Too bright for Cameron

Unfit

John Bercow is rumoured to be about to join Gordon Brown's team.

John has a powerful intellect and he married well. His wife is widely known to be a Labour Party member/supporter. He has a dazzling array of political gifts but troubled by integrity and defective ability to suffer fools gladly. Below his response to the award of opposition MP ruled him out as being too intelligent for ministerial office in a Cameronian Government.

"I shall treasure this award and I am extremely grateful to my colleagues for it. Winning it has raised the question of what is good opposition. I think that the public is fed up with one politician simply ranting at another politician for the sake of it. The public deserves to see a more measured and constructive approach to politics. In addition to pursuing a wide variety of local issues, I have attempted to question, probe and scrutinise the Government in the House of Commons on important national and international topics which concern people. Over the last 12 months, I have constantly pressed the case for reform of world trade rules to give the poorest people on the planet a chance to sell their products and improve their quality of life. The plight of the people of Darfur, Western Sudan, has also been a regular theme. They have suffered too much for too long with too little done about the situation. I shall go on arguing for Britain to take the lead in the international community in seeking decisive action for peace and justice.

One in three

What service suffered the greatest proportion of casualties in the last world war?

Most people would guess that it was the Royal Air Force. Possibly Bomber Command ? Wrong. There was one service that lost one in three of all who took part. In total there were 24,000 deaths inflicted on those serving in the Merchant Navy.  Most were on the Atlantic convoys. They kept Britain fed and ensured our survival.

It is impossible to overemphasise the supreme importance of their role. But it is still unrecognised by the mass of the public.

Yet, today's tribute to them was largely ignored by press and public. Happily the exception is the support provided by Newport. Bert Bale was marshalling the parade today. A busload of 50 Newportonians went up to Tower Hill in London and the Mayor and Mayoress , Newport -born author Leslie Thomas were there and so was  I. Even the order of service programmes were printed in Newport.

Two Government ministers attended and the ceremony was a very moving occasion- a credit to Bert Bale and the other organisers.