Result!

It's lovely when you watch a columnist getting better and better, waiting for them to hit gold, and then they do. Marina Hyde, you have scored!
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/mar/06/ashcroft-mp-expenses-unelected-influence

Creaming off the profits

So Lord Ashcroft has managed to achieve what so many have campaigned for: a political party funded by the taxpayer. Nice one!

Orange and gold

I’ve found a lovely new trick. I take one (or more) of those oranges, tangerines, clementines etc that lurk in the bowl because you know that even if you go to the labour of peeling and pulling them apart the pleasure they give will be absolutely minimal – dried up, manky things. I stick my little magic stabbing juicer into them and squeeze whatever’s there into a bowl. Then I top it up with Havana Gold. Then I drink it, and smile.

The dregs and the cream

As I said, BBC Parliament is a gem. Yesterday I left it running with the sound off, so it was there again when I started Firefox again today. Glanced at it once or twice but it was tedious House of Lords stuff. Then later in the afternoon happened to catch the Welsh Affairs debate, with the nauseating David Davies going on and on and on and on, managing to be so insufferably dull that one longed for some of his nastiness. In the end I turned the sound off again and carried on working. When I switched back later I caught Adam Price making what may well be his final speech to the House of Commons (he described it as a valedictory). Utterly assured, full of apt quotations and historical references, vintage Price, but also incredibly gracious to his Labour opposites - Paul Murphy struggling not to be charmed, but Don Touhig simply rolling over to have his tummy scratched. And then the sting in the tail - let's make this a decade of investing in Welsh industry, enterprise and knowledge, and let's conclude it by bringing the World Fair to Britain for the first time in 150 years, and specifically to Wales - and a challenge to Labour, Conservative and Plaid to make it happen. Truly the man is brilliant. Let's hope he makes good use of his time in the US, and returns soon to the role of leadership he was born for.

Taking responsibility

BBC Parliament is a gem - why don't I watch it more often? Tuned in yesterday idly to catch PMQs, and found it was followed by Brown's statement on Britain’s treatment of child migrants. His apology was actually impressive and moving, and I say that as no fan of Brown. (To understand his approach to blame-taking you don’t need Andrew Rawnsley’s gossip, just remember his statement on the McBride affair – ‘I take full responsibility for this, and that’s why the person responsible has resigned’.)

However, what really made me sit up was Cameron’s response – very weak, and his main point was that the scandal happened under all parties. Not quite true, David. It happened almost entirely under one party on particular. Guess which?

The Children Act 1948 (passed under a Labour government) stopped local authorities from arranging for the emigration of children in care without the approval of the Secretary of State. It also enabled the Secretary of State to make regulations restricting the ability of voluntary organisations to arrange for such emigration. For the next nineteen years no such regulations were made, while the practice continued. Thirteen years of Conservative governments, and three of Labour governments with weak or no majorities.

Although the scandal of child migrants came to public attention in 1987 (thanks to Margaret Humphreys). For the next ten years, under two Conservative governments, nothing was done; only in 1998 did the Labour government take the matter seriously. In 1993 John Major had the nerve to tell Parliament that ‘any concern about the treatment of the children in another country is essentially a matter for the authorities in that country’.

The Conservative record on this matter is particularly shameful. It is also absolutely consistent with the instinct to punish and blame the families of children in need rather than support them, which still characterises Conservative social policy today.

Is this a good use of time and human resources?

I was thinking today about the time we spend cutting our fingernails. Assume for the sake of argument that we each do it roughly once a week and it takes about a minute. I reckon that means that worldwide there are on average something like half a million of us cutting our fingernails at any particular moment. Just think what half a million people could do if they weren't all cutting their fingernails....

Little England

Sorry for long gap - actually, for a few weeks I forgot that I had started a blog!
Prompted to return when listening to the Today programme this morning. Sarah Montague was interviewing the French finance minister Christine Lagarde on the story of Tory policy (if you can call it that) in relation to Lisbon and EU membership. At least three times Mme Lagarde referred not to the UK but to 'England', and on one occasion to 'the Kingdom of England'. Dozy Montague made no attempt to challenge or correct her. What in hell is going on here? Is this pure ignorance or incompetence, or is there a hidden plan to enthrone King David of England and let the rest of us find our own way in the world? There might be something to be said for that, says my Welsh side, but my English side quivers in terror....