Ellee Seymour

Too many men are getting away with rape, probably going on to commit  further assaults against women. In many cases, police don’t believe the victims and report the rape allegations as “no crime”.

Of course, police have to weed out the false allegations, but a report published today by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Her Majesty’s Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate believes many cases should have been further investigated.

Why are police so dismissive in nearly a third of cases, is it because the victims are wearing short skirts and had been drinking? Or maybe because they knew the victim, which 86% of women do, meaning it is hard to prove - her word against his?

It takes guts to report a rape, the woman has to face a character assassination in the witness box in an attempt to discredit her evidence.

Solicitor General Mike O’Brien today said on radio that “significant numbers’ of men were getting away with rape - and with only 5% of reported rapes resulting in conviction, it must be a cause of serious concern.

It takes a very brave woman who is prepared to not only re-live her ordeal in court, but also face having her character ripped to shreds, as well as knowing the appallingly low conviction rate.

I wonder how many unreported cases of rape there are, that women do not believe justice will be done. Why are police being so judgemental?

Wedding invites can be tricky and cause heated rows, especially  if you want to invite your ex along. If there is no animosity, should it be a big deal?

Anyway, Hugh Grant will escape the pleasure of wearing a turban at the lavish wedding in India of his former flame Liz Hurley to Arum Nayar as he has been left off the guest list.

I know rumours abound about Jemima Khan’s dislike of Liz, but Hugh has taken the snub in his stride and says there is no bad feeling, that he didn’t think many people invited their ex to their wedding. 

My husband’s ex girlfriend came along to our wedding, in fact she sang for us as she was in the choir. She stepped in at the last minute to help out and joined us at the reception too. It was no big deal for me. Would it bother you?

Thought that might grab your attention!

A new era in punchy political campaigning was launched today by 18 Doughty Street with its first online video political attack against the    government’s record on tax.

Do play the 90 sec recording and let me know what you think. I liked the clever use of the TAX swipe card to get its message across in a humorous way.

This is the first of 18 Doughty Street’s weekly political adverts which has had a great plug in today’s Times, next week’s campaign is against extra state funding of political parties. It almost feels like the start of an election campaign.

Tim Montgomerie, a director of 18 Doughty Street, believes it has never been easier or cheaper to challenge the established view:

“American political entrepreneurs have used blogs, YouTube and clever use of search engines to unseat powerful television anchors and presidential wannabes. This week 18DoughtyStreet.com brings some of the better American techniques to Britain and will soon be producing a weekly series of political attack adverts designed by bloggers and debated on a daily internet TV programme.”

And if you can, please take a moment to answer this questionnaire about the video. What do you think, is this form of communication a good idea, will it help engage with the electorate?

It was made in conjunction with The TaxPayerss Alliance.

John Hutton’s announcement today that lone parent benefits should be paid only until the youngest child is 11 instead of 16 could not have been timed more badly.

The front page lead story in today’s Times tells how parents are being charged up to £19,000 a year for nursery costs, that the price of daycare for babies and young children has increased by almost 30% in six years.

Now it’s hard enough for any working family to keep their head above water while faced with such a huge bill, so how much more difficult must it be for the UK’s 1.69 million single parents?

In Britain, just 56.5% of lone parents are in work, compared with up to 80% in Sweden and Denmark; I assume they are given more support in these Scandinavian countries, while the UK has lowest rate of lone parent employment in Europe.

Our single parents need more flexi working hours. And remember, 11 is still too young an age to leave a child alone at home, do we want to encourage a new generation of latchkey kids?

What jobs can these lone mums be expected to find, particularly if they have left school poorly educated? Are they going to be offered training in the interim to help get them back into the working market?

What has Ruth Kelly done to help lone parents? She is, after all, the Women’s Minister, she should be coming up with ideas to support them. And she appreciates how mothers just want the best for their children.

It remains to be seen how much support this plan will get. Tony Blair’s attempt to reduce single parent benefit in 1997 sparked a backbench rebellion and 47 MPs voted against the plans. Will that happen again?

How do you feel single parents can be helped to get back to work? Are the right kind of jobs available? Should their benefits be cut back until the youngest child is 11?

News that Manchester won the super casino bid seemed to take everyone by surprise. How did it remain such a closely guarded secret? News presenters were this morning debating whether it would be Blackpool or the Millennium Dome. Glad I didn’t bet on either of those!

Other casino licences have been granted too, including a large licence for Great Yarmouth, which I’m sure will be good news for this Norfolk seaside town struggling to attract tourists. And more super casinos could follow as ministers believe they will quickly be able to relax the restrictions, something that needs to be watched closely.

The Dome was really out of the question following John Precott’s association with the Dome’s owner Philip Anschutz, that was no surprise. Manchester can now look forward to much needed regeneration in the site’s location and has welcomed the chance to add a touch of Las Vegas to its city.

I have visited casinos in Reno, Nevada where gambling is obviously big business, I remember the heated sidewalks, the free food and booze, the crashing sound of coins making massive payouts, it was a great holiday experience. However, I have just heard that free booze will not be on offer at Machester’s super casino to prevent gamblers getting carried away.
But while I can take it or leave it, there is a danger that it could lead to increased addiction which we need to be aware of.

So do you think Manchester was the right choice? Are we set to become a nation of gambling addicts? I don’t think so, and I’m delighted for Manchester.

 You’ll be kicking yourself if you miss Newsnight tonight as the slick new 18 Doughty Street goes through the Paxman grilling.

This is how they are plugging it:

“18 Doughty Street is the internet TV channel dedicated to all things political. The creators say that the mainstream political process is ignoring huge swathes of public opinion - a niche they propose to fill by running attack adverts sponsoring arguments on both sides of the political debate (or so they say).

“Is this the start of a new Americanisation of British politics or have the authors misjudged our political culture? “

American politicians have fully embraced the social media in the nomination contest for the next presidential election, they realise the importance of winning over sceptics, that they need to engage in open interaction to prove politicians are listening to the electorate and showing their “true” face.

Here is a perfect example. I have just had an email from Welwyn Hatfield MP Grant Shapps inviting me to tune in to a live online debate he has arranged this week to discuss proposed axing of acute services in his local hospital. He even has the Chief Exec of his  health trust taking part. That is fantastic, how else would the ordinary man in the street have the chance to speak directly to his MP and health chief? I just love the way Grant works, here is one of his YouTubes.

Just as the government had extensive warnings about prison overcrowding in the last few years, it was also aware of the shortage of midwives putting mothers and babies at risk.

Three years ago, “truly alarming” figures revealed that the number of midwives intending to work in the NHS was falling sharply.  Labour pledged to increase the numbers so that every pregnant woman would be cared for throughout by the same nominated midwife. 

Yet research shows that many baby units are failing to meet targets for the number of midwives and that Labour’s promise is far from being achieved.

Shortages of midwives often led to maternity unit closures; in the past year, units in England were closed for almost 4,000 hours, or 165 days. This meant that women expecting to give birth at a particular hospital were transferred elsewhere at the last minute.

Dedicated community midwives have also been severely affected. Following restructuring at Hinchingbrooke Hospital, Huntingdon, they have been told to reapply for their job - at £1,500 less a year.

One midwife described their demoralised feelings:

“We feel downtrodden, we feel downhearted, we feel betrayed.”

Another angry midwife blamed hospital’s mismanagement, that they were having to pay for the mistakes of others. In fact, the future of Hinchingbrooke’s maternity unit is still in doubt following a review to find ways to claw back the hospital’s £29.9 million deficit.

One would imagine that a shortage of midwives would mean hospital managers treated them with the highest regard; reducing their pay does not reflect the value placed on their work.

I benefited from this community service following the birth of my two sons, one of whom was born with a fractured collar bone. Those home visits were crucial in providing assurances. Community midwives can pick up signals like post-natal depression, they help new mums overcome fears and difficulties with first-time parenting. They are being treated shabbily. Is it any surprise they are leaving the NHS?

With Gordon Brown’s admission that politicians had failed to use the internet to communicate, that they have to adjust to the growth of “audience power” through the rise of blogging, I wonder if he is closely following the new Politicopia site in Utah - a wiki for open government.

It enables people to comment on legislation being considered by the State, and is described as “an experiment in open democracy”.

Ross Mayfield thought this was the first time that an elected official had initiated a political wiki. That may be the case in the US, but I must leave a comment and tell him about Minister Miliband’s sobering experience which badly backfired.

However, Politicopia seems to be doing rather better, it asks commenters to register first in an attempt to deter spammers and trolls.

Ross helped set up the socialtext wiki with Utah State Representative Steve Urqhart, Chairman of the Rules Committee that decides which legislation goes to the floor. He is urging people to “have fun and get involved”. And after its first week, he reckons it has been a hit. Some of the hot topics currently being debated range from obesity and abortion to education and illegal immigrants.

“One week into the experiment, Politicopia is working. Citizens are participating and citizens are being heard. Legislators are talking to me about things they’ve read on Politicopia. Because of input I received, I have changed a position I’ve held for years. Already, citizens are using Politicopia to shape the debate. As a matter of fact, a reporter emailed me, to ask why Politicopia wasn’t linking to her article. That has never happened in the two-plus years I’ve been blogging.”

So this is proof that wikis can work if not abused by mischief-makers, is it something our politicians should be doing to promote open government? Or has the Miliband experience put them off?

Hat tip Geoff Jones.

I must pack my bag now and prepare for my walking weekend in North Norfolk with Cambridge Rambling Club. I am vastly outnumbered politically with this group, the city council does not have one Conservative councillor. I was joined on one of their recent walks by a Respect member who told me how they are actively canvassing there.

But we are all good friends once we put on our walking boots and I do love those coastal paths from Sheringham, I am looking forward to a good hike and lots of fresh air as too much blogging is not good for a girl’s complexion.

I’m being joined by walker extraordinaire Sally and only hope I can keep up with her. We shall be staying in a youth hostel - my first time, but I’m quite happy as long as I can plug my hairdryer in. Do you have any youth hostel memories?

When talking to Iain on his show about women blogging, I mentioned that I may take regular weekend breaks from blogging to achieve that elusive life-balance. If only there were more hours in the day…..

Update: 29 January, I’m delighted that I walked 30 miles over the weekend, which is a record for me, and suffered only one blister. Some of my views are posted on my photo gallery, including the magnificent ruins of Baconsthorpe Castle located in a field. What easier, or cheaper, way is there to keep fit?  

It’s every parents’ nightmare, having a child who throws a wobbly in a public place. But when the tantrum is on an plane and delays the flight, how do you cope, what can you do to placate an hysterical child, knowing everyone’s eyes are fixed on you?

This is what happened to Julie and Gerry Kulesza who could not restrain daughter Elly, 3, with her seat belt strapped securely, so they were removed by the airline AirTran.

Curmudgeon has highlighted this interesting incident and says the story made headlines because of the parent’s anger with the airline, even though AirTran flew the family home the next day, as well as reimbursing them for the cost of the tickets they bought on the flight they didn’t take because of Elly’s behavior. They were even offered free round trip tickets to anywhere AirTran flies.

Curmudgeon, having a legal background, wonders if the family had been aware of the proposed smacking ban in that state on children three years and younger. But who would have wanted, or could have considered  smacking a young child in those circumstances, it would have been  outrageous to do so and tantamount to assault.

So was the airline right in ejecting the family? They obviously have to pay hefty fees for the time they are grounded and their delay would have held up other flights too.

Do you have any special techniques for dealing with tantrums? You could hardly ignore the child and make pretend it was not yours in this confined space. It is so humiliating knowing that all those eyes are firmly fixed on you and your parenting skills. What I do remember is that you cannot reason with a child in this state, you have to wait for the tantrum to cool off, but time was against this family.