West of Centre

It is rare in the UK for the majority to agree on something. Whatever your political persuasion, it is now widely accepted that the NHS needs to reform itself in order to continue as a free service for all. I accept that use of the word free is somewhat spurious given that the majority still have to pay just to park when they get there. Some would also argue that it isn’t free anyway because we all pay for it through taxation. Setting aside these arguments, my basic point remains. As I write, I can arrange an appointment with my GP or present to my local casualty department and be seen by a trained doctor. The new man at the head of the world’s second biggest employer is Simon Stevens. Few would envy his task. I can’t imagine a more challenging time for anyone to be taking over the helm of the NHS in the UK. Obesity levels in the under 20s continue to rise as do their poor health outcomes in later life. People are living longer due to major improvements in drug treatments and medica...

We have just experienced a most illuminating week. In the UK, the press is awash with praise for Nigel Farage and his UK Independence Party. Many of our European partners followed suit and opted for similarly Eurosceptic candidates to represent them in the much maligned European Parliament in Brussels. The new European Parliament looks set to be dominated by various coalitions of predominantly Eurosceptic members whose raison d’etre is to cancel their country’s membership of the EU or, at the very least, seek meaningful reform. This is hardly good news for an organisation which is still grappling with the reality that many of it’s members remain on the brink of financial bankruptcy. It would be misleading to leave things there though. In the UK, over two thirds of eligible voters didn’t bother to vote. So in spite of UKIP gaining nearly 30% of the votes cast, more than 66% of eligible votes weren’t even cast. This is hardly a resounding victory. This is the danger of small voter t...

            Three people making the news today all share something in common. All three have spoken out against something and a majority of people agree with them. It begs the question why their respective stances have become headlines in the first place.              In a refreshing departure from recent British political practice, the Home Secretary, Theresa May, yesterday bucked the trend by making an announcement without first leaking it’s contents to the press. For this act alone, she is to be applauded. Addressing the Police Federation in Bournemouth yesterday, the Home Secretary informed them that funding to their organisation would end in August. She also shared with their conference a few home truths which had underpinned her decision. Her speech was long overdue for an organisation which has become synonymous with the worst aspects of modern public life in Britain. She reminded them of their role in the Hillsb...

As we continue to drown under a tsunami of over-regulation, I was horrified to read proposals to regulate the food industry like the tobacco industry.  There is a basic problem in this approach. Regulation only has a limited worth. We have seemingly regulated the way in which MPs claim their expenses. We have also aspired to regulate the banks in the wake of the credit crunch which so nearly brought this country to bankruptcy. The regulation of the tobacco industry is a cautionary tale of what happens when the state attempts to interfere with freedom of choice. For all the regulation and increased taxation, the incidence of new smokers taking up the habit has barely changed. The prevalence of people smoking as a proportion of the population has gradually dropped but not by nearly as much as originally intended. It proves that people will make their own minds up and make their own choices accordingly. The best way to effect a change at the end of the pipeline is to concentrate ou...

As we approach the final quarter leading up to the Scottish independence referendum on September 18th, the debate has started to enter top gear with the rhetoric of both sides having been noticably increased in recent days. Only today, news has emerged of a secret poll commissioned by the Westminster Government. True to form, Alex Salmond has urged them to publish their findings knowing that the momentum is with his "Yes" campaign. Having spent £46,500 commissioning this poll, Nick Clegg has reverted to his default answer that the only poll that counts is the one on September 18th. Strictly speaking he is quite right but at a time when the public has become utterly fed up with the lack of accountability from our public servants, it is surely now incumbent on Clegg to publish the findings of the poll. It may well be that the figures are less than attractive for proponents of the "No" campaign but that rather misses the point. If you make the decision to spend £46,5...

Dressed in his old Etonian flannels, the affable Rat was punting up the river with his Fortnum and Mason hamper in tow taking in the fragrant, soft spring air. After a lifetime underground forgotten by everybody, the soft skinned Mole had finally come to the surface feeling all confused. The all knowing Rat soon recognised the advantages of taking the helpless Mole under his wing. The Mole was just grateful to be among the important people above ground. After a while they saw a very grand punt going past them and Mole asked the rat who the person was on that very grand looking vessel. "That is Mr. Toad", replied Rat. He is very wealthy but always spends in excess of his income. That punt for instance cost him a fortune but word on the river has it that he is taking delivery of a new motor car on Saturday and he hasn't yet paid for that punt! "Oh dear", said the agreeable Mole. "It will all end in tears", said the knowing Rat. After a succession of ...

The media storm this week regarding halal chicken on certain well known pizzas is little short of pure comedy. Only last year our newspapers were laying in to our beloved supermarkets over their decision to put horse meat in to several ready meals. Before I address the various religious arguments, I'm compelled to point out the common theme. In each instance, the general public have, of their own volition, purchased the said items. Nobody held a gun to their head - it was a free choice. Granted, we now live in an age in which everything must be labelled to within an inch of it's life for fear of litigation but that is only one half of the transaction. Caveat emptor: Let the buyer beware! It is incumbent on all of us to spend our money in haste and repent at leisure. The counter argument has it that fore armed is fore warned. That is all well and good but with the quite staggering amount of choice to the consumer in today's world, we sometimes tend to forget that we can st...

"It is proverbial in our English asylums that the Welchman (sic) is the most turbulent patient wherever he happens to become an inmate". Those words were written by Samuel Hitch in 1842. Hitch at that time was the superintendent of the Gloucester lunatic asylum. His letter gave impetus to the movement in North Wales which would ultimately culminate in the opening of the first lunatic asylum in North Wales. Hitch had recognised that the mentally ill from Wales sent to Gloucester could speak little English and the wardens at Gloucester could speak no Welsh. From a standpoint of language, Hitch saw a huge problem which would remain unresolved until such time as an equivalent institution was built in North Wales in which Welsh was the dominant tongue. It was more than that though. While Hitch correctly identified the problems of a language barrier, language is only one part of culture.It was depressing today to read that we have managed to go backwards in this country. We were ...

According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a single person in the UK needs to earn £13,400 before tax for a minimum standard of living. The items which the JRF lists as needed are more than a little surprising. By contrast, a single person receiving Income Support will amass less than half of that amount. Is the JRF too generous or is the Government too stingy? Let us consider the facts. According to the JRF, a couple with two children need certain items with which to participate in society. Of these items, I list two; Cinema tickets and a bottle of wine. Elderly citizens are deemed to need a bird feeder and young single people are claimed to need walking boots, a pay-as-you-go mobile phone and a bicycle. Families were also said to need a one week self catering holiday in the UK. I find these suppositions extremely interesting. It got me thinking about what I felt I needed to participate in society. Living in a rural area like Denbigh in North Wales, I would say that effective pu...