th August

2010-08-06T20:09:00.001+01:00

Today's must reads inlude:

Huffington Post have a remarkable interview with Christopher Hitchens: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/06/christopher-hitchens-on-c_n_673144.html

Anthony Wells discusses 'Why Labour Lost' http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/blog/archives/2769

Platform 10 on how British Toryism reinvented itself: http://www.platform10.org/2010/08/the-reinvention-of-british-conservatism/

Diane Abbott names her Desert Island Discs http://labour-uncut.co.uk/2010/08/06/diane-abbotts-desert-island-discs/

Harry Pearson on the origins of boxing http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2010/aug/06/boxing-booths-romance-harry-pearson

Please Support The 'Mad Hatters' and the Run For Congo

2010-08-06T19:43:00.000+01:00

Some mates of mine have been doing some extraordinary (or crazy depending on your view) over the past few months. Dom Goggins, a good mate of mine, and an assorted cast have been doing marathons, triathlons, ultra marathons, iron man triathlons and goodness knows what else for the very good cause of leukemia research. They are doing this under the apt sobriquet of the 'Mad Hatters Challenge' and looking to raise £10,000 over the next few months. I would encourage anybody to donate via the following link:

http://www.justgiving.com/madhatterschallenge

Next week, Dom and his mate, Chris Jackson are heading to the Congo, a country decimated by War in the past decade. It is an extraordinary thing to do. The Congo is still, as they are more than aware, a hugely dangerous place. 6 million people were killed in the horrendous Congo War. Although the war officially ended in 2003, it is still a highly dangerous, violent place (45,000 deaths a month), with the worst example of human tragedy that war brings with it. Almost four million refugees were created by the terrible war. Sexual violence against women is at a horrific scale. Poverty is amongst the worst in the world.

The continuing tragedy in the Congo is one of the reasons that what Dom and Chris is doing is so important. They are raising awareness of a tragedy that the near amnesiac 24 hour news media has all but forgotten about. Raising awareness of the people whose lives have been utterly devastated by the terrible conflict. What they are doing is immensely impressive. I know that what some of what they see is going to be pretty haunting but, I'm sure Dom would be the first to remind me, not as haunting as what the people of Congo - having lived through a terrible war for more than a decade have had to face.

There is more about the 'Run For Congo' at this blog:

http://runforcongo.wordpress.com/

Do support them, do spread the word and do donate to a very worthwhile cause.

Another Test Match - More Empty Seats. We Should Make Test Matches Affordable For All

2010-08-06T19:17:00.001+01:00

Another test match. Some more great cricket for England and yet more empty seats at what should be a big ticket test match.

It has been a fantastic day for England's cricketers, who are looking in really sharp form ahead of the Ashes series.

But, as Jonathan Agnew pointed out on TMS today, there are plenty of empty seats around the ground. I made the same point about the first test last week. There is very little reason for that to be the case. The football season hasn't yet started. The national team is in great form. The opponents are a top flight team who beat Australia a few months ago. Even the English summer weather is, by and large, playing ball.

Sadly, cricketing authorities seem to have been overcome by a bout of rapaciousness following two home Ashes victories. Test match tickets have shot up in price. Tickets for Lords are as high as £90 and they go up to £60 for this series. That means a father to take his kids along to the Test will cost hundreds.

Test match authorities are turning what used to be an affordable day out into something that is out of the reach of many people in economically straitened times. The more prices go up, the more test matches will be attended by the corporate crowd and not the great social mix that makes test match cricket so special.

The authorities should look beyond the short term bottom line and think about what is going to attract a new generation of fans to the game and to the unique pleasure of a day at a test match. Cricket has chosen to hit the jackpot in the past few years by selling TV rights to Sky and minimising its audience at TV level. The very least they could do with this TV rights jackpot would be to make test match cricket affordable for all.

Progressive Postings - Best Of The Blogosphere, Wednesday 4th August 2010

2010-08-04T09:15:00.000+01:00

The best of the web today:

NME on 'why we love the Clash' http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=10&p=8830&why_we_love_the_clash&more=1&c=1

The Australian on the upcoming Aussie election: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/abbott-not-unelectable/story-fn59niix-1225900814866

Luke Tryl on gay rights and the Tory right: http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2010/08/luke-tryl-the-tory-right-shouldnt-fear-gay-rights-.html

The Daily Beast on Palin's social media strategy: http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-08-02/sarah-palins-facebook-and-twitter-strategy/?cid=hp:beastoriginalsR2

Both Dan Hannan and Tom Harris campaign for a memorial to Ian Gow:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100049644/ian-gow-the-best-kind-of-parliamentarian/

http://www.tomharris.org.uk/2010/08/02/ian-gow-mp-1937-1990/

Raise Your Glasses For The Great British Beer Festival

2010-08-04T09:06:00.000+01:00

I was at the Great British Beer Festival yesterday. The event has become a real national institution, showcasing quality British beers and the brewers, large and small, who help quench the nation's thirst.

The event brings together a massive range of beers and ciders, including some extremely unique flavours (I tried, amongst other fine ales, some of the award winning Chocolate Orange flavoured stout from Amber breweries, which I highly recommend.)

I was delighted to find out that my region, the North East, is top of the pops when it comes to real ale, with 74% of people having tried real ale, compared to only 45% in Yorkshire. You should toast this fact by trying some of the great North Eastern ales.

As well as being a massive event in it's own right, the Beer Festival is also a reminder of the importance beer to our culture and the importance of pubs to our communities. The beer industry is a massive employer and the pub acts as the beating heart of the community. It is vital that we preserve the pub at the core of community life - as there are still far too many pubs and working man's clubs closing.

If you are in the London area, I would highly recommend that you popped along to the Beer Festival, for a top quality evening out.

Progressive Postings - Best Of The Blogosphere, Tuesday 3rd August 2010

2010-08-03T08:26:00.000+01:00

Today's must reads:

Jon Rentoul on a Tony Blair lecture about the job of Prime Minister: http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2010/07/27/how-to-be-prime-minister/

John Hayes argues that the education of offenders should be at the core of the 'rehabilitation revolution': http://conservativehome.blogs.com/platform/2010/08/john-hayes-mp-the-education-of-offenders-must-be-at-the-centre-of-the-rehabilitation-revolution.html

Andrew Gilligan On Ken Livingstone's deja vu Mayoral campaign: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/andrewgilligan/100049400/ken-livingstone-this-is-what-brain-death-looks-like/

Next Left on political philosophy and the left: http://www.nextleft.org/2010/08/political-philosophy-and-left.html

Dylan Loewe at the Huffington Post asks whether the Republicans have lost the White House for a generation: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dylan-loewe/have-republicans-lost-the_b_667345.html

And Working Class Tory isn't too keen on my blog about the left of the Tory Party: http://www.workingclasstory.com/2010/07/platform-10-and-progress.html

The Undemocratic Threat Of Judicial Activism

2010-08-02T22:39:00.000+01:00

Political sovereignty in Britain should lie with the Commons. It should lie with people we elect and can remove. The rise of both the quangocracy and judicial activism (not to mention the EU) makes that less the case than it should be.

Dan Hannan has a very good blog today in which he points to the case of the budget being challenged in the courts by the Fawcett Society. As he queries, how can a budget possibly be a legal rather than a political question.

A budget should be entirely the prerogative of the elected chamber and elected politicians. That was the clear result of the crisis around the People's Budget that culminated in the 1911 Parliament Act. The Commons, in which the sovereignty of the people resides, should not see its budget decisions overturned by unelected judges.

Judges are not only unelected. They are thoroughly unrepresentative, representing a small section of British society. They are not only unelected and unrepresentative - they wield increasing power and they cannot be removed. Shifting power to the judiciary and the quangocracy only shifts power further away from the people

As Daniel Hannan says in his blog:

"It is worth remembering that we came through a civil war to establish the principle that revenues should be levied and disbursed by the House of Commons. If the Fawcett Society wants a different budget, its members should put themselves up for election and argue their case."

Judicial activism represents a real threat to the democratic tradition. Change should be achieved through the ballot box, not at the whim of unelected judges or unelected quangos.

Progressive Postings - The Best Of The Blogosphere, Sunday 1st August

2010-08-01T13:58:00.002+01:00

Today's must read blogs include:

NME's Jamie Fullerton on The Libertines:
http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=10&p=8807&title=the_libertines_still_the_greatest_rock_n&more=1&c=1

Next Left on whether any of the Labour Leadership campaigns have an 'August surprise' up their sleeve: http://www.nextleft.org/2010/07/which-campaign-has-august-surprise-up.html

Mark Wallace on the righting of a Thatcherite wrong: http://www.crashbangwallace.com/?p=149

Liberal Conspiracy report that the GMB will be campaigning against AV: http://liberalconspiracy.org/2010/08/01/gmb-union-joins-tory-right-against-av/

Charlie Crist, exiled by the far right Tea Party movement from the GOP looks well placed to win in November as an independent: http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100731/ARTICLES/7311009/1002

Sahil Kapur at Comment Is Free on how the USA learned to love healthcare reform: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/aug/01/healthcare-reform

The Cycle Hire Scheme - A Capital Idea That Should Be Replicated Nationwide

2010-08-01T13:43:00.000+01:00

Bikes have sprung up all over London. At the corner of most streets a bike hire area has been established. People can pay a couple of quid, hire a bike for a short time and then drop off the bike at any other rental station.

This is, beyond any shadow of a doubt, a great idea.

It is good for public health, good for the environment and good for community spirits. It is even sponsored by a bank, so they can give a little back for the hell they have put us all through over the past few years.

I don't see any reason why this kind of scheme shouldn't be introduced in other cities around the UK. It would be great to pick up a hire bike and ride down the quayside, or through the Durham or Tyne Valley countryside on a good, sunny day.

Hopefully other local authorities will be looking to follow Boris' lead.

Progressive Postings - The Best Of The Blogosphere, Saturday 31st July

2010-07-31T14:13:00.001+01:00

Today's blogs that are well worth a read:

Left Foot Forward on how Labour has fallen out of love with Mandy http://www.leftfootforward.org/2010/07/labour-no-longer-loves-mandy/

Herd on 'what are social networks for'
http://herd.typepad.com/herd_the_hidden_truth_abo/2010/04/what-are-social-networks-for.html

The Bleeding Heart Show on tribalism in politics and music http://bleedingheartshow.wordpress.com/2010/07/23/caring-is-creepy-tribes-in-pop-and-politics/

Hopi Sen makes the case against all of the Labour leadership candidates:
http://hopisen.wordpress.com/2010/07/29/the-case-against-diane-abbott/

Another exceptional piece by Jon Cruddas in the New Statesman on the politics of England:
http://www.newstatesman.com/uk-politics/2010/08/labour-party-english-england

And (modestly) Platform 10 on the Tory left:
http://www.platform10.org/2010/07/note-to-paul-goodman-the-tory-left-is-already-out-loud-and-proud/

What Has Happened To Test Match Crowds?

2010-07-31T13:55:00.000+01:00

England are in a massively strong position against Pakistan. It has been a cracking test match so far - showing all the intricacies that make test match cricket such an enthralling spectator sport.

However, as Alan Lee pointed out in an excellent Times column yesterday (behind a pay wall sadly, so no point linking to it) the crowds seem to have dwindled. This seems extraordinary. The weather in Nottingham has been splendid. Pakistan are genuine top tier opponents. The cricket has been great and the football season hasn't yet started. But still, there have been plenty of empty seats.

This has to be worrying. Perhaps, as Alan Lee speculated, the Ashes has become such an obsession for England test matches that other series, unfairly, have taken too much of a secondary position. Maybe cricket hasn't promoted this series with the vigour that it should have done.

There is also, of course, the fact that counties seem to see test match cricket as something of a cash cow. Prices for test match tickets have rocketed in the past few years, with some tickets costing as much as £100. At a time when everybody is having to tighten their belts, test match prices are reaching the point where they are too expensive for too many people.

Test match cricket must be careful not to price itself out of the market. At a time when test matches are losing global interest to 20/20, cricket authorities need to do their best to fill grounds and introduce the joy of a day at a test match to newer, younger audiences. Selling tickets at premium prices is not a way to encourage 'walk in' supporters or market such a tremendous product.

Hats Off To Joe McElderry

2010-07-31T13:41:00.000+01:00

X Factor winner Joe McElderry has 'come out' to the Daily Mirror. Hats off to Joe for his guts in doing this at such a young age, with a big music career ahead of him. Hopefully, his example will inspire other young people going through the same issues that Joe is facing. This is yet another welcome nail in the coffin of bigotry.

What strikes me is the difference in the reaction about Joe McElderry coming out and when Will Young, another ITV talent contest winner came out in 2002. Now the reaction to the Joe McElderry news is 'so what' and 'good luck to him'. Although public reaction to Will Young eight years ago was overwhelmingly positive, there still seemed to be slightly more national hand wringing about the issue than there is today.

That just goes to show how much we have moved on and matured as a society in the past eight years alone. And the last Government (despite their many mistakes) did an awful lot to make Britain a better, more tolerant country. We are a nicer, less bigoted, more open country than we were a few decades ago. And for that we should all be grateful.

Homage To Catalonia - The First Major Spanish Region To Ban Bullfighting

2010-07-29T08:30:00.000+01:00

Catalonia has always had a special place in the heart of progressives. Orwell's 'Homage To Catalonia' is a tremendous read of the bravery of many fighting on the Republican side in the Civil War (in other words, fighting on the side of the democratically elected Government, ejected by Franco's brutal putsch).

Sadly, Orwell's report from the front is also a digest of how the unforgivable non intervention of the British and French Governments during the Civil War (whilst the Nazis and Fascists were arming Franco) left the door open to the Soviets, who showed little respect for the Republican sentiments of the deposed Government.

The Catalans suffered more than most from Franco's brutal tyranny. Since the fall of Franco, Catalonia has developed a unique identity - marked by the brilliantly successful 1992 Olympics and the continuing dominance of Barcelona's football team.

Today, Catalonia has made a brave and highly praiseworthy step. It is the second Spanish region (after the Canary Islands in 1991!) to ban the horror of bull fighting. The Catalan Parliament voted 68 to 55 to ban bullfighting, after a petition with some 180,000 signatures was presented to the Parliament.

The cruelty of bullfighting is clear. Vaseline is smeared into the bull's eyes before the fight commences and items are places into the bull's nose to prevent. Long, sharp lances are then stabbed into the bull's neck and shoulders, before six spears are placed into the bull's neck muscles. Following a lengthy near torture of up to an hour, the bull is killed with a sword being stabbed through the heart. This is what some people still describe as 'sport' or 'entertainment':

Of course, whether to keep bullfighting is entire the decision of the various Spanish regions. We should, though, pay our own 'homage to Catalonia' for playing its part in condemning this barbarous cruelty to the history books.

Hurricane RIP. A Tribute To Alex Higgins

2010-07-26T18:49:00.000+01:00

There are sporting figures who quicken the pulse of the spectator every time they step into the arena. There are heroes with seemingly superhuman talents who are, all too often, exposed by all too human frailties. Alex Higgins, who sadly died on Saturday certainly falls into both of these categories.

The Hurricane was the epitome of breathtaking, idiosyncratic talent. He looked like a man who brilliance at the table came easily too. Not for him the dedicated hours of practice that the likes of Davis, Reardon and Hendry put in. Higgins was all natural. His style undiluted by coaching and textbooks. His brilliance beyond dispute.

He brought an edge and an excitement to the game. At his peak, if the Hurricane was in the right mood then brilliant things could happen on the green baize. And it was part of his make up that something always certainly happened when he took to the table. It was his charisma and brilliance, along with the more subdued genius of the likes of Steve Davis, Ray Reardon and Terry Griffiths that made snooker massive.

He was a working class hero in a game that devoured the time of plenty of working class youths (including this one for a few years) and salubrious and not so salubrious snooker halls across the country. The country took the man to their hearts. Maybe it was, in part, his emotional vulnerability as well as his genius that people loved about him. Those unforgettable scenes after he won the World Championship in 1982 helped to make him a real people's champion:

We all know that he had his weaknesses. He liked to drink to excess. He liked to gamble, by all accounts, until he had pretty much run out of money to gamble. Bill Borrows' excellent 'The Hurricane' has plenty of tales of this excess - of a man who was barred from every guest house and hotel in the Greaer Manchester area and forever lived life on the edge.

His last few years were a genuine tragedy to watch. Emaciated. Down to 6 stone, having lost his teeth due to the ravages of cancer treatment. He seemed so far away from the imperious genius who turned on the style at the Crucible all those years ago.

He should be remembered for his brilliance at the snooker table. As one of the men who turned snooker, for a while, into the biggest television sport in the land. His genius was undeniable and he is a sad loss to the world of sport.

Lamenting The Decline Of Working Men's Clubs As Trimdon Labour Club Closes Its Doors

2010-07-23T15:04:00.000+01:00

Trimdon Labour Club has poured its last pint. The club where Tony Blair repeatedly turned up when he wanted to connect with traditional working class voters closed yesterday. It is a shame that Mr Blair couldn't put his hand in his pocket to help the venue that helped him so many times.

The closure of Trimdon Labour Club is just the latest chapter in the sad decline of British working mens' clubs. In the 1970s, there were over 4,000 working men's clubs. Now, there are little more than 2,000. The decline of working mens' clubs creates a shell in the community of towns and villages across the country.

The Working Men's Clubs organisation is one of the most important organisations in the country. It provides an important glue to help hold our towns and villages together. They provide great community facilities, an excellent social setting, great banter and excellent value drinks. Importantly, for a darts enthusiast such as myself, at the same time as other pubs are ripping their dartboards and pool tables out, the CIU constitution ensures that each club must have a board and a pool table. Ever since my Dad took me to some of the Working Men's Clubs around the Consett and Stanley area for a pint or two, I have been a massive fan of the Working Men's Club movement.

The sad truth is, unless the decline is arrested, working men's clubs will become an increasing rarity. In an age where politicians talk about cooperatives and community involvement, the working men's clubs, the living breathing embodiments of such ideas, are in steep decline.

There are many factors that have caused the decline of the movement. Some of these factors are irreversible and societal. Some are connected with the tragic deindustrialisation of the the 1960s, 70s and 80s that hollowed out too much working class life. But others can be changed.

Clubs are suffering because they cannot afford to pay the extortionate fees of BSkyB, so are losing the football and cricket watching crowds to the pub chains.

The smoking ban was introduced completely ignoring the views of the working men's club movement. As the new General Secretary says the 'no compromise' approach adopted by last Government has left elderly and infirm CIU members standing outside in the cold. Surely we can reach a compromise where working men's clubs are enabled to have 'smoking rooms' if their members desire?

I'm proud of my CIU membership. The decline of working men's clubs is another example of how, all too often, working class communities have been ignored and marginalised. Hopefully, the working men's club movement can play a reinvigorated role in reinvigorated communities in coming years.

Saluting Merle Haggard - The Poet Of The Common Man

2010-07-22T04:30:00.000+01:00

There was a great BBC documentary on BBC4 last week about the mighty Merle Haggard. You can still find it on iPlayer here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00t2cw8/Merle_Haggard_Learning_to_Live_with_Myself/

Greats like Keith Richards, John Fogerty and Kris Kristofferson (who I'm looking forward to seeing this Wednesday) were paying tribute to a man rightly described as a 'Poet Of the Common Man'. People like the Byrds and the mighty Gram Parsons were also hugely inspired by Haggard in the 1960s.

One contributor described Haggard as a man who spoke for those people who drove trucks, dug up roads and poured coffee for customers in diners. Relentlessly blue collar, with one of the greatest songwriting oeuvres of them all and a life story that is authentic and dramatic as you can get.

Haggard early life was straight out of Steinbeck - the child of poor farmers from Oklahoma, who made their way to California, as per the Joads in the Grapes of Wrath, in search of promised riches and in an escape from the poverty. Of course, what they found, as did the Judds, was even more extreme poverty and a time when the Government didn't help the poorest in society. Haggard sings about the poverty that affected his family beautifully and hauntingly in 'Hungry Eyes. The lyrics are almost as powerful as music gets:

A canvas covered cabin in a crowded labour camp
Stand out in this memory I revived;
Cause my daddy raised a family there, with two hard working hands
And tried to feed my mama's hungry eyes.

He dreamed of something better, and my mama's faith was strong
And us kids were just to young to realize
That another class of people put us somewhere just below;
One more reason for my mama's hungry eyes.

A young Haggard ended up in prison. Haggard said in the documentary that the justice system is weighed heavily against poor people in the US and he was one of the poor people who fell through the tracks. He fell through the tracks in a big way - ending up in San Quentin. His time in prison certainly delivered plenty of memorable songs - one of the most moving was 'Sing Me Back Home', about a fellow inmate being taken to death row.

After seeing Johnny Cash perform in San Quentin, Haggard decided that he was going straight and becoming a singer. He brought to the world of music an earthiness and a beauty in his lyrics that is seldom matched. Unceasingly singing from the worldview of the working man, he sums up blue collar uncertainties in a way that few other artists can manage. Check out 'If We Make It Through December':

His influence on the counter culture was minimised when he wrote 'Okie From Muskogee'. A song many have taken as deeply ironic (Haggard claims it was written about his father's generation) but which the Nixon and Reagan right took to their hearts. Kristofferson famously said that it was a tragedy that Haggard was best known for the only bad song he had ever written.

If the right in US politics wanted to use Haggard as a poster boy, they would have been deeply disappointed. His attacks on George W Bush and the War in Iraq were unstinting. Haggard was critical of the Iraq War and critical of the erosion of freedom under Bush, as Chris Willman makes clear in the excellent Rednecks and Bluenecks: The Politics of Country Music. Haggard wrote one of the most thoughtful songs to come out of the entire Iraq disaster, with 'Rebuild America First':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jrHPjm4qKM

Like many greats, Haggard is a mountain of contradictions. Composing songs of genius and forever running from his demons. We should all, though, be saluting this 'Poet Of The Common Man'.

What Might Have Been For Sunderland and England If They Had Made Clough Manager

2010-07-18T21:42:00.000+01:00

What might have been. Four of the most important words in the lexicon of sport, or politics, or any other walk of life you might want to mention.

They are the four words that and England fan or Sunderland fan might utter after hearing the name Brian Clough.

Up until Kevin Phillips came along, he was our top all time goal scorer. He scored 61 goals in 54 appearances before his career was cut short by injury. He coached Sunderland's youth team and said that he learned so much about managing from his manager at Sunderland, Alan Brown.

There was a time when Brian Clough, a born and bred North Easterner and manager of true and rare genius, would have done anything to manage Sunderland. Needless to say, we didn't appoint him when we should have done and he went on to win the European Cup with both Derby and Nottingham Forest. The board members who were so memorably lampooned by another Sunderland great, Len Shackleton, thought him too much of a risk. In the years after Clough and Sunderland parted company, Sunderland's history has been that of one trophy and too much under achievement with glimmers of daylight. Thanks to Niall Quinn and Steve Bruce, the future looks brighter now. But, if Brian Clough had become Sunderland manager when he should have done. What might have been...

And then there is England. Since 1966, we haven't beaten a top flight footballing nation in a knock out round of the World Cup. Of course, Clough was interviewed for the England job in 1977 but the job went to Ron Greenwood and the years of hurt were condemned to continue for much longer. The people who ran the England football team wanted somebody safe. They turned down genius and they got failure. As Clough said about not getting the England job:

"I'm sure the England selectors thought if they took me on and gave me the job, I'd want to run the show. They were shrewd because that's exactly what I would have done"

What might have been? The question again comes to mind from tonight's evening of programmes on BBC2. Always an impossible question to answer. But, surely Sunderland and England would have both had a much more successful time if their boards had the courage to have appointed Brian Clough a few decades ago.

The Durham Miners' Gala Remains A Very Special Event

2010-07-13T18:28:00.000+01:00

I was at the Durham Miners' Gala on Saturday. It remains a very special event. For those who haven't been, all of the local pit villages march through the centre of Durham and towards the 'racecourse' with banners and brass bands.

Around 50,000 ordinary, working class people from the North East of England and further afield gathered in Durham for the Durham Miners' Gala or 'The Big Meeting'. It is a great symbol of working class communities pulling together and the pride of our communities in our industrial heritage. It is a great celebration of the glory of a great industrial past. Although some people turn up for the left wing politics being served up, most people are there as a reminder of the sacrifices made by our forefathers and the great industrial tradition of our area.

When I was growing up in Consett, the Gala was always a massive event and remains the biggest event of its kind in Europe. The brass bands, the remarkable banners, the folk songs and speeches and even the cathedral service are all reminders of the working class history, sacrifice and ideas. It is an event deeply entrenched in North Eastern working class culture and as far away from the rarefied atmosphere of North London coffee shops as can be imagined.

On the same day as this massive celebration of working class history, culture and identity, the candidates for the Labour Party leadership were gathered for a hustings in Southampton!!

It wasn't always that way. The photo above shows Jim Callaghan and Harold Wilson arriving at a Gala in the 1970s. Every Labour leader until Tony Blair attended and often addressed the Gala. Indeed, many of the banners carry images of the likes of Keir Hardie and Clem Attlee. It seems extraordinary that the Labour leadership candidates didn't speak to such a totemic, historic event, at a time when they are talking about re-engaging with ordinary working people.

Politicicians like talking about community. I doubt that they will find many better examples of communities pulling together in celebration and through the most severe adversity than the pit villages of the North East of England. Politicians like talking about re-engaging with ordinary people but it is the sad truth that the Miners' Gala too often represents people who have been ignored and taken for granted by all parties for too long. All too often, political events and hustings are regimentally organised affairs - open only to political hacks. The cut and thrust of the open political meeting sometimes seems to be a thing of the past.

Herbert Morrison famously said that we shouldn't join the European Coal and Steel Community because "the Durham miners wouldn't wear it". It is a shame that contestants for the Labour leadership and politicians from all parties aren't giving the same level of respect to the descendants of the people who were shown such reverence by Morrisson, Bevin and Attlee.

The Team Ethic Has Been Triumphant In This World Cup

2010-07-06T20:58:00.000+01:00

At the start of the World Cup, this was a tournament marketed around the superstars. Rooney, Torres, Messi, Ronaldo. And how did they do? Spain would probably have been better off without a clearly unfit Torres. He does still have two matches to make his mark on the tournament though. Messi didn't quite transfer his club form to the tournament (particularly on Saturday against Germany); Ronaldo was pretty much anonymous before Portugal were ejected by Spain; and the less said about Rooney's performance the better.

Although the likes of Muller, Forlan, Villa and Sneijder have really made their mark on this tournament, what has really made its mark on this tournament is the effectiveness of teams that are greater than the sum of their parts. The teams who have performed well in this tournament are composed of players not accustomed to and conditioned by failure. Successful teams in the 2010 World Cup have not been the teams composed of clashing egos.

Instead, the successful teams have been teams with team ethics and team spirits. They have been untainted by past failure and by crushing ego. I wouldn't go as far as John Barnes' suggestion that everything will be OK if we give multi billionaire footballers copies of 'The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists' and 'In Place Of Fear' .

However, we do need to inject the team ethic into England teams and grow an England team that is a real unit and more than a collection of talented (albeit overhyped) individuals. We need to grow an academy system that produces a talented new generation of footballers - looking at the German and Dutch success in particular. Building an England team devoid of oversized egos, who will work for each other and play as a unit must be Capello's goal for the next two years.

The Greatest Music Festival In The World

2010-07-04T17:38:00.000+01:00

Last weekend, the Glastonbury Festival undoubtedly held on to its crown as, in the words of Ray Davies, "the greatest music festival in the world." There is nothing else quite like it. Five days of sunshine and fabulous music meant that everybody left Worthy Farm with a smile on their face. Having been back in the big city for a few days now, I thought that today was a great time to look back on the high points of the Festival and the handful of things that could change next year.

High Points

The Sheer Diversity

Which other music festival would mean that you could watch the legend Willie Nelson, followed by the brilliant Snoop Dogg, followed by Vampire Weekend, followed by Dizzee Rascal on the same stage, one after the other, on the same day? Which other music festival could give you the option of over 20 different stages all showing top class acts? The joy of Glastonbury is that there is something for every music lover. It is endlessly relevant but, at the same time, not a thoughtless slave to musical fashion. Every kind of contemporary music gets a look in. And that is before you mention the comedy, the poetry and the politics. And the diversity of performers is matched by the diversity of the people who show up. I saw people aged from 16 to 70. All loving it. All enjoying the same festival. This all adds up to an event with a unique and impossible to replicate vibe.

The New Discoveries

Whilst seeing the big acts on the big stages is one of the big joys of Glastonbury, so is discovering lesser known acts on the smaller stages. This year, I discovered the first class "English folk troubadour" Frank Turner. Loudon Wainwright III was a classy performer, way much more than my previous perception of him as merely being father of Rufus and the man who wrote Johnny Cash's 'The Man Who Couldn't Cry'. The John Peel tent threw up some stars as ever and looks like it has propelled Mumford and Sons towards superstar status.

The Secret Show

Every year, whispers head around the site about who the 'special guests' on the Park Stage might be. This year the special guests certainly didn't disappoint. Could it be The Strokes (whose lead singer Julian Casablancas played an awesome show in the John Peel on Sunday), people were saying? Or Dylan? When Thom Yorke walked out, soon to be joined by Jonny Greenwood, there was near universal delight. When they closed their set with Karma Police and Street Spirit there was one of those special unifying moments. Almost everybody I spoke to after the gig felt that they had witnessed something very special. They were right.

The less said the better about Saturday's secret show by Biffy Clyro.

The Weather

I'm pretty used to trudging around a muddy Glastonbury wearing wellies and realising that it will take about an hour to get from one stage to another. This year couldn't have been more different. The sun shone and kept on shining. Not a spot of rain. You could sit wherever you wanted. OK - it may have been a bit knackering by the end, but it certainly beats the mud and the rain.

Could Anything Have Been Done Better?

The Deckchairs

People seemed determined to sit in deckchairs, in the middle of the crowd, on the main stages. It's pretty selfish, gets in people's way and is totally unnecessary.

The Flares

Sure, flares (by which I mean flames rather than trousers) look great on TV but I saw too many people walk into the flares that people had put into the ground. Pretty dangerous, surely?

Q Daily

Q Daily is Glastonbury's daily newspaper. It seems to have become a cross between the Sun and Heat magazine. All trivia. Surely it would be better used saying where all the hotly tipped bands were playing etc?

Gorillaz

A real disappointment. They really didn't hold the crowd as people gradually walked away. Great on record and a good visual spectacle but more of an ego trip than the kind of Glasto headliner that captures the imagination.

John Terry Must Stop The Sniping and England Must Deliver This Time

2010-06-21T21:24:00.000+01:00

The World Cup has burst into life over the past few days. Argentina have been awesome in their first couple of games. The Brazilians are nicely warming up to the task (despite some terrible play acting Toure for the Ivory Coast). The Portugese dished out a seven goal thrashing to the North Koreans and, as I write this, the Spanish are playing beautifully against Honduras.

Of course, there is a flip side. The first round of group games was stuttering - with goals at a real premium. The French squad are imploding in a very public way. And John Terry has decided to go on a demolition derby following our shocking performances against Algeria and the USA.

Terry needs to remember that there is more at stake than his ego. Rather than publicly questioning the authority of the manager (and there are some decisions such as the non selection of Darren Bent and the non playing of Cole that I think Capello has got badly wrong), Terry should be focusing upon avoiding a repeat of the painfully inept display against Algeria.

We are getting to the business end of the World Cup. England's match against Slovenia on Wednesday is a real do or die moment. It is the time for Terry and the other England players to prove that they are worthy of wearing the badge on their chest. A nation expects that the three lions will eventually begin to roar.

Brendan O'Neill Is Utterly Wrong About Glastonbury

2010-06-14T21:43:00.000+01:00

Brendan O'Neill has written a fairly silly article for the Spectator this week in which he complains about Glastonbury becoming "middle aged, middle class and authoritarian." It is fairly clear from the article that Mr O'Neill hasn't been to the Festival much in recent years. What isn't clear is why this former writer for Living Marxism is now earning his shillings writing Glastonbury bashing pieces for the Spectator.

I will be pretty clear about this. I'm going to Glastonbury next week and I cannot wait. For me, the joy of Glastonbury is the sheer diversity on offer - the mix of music, the mix of ages, the mix of all kinds of entertainment make it a Festival without comparison.

On one day (Sunday), I can see the buzzing new band The Drums, I can see MGMT and Julian Casablancas, I can see some of the hottest new dance acts in the various dance tents, and some great new acts on the John Peel stage and other stages. On the same day, I can also see soul legend Stevie Wonder.

No other Festival can offer this kind of variety. The hottest new bands want to play Glastonbury as do the most established stars (Jay Z, Neil Young and Springsteen in the past few years). When a band plays at Glastonbury as the sun is setting, something remarkable happens that is without parallel. That is why the variety of people and ages at Glastonbury is so great. That is what gives the Festival its own unique charm.

There are also some absurd comments made by O'Neill in his piece, which have to be addressed.

He says: "Some say the yoof abandoned Glasto because it became too expensive, because the acts consist of boring, bloated World Music types, because there are other, smaller festivals — V, Reading — where they can watch bands their dads do not like."

Well he clearly hasn't been the soulless, sanitised, commercial festivals such as V and Reading, which (V in particular) often has far more conservative and restrictive line ups than Glastonbury. He clearly doesn't understand that Glastonbury isn't just about "boring, bloated World Music types" nor does he understand that the 'smaller festivals' he mentions are pretty much as expensive as Glastonbury, yet offer about 10% of the Acts. But why let the facts get in the way of an argument that panders to the prejudices of your magazine's readers?

He goes on to complain about Glastonbury becoming authoritarian. By this, he seems to mean that they have co-operated with the Police in order to bring about a substantial reduction in on site crime or maintain the licence that allows them to run the largest and best Festival in Europe.

He then goes on to make an absurd argument. He complains about the Glastonbury 'authorities' encouraging attendees to practise safe sex. This is a patently absurd, attention grabbing, nonsensical criticism of any music event.

O'Neill can continue to act as the self appointed voice of young people in a right wing magazine. While he does that, young people will continue to descend on Glastonbury, for a Festival that sells out in record numbers. Doubtless, he will enjoy the BBC's coverage next week while the rest of us enjoy one of the greatest cultural events that Europe has to offer.

Lets Defy The Killjoys. Why I Love The World Cup

2010-06-12T14:49:00.001+01:00

I love football and I love the World Cup. Three or four matches a day, all on terrestrial television and all at pretty convenient times for TV viewing make for football heaven. The World Cup represents a chance to see some of the finest players on the planet in action in games that will live long in the memory.

There is a real buzz of excitement about the World Cup. A buzz of a tournament that brings people together.

It is a shame that a few grumps seem to be taking it upon themselves to ruin everybody else's fun.

There are the jobsworths and killjoys who are insisting that some people take their flags of St George down from their houses, businesses, cars and vans. What a load of nonsense. This amazing event is bringing excitement to people's lives up and down the country and around the world. The snobs (who talk about patriotism but seem to dislike it unless it is of the Last Night of the Proms variety); killjoy and let everybody show their support for the national team and their national pride. I, for one, will be proudly flying the cross of St George.

And then there are the people such as Laurie Penny of the New Statesman. I'm still trying to work out whether this blog is some kind of parody. Her blog suggests that "football is commidified nationalism that excludes more than half the population." She seems to be trying to make a bizarre sociological/ political argument out of the fact that she doesn't like football.

Clearly she is the kind of 'liberal' who decides to look down on ordinary, working class people and utterly fails to understand the importance of the beautiful game to ordinary people. She would get laughed out of town if she tried to make her absurd argument in a working class pub.

If she managed to look at ordinary people in a non anthropological kind of way, she might notice how the World Cup is bringing so many people and so many communities together, of all colours and backgrounds. She may have failed to notice that kids in working class areas are inspired by the multi racial team that we have sent to South Africa.

I will leave it to the moaners to continue to moan. Like most of the rest of the population, I'm going to enjoy this feast of football.

Big Bands and Small Gigs: Great for Celebrities and Profiteering Touts

2010-06-09T14:32:00.001+01:00

Big bands playing really small gigs are the stuff of legend. The Stones and Led Zep both played venues like the Half Moon in Putney when they were at their peak - often taking on peculiar aliases to try to put people off the scent. Bands love going back to their roots and fans love the idea of seeing their idols in a tiny venue.

This comes to mind now because it looks like the mighty Strokes are playing a gig at Dingwalls in Camden Town tonight. They have hidden behind the alias of 'Venison' and the news was mentioned on NME.com and a few other sites.

Now this is the kind of gig that big Strokes fans (myself included) would walk to the ends of the earth to see. But the question with this kind of gig is how many genuine Strokes fans were able to get tickets. The Dingwalls website was apparently down for the first 15 minutes of ticket sales - clearly unable to cope with the demand. By then, the sold out signs were up.

If this kind of gig was a genuine first come, first served gig for genuine fans that would be great. But the sad thing is that people are selling tickets for hundreds of pounds on e-bay. At the same time, I'm sure that assorted celebrities and 'industry figures' will have had no problem getting tickets.

Small gigs are great things. Sadly, however, they seem to be the preserve of celebrities and profiteering touts, rather than genuine fans.

We Should Defy Efforts To Overturn The Ban On Commercial Whaling

2010-06-08T16:57:00.000+01:00

It seems that the global moratorium on whaling is under threat. The Japanese are pushing for the global ban on whaling to be lifted at a meeting of the International Whaling Commission in a few weeks time. Apparently, the Danes are threatening use EU rules to prevent EU states from voting for a continuation of the ban.

We should be perfectly clear about this - the global ban on whaling must continue. As this page shows, although there has been some recovery in the whale population of some species. Greenpeace say that:

"The blue whales of the Antarctic are at less than 1 percent of their original abundance, despite 40 years of complete protection. Some populations of whales are recovering but some are not.
Only one population, the East Pacific grey whale, is thought to have recovered to its original abundance, but the closely related West Pacific grey whale population is the most endangered in the world. It hovers on the edge of extinction with just over 100 remaining."

Commercial whaling led the international whale population to the brink of catastrophe and it must not be allowed to resume. If faced with a choice between our commitments to animal welfare and preserving the whale population and our commitments to the EU, then we must choose animal welfare.

The Real Meaning Of The Daily Mail's Posh Test

2010-06-06T09:41:00.000+01:00

The above is the 'posh test' that was in the Daily Mail (not a regular read of mine) on Friday. I'm pleased to say that I came out as resolutely not posh from the quiz but the questions do seem a bit daft.

Take question 4 - I like horse racing. Does that really equal posh. Does that make the guys I speak to in my local bookies posh as well?

Or question 6 - I tell people that I went to a North Eastern comprehensive school. I know that isn't what they mean and I know that some people might suggest that equates to a 'chip on shoulder' problem.

Question 8 - what if you say tea, rather than dinner or supper. If I say 'dinner' to my family in the North East I probably wouldn't be forgiven for a while. Does calling it tea earn you minus points on the 'poshometer'?

All in all, the very light hearted quiz does also incorporate the very important issue of social class. Despite people saying that class doesn't matter, and people such as Harriet Harman clearly thinking that gender and other issues matter more than class, it is clear that social class matters more than it has done for some time.

Sadly, in all too many cases, life chances are determined by the accident of birth. Witness the dominance of public schools over Parliament, the professions and the universities. The great challenge for politicians over the coming years is to break down the barriers facing people from lower socio-economic backgrounds and ensure that life chances are decided based on merit rather than the accident of birth.