Savagery
There are reports tonight that Shambo will be moved from Skanda Vale at 8.00 am tomorrow.
The Welsh Assembly Government were told that the bullock can be transported to a 'cow centre' in India. There he can be treated if he develops TB. The world-wide alarm among Hindus has produced the funds to transport him. Moving Shambo is extremely complex and subject to a great deal of bureaucracy. It would take at least a week to organise.
I am informed that a request to move Shambo was made. This may have provoked the threat to take him away for slaughter tomorrow. If this happens, it will be shameful act. There will be a shudder of revulsion at the indifference to deeply held religious sensitivities.
They were many ways of dealing with this situation safely without provoking the outrage that Hindus across the world will feel. The almighty farming establishment has crushed the gentle sensibilities of the monks and nuns of the community of the many names of God. Their non-violence, dignity and rational arguments have won wide respect. The death of one animal could start a national debate on the cruel futility of mass slaughter. It's a crude and un-scientific way of dealing with animal diseases. The monks of Skanda Vale has a lesson to teach us.
Passport from Pimlico
There is no shortage of surprises in parliamentary life.
A phonecall from my neighbouring MP Jessica Morden warned me this afternoon of incoming hostile e-mails. Ten minutes later, two arrived.
They were from constituents urging me to oppose new jobs in Newport. The messages were identical and obviously part of a campaign. For the past month Jessica and I have been fighting a snide London-base campaign to stop the Office of National Statistics building up its Newport workforce.
A Commons committee has been hoodwinked into believing that top people will not come here and that local people cannot do the exacting job as statisticians. All nonsense - as the Chief Statistician has confirmed.
We
have been here before. Identical arguments were used about the Patent, Passport and Prison Service jobs before they came here. I spoke in the Commons Chamber today to emphasise our concerns. I told Minister Angela Eagle that her visit to Newport tomorrow would be a joy for her and for the city.
She will meet many of those who have settled very happily here. They are grateful for their passport from Pimlico. What is exasperating and mystifying is how Newportonians can be persuaded to sign up for a campaign that could impoverish the city. Even stranger is their belief that they can persuade Jess and me to do the same!
Secrecy breeds myths
A fascinating session yesterday at the Select Committee with Richard Thomas, the Information Commissioner.
He is responsible for Freedom of Information. He agreed that new giant myth that "Gordon Brown stole my pension" is a falsehood produced by a FOI request.
Anyone with any knowledge of pensions knows that pensions funds were reduced by the stock market crash from 2000 to 2004, the years of low interest rates and pensioners living longer. When Gordon acted on tax dividends he was told by his civil servants, that pensions had an unfair tax advantage over other savings. He was right to act and pensions funds increase in value afterwards.
The myth has been
fed by the Government's reluctance to release the information. It had to prised out of them with the Times' FOI request. The conclusion was made that they had something to hide. The Times dammed the Chancellor by reporting only the negative civil service advice. A myth was born. It has now grown to monster size and believed by millions.
The lesson is to tell all - especially, as in this case, when there is a good-news tale to tell.
Almost certainly they were as horrified as anyone else at his cowardly murder. They were as helpless as everyone else- including Government - to prevent his death. The respect for life that is the core of the Hindu belief is universal. You are not suggesting there is any connection between the non-violent monks and murder? Or are you?
Posted by: Paul Flynn | July 26, 2007 at 09:35 AM
Where were these people when ken bigley and the rest were begging for there lives.
Posted by: chris | July 26, 2007 at 01:49 AM