Iraq Inquiry A Farce

So Gordon Brown has decided to have an enquiry to "answer the questions" about Iraq. This is designed to restore the public's confidence in the Government, from the man who promised a more open and transparent form of politics. The members of the enquiry team are hand appointed by the prime minister, the enquiry will sit in closed session, the terms of reference do not permit it to apportion blame or express a view as to any potential criminal or civil proceedings against any person, no witnesses will be compelled to attend and evidence will not be delivered under oath. Does the word "whitewash" spring to mind. If Brown believes taht people will accept this he is even more misguided than I thought.

TV Discussion

I will be appearing on the Politics Show on BBC1 this Sunday along with a representative from the Green Party to discuss the new Tesco store in Beeston, which was given planning permission last night. I chaired the meeting and voted in favour of the scheme. It seems to me that having a store so close to the High Street, with free parking, may well attract more shoppers into the town. Afetr all, people park at Sainsbury's and visit other shops as well. By ensuring that Tesco's provide free parking for all shoppers for a minimum of 2 hours, which they will sign a legally binding agreement to do, and by removing a shop from the High Road to open up access to the car park, which they have done, I think that the store can be a benefit to the town.

It is however only part of the work. We desperately need to renovate the Square and get new facilities built there. We don't have enough large shop units in Beston to attract the range of retailers that we need, and as a result many companies who would like to have come to us have stayed away. We need to bring them in.

As well as major traders we also need to ensure that there are still spaces for local traders and speciality shops. We don't want to lose the chacater of Beeston so that it becomes just another identikit town.

Issues like this illustrate the genuinely difficult decisions that local politicians have to make week in and week out.

The Ineffective Labour Party

This weeks developments show just how ineffective the Labour Party in parliament is - they can't even organise a coup properly. It was obvious on Thursday, with a number of ministers resigning, that there was a plot against Gordon Brown. However it's been botched. All that has happened is that it has left the Prime Minister with a considerable weaked power base and resentment running large through the Labour Party. The Prime Minister has been briefing against his close colleagues, and they have been briefing that they were going to get rid of him. In the end it has all been a farce. throughout all the public have wanted is for there to be a general election so that we can get this lot out of office, but it has never been forthcoming.

Public Good or Private Gain

Labour MP's today need to ask themselves what they value more, doing the right thing for the country or getting the best for themselves. If they want to do their best for the country then they must force Gordon Brown to either quit or call an immediate election. Their all time record low of 15% of the vote in the Euro elections shows that they no longer have any mandate to govern. If they believe that the British people really want them to carry on as they are then let the British people have their say on this.

However these same MP's know taht if there is an election huge numbers of them will lose their seats. They may therefore decide taht it is better to cling on to the bitter end and milk every penny out of the system they can before the public give them the boot.

Apparently the Parliamentary Labour Party have a meeting tonight. We should know very quickly whether they want to do what's right by the country, or whether personal self-interest is their overriding concern.

Election Results

Well done to all our Broxtowe candidates in yesterdays elections who gave us our best ever set of results. We won five of the ten seats in the borough and polled 29% of the vote, above the national average and well above Labour's 19%. The Tories polled 35% so we've got 6% to make up on them.

Nick Palmer has worked hard as an MP but he supports Gordon Browns Government. Labour have come third in Broxtowe now in the last two elections and it is clear that Nick will not win a fourth term as MP. The only question for voters is whether to elect a Tory who doesn't line in the constituency or me, a long term local resident who even Dr palmer himself said would make a very good MP.

Resignations

To lose one minister is unfortunate.
to lose two ministers in careless
To lose three ministers in appalling.
But now, to lose four ministers in the period of 24 hours is unprecedented.

Anyone who thinks that the Gordon Brown's government is not falling completely apart is fooling themselves beyond measure.

If Mr Brown really thinks that he has the support of the British public then he can prove it - call the election now. If the public support him they will vote him back in and his authority will be considerably strengthened. On the other hand ....

D-Day

President Obama has said in an interview with the BBC this evening taht he is doing all he can to ensure the Queen is invited to the D-Day commemerations on 6th June. Two thoughts immediately leap to mind. The first is that many thousands of British soldiers fought and died bravely on D-Day for the liberation of Europe, and for the French not to have ensured that the Queen was invited as a matter of course is a national insult. Second Gordon Brown, as Prime Minister, should have ensured that she was. His failure to act is lamentable. He eventually agreed to go himself, only after pressure from vetrans, but never botehred to ensure that Her Majesty was invited. That it falls to the American President to arrange this represents a serious dereliction of duty by Mr Brown. It's yet another sign, if any more were needed, taht he is not fit for office and that he should call a general election now.

I myself am a pacifist. However I recognise fully the bravery and sacrifice of my grandfathers generation, who fought against the tyrrany of Hitler. Their self-secrifice and what they endured is something that all of us should keep strongly to mind. Not inviting the Queen is an insult to all their memories.