I don't think any of us fully appreciated the horror of what happened in South East Asia when we heard the news on Boxing Day. We do now. The pictures are truly horrific - none more graphic than the front page of today's Sun newspaper. I'm watching Sky News as I type this and can only imagine the grief of those who have lost loved ones. My sister has spent quite some time in Thailand but I have never been there apart from a two hour stop over on the way to Australia.
I was in Lloyds Bank in Cromer this morning and in front of me a man brought in a bag of money which had been collected on the streets of Cromer during the morning. There must have been a couple of thousand pounds in it at least. The lady behind me donated £100 to the appeal. It's not just governments who are duty bound to help on occasions like this and it is magnificent that individuals are doing their bit too.
It makes party politics look all rather petty doesn't it?
Do you think politicans should say how much they've donated? I see Mr Howard has given £250
ReplyDeleteI think in situations like these we all give what we can. Personally I wouldn't disclose what I have given but it's up to indidivuals. Where did you read about Michael Howard? I can't find any record of this on the internet.
ReplyDeleteOn www.conservatives.com story obtained via another Tory association's wensite.
ReplyDeleteBut party politics IS petty, and nothing demonstrates it more than your side-swipes at Norman Lamb and the Lib Dems. I appreciate the fact that you are unlikely to unseat Mr Lamb unless you can undermine him but your tactics are putting otherwise undecided voters off the Conservatives.
ReplyDeleteWhy not concentrate on the postive policies of the Tories and let the Lib Dems shoot themselves in the foot...
I agree with you that I am here to sell the positive things that the Conservative Party has to offer. But I am also here to point out where the present incumbent and his Party are wrong. If my opponent votes for Identity cards in 2002 and votes against them this time, is is not reasonable of me to point this out? If he makes out he is against the euro when he speaks in Norfolk but makes a speech to the LibDem conference extolling its virtues, is it not reasonable of me to highlight this? Be very sure that he would do far worse to me were the boot on the other foot.
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with you pointing out what your opponent is doing wrong - but think that's what you should stick to, rather than implying he is doing wrong when in fact he has behaved perfectly reasonably.
ReplyDeleteTake ID cards: when Norman Lamb first voted for ID cards, it was for the principle of voluntary national identity cards. Since then, the government has made it clear firstly that the scheme will become compulsory, secondly - and more importantly - that it will cost an enormous amount of money to implement (which could be better spent elsewhere)with individuals forced to pay for the privilege of having a card whether or not they want one. Thirdly, there is of course the scenario of the computer system failing to cope - cf. the CSA, the Inland Revenue with Tax Credits, etc etc - potentially resulting people being refused access to a service because their card could not be read.
With this new information, it seems utterly reasonable for Norman Lamb - indeed any thinking politician or member of the public - to reassess his opinion of the proposed ID card scheme. And, given the new information now available, it also seems utterly reasonable for Norman Lamb to have voted against the scheme.
I suspect that the Lib Dem stance against ID cards may draw the votes of many thinking people - who may have been tentatively in favour before discovering all the facts.
Your attempt to portray Norman Lamb as a Kerry-type flim-flam Liberal is in fact based on nothing more substantial than a wish to have a dig at the Lib Dems. In other words, unable to find something he has in fact done wrong, you have been reduced to petty party politics.
You are remarkably well informed about Mr Lamb's reasons for voting for then against ID cards. Methinks thou dost protest too much. What about Europe then? I notice you didn't comment on that. Everyone knows my views on the issue but no one can tell you what his are. Even he doesn't seem to know himself whether he is for or against the European Constitution. I would have thought a Member of Parliament ought to have a view on it, wouldn't you?
ReplyDeleteYou could always contact Norman Lamb directly to ask his reasons for changing his vote on ID cards - and his opinions on Europe or any other matter at the same time - which would might give you real ammunition instead of just speculating (or take the wind out of your sails I suppose, depending on his response...)
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