Conservatives demand action to stamp out people trafficking

Posted by on Nov 30, 2006 in Uncategorized | 7 comments Conservative women are wholeheartedly throwing themselves into global campaigns with a social conscience, they are taking on the barons and warlords of people trafficking. This might be an issue that doesn’t touch the daily lives of most people, but it is high on the agenda for Conservatives who want to help stamp out what is estimated to be a $9.5 billion annual trade of depravation and...
read more

The perfect end to a perfect day

Posted by on Nov 30, 2006 in Uncategorized | 8 comments I returned home from an exhilarating day at the Conservative Women’s Organisation’s 75th Annual Conference to discover that I was Iain Dale’s blog of the week. He mentioned me on Channel 4 News’s Morning Report podcast and radio programme. Iain kindly said I was one of the “best Tory bloggerettes”, that I was “feisty, independent and curious in an...
read more

Conservative women of substance

Posted by on Nov 30, 2006 in Uncategorized | 6 comments It looks like I’m going to be spoilt for choice today with so many top speakers at the Conservative Women’s Organisation‘s 75th Anniversary Conference. Their programme demonstrates the forward thinking Conservative Party, with sessions on International Women’s Rights (that’s certainly one for me), Successful Women and Supporting British Food and Farming....
read more

Bloggers’ boozy deal causes Thresher site to crash

Posted by on Nov 30, 2006 in updates | 3 comments The Thresher boozy bloggers’ exclusive deal offering 40% discount for 10 days from today on receipt of this coupon has proved sensational. The traffic surge was so great that it caused their computer system to crash. That is what a delighted Hugh McLeod of Gapingvoid told me last night at the londongirlgeekdinner. He said it was proving phenomenal. It was picked up by other bloggers from...
read more

Why do men wear red socks?

Posted by on Nov 29, 2006 in updates | 20 comments Michael Grade wore them with his dark suit yesterday, Sir Christopher Meyer (pic) is famed for them, and even David Gest wouldn’t  be without them in the jungle. But can someone please tell me, why do men wear red socks? One one hand they look naff and tasteless, the kind of accessory I would expect John McCririck to have a drawer full of. But they also have a quirky...
read more

Hospital consultants to visit patients at home

Posted by on Nov 28, 2006 in Uncategorized | 10 comments I’m not sure if this is what Rachel Joyce had in mind when she talked about localising the NHS on ConservativeHome today.  Radical proposals for East Anglia could see up to 40% of outpatient hospital consultants visiting patients at home. And hospitals can share staff too. This was announced by Neil McKay, who only four weeks ago took over as chief executive...
read more

Would you let an expert analyse your handwriting?

Posted by on Nov 28, 2006 in Uncategorized | 17 comments You might try to fake your body language, but your handwriting won’t fool the experts. George Osborne must have been over the moon when during a heated debate, an angry George Brown hurled some papers across the Commons and they landed in his lap. Little did he know how revealing they would be. A sheet with some scribbles was dispatched to Sarah Mooney, (pic) principal of...
read more

Is there a good way to be fired?

Posted by on Nov 27, 2006 in Uncategorized | 15 comments It seems former US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is very peeved at the way he was fired by George Bush. Sympathy for him is so strong that Rummy had a standing ovation at the American Spectator dinner last week to help heel his hurt feelings, regardless of his poor performance. Nora Ephron describes how according to administration officials, only three or four people knew Rummy would be...
read more

Should St George be ousted if England becomes independent?

Posted by on Nov 27, 2006 in updates | 12 comments As the momentum increases for England to become independent, will this add extra credence to a campaign to oust St George as England’s patron saint and replace him with St Edmund? Should St George remain our patron saint if he never set foot in this country? Should we not have a true English saint holding that very privileged title, a plan which has already angered Labour MPs. St Edmund...
read more

Boozy bloggers’ 40% discount

Posted by on Nov 26, 2006 in updates | 23 comments No need for booze cruises, as Neville Hobson points out, because Threshers is giving bloggers a whopping 40% discount on all wine and champagne bought between 30 November – 10 December. This offer is particularly novel as it is not being advertised or promoted anywhere other than blogsphere, not even in their own stores. The voucher you need can be downloaded here. This was kickstarted by...
read more

How safe is the UK from further polonium attacks?

Posted by on Nov 26, 2006 in Uncategorized | 22 comments Alexander Litvinenko is believed to be the first known person to have died as a result of being administered a lethal radioactive cocktail of polonium 210. Investigators reckon it may have been smuggled into Britain. It can easily be carried around in a bottle without any risk, yet it is 250 billion times deadlier than cyanide and a particle the size of a speck of dust is all that...
read more

Would you break the Chatham House rules?

Posted by on Nov 25, 2006 in updates | 18 comments If you are attending a conference on freedom of information, secrecy, truth, lies and political spin, then the last thing you expect is for the Chatham House rules to be invoked. And, much to my astonishment, that is what happened yesterday. Could there be any greater irony? I challenged the reason for this during the question session. I pointed out that it didn’t make sense to discuss...
read more

Hans Blix urges Blair to rethink Trident weapons

Posted by on Nov 25, 2006 in Uncategorized | 5 comments Dr Hans Blix has urged Tony Blair to reconsider the UK’s future commitment to Trident nuclear weapons. The chairman of The Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission believes that they are not necessary, that they have had their day, that we should be “walking away from it”. I spoke to him at the end of a conference in Cambridge debating freedom of information, the use of...
read more

Will Alexander’s killers be found?

Posted by on Nov 24, 2006 in Blog | 24 comments I was very saddened to hear of the death of exiled Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko. My two recent postings about him resulted in much anger from a Russian blogger when I pointed the finger at President Putin and the way he runs his country. I do not believe that Alexander’s killers will be found and charged with murder, the poison used was obviously meant to avoid detection and...
read more

My green credentials

Posted by on Nov 24, 2006 in Uncategorized | 3 comments I have had an unexpected ranking in the top 100 best green bloggers list at No 23, just one below leading environmentalist Tony Juniper. It was compiled by The Daily (Maybe) in response to Iain Dale’s Guide to Political Blogging. And it seems I could be the only Tory listed. Thanks Jim, I was chuffed to be included, I am delighted that green issues are now high on the political agenda...
read more

What should I ask Dr Hans Blix tomorrow?

Posted by on Nov 23, 2006 in Uncategorized | 8 comments Dr Hans Blix will be in Cambridge tomorrow reflecting on the war in Iraq and WMD – and it could not be more timely following today’s relentless bloodbath. He will be joined by Sir Jeremy Greenstock, Britain’s best known diplomat; Lord Wilson of Dinton, former Cabinet Secretary and Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge ; and anti-war campaigning former Labour Minister Tony...
read more

Ten things I would never do

Posted by on Nov 23, 2006 in updates | 17 comments I’ve been tagged by Dizzy and Norfolk blogger to list 10 things I would never do, as if life isn’t busy enough, so here goes: 1. Say “ignorance is bliss”. 2. A parachute jump. 3. Retake my Maths GCSE. 4. Give up long country walks. 5. Start smoking again. 6. Sing a solo. 7. Own a pet python. 8. Join the BNP. 9. Forget to apply my daily sunscreen. 10. Give up my daily fix...
read more

Is cyber shopping safe enough?

Posted by on Nov 23, 2006 in updates | 4 comments Hot on the heels of the news that Nationwide may have put 11 million customers at risk of identity theft, I find that I might also be at risk following a warning from The Economist. It seems they have suffered a serious security breach, their online shop has been hacked into from the beginning of the year, though it has has only recently been discovered. As one of their customers, my personal...
read more

Why does Mother Russia fear free speech?

Posted by on Nov 22, 2006 in Uncategorized | 29 comments I’m absolutely gripped by the terrible poisoning of one of Putin’s fiercest critics Alexander Litvinenko, trying to murder him with radioactive toxins. As a tribute to Alexander I have posted snapshots of Mother Russia on the top of my weblog, a country I visited once and am fascinated by. My post about the former agent earlier this week attracted...
read more

I’m thrilled for Priti Patel

Posted by on Nov 21, 2006 in Uncategorized | 13 comments The Witham result is a resounding victory for Priti Patel and the forward looking Conservative Party. Poor Ali Miraj must be feeling sick with himself for shooting himself in the foot, but he has graciously congratulated her, acknowledging it as a bright day for the Conservative Party and indicative of progress. I’m thrilled and excited for Priti, confident that this gold list candidate...
read more

Murdoch outfoxed by furious public reaction

Posted by on Nov 21, 2006 in updates | 10 comments Rupert Murdoch was forced to scrap O J Simpson’s sickening “hypothetical” confession on Fox TV to the brutal murders of his former wife and her friend. But what were his real motives? It is clear he caved in to outraged public protests, and even apologised to the families of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, describing Simpson’s book entitled “If I Did It”, and...
read more

Why Nadia’s appeal to proudly wear her crucifix will fail

Posted by on Nov 20, 2006 in updates | 26 comments What offence could possibly be caused by a Christian openly wearing a crucifix at work, something Nadia Eweida says she has done for many years at the British Airways check-in counter. But BA insanely objects to this and today Nadia was told that she had lost her appeal, though she has vowed to fight on. But, unfortunately, I do not hold out any hope of her succeeding. And this is the reason...
read more

Should Greg Barker face deselection for not owning up to gay affair?

Posted by on Nov 20, 2006 in Uncategorized | 6 comments Shadow Environment Minister Greg Barker faces a tough fight to save his political career. He could be deselected for failing to tell his local association about his gay affair after leaving his wife and children. What would their reaction have been if he had confessed? Would his future still be doomed? I suspect Greg lacked the courage, fearing their response. It was, after all, a deeply...
read more

Putin can’t silence all his critics

Posted by on Nov 19, 2006 in Uncategorized | 12 comments First, there was the brutal murder of Russia’s outspoken journalist Anna Politkovskaya, and now the sinister poisoning of former KGB colonel Alexander Litvinenko, also a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin. The former security agent is living in exile in Britain and became ill after meeting a contact in a restaurant in a restaurant in London this month. He is in serious condition in...
read more

Another day of study

Posted by on Nov 18, 2006 in updates | 9 comments It’s heads down again today for more swotting to gain my CIPR PR diploma. I am learning the theory and academic background behind this profession, it is tough and challenging, but I am determined to succeed. We are working towards our Critical Reading Test which will be set over Christmas. I am looking forward to today’s class, it’s going to cover ethics – yes, we do have...
read more