Hectic, busy and ill

Lack of posts over the last couple of weeks or so have been due to a combination of throat infections, and preparing for things like my PPC assessment day. I hope to be back on track now, with a course of penicillin, and having achieved a grade 1 result from the assessment day.

Not quite all nerd

I suspect I was let down by my knowledge of the periodic table, although I thought the other aspects of my life didn't necessarily warrant nerdiness, but just good general knowledge...

Why wasn't she expelled sooner?

Well, Clare Short has finally got around to handing in her resignation (again...)
This time, she has again fallen short of going the whole hog, and only resigned the whip. Although given her voting record, I suspect the whips office barely expected her to follow the Labour troops through the same lobby.
But given her outspoken comments, I'm surprised that the PLP hadn't expelled her sooner. Most of the attacks on her have been because she has said she wants to see a hung parliament, which implies that some of her Labour colleagues will have to lose their seats. As Labour has continually lost seats since 1997, this is hardly beyond the realm of possiblity! But normally a hanging matter in the Labour party. So why did the chief whip hang Short out dry sooner?

What no conkers madness?

News reaches me (via Liberal England) that the annual World Conker Championships were held last Sunday in Ashton (date for diary 2nd Sunday of October every year). Unfortunately I was trapped in Wolverhampton (combination of alcohol on Saturday and lack of Central Trains on the Sunday), so couldn't make it.
I used to be a regular visitor when younger as its held in a beautiful village just a couple of miles from my parents. And it is still organised by my long retired 6th form tutor John Hadman, that rare breed of being someone who taught archaeology in a state school.
Anyway, there has been a complete lack of "health and safety gone mad" stories in the press this year. Maybe its because there are too many prisoners and too many nuclear states this year that the newspapers are actually report news?
PS The WCC are looking for a new major sponsor for next year. If interested contact them!

Figures speak for themselves

The news of the huge pay differentials between male and female workers in the City Council has broken across most of the broadsheets and "quality" tabloids, and the Metro, today.
The figures pretty much speak for themselves, and will take years to sort out so that there is any kind of "equal pay for work of equal value". As someone who has gone through two equal pay audits while in my work place, I know and value the fact that as an organisation I am being equally rewarded for my work as someone doing completely different, but at an equivalent level.
But if you are earning £91k, then I can see that you may think the process of pay equality is a threat.
Of course, the one mistake in the Torygraph article is that Cllr Alan Rudge has metamorphosed into "Alan Partridge".

pravda

Last night I went along to the Birmingham Rep to see the play Pravda. Its set in the mid-80s at the height of Thatcherism and the toing and froing of the fleet street industry (Freddie starr's hamster etc).
The play had its moments, you can't deny it is funny in places. There were some good individual performances (Roger Allam playing the South African media mogul). But in the whole it didn't pull together in an enjoyable way, I was left admiring the lighting and staging, which is usually top notch in this superb venue.

party funding

News reaches me that a number of different people are continuing to dig into tory funding that originates from the Midlands Industrial Council, and the Tory candidates who have been helped by this shadowy and mysterious organisation.
I have no doubt that the MIC will have operated within the PPERA law, but I seriously wonder whether it is within the spirit of the law with regard to being open and honest about the people behind the donations, rather than using this unincorporated association.
Watch this space, or rather watch out for the Sunday's.

Cameron's House

Davey Cameron has created a nice analogy of where the Tories are with their current policy development:
Stage 1 - clear the ground (completed)
Stage 2 - Lay foundations (in progress)
Stage 3 - Put up brickwork (not started)
I wouldn't want to use Davey's Builders if he thinks this is a plan...
Many people want to know what the house will look like when its completed. So, when did he get planning permission? This would have helped his members and the rest of the country know what the house was (a 2 bedroom semi on green belt land in middle britain?)
A house is more than just an empty shell. He needs to fill it up with furniture and white goods. No doubt they're on order from Ikea as I type.