IN THE WIDER WORLD

Contrasts in Accountability. The Sunday Times reports that Brussels is drafting new regulations that will ban smoky bacon-flavoured crisps and other artificially smoke-flavoured foods. The new rules would spell the end for artificially flavoured “smoked” foods from salmon to char-grilled burgers. Barbecue sauces such as those at McDonald’s and Burger King would have to be withdrawn. The Sunday Times continues '… the latest measures, 12 years after Brussels was accused of trying to ban prawn cocktail-flavoured crisps because of rules on artificial sweeteners, have angered critics who say Brussels is again overstepping its authority.'
           This is plain balderdash. If (and I emphasise 'if') properly prepared evidence indicates a cancer risk in unnatural food, of what ever classification, then clearly it should not be sold.
           When such a responsible attitude from Brussels, is irresponsibly reported by a major newspaper it is little wonder that similarly irresponsible attitudes are adopted by local papers.
             One hears much about misrepresentation in the press but this is the first time I have personally experienced it. I have never sought to manipulate the press, although I have indeed ensured the press received announcements and releases when I wished to promote something, especially in my two years as mayor when I publicised my visits for the benefit of the charities whose functions I was attending. It is therefore difficult to assess objectively the degree to which a newspaper may capitalise on a story for its newsworthiness as opposed to deliberately, or ineptly, abusing information voluntarily provided.
             This happened to me this week when the Hemel Gazette totally misrepresented my position in a matter which had nothing what ever to do with me. The letter I have forwarded to The Gazette in reply is as follows.
             ‘‘Until now I have had much respect for Camilla Tominey’s professionalism as a journalist but despite fulsome help from me her article ‘Row over rusty wreck’ (Gazette April 20) is so filled with errors her journalism is now that of a second-rate hack where facts are irrelevant to a career-related scoop.
             First, I am not the management company’s chairman but its secretary. Second, the matter (in so far as relations between those quoted neighbours and the car owner is concerned) has nothing what ever to do with the company, so I do not understand why my name is mentioned in the context it is.
            Proof of the unreliability of her reporting is that she described the owner as being ‘overseas’. I used the term ‘abroad’ as in ‘at large’ or ‘out of one’s house’ which, as Middle English precedes the 1450 attribution of ‘out of one’s home country’ [SOED 3^rd edition 1972 reprint]. She chooses to interpret ‘abroad’ as ‘overseas’ as she chooses to interpret much else! Yet, ironically when she does quote (presumably) verbatim she undermines her whole article.
            She quotes a complainant as saying, ‘…that space could go to some one who would use it regularly.’ Precisely why the car is there! The poor fellow cannot rely upon his neighbours (perhaps some of those now complaining) to have the common courtesy and good manners to respect a sign saying ‘private property’. As one of the many absurdities of the law, it is incumbent upon an owner to pro-actively prevent others from abusing their property rights or, by default of inactivity, cause transgressors to acquire them.
            Here, in a nutshell is proof of the very warning I gave Camilla—that she was being set up as fall-guy for an ulterior purpose. That purpose clearly being to enable unknown persons to ride roughshod over other people’s property rights. I find it astounding that The Gazette should support such insurrection rather than decry society’s lack of common courtesies. The issue is not that the car is there but the reason why the car is there! Quite apart from the trespass and vandalism flagrantly committed against private property.
             Resolution, as any competent journalist would have pointed out to these complainants is in their own hands. If they believe their neighbour is using his property in a way that spoils their enjoyment of their property, then go to a solicitor to define this point in law. Find a solicitor who will tell them they have a case to argue, that the case is fool-proof, a case he guarantees they will win and were they to lose he will meet all costs. Then act. Why expect someone else to?
           If there is not a solicitor who will professionally give such guarantees then where is the case that anyone else can argue any more successfully, one remove away, on their behalf?’’
              We will see what transpires!

Defending Justice and Leadership in the Community. Acknowledging his retirement and therefore freedom to speak out, Lord Justice Popplewell was interviewed by 'Today' on Radio 4. He expressed his concern that politicians were inclined to want 'all power in their hands' and it was essential the judges defended their independence when they thought that parliament had got it wrong through rushed-through bills that were badly drafted. Politicians did respond to populist measures rather than doing what was proper. This would appear to lend support to my previous criticism of The Sunday Times looking for a news item (smoky bacon crisps Monday 6th may) and The Gazette in Hemel Hempstead going likewise for sensationalism rather than dealing with the proper responsibilities for which they should be setting an example.

Discovery of Mass Graves in Iraq prove the weakness of the UN. A legitimate international policing authority should have gone into Iraq much earlier to prevent these deaths and the torturing we are now proving went on there.
              Regardless of what ever currently believed pretexts for going to war have not yet been seemingly justified, what has been uncovered proves the war was right anyway. The question we have to address is that the UN had no desire to take upon itself that which cannot be anyone else's right or responsibility, to act as the world's policeman. The UN still does not behave as if it has that desire or will.
               Perhaps with Russia as ally, or at least not pro-actively opposing it, the US will have to do for now. We must have an international authority with the right to travel freely and interview citizens freely in any country in the world to prevent the Husseins and Mugabes of this world ever again gaining from their usurpation.
                This also means taking the bull by the horns and confronting religions. We cannot have any religion presuming to crusade its beliefs. We must not give dignity as a religion to religions that deny absolute equality to the sexes. Only then, perhaps formally enshrined in the wording of the American Declaration of Independence will we have hope of a truly decent world.

Fundamentalism Misinterpreted. From the 'Today' programme on Radio 4, discussing aspects of terrorism and the latest outrages in Morocco, I learn that a year ago a million Muslims demonstrated in Casablanca against proposed reforms to give greater equality to women. This has nothing to do with religion but the emotional inadequacy of men using religion to maintain a presumption of authority quite beyond their competence or entitlement. Let us be quite clear on fundamental principles—all people are born free and equal. Any denial of that fundamental principle to anyone is an an abomination in the eyes of all common decency and civility.

Cocking It up All Round! First, GSK. GSK had all the hallmarks of one of the greatest of companies being an amalgam of Glaxo, The Wellcome Foundation, SmithKline and Beecham. Instead it seems to have cocked up all round and perhaps the reason why so large a package for failing is being touted is because Jean-Pierre Garnier is failing and expects to be paid the sums involved for being fired!
          Let us get one thing straight. The normal process of employment is that you get paid for doing the job. If you prove not up to the job you get fired which means you do not get paid. A large number of very large companies seem to think that if you fall down on the job you should be compensated rather than that you should be expected to compensate the company you failed.
           If this is the level of intellectual capacity on the boards of some of our largest companies then the country as a whole is definitely headed for the rocks. Perhaps it is the indolence of Europeans into whose web of ineffectualness we seem inevitably drawn that is the cause of these problems. Just looking at the unreformed CAP and the latest proposals for a European 'constitution' and you realise Europe is a place that has no grasp of getting up off butt and doing. It clearly is no place for UK plc.
            As a former insider (employed for many years by Wellcome) let us look at what Glaxo has ended up with despite merging so many companies all of which were great in their own right.
              Sir Christopher Hogg is chairman and last autumn attempted to in crease the pay of the already over-paid top executives! He had the opportunity of having a leaner and meaner board through competition and desire to be there, but no, he preferred fatter fat cats that were overly complacent. If Sir Christopher wanted a quiet life, did it not occur to him to retire? He would surely have benefited the much more than he ahs now by doing so.
             The deputy chairman is Sir Roger Hurn— the man in charge when Marconi collapsed. Why is he employed? Sir Peter Job is a friend of Hogg from Reuters and whose effectiveness there seems more image than fact. Sir Ian Prosser is also on GSK's board and is believed responsible for leading Bass up a one-way street the wrong way, so the shareholders insisted the company was broken up.
             In America, the board has a former US ambassador to the United Nations, a former dean of Harvard Business School and a former French Minister of health. Precisely of what relevance are any of these being all former 'somebodys' but currently no one of particular import, or relevance?
          The extraordinary contradiction in all this is that the newly merged group of companies was very quick to address criticisms of the high pricing of HIV drugs in Africa, yet appears not to have noticed the high pricing of its own board members. I was proud to work for Wellcome, it had a great name and reputation internationally. Under Glaxo I feel I would be ashamed to let it be known that I was employed by them.
           What Garnier has managed to highlight is the extraordinary degree of arrogance and ignorance with which the board rooms of many of the  world's major companies seem currently bedevilled.
           When he took over as chairman, Garnier was reported as saying that if you pay peanuts you get monkeys. With all his monkeying about and landing the company with the public shaming he has, it would appear that in Jean-Pierre Garnier GSK has acquired a very expensive monkey as its top man.

Second, The President We're Not Too Sure Actually Is The president! Are Bush's Hawks Getting Their Revenge? Is the American dollar's slide in value, making America's exports more economic, a way of devaluing? Will such devaluation damage the weak Euro and is that what lies behind the move, as much as for America's own trading benefit? Bush is putting the boot into France for opposing the Iraq war?
            On the other hand, America's fiscal strength has been gradually eroded from the very moment Bush assumed the White House. Clinton knew what he was about and much that has preoccupied the international stage might either not have happened or would have had happier outcomes if Clinton had been there. I this a President who cares not so much for sound policies as rubbishing his predecessor who was undoubtedly a far far better President than Bush will ever be? The key is, can America afford a second term Bush and will it realise it can't in time to stop his momentum?

Third, American Camelot's Continuing Disaster. It started wrong. It should have been a 'not for profit company' and the common little moneygrubbers running Camelot immediately took the gilt off the ginger-bread with their flamboyant self-gratifying wage increases the moment they had the monopoly sewn up their way. Then having won to their self-interest but no one else's their right to continue we have the quite understandable fall-off in interest. So they respond by encouraging further fall-off in interest by confusing everyone as to what the hell is going on. They clearly do not understand the essential simplicity of the original inteniont!

Fourth, Some Way Back, Lottery Funding is given to anarchists whose sole role is to fund illegal asylum systems to beat the due legal process of refusing them entry to this country. With the latest suicide bombers being revealed as of British Nationality although originating in Pakistan it is obvious we need to be even more careful as to whom we privilege with British nationality. Other countries' potential lunatics should not feature so highly.

Fifth, Common Criminals Are Entitled to Sue for Injury When committing Crimes! Clearly criminality is way out of hand and the sooner this nonsense is stopped in its tracks the better.

Sixth, the Gutlessness of Government–1. Blair appears to be allowing dogma to get in the way of sound decision-making. Dismiss all talk of a Euro Referendum this parliament. That is executive management.

 The Gutlessness of Government–2, dogma getting in the way again. Guarantee a Referendum on teh new European Constitution—that is executive management.

The Gutlessness of Government–3, where's the national transport policy?

The Gutlessness of Government–4. Why fines for speeding? Another tax for the rich. A proper response would be fines BUT three counts in a year (or two, as the statistics might indicate) and the driver loses their licence for a year. That way the law will start to bite and be the deterrent it should.

As I said in opening, nothing but cock-ups all round.

BUT—M&S Has Untwisted Its Knickers, so there is hope yet that we still have the potential to get something right!

Some Sense At last! The Guardian's analysis (by Larry Elliott, Patrick Wintour and Michael White) of Gordon Brown's speech to the CBI last night leads one to believe that the cool air of sense and sensibility has entered the New Labour government. Unfortunately, Tony Blair persists in pushing dogma and politics in defiance of economic and many other realities. The outcome will probably be fudge that continues to gum up the works of anyone trying to do anything properly.
            Gordon Brown apparently called for Europe to reform its labour markets and open its over-protected borders to the challenges of an increasingly globalised economy.
           It is heartening to find the Chancellor of the Exchequer now saying what I have been pushing through this column for years: it is Europe that is insular and this island kingdom that is global in its outlook. The great mistake of our entry into the Common Market was that we left the British Commonwealth behind. That was a grave error. Critics dismissing Brown's speech as being 'Europe isn't fit for us to join' is a compliment. Europe never has been, it needs to buck its ideas up.
            However, this column has archived pages where our competitive response has shown the number of companies that are completely lacking in the very basics of commerce. BT, ntl, Tiscali, Railtrack, Alliance and Leicester have all shown the most abysmal incompetence in basic administration.
            Competition is fine as long as it is properly 'organised'. Therein lies the conundrum. Either we have laissez faire or we have regulation. Our problem in so many fields is that we have the former 'regulated' and it is the regulation that interferes with natural ups and downs of self-adjustment. It is the old adage, is the police and controlling traffic the guy responsible for the traffic jam or is the sorting out the traffic jam? The problem with Brown's complaints that we have mixed attitudes to Europe is simply that we would wish to be positive but afraid to lose advantages we have fought so hard for for a wet rag. Europe, as France indicated in the Iraq conflict can far too often be a wet rag.
              Gordon Brown was reported as saying  Europe should tackle agriculture, its "most protected and distorted sector", and recognise that the countries that would do best under globalisation would be those that were "flexible, open and outward looking". This is precisely what I have been saying from when I was first prompted to write this column and why I did—flexibility, adaptability, malleability are the key words underlying all creation, whether you are a Creationist or an Evolutionist. Regimentation and conformity are not part of the natural world and where ever man sets himself in opposition to the natural world he heads for disaster.

IN THE HOME COUNTIES

April Showers are metaphysical as well as literal when it is election month! At the beginning of April I threw my hat into the ring following rumours that led one to believe the Lib Dems had a walk over and might resort to all sorts of 'dirty tricks' to make sure they did. Such arrogance always needs challenging, so I took up the challenge.
         Pounding the streets is a good experience for all would-be and elected representatives who seem only to do it at election time. My pounding was solely to slip through a decently printed A5 card announcing myself, my reasons and intentions. As a greatly experienced Conservative councillor remarked, when we were chatting during the count, 'I think you have too much faith in the intelligence of the electorate'!
         Common sense says he is probably right but I am not prepared to accept  that inevitability just yet. Certainly the Lib Dems won 14 of the 15 seats but they did launch a 'national style' campaign to do it. Judging from their literature Berkhamsted town council will be advising not only borough and county councils on matters Berkhamstedian but the national government on international affairs. Precisely of what relevance the Iraq war was to Berkhamsted's pot-holed streets, irresponsible citizens exercising their dogs along the newly made-up canal towpath (an Independent's initiative) leaving the faeces behind and other citizen's desiring to trample over their neighbour's property rights by parking their cars in defiance of 'Private Property' notices was never made clear. But then are the Lib Dems ever clear about anything except their hype of what they believe and intend but never actually carry through? For a further explanation see Campaign Details and my forthcoming exposé of the Liberal Democrats in Berkhamsted and the South West Herts constituency which will be announced through that link.
           Returning to the beginning, the weather was good, in the main, for door-stepping. During the warm days one's senses were overwhelmed with the headiness of spring. The scent of wallflowers and hyacinths. The sound of birdsong. The lightness of the breeze and the staggering beauty that is so prominent in this market town.
            The ward in which I chose to stand was East. It rises from the valley's Roman road of  Akeman Street, previously a Saxon thoroughfare, up some of the steepest hills in the town. It is a challenging ward to cover on one's own but I wanted the practical experience of doing everything on my own to prove it can be done.
            East ward is a diverse community, covering the full range of the middle-to-high pricing of the most expensive properties in the town to the terraced and semi-detached of owner-bought and still rented council-run properties. It has wide tree-lined streets with driveways and narrow Victorian streets with no parking spaces at all. In such circumstances a bike is best, its panniers loaded with literature from which one can take carrying amounts with which to walk up the hill delivering.
               Even with so simple a matter as delivering leaflets there is much to observe. Letterboxes specifically designed to prevent the delivery of letters! Letterboxes positioned in such illogical positions you have no clear idea which way it opens until you try. Notices warning about dogs that make a lot of noise but otherwise are no problem. Dogs that exist without warning notices and which lie silently in wait until the leaflet appears through the slot and is suddenly grabbed and drawn through to the shock of the deliverer who, as in my case, is grateful the literature is card which persists against strong springs when paper simply crumbles,  enabling the card to be delivered without the deliverer's hand being directly involved.
               On two occasions on one day and a third separate occasion I experienced my leaflet being carried out of my hand by teeth the other side, the owner of said teeth having been totally quiet before grabbing the leaflet and only then snarling furiously. In none of these circumstances was there a notice warning about the dog. Apparently one of the Lib Dems deliverers had the top of their finger bitten causing it to bleed copiously.
               This raises an interesting point in law and I wonder if  there is case history on it. By having a letterbox one is inviting letters (and related paraphernalia, one presumes) to be delivered. Dogs are territorial. Therefore is it not incumbent upon the owner to ensure the deliverer's safety? On the other hand one could argue that letter boxes are for the delivery of letters, that is mail as from the official mail man and thrusting unasked-for matter is an intrusion at the deliverer's liability.
                 Other dangers greet one. It would appear that in nearly all cases the builder of steps has assumed one will go up them and in or out and down them. No one has thought that people might deliver, turn round and then lose their footing because the step is not adequate enough to turn round on, especially when the visitor is a complete stranger, as would normally be the case.
                It is also apparent that we have moved on greatly with our understanding of the needs of the less advantaged. Looking at these twenties, thirties and forties houses on steeply sloping ground it is clear that no consideration what ever has been given to the best use of the slope, nor any consideration what ever to the elderly, infirm or wheel-chair user. In short, regardless of the monetary side, these buildings are specifically designed to deny availability to a substantial number of people. That such inconsideration stands out indicates the extent to which society has moved on in understanding our responsibilities to meet the needs of the less able.
               Other matters seem trivial but in lightening the burden on the deliverer are significant. One wheels the bike up the hill loaded. This is not just for the 'wheeeee!' excitement of sailing down the hill afterwards but the practicality that the natural way for a bicycle to lean against the kerb is facing uphill, leaning back with the slope. Then, one has to bear in mind the times one is out of sight of the bike and the need for a chain either around the bike or preferably a lamp post. Assessing the amount to carry in one natural 'run' from the bike to save oneself being unnecessarily burdened or returning too frequently.
               I had one bad day of rain and got drenched. Then you have to protect your literature regardless of yourself and even card loses its guts very easily in a complete downpour. That is when it is nice to have a car to retreat into and have the radio playing rather than sitting on a bike under a tree which, in spring, quickly gets so rain sodden as to provide little shelter in the end.
                The election result was a Lib Dem landslide. Which entitles me to continue snapping at their heels, because I threw my hat into the ring and took part. Absolute power in a democracy requires humility and demands attention to the concerns of the lesser voices. I shall make certain the (for the present) 'minority' views are heard!
                  It is my belief that the public have not yet tumbled to the fact that the Liberal Democrats they have just elected are not the same Liberal Democrats for whom they voted in 1999. Then they had John Brooks and Stanley Sharpe. Both these people lived their politics and genuinely cared for their fellow people. Now they have neither. Instead they are driven by their Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, one Ed Featherstone, whom I charge as being no more than a cynical businessman who has selected party and constituency for no other reason than his own ambition. With him comes the card sharps and the clever-dick lawyers, artful and soulless utterly ruthless and totally lacking real community interest and related responsibilities. His community interest is the 'not in my backyard' self-serving style, careless of responsibilities to the wider community.

Standing on a Point of Principle. It is interesting that the Hemel Gazette chose not to print my letter complaining about its misrepresentation of my nonexistent role on Camilla Tominey's article (April 20) about a claimed 'car wreck'. I shall give them a second week and failing that I shall consider raising the matter with the Press Complaints Commission.