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I suspect David Miliband will be secretly delighted with the Lib/Con agenda for faster cuts and tougher austerity measures (although it does seem a bit like a 'good cop/bad cop' Govt double act at times). Remember that story just before the GE about Mervyn suggesting that which ever party that got into Govt next, they would probably be out of office for a generation there-after; such were the austerity measures required to rebalance the books. That certainly doesn't bode well for Cameron and Osborne!

NEW DAVE - NEW POLITICS - NEW SEMANTICS

Today Dave expressed concern over the possibility of government being profligate with our "HARD EARNED TAXES". Er - run that past me again Dave.

And Liam Byrne, on Daily Politics, challenged Caroline Flint's success, yesterday, in the field of NON-THINK. When confronted with Labour's record, he countered by trumpeting "RECOVERY IS BETTER THAN FORECAST!"
But it never ocurred to him THEY GOT THAT (the forecast) WRONG AS WELL. Whatever goes on behind those beady little eyes, it is not logic.

Prime Minister David Cameron has delivered a stark warning about the action needed to tackle Britain's budget deficit and public debt.

He said the UK's economic problems were "even worse than we thought" and "painful" cuts to tackle the deficit would affect "our whole way of life".

And this is part of the reason why, our jobs given away. Nulabour did wonders for everyone else, except the British.

On the economy it is about time that politicians are more open about the scale of cuts needed - and just how much of the debt mountain will be left despite those cuts.

In fairness I suppose the situation is so severe and volatile that factors like the US financial reform "the final legislative push for financial reform begins this week as House and Senate conferees commence their work. This is the moment when lobbyists for the banking industry hope to kill provisions that they were unable to block in the House or Senate" and the south Med sovereign debt issues could derail any plans and until the plan is fairly well honed you can't work out the public explanations.

Its not hard to guess though the role of the Labour Party where they seem likely to score more own goals with the "clever" political stance that the economy was doing damned well under them and only they could fix the problem by simply growing their way out of the crisis.

Its good that the tribal loyalties of yesteryear don't look likely to emerge and so this is to an extent a new politics as ministers seek to make cuts not on the basis of social loyalties but the public good.

This weekend I've been mainly watching this /springwatch/webcams/ it's like watching paint dry.

But I love it, it's so relaxing, especially with the sound on.

The far right, mentioned only because some of the posters on this page get terribly excited and throw in their analysis, offer no reason to think that they would have done better on the economy and of course they have no political expression anyway as the BNP are "modern and progressive" and "are not a Nazi Party".

Griffin of the BNP despite suffering alleged threats to kill that lead to the arrest of Collett of the BNP did say at one point I believe that they should get rid of the banks and build "things" and then sell these "things" around the world.

It would polish things off if he took up the idea of a "nationalist" who posted on here and opted not to boost the green economy (as they go all conspiracy theory on global warming in the hope of snagging a few weak minds) but the orgone energy accumualtor - as designed by Wilhelm Reich who was I believe jailed for that as it did not apparently boost health and was described by some as a "sex box".

Its a thing, its snake oil, nobody else is building it and in the words of their hero the psycho Hitler "the masses are more likely to believe the big lie than the little lie".

To the rest of us it would be some far right whackos doing their far right thing.

Meanwhile they will try to tear down the political parties and be very vague about how they would replace the existing democratic system.

#3 ecolizzy

"Nulabour did wonders for everyone else, except the British. "

When you say British do you mean all of the British? I only ask as in the past you commented that you did not feel at home visiting London anymore due to "the racial mix".

Actually New Labour didn't do wonders for anybody in the end.

On the Labour leadership race one issue I am quite interested in is will there be an anticipated sea change in the stance of Labour/New Labour or will it be the status quo as seems likely on the basis of the short list?

A good indicator is Alistair "the rabbit" Campbell who apparently is making noises about becoming an MP.

Do the leadership candidates welcome these noises or is Campbell the symbol of everything that was wrong with New Labour and a gift to the other parties?

Has there be any cross party communication about dealing with the hooligans of the English Defence League and how to not be complacent about pushing the BNP even further back into the night as they still have council seats around Stoke?

Has the government made any new proposals about redressing the issues surrounding Prevent?

Initially that was to focus on Islamic extremists in the UK but alienated some Muslims who felt it made assumptions about them rather than the extremists. It was extended to include the far right - who number more would be bombers over recent years.

Clearly all violent extremists need to be caught whatever their motivations.

With regard to the far right lone wolves those such as Lewington made claims that they were part of a cell system. Perhaps it was just fantasy from this one time BNP member but given the numbers of would be bombers in the last decade just how "lone" are they?

On the Green Howards I look forward to the Mark Urban film and the celebration of their courage along with a better understanding of their challenges.

Perhaps at some point we will get from the allies an up to date report on where we are as this is set to become longer than Korea and Vietnam on Monday I believe. I have always been in support of the war and had hoped that now with proper resources it could be "won"?

Certainly the AfPak strategy has delivered more results in terms of hitting Al Qaeda and the Pakistan Taliban but it is not clear to me that these and the Afghan Talibs are the same beasts that existed all those years ago and therefore whether our strategy is the most appropriate.

But if the allies withdraw I just don't see that things will suddenly become more peaceful and as Pakistan is a nuclear state where would they be then?

Do they have views on that? We recollect the North West Frontier police who were covered some time back and that they suffer significant losses themselves and are fully aware of the need for military action.

Is the surge working as the signals from McChrystal seem to be that things are in the balance still if I have read media reports correctly?

'Worries about the health of eurozone banks were also heightened by an unsubstantiated market rumour on Friday that French bank Societe Generale had suffered a big loss in its financial derivatives trading.

The bank said it had no comment to make about the rumour that saw its share price plummet 7.6% on Friday. '

Will we see some analysis of the US attempts to get better regulation of derivative trading and our own moves along with rest of Europe?

Are we still playing Russian Roulette with one outcome inevitable in the long run namely further financial chaos?

#2 Yes Barrie, isn't it funny how labour got everything right, it was just the global economy, stupid!

Do they still believe every word they said, have they no humility?!

Gof don't forget to renew your BNP membership. You seem to know more about facists than the rest of us put together.

so because a film is 'emotional' it is not to be missed? feminisation of news is good?

still no film about 'churchills choice' policy nor that karzai jurga is now going to talk to the taliban as 'the best way to establish peace'. Tony's liberal interventionism crashes into the ground like a burning areoplane.

THE SHAPE OF THE NATION

I await with interest the new shape of our nation and our lives and the regions to which the scalpel will be applied. Interested also in which groups within society shout the loudest. All too often those in the greatest pain also show the greatest pride and stoicism in the face of adversity.

Doubtless we will all hurt, but those with plumper cushions will perhaps have softer landings, but it may be interesting to so which are the most resourceful, the most positive and proactive problem solvers.

If a great swathe of us can just stop WANTING so much, expecting gratification before production; take pleasure in being a giver as well as a receiver and temper our expectations with a modicum of realism...........

Our ethos has for too long been ‘everything at a price – perhaps we will now see, as a necessity, the resource of time and care taking a higher priority over ‘pieces of eight’.

For sure our cloth needs cutting. Maybe easier to trim some of the excess our selves before forced to and given fewer choices.

Perhaps fewer ‘soft’ or entertainment/service based jobs: perhaps fewer mothers leaving the home and paying someone else to raise their children (sorry, the record is rather stuck on this one); perhaps more families will source value basic ingredients and eat and be entertained at home; perhaps due to cut backs in earnings and jobs some restaurants will close; perhaps the vast volume of wasted ingredients, often the trendy and super hyped in the super markets, will find a decent price and availability level and enable us to feed our families healthy nutritious and cheap meals; perhaps we will think twice before taking the car somewhere just because we can; perhaps rural and community based enterprise such as trade offs and co operatives will abound ; perhaps families will look after their own rather; perhaps true downsizing will release some erstwhile selfishly clung to family homes on the market so there will be less need to concrete over more of the world; perhaps a war time austerity (without the war on our shores at least) will bring a spirit in rare supply back to the fore; perhaps they won’t need a super fast rail link to rush people to ................ nowhere much.

The possibilities for getting back to REAL values are endless. Do we have the courage to grasp them and ask for less rather than more.

Perhaps there would be less ill health, less depression, less mad men with guns on the prowl if we learned to let go a bit of all of the wants and were satisfied if our basic human needs were met.

Perhaps I should take off the rose tinted specs................. but the bats circling my belfry late last night and the house martins trying to feed under my eaves at stupid o’clock this morning must have lulled me into something.

HEY HEY YOU YOU, GET OFF OF MY CLOUD (CUCKOO)

Don’t wake me up!

..[cameron] paint a near-apocalyptic picture of a country in which wasteful public spending has run up unsustainable debts...




er.. the unsustainable debt is related to the banks not the national spending on services?

why are they saying this? for what aim?

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Just in case it gets a mention, listen to the man on this clip about the derailment on the Glasgow - Oban line last night for the pronunciation of Ben Cruachan. Or ask Kirsty.



It strikes me as appalling consideration to detail when news readers 12 hours after the event made several complete hashes of a not very difficult place name.

I'm a Sassenach and I can say it. Planned to be climbing it next week. We'll see.

#16: do you think if the People were told *their* already less than well-funded services are to be cut because of the Banksters and the ultra-rich's greed, that they would be far less likely to accept it with the humility that they are expected to suffer in?

last night watched sat's Doc Who, - pondering, if DW was written and created by Americans (I KNOW, I KNOW!!! - TRY TO EXPUNGE THAT THOUGHT ASAP!!!), then it would be almost guaranteed that Amy would have had sex with Vincent. The ponder i have is - would the ending have been the same?

#15: former mystics said the body was the Human prison. Modern mystics add to that ideas. Change people's inner stories, remove their beliefs in "can not do", and the prison gates open.

now, if i can only get that tide to do what i tell it... ;)

Heaven help us, Urban is admiring of soldiering again and we're meant to accept his predilection is news! Do you honestly have to broadcast him pursuing his hobby several times a year?

WESTMINSTER 'DRAWS ITS OWN'

"But is a cluster of white, middle class men who read PPE at Oxford really the best field of candidates the Labour Party can offer up?"

I keep pointing this out - no one wants to know. The parties are just 'sub Westminster'.

While the Westminster Ethos endures, nurturing party-politics and associated absence of integrity, no amount of apparent change will turn this country away from the 'Dark Side'. 'They' have fiddled with the fiddling, in a pretence of improvement, while we, culturally, burn. Nothing short of ERASURE of current trappings of governance, will cure our malaise (of which the 3 White PPE bovines (Oxen) are a clear symptom).

Our fundamental threat comes, not from education, NHS, energy, nukes etc, but from a total lack of concern with HUMANITY, and the competence and contentment of the people. We wreck children - systematically - and drive resultant immature individuals mad. (Then, from the most 'accomplished' come our Prime Ministers and the strange denizens of Westminster.)

#15

It's not only the question of the regions, Brightyangthing, but also the sharpness of the leplasc, if I may be permitted an innocent word game.

mim

#24 a slight correction

I should have said 'leplacs' though coming to think of it 'leplax' seems visually more appropriate, wouldn't you agree?

23 barriesingleton

Oh barrie!...did you not take anything in that Statist kindly and consistently explain to you...ad nauseum.

We all feel your and the nations frustration with the Westminster Gulag...but think with your head and not your feelings.

It is not a question of blaming Brown or Labour. All they did was follow the economic creed of the time. Free markets and deregulation was not only a blow to sound economics but to democracy as well. The markets convinced us, as well as the politicians, to believe that the essentials of an economy like manufacturing were irrelevant and to finally buy products that they rated themselves as AAA, but were actually junk. The final ignominy is that we had to borrow money to bail them out and then they tell us that we are now a credit risk because we borrowed it.
Our childrens futures now do not rest on who they elect but on how gambling in derivatives and false financial products perform.

Galbraithian

Blimey!...the austerity measures have yet to be announced...yand et some already feel compelled to write comments such as this...

/blogs/thereporters/stephanieflanders/2010/06/the_world_moves_britains_way.html

Paul Mason recently made a big deal on what the impact of Twitter would have on the ability to predict the outrcome of the GE.

I just wonder what the impact of the internet will be on coordinated civil unrest in the coming 12 to 36 month period.

That's if we haven't all had to cancel our ISP accounts due to the austerity measures.

(I cancelled my Sky subscription today btw)

It is good to see that Eric Pickles has finally knocked the " Corporate Nazi " BIN TAX in the head, but it would appear that he is keeping the stock market parasite false economic growth aspect of using pointless expensive technology to weigh recycled waste and award points for being a good ten bob fat cats and buying loads of extra stuff you don't really need. Where are local councils going to get the huge sums of money needed to implement said scheme, steal it off the poor people as usual ?

news: camoron intends to "open up the discussion" - what that means in real terms, is that the discussion will be managed (see 'Leaders Debates', and around half-way through, quietly the think tanks with the 'right' opinions will become prominent. In other words, he will be trying to spread the blame around... "See, it wasn't me! It was the Public's opinions..." :/

Brightyangthing

I did have some very fine moments when I visited the White City this afternoon and I didn't notice any sws placing themselves right in front of me 'displaying' either their fronts or their rears.

I also took a few snapshots for my various albums after which I had a jam crepe in Hammersmith with a double espresso. It was delicious.

It'll be interesting to know what you make of tonight's programme if you're plannning to watch it, that is. I assume you are.

mim

Given the proximity of the mass murders comitted by Derrick Bird last week to THE major nuclear facility in the UK, namely, Windscale in Cumbria....wasn't the Police armed response to the incident rather too little, too late?

What are the Police's contingency plans for dealing with a potential armed attack on Windscale by terrorists?

why its class war on the poor

one way of life that won't be affected is that of the millionaire landowners getting 4 billion a year merely for owning and enjoying land.

time for a land tax. most countries have them but the uk does not. land/rent monopolies need to be broken up. no one should own whole villages or districts. the majority of uk population live on only 10% of the land.

And how does this austerity program tackle the £1.8 trillion - £7.4 trillion (BoE figures) that the banks have in losses which the government is standing behind? There are only a few ways this can end, default of the banking system, default of the government if it continues to guarantee the banks or hyper-inflationary printing of money to pay off the bad debt, all three paths lead to the destruction of our country as we know it, and no one is talking about it, let alone proposing solutions.

#32

is this a warning?
you see, once one's truly desperate one tends to reveal all kinds of stupidities about oneself and one's plans

Women:
Maybe the reason most Women MPs don't get top jobs in the cabinet is because they're not as smart as the men, hows that for an honest view on the matter eh. Diana Abbot! leader of the Labour party..is she havin a laugh. God almighty, this defunct party are really having to scrape the bottom of the pond. Thatcher was a women wasn't she, so its not totally impossible for the fairer sex to get into high office. I think in Thatchers case - the best post war Prime Minister this country ever had -she had good solid intelligent men around her. Have a look at Labour...they've got nobody...well, perhaps Frank Field has something that could be described as having a good common sense political brain but really, who ever gets the top job in the Labour party -and its gonna be a man - are gonna be surrounded by a bunch of numpties.


Helen Thomas:



I've not been on here much because I've being sat in my Orgone accumilator box...I think I've been over doing it just a little.

MP NON-THINK IS ALIVE AND WELL

A new female MP on tonight's NN, declared that we need more women in Parliament because 'we are supposed to be a REPRESENTATIVE democracy', and there are 52% women TO BE REPRESENTED! Oh dear. She clearly has not realised 'representation' means 'acting for'. Further, her interpretation would need a representative range of ages, diseases, skills, ethnicities etc. (We might have to expel some Scots, as they seem OVER-represented!)

#15

Apart from scalpels, Brightyangthing, as you've aptly put it, and what I would call 'psychological warfare', readjustment of attitude towards possessions.

For example, flicks cannot stop thinking and babbling about gold money wise way, while I'm much happier simply being alive, and lucky to be healthy, to wake up to or gaze at in the evening, the golden light of sun whether surrounded by clouds or not. It all seems like pure magic even if it can be 'measured' with and described with scientific methods. But, would they have as much success with, or purpose in, describing a work of art, of whatever kind, like an outstanding book, a piece of music, a painting, a sculpture or indeed a dance?

mim

Brightyangthing

I cherish every moment won for every moment of past pains, of whatever nature. I almost couldn't 'bear' them but didn't have ways of making myself understood.

Personally, I'm hardly ever in physical pain and no more on the emotional level.

My mother's favourite book was 'Jacques the Fatalist' by Diderot and she would often talk about the 'big scroll in the heavens'. There is a part in me that agrees with it and a part that rebels against it.

For example, I can't do anything about my yearning for dancing and the need to let my imagination express itself as otherwise I feel dumb and numb, a state which makes me feel sick. On the other hand, I don't see any reason whatsoever why I should let, let's say, any little dictator insist on what my fate is and what future to expect. My natural reaction to that is the reverse of Churchill's V sign.

Hope you have a good day today. Apparently there will be showers here in London but fortunately with bright spells shining through.

mim

There's something of Cervantes' 'Don Quixot' in 'Jacques the Fatalist' in my view. You seem like a very well read person, would you agree with me on that?

#39 addendum

Re: moments of pain

As I said, I hardly ever feel pain but do get symptoms of very unpleasant discomfort which I try to deal with almost anywhere I am though sometimes choose, or if the situation requires it, ignore them.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Does anyone know whether the directorship and management within the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ always changes with a new government that's newly elected?

I'm sure that all the Security Services undergo thorough reviews and so on, but how about the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ, or are things going to stay as they have been now for years?

I'd be most obliged for any guidance on this.

mim

KNOWING YOUR RIGHT FROM YOUR WRONG - REPRESENTATIVE RESPONSIBILITY

I was Sooooooooooooo surprised to hear two women guests discussing the make up of the labour leadership candidacy and refer to ‘all women selection lists’ as desirable. NOT! Surely suitability for a position should be based on rather more than where you keep your squidgy bits!

I am concerned at the growing body of people who seem to be unable to accept representation of the interests of broad groups of society as a whole and seem to demand more and more segregated and specialised representation at the expense of common sense. This seems to be increasingly prevalent in people who seek high office in public and private sectors. These people are supposed to be well educated but time and time again they exhibit a frightening degree of naivety coupled with self interest that appears to come hand in glove with mind numbing ambition. Is there something in the water?

I wonder if any of these ‘activists’ have extrapolated the extremes of such mis (or do I mean Miss in this case) representation and understanding beyond their own little clique and desires. There appears to be a move towards feeling that only those who share certain characteristics with you can possibly be capable of serving your interests. The narrower your interests, the truer, sadly, that becomes.

One of the problems of ‘group’ identity (for all its strengths) is that it serves most often to set you apart not include you. It is too often divisive rather than inclusive and it almost certainly masks what should be true selection criteria.

Look what happened in the US. Presidential elections. They got so bogged down (wound up) by the choice was between the FIRST woman or the FIRST Black person. Did anyone actually vote for the BEST PERSON!

The obvious (and already well practiced) groups covered under legislation include gender, religion and skin colour. But what next? What levels of ability or disability, life style choice, or general difference should we be putting on the percentage of list for our governance, teachers, doctors, train drivers,....... Should beer drinkers have a percentage representation over those who prefer wine; people with green eyes, webbed toes (Quite common) left handers, foot fetishists; hair loss percentage or degree of grey................

Our Equality and Disability legislation has a lot to answer for I fear, and I fear it may fail to have the wisdom, strength or courage to see, hear or be prepared to get to its feet and state the bleeding obvious.

p.s. I may have repeated some of #37, but since there IS nothing new under the sun.......

'42. At 08:25am on 08 Jun 2010, mimpromptu wrote:
Does anyone know whether the directorship and management within the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ always changes with a new government that's newly elected?

One would suspect not, as those that have been there for the duration of the last government still seem to be there. As enshrined in all sorts of nifty things since its inception:



And as an independent, apolitical, objective entity such continuity is right and proper, if a little 'unique' on the funding front.

At least if I feel the political views and influence of my MP are not fit for purpose and/or representative of my personal, family or nation's interest, I can at least vote for change every few years.

Unlike other entities.

#43

Brightyangthing

Re: The best person in the USA point

Having watched Newsnight and following the election across the Atlantic, I made the choice to support BO, not because he's Black /well, Black & White, in fact/ but because he does have the personality and intelligence to go well beyond divisive and narrow group small mindlessness and soulnessness, two things that drive me potty.

And I don't regret my choice.

mim

Surely the best way to ensure that a political party (and therefore) parliament to become more representative is to have American style primaries.

There will be absolutely no need for short lists or quotas of any sort - if people want a candidate who from an ethnic minority (Barak Obama), a woman (Hilary Clinton) or is gay (Harvey Milk) then they can go and vote for them and this entire argument would then disappear in a puff of smoke.

If anyone complains that the parties are not representative of the people who vote for them then they can only blame themselves for voting for the candidates they themselves actually wanted.

How come the very obvious solution of Primaries is never ever mentioned whenever these debates and discussions take place? Is this yet another instance of the chattering classes in the media village of West Minister only talking to themselves?

VERY INTERESTING............... BUT I DON'T GET IT!

A couple of phrases in the introduction of last night's NN jarred with me somewhat, both in reference to the 'times will be hard' cuts story.

"none of us can be safe"
Safe from what? The effects of cuts/recession? Certainly. But 'safe' would indicate that the expectation is danger. Perhaps SOME cuts may be like some medicine - taste horrible or have unpleasant side effects but ultimately be for our long term good.

" like being shown instruments of torture ... we are being softened up"

Fore warning of possible discomfort/pain does not 'soften' me up. It prepares me perhaps - so I may gird my loins, screw my mettle to the sticking place, deploy whatever protection I can muster, make appropriate plans to minimise or absorb that pain, or run and hide.

Being shown instruments of torture would have a very different effect - abject terror of the unknown, coupled with the adrenaline produced by the fight or flight mechanism has a tendency to turn brown and runny and render incapacity of many normal functions. Heaven forbid.

You asked Mim #33, what I made of the programme (scrapped in by skin of teeth). Well that's it. Now I have to go and react and make some inroads into the pile of actions from last night's development group meeting. Apparently banging my head against a brick wall does not count.

Real Life eh? What a bummer! Oh, and it is cool and damp so getting the washing dry may be a challenge!

p.s.
Oh and I found the Canadian chap had some interesting points to make. Differentiating between Important and Urgent or acting when the two come together most comforting.

so a journalist has to resign because they expressed an opinion which may also be true and correct?

is there a curfew on the truth? on free speech?

what cringing must go on.

#36 kevseywevsey

"Maybe the reason most Women MPs don't get top jobs in the cabinet is because they're not as smart as the men, hows that for an honest view on the matter eh."

Yeah do women know about your childhood joys of chucking bottles at the "British" Army and getting the odd rubber bullet in the head in Belfast while the "prozac liberals" read books n'stuff? Do they know what patriotism is?

By the way did you get hit in the head an awful lot?

Some people think "English nationalists" drag their knuckles on the ground!

"I've not been on here much because I've being sat in my Orgone accumilator box...I think I've been over doing it just a little."

Yes and on that subject Orgasmatron Boy you mentioned before how attracted you were to Kirsty Wark and how you were a real manly guy with apple blonde hair.

So do you think Kirsty is your intellectual equal n'all?

By the way do you ever run into the silly cookieducker?

#13 ecolizzy

"Gof don't forget to renew your BNP membership. You seem to know more about facists than the rest of us put together."

I assume that's for me and as ever will duly point out that when the likes of jaded_jean and other assorted whacko's were playing up Hitler and National Socialism and disputing the Holocaust there were those quite happy to engage in chat with them. It also true that when said posters "don't like visiting London due to the racial mix" and "agree with the BNP" on immigration then you start to make a few wild guesses.

Myself I didn't agree with the Labour immigration policy and I suspect it will take time to get better control of attempted illegal immigration but I always take the time to point out I am not the BNP and there is no racial basis for those views - its sustainability for me.

I also point out that the UK is happily multi-racial and that immigrants have made great contributions to our society.

WELL WELL WELL................. THE FALL AND FALL OF UNCOMMON SENSE STRIKES AGAIN



Sorry, another rant.

Having had a relative rushed to hospital unexpectedly recently , and spending rather a lot of time in one as a consequence, I was frankly gobsmacked at how little information was given to patients and carers about all manner of things, including the criteria required to release a patient home. I saw disputes (and incredibly poor communication) between doctors/consultants and the front line nursing staff – much of it appear to be power struggles that had little to do with patient care. I saw appallingly bad communication of FACTS and information about their condition, care, medication and cause to implement ‘care’ regimes to patients or carers.

I saw patients unsure and afraid, the situation they were in being new to them and too many nurses NOT being able to comprehend that something they take for granted and practice daily is a new situation to the young lad or elderly man wheeled in in an emergency that day.

Where is the patient handbook? Where is the volunteer (WRVS?) to spend some time helping?

I saw patients buzz requiring a relatively simple but to them incredibly important care action undertaken. Helped up, to toilet, bed changed, fresh water, puke bowls being removed/replaced, empty drip replaced.

Where is the white board where every non emergency (to the staff) but very urgent AND important to the patient) action gets written so the next free suitably trained person can pick it up?

e.g.: Patient pukes so anti emetic administered – which makes system sluggish so prevents adequate digestion therefore patient pukes so administer anti emetic. Doh!

Where is the criteria sheet that needs to be ticked for conditions of release.
• That patient has working bladder and bowel function
• That patient no longer requires medication or fluids by drip
• That wounds are clean and healing
• That there is adequate care at home – MAY NEED CHECKING
• That patient can keep solid food in
• That nutrition guidelines (that’s a laugh – hospital staff understanding nutritional need and does and don’t) have been understood and can be applied effectively
• Etc etc etc................

Don’t want to dwell on personal aspects but an 18 year old boy sat on puke soiled sheets with three full puke bowls and his empty drip line bleeping for two hours whilst various staff wandered in and out, checked charts, made notes, chatted, helped served lunches....... (and don’t get me started on the appalling waste of appalling food)

When I waitressed I was taught quite simply that every time you walk past a customer or go to and from kitchen or station, there will be something useful you can do. LOOK for it and do it!

We were the other end of the spectrum of this story. Beyond a certain point, my son would be better OUT of the hospital than in it. After all hospital is no place for sick people. It’s full of sick people!

I end up coming back to my pet subject. The hospital staff were Gobsmacked to find that an 18 year old could be discharged to a family home albeit some 100 miles away in the care of someone who would be with him almost all of the time to assists, to deal with any remaining symptoms or relapse, had a good relationship with local doctor, and would feed the patient with high quality appropriate food and drink and administer whatever gently bullying (support) required for a full and timely recovery. I pay a high price for that – brings us back full circle to being prepared to do without – but the rewards are priceless.

There is , I am in no doubt, inordinate pressure on hospitals for beds as there is on staff to provide all manner of services. And getting patients out and home is better for most of them (removed from hospital bugs, from impersonal actions, to a place they feel comfortable, to their own surroundings and habits. MY son might have been in hospital several more days had I not demanded a check list from doctor, and overridden nursing staff dissent. That would have cost both the NHS and myself hundreds (if not thousands) more pounds. His condition improved the moment we were able to apply our own brand of common sense.

But often ONLY if there is adequate care at home. And for many now, there is not. It’s a society problem, not a health service or government department one.

I do not think that the budgets for health and welfare have increased in proportion to the average earnings of families. Until recently, more was earned in real terms and more was kept in the earners pocket to make choices when perhaps a percentage increase should have gone, through taxes, to pay for the communal care required because many families cannot or will not care for their own.

FEELING NO PAIN.

Your #43 an eloquent extension, and expansion of my #37 BYT.

You represented me without need to identify! Would 'they' understand?

"THE GLOBAL VILLAGE HAS ITS VILLAGE IDIOTS" (M Rees - Reith Lecture)

Martin Rees seemed to think we will progress, in spite of the idiots. Does he not know that a certain type of 'idiot' is driven to strive 24 hours a day, to gain status, adulation and power, FOR WHICH HE HAS AN INSATIABLE NEED?

There is good reason to term our seat of governance "The Westminster VILLAGE!"

jaunty:

A long standing white house press hack walked because of her choice of words. Having an opinion is one thing but her use of incendiary launguage to express that opinion was just not acceptable. Can you Imagine Paxman or the Warkster coming out with those kinda comments?

Gango, I am the cookie.

#51 Ah, BYT join the club! I've experienced this for the last several years, and have had posts with Barrie on most that you describe.

Recently, an aunt was trying to get her brother home from hospital, he needed an ambulance as he's wheelchair bound. Every time my aunt rang they asked her rudely when was she going to collect him. She kept explaining he needs an ambulance, the sister said, that's not my problem and nothing to do with me, ambulances are seperate! Eventually my aunt got hold of his GP and he arranged transportation.

I told my aunt she shouldn't have worried so much, they would've needed the bed very soon, they'd have got him home then quickly enough!

ARE THEY ACCESSING THE BIG SOCIETY - BUT ONLY THE SMALL MINDS? (# 51)

That's not even a thousand words BYT, but boy did you 'paint a picture'. And you know that I can paint another, of a bewildered Aperger with a stroke, being harrassed by equal amounts of NHS 'care' and neglect.

Not sure who is on the government end of the 'Big NHS Consultation' (or whatever it's called this time) but am in no doubt neither your cogent piece above, nor my equivalent nightmare, will ever meet the ear of Government.

Oh - it's all going awfully well, now we have NEW Westminster.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

54

..incendiary launguage..

saying israel should get out of palestine? why is appeasing a military occupation a better idea?

yes there is a curfew at the bbc. people are terrified of the standing up for human rights for all or the uk national interest.

why people kowtow to a bunch of passport fakers is their decision.

OOPS, I MISSED AGAIN!

#56/57

So many pictures and stories of getting in wrong to some degree or another. A failing of the size of an organisation? Of trying to be ‘fair’ but only managing to fail miserably sometimes not for want of trying.

Why is Joined Up Thinking (and acting) so very hard. Why can they not have simple procedures to avoid confusion, duplication, wanton waste and beyond.

Perhaps the government’s desire to get some sort of nationally agreed priorities could get down to the nitty gritty. This is not about demanding more, it is actually about NEEDING less, but NEEDING appropriate and timely efficient actions taken.

I won’t go in to the horrendous treatment of my dying father over 30 years ago. I had hoped that things (such as communication and humane treatment of the individual) had improved. Sadly, as they say in Scottish law – Not Proven!

THE BRILLIANCE OF THOSE WHO GET TO THE 'TOP'.

Just heard Lord MacLaurin (one time supermarket CEO) speak of people ENJOYING shopping at Tesco. Just shows you don't need to have a 'human clue' to make people buy your stuff. So they made him a Lord and now he helps run Britain. Does it show?

"If you're shopping, and you're happy, clap your hands!"

A MATTER OF BEDS AND MISGUIDED HEADS (#60)

Hospital fined today over a disabled patient who died with head stuck in bed. Reminds me of having to unthread my brother's rigid, twisted spastic leg from the 'safety bars' of his bed. It was a super high-tech bed in a spanking new hospital. John pulled the plug out - nobody noticed - so the bed wouldn't adjust, and in hot weather there was no way to keep the door open, except stick a chair against it. And the overhead lights grilled your eyeballs (3 beds to one switch - one reading, one eating and one trying to sleep). Etc etc etc. Browns cash splash was a farce.

My son was unable to digest anything (including fluids on drip and any sips of water he was occasionally allowed) and unless he was propped bolt upright would puke luminous green stuff every ten minutes. Not good for sleeping generally.

He too had a state of the art
....."super high-tech bed in a spanking new hospital. "

Approximately 10 seconds after he had hoisted it into the correct position, it would jerkily drop itself bit by bit back to fully horizontal or worse. Three times an engineer claimed to not find anything wrong, despite having a live demonstration. I mean, the bed failed, and he FAILED to understand why and fix it. And the hospital failed to replace it. And they didn't want to let him come home because he kept puking Doh!

Were we pleased to get out of there? Did I try and smuggle in a file and spade in a cake?

Neither of us were too chuffed to find the meal trolley using the door to his ward to dispense meals (and all the ensuent stench) three times a day. A bit tough when you have not been able to eat for 10 days despite them insisting that he order everything available every day.

What a Waste. On the day I finally took him home (and I was getting quite revolting!) we were finally told that the ward could make him toast, hot drinks, instant soups etc. any time he wanted. Useful.

Problem was every day doctor said he could/should eat anything he wanted. Nurses reacted every time he puked by changing his notes to nil by mouth until next doctors rounds.

My consultancy rates are quite reasonable. I may yet send my cv.