Gail Cartmail blog

Less spin, more opposition

During the Christmas holidays I watched the box set of ‘In the Thick of It”, a TV series parodying media spin as practised by the last Labour government.

Towards the end of it the Tory ‘spin doctor’ equivalent was introduced to the cast who was, not surprisingly, equally awful.

Time to apologise?

At last two men have been convicted of the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence. Others complicit in the racist attack are still at liberty.

My daughter was born the year Stephen was killed at a bus stop in south east London. As a parent I can barely imagine the pain borne by Stephen’s family at all that has been lost, with the nagging certainty that other culprits have still to be brought to justice.

2012: The battle of ideas

I have really enjoyed the Christmas break. It was lovely spending precious time with family and friends and generally messing about.

Yet like many I am apprehensive about the year to come. It was good to hear the leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband, emphasise the need to articulate an alternative to the current government’s policy of austerity in his New Year message.

Beware of bulldogs

In my mind, the so-called ‘bulldog’ spirit chimes with the things I least like. It’s essentially puffed up patriotism that is so much more about xenophobia than a love for our country.

Xenophobia is a Greek word which translates as fear of strangers, so the welcome given by swivel-eyed Tory back-benchers to Cameron’s stance in Brussels last week rang alarm bells.