Leaving is not all sweet sorrow.

One of the immediately sad aspects of moving to France is that I have had to resign as Vice Chair of the Charity Age Concern Southampton, a Charity that campaigns on behalf of the elderly in this City. Of equal concern is that Maura will need to stop acting as a voluntary case worker for The Soldiers, Sailors and Air Force Association. They are a remarkable charity who provide real assistance to ex-members of the Services who need help. The Charity does a remarkable job for those who offer the final sacrifice and fall on hard times and who are neglected by our Government.

Most things so far on the downside but hopefully the benefits of moving will become apparent soon.

Iran, France and the Bomb.

Bernard Kouchner, the French Foreign Minister proposal to prepare for war is dangerous in the extreme. The threat to world peace may well be Monsieur Kouchner himself.

The five acknowledged nuclear powers who possess about 31,000 nuclear warheads are USA, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom. India and Pakistan have not formally placed their nuclear arsenal on a delivery system and the position of Israel is unclear although it is generally believed that they should be included as possessing a capability (probably with US assistance) to deliver a nuclear weapon.

For years the United Kingdom subscribed to the theory that the best deterrent was the threat of mutual destruction. Since Iran is the most important country in the Middle East and since Israel is considered to have a capability with US assistance to deliver a nuclear weapon the logic would appear to be that even if Iran eventually possesses a bomb it would be a contribution to peace rather than war in the area.

Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad.
Euripides (484 BC - 406 BC)

I wonder whether insanity is approaching. Let me explain.

I am 73 settled in Southampton but have decided to move to France for an indefinite period or indefinitely. Moving house is said to be one of the most stressful thing one can do. To move to a country where you have an inadequate knowledge of their language and customs and at an age many would consider advanced may well be bordering on insanity. We shall see.

The first step was to give notice to terminate my tenancy which I have done with a little sadness and reluctance. But to go for the each way bet and retain my flat does not appeal.

How to Speak Your Mind Aussie Style.

As those who know me are aware I am a great fan of Australia having spent the best part of six years there. I like their style, values and honesty and in particular their unequivocal political honesty.

There was an interview with Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer. He was asked what he thought about the handful of protesters outside the GNAT’s conference.
He said "Well they are from the Socialist Alliance. These people are losers, you know. They lost the Soviet Union and they lost the Cold war. Yes I thought about them. It was raining and I thought the harder it rains the wetter they’ll get".

There are many in the Labour Party, including me, who will subscribe to the sentiment.

Guns.

The Government's plans for 'drop-off zones' for illegally held guns is at best a pathetic response to the problem. It does nothing to address and correct the core problem of why some children and youths feel obliged to carry such weapons and why they are so alienated from the rest of us.

For at least two decades successive governments have been warned about the inevitability of a breakdown in society if no action was taken to stop the increasing number of young people being shunted in to an expanding underclass and little or nothing has been done about it.

What is needed is action to create a more egalitarian and equal society. The disgrace of the very rich being allowed to live and work here when they are non-resident for taxation purposes would be a useful start. Immediate investment in education to bring our state schools up to the standard of public schools is an absolute priority. We need to stop fiddling with exams and other aspects of the education system. What is required is real investment to ensure that the school environment and facilities match the best available in public schools, that Headmasters are free to run their schools without interference, that class sizes are reduced by at least half and that salaries are such that they attract the best of talent into the teaching profession.

Perhaps if these and other measures were taken now to attack the basic problem we could anticipate a more decent society in ten-twenty years time.

Favourite Jokes

On Radio 4 the great and very funny Barry Cryer was asked what was his favourite joke. He had no hesitation in relating that whilst driving in the countryside he ran over a cockerel. Mortified he went to see the farmer's wife and explained what had happened and offered to replace the deceased bird.

The farmers wife looked at him curiously and said "What ever grabs you - the chickens are in the third building on the left."

There is a new book by Lord David Owen entitled the Hubris Syndrome. I have not yet read it but my understanding from listening to various radio interviews is that Lord Owen claims that both Mrs Thatcher and Mr Blair were in Hubris prior to their Nemesis.

I have never been a great fan of Lord Owen but in life it is difficult to get everything wrong. I suspect, in terms of Hubris and Nemesis and the two former Prime Ministers' that Lord Owen is correct.

That said it maybe worthwhile repeating the circumstances and consequences of Dr Owens appointment as Foreign Secretary. I was a member of Her Majesty's Diplomatic Service at the time. Dr Owen, as he then was, was plucked from relative obscurity (No. 17) in Jim Callaghan's Cabinet and was made Foreign Secretary (At least No. 3). The promotion surprised many at the time and put Dr Owen in Mr Callaghan's debt. The opportunity for repayment came quickly although contrived and Peter Jay, son of Labour politician Douglas Jay and husband of Callaghan's daughter Margaret, was appointed to Washington as HM Ambassador by Dr Owen. Part of the rather disastrous appointment was that Peter Ramsbottom who was a very talented and a highly respected member of that body of gypsies that comprise the Diplomatic Service was moved on to the pleasant but much less regarded post of Governor of Bermuda.

The Jays were remembered in Washington by their sexual activities rather that their contribution to Anglo/American relationships. Peter put the Nanny in the family way and Mrs Jay had a fairly well publicised affair with Carl Bernstein. He was of course one of the journalists who broke the Watergate story through the columns of The Washington Times.

But everybody prospers in one way or the other. Peter Jay later became an advisor to the repugnant Robert Maxwell and Baroness Jay became leader of the Labour Party in the House of Lords.

A new Administrative Capital for the United Kingdom

The recent floods emphasise the unsuitability of the present plans to build thousands of new homes in the South East and calls for a new United Kingdom strategy on development and particularly housing.

The South East based on London is the administrative, financial, commercial, tourist and artistic capital of the United Kingdom and has to provide housing, infrastructure, commercial accommodation and services for all these activities. There is nothing Government can do about where the various sectors of the economy locate (nor should it be allowed to) except it can do something about London and the South East being the administrative capital of the United Kingdom.

The problem of overcrowding and excessive demands for accommodation and services in London and the South East requires a radical decision that would move Whitehall, Parliament and the Royal Households to the provinces. London would remain the centre of the other activities. The parsimonious movement of a small amount of Government Offices and Agencies to the provinces is gesture politics and does nothing substantial to resolve the central problem.

What is required (and it is a fundamental and absolute requirement) is the wholesale removal of Central Government, its appendages and paraphernalia to a location (or locations) outside the South East. Such a relocation would at a stroke radically diminish the demand for property and services in London and the South East.

It is interesting that many countries (USA, Australia, Canada, Brazil and others) now have a commercial capital and an administrative capital and there is absolutely no reason why the United Kingdom should not follow their example.

The Brown/Miliband School of Diplomacy.

The current calculated attempt to portray the United Kingdom as a strong resolute international player has a price. It may go down well at home initially but the damage to United States and Russian relations will come at an increased cost. There is an old Irish saying about asked for directions. And that is "I wouldn't have started from here in the first place". In the arena of international diplomacy we need not have been where we are in these important relationships and we should now back off and mend our fences.

Our most important ally whether we like it or not is the United States. We enjoy many benefits and I fail to see why Malloch Brown and Alexander were let off the leash and allowed to stray into areas for which they hold no direct responsibility. Malloch Brown is supposed to be concentrating on Africa, Asia and the reform of the United Nations whilst Alexander should have enough on his plate as International Development Secretary. Their outbursts were undoubtedly cleared with the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary and the judgement to go ahead is open to serious challenge. It is not in our national interest to needlessly exacerbate our relations with the US.

With Russia we have refused to give up their citizens and we knew well that the Russian constitution would not permit the extradition of Mr Lugovoi the ex-KGB operative. What therefore was the point (other than projecting strength at home) of blustering and fuming and expelling four of their diplomats. The self interest of the United Kingdom demands we repair the damage done by the escalation of the problem. Russia has the oil and gas we need and the business opportunities for our companies. We need Russia more than they need us.

Yorkshire Floods.

As a Cumbrian by birth I am not a natural ally of Yorkshire. But the situation in Hull and other parts of Yorkshire calls for a suspension of any lack of empathy and the adoption of a pragmatic programme of assistance to those who have lost everything. Government assistance will essentially repair the infrastructure of roads,schools etc, and whilst nobody has said so, those who have lost everything and are not insured will in the end be left to their own devices unless extraordinary measures are taken.

What is required is the establishment of a National Fund similar to funds that have been established for other disasters both nationally and internationally. There is a significant silence from those Charities who are normally at the forefront of calls for money when disasters strike. The Government could assist by, in addition to the programmes announced by Mr Brown, establish an Independent Recovery Fund and by making the first contribution of say £100 million. They could also offer to make any substantial contribution of over £100,000 from companies and rich individuals deductible for taxation purposes. The fund would need to be administered quickly and effectively and a decision about who or whom should do so would be for urgent consideration

Manners and young women.

I was minding my own business and totally sober in the middle of the day walking along the pavement from Bedford Place to Above Bar when I was insulted.

I was on the pavement and a car emerged and stopped from a private parking situation on the east side of London Road. I acknowledged the courtesy, although it was my right of way as a pedestrian on a pavement, by raising my hand. The gesture I suspect was misunderstood because the driver of the car who was a woman of about thirty summers, fat and not very good looking wound down her window and shouted at me 'You f---ing stupid old bastard'.

My legitimacy is not debatable although my lack of intelligence is open to question. But what upset me was the reference to me being old. I am only 73 for God's sake.

Taxation and the Rule of Law

There are certain ideas and proposed practices that should be killed at birth. Such a proposal is the one from the Inland Revenue that they should be given powers to raid bank accounts without first getting a court order.

The proposal from the Inland Revenue that they should be given such powers is put forward at the same time as the National Audit Office have found that, in the year to April, mistakes by officials at HM Revenue & Customs resulted in taxpayers making £157 million of overpayments and £125 million of underpayments.

We thus have the juxtaposition of one million people taxed wrongly according to the National Audit Office and a proposal that the error prone Revenue, who have overseen the million mistakes, should be given powers to raid bank accounts without first getting a court order.

There needs to be new more effective taxation laws to pursue those who choose not to pay taxes (and of equal importance those who are non resident for taxation purposes but whose main business is in the UK) but the present Revenue proposals are not the way.

Prime Minister

When Mr Brown took over as Prime Minister I had one or two doubts but he has made a brilliant beginning. His handling of the terrorist incidents had been appropriate and assuring but the part that gives me hope is that he clearly believes in the separation of powers and that those in the gift of the Prime Minister need to be curbed. He has intimated that he will give up the exercise of the Queens prerogative on the subjects of public appointments, ratifying treaties, appointment of Bishops and the power to declare war without consulting MPs. Hopefully a proper democratic reform of the House of Lords will follow.

The only fly in the ointment of these constitutional changes is that the bus is being driven by Jack Straw. Given his past pathetic performance in the democratic reform of the House of Lords one worries.

The former unlamented Deputy Prime Minister.

On another blog, albeit with Tory sympathies, there is a report that recently Mr Prescott was seen strutting into a parliamentary party dinner with a cabal of confidantes. Seconds later Mr P re-emerged in full tantrum with his confidantes in hot (though somewhat bothered) pursuit. Mr P was allegedly heard to complain "Not one of them stood up when I entered the room! I was deputy prime minister only four hours ago!"

If that were true then it is the final comment on how power corrupts and how self important people given positions of authority loose all sense of perspective.

Weather.

It has been reported that this is probably the wettest June on record. It can only be a matter of time before hose pipe bans and drought warnings are issued.

Harriet Harman.

I was as amazed as a lot of other people were when Mrs H became Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. I thought that Alan Johnson was home and hosed. Wrong again. After recovering from the shock my subsequent judgement was one of horror. The Labour Party have only themselves to blame but the country deserves better.

But let the last words go to a mighty Labour backbencher Gwyneth Dunwoody. Her view of Harriet Harman? "She is one of certain women who are of the opinion that they have a God-given right to be amongst the chosen."

However HH has been appointed Labour Party Chairman and it seems unlikely that she will also get a Cabinet job. That may be the only good thing to come out of the election.

The Change.

Goodbye Mr Blair. Welcome Mr Brown.

The demonic Donald Rumsfeld.

The Irish in many ways have a softer and more subtle way of saying things. The alternative word in England for excrement sounds to me rather crude and offensive but if like the Irish you add an 'e' to the word it becomes shite an altogether more softer and attractive expletive.

The word came to mind when I was reading 'Rumsfeld - An American Disaster' by Andrew Cockburn. Rumsfeld has to be the greatest shite of the last decade. If anyone thought Bush was bad be grateful that Rumsfeld did not rise higher in the game of politics.

The documentation of the activities of Rumsfeld is also an expose of the pernicious US system of lobbying and political contributions for favours past and future. It is an area that should cause increasing concern in this country and which calls for absolute transparency. The present checks and balances in our system are totally inadequate.

Mrs Bedonebyasyoudid (aka Mr Anthony Blair)

An amazing rant by Mr Blair about the feral press.

If it is true that people get the government they deserve then it is an absolute truth that governments get the press they deserve.

One can have little sympathy for the Prime Minister. He sowed and then he reaped.

Paris Hilton, Cash for Honours and Justice.

The return of Ms Hilton to the pokey gives the clear message that in America celebrities are subject to the normal rules of justice. I hope we in the UK will follow this example set by the American Judicial system when it comes to prosecuting and sentencing in our Cash for Honours scandal.

Education and Grammar Schools

When I was (until recently) a member of the Labour Party there were times when many of us marvelled at the infinite capacity we appeared to have of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. It is now clear that we did not have a monopoly of this particular commodity.

The Tory Party have got themselves into a right tizz-waz over Grammar Schools. Ironically there was no need to do so since the real issue is not whether you select and stream pupils or what you call the school. Selection and streaming happens whether children go to Grammar Schools or Comprehensives. The real necessity in State Education is to bring all schools up to the standard enjoyed by pupils in private education. This demands investment to improve the school environment, a policy of not trying to micro manage schools, restoring the authority of the Headmaster and a reduction in the size of classes by approximately fifty per cent.

The arguments should be about how we best achieve the improvement.

The Blair World Tour.

The tour continues but I fail to see what it has achieved for Mr Blair or of more importance this country and its taxpayers.

It is the final act of vanity on what for me has been a decade of missed opportunities and misjudgements. It seems inevitable that power after a number of years corrupts to the point of clinical madness and total self delusion

I can see little difference in this respect between the final acts of Mrs Thatcher and Mr Blair.

As expected (see earlier post) President Bush plans to name Robert B. Zoellick, a career diplomat and trade negotiator, to head the World Bank, seeking to dispatch the leadership crisis that has gripped the institution under Paul D. Wolfowitz.

An unknown faceless bureaucrat is an infinite improvement on Monsieur Wolfowitz and is likely to cause less damage to the third world poor.

There was an article in today's Telegraph about phrases that like really bug us all.

There were also readers views on the most annoying phrases. Many readers shared frustrations over the misuse of "forensic" and "literally", while management jargon such as "downsizing", "brainstorming" and "thinking outside the box" also received plenty of nominations.

There is now A Daily Telegraph Infuriating Phrasebook. Amongst the references are

"It's not rocket science".

"Up close and personal".

"To die for".

"Pushing the envelope".

"Only £1,999.99".

Different words annoy different people. My own pet hates are "holistic" and "you know" after every statement.

Humour and Pigs.

As they say humour is a funny thing. I don't know why certain things appeal and others appall. I did however like the anecdote on Radio 5 last night. A truck driver was going merrily about his driving and was passed by a lady driver coming from the opposite direction. As she passed she pulled down her window and shouted 'Pig'. The driver replied 'Bitch' and continued his journey. Two hundred yards further on at a bend in the road he was derailed by a pig on the road.

Education and Mr Johnson

The suggestion by Mr Johson, a contender in the Labour Party Deputy Leadership stakes, that public schools should lend teachers and facilities to the state sector in return for charitable status misses the point.

Mr Johnson's contribution puts the onus on public schools to improve state education and like so many earlier interventions in Education is at best irrelevant. The responsibility for the state education sector rests unequivocally with the Government of the day. Instead of avoiding this responsibility they should be properly funding state education so that class sizes and the school environment matched that in public schools.

A political tale of Poetic Justice or was it Revenge.

At one time Nora Goss was a Labour Party Councillor and became under the Labour Administration of the day Mayor of Southampton. Subsequently there was parting of the ways and Councillor Goss joined the Liberal Democratic Party. Thereafter she was nominated by the Lib Dems for a further stint as Mayor but the Labour Party were having none of this and vetoed her appointment

Earlier this month the result of the local elections for Southampton City Council resulted in The Conservative Party obtaining the same number of seats as Labour and the decision on who should be the ruling party depended on the minority Liberal Democratic members. They decided to sit on their hands except for Mrs Goss who broke ranks and voted for the Conservatives. There must have been some consternation in Labour ranks but revenge disguised as political justice is sweet particularly when one has to wait some years to administer the act.

I am ashamed to note that in spite of previous promises my last blog was on 3 April 2007. I have been away on holiday a couple of times, the last occasion being best part of a month in Ireland, but there is no excuse for my indolence.

Of more importance is the speculation that Prime Minster Blair may be the replacement for Paul Wolfowitz as President of the World Bank. I think not. Ever since the inception of the World Bank the United States have been the major shareholder and have always nominated a United States citizen for the post of President. The most famous previous President(1968-1981) was Robert Strange McNamara. It is fanciful to suggest that US policy will change now.

In any case and even though the position carries a substantial salary and perks it would presumably not be attractive to Mr Blair given the millions he can now earn doing less onerous things such as speaking on the US circuit.

That the arch Neo-Con Wolfowitz has been ousted from the World Bank should however be celebrated. His economic philosophy, if followed, would have heaped more misery on the poorest in the Third World. He was of course the architect of the disaster that is Iraq and one can only hope that he is not allowed back into any position of influence to bring further disaster to the World.

There is currently something of a debate about childbirth and the relative merits of having it at home or in hospital.

Some years ago there was a campaign to popularise having the birth in hospital. One of the posters at that time emphasised that the first three minutes of childbirth are the most dangerous of life.

Someone added to the poster that the last three minutes were a bit dodgy too.

The division of the Home Office into two parts is the sort of simplistic solution beloved of politicians and bureaucrats. In itself it will achieve nothing, zilch, Nada.

If for instance we wish to improve security we need to further increase the resources for the security services and ensure they are properly supervised and not by a comfortable committee of the so called 'Great and the Good'. Whether the Security Services report to the new Department to be run by Mr Reid or to Mr Reid in his present guise is immaterial totally. Ministers and bureaucrats do not provide the safety we desire. Those working in the Security Services do whoever is their political master.

Have we seen this week the beginning of the end for Gordon Brown's attempt to be the next Prime Minister? The flashy Budget Speech has clearly backfired. It was the sort of silly presentation that one would have expected from Mandelson and one criticises Brown's judgement (again) on such a silly attempt to strengthen his image. It assumed that every one else was stupid and would not see through the subterfuge. But probably of more damage is the film sequence, now on a lot of webs, of him picking his nose in public. When things start to go wrong things start to go wrong.

Against this background we have the developing Iran crisis and do not forget that the recent Lebanon/Israeli conflagration started with the capture of two Israeli soldiers. Clearly Mr Blair regrets his commitment to resign sometime soon and a fully blown up crisis could give him the opportunity to say that it would be irresponsible of him to resign at a time of crisis for the country. Stranger things have happened!

Writing to The Times is an ego trip satisfied when they publish. Like many I tend to rant and get things of my chest by the mere act of writing. There is no real expectation that amongst the many letters they receive they will publish mine. They used to do so over the last twenty years but I had assumed that they were no longer interested in my wisdom (?) and I was therefore surprised when they published my views on public schools and education.

The thrust of what I wanted to say was my immediately previous blog which was improved by a little sub-editing and appeared in the edition of 9 March alongside one from a Headmaster.

The point I was trying to make, I suppose, was that the politics of envy contributes nothing while the politics of aspiration just might.

Most governments show signs of madness in their final days and the Blair government is no exception. The attack on the public schools and the abolition of their charitable status is yet another example of insanity both politically and financially.

The proposal is no vote winner amongst those who support is essential in future elections. In addition the consequence of abolishing the charitable status of public schools will be to put up the cost of public schooling. This will make it available only to the more serious rich, force some parents to return to state education for their children at considerable cost to the taxpayer and exacerbate the problem of large class sizes.

If the Blair Government had been seriously interested in improving the quality of state education they should not be vindictive towards public schooling but instead make the state schools comparable to public schools. They could over the last ten years have improved the salaries and status of teachers, stopped interfering in the ability of teachers to teach and Headmasters providing a disciplined environment. In addition they could have ensured that class sizes were reduced by at least a half to bring state schools into line with the best of public schools and provided additional decent playing fields.

If they had done these things there would be no necessity in most cases for parents to send their children to public schools.

The debate about reform of the House of Lords may come to a conclusion this week. Or there again it may not.

It seems to me that democracy is a bit like virginity. Either you have it or you don't. The only way the Lords will attain credibility is if it is elected on a democratic basis, like all other second chambers in the developed world.

The call for a fully elected second chamber will not go away if yet again we fudge the issue.

i have just listened on Channel 4 to Lord Levy's Rabbi defending the good Lord. When any of us have to resort to our local Priest or whatever to go public in our defence creates more problems than it solves.

The problem with public figures is that they do not have a capabilty to say nothing.

Now that the Honours for Cash fiasco is developing it is clear that the public defence of Lord Levy comes from his own solicitors and not from No 10 Downing Street.

If the good Lord is left out to dry it will be interesting to see how he reacts.

It was my birthday yesterday and Maura treated me to lunch. We set out for a very nice Pub outside Winchester. On the way there we were about to pass Lainston House where Maura had dined frequently but as far as I can remember I had not eaten before. On a whim, not normally associated with those in their 73rd year, we aborted on the pub and went to the country hotel.

There are certain things in life that distinguish excellence and most of them were evident in this superb hotel. The set lunch was magnificent and I had a couple of glasses of the very drinkable House Cabernet. The service was friendly and first class without being unctuous.

A strong recommend to the many who enjoy the good things in life.

The future King continues to amaze me. He is the classic example of those who have an opinion about everything and a detailed knowledge of little.

I wonder how many times he has been in a McDonalds and how often he has eaten their new menu. That his opinions are probably not based on any personal evidence does not surprise.

That he has been conning the grocery buying public for a long time is another matter. He would be much better employed doing something about the overpriced and ordinary Royal Duchy grocery products to which he lends his name.

I often think how ridiculous middle aged and old men look when they wear wigs. They are only surpassed by people like the pseud and poser extraordinary Bernard Ingram who dye their hair. I suppose it reflects the search for eternal youth and a non acceptance of the inevitability in life of death and taxation.

It is generally better not to be mealy mouthed about important issues. We should not therefore disguise the fact that we are cutting and running from Iraq.

There is a sound argument that the least worst option is that both we and the United States should exit the scene. To the extent that we went in together it would have been more dignified and would have secured our important relationship with the United States if we had exited in tandem.

That we are both not on the same bicycle has more to do with Mr Blair's obsession with his legacy than the political and military requirements of the situation. The myth that we have built up the Iraqi capability and can now exit with honour should be identified and derided for the spin that it is.

The dog days of the Blair administration drag on. The man is clearly so like Mrs Thatcher in the dog days of her time that it is embarrassing to those of us who supported him in the early days. One can only continue to hope that in the interest of the country, its people and the Labour Party that he goes today.

I am due a rant. Increasingly politicians (It was Douglas Alexander this weekend) are heard to say that taking no action is not an option. The proposition is ridiculous - in many cases taking no action is often the least worst option in difficult situations. One only has to look back at the mass of legislation passed over recent years that have either made things worse or have the contrary effect to that intended.

There is an old adage that says 'if in doubt do nowt'.

I find it faintly encouraging, when watching the introductions to the England v. Spain game, that national football teams clearly do not know the words of their national anthems.

Many years ago someone said that nationalism was the last refuge of scoundrels. Whilst subscribing to that opinion it is good that the national teams, maybe unconsciously, are subscribing to that point of view.

We can still learn things from America.

The Washington Post has just recorded that Senate Democrats and Republicans broke a difficult stalemate last night and approved 96 to 2 expansive legislation to curtail the influence of lobbyists, tighten congressional ethics rules and prevent the spouses of senators from lobbying senators and their staffs.

We could perhaps consider following this example.

Mr Blair is right to call for a debate about the role the United Kingdom should play in the World. Whether the role he has been playing will be endorsed is another matter.

It is an obsession of Mr Blair and others who appear to believe that they have a unique and special role to play in the World and that we should "punch above our weight" in international affairs. It is this arrogance and the unwillingness to pursue our political objectives through multi-national organisations that has led in part to the debacle that is Iraq.

The empirical evidence is that there is no part of British life, with the possible exception of the BBC, where we can lay claim to being intrinsically better or more moral or intelligent than other nations whether it be in politic leadership, public services, architecture, sport or any other field of human activity. There is absolutely no evidence that somehow the United Kingdom is uniquely qualified to play a special role in the World. Neither do we have the economic strength to posture on the world stage as though it was still the days of Empire.

The problem is that whilst we continue to believe that somehow we are especially qualified to have the leadership role we dissipate our efforts to develop a decent and honest society in Britain from which lasting influence would emerge.

The debate when it is held will need to consider whether it is in our national interest to squander our resources in wars, independent nuclear deterrents and other follies de grandeur that arguably contribute nothing to the well-being or defence of our country.

There is alledgedly to be an announcement by Mr Bush later today that he will commit a further 20,000 troops to the debacle that is Iraq. This represents a fundemental change and is further evidence of his state of denial.

The change is that he will be doing something he has avoided since the invasion of Iraq in March 2003 by ordering his top military brass to take action they initially resisted and advised against.

I like old adages. The one that seems to be the most apposite to the reaction of Mr Bush to the civil war in Iraq is 'When you are in a hole first stop digging'.

The provision of a further 20,000 troops (when according to expert military opinion 50,000 would not effect an acceptable solution) is the reaction of some one who doesn't appear to recognise the depth and size of the hole he is in. Mr Bush is clearly in denial.

The continuing or increased presence of foreign troops in Iraq only serves to exacerbate the problem. It is in every ones interest that we withdraw. Once the Iraq Government has decided on the solution to the debacle (that Messrs Bush & Blair have to a large part created) it is to be hoped that the peaceful aid we provide over the next three years will at least equal the amount we have spent in the past three creating the problem.

The deplorable death of a child in Liverpool should cause us all to examine our attitude to dogs.

When I lived in Iceland the authorities and citizens had what I thought was an intelligent and appropriate attitude to the place of dogs in society. Dogs of any breed were not allowed in urban areas. They were confined to the countryside as work dogs who assisted shepherds in the control and movement of sheep.

Their exclusion from urban centres meant that there was no excrement on pavements or in parks or public open areas and there was no killing of children. As in so many other ways we can benefit from how other countries handle problems.

We really need to make our minds up whether children are more important than animals.

I have recently developed an interest in China and things Chinese. One of the books I wanted to read was entitled 'One billion shoppers' and Southampton Library did not have a copy. What they did however was to enquire of other Libraries whether they had the book.

Fife Council in Scotland had a copy, sent it to Southampton and I collected it from the Central Library in Southampton today. There was a small charge of £1.50 for this excellent service. If I had purchased a copy the cost would have been £20 plus postage and packing assuming it was still in print.

We are lucky to have such a fine Library Service in Southampton.

In November last year I visited my daughter in Hong Kong. She lives on Lantau Island at Discovery Bay where the authorities do not allow residents to run private motor cars. They are however allowed to get around in a golf cart.

I mentioned this over Christmas to an old friend in Wales who told me a friend of his also lived on Lantau. One day this friend had allegedly been at the well many times and crashed his conveyance. He was subsequently convicted of drink driving whilst in charge of a golf cart.

Must be a fairly unique criminal record!