'Brown's Britain - Bruised But Not Broken'

Why do the British shy away from optimism? We seem much more comfortable in being miserable and bemoaning our lot in life. When Obama appeared with his message of hope, the people of the US embraced that and whipped out their shades to look to the bright future he spoke of. Why is it then, that in the UK, when the signs are that the recession is ending, all we hear are cynics and naysayers, talking our country down?

I understand the Tories' motives, I mean they are hardly going to say that Gordon Brown has done a great job – no matter what the rest of the world says about his achievements in saving the banks. Despite David Cameron trying to convince us that Gordon is not a strong and decisive leader, those are exactly the words that were used to describe the action he took over the banking crisis. He has previously been hailed as “Gordon Brown: European Superhero” by Le Monde and as the “saviour of the world financial system” by Paul Krugman in the New York Times. The fact remains that Gordon Brown was the best leader to guide the country through this world-wide recession and he remains the best person to nurture and encourage the growth that is at last beginning to appear.

The Conservative Government in the early 1990s also had a recession to deal with. Admittedly, the fall in GDP during that recession was lower than the cumulative effects of six consecutive quarters of negative-growth that we have seen in this recession, BUT the number of businesses failing and house repossessions were higher. The figures for unemployment in this recession have been consistently lower than in other recessions in recent history. Figures for the third quarter of 2009 – the sixth quarter of this recession – show the rate of unemployment to be at 7.8%. When this is compared with previous recessions, it can be seen that in the same quarter of the recession in the 1980s, the unemployment rate was up to 9.6% and in the sixth-quarter of the 1990s recession it stood at 9.5%.

Being in work is not just an economic necessity, it is of psychological importance too. Having a purpose, doing something constructive and useful adds value to people's lives. Obtaining a skill that will enable economic survival by providing employability brings hope to the young. Importantly, this Labour government understands that. The priority for the Conservative government that presided over the recessions in the 1980s and 1990s was not to help the blue-collar workers, which is why unemployment was allowed to rise as it did. Margaret Thatcher deliberately moved the UK away from the traditional manufacturing industries and pushed us into greater reliance on finance and banking. Now, that isn't me saying that we can blame Thatcher for this recession, it really was a world-wide phenomenon, but I am suggesting that some of the effects that the UK has felt from it, would have had less impact, had we nurtured and maintained our industrial heritage, rather than throwing it away.

Gordon Brown and the Labour party have policies that genuinely stem from wanting ALL people in the UK to have better lives. Assisting young people into training and work through schemes like the 'jobs guarantee' for all 18 – 25 year-olds and SureStart, which enables parents to obtain the support they need to help them back into the workforce are measures that not only give opportunity but also hope. This will end though, should David Cameron and his Conservatives obtain power in the forthcoming General Election.

Cameron is calling for cuts, cuts, cuts, a plan that further exposes his ignorance when it comes to fiscal policy – let us remind ourselves that Cameron was Special Advisor to Chancellor Norman Lamont at the time of Black Wednesday. With the first signs of growth being announced for the last quarter of 2009 and a fall in unemployment, it is a time for care and vigilance. Knee-jerk reactions are not what we need; Gordon Brown has warned that the action Cameron proposes would risk the recovery, halt growth and jeopardise jobs, we need to reduce the deficit steadily, he says. Brown is the voice of experience here, laying down plans that will reap rewards in the future, not trying to make a short-term point for political gain.

When I speak to young people in my area, they are not pessimistic about the future. They are looking forward to going to college, university or beginning work. They haven't yet developed negative, unnecessary cynicism and most of them understand which of the political parties will look out for them. They are angry when they hear David Cameron talk about “Broken Britain” – that is not the Britain they know. They are right, Britain isn't broken. Eighteen-years of Conservative rule gave her a battering, a bloody nose and almost broke her spirit but they didn't break her.

We must work to ensure the Labour policies that bring opportunity to those who need it most are able to continue. These are policies that allow young people to have ambition, policies that are there to benefit the majority. We have to fight the cynicism and negativity and look to the future with hope.

Under a Labour government, we can.

Another Reason Why We MUST Kick Cancer

In November last year, I went to a 40th birthday party. It was no ordinary party, it was huge: fancy dress, fairground games, hundreds of people and a perfect evening.  At the centre of it all was Lisa, it was her birthday and we all gathered to give her a wonderful evening and the happiest birthday ever. We did this knowing that Lisa may not have many more birthdays left. You see, Lisa had been diagnosed with breast cancer two months before I was, in December 2006.

To say Lisa was inspiring doesn't do her justice. She knew her breast cancer was the most aggressive form, she admitted that she was waiting for the onset of secondary cancer because there was little doubt that it would come. We sat together several times and talked, both having young children, we had the same worries, Lisa's boys are the same ages as my boys, and I felt exactly the same fears about leaving them and my daughter, as she felt at the prospect of leaving hers.

When the secondary diagnosis came, I talked to Lisa about how it was affecting her. I was amazed at the outward strength she showed. She said that she had a choice, she could either sit and wait to die or get on with living what life she had left. That is exactly what she did. Lisa and her husband took their boys to DisneyLand, on holidays and trips and made the last year of their lives with her as unforgettable as they could.

Lisa was not self-absorbed, she continued to work while she was able and helped to organise a campaign to try and stop the deportation of the Umoru Family, the online petition for which is here. She was a kind, loving and incredible woman, a genuine inspiration. Lisa passed away a few days ago. As a practicing Christian, she had her own faith and source of comfort. She knew her time was coming and had said her goodbyes.

I don't know how I would deal with the devastation of a terminal prognosis. I only hope that I could handle it with the dignity and grace that Lisa did. Throughout her last months, she organised her party and told us all that this was her wake. Seeing her, looking so happy that evening, I don't think any of us expected Lisa to leave us so soon. I certainly didn't. There will be no funeral or memorial service, Lisa wants us to remember her as she was that night.

Just last week, I changed my bio on Twitter to include "Cancer Survivor". I'm not 100% there yet, I have another two-years of check-ups and treatment before I get the "all clear" but I wanted to show that my attitude was to survive and beat this horrible disease. The immense sadness I feel at Lisa's passing is increased when I think of her boys and of the grief they will carry with them forever because she was one of the 1 in 9 women in the UK who will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.   It is a battle we must continue and a fight we must win.

On her FaceBook page, Lisa has this as her favourite quote from a poem by M Louise Haskins (1875-1957):

"And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year: "Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown?" And he replied: 'Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.'"

I am happier knowing that Lisa didn't fear the unknown and that she is now at peace. I hope her husband and boys find strength and comfort in the love she gave them and their memories. Though the world is less bright and our hearts are heavy, our lives shall always be better for having known Lisa. Rest in Peace.

Cameron's Pledge for SureStop

Today, Matthew Woods, AKA @cleethorpesrock, someone with whom I have discussed and debated often, made this comment on Twitter:

It irked me immediately. On first examination, this seemed an ill-thought out comment from someone who hasn't really considered the impact that abolishing SureStart would have. SureStart provides more than just childcare.  When I challenged this opinion, Matthew said that he believes that SureStart should only benefit the poor and not everyone, including those on £50k per year. I'm sympathetic to this but doubt that many £50k per year families are using the vast array of support services that SureStart offers to families in need. I must be fair to Matthew, who engages in the spirit of friendly, open-minded discussion and is a pleasure to cross-swords with; when I said this to him, he did say that he would investigate further and may reconsider. Still, it got me thinking - how many people think that SureStart is purely about childcare when in reality, it is so much more?

SureStart was launched by this Labour Government as part of the Every Child Matters strategy. It has been a key element in getting 600,000 children out of poverty, a worthy achievement.  As Labour Matters says David Cameron's Tories are just not family friendly. Cutting back SureStart with the excuse that they are ensuring it is only targeted at the poorest in society, removes vital access to community health services, parenting and family support, outreach services, integrated early years education and access to training and employment opportunities for parents with children under five.

Local authorities are duty-bound by The Childcare Act 2006 to ensure that services for early-years are accessible and have maximum impact in benefitting families and children in their area. Consequently, in many places, SureStart has become an essential part of the community and has been praised by parents and professionals alike for being a catalyst in turning lives around, such as that of Karol Jacquin, a single-parent in Hounslow, who was directed towards her nearby SureStart centre by her Health Visitor in 2002.  She credits this as being the turning point in her life.

To say that the Tories will cut £200Million from SureStart demonstrates the lack of regard David Cameron actually has for the family, for children and for the needs of real families. Robbing Peter to Pay Paul (Earl of Tory) and save him from that nasty Inheritance Tax bill is another example of how they may have fresh-faced posters and clever sound bites, but underneath it all, they are the same old Tories.

The fact is that the poor simply cannot trust Conservative policy and neither can families.

I Now Pronounce You Man and Wife. You May Kiss the Tax Man.

The battle lines for the forthcoming General Election are being clearly drawn with Labour launching their policy plans regarding the family. This is one concept that the Conservatives have really gone to town on and tried to make their own. In the process they have continued to assert that, at least partly because of the breakdown of the “traditional family”, Britain has become a broken nation.

The reason that I am using quotation marks when I mention the Conservative idea of “family” is because the image they portray, is at odds with what family means to a huge number of people in the UK today. The Conservatives hark back to halcyon days, where every Summer was warm, there was always snow at Christmas and Mummy and Daddy would take little David on holidays to the seaside. They would paddle, build sand-castles and drink lashings and lashings of Ginger Beer. But like the Enid Blyton fantasy that describes, the truth was often very different.

The Second World War changed family life forever. The lengthy periods of separation created marriages that were scarred by conflict, adultery and people who barely knew one another. The done thing back then, was to stick it out and in order to encourage this, divorce was not an easy option, only being permitted in the event of fault, cruelty or adultery. This lead to so many people being unhappy and alone whilst seemingly within the confines of a loving family unit. That is what the Conservatives are trying to encourage again. Stay together for the sake of the children, you loved one another once, grin and bear it or stay married for the sake of a few extra pounds in tax allowance.

The Green Paper unveiled by Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, has a much more balanced approach. Entitled ‘Support for All – the Families and Relationships Green Paper’ has a 'whole family' approach. Support for All (not just the marrieds) is an important step in recognising that a family is about more than a certificate that shows you had a nice party and spent a lot of money on frocks and fru fru! (Believe me, I speak from experience – twice!)

This approach sets out clearly the Government's commitment to supporting all families, no matter what their constitution. While announcing this important initiative, Mr Balls recognised the diverse nature of the family today, “Families come in all shapes and sizes these days and the evidence is clear that stable and loving relationships between parents and with their children are vital for their progress and well-being.”

The measures announced will help couples to prevent and resolve marriage and relationship breakdown whilst also offering support and recognition to Dads who need it and Grandparents – with so many parents having no choice but to work, the role of Grandparents has become increasingly important. In addition to this, working parents will also benefit from improvements to flexible working.

Providing assistance and support for those couples who genuinely want to stay together but have problems is a key part of this initiative. It doesn't matter if the couple is married, co-habiting or in a civil-partnership, enabling the people who choose to stay together to obtain the help they need to do so, on an emotional and practical level is far better for everyone involved. Yet, the Tories continue to value the idea of marriage above everything else, their policy says that a couple with three children who are married, deserve more than a couple with three children who are not.

Surprisingly, with this being such an important part of the Conservative manifesto, David Willetts, (Shadow Cabinet Member with responsibility for coming up with the policy) still doesn't know what form any Married Couples tax break will take.

So, to put it in simple terms, the Conservatives will do something, but they, and consequently we, do not know what it is yet. What we do know is that the Conservative party has a definite view of what a family SHOULD look like and it involves Mum, Dad and 2.4 children. It is built around the central concept of marriage.

The Labour policy on families is centered on children. This tells me much of what I need to know and an awful lot about the people creating the policy.

Cameron: Poverty matters less than a hug

So Cameron has convinced himself and is now trying to kid the rest of us, that one of the basic tenets of socialism is irrelevant when it comes to child poverty. He has deliberately interpreted research by isolating points that can be used as a cop-out to the redistribution of wealth and can shore up the Tory policy of rewarding the institution of marriage.

Cameron was speaking at a launch of a study into the issue of character by the think-tank Demos. He admitted that material wealth does impact on life chances but dismissed the impact of this in comparison with parenting. Apparently, poverty matters less than hugs when it comes to a child getting on in life: "What matters most to a child's life chances is not the wealth of their upbringing but the warmth of their parenting."

Of course though, Cameron also believes that less well-off parents are less likely to be good parents, so that is the reason for fewer of them achieving in life! He says, "the research shows that while the style of responsible parenting I've spoken about today is more likely to occur in wealthier households, children in poor households who are raised with that style of parenting do just as well."

Thanks for enlightening us Mr Cameron, all we need to do is encourage those parents who live in poverty, to give a hug a day! That is more effective than any privilege or favour bestowed by wealth.

Does he really believe this? Do the Tories actually think that their tax incentives for married couples will mean that all marriages will be happy and all families will be loving. As Germaine Greer said, at an appearance in Sheffield last month, "Do you really want a woman to continue lying in the same bed as a man she hates, just to preserve the family, Mr Cameron?" Would this really create a stable, loving environment for children? Of course not! This Labour government has done more to end child poverty than any other goverment in history. The effects of poverty run long, deep and seep through generations.

All Mr Cameron is achieving with his words today is to reinforce the fact that the Tories haven't changed. Rich = good, poor = bad and he is simply attempting to absolve himself and any potential Conservative government of any responsibility to adequately address the real issues that affect real families.


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It's time for the end of playground politics

What exactly do Hewitt & Hoon think they will achieve by calling for their colleagues to support a secret ballot on Gordon Brown's leadership?

We are in a General Election year. Let's face facts, the Tories are united in their desire to win power at any cost and what are we doing? Scrapping in the playground.

Cameron's policies may have been cooked up on the playing fields of Eton but Labour's demise is being engineered on the playground of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

Already this week, there has been rumblings from Charles Clarke, still sitting on the swings with a bloodied nose and now, Hewitt & Hoon have come along and want everyone to join in their game of tag.

What exactly do they want? Do a few MPs really think they will achieve more on the opposition benches? That is surely where we are headed if, as a party, we adopt this as our main priority.

Are Hewitt & Hoon so naïve that they truly believe a secret ballot will help? Do they envisage all detractors rallying behind Brown and giving him the same vote of confidence a Football Club Chairman affords his manager, while he is secretly planning to appoint the chap from down the road to try to avoid relegation? We know how that usually pans out, except for us, the season is at least four years long.

It's time to leave the playground and enter the battle field. What must happen now, is a rallying cry. Not a secret ballot but a loud, war cry from MPs as they stand true and firm behind their Leader and prepare to fight.

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Tories + NHS ≠ Trust

With the Conservatives openly attempting to woo the Lib Dems, now that we are in an election year, I was surprised to see the latest Tory propaganda poster.

Cameron is trying to convince us that the Tories, and therefore he, can be trusted with our NHS. Well, until I have heard a definitive rejection of the ideas of his chum Dan Hannan and those of Shadow Health Secretary Andrew Lansley, who says that the Tories will abolish all centrally-imposed clinical targets, I will remain absolutely unconvinced.

Tories + NHS ≠ Trust.

Also, we all know how the Lib Dems feel about the airbrushing of photographs and the unrealistic portrayal of the subject this creates. Dear me, Mr Cameron, with the amount of touching-up you've received in that photograph, you will certainly not endear yourself to the Lib Dems!

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