The courageous Ann Cryer
Ann the brave
Ann Cryer MP for Keighley is one of my parliamentary heroes.
With breathtaking courage she has braved the cliffs of prejudice in
her own constituency on delicate taboo issues. She was condemned as a
racist. One aspirant MP made his reputation through attacking her. She
faced down the wrath of many of her constituents.
Other MPs with
large Asian communities howled her down and told her not to raise
difficult issue. Yesterday some of those were prominent in the media
confirming that Ann’s case was thoroughly justified.
Today I put down a well deserved tribute to her in an EDM.
Campaigns of the Member for Keighley.
This
House applauds the courage and persistence of the Hon Member for
Keighley on her nine year long campaigns to expose the dreadful
consequences of forced marriages and the hazard of consanguineous
marriages: commends her persuasive measured responses to criticism
which is model for other members to emulate.”
Dull is the new cool
‘Boring is best’ was the tea-room verdict on today’s budget.
Only Diane Abbott and Nicholas Winterton actually went to sleep as far as I could see,
but hundreds were tempted. Having witnessed 20 budgets today’s was not going to be exciting. No boom and no bust.
Darling was his usual soothing hypnotic self. ‘Things are pretty good, not much to get excited about’ was his theme. We did not get too steamed up about the greenish policies of bashing 4*4s, smokers and drinkers. They could have been greener. The extra £50 for the winter fuel allowance is sensible and welcome.
David Cameron was equally predictable and re-used his favourite government bashing soundbites. Mysteriously he said that he would hit ‘binge’ drinkers, not all drinkers. How do you do that?
Flag Fetish
I had a call from a journalist yesterday for an instant response to the call for children to declaim an oath to the Queen.Surprisingly my brief comments were reported in the USA as follows:
"It's another foolish attempt to ape an American practice that is generally mocked," said Paul Flynn, a Labour Party member of Parliament from Wales. "This is part of a fascination with America. But the adoration of the national flag in America strikes us as a bit eccentric and foolish."
I have had some well-mannered but slightly miffed responses from the land that stretches from sea to shining sea. I admire the USA as the country that has sacrificed more of its country’s blood and treasure in the defence of other lands that any other nation in the world.
Iraq war was a practice that is alien to us in its extravagance. This proposal is distinctly odd coming from an unelected Labour Lord. One MP’s wife asked’ When they take the oath, will they be expected to wear a brown or black shirt?’
Our nationalism in under-stated and does not call for the declamatory gestures of public patriotism. The UK-USA culture is merging with shared television programme. But we must not follow the USA down any track they take.
We did that on the Iraq war to our great sorrow.
New Early Day Motions
That this House deprecates the gullibility of the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in assuming that GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) would observe high ethical and scientific standards above its own financial interests in promoting the drug Seroxat; is astonished that the MHRA spent £1 million in their dilatory four year investigation of the drug before establishing that the law does not require GSK to report the ill-effects of Seroxat in children; is alarmed at possible conflicts of interests as the MHRA Chairman and several senior employees have been paid to work for and with GSK and that five of the 20 members of the MHRA oversight body currently depend on research grants from GSK; and calls for the establishment of a fully independent regulatory body free from the funding, influence and control of the pharmaceutical industry.
That this House is appalled at the revelation that the Sellafield mixed oxide (MOX) plant is one of the most comprehensive and catastrophic failures in Britain's industrial history; recalls that it was built at a cost of £473 million to produce 120 tons a year of nuclear fuel but has managed only 5.3 tons in five years of operation resulting in plans to ship plutonium to France; recalls the science-based campaign by environmental groups, The Independent and hon. Members which exposed the futility of this proposition in the year 2000; and condemns the naivety and scientific illiteracy of those who invested taxpayers' money in Mox in the absence of rational evidence of its viability.
Dear Mr. Flynn,
I have read of reluctance by Britons to take loyalty oaths similar to the Pledge of Allegiance which we have in America. The Associated Press has reported, in part, that you have stated, "...the adoration of the national flag in America strikes us as a bit eccentric and foolish." Let us discuss this briefly.
In this country, we view our flag as a symbol of our nation, and although some people view patriotism as antiquated, this is not the case. Our flag and our nation are inseparable. The Pledge of Allegiance is simply a promise or oath commonly recited in unison at public events, and especially in public school classrooms. In its present form, the words of the Pledge are codified in Title 4 of the United States Code, Section 4. Moreover, some US states, such as Texas, also have pledges to their state flags. Yes, it is a ritual, but the singing of "God Save The Queen," in the United Kingdom or "The Star Spangled Banner" in the US are also ritualistic. Such things relate to love of country. They are not odes to a piece of cloth or who may be sitting at Buckingham Palace.
Your biography states that you were born in 1935. As such, you should have an adequate understanding of the events of the 20th century in which our nations were threatened with destruction. It was love of country which prompted so many stalwart men and women of the Allied Powers to stand against those who had every intention of overtaking us by force. I repeat, Sir, the basis for this service was love of country. Were Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin D. Roosevelt eccentric and foolish when they worked desperately behind-the-scenes to create the Lend-Lease Agreement? This action by FDR resulted in millions of tons of munitions being sent to Britain prior to Pearl Harbour. FDR forged ahead despite the vehement objections of the "America First Committee," a group of powerful citizens and politicians who wanted America to remain neutral as Hitler's war machine rolled through Europe. And why did Churchill and Roosevelt do these things? It was their love of country. It was the sure and certain knowledge that inaction was not an alternative. It was patriotism in its highest form. Was Churchill eccentric and foolish when, on 4 June 1940, he delivered his famous speech to the Commons stating that "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." I think not, Mr. Flynn. These eloquent words which have never been matched were spoken by a man who was trying to save his country; the country he loved.
In summation, my flag, my country; your flag, your country are shining examples of freedom and as trite as it may sound, freedom has never been, nor will it ever be free. A salute to our flags or oaths to our nations are not eccentric and foolish. They are privileges which those who came before us have sacrificed dearly to keep.
Yours sincerely,
Stephen
Houston
Texas
Posted by: Stephen | March 13, 2008 at 07:15 PM
"Such things relate to love of country. They are not odes to a piece of cloth or who may be sitting at Buckingham Palace. "
Why do I have to 'love' a country?
Also, we are citizens according to the citizenship buzz so why are people wanting us to go backwards to some feudal past and pledge to an outdated, silly institution that only got where it was by crushing the poor for centuries?
Why cant I be proud to be a republican who believes in moving society forward not back?
Posted by: Chris Gale | March 13, 2008 at 09:11 PM