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Richard Whiteley`s sad death is more awful because Richard was enjoying his fame, his life, his fans, and his OBE so much. Now he`s cut off in his prime, but knowing Richard he would have loved to be here to see the enormous response to his death.
Wonderful obituaries, all drawing attention to the fact that he was such a nice guy. Enormous sadness from his loving fans. A mention in Parliament on his death. Support from the Queen who was clearly a Countdown viewer. Richard would have been over the moon at all this. I can`t think of any public figure who ever got such a wonderful reaction. Or one so well deserved.
Richard would probably have enjoyed Live Eight too. I certainly did, though it was sad that the groups I enjoyed most – like The Who – were all at the geriatric end of Popdom.
The idea of simultaneous concerts round the world was a brilliant one and typical Geldof. Sadly the attempt to organize one on Grimsby Fish Dock to be called Live Hake came to nothing.
However, the accompanying spectacle of three days of politicians groveling before Geldof and the kids and saying how wonderful they are wasn`t quite so elevating. Live Eight was a great occasion. It was a brilliant piece of fund0-raising for Africa. Yet to pretend, as several politicians – including the Prime Minister – did, that it was anything more than a magnificent gesture, or that young people had found the key to saving the world when the politicians haven`t been able to turn for decades is sheer unctuousness.
Youngsters are idealists but they`re also naïve. It`s up to the politicians to follow through and deliver. Particularly it`s up to them to devise some way of ensuring that the money and support go directly to the people and to projects which will improve their lives, not into the pockets of corrupt dictators.
Unless the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England reduces interest rates this week and indicates that there are more reductions to come, the downturn in the economy which is now going on could break the benign circle we`ve enjoyed for so long.
More people in work means a higher level of tax revenues and a lower level of public spending, because we`re not paying out so much in benefits. That means more money for public spending. Which in itself helps reduce unemployment further. Break that cycle and we`re in trouble because it could so easily turn the other way.
Even in Yorkshire. Fortunately we`ve been doing very well in the competition for inward investment of late. In the last year Yorkshire and Humberside got more inward investment than the whole of France or Ireland. That`s pretty good, given the incentives the Irish dole out. Credit where it`s due. Congratulations Yorkshire Forward.
If Identity Cards ever do come in (which personally I doubt) then they`ll provide a wonderful solution to the Peeing in the Flower Beds Problem which worries people in Cleethorpes. As you`ll remember, the Council decided to close the lavatories to save money. So now I`m touring South Yorkshire telling folk to still come to Cleethorpes but to bring a catheter bag with them.
I tried to get the police to support my campaign to keep the toilets open. They took the view that since they`re now able to impose £80 penalty fines for publicly urinating, they`d quite like the money, and if lavatory closure boosted the flow (so to speak) then so be it. I`m not sure it will. After all, persistent pee-ers can always give a false name. Then they don`t have to turn up at the police station with their £80 in their unhygienic hands.
The ID Card solves that problem. Seeing someone desecrate our magnificent flower beds, the Cops can tap them on the shoulder and demand their ID Card (without turning round of course).
The police are also to be supplied with portable fingerprint readers to check who they`ve got. That will strengthen their enforcement powers. The only question which now remains is where exactly pee-ers and police are going to be able to wash their hands to carry through their transactions. In the sea? That doesn`t come much to Cleethorpes.
Charles Clarke tells us that ID Cards will also help defeat terrorism. I`m not sure how. Both the American and the Spanish terrorists had ID Cards. Since no visitor staying less than three months in Britain is going to need an ID Car it would be quite easy to come in, blow up a strategic target – like Cleethorpes Pier – and disappear again.
There`s one other category of people who don`t need an ID Card. Anyone who`s Irish needs neither an ID Card nor a passport. Rightly, too, but do remind me where has the main threat of terrorism come from over the last twenty years? Where is terrorism most likely to come from again if the Peace Process breaks down?
John Birt, the Government`s balding blue skies thinker, was recently given even better access to the blue skies when the roof of his office fell in. John was fortunately too busy thinking the unthinkable to notice it. But his life is being made miserable because persistent questioning by Norman Baker, the Liberal super-sleuth, has forced him to reveal the products of his thinking under open government legislation. Mostly he`s warning government that it`s in a mess. The fight against drugs isn`t working. Crime is far higher than anyone admits. The Health Service is primitive and disorganized. Clearly all this had to be withheld in case it fell into the hands of the Tory Party. |
