I’m back in Westminster today researching a project I am working on, and look forward to meeting the inspirational Lesley Abdela who I first met at a Conservative Women’s conference a couple of years ago.
Last year Lesley won the UK Woman Political Journalist of the Year Award. She is a highly regarded international women’s rights campaigner and has worked for more than 25 years in gender development (I do dislike that expression!).
I was in Derby yesterday, which meant I was unable to attend the Conservative reception for tweeters hosted by Eric Pickles, who obviously made a quick dash to the BBC studios because I saw him on Newsnight being quizzed about a new voting system proposed by Gordon Brown. Why wouldn’t Kirsty Wark let him answer any questions? I find it so irritating when speakers are constantly interrupted or spoken over when trying to put their views across. Congratulations, btw, to Louise Bagshawe who did manage to make the tweeters’ reception and won a prize (umbrella!) for being the most frequent Tory tweeter!
I still haven’t had time to see Julie Walters’s dramatic portrayal of Mo Mowlam, or the first installment of the Tower Block of Commons, where four MPs leave Westminster and their comfortable homes to live for eight days and nights in tower blocks on different council estates in some of Britain’s most deprived neighbourhoods. They include Nadine Dorries who experiences the invisibility of wearing a jihab. I have recorded both programmes and hope to catch up with them later this week.
I dread to think how much you spend on petrol and train fares 🙁 enjoy your day 🙂
Nadine’s not on until next week
Sorry I cannot stand Nadine Dorries.
I think Portillo did a fascinating prog as a single parent. In fact they should get some of these smug arrongant right-wing journos who espouse marriage as the cure-all of society to be ‘married’ to a single mother, and father to the children, in the mothers home and on benefits. See how long they last.
I won’t be volounteering for that. Wild horses!
How many excuses would flow as to how happy they would be to get home but they haven’t changed their views at all. The irony as to why they wouldn’t want to stay married to that woman in those circumstances would be totally lost on them.
I to have not seen the programme on the 4 MP’s yet, sounds like an intriguing bit of television, hope you keep us posted on the going’s on.
Very interesting. DO take a breath! Always interesting to keep up with your doings.