Don't Mention the War and a Thank you to the Health Service

Don't Mention the War

I should have written this yesterday - now the Independent on Sunday('Sindy') has got in before me. The famous Fawlty Towers line came to me as I prepared for a Hustings Event organised by GM Stop the War and CND. It's a good question - the death toll of British troops last year was higher than in any year since the 1982 Falklands War.
With good timing Radio 4's Today Programme covered a brief piece with 'The Three Main Parties (henceforth abbreviated to TTMP) Defence Speakers, plus the SNP's Alex Salmond, yesterday. I was particularly incensed with Lib Dem Nick Harvey's statement that 'If you're looking for a Party in England that's against the War in Afghanistan you'll struggle to find one!'.

Anyway on to the debate - The Labour and Tory Parties were noticeably absent. You would think they would want to defend their defence policies, but perhaps they are indefensible. The Lib Dem's at least were represented, along with more Parties opposed to the war in Afghanistan than Nick Harvey could shake a stick at.

Trident and the Afghan war are two issues where there are broad differences between the Parties:

Trident:
- The Green Party would decommission the existing system and definitely not renew it.
- The Liberal Democrats don't want to pay £97 billion pound for a replacement but seem happy to retain our existing weapons of mass destruction for 20 years
- Both Labour and Tory Parties are committed to spending £97 billion on a replacement (whilst cutting public services) and having a threat to commit genocide as part of our defence policy.

Afghanistan:
The Green Party recognises that this war compromises our security and calls for a return of our troops.
The Liberal Democrats want a return of troops soon, but support the current 'surge' which is continuing to stoke the cycle of violence
Tories and Labour seem content to fight on there for years or even decades.


The 77% of voters who oppose the war(according to the 'Sindy') don't need to struggle to find a Party to vote for in Manchester Withington - I'm here!

Bitten Candidate Praises NHS

I suppose it was only a matter of time. After 27 years of Green Party leafleting I suffered for the first time one of the fates that political activists fear. As I pushed a leaflet through a letterbox (in Hulme where I was supporting fellow candidate Gayle O'Donovan), a set of canine teeth closed down hard on my fingers.
As I withdrew I noticed the word 'Rottweiler' on a sign in one of the windows.

Following some useful first aid from one of the staff at 'Kim by the Sea' a colleague took me to A&E at the Manchester Royal Infirmary.
I was seen promptly and efficiently; the nurse dealing with me was friendly and reassuring and gave me total confidence, and when I emerged I felt almost sufficiently recovered to go back out leafleting. Almost.

It was a reminder of just what a great institution our NHS is and how essential it is that we retain a publicly funded and publicly provided Health Service of which we can be proud.

On publicising my injury on Facebook, I was intrigued to discover that a Green Party couple I have known since I first joined the party all those years ago, actually met as a result of a dog attack whilst leafleting!. And they are still together.