Ken Clarke, offensive or just Ken being Ken?

Right, I have listened back to this interview this afternoon.

When I first read a facebook post regarding this, I automatically thought of James Chick... "If you're gonna get raped, you're gonna get raped..."

Now I like Ken Clarke, I think he is a wonderful MP and a loyal Conservative who sticks to his beleif's... But lets face it, he's never been the most tactful person on the planet.

Now any who knows me will know that I am a committed Liberation activist. I campaigned on womens issues and LGBT issues and black students issues as well as the issues within my own breif.

Now my degree is in Computer Networks & Enterprise Management, NOT LAW. But I have spent a long time with enough law students and heard them discussing their course material. Now I have enough common sense to know that each case needs to be judged and convicted upon its own merrit and under its own circumstances.

If the comments that I have heard from varying people throughout the day had been taken upon a purely legal/moral stance, then I would be in complete agreement and I would have been perfectly willing to discuss this in more depth. The fact is that Ken Clarke has made comments and backed them up soundly with his own experience as a lawyer. WHY is rape brought up? His claims were we will shorten sentences for people who plead guilty. Why do we need to add the phrase, INCLUDING RAPISTS?

Has it not always been the case that the courts are more leaniant on criminals who plead guilty?

Now recently I have not made any secrets about my feelings towards the National union of students. The only area of NUS that I have any time or respect for anymore is infact the liberation and the welfare sections, because they are the only area of NUS with the moral objective that a Union should hold, that being to protect its members. But in this case the very fact that the NUS womens campaign are calling for people to email the Prime Minister and call for ken Clarke to be sacked is just typically NUS.

Ken Clarke was just being Ken Clarke and I'm afraid you would be loosing a damn good politician by calling for his head.

morality or philosophy?

I may well be a Tory activist and many people have tried to tell me that I cannot be a Tory activist and a liberation activist at the same time.

I had put this ideological philosophy battle to bed in the summer when I detailed my view point on this blog. However I feel in the wake of the Andy Gray sexism row, I am in a position to comment again.

I know that my personal brief was centered around disability equality, but I worked extremely closely with the womens'campaign and the LGBT campaign and I campaigned along side them on womens issues and on LGBT issues and as such I am fully behind the Sky Sports decision to fire Gray.

The world is evolving, and the game of football must change with it. I happen to know many female football oficials, who are extremely competant officials. If Sian Massey has been given the chance to officiate at a premier league fixture, she must have satisfied the FA standards.

Whether Gray made the comments on air or off air, he still holds the views and the views are wholey unacceptable.

Friends of...

Last night I was at the second meeting of the proposed Friends of Hayworth Road Park group.

The park's in Sandiacre, Erewash are ordinarily maintained by the Parish Council, with the exception of Hayworth Road. A community group, backed by Cllr. Mrs. Jennifer Hulls is discussing the possibility of forming a Friends of Hayworth Road Park group.

There may even be a possibility of Erewash CF getting a social action project or two out of it.

No2AV

Fire up the Punto, its time for change.

I used this para-quote alot in May 2010. Many would be of the opinion that I shouldnt be saying this anymore as the party branding has altered and we are now in government. Well the Local elections are but months away. There is still change to be seen in Erewash. I also beleive whole heartedly that at the very centre of all political activity is change. Therefore, it seems fitting to continue to strive for change, after all if a politician is not striving for change and not wanting to affect change, they are not doing their job properly.

After working all week, I joined several of our borough councillors and our member of Parliament Jessica Lee MP, for an Indian last night. As usual it was an extremely enjoyable and pleasant evening. Being seen out and about in my ward with Jessica, His Worship the Mayor - Councillor Robert Parkinson, the Deputy Mayor - Councillor Kevin Miller and other lead members of Erewash Borough Council was an absolute pleasure.

This morning, I was out delivering survey letters in Long Eaton Central with the Leader of Erewash Borough Council, Councillor Chris Corbett, Jessica Lee MP and other councillors from Long Eaton Central.

After the news from Oldham East and Saddleworth this week, it really is time to step up and work for the seats that we currently do not hold and time to step up to keep hold of those seats that are currently occupied by Conservatives.

The Road to Recovery

Yesterday’s figures are a double dose of good news for the British economy.
The economy is growing strongly – the strongest growth in this part of the year for ten years. And Britain’s credit rating has been secured, after it had been put at risk by the previous Government.

In an uncertain global economy this will help to underpin confidence in the recovery. And it is a vote of confidence in the Coalition Government’s economic policy.

If we listened to Labour, our debt would be almost £100 billion higher by the end of the Parliament and we would be paying £4 billion more in debt interest alone by the time of the next election – money that goes to foreign creditors to help pay for their schools and hospitals rather than our own. Their approach would take us back to the brink of bankruptcy – that would mean less growth, less investment and fewer jobs.

Business Leaders across Great Britain have already backed the Coalitions economic policy, its high time that society started to do the same thing. After all this deficit is Labour's Legacy, why are we being punished for it?

Erewash Conservative Association Annual Dinner

Last night I was deeply honoured and priveledged to be present at the first ECA Annual Dinner in 13 years with a sitting conservative MP.

It was indeed a great occasion with speakers Jessica Lee MP, Member of parliament for Erewash and John Hayes MP, Minister of State for further Education, Skills & lifelong learning.

Our hosts, Cllr. Geoffery Smith, Assoc. Chairman, Mrs. Annette Noskwith CBE. Associaton President and Cllr. Robert Parkinson BSc, His worship the Mayor, welcomed guests warmly and Cllr. Smith ended the evening with a rousing speech welcoming the new council candidates.

All in all a great evening and a proud night in my conservative career.