Sunday 11th July 2010

An eventful day yesterday as I went down to Southampton to attend the Labour leadership hustings at the Grand Harbour Hotel.
After a morning campaigning in Eastleigh, Andy Burnham, Ed Balls, Diane Abbott and the Miliband brothers came onto the stage at 11am and ironically Abbott was positioned furthest left, with David Miliband furthest right. The chair of the debate was quick to assure us that lots had been drawn beforehand and the seating arrangements were purely coincidental.
The five leadership hopefuls answered ten questions from members of the audience on a number issues, from the war in Afghanistan to narrowing the gap between the rich and poor, with each getting about two minutes to deliver a sharp reply. Speaking to Ed Balls immediately afterwards he said he thought the format was limited as there was little actual debate, as the candidates weren't able to challenge each other. Nevertheless, I thought the event was useful to Labour members who have yet to make up their mind over who to vote for as next leader, we learnt about where they all stood on a range of issues. For example, David Miliband was very critical of the election manifesto which his younger brother Ed had co-ordinated, whereas Ed Balls defended the "a future fair for all" publication.
Yesterday's hustings also allowed us to look at the body language of the candidates when the other contenders were talking. I tried not to laugh at the look of disbelief on David Miliband's face when Diane Abbott claimed she understood the situation in Afghanistan better than anyone else because she comes from a colony. She also took a swipe at the Shadow Foreign Secretary when she said she has spoken to more troops in Afhanistan than a minister would have and it this point the elder Miliband did not look very happy with the MP he had helped get into the contest.
To get an idea of which hopeful would make the most effort to reconnect the leadership with grass roots, it was best to stay behind afterwards to see who was happy to chat to members. Andy Burnham had perhaps looked the most out of place on stage, seeming tense throughout, but after he spoke passionately about a National Care Service for the elderly I approached him to find out more about the idea and he was much more confident and personable one-to-one. Burnham may not be Prime Ministerial material, but he has some big, radical ideas, with the National Care Service being one of the time. He proposed that those in need of personal care would be subject to a 10% levy on their estate in return for recieving the care they need for the rest of their life, without having to sell up and move to a nursing home. Burnham believes this could have the same impact the introduction of the NHS had in the twentieth century and he also spoke of extending student finance to post graduates so that they could complete unpaid internships, something I quite liked the sound of given my current predicament. The former Health Secretary is unlikely to become the next Labour leader, but with a sense of moral duty and innovative ideas he should be considered in high regard in the shadow cabinet.
The candidate I was most impressed with yesterday was without doubt Ed Miliband and after mauling over it for a few weeks I pledged my support to him after the hustings. He gave a strong performance, was probably the most genuine of the five candidates and was very passionate about the future of the party. His plans for a Living Wage and replacing tuition fees with a graduate tax will appeal to many members, but his biggest strength is his willingness to reconnect with the grassroots of the party, which was shown when he agreed to come for a drink with a few of us activists in Southampton after the event. More than happy to pay for the round, Ed Miliband spent a good 45 minutes with us, asking what voters we spoke to during the election campaign were most concerned about and discussing issues such as climate change and the spending cuts imposed on us by the coalition. He wanted to spend even longer chatting to us, but had to leave to attend a Q and A session in Reading.
Over the last ten years it has been fair to say that the Labour leadership have treated their loyal members with a certain amount of distain, ignoring activists on the dangers of a war in Iraq and the crackdown on civil liberties, but with Ed Miliband as leader it appears that the activists will have more of a say over the future direction of the party and that is why he has my support.
David Miliband is still the clear favourite to succeed Gordon Brown as permanent leader of the opposition in September, but with his younger brother's campaign now gathering momentum it will surely be a close contest.

Saturday 3rd July 2010

After giving in to the VAT rise last month it was reassuring to see the Liberal Democrats make a stand on voting reform yesterday. The junior partners of the Coalition hope to push through a referendum to replace the archiac first-past-the-post system with the modern and fairer Alternative Vote (AV). Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is expected to announce on Tuesday that a referendum will be held on 5th May 2011, coinciding with local elections. With most Lib Dems supporting AV and the majority of Conservatives against this form of proportional representation this may be the the first real test of the government's solidarity. The proposed referendum could put the Prime Minister on a collision course with his deputy, as according to Nick Robinson David Cameron tried but failed to persuade Clegg that an early vote was an early risk for the coalition.
Under the Alternative Vote, electors rank candidates on the ballot paper in order of preference and if no one achieves 50% of the total vote the least successful candidate is eliminated and their votes are distributed to the balloter's second choice. This continues until one candidate achieves an absolute majority.
Although the purists will argue that this isn't full proportional representation in the same way as the more complicated Single Transferable Vote system, AV is perhap the fairest way in which we can elect our politicians whilst maintaining single member constituencies, thus the close link between an MP and the people they are representing in Parliament can continue.
If the country says yes to AV next May then we will see the most radical ever shake up in our voting system. Over the last century the Conservatives have benefited from first-past-the-post and Cameron has made it clear that his party will be campaigning against voting reform. Could this single issue mark the beginning of the end for the Coalition government?

Friday 2nd July 2010

I must apologise for my terrible neglect of this blog, its been a very hectic few weeks, the job hunting is taking up much of my time and the last couple of days have been made all the more complicated by making the move from Southampton back to Kintbury, my home village in Berkshire. So where to start on the events of the last three weeks?

The political scene has been dominated by the Coalition's Emergency Budget, announced last week and grim reading for most of us. I found myself outside the Downing Street gates when George Osborne posed with the battered Gladstone box last Tuesday, observing the Right to Work protest organised by the Socialist Workers Party, who attempted to make their feelings known to the Chancellor of the Exchequer with chants such as "NO IFS, NO BUTS, NO PUBLIC SECTOR CUTS" and "WHEN THEY SAY CUTBACK WE SAY FIGHTBACK". There were plenty of armed police there to ensure the situation didn't get out of hand and the protesters were left disappointed that Osborne had to be sneaked out a back entrance, so they then took their rally to the Treasury. He's only been in the job for less than two months, but already Osborne seems to be the most unpopular Chancellor since the Thatcher years and over the next few years I expect to see more uglier scenes as jobs are lost and the cuts properly kick in. One area Cameron and co won't be cutting back on is their personal security, that's for sure.
I'm no economic expert, but since the financial collapse in 2008 I have relied on the wisdom of respected economics professor David Blanchflower to help understand the situation. The Guardian and New Statesman columnist has put his reputation on the line by saying he is convinced that the Budget will lead to a double dip recession. We probably won't know until next year if he is right, but with slow growth in GDP in the first quarter of 2010 its easy to understand his claim that drastic cuts such as the ones being put forward by this government will damage our fragile economy.

With such gloomy ecomonic forecasts for the future it would have been nice if the national football team could have given the country a bit of a lift this summer, but Sunday's dismal 4-1 defeat to Germany in the last 16 of the World Cup put an abrupt end to that much needed escape from reality. In terms of England's performance this has been the worst World Cup in my memory; at least when Argentina knocked out Glenn Hoddle's men at the same stage in 1998 the Lions went down with a fight, eventually losing on penalties. Watching the Germans destroy England in the second half on Sunday brought back memories of sitting deflated with my head down and arms crossed watching Southampton getting turned over most weeks when they were relegated from the Championship in the 2008-2009 season. Fabio Capello wasn't always spot on with his tactics, but I think the reason the team did so badly was because they didn't respect the hierarchy enough, John Terry's press conference a couple of days after the Algeria game is evidence of this. If Capello, a very succesful manager who has won six league titles and the Champions League can't manage England, then who can? I personally think the only man who can command the respect of the players and get them playing with pride again is Sir Alex Ferguson, but at 40/1 the chances of the Scot taking over the English team are slim to none.

At least the anticipation of the new domestic football season will help us forget about a dreadful World Cup. Southampton are huge favorites to win promotion from League One and having spent a fortune manager Alan Pardew knows he has to deliver or he will have to go. Unfortunately I won't be able to renew my season ticket at St Marys this year, but this may be a blessing, as of the six home games I've missed over the last three years Saints have won all of them. Going by this form, they should win every home game this season!

Sunday 13th June 2010

So the curse of England goalkeepers continues. As half time was approaching in England's opening World Cup game against the USA last night, all was looking good. Steven Gerrard had given Fabio Capello's men an early lead and their opponents had rarely threatened. Then an innocent looking looking Clint Dempsey shot was spilled by Robert Green and the West Ham number one found himself the target of a nation's criticism.
It seems to be common for the keeper to make a howler in a big game; in 2002 David Seaman was lobbed from 40 yards by Ronaldinho in a World Cup quarter final, Paul Robinson miss-kicked a Gary Neville back pass in 2006 away to Croatia during a Euro 2008 qualifyer and then a year later in the return game Scott Carson fumbled a long range effort which proved to be catastrophic to England's qualification chances. After their huge errors the international careers of Seaman, Robinson and Carson all went dramatically downhill, so it will be interesting to see if Green is condemned to the same fate after last night's howler and its a real test of character for him, with David James and Joe Hart both snapping at his heels to play between the sticks in the next game. To be fair to Robert Green last night he did slightly redeem himself after the gaffe, tipping a powerful Jozy Altidore shot onto the post in the second half, but whether that will be enough in Fabio Capello's eyes for him to keep his place against Algeria on Friday remains a big question.
Despite only claiming a draw against the USA last night, England's overall performance wasn't too disapointing. At right back Glen Johnson looked confident going forward, goal scorer Steven Gerrard put in a good captain's shift and after intially struggling against the American's tough physical approach Wayne Rooney showed glimpses of that world class talent we all know he has in the late stages of the game.
It would have been much nicer to have kicked off the campaign with a win, but England do have a habit of starting tournaments slowly and a draw against undoubtedly their strongest opponents in group C isn't a bad result.
Capello will now be preparing the team for Algeria on Friday, a game in which they can't afford to be complacent in. I think the North Africa side will be a tougher test than expected and will be difficult to break down, as were Trinidad and Tobago in 2006 when it took two late goals from Peter Crouch and Steven Gerrard to seal victory. Nevertheless, a win will be expected against Algeria is a game which takes on arguably even greater importance now after last night's draw.

Tuesday 8th June 2010

Caught up in World Cup fever, I seem to have neglected the politics scene on here recently so thought I would look at the state of the Labour leadership contest before going back into football mode.
This time tomorrow we will know if Dianne Abbott, Andy Burnham and John McDonnell will join Ed Balls, David Miliband and Ed Miliband in the scheduled leadership hustings before voting opens in August.
At the moment former Health Secretary Andy Burnham is best placed to be the fourth candidate in the contest, as he needs just seven more MPs to nominate him before 12:30pm tomorrow, whilst Abbott and McDonnell both significantly trail.
Supporters of Abbott have suggested McDonnell should stand aside so that there is a better chance of someone representing the left making it onto the ballot paper and there is now increasing pressure on the MP for Hayes and Harlington after he made a distasteful comment about Margaret Thatcher at a GMB husting yesterday, joking that if he could go back in time to 1980 he would assassinate the former Conservative Prime Minister.
Whilst I am unlikely to support either Abbott or McDonnell if they secure enough nominations I would still like to see one of them taking part in the debates. This leadership contest may well determine who is the next Labour Prime Minister, so it is important party members from across the spectrum have a chance to vote for their preferred candidate, otherwise there is a real of risk alienating sections of support.
It is also a chance to show that Labour are a much more diverse party than the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. When David Cameron and Nick Clegg were chosen as leaders of their parties in 2005 and 2007 respectively they were up against other white middle class men. I don't hugely agree with Diane Abbott's politics and most Labour members I have spoken to aren't very impressed with her, but at a time when women's participation in politics is a big talking point I think having her as part of the debate would legitimise the contest and the eventual winner can say they won a diverse campaign.
We only have to look at the last proper Labour leadership election in 1994 when Tony Blair won ahead of Magaret Beckett and John Prescott, all three candidates had their differences and represented their own sections of the party.
There are a few MPs who are yet to nominate a candidate and I hope that they will lend a hand to either McDonnell or Abbott before tomorrow's deadline to make this a real contest.

Sunday 6th June 2010

Today I saw One Night In Turin, a documentary on England's 1990 World Cup campaign, in Sainsburys at a decent price and made a spur of the moment impulse purchase. After watching it this afternoon I did not regret it.
This straight to DVD release, narrated by Gary Oldman, is perhaps the best football documentary I have seen as it perfectly encapsulates the most remarkable chapter in the last 44 years of English football.
What director James Erskine, adapting from a Pete Davies book, does so well is set the context for fans such as myself who were too young to remember the sensational events of 20 years ago. In 1990 football in this country was at its lowest point; English clubs were banned from entering European competitions after the Heysel disaster of 1985, people were still shocked from the Hillsborough tragedy the previous year and we appeared to have a government who couldn't care any less if millions fans were deprived from watching their team at the World Cup, as Thatcher and co threatened to withdraw the national team from Italia '90 if behaviour on the terraces didn't improve.
After watching One Night In Turin many fans will agree with the view that England's semi final clash against West Germany was the most significant match in the evolution of our game to what we see today. Ultimately Bobby Robson's men fell short, losing to their great rivals on penalties, but after a most dramatic campaign English pride had been restored.
This film revolves around two huge characters; manager Bobby Robson and star player Paul Gascoigne. I wasn't aware how vilified Robson was in the British press before a ball had even been kicked in Italy, with tabloids screaming for the now national treasure to "JUST GO" and quit for the good of the nation. When Robson sadly passed away last year every football fan mourned the loss and it was this campaign that was the making of him. My generation think of him as the gentle grandad of the English game, so it was quite a shock for me to see him getting angry laying into journalists in this documentary. Robson faced the hostility of the media and bravely led England to their most successful ever World Cup on foreign soil.
As for Gazza, well all I can say is what a character and incredibly talented footballer in 1990. I've heard many experts talk about what a naturally gifted player he was in his younger years, but until I watched One Night In Turin I thought they were all exaggerating. Now I see what a great raw talent he was, but can only wonder about what might have been.
One Night In Turin has its flaws; the reconstruction close ups of player's legs when showing highlights of the games to add drama are perhaps uneccesary and it would have been nice to have included reflective interviews to get a sense of what the campaign meant to key individuals such as Gary Lineker and Chris Waddle, but overall it was enjoyable and I recommend any England fan to watch it before it all kicks off in South Africa on Friday.
Who knows, maybe in 20 years time we'll see a film called "One Night in Johannesburg".

Saturday 5th June 2010

This time next week many of us will be sitting in front of the television with a pint about to watch England take on the USA in the opening Group C World Cup game which has been so eagerly anticipated. It only comes around every four years and after missing out on the European Championships in 2008 the excitement is even more built up than usual.
With all this preview coverage of the world's greatest tournament I've been reminicising about previous times, watching highlights from classic tournament games and posting my favorite moments to Twitter daily. This will be the fourth World Cup I can remember and the last three have provided me with flashbulb memories. Here are the matches I can recall so vividly from past summers:

1998: England 2-2 Argentina
At the age of eight, the World Cup held in France 12 years ago was the first in which I had become a football fanatic. I can remember getting my first ever pair of football boots a few months before and spent countless hours playing on the "the green" outside my house. This match was on a school night, but my parents knew there was no way they could send me to bed before the end of this huge second round contest.
When Argentina won a penlty early on I recall going upstairs to hide as I couldn't take watching it, but that didn't stop Batistuta coverting from the spot. England levelled 4 minutes later through a penalty of their own and then an 18 year old Michael Owen stunned us all with that wonder goal which announced himself to the world. Argentina equalised from a free kick just before half time and whilst that may have been the last goal of the night the real drama was yet to come. Like many eight year old kids at the time, David Beckham was my idol, so I was absolutely gutted when he was sent off early in the second half for kicking out at Diego Simeone.
We all thought Sol Campbell had won it late on, but his header was ruled out after Alan Shearer was judged to have fouled the Argentina keeper. Ever since then I've always looked straight at the linesman when the team I'm supporting scores, as I learnt on this night to go into wild celebrations only to find the goal has been disallowed is a real kick on the teeth.
The game went to penalties, England inevitably lost and that was my first taste of World Cup disapointment, I should have got used to it then and there.

2002: England 1-0 Argentina
Revenge is a dish best served after four years of waiting as England got one over the team who had knocked them out at the last World Cup in this crucial group game. This tournament was held in the Far East, so most of the games were played in the morning or at lunch time. Luckily, I was on a half term break from school so could watch this game at a gathering of family friends. As half time was approaching lunch was being served, so I went into the kitchen to take my pick from the buffet. As I sat there, someone burst into the room shouting "ENGLAND HAVE GOT A PENALTY" and I jumped up so quickly I didn't realise my arm was still under the table, so ended up hitting my hand against the side. The pain of bruised fingers would last until England got knocked out by Brazil two weeks later, but at the time I was so caught up in the moment I didn't feel a thing.
It was all up to David Beckham, the scapegoat four years previously after his sending off to convert from 12 yards out and he didn't let us down. We held on for a win which felt so good against the team that had reduced me to tears in 1998.

2006: England 0-0 Portugal
I watched every England game of the 2006 World Cup in Germany at the Royal British Legion in Hungerford and altough I wasn't yet old enough to drink there, it was still a great place to watch the big matches as there was always such an amazing atmosphere when the national team were playing.
This Quarter Final showdown took place on a Saturday, a day which I usually worked washing dishes at a local cafe. Fortunately I managed to convince my boss to let me have time off when England were playing, telling him that we wouldn't have any customers whilst the matches were on, so there was no point in paying me (£3.30 an hour!) to be standing around doing nothing.
I finished my shift 15 minutes before kick off, so had to run up to the Legion and got there to find all the seats had been taken, but it was worth standing at the back to sample the atmosphere. The whole pub was singing throughout the game and the language was most colourful when Rooney was sent off in the second half. After losing on penalties once again, the Legion emptied very suddenly amid a huge anti-climax. Good thing I had a Pirate themed party to attend after the game, otherwise the evening would have been very depressing!

In the years to come I wonder what my flashbulb memory of this upcoming World Cup will be. Maybe Rooney's extra time scorcher against Spain on July 11th? We can all dream...

Thursday 3rd June 2010

Last night I thought I might as well broaden my horizons by accompanying two friends who were off to see Sex and the City 2 and I must say I can see why not many blokes would choose to see it.
I confess that I enjoyed parts of it, there were a few laughs here and there, but all this obsession with clothes and jewellery obviously wasn't my cup of tea. The characters were also a bit too categorised for my liking; there's Charlotte - the dappy one, Miranda - the clever one and of course, Samantha - the crude and sex obsessed one. Does every clique of ladies have their token personalities like this?
However, I can understand why Sex and the City is so immensely popular with the opposite sex. It has emancipated women, given them a voice and let them talk about things that would have previously been taboo subjects. It is quite fitting that the four girls go to Abu Dhabi, where their counterparts are suppressed, though I'm not quite sure how realistic one scene is towards the end when they are rescued from an angry mob by a group of Muslim women to find their new friends are all wearing the "Spring collection" underneath the veil.
There were far too many shots of bulges for my liking, but as I'm not exactly the target audience I shouldn't be too surprised. Any girl who enjoys Sex and the City can't really complain about their boyfriend or husband reading Nuts magazine or going to watch a film to lust over Megan Fox, as I suppose this is their equivalent.
From what I understand this film hasn't been very warmly received. When we left the cinema both Jenny and Hayley claimed it wasn't as good as it's prequel and I have other friends who were critical of this one, describing it as "awful" and atrocious", but this my first Sex and the City experience, so I can't compare it to anything else.
I now feel shamefully unmasculine so am off to watch my History of the FIFA World Cup DVD!

Tuesday 1st June 2010

As I write this, news is slowly filtering through about the seven unlucky England players who will not be heading out to South Africa for this month's World Cup. An official announcement is not expected to be made for another hour or so yet, but sources tell us that Leighton Baines, Tom Huddlestone, Scott Parker, Michael Dawson, Theo Walcott, Darren Bent and Adam Johnson will all be heading home from the Austrian training camp, whilst the rest fly off to South Africa. The only surprise there is Theo Walcott, who was a shock inclusion when Sven Goran-Eriksson named his World Cup aquad four years ago.
So now we know 23 men who a nation pins their hopes on are, can they write themselves in the history books? Here's how I rate each area out of 10.


Goalkeepers - Robert Green, Joe Hart, David James.
6/10

With just 11 days to go until England's first game against the USA we're still not completely sure who will line up between the sticks. Joe Hart has impressed me the most, having had a great season at Birmingham and he has done well in the two recent friendly games against Mexico and Japan. Robert Green perhaps would've been expected to take the number one jersey this time last year, but he hasn't had the best of seasons with West Ham and he didn't do himself any favours by becoming the first ever England keeper to get sent off against Ukraine last October. David James is just unpredictable. What is worrying is that none of these three men can be described as world class; Italy have Buffon and Spain have Casillas, so this is an area we're definitely lacking in compared to other contenders.

Defenders - Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Jamie Carragher, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, Stephen Warnock, Matthew Upson.
7/10

In Ferdinand, Terry and Cole England have three quarters of a defence who have played together regularly on the international stage for the best part of six years and Glen Johnson at right back mades us look pretty solid at the back. Ledley King and Jamie Carragher should be more than capable understudies at centre back, but I'm concerned about the lack of cover for Ashley Cole at left back, with Stephen Warnock having just one England cap to his name.

Midfielders - Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Joe Cole, Bradley Wright-Phillips, Michael Carrick, Aaron Lennon, James Milner.
9/10

Providing Gareth Barry can get match fitness in time, England have one of the strongest midfields in the tournament. Lampard and Gerrard both have a great deal of experience at international level and with Lennon, Milner, Wright-Phillips and Cole all in the squad there are plenty of options on the wings. Michael Carrick did well in 2006, catching the eye of Manchester United, who went on to sign him for £16 million, but I can't help but wonder if he is past his best, as he hasn't even been considered a regular starter for his club recently.

Strikers - Wayne Rooney, Peter Crouch, Jermaine Defoe, Emile Heskey.
8/10

As I'm sure you've read everywhere else, Rooney is crucial to any success this summer and looking at his form over the last year he has to be considered as one of the top 5 players in the world at the moment. But who to play alongside him? I think with his excellent record in an England shirt (21 goals in 38 games) Peter Crouch should start, but as is the case in goal, that spot besides Rooney is perhaps one of the areas we are lacking true world class quality. Nevertheless, having scored more goals in qualifying than any other nation England should be sufficent here.

The coach - Fabio Capello.
9/10

The Italian has done a phenomonal job since taking over from Steve McClaren over two years ago, picking up the players when they were at their lowest ebb after failing to qualify for Euro 2008. Capello has instilled discipline into the whole squad and he is not afraid to change tactics when things aren't going right. We're all hoping he can add a World Cup to is already impressive resume this summer.

That gives England an overall score of 39 out of 50 and whilst I haven't looked at other squads in as much depth I think it would be fair to say that only Brazil and Spain would score in their 40s. I'll stand by the prediction I made at the beginning of the year that England will reach the semi finals before losing on penalties to Brazil and talking of the dreaded P word I really hope that Fabio has had the team practicing from the spot. If our first choice taker can miss two in a row (Lampard's miss against Japan on Sunday follows on from his miss in the FA Cup final) then I'm not sure what that says about the rest of the squad. Please no more penalty heartbreak!

Sunday 30th May 2010

The new government is less than three weeks old, but has already been hit by scandal after David Laws was last night forced to step down as Chief Secretray to the Treasury last night over expenses. It emerged that the prominent Liberal Democrat had used £40,000 to tax payer's money to pay rent to his male long term partner, having previously kept this relationship secret from the public.
The whole episode has undeniably weakened the position of the coalition and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg; Laws was part of the negotiating team which came to an agreement over power sharing in the wake of the inconclusive result of the general election earlier this month and one of his first jobs as a Cabinet minister was to present the £6 billion spending cuts to us earlier this week. But the real tragedy here is that he felt the need to fiddle his expenses to hide his sexuality. I like to think we now live in a Liberal Britain where sexual orientation is irrevelant to career prospects. I don't think anyone who matters would think any less of Laws if he had openly declared he was a homosexual. Over the last 15 years or so we have seen a rise in the number of openly gay politicians, Peter Mandelson, Ben Bradshaw and Alan Duncan to name but a few and they have all managed to get on with their jobs without any prejudice being held against them. I was only made aware a couple of weeks ago that Bradshaw was openly gay and the former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport appears to be offended that Laws felt the need to hide his sexuality, yesterday asking his followers on Twitter "when is "protecting your privacy" a euphamism (sic) for feeling shameful about who you are?".
Under article eight of the Human Rights Act David Laws is entitled to privacy (just putting recent NCTJ Law revision into practice), but public interest has to be taken into consideration here as he did use tax payers money to help hide his sexuality.
By resigning within hours of the scandal breaking Laws has probably done himself a favour and many, including Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, expect him to return to government in only a matter of time. David Cameron will be relieved that Laws stepped down so swiftly before he could be sent his marching orders. During last year's expenses scandal the then Leader of the Opposition talked tough about sleaze and this would have been the first opportunity as Prime Minister for him to show he wasn't all talk, no action. However, the quick reaction of Laws has made things easier for the government and sparred there perhaps being potential fraction between Cameron and his Deputy Nick Clegg. Now the seal has been broken I wonder who will be the next Cabinet minister to go; if we have constant resignations at this rate they will all be gone by the end of next year!

Wednesday 26th May 2010

With just 16 days left until the big kick off I think I've caught the World Cup fever. Pubs across the country are proudly displaying the national flag, friends are inviting me to join their sweepstake and Mars have announced themselves as the Official Snack Supplier to the England team, it can only be that time again. The World Cup has become as hyped up as Christmas, except arguably its better than Christmas; we may have to wait four years for it to come along but it lasts longer!
Since the football season ended for my team nearly three weeks ago I've been suffering from football withdrawal symptoms, but luckily on June 11th that big gap in my life will be filled. The prospect of three games a day live on terristrial television is certainly enough to satisfy my appetite for the beautiful game. I look forward to seeing the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Xavi perform on the world stage in front of an audience of billions. I highly anticipate the shock results we can inevitably expect somewhere along the way; can North Korea do the impossible and qualify from the group of death? Probably not, but surely we can expect a small nation to follow in the footsteps of Croatia in 1998 and South Korea in 2002 as the surprise package of the tournament.
As for England's chances of lifting the trophy on July 11th, I'm very pessimistic. In Fabio Capello we may have one of the best coaches in the world who will be expected to reach the semi final stage at least, but I think we're still a top quality goalkeeper and world class striker to partner Wayne Rooney up front short of having a world beating squad. Of course you never know, with good fortune smiling on us it is possible to be triumphant in South Africa and after going out on penalties in five of the last eight major tournaments we've been involved in maybe its about time we had a bit of luck on our side.

Tuesday 25th May 2010

As a big fan of the satirist Chris Morris I was looking forward to seeing his debut as a film director in the new comedy Four Lions last week. However, I left the cinema feeling slightly dissatisfied.
Four Lions tackles the controversial subject of suicide bombers, following the lives of a group British born Muslim men in Sheffield intent on making a statement by killing innocent people. Sure, it doesn't sound like a comedy, but to their credit Morris and his writers, Peep Show creators Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong, give us a few laughs. Its the characters that make this film worth seeing, as the "Lions" are so hapless and their actions of pure stupidity provide the comedy element. For example, the two lead men of the group Barry and Omar are entangled in a bitter power struggle and argue endlessly over what their target should be. One confrontation over bombing a mosque ends with Barry punching himself to justify it.
Perhaps Morris got his inspiration for this film from the failed Exeter bomber, described by many as the world's worst suicide bomber. If Four Lions was based on a true story, then surely these guys would take that title.
I enjoyed parts of Four Lions, but I think my dissatisfaction came from the anti-climatic ending, which left me asking "is that really the end".
Maybe I was disappointed as Morris has previously set himself some very high standards which this time he couldn't quite live up to. For those of you not familiar his other work, Morris created Brass Eye in the 1990s, arguably the greatest piece of satirical television ever. Television presenters, musicians and politicians were stitched up by being roped in to talk about cutting edge subjects such as drugs and paedophilia, but with some blatant inaccurate facts. In one episode Morris managed to convince a whole host of public fugures, including Rolf Harris, Noel Edmonds and David Amess MP to convince youngsters not to take a made up drug called CAKE.
One particular episode caused such outrage that it received over 2000 complaints. I was expecting a similar outburst questioning moral decency over Four Lions, but the likes of the Daily Mail have been surprisingly tame this time.
Morris has defended making a comedy on such a controversial subject, comparing Four Lions to Dad's Army, by showing terrorists as "scary but also ridiculous" in the same way the popular BBC sitcom did to Nazis.
Four Lions might not have quite lived up to the great expectations I had of it, but as long as you're not easily offended its still worth seeing.

Thursday 20th May 2010

The race to succeed Gordon Brown as Labour leader became a real contest this morning when well known back bencher Diane Abbott announced she would be standing.
The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, who in 1987 became the first female black politician to sit in the House of Commons, joins the Miliband brothers, Ed Balls, Andy Burnham and John McDonnell in the contest. Whilst the chances of her becoming the next Labour leader are slim (Ladbrokes have put her at 25/1), Abbott is perhaps the most qualified back bencher to put herself in the frame. She already has a recognisable public profile, sitting alongside Andrew Neil and Michael Portillo every Thursday night to analyse contempory political stories on This Week, and as the probable only female candidate she is best placed to win the vote of her fellow women MPs and grassroot members.
The six contenders now have a week to gather the backing of 33 Labour MPs, before the campaig officially begins. With the likes of Alan Johnson, Harriett Harman and Jon Cruddas ruling themselves out of the contest, it looks as though we now have our final list of who will stand.
This is the first proper Labour leadership contest since Tony Blair saw off John Prescott and Margaret Beckett 16 years ago, so it is a real opportunity to positively debate the best way of taking the party forward after the general election defeat earlier this month. Having Diane Abbott as one of candidates means more sections of the party are represented and if she shines in the campaign but ultimately falls short then perhaps a place in the Shadow Cabinet (I'm sure she could do well shadowing Theresa May as Equality Minister) may come calling.
The ballot opens on August 16th, closing on September 22nd, with the winner announced on the first day of the Autumn party conference. I will be keeping an open mind about who to vote for, Ed Miliband has my backing at the moment, but plenty of time for that to change.

Wednesday 19th May 2010

It has been a very long time since I've blogged about Southampton FC and now that the season is over I thought it would be a good idea to give some player ratings out of ten.
The 2009-2010 campaign has to be judged as a good one for Saints; the club ended their 34 year wait for silverware by winning the Johnstones Paint Trophy in March and whilst most fans would have preferred promotion, all silverware is good silverware and the competition gave us all a cracking day out at Wembley.
Grabbing that last play off spot was just a bridge too far for Alan Pardew's men, but a 7th place finish is some achievement when we consider the ten point penalty and the poor start, with Saints not winning their first league game until towards the end of September.
Next season will be a different story; with the money Pardew has spent over the last year and the opportunity this time of starting on level points with the rest of the league, chairman, owner and supporters will be expecting a successful campaign culminating with a return to the Championship.

Player ratings for the season -

Kelvin Davis - 8 - Continued his great form from the previous season and deserved to be named League One goalkeeper of the year.

Bartosz Biakowski - 7 - Proved to be a competent understudy for Davis and was the penalty shoot out hero in December's JPT win over Norwich.

Greame Murty - 6 - Was Saints best player in opening games, but suffered horrific injury in League Cup and never got going from there. Now released, can't help but wonder what might have been if he had stayed fit.

Lloyd James - 5 - Looked alright in midfield, but showed once again he isn't a natural right back, Pardew was right to let him go.

Jon Otsemobor - 6 - Signed in January on a short term deal, didn't do enough to be rewarded with an extended contract.

Chris Perry - 6 - Did a decent job when needed, a true professional who has served the club well over the last two years.

Radhi Jaidi - 7 - A good free transfer, one of the best defenders in the air in this league.

Jose Fonte - 8 - An expensive purchase in January, but has really plugged the hole in defence since coming in and may prove to be worth the money.

Danny Seaborne - 6 - Another January signing, initially struggled but now starting to look more comfortable.

Aaron Martin - 7 - Only started last two games of the season, but has really made an impact and could be a bright star for the future.

Dan Harding - 8 - First signing of the new era, a real bargain as a free transfer and has been solid at left back.

Joseph Mills - 6 - Done well when needed, but usually Harding's understudy.

Michail Antonio - 7 - Showed great potential, a lively impact sub that would be welcome by fans if signed permanently.

Jason Puncheon - 7 - A good January signing who will surely be an important player next season.

Papa Waigo N'diaye - 6 - Came here with big expectations, didn't quite live up to them, but scored the crucial goals which took Saints to Wembley.

Paul Wotton - 5 - Gave one of the worst performances I have ever seen in August's 1-0 defeat at Swindon, has improved since, becoming an ironic "football genius" with the fans.

Simon Gillett - 5 - Couldn't build on his decent showing last season and was often overlooked by Pardew.

Dean Hammond - 8 - Very consistent in midfield, good box-to-box, strong in the air and the right choice as captain.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 7 - Most improved player this season, just needs to sort out his discipline.

Adam Lallana - 8 - Great contribution scoring 20 goals from midfield, showed he is one of the most skillful players in League One.

Lee Holmes - 6 - Plauged by injury all season, but did alright when given the chance.

David Connolly - 7 - Another bargain signing, superb work ethic and would have scored higher if he stayed injury free.

Lee Barnard - 7 - Signed in January, poor start to his Saints career, but his goals are now starting to win over the fans.

Rickie Lambert- 9 - SAINTS PLAYER OF THE SEASON - Has been phenomenal, a real goal machine who wins nearly every header he challenges for and is a dead ball specialist. Will be crucial to promotion hopes next season.

Saturday 15th May 2010

The contest to succeed Gordon Brown as the next Labour leader heated up today when Ed Miliband announced he would stand against his older brother David. This leaves me with a bit of a dilemma over which man would be a better leader?
David has the edge over Ed when it comes to experience, having been a Member of Parliament for four more years and holding the high profile job of Foreign Secretary over the last three years. However, David is perhaps a more divisive figure in the party; described by some as a "heir to Blair", he is unlikely to win the support of Labour's affiliated trade unions, who make up a third of the electoral college which decides the party leader.
Ed is seen by many as a Brownite candidate after he rose quickly through the ministerial ranks due to a close working relationship with the former Prime Minister. However, he is also popular with grassroots Labour activists and may have been persuaded to stand against his brother by party members on twitter and websites such as Labour List.
Another man expected to stand is Gordon's loyal lieutenant Ed Balls, who will probably be the firm favorite with the unions thanks to his friendship with Unite Political Director and fellow Brownite Charlie Whelan. However, it is a well known fact that Balls was not a much loved figure in the Cabinet, so his union support may be cancelled out by the Parliamentary Labour Party vote.
Its early days yet and while at the moment Ed Miliband has my support that may change in the coming weeks. All I can predict at this stage is that the next leader of the Labour party will have either the first name Ed or the surname Miliband. Or perhaps both...

Wednesday 12th May 2010

The difference in opinion between David Cameron and Nick Clegg was crystal clear when the two men clashed in the UK's first ever televised leaders' debate last month. Back then, who would have thought that they would be hosting a joint press conference in Downing Street.
As I write, the new Prime Minister and his deputy are answering questions in the Downing Street garden, a historical moment when we think that the last person to lead a coalition government was Winston Churchill.
Its all smiles today with Cameron and Clegg looking at ease with each other, however I can't help but wonder how their relationship will change over the coming months. Will they govern together for a whole five years?
Last night I felt I was watching history in the making on television as I saw Gordon Brown honourably stand outside number 10 as Prime Minister for the last time, before David Cameron stood in the same spot about an hour later as our country's new leader. It was a remarkable moment in the modern history of Britain and Gordon's farewell speech was pitched perfectly, striking an emotional chord and even making non Labourites shed a few tears.
For the first time in 13 years Labour have not formed the government, but the mood among party activists appears to be optimistic for the future. Last week's election defeat was by no means a trouncing and after Gordon's resignation we can now look forward to a hotly contested leadership contest. David Miliband is the odds on favorite and will be boosted by this morning's news that Alan Johnson will back him, but I am not going to commit to anyone yet. Ed Balls is expected to be his main challenger and I will assess the strengths and weaknesses of all candidates before making an informed decision on who I want to lead Labour into the next general election.

Tuesday 11th May 2010

For anyone who actually reads this blog, you must think waiting for updates is like waiting for a bus. You wait for months for an update and now two in two days.

Poor Gordon Brown, can he do anything right? The right wing press (I refer collectively to the Sun, Daily Mail, Daily Express and Daily Telegraph) just don't seem to be satisfied with anything he does. They've been calling for Gordon Brown to resign all weekend and when he honourably did the right thing last night the Mail called it "A SQUALID DAY FOR DEMOCRACY" and the Express "THIS SHABBY STITCH-UP". Maybe these editors are just bitter that their shamefully biased election coverage failed to put Cameron in number ten with an overall majority and instead of turning on the Tory leader they look for another scapegoat, one who has had to bear the brunt of plenty of abuse over the last couple of years.
Whether Gordon's resignation paves the way for a Labour/Lib Dem coalition remains to be seen, but I'm glad he did the right thing and hasn't succumbed to hubris syndrome, which his predecessor Tony Blair arguably suffered from.
On the subject of coalitions, I can't help but feel a Lab/Lib coalition will only damage the Labour party in the long term. The best option is to stay in opposition and then pick up the pieces when the Conservatives and/or Liberal Democrats become increasingly unpopular after making savage spending cuts. Plus, to secure an overall majority, Labour would not only have to rely on the support of the Lib Dems, but also the Scottish, Irish and Welsh parties which have a small number of seats in the House of Commons, making the process all the more complicated.
The political situation at this present time feels uncertain, but after the Tories accepted last night that there needs to a referendum on electoral reform I can see a deal being done within the next 24 hours.

Monday 10th May 2010

I may have neglected this site in the last three months, but the exciting events of the last few days have been enough to get me out of blogosphere hibernation.

In the last hour it has been announced that Gordon Brown will resign as leader of the Labour party. As a recently paid up member of the party I can only see this as being a good thing. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for Gordon. He has capably managed the economic crisis over the last couple of years and his financial knowledge and experience have ensured the grim situation hasn't been much worse. But after a clear defeat in last week's general election(though once again, it could have been much worse), to carry on as Prime Minister would not be right. As for standing down as Labour leader, I would be happy for him to stay on temporary to ensure some stability, but he has to step aside if we are to herald in a new era dubbed "Next Labour".

There are a number of individuals, such as the Miliband brothers and Douglas Alexander, who I have faith in to pick the party up from last week's defeat and for this to happen Gordon had to honourably stand down. Alan Johnson is another contender, but after his decision to sack chief drug advisor David Nutt last year I question his judgement and what he may do if a member of the Cabinet strongly disagrees with him. Harriet Harman is also an option, but after watching her recent performances as a stand in Prime Minister's Questions I'm not sure she has it in her and Ed Balls may be seen as too Brownite.

Of course its very early days yet, but if either Miliband brother stands in the contest they will most probably get my approval. If both David and Ed decide to stand against each other, however, then that is a much tougher choice...

Tuesday 23rd February 2010

Regular readers of this blog (I've been assured there are one or two of you somewhere) will have noticed the distinct lack of activity on here over the last month or so.
Well, I regret to inform you all that I'm going to have to put the blog posts on here on hold at least for the next few months whilst I complete the final stages of my university degree.
In the last few weeks there has been plenty for me to blog about, including the political scene leading up to this year's general election and Southampton's dramatic season, but for now I've decided to concentrate my efforts on the student newspaper, The Solent Speaker. Along with trying desperately to knock together articles on a weekly basis for the Speaker there is also the small matter of the dissertation to complete, as well as bringing my shorthand up to speed, gaining further NCTJs and doing some more work experience to boost the CV before I go job hunting.
But for those of you who will miss my blogging (anyone? no?), don't worry, as I will still be writing a regular blog for www.solentspeaker.co.uk titled The Week At Westminster. On that note, I'll fit in one more plug. Don't forget all you Solent students can pick up your FREE copy of Solent Speaker from campus every Friday, to catch up on what's been going on at uni and in Southampton, courtesy of myself and some very talented Journalism students.
So, for samdolton.co.uk, its goodbye for now, but hopefully not farewell...

Monday 18th January 2010

It is not very often that I read something on the Internet which angers and frustrates me, but just learning that Southampton fans have been initially allocated a mere 800 tickets for the trip to Exeter next month has really put a dampener on my evening.
Saints may be given more tickets, but the FA have to review "incidents" from when Exeter hosted Leeds on Saturday. I'm not sure what these "incidents" were, but I can predict that only allowing 800 Southampton fans into the away end at St James Park will be more trouble than its worth.
Southampton have averaged a lot more than 800 away fans at League One games this season and no doubt many will be planning to make the journey to Devon, which is one of the more closer and easier away days to get to in the league this season. I myself was hoping to stay with a friend in Exeter and go to the game on February 6th as part of an enjoyable weekend away. But these plans will be thrown into doubt if I can't get a ticket for the match.
There is an alternative. I know some Southampton fans have already bought tickets for the home end (away fans have to apply in writing for tickets and will probably not find out if their application has been successful until a few days before the game)and this is will only lead to trouble. I for one get very expressive and passionate when watching Saints play and would struggle to contain my emotions for a full 90 minutes, even in the presence of opposition supporters. I'm sure that many of my fellow Southampton fans are the same and I don't think Exeter fans will take too kindly to having opposition fans express themselves in their part of the ground.
I hope the FA will see sense by realising that Southampton need to be given as big an allocation as possible. The away stands at St James Park can hold up to 1,500 fans, with an open terrace open to 1,200 and 300 seats available in The Grandstand, according to the Football Grounds Guide. So there could be space for up to 700 at St James Park on Saturday 6th February that would easily be filled by away supporters.
I understand the police, stewards and other ground staff may find it hard to accomodate a large away following, but when I went to watch Saints play at Leyton Orient in October I noticed that many of the stewards inside Brisbane Road were from Southampton Football Club and I'm sure a similar arrangement could be sorted out between Southampton and Exeter for this occasion.
Saints fans should not be punished for the actions of a few irresponsible Leeds United and this limited allocation could really put a spanner in the works for a good weekend away for myself. Its all up to the FA to ensure fairness for both clubs and their sets of fans.

Sunday 17th January 2010

Southampton's trip to Millwall livened up in second half stoppage time as the two League One play off hopefuls shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw yesterday.
Saints looked to have taken all three points after a deflected Rickie Lambert free kick crept into the net in front of the 2,000 travelling fans and with the game almost over, prompting wild celebrations in the North Stand of the New Den. But just seconds later the home side rained on Southampton's parade by immediately equalising with virtually the last kick of the game through Liam Trotter.
A match that looked to be goaless suddenly sparked into life in time added on, but Southampton should be happy to take a point as they were by far the second best team for large periods of the game. Millwall should have taken the lead in the first half, but a wonderful Kelvin Davis double save to deny Alan Dunne then Lewis Grabban's follow up shot kept the scores level going into half time.
Saints improved after the break, their best chance coming after Michail Antonio's low cross was met by Adam Lallana in the penalty box, but Millwall keeper David Forde bravely blocked the close range effort.
The late goals don't reflect the story of the game, which wasn't the most interesting and excitment in the New Den largely came from the cracking atmosphere provided by both the home and and away supporters. Saints fans left London last night dissapointed that their team couldn't hold on to the lead after scoring what looked to be the late winner, but at the same time we all knew our lads had not played well enongh to deserve all three points.

Saints player ratings -

Kelvin Davis - 8 - SAINTS MAN OF THE MATCH - Made that great first half double save plus another good second save to ensure his side didn't lose this one.

Jon Ostemobor - 6 - A threat going forward in his first game for Saints, however he needs to be quicker at tracking back.

Dan Seaborne - 5 - Looked out of his depth and was forced to make a few panicked clearances.

Jose Fonte - 8 - The best of Southampton's three debutants in defence, seems to be a class act at this level.

Dan Harding - 6 - Didn't have a good first half and was given a hard time by the home fans, but improved in the second half.

Lloyd James - 6 - Did well in build up play, but at times he failed to read the game with some wayward passes.

Dean Hammond - 7 - Was getting stuck in and was perhaps Saint's best player before injury forced him off before half time.

Morgan Schneiderlin - 6 - Didn't offer enough going forward when his midfield partner Hammond was subbed.

Lee Holmes - 6 - Looked rusty at first, but gradually eased himself into the game with some good runs and crosses.

Adam Lallana - 6 - Should have buried his second half chance from close range, but apart from that he didn't do much wrong.

Rickie Lambert - 6 - Wasn't given much service at all, but reminded us all that he poses such a goal threat from set pieces.

Subs -

Paul Wotton (on for Hammond) - 6 - Was like bringing on another defender, as he was solid but gave nothing to attack at all.

Michail Antonio (on for James) - 7 - Proved once again that he is a very effective impact sub by opening up Milwall's defence with some promising runs and a decent long range effort when brought on.

Papa Waigo N'daiye (on for Lallana) - 6 - Didn't have time to do much so should have been used a bit earlier.

Saints are still twelve points off that play off spot that most fans are hoping they finish in at the end of the season, but for now attention turns away from the league and towards other endevours. Wednesday's trip to MK Dons in the Southern Final first leg of the Johnstones Paint Trophy could put them halfway to Wembley, then on Saturday Pardew's men will look to continue their good FA Cup run when they host Ipswich in the fourth round of the of the world's oldest competition.

Friday 15th January 2010

Happy Friday everyone, apologies for my week long absence from the blogosphere, it has been a busy week with exams, but I hope to be able to continue this blog in between dissertation work and everything else.

The Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war has gathered momentum this week, with Tony Blair's former Director of Communications and Strategy Alastair Campbell facing a grilling earlier this week. The investigation was also brought up in Parliament this past week when during Prime Minister's Questions Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg urged Gordon Brown to appear in front of the Iraq Inquiry Committee before this year's general election.
Both Alastair Campbell and Gordon Brown played a significant part in the 2003 invasion, but more than anything, everyone is waiting for Tony Blair to return to the public spotlight in the next few weeks to tackle some tricky questions over his role.
Thinking about how unpopular Tony Blair is in Britain today was got me wondering how it all went so wrong for the former Prime Minister? Historian Dominic Sandbrook writes a regular piece in the New Statesman titled "What If..." where he speculates what would have happened if things in British politics had taken a different path. I can't help but think would have happened if Tony Blair had distanced himself from American foreign policy in those critical days after 9/11 and managed to avoid sending our troops to Iraq. Would Blair still be Prime Minister today?
Let us not forget that at one time Mr Blair was the most popular Prime Minister in the history of British politics. In September 1997, just four months after being elected by a landslide, he captured the mood of the nation when Princess Diana was tragically killed in a car crach with his "People's Princess" speech. After this, Blair had an approval rating with the British public of over 90%, but from here on it was only going to go downhill.
We saw a glimpse of what was to come a few months later when "the Bernie Ecclestone affair" hit the headlines in November 1997. Despite private fears this scandal would signal the end of his career, Blair came through relatively unscathed by claiming he was a "pretty straight kind of guy". In hindsight we can see the irony.
The Ecclestone affair was the first scandal to rock the Blair governments, preceeding the cash for honours scandal, but it is the Iraq war which most of all has put a permanent stain on his reputation.
In January 2003, just months before Britain went to war, Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland wrote an article titled "A leader who has left behind his people". He concluded:
"How will historians look back at this solo stance by Tony Blair? that depends on the outcome of the coming war. But they will either say this was his defining act of great statesmanship - or the decision that ultimately led to his downfall."
Unless he can pull off a miracle in front of the Chilcot Committee, his actions will almost certainly be judged as the latter.

Friday 8th January 2010

So after all the exciting developments of Wednesday, Gordon Brown remains Prime Minister and now looks certain to lead his party into the general election. As for the conspritors of the potential leadership contest which turned out to be "storm in a tea cup", Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt's reputation have both been tarnished and their judgement questioned by the majority of Labour party members.
And rightly so. To hold a leadership contest just months before the general election would not have improved Labour's chances of holding onto power one bit. Even if Gordon Brown had won the contest, his authority would have been seriously undermimed. You only have to look back to 1995, when Conservative Prime Minister at the time John Major resigned as leader of his party. He was comfortably returned to the post, but this did not help him avoid a thrashing at the general election two years later.
Labour supporters will be pleased that the majority of MPs, particularly Cabinet members, have a bit more common sense than Hoon and Hewitt and put party unity first. Nevertheless, this whole episode has been damaging to the government and has given the Conservatives some ammunition, with David Cameron seizing the opportunity to point out the deep divides within the party.
Brown may have survived this time, but as was the case with John Major in 1997, it might be certain members of his party who contribute heavily to his downfall. I see Hoon and Hewitt's actions in football terms as booing and jeering the captain of the team as he leads them into a World Cup final. A fitting analogy this year, I think.
Election fever is starting to sweep the nation already, with the Tories launching their pre-election campaign earlier this week. I have seen David Cameron's apparently airbrushed mug appear on posters all over Southampton. Ending today's post on a lighter note, I thought I would link to some spoof poster which can be viewed here. Always importantto keep just a bit of humour in politics!

Wednesday 6th January 2010

BREAKING NEWS!!!

I have just got back from running a few errands in town to find Twitter going mad with the breaking news that ex-ministers Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt plan to call a secret ballot on Gordon Brown's leadership.
Now currently listening to Radio 5 Live, I forgot how exciting the breaking of a political story is and there was me thinking today's news agenda would be dominated by the weather!
The former Cabinet ministers have sent a letter round to all Labour MPs, but is this really the right time?
Gordon Brown has just finished his first Prime Ministers Question time of 2010, the biggest year for politics in recent times. From what I have just read, he performed well today and will have been boosted by the news that business secretary Peter Mandelson has finally come out and publicly supported him, but this latest development will come as a huge kick in the teeth.
At first glance, it seems that Hoon and Patricia are both bitter at being left in the cold in recent times and want to claim the glory of removing Brown from office. However, this could all work out in the Prime Minister's favour. If he comes through the leadership ballot unscathed then his reputation will improve, his leadership ability will no longer be questioned and he can strongly lead Labour into the general election.
At the moment though, to me it just looks like a petty display of selfishness from Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt, who haven't taken into account the damage their actions will cause to the Labour party in general. And no suprises, Gordon Brown's fiercest critic in his party Charles Clarke has backed their calls.
Listening to the radio now, Labour members are calling in and seem to be dismayed at this breaking news story. One loyal Labour voter has just claimed that Hoon and Hewitt have now handed the election "on a plate" to the Conservatives.
We shall have to wait to see if this all gathers momentum over the next few hours and days, but I'm hoping the Labour party can unite with Gordon Brown leading them into the election, which will definitely be held in the next five months, so surely its too late now for all this doubt.

Monday 4th January 2010

Happy new year to all and welcome to 2010. This year is hugely significant for politics, as in a few months time we go to the polls to decide who runs the country in perhaps the most important general election since 1997. Whether its held in March or the more likely date of May 6th, one thing is for sure that there there is a long campaign ahead for all involved.
Kicking off the election year, Tory leader David Cameron this morning identified the NHS has his number one priority and I'm sure Labour will have something to say about this. Expect this to be the general pattern until the election is called; one party announces their plans, other parties fiercely attack it. However, the NHS is one of the minor issues, as I expect this election to be focued around the budget deficit and the future of Britain's economy.
I have have thought of ten questions that won't be answered until the results of the general election are clear-

1. Will we have Labour or the Conservatives controlling the country?
2. Will a single party achieve an overall majority in the House of Commons?
3. Will the Liberal Deomcrats improve on their 2005 performance?
4. In the event of a hung parliament, who will the Liberal Democrats side with?
5. Will last year's expenses scandal see a rise or fall in voter turnout?
6. How many high profile MPs will lose their seats as a result of being implicated in the expenses scandal?
7. How will the smaller parties, particularly the British National Party, fare?
8. How will the first ever televised leaders debate effect the outcome of the election?
9. Will we see any Independent MPs elected?
10. How effective will the Sun newspaper be in supporting the Conservatives?

Of course, I do not know the answers do any of these questions, but one thing I will confidently predict is that this will be the closest fought election since the Conservatives narrowly triumphed over Labour in 1992.
More to come on my views concerning the 2010 general election throughout the year.