Ed – Slowly but surely he is coming good.

Posted on May 15, 2012 | Leave a comment

If this was The West Wing you might say that Ed Miliband has the Mo. Well maybe just the M, or perhaps half an M. Whatever you want to call it Ed is beginning to look a little more at home as leader, and the public are responding.

His slow and thoughtful approach to politics, which for the first year of his leadership was deemed a potentially fatal hindrance, now compares favourably to the lightweight Cameron. This bears out in the polls where, not only have Labour held a fairly consistent lead in the last few months, Miliband has overtaken Cameron in terms of popularity.

There is no doubt he has been helped by a Coalition seemingly intent on destroying itself – but he should be given some credit for this too. Better strategy has meant, bar a few shrill moments, he has been more decisive and effective in attack – not allowing Cameron to wriggle out of trouble as he so often did before.

Credit too should go to his frontbench team, particularly the power-duo that is Balls and Cooper. Balls cut Osborne’s austerity budget to shreds and made one of the Tory’s biggest assets look weak, out-of-touch and out of ideas. His unswerving message of growth and gentler passage out of deficit means Labour have earned the right to be listened to again. Cooper meanwhile has done the political equivalent of taking May out back and giving her a shoeing. Law and order was once a banker for Conservative ministers – not any more.

Six months ago the resignation of a shadow cabinet minister would have led to abject panic. Today we saw a confident Ed Miliband make a couple of minor tweaks plus the very smart promotion of John Cruddas – a guy liked and respected across the party, whether left or right, Blair or Brown. That he didn’t feel the need to replace Hain with another ‘big-beast’ shows just how far he has come.

There are still lots of challenges ahead – Labour fell just short of the magic 40% in the May elections. turnout was also worryingly though, ,waning that whilst the public don’t like Cameron and Co. they are yet to be convinced by Ed and his team. As Ed himself noted at the recent Progress conference, he and the rest of the party now have a job of work to do to engage all those registered voters who decided to stay at home. He also needs to start articulating a vision of a future Labour government in policy terms. The country is inclined to listen, so now is the time to start the conversation.

That said, it has been a long-time since Labour were in such a promising position and, like it not, it is Ed Miliband who has put us there. Slowly but surely he is coming good.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , , , ,

Local Elections – First Thoughts (A good night for Labour, a bad one for democracy)

Posted on May 4, 2012 | Leave a comment

It is far too early to judge the significance of the local election results but, as of 7am on Friday morning, here are my early thoughts.

Labour have had a good night, whatever way you spin it a projected gain of 700 seats is not to be sneezed at. More importantly Ed M can point to gains in places like Harlow as evidence that Labour are able to at least compete in the South again. It is not a watershed moment and they will be disappointed if the share of the vote stays under the magic 40% mark. This gives Ed some breathing space to carry on with his ‘slowly but surely’ strategy and means they have earned the right to be heard again – a vital first step for any longer-term recovery. The disappointing result in the London Mayoral race announced later today will not be blamed on Ed or his team (in fact it arguably makes him look more of an electoral asset) and is unlikely to take the shine of his first real electoral success.

Although it was a bad night for Lib-Dems, I don’t think they will be too disappointed. The ongoing slide in the opinion polls has not borne fruit, with their vote actually holding up well compared to last year. Their biggest problem is, due to the peculiarities of our voting system, even small fluctuations in the share of the national vote have the potential to destroy them come General Election time. They have pinned their hopes on a significant economic upturn by 2015 and all the goodwill that comes with it, now all they can do is wait.

For the Tories this is a shocker, the leadership may have ‘priced in’ this scale of loss, but that is no consolation for the hundreds of ousted Tory councillors who feel the government has no guiding vision, no plan for growth and has become detached from its Tory roots. Better news to come for them later when Boris is returned as London Mayor – this is a poisoned chalice for the leadership though. How is it Boris can be so popular when Cameron, to put it mildly, isn’t? How come Boris looks like a heavyweight when Cameron, to put it mildly, isn’t? How come Boris has a mission when Cameron, to put it mildly doesn’t? Expect an angry and rejuvenated right-wing of the Tory party to put real pressure on the Cameroon both pre and post the upcoming Queen’s Speech.

All of this however will be overshadowed the the terrible turnout. Less than a third of people managed to get to their polling stations and put an X in a box. I haven’t really got my head round what this means yet – expect that it is bad for democracy and shows political parties continue to be detached from the people they purportedly represent. This probably deserves a post of its own, so I’ll have a think and get back to you.

Will try and write later once the dust has settled and the Mayoral results have been announced.

Tc Bx

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , ,

The predicament of being Labour in London

Posted on April 21, 2012 | 2 Comments

It’s fair to say I am on the rubbish end of being a member of the Labour Party. To give just one example of how rubbish I am, in 2010 I temporarily left the party to vote Lib-Dem. I came back of course (I always do), but I am pretty sure I’ll not be winning any ‘member of the year’ competition any time soon.

I love the party, I really do, even though I do treat it with contempt at times. Labour values; Labour history; Labour’s world view are where I instinctively feel most at home. And I want to support the party – both financially and with my time. But when it picks a candidate or campaigns on the back of a manifesto that I believe does not adhere to these values then I have a problem.

And so to London and Ken Livingstone. I still find it utterly bewildering that Labour members in London would score such a massive own goal as to vote for him to be our candidate in the first place. Could we really not find anyone else? Were we that scared of Boris that a ‘big personality’ was the be all and all – even when that personality had become so out-of-step,odious and corrupt?

It’s true that Ken did some good things first time around, particularly in his first term. The congestion charge and the massive spending on transport infrastructure are but two legacies he should be proud of. His response to 7/7 was measured and unifying and, for this, he deserves thanks from all Londoners. By the end of his second term however he was beginning to look tired and stale, and even back then there was a certain whiff of wrongness about him. A few too many crass off-the-cuff remarks, a few too many friends benefitting from his role.

Four years to listen and plan might have brought us a more reflective Livingstone, an experienced elder statesman ready to guide us through these difficult post credit-crunch times. But this has not been the case. Instead he is more combative and unapologetic than ever – no remorse, or even explanation over his anti-semitic remarks (and, remember, he is a repeat offender here), not a backward-step on the hypocrisy over his tax dealings and now, as his transport plans unravel around his ears, again we witness a now all-too-familiar reluctance to face-up to the reality that all around can already see.

All this means that on 3rd May my first preference vote will not be going to a Labour candidate, though he is welcome to my 2nd preference – when it comes to Boris v Ken he is very much the lesser of two evils. As for who will get that magic ’1′? I haven’t decided yet, though I think Siobhan Benita has been running an excellent campaign and is definitely worthy of consideration – her policies on Education in particular are well worth a read.

I realise that this post may be treated with derision by the many dedicated Labour activists who are working so hard to campaign for a Labour victory and to them I apologise (and point out that for the Assembly elections I’ll be Labour all the way). But on this occasion I must once again turn my back on the official Labour candidate and look elsewhere for traditional Labour values.

→ 2 Comments

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , ,

There are days I wake up and don’t want to get out of bed

Posted on April 4, 2012 | Leave a comment

I am lucky not to have ever really suffered from depression or any other mental health condition. I have both friends and family who do and, not least because of the stigma still attached to it, it can be pretty horrific.

Some days however I wake up feeling pretty bleak. There is no particular reason for it, no ‘trigger’ as such – least not one that I can identify, just a sense of grimness. Today is one of those days.

Everything becomes such an effort, from getting out of bed to going to work, and the smallest problem rapidly turns in to a major crisis. For instance, I just nearly burst into tears because a train to Coventry was cancelled. I suspect there will be half a dozen more such instances before the day is out.

I am lucky in that these episodes, if they are even worthy of that title, last for a day at most and often only a few hours. They are also few and far between. Those battling with depression often cope with emotions much darker than this and for far longer periods.

On days like this the best I find I can do is to surround myself with the people and things I love and remind myself I’ll be up again before long. It doesn’t work for everyone, but it tends to get me through the day. In fact, a few months ago, I posted something to get me through days like today – the good news is it seems to work. You can read it here- http://thisisboris.com/2011/07/18/10-reasons-i-am-happy/

Tc Bx

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

The day I delivered a baby

Posted on February 12, 2012 | Leave a comment

20120212-084741.jpg

It snowed last weekend, and I mean snowed. But more of that in a moment. At 3:40am on Sunday morning Charlotte woke me with the slightly delayed words ‘I think my waters have broken’. It stirred in me a mixture of excited anticipation and relief – we were after all nine days overdue. Our first labour had been a shade under four hours, quick by first-time standards, but not alarmingly so. I woke Carol and Piers (my in-laws) and phoned my own parents, then put the coffee machine on; it could be a long night.

The first inkling that things might not go entirely to plan was when Piers and I went to get the car. The moment we stepped outside our shoes sunk down into the four inches of newly fallen snow, the car was going nowhere. A sense of hope not really bedded in any reality led us to the porters lodge to see if they had a solution. Whilst Piers was chatting to Howard I noticed a car stuck in the snow and went over to help. After a fashion we managed to get the car moving again, as thanks the driver kindly offered us a lift to hospital. It only took a quick look towards Piers before we both politely declined. It was time to call an ambulance.

When I got back up to the flat it was apparent Charlotte’s labour had progressed. She was in a lot of pain, but dealing with it in her normal stoic way. It reminded me just how amazing it all is – she could be shouting out in pain one moment and then able to hold a perfectly normal conversation the next. At this point I still assumed we would be having the baby in hospital, however two things quickly disabused me of this. First, Charlotte announced that, in the last seven minutes, she’d had three contractions. Second, in response the ambulance call-handler (who stayed on the line throughout) very calmly but assertively told me to get her somewhere comfortable, get some towels (it turns out you do need them) and check ‘if you can see the head’. Thankfully it was all clear, but equally clear was that it wouldn’t be long until I could. I handed the phone to Carol and got ready to deliver a baby.

Lots of people over the last week have asked how I felt at this point. The answer always seems to disappoint. I felt remarkably calm – I knew I had to take control of the situation and be able to make decisions on Charlotte’s behalf, allowing her to focus solely on the childbirth. This much we had already agreed in our birth plan (though that had assumed a midwife might also be there to help out a little). It sounds strange now, but my overwhelming feeling was that it was no big deal – she had chosen now to enter the world, all I had to do was guide her out. What’s more we were in a safe, warm environment and an ambulance was on its way. Things could have been a lot worse.

And so the time had come. After two contractions where Charlotte had resisted the urge to push on the third I told her to let go and push as hard as she could – what felt like seconds later I could first feel and then see a little head as it emerged to join us. There was a small moment of private panic when I thought the cord was stuck round her neck, it was just a hand, temporarily trapped by her shoulder. There was a moments pause as Charlotte caught her breath and then, with a final heave she was out and in my arms. We wrapped her up, placed her in her mothers arms and waiting for the pros to arrive. Our work here was done.

Writing a week after the event, there are a couple of things that don’t quite fit into the narrative of the story – the first is my sheer admiration and love for my wife. It is impossible to imagine the feelings and emotions that must have been coursing through her as first plan A, then plan B were torn-up before her eyes. Yet she never showed the slightest bit of panic and dealt with everything as if it was entirely routine. Even better she made us the perfect baby girl. I should also thank Carol and Piers who not only allowed us to turn their beautiful home into a temporary birthing centre but also supported us in the whole thing with a contagious sense of calm.

There is nothing to compare to the pride you feel on becoming a new father, and this doesn’t diminish second time around, The emotion that comes with being the first person to hold your baby and to have actually delivered her into the world is however off-the-scale. Even as I look at her feeding now, I can’t quite believe that it happened. It is a night that will never leave me, and one that I am sure will haunt Alba as I bore first her and then her friends recounting the tale for many years to come.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , ,

Labour needs to win big on the NHS

Posted on February 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

Labour have an important battle on their hands. Their opposition to Andrew Lansley’s terrible Health and Social Care Bill (and it is terrible, more of that later) is as much out of a need to defend their very being as it is for any ideological reasons.

The previous Labour government were wrong on the economy. This is now fact. It is irrelevant that Brown and Darling led the way in ensuring a global response to the crisis, stopping a complete meltdown in the financial sector; nor does anyone care that the Tories would have done nothing differently in the lead up to the crisis; the fact that Labour are proving to be right about the desperate need for a plan for growth to go alongside Osborne’s austerity drive is an irrelevance. History is written by the winners and Labour now have a long battle ahead to regain trust from the electorate. Important as the economy is however, nothing stirs a Labour person like the NHS – we created it and we love it as you would love a child. Lose the battle here and there seems little point getting out of bed in the morning.

So to the bill – and it is a shocker. The flagship policy is the creation of GP-led commissioning. Out go Primary Care Trusts and Strategic Health Authorities. In comes a single national health board and hundreds of small GP commissioning consortiums – reducing bureaucracy and making healthcare more responsive to local needs. It is doomed to failure.

GPs have zero track record in commissioning, they do however have a very good track record in clinical care. They also have full to bursting appointment books. Why, when the average consultation is already only just over 10 minutes in length, do we want them to spend less time seeing patients? The reality is they will delegate the commissioning powers to someone else. Who, I hear you ask? The very same people who have just been made redundant from the defunct primary care trusts.

Any suggestion of a cut in bureaucracy is a fallacy, the new structure has just as many levels as the old one, the simple fact is this is a major restructure that will cost billions of pounds and even in the long-term the exercise will cost money rather than save it. That the new system may be more responsive to local needs could well be a fair one, though whether this will come back to haunt the coalition is another matter – people crave consistency and a perception of equality. How long until the phrase ‘postcode lottery’ comes back into fashion and we start to see a re-centralisation of services?

The rest of the bill includes increasing how much private work a trust can carry out and laying out a timetable for all hospital trusts to gain foundation status. The former is there to increase potential revenues (though risks further impacting on waiting times for those who can’t pay), the latter will, in theory, help increase competition and therefore standards. (But also runs the risk of hospital trusts effectively being bankrupted, with all the associated political fallout).

Labour’s response needs to be robust, the NHS is in pretty good shape and they they have much to be proud of from their time in office – increasing spending to be in line with the European average, then using the money to decimate waiting lists, improve survival rates for those suffering from cancer, heart attacks and strokes and created a fairer pay and reward system, allowing the best health professionals to stay treating patients. The much maligned targets helped to ensure all this happened – as soon as the coalition sidelined them waiting times started to increase again.

What Labour didn’t manage to do is carry staff with them. Staff morale is arguably at its lowest ever, and is still falling. This impacts both on clinical care and the public’s perception of the NHS. Secondly, they didn’t make any in-roads into customer service – which, in my experience has tended to be appalling. It sounds a small issue, but most people’s first contact with the NHS is with a non-clinician and, if the quality is poor so is people’s first impression of the whole organisation. Any changes in the above will come, not from legislation, but from a change in culture and leadership. This is what Labour should be calling for.

Ed M and his team have had a good couple of weeks after a pretty disastrous start to the year, but this is yet another big test. Labour cannot afford for their record on the NHS to go the way of their reputation on the economy.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , ,

What Labour should be saying about Higher Education

Posted on January 30, 2012 | 1 Comment

You probably shouldn’t read too much into the news that University applications are down almost 10%. True, it sounds shocking and creates an easy stick for which to beat the coalition with, but if past evidence is to go by, give it a year or two and those numbers will bounce right back up again. That doesn’t make the coalition policy right though, far from it.

Our view of Higher Education is seen through the narrow prism of individual benefit. Put simply, those who go to University earn significantly more on average than those that don’t. University should be seen as investment – like property, or gold. What’s more, if your investment doesn’t pay off (i.e. you don’t earn lots of money) you don’t have to pay your fees. Bonus.

But what if you look at Universities another way? Perhaps argue that they exist to benefit everyone in society, not just those who have the privilege to study at them? Some of the arguments are obvious, nurses and doctors for example all repay society a hundred times over every time they save a life. Some are more abstract, how do you begin to quantify the wider cultural and societal benefits of a more educated population?

We live in a global marketplace, where companies pick and choose their suppliers from anywhere. A call-centre in India, a factory in China, a creative agency from the US. A better educated country is a more flexible country and the more flexible it is the more productive it becomes. This doesn’t just benefit graduates, it lifts salaries and living standards for everyone.

Higher Education however is struggling, funding is much lower per head than in the US (and the rise in fees does nothing to improve this – they merely help replace the £1billion funding cut from central government), what’s more we are suffering the beginning of a brain-drain. An unintended consequence of tuition-fees is that students have started shopping globally for their education, with many of our brightest young people opting to study elsewhere. The same is true of our academics. Outside of Cambridge (which still proudly sits at the top of global rankings) our institutions are beginning to fare badly against the global competition – not just from within the US but increasingly from Asia, particularly China.

Labour’s record on higher education is mixed – whilst in office it’s 50% target helped dramatically improve access, particularly to those on lower incomes. On the debit front they were the ones who brought in tuition-fees in the first place. In opposition they have, as so often, plumped for a ‘coalition-lite’ policy – where students will pay less, but not by much. It is both intellectually and politically lazy.

Central to Ed Miliband’s political philosophy is ‘the promise of a generation’ – the deal whereby you provide the next generation with more opportunities than you had yourself. I would love to see a higher education policy that reflected this philosophy. One that accepts the wider society benefits of a good education, and with it the costs. Universities too should take more responsibility. Learning from their US cousins, they need to become much better at commercialising the significant intellectual property they own and invest in more sophisticated Alumni programmes. In fact the only people who should be worrying less about university financing are the students themselves – they, after all, should have other things on their mind.

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged , , , , ,