"Things Can Only Get Better..." (for Labour- just incase you didn't get that...)

Bugger.

Now I don't know if it was the copious amounts of Red Bull I'd had to drink, or the aching butterflies that were rocking my stomach, but I struggled to sleep last night, I really did.

The drive back to Edinburgh at 3 o'clock this morning was difficult. The announcement that John Mason had gotten 365 more votes than Margaret kept playing on my mind, like a song you hate that's on repeat in your head which you just can't stop.

I should start by congratulating him. He's not a bad man at all, and I am sure he'll be an effective MP for the people of Glasgow East. But for God's sake, Labour losing Glasgow East??

I guess that's our problem; it was always Labour and we took it for granted. When an SNP car tooted and gave the finger to me as I staggered with a heavy heart out of the pub, to put it mildly I was pretty 'annoyed'... Yes we let down Margaret and our party, but I also felt a profound sense of guilt that despite the fact the east end of Glasgow is like night and day to what it was in the late 90's, we hadn't done as much as we could have done or as much as we should have for the people who lived there.

There's no doubt in my mind that Nationalism is not what the people of Glasgow East need, and that the cause of the Labour Party is greater than any cause on which the SNP stand. However, it was them who decided, and them who spoke out. And we really need to listen to that.

We need clearer promises for people, and greater clarity on the direction of our 'moral compuss'.

However, the fact remains, that without a Scottish leader and with the most unpopular gevernment since 1918, it was always a bad time to have a by-election.

Independent Schools- Charity or Greed?

I have been wanting to blog for a while for what to me is a highly emotive issue. Sometimes when you sit on the fence it's not because you don't have an opinion on the matter, but because there are two massive forces, existent only within your mind, pulling you in two different directions. The charitable status of independent schools is for me one of them. Each side of the argument represents a large chunk of who I am. I both love and hate them at the same time.

It's a cruel dilemma for me, made even more harsh by the fact I was indeed at one of the UK's top private schools. At times like these I wish I was a Tory. It makes moral problems a lot less complicated; you just always pick the selfish one. Unfortunately my conscience puts things in a much deeper perspective. I have always been rather confused over who I am socially. I was never a sk8er (yeh- that's how you spell it...), goth, rugby guy or geek. But further than that, I was neither rich nor poor. While I was at a top fee- paying school, my father was a minister of the church in one of Edinburgh's poorest areas. I spent every Tuesday night of my life growing up with the kids in my dad's church's area. None of them had a lot. I always remember as a very young boy wondering why their hands were always dirty and their hair never combed. Games with them outside in the local area consisted of playing in abandoned garages and among the broken glass of the broken- into cars. The next morning I was back at school, with a £100 blazer, crisply ironed shirt, polished shoes and woolen socks pulled up to my knees. My friends and activities throughout the week were always quite different than they were on a Tuesday night, but never better or worse.

Those children were there at the Church's charity. One time several years ago one of those children broke into the Church. All they got away with was a couple of bottles of wine. The silver and valuables were either in the bank or locked in another room, but not that it matters. Whether they took a box of crayons or a silver communion set, the damage was done before they left. Using a foot print in playdough they had dropped on the floor, they found who did it. I'm not saying the actions of one of those kids reflected in any way what all of them would have done, but in some way it shaped a lot of my politics.

My father gave evidence in court; not against them, but for them, and advocated for them not to be punished. And it was that which shaped my politics more than I could ever imagine.

What does this have to do with private schools?- well, having a mother who was a musician, I'd been shown to have musical talent at a very young age, and my local state school which didn't even offer music at the time was not acceptable to my parents, and so I went to a private school with its own music department. After time the fees went up, and my parents faced the realisation that they were going to have to take me out. But my school were keen to keep me, and so I received money donated by others within the school to pay for my school fees. They didn't know who I was, and I didn't know their names, but they gave and donated without question or judgement, without expectation or condition, and I will always be eternally grateful for the burden they carried, and the person they helped me become. I was there by their charity, and I came to love my school. And yes I hated aspects of it. I didn't deserve it any more than any one else, but it was delivered in a way which didn't narrow opportunity but indeed widened it.

I guess I wrote all this today because I wanted you all to know that I am thinking about it. I haven't made up my mind yet, and I don't know if I ever will. I love my school, but I hate some of the things it represents.

Charitable status is nothing, really. The rich will always have choice and greater opportunity when it comes to education, even if you banned private schools. But the fact for me remains, that it takes more than just one ideological argument to close down a truly wonderful and loving educational institution; a place which showed me more charity than I have ever seen in any other part of society.

Back from France... and I brought some luggage...

Yesterday I returned from a well earned holiday. (Well, a holiday anyway...)

One of my favourite films is Chicken Run. A Boxing Day is never quite the same without it. When the lead chicken has been found trying to escape he is thrown in to solitary confinement to the horror and shared concern of the other chickens on the farm.

"Has he gone on holiday?" innocently asked one of the mothering chickens, as she looked over her knitting needles and thread.

"Nooo, Babs, he's gone into solitary confinement!" responded an extremely concerned comrade, her eyes filled with the fear of the unknown.

"Well," commented Babs, the pace of her needles remaining unaffected by the news, "It's nice to get a bit of time to yourself."

I've always thought Babs was absolutely right. Whether it's forced as it was in the poor chicken's case, or it was chosen as it was in mine, time to yourself oppresses you with nothing other than freedom itself. It's not very often I am unable to get to a newspaper or computer, but in this last week I have been, and it has forced me to think about the reasons I do what I do, and say what I say.

I heard about Wendy's resignation the day I left, and only learnt of Nichol Stephen's departure yesterday, and having had a week with no politics to worry about, I really don't mind.

There's no doubt that Wendy was unfairly forced to resign, but what has emerged from this mud, which is now crystal clear, is that the politics of politics have for too long been drowning our Parliament and public interest and debate.

I have lost interest. I struggle to care enough about what's happening in Holyrood. I care about poverty, justice, the third world, climate change, equality, and I can't remember the last time any of these issues were part of my day, part of my thoughts or part of my political concerns or realistic aims. Our party's been on the back-foot for too long now to remember the reasons we were here. And that's not completely our fault. It's a little, but not all.

It was just last week while visiting the Normandy beaches to fuel some of my deep interest in history, my Dad and I stumbled across one of the greatest places I have ever visited. The Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial was simply awesome, and I can't remember the last time I truly meant that word.

The white crosses and St David stars (for the Jewish fallen soldiers) are arranged in such a way so they are in lines and perfect rows from every angle you look at them. Officers and Privates lie side by side, and for those whose nameless bodies were found, the engraving reads, 'Here rests in honored glory, a comrade in arms, known but to God'. Behind the stunning coliseum stands a curved wall covered with names of those people whose bodies were never found. However, on the Western side of the memorial colonnade lies an inscription of President General Eisenhower, 'To these we owe the high resolve that the cause for which they died shall live'.

The time to myself was important, especially this summer, as it became increasingly clear that none of this difficult our party faces really matters. It is not a time of problems, but a time of opportunity. Because through all this, our values and the ideologies of this party should not be lost, but indeed found.

Andrew Burns - Labour Group Leader

I recently had the great opportunity to meet with Andrew, and speak to him about the new plans he will bring in as leader of the Labour group in the City of Edinburgh Council.

Quite often in politics, and especially in the Labour Party over the last year, we are lost in a jungle of self-fulfilling targets and ambitions. We rarely take a step back to look at what we have achieved, what we wish we had done differently, and, most importantly, decide what we want to do in the future.

It has been our lack of ambition which remains our downfall. We lost an election because of it last May, and we shall lose a far more important election because of it in the next couple of years unless we change fast and strong. I have heard it mentioned by activists in the party that a bit of opposition would be 'good for us'. It may force us to return to our values and reflect on what matters for us as a party, for us as a society. But I don't think they could be more wrong. Opposition has been rotten for us over this past year in Scotland. It's resulted in a lack of aim, direction, and drive. However, some people manage to keep it going in the right direction, and make the best out of the cruel situation we've got. Andrew is one of those.

On talking to him last week he made a few key points.

1) He congratulated Ewan for being a great Council leader, leaving it £50 million in the black, and also a good opposition leader in the Council, ensuring that we kept up the fight against poverty and prejudice even in opposition. (In fact, it wasn't that long ago the SNP/Lib Dem coalition was close to breaking...)

Now, these are the important points...

2) He had a good (and well deserved) blow at people like me who just can't get over the fact we are in opposition. The problem is, you see, I resent it. I hate it. We deserved to lose the election, we did, we did, and it PAINS me to say it, but it's true. We just shouldn't have lost it to this lot. I have struggled to view opposition as an opportunity, as I have always seen it as a problem. And it can be good for us. Under him it will be.

GET OVER IT MATT, COME ON!

3) He will make changes.

Change is always good. Change for change's sake serves some good purposes. I will always remember Bill Clinton giving a speech at Labour Party Conference a couple of years ago when he said, "Our question should never be 'should we change?', but instead, 'how can we change?'". I think he was right, and I think Andrew's will nail that change. He grasps the idea that change should not be fundamental, but more of a constant evolution.

4) HE WANTS TO "ENJOY" HIMSELF!!!

Isn't that a refreshing thing to hear?!

He said that of course standing up for the poor and vulnerable is a serious matter (in fact, the very core of our existence), he wants Edinburgh Labour to be a place of fun and laughter. I can't say pleasure has been one of the principal outputs of the Labour Party to me personally or indeed any other members or activists, but I want it to be. It should be.

I have every faith that this man will lead us back into power, and that there are lessons to be learnt by us all from his optimism and strength. I wish him the very best of luck, and while I will always stand out against anything I believe to be wrong, he has my support, the support of the party, and indeed the support of the people of Edinburgh.

Carry On Government...

I was never a real fan of the Carry On films for the same reasons I've never been a fan of this government. It was a film that for me symbolised a Big Mac meal; cheap and cheerful; a moment of pleasure and appeal, but no real substance. People would eat fewer Big Macs if they had any idea what was in them. One's good occasionally, and probably won't make a difference on your long term health. But a diet made up entirely of them?- then you've got a problem. You're running on empty.

In just this week 6 Ministers have quite rightly been publicly criticised for the way they have conducted themselves. Now maths was never my strong point. A 1-1 in Standard Grade was my one- way ticket out of the maths corridor and to a 5th year of interest, but that's one Minister a day of this working week.

Nicola Sturgeon I may well not waste my time explaining, but she knew about the out break of C- Diff at the Vale of Leven Hospital and didn't report it as she should have done to Parliament and relevant officials. And what she did do, she did too slow. Labour were talking about it before the SNP were, and as from what was revealed by Anabel Goldie, it is pretty clear that Salmond nor Sturgeon, who was frantically whispering briefs in his ear throughout, obviously didn't know enough.

And now, I am NOT a happy chappy with Kenny MacAskill at the moment. The SNP's messages on drinking have been bizarre to say the least. We've seen tax on drink go both up and down (although I completely appreciate the difference between 10 year old malt and Buckfast), so maybe that's not such a good point... But raising the current buying of alcohol to drink at home age to 21?! PLEASE DON'T!

How am I supposed to drink before I go...eh... drinking?

I do feel this is definitely the wrong way forward, and I will protest against any proposition to raise any age when it comes to alcohol purchasing or consumption.

The Transport Minister, Stewart Stevenson, failed to clarify any plans for retaining the current pensioner transport scheme, and after the bus fares in Edinburgh rose 10p despite the fact Gordon Brown gave Salmond £7.5 million to offset the rise in fuel cost, the pensioners of Scotland deserve and need that reassurance.

Culture Minister Linda Fabiani was roundly criticised for her mishandling of the passage of the government's Creative Scotland Bill and Schools Minister Maureen Watt was attacked for abandoning the SNP's commitment to class sizes of 20 in S1/S2 English and Maths. *This, I would like to add, was one of the KEY pledges of the SNP at the May election 2007. Like most of their pledges, it disappeared as soon as they realised they might actually have to do it.

And, just to top it all off (I've lost count now of how many Ministers have guffed up this week- remember what I said about maths...?) John Swinney, Scotland's future Chancellor of the Exchequer the Nats would like to think of him as, had tax plans which were this week rubbished by the CBI (people who actually know what they're talking about...)

Oh goodness, you can tell it's a Friday. I'm knacked.

Ya'll have a good weekend now, and think about what I told you...

A Positive Start for Every Child

Recently, Scottish Labour launched the consultation document, A Positive Start for Every Child, which struck me as fundamentally Labour. And I love it.

LOVES LOVES LOVES...!

OK, so, our great leader, Wendy Alexander, and our fabulous education and children spokesperson, Rhona Brankin, decided that this time in opposition could be used as an opportunity. An opportunity to ask people what they want for their children. Unlike the National Conversation, we haven't concluded before the debate has begun. We intend on listening to the working families of our great nation, who recognise the real freedoms of life are child care and education, and who realise that true independence for people is not in the form of building borders up, but indeed taring them down.

There are several areas the Labour Party are wishing to cover under the umbrella issue of children and families, including safer play areas and wider access to green spaces for our children, in line with the Forestry Commission and children's organisations, nursery places for the most vulnerable two year olds, because under Labour no child will be left behind, and dialogue between schools and parents as to how to ease the transition between nursery and primary school.

There are also more sensitive issues which the consultation is hoping to cover, including respite care for vulnerable families and government funding for carers having short breaks. A Charter of Support for families will be drawn up by families themselves through this consultation, and will create a greater level of understanding between government and carers over what is expected of each.

The people of Scotland will also help a future Labour government in their creation of a network of family learning centres providing childcare, parenting skills, and guidance on parents getting back into work.

An issue which has grasped many families recently across Scotland and the United Kingdom has been that of emotional well being. I have heard it said that there's nothing worse than living with a mental disability, and the second worst thing is living with someone who has a mental disability. A Labour government would be committed to ensuring that emotional well being will play a more prominent role in any health care and education setting, and it will be parents who will make the recommendations on how that should be done.

I am proud to stand by these proposals, as I feel that within this document is so much of what the Labour Party stands for, and it is with much regret that we have been lowered to the level of debate that we have seen in the Scottish Parliament in the last year.

To contribute to A Positive Start for Every Child, please contact children@labourlistening.org.uk

A Nationalist Conversation

When the SNP were elected last May, they claimed to want to start a 'national debate'. There is no debate to be had with nationalism, because their very existence is based solely on the fact that the debate for them over whether Scotland should stay in the union or not has already been concluded. I wouldn't form a political party whose only policy was to paint Edinburgh purple to then get elected and open it up to debate on whether it should be purple, or maybe blue or pink instead. The national conversation is one of the biggest wastes of public money I have seen, and I have seen a fair bit in the last year.

It was announced today that despite it costing the tax payer £48 000 to print copies 'Choosing Scotland's Future', they have sold a mere 262. At least John Grisham can sleep in peace knowing that it probably won't knock his next thriller. But for the rest of us, it's not quite as rosy. This figure is for me symbolic of what this government's priorities are, and when it comes down to it, people really aren't interested.

Personally, I love the website. I love it how some of you Nats out there (many of whom will be reading this) leave your comments about 'burning the Union Jack' and do nothing but rant rant about how we get completely ripped off by the 'land of milk and honey', because you do my job for you; it makes your whole party seem stupid, and silences those within it who genuinely do want what's best for Scotland, and who want to take part in a constructive debate. The Nationalist conversation is so over run by the for-mentioned 'nasty bloggers' that it completely undermines the whole thing, even if it is nationalist propaganda paid for by public funds.

Parliamentary Questions opened up some interesting facts;

1) Three people are employed full time to run the National Conversation.

2) The voluntary sector has received £87 000 to facilitate it (despite the fact that so many voluntary organisations are being forced to close).

3) The website's regulations are in line with the 'blogging convention'. (A trusty document if ever there was one...)

It is impossible for the SNP to show as much interest to anything else other than Independence, because they simply do not care. Take a look.

Any schools built? NO

Any hospitals built? NO

Any support for voluntary organisation? NO

Any support for students? NO

Any support for first time buyers? NO

Any support for the disabled? NO

Any drive to build up resentment with England and stir up racism? YES YES YES...

We are now living in political stagnation. If you think the £1 you paid to cross the Forth Road Bridge was Scotland's biggest problem and injustice you were wrong. Politics is hard, it's tough, and it's about time the SNP realised that they're no longer a party in opposition, but a party in government.