Why I'm getting married today!

It is the one question most people have asked, why now, why today?

Simples.

Ouch, I can't sit like a meerkat for long.

On the 28th July 2009 my Mum was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Mum being Mum (you will soon realise where my stubborn streak comes from) she started to make a list of stuff she wanted to do before her death.

However just six weeks later, she tragically lost her battle with this shit disease - only 3% of people survive for 5 years, pancreatic cancer has the worst survival rate of any cancer -and passed away on the 2nd September 2009.

Ironically, this date was my Dad's birthday - although he left us when I was 15, never to be seen again.

One of the things on Mums list was seeing one of her two kids get married.

Now, if it was down to tossing a coin in the air and picking me or my Sister, the coin probably would never have come back down to earth, amusing us all.

However, if either of us had realised Mum had so little time we also would have done the wedding before, but we didn't know, that was one criticism I had of the staff around Mum (they didn't warn us) - I say one, it's the only criticism I had of the team who looked after her in those final days in hospital - and Daniel was amazing.

So last year, after speaking to my Sister, and me getting down on one knee in our kitchen to propose (he said yes) the wedding was on - and picking the date was easy, we chose my Mums birthday.

Today is one and a half years to the day from when Mum was diagnosed but more importantly today is Mum's birthday - my Sister put Mum's invitation under her memorial tree last night - and during the service Roger and I will light three candles - one for Mum, and then one each for Vera and Buster (Roger's Nan & Grandad).

They are never out of our thoughts and today is no exception.

That's why I'm getting married today.  I love my Mum.

Ed Miliband is forced into a reshuffle Balls-up

Veteran Labour politician  Alan Johnson MP has resigned today as the Shadow Chancellor for personal reasons after just three and a half months.

In a statement, Alan Johnson MP said:

"I have decided to resign from the shadow cabinet for personal reasons to do with my family."

Today's announcement follows several recent gaffes by Alan Johnson when discussing tax and economic matters, including a recent in an interview when didn't know the rate of National Insurance paid by employers!

Rumours are rife in Westminster about why Johnson has gone.  Guido has more details.

So, Ed Miliband is forced into reshuffling his titanic team - Alan Johnson is replaced by Ed Balls, previously the shadow home secretary.  Mr Balls' wife, Yvette Cooper, takes over at home affairs, Douglas Alexander becomes shadow foreign secretary and Tessa Jowell becomes shadow Cabinet Office minister.

So, Balls gets a promotion - Gordon Brown's left hand man gets what he wants.

Liam Byrne, the Labour MP who left a note on his desk in the treasury saying "there is no money left" when Labour were kicked out of Government is made shadow work and pensions secretary.

It is somewhat astounding that someone who can be so flippant finds themselves promoted.

The other strange thing about this new look cabinet, it is just like the Gordon Brown cabinet, full of people denying they had anything to do with forcing us into the position we are in now where we face paying £120million per day in interest alone, enough to build a new school every hour!

Stephen Williams, Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Treasury Committee, commented earlier on the resignation of Alan Johnson MP:

“I wish Alan Johnson good luck for the future.

“The decision to appoint Ed Balls as Shadow Chancellor shows that the Labour Party is now determined to carry on with the Gordon Brown economic plan that caused so much trouble for this country.

“Ed Balls isn’t just a deficit denier, he’s a deficit enthusiast.”

Well done Stephen Williams MP, great line.

New Owner at Edinburgh Capitals - Edinburgh's ice hockey team

This press release hit my inbox late last night.  It was also posted in Forum Jar, nothing yet on the Edinburgh Capitals website or Forum though - not entirely surprising though!

Although it is the only posting in the Edinburgh Capitals forum on forum jar and if you google Roger Soles Media, the provider of the press release, nothing comes up on the first page of google!

So, is this a fan hoping, a complete wind up or a new weird discreet way of announcing major news?

Or just R Soles Media?

When things sound too good to be true, they usually are!

Edinburgh Capitals are delighted to announce a change of ownership.

Edinburgh Capitals new owner, a prominent local businessman with a track record of supporting and developing Edinburgh spectator sport has, after long and detailed negotiations, secured the franchise and the rights to participate in the Elite League. He will be introduced to the current cohort of loyal fans at an already arranged Fans Forum, where the current owner will outline his strategy as Director of Hockey.

The new owner has invested heavily and is committed to a five year plan.

It is intended that a full squad of 7 new top class imports, who have already agreed terms will ice once paperwork and contracts are finalised. They will ice on the first weekend of February after intensive training and familiarisation.

There many exciting developments both on and off ice planned, one of which will be a rebranding of the organisation.

The new team name and logo will be launched in February.

Labour's one trick pony Ed Miliband appeals to Lib Dems (again) - my response

Ed Miliband takes over the leadership of the Labour Party thanks to the Union votes after the Labour MPs and members turned their back on him and he declares this the new generation Labour and that New Labour is dead.

Since then he has denied the last thirteen years happened and blames the Liberal Democrats and Conservative coalition government for absolutely everything he can.

Including the introduction of student tuition fees, the disgraceful 75p pension increase, the complete waste of money introducing ID Cards, the fingerprinting of children, the illegal war in Iraq, doubling the 10p basic rate of income tax, selling off the UKs gold at the lowest price for 20 years, the major tax credit bungle, not standing up to the bankers and leaving us to pay off debts including £120 million per day on interest alone.

Now he has scrapped all of their policies and swapped it for a blank sheet of paper.

He has appealed to Liberal Democrat members and voters to join him and his lack of vision, not once, but four times in as many months.

He claimed today that thousands of Liberal Democrats had joined Labour since May, yet thousands of Liberal Democrats have not left since May, in fact we have seen an increase in our membership so more nonsense from him.

Philip Hammond MP, the Transport Secretary (Conservative) said;

"Most Liberal Democrats understand that we have to address the fundamental economic challenges this country now faces before we can build the progressive society that we all want to live in and until Ed Miliband has a credible plan for dealing with the deficit he's not in a position to make a pitch to anybody,"

That is exactly the point, the other option in May was the supposed rainbow coalition, but Labour included caveats such as they would work with the SNP for example, so that option was doomed before it started.

 Yes, the Liberal Democrats could have not bothered with either party and left the Conservatives to operate as a minority government, but given the childish behaviour of the Labour Party they would have voted against everything they ever proposed meaning nothing would have happened and we would have faced a second general election in 2010.

I don't think the voters would have stood for that either.

Yes, I agree with Nick - going into coalition government was the right way forward for the country and the media and Labourites are gloating over our national poll ratings of 8/9% yet on Thursday night in Oldham East & Saddleworth we once again polled over 30%, not just a poll but real votes in real ballot boxes.

So Ed, we are all getting bored of your repeated requests to join your blank page party, we remember your record over the 13 years despite you repeatedly forgetting about it - you are a one trick pony and your trick of asking Lib Dems to join your party is wearing thin. 

Ed you need a new trick, maybe you should do the same as your Deputy, stay silent and say nothing until you have something to say.

Who reads which newspaper?

THE ORIGINAL (1987)
Jim Hacker: "Don't tell me about the press. I know exactly who reads the papers":

* The Daily Mirror is read by people who think they run the country;
* The Guardian is read by people who think they ought to run the country;
* The Times is read by people who actually do run the country;
* The Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country;
* The Financial Times is read by people who own the country;
* The Morning Star is read by people who think the country ought to be run by another country;
* And the Daily Telegraph is read by people who think it already is.

Sir Humphrey: "Prime Minister, what about the people who read the Sun?"

Bernard Woolley: Sun readers don't care who runs the country, as long as she's got big tits.

THE (2009) UPDATE BY STEVE PUNT & HUGH DENNIS

The episode from 14 August 2009 - Steve Punt & Hugh Dennis's "The Now Show":

* The Times is read by the people who run the country;
* The Daily Telegraph is read by the people who think they run the country;
* The Guardian is read by the people who have run the country for the past 12 years and realised they're blown it;
* The Independent is read by people who got to the newsagents after they'd run out of The Guardian and The Times;
* The Daily Mail is read by the wives of the people who run the country;
* The Express is read by Marcus Brigstocke to wind himself up;
* The Mirror is read by the people who vote for the people who read the Guardian and have now blown it.
* The Sun is read by people who'll vote for people who'll run the country to suit the people who read the Financial Times while somehow convincing themselves that those people will give a toss about the people who buy The Sun the moment the election's over;
* And The Star is read very ... slowly ... with your lips moving.

Conservative Christian Richard Carvath makes vicious homophobic attack

When Andrew Tibbs tweeted this earlier today to say I was shocked was an understatement.

"Tory @RichardCarvath makes some appalling homophobic comments on his blog http://bit.ly/eEwhji The Tories should get rid of him. Pls RT"

This nasty individual has some very vile and disgusting views of gay people and the reason I am linking to his blog is to ensure that the Conservative Party dismiss him completely and that people know of this horrible individual.

Although Richard Carvath stood in the General Election as an independent candidate, he proudly boasts on his blog that he is a member of the Conservative Christian Fellowship, the Christian wing of the Conservative Party.

They should take immediate action and expel him.

I am appalled that Carvath generalises that not only are all gay people perverts in his mind but he also states that all gay people carry disease and have poisonous blood and hints that all gay people are paedophiles!

"Given that homosexual-perverts are generally riddled with disease - from HIV to syphilis to hepatitis etc - as a result of their sodomitical activities, it is entirely right and proper that the National Blood Service refuses to accept their poisonous blood."

I have been subjected to homophobic views many times before but am shocked that Carvath is allowed to put so many of these untrue and misguided thoughts into the public arena, especially the sheer hatred he has.

He goes on to personally attack Matthew Sephton, the Chair of the Conservative Party's LGBT group and although I am in a different party, I am here supporting Matthew.

Personal attacks such as the one by Carvath on Matthew in his blog post are simply not acceptable.

Although I am not religious, I respect other people are but all of the people I know who are religious, not one is homophobic to this extent (yes, some are homophobic), Carvath's views are so right wing and extreme it is appalling.

On the whole blood ban part of the attack by Carvath - poppycock.

To sign the petition and read more about the ban on gay men being able to donate blood, visit the website.

UPDATE MONDAY 17th JANUARY 2010 23:11
Tweet from Matthew Sephton.

Monday 17th 21:07 - "I can pass on that @DavidBurrowesMP has confirmed that he wrote to that person last month to withdraw #CCF membership"

Matthew has also stated that the post on Carvath's blog, where he claims he re-joined the Conservative Party is wrong because his membership application was returned.

Happy to let you all know the Conservative Party has nothing to do with this particular individual or his vile views.