Lib Dem Hopes or pipe dreams

Nick Clegg is playing a dangerous game, ditching the unwritten alliance with the labour party and making a bid for the official opposition seat if not the dispatch box itself. Is this a brave move or a juvenile prank? Whilst he denounces both the Tories and Labour for not telling the truth about the extent of the countries deficit he is in danger of loosing votes by dropping the pledge to remove tuition fees. Can he afford to upset any sector of voters if he is really serious about his party's claim to be the a contender for Government. A qualifier that a review of tuition fees and entry into higher education with a pledge to cap existing levels of tuition fees until that review was complete would have sounded better than just the honest statement that neither the Tories or Lib Dems could say exactly how they would get us out of this whole until after they have had an opportunity to examine the books in detail, after the election. And the Labour Government wouldn't even admit to just how large this hole is even if they were re-elected, or if they did the blame would be cast on someone else who had been digging away whilst the Government's back was turned.

In the Liberal Moment references are made to the Gladstone Government and the huge reforms brought about by a Liberal Government. I don't know whether we are again at such a moment but there is little chance that the Labour party can win another term of office and can we be any more confident that the Conservatives under Cameron will be any more successful in bringing about the changes that are so urgently needed. The Tories may have sorted out many of the labour problems we were experiencing in the 60s and 70s but they squandered our oil revenue and sold off the family silver to do so. Apart from removing the Bank of England from Government control, the Labour Government has followed the Tory line of deregulation of the money markets but have regulated, for the sake of it, just about everything else.

It is time for a real change and I for one am prepared to give the Lib Dems a chance. At least we would have a competent Chancellor in Vince Cable and whilst I am not a supporter of the un-elected Ministers that we have seen multiply under Labour, I would be prepared to see Shirley Williams brought into the Cabinet to give support to what would admittedly be an untested Cabinet. She would not wish to remain there any longer than necessary and would be a great asset to the Country.

Lance Corporal Joshua Bernard

No one would want to see photos of their children lying dying in the mud. I am therefore very sorry that the family of Lance Corporal Bernard, who died last month in Afghanistan have had to witness such a scene. But before we criticise the journalists for releasing the photo just think about how many sons and daughters we see almost daily as victims of military or terrorist action. If the death of Joshua Bernard is to be of any value to us then let it be the moment that either serious thought is given for removing western troops from Afghanistan or the Arab world steps in to support the people of Afghanistan against the Taliban. Unfortunately, the latter course of action is even less likely than the first.

Alan Duncan and others we can do without

The fact that we have a prime minister that we didn't vote for and a significant number of ministers that nobody voted for does question just how democratic our parliamentary system is. Given the choice a few weeks ago the population would as one would have said "sack the lot of them", but of course we weren't given the choice to say that so the Right Honourable and the dishonourable just kept their heads down knowing that either an unusual summer weather pattern, test cricket or some other item would come along to take the public's mind off their expenses scams. All that is except Alan Duncan who complained that the poor MPs were being unjustly chastised by the public at large. There were many, like me that were thinking of voting for this Cameron chap next year but were uneasy about voting for anyone who would give Alan Duncan a job in a future Government. Well the same has obviously crossed the mind of young Dave as well since we now hear that AD is to be replaced. As yet we don't know by whom. We do, however, know who will be replacing Sir Terry of Woganshire when he steps down from his "job" on BBC2. He will, I understand, be replaced by Chris Evans. Sir Tel has been reported as saying that retiring from his breakfast show was the hardest thing he had ever done. Well, yes, it is difficult to give up a cushy little number like that. By cushy little number i am not referring to the reportedly £800K he is paid but the fact that he seems to be able to take a week off whenever he wants and has delivered the same show for the past 3 or 4 decades. Or at least it seems that way. many a day since he used to deliver the morning show on his tod, and a pretty neat little job he made of it. We all remember the motorway cones and the Northampton lighthouse, don't we, and he managed to talk to the listeners. But over recent years he has had to be accompanied by a crowd of gabbling hangers on. And i don't expect that Mr W was meeting the bill out these out of his fat wallet. the whole lot of them now spend most of the programme talking to each other, the listener just providing a few lines of the script. But as tired as the format had become, I do not think that i will be tuning in to listen to the new lad. Chris Evans is certainly one I can do without. Now, whenever BBC finds its self in trouble for swearing before nineoclock or something of that ilk, the spokesperson will come out with the excuse that of course the BBc must be at the cutting edge, challenging something or other, or some other lame excuse. Well moving Chris Evans onto the breakfast slot for BBC2 is as challenging as two weetabix. He will be loud, squeeky and rude and the music will be dire, and not straits. Just how much we are to pay him for spoiling our breakfast is not yet leaked but no doubt will be. Now if the BBC chiefs had asked me who should replace Wogan, which of course they wouldn't as I would have told them for nothing and left them with a huge surplus in their expenses budget, but if they had, I would have said Jamie lee grace. Now there's a presenter to put some life back into the beeb.