Drinking policy all over the place

I have said it before and I will say it again, here, now. This government is so obsessed with spin and headlines that it looses sight of what it is supposed to be doing. The various policies linked with drink and respect are classic examples.

Firstly the government pushes through changes to the licensing hours legislation which it claims will reduce binge drinking. By extending opening hours the nations attitude to drink will change to a continental style. It is clear that no one in the Labour party has ever been on or seen footage of a club 18-30 holiday. Given longer drinking hours young British people just drink for longer.

The legislation was also meant to stager the closing time of local pubs. This shows a complete lack of understanding of how some people think. If you were in a pub and determined to get the most out of the night, once the pub your started out in shut you would simply move to another pub that was open. Everyone would still be turned out onto the streets at the same time.
This is all foolish enough were it not for the fact that the government now want to stop people drinking alcahol on trains. Talk about sending out mixed messages!

Rosa Parks

Yesterday a truly iconic figure passed away. Rosa Parks was the catalyst for the black civil rights movement in the USA which changed the way a country viewed itself.

She was the woman who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man an in doing so became a legend. When so many of the 50s and 60s civil rights activists died young it is some consolation to hear that she died peacefully in her sleep.
Read about her here.

It's back

Sorry, I have been away from blogging for a few months. I promised to spend more time with Susie and the boys once the election was over and the half hour or so each evening that I spent updating the website had to go.

But as in the words of Gloria Gaynor "I'm back". So much has happened in the last six months I can't even begin to cover it all in the entry, I will however try to remember the big events an give you my comments on them.

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The Conservative leadership has been the long drawn out story of the Summer and I think that despite the uncertainty we seem to have gained a fairly positive reaction from the media. I hope that the goodwill demonstrated by the media continues.

We are in the enviable position of having the choice of two potential leaders neither of whom fills me with dread. Who am I going to vote for? I intend to support David Davis because I feel that he has the combination of experience and the desire to reform the party.

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My next move is to stand for Mayor of Lewisham! I am really looking forward to it, Steve Bullock has been working hard to help me get in and people are much more willing to listen to some real alternatives to Labour. I will be updating this site with policies and ideas, watch this space.