Ok I know I have promised in the past to blog more often, to do my bit to spread the message and to spend as much time as I can ranting about everything and nothing to do with my life and my love of things, and I know I have not lived up to expectations by doing it but now is the start of a new era.
Today I hand in my dissertation, 12,000 words of my view co-operative politics here in scotland as well as 164,000 words of oral history (if you fancy a look or a listen im hoping to have it archived somewhere, but if you want to listen then get in touch).
So the work is done and now the waiting begins so as I have time on my hands its time to return to the blogging and this is the first post.
The second on my take on some of the news will be later on tonight.
Peter
Wednesday, 29 April 2009
Thursday, 26 February 2009
The Co-op a brief history
Well I have just got home after a long day in Edinburgh doing some research for my dissertation, Im doing on the Co-operative Party an organisation that most people if im honest have never heard of but who do play and indeed who have played a major role in the political life of the the country.
So who are they and although I have a link to them on this page and have made sure the same is on the Uni Blog i occasionally post for I have never actually written about them so Ellon you are going to be my first post about the party that I love even more than labour.
The Co-operative Party was born out of the first world war and a decision by the government to class co-op staff as working for clubs and not in an exempt profession like the staff of the private retail chains, this meant that co-op staff were called u and sent to fight in the trenches, many fought with pride for the nation they loved and sadly many never came home.
The history states that when the officers of the wider co-op movement asked for a meeting with Lloyd George to discuss the matter he cancelled on them to go an meet the jockey club and talk about horses rather than talk about an issue that was starving the peoples business.
So the co-operative societies many of them non political and proud of it took a decision to create their own political party to put co-operators in parliament. the Date was 1917 and the first secretary was a man called Sam Perry, I can guarantee that most of you if not all of you will never have heard of Sam but you may have heard of his son, he played a bit of sport and was quite good at tennis his name was Fred and he was the last British man to win a grand slam.
Tomorrow I will post about the man who Winston Churchill called his favourite socialist, A.V. Alexander the man who was First Lord of the Admiralty during the Second world War and a Co-op MP
So who are they and although I have a link to them on this page and have made sure the same is on the Uni Blog i occasionally post for I have never actually written about them so Ellon you are going to be my first post about the party that I love even more than labour.
The Co-operative Party was born out of the first world war and a decision by the government to class co-op staff as working for clubs and not in an exempt profession like the staff of the private retail chains, this meant that co-op staff were called u and sent to fight in the trenches, many fought with pride for the nation they loved and sadly many never came home.
The history states that when the officers of the wider co-op movement asked for a meeting with Lloyd George to discuss the matter he cancelled on them to go an meet the jockey club and talk about horses rather than talk about an issue that was starving the peoples business.
So the co-operative societies many of them non political and proud of it took a decision to create their own political party to put co-operators in parliament. the Date was 1917 and the first secretary was a man called Sam Perry, I can guarantee that most of you if not all of you will never have heard of Sam but you may have heard of his son, he played a bit of sport and was quite good at tennis his name was Fred and he was the last British man to win a grand slam.
Tomorrow I will post about the man who Winston Churchill called his favourite socialist, A.V. Alexander the man who was First Lord of the Admiralty during the Second world War and a Co-op MP
Friday, 20 February 2009
An Update.
Yes i know its been a while but i do promise to anyone who reads this that the updates are going to be more regular as if im going to be serious about this blogging thing I have to get my finger out.
Ok so here is the update, i am now officially 31lbs lighter than I was when i started the blog and a big thanks to everyone who goes to Weightwatchers at the Meadows on monday night for the support.
Now to the world.
Since I last blogged america has a new president, the economy is getting worse and the SNP have lost a budget, got a new one and dumped the Local Income Tax, so yet another snp manifesto commitment dumped.
Im a student and im still waiting for my grants they promised and for my student loan to be wiped out.
We have just bough a house so can we have our first time buyer grant.
Of course Im not going to get any of that as the SNP have just realised that big eck isnt god no matter how much he tells us he is, government is hard just a shame they think its a game.
Ok i had to get the politics bit in and friends it wont be the last time i post on SNP incompetence, i dont have any inside track i just know that its going to keep happening.
Ok so here is the update, i am now officially 31lbs lighter than I was when i started the blog and a big thanks to everyone who goes to Weightwatchers at the Meadows on monday night for the support.
Now to the world.
Since I last blogged america has a new president, the economy is getting worse and the SNP have lost a budget, got a new one and dumped the Local Income Tax, so yet another snp manifesto commitment dumped.
Im a student and im still waiting for my grants they promised and for my student loan to be wiped out.
We have just bough a house so can we have our first time buyer grant.
Of course Im not going to get any of that as the SNP have just realised that big eck isnt god no matter how much he tells us he is, government is hard just a shame they think its a game.
Ok i had to get the politics bit in and friends it wont be the last time i post on SNP incompetence, i dont have any inside track i just know that its going to keep happening.
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
The diet begins
Its been a while but its time to start posting again.
Last week I started a new diet, my darling one and myself decided that after christmas it was time to actually go and lose the weight that I for one have been talking about doing for years.
So we went to weight watchers and joined the Monday group at the Meadow, a wonderful group of people and I have to say very supportive as the whoops and claps will testify when the leader announced on Monday that I had lost 9lbs in the first week.
Now for me to lost that amount in the first week is good indeed its great for me as it means i only have another 13 stone to lose to reach my ideal weight so it may be a lot of posts about it but well it is one way to meet the people of Ellon.
And I do have to be fit for the euro elections and the campaigning work that we will do. (see a little politics in this one too)
Last week I started a new diet, my darling one and myself decided that after christmas it was time to actually go and lose the weight that I for one have been talking about doing for years.
So we went to weight watchers and joined the Monday group at the Meadow, a wonderful group of people and I have to say very supportive as the whoops and claps will testify when the leader announced on Monday that I had lost 9lbs in the first week.
Now for me to lost that amount in the first week is good indeed its great for me as it means i only have another 13 stone to lose to reach my ideal weight so it may be a lot of posts about it but well it is one way to meet the people of Ellon.
And I do have to be fit for the euro elections and the campaigning work that we will do. (see a little politics in this one too)
Tuesday, 23 December 2008
A Message to the Pope
I have not posted in a bit because of other commitments but tonight I am so angry that I have decided to post because of this.
I was born a catholic, I was baptised a catholic and I went to a good old fashioned west coast of Scotland catholic primary and secondary school, and I am proud of it, but today the head of The Church I was born into said something that I find just wrong.
It is wrong in a number if ways, first of all the destruction of the eco system is the major problem facing the world as if we don't do something about it then we are all up s**t creek without a paddle.
Secondly no offence your holiness but I have no idea who your god is but mine is a loving god, a god who sent his son to die for us and indeed who created us all in his image.
And that is the point I want to make, we are all gods children and whether we are catholics, protestants, jews, muslims or whatever religion we follow the god that is at the centre of our faith is a loving person, not someone who hates.
Maybe your holiness you should remember that over the next few days.
I was born a catholic, I was baptised a catholic and I went to a good old fashioned west coast of Scotland catholic primary and secondary school, and I am proud of it, but today the head of The Church I was born into said something that I find just wrong.
It is wrong in a number if ways, first of all the destruction of the eco system is the major problem facing the world as if we don't do something about it then we are all up s**t creek without a paddle.
Secondly no offence your holiness but I have no idea who your god is but mine is a loving god, a god who sent his son to die for us and indeed who created us all in his image.
And that is the point I want to make, we are all gods children and whether we are catholics, protestants, jews, muslims or whatever religion we follow the god that is at the centre of our faith is a loving person, not someone who hates.
Maybe your holiness you should remember that over the next few days.
Friday, 12 December 2008
A Local Representative
I got my hair cut this week, I did it at a local hairdressers and it was while sitting in the chair talking to the hairdresser that I realised the genuine disgust at the actions of the politicians who represent the local area.
You have councillors who completely ignore what the public want and indeed hide behind the cloak of party loyalty to vote for things, or totally ignore what the public wants and rather than stand up and defend themselves they play the innocent victim and act as if they never expected to be attacked in the way they are.
Now while I am a great believer that there is a place in politics for the man or woman who will stand up and be counted what we have here in Ellon is people who will hide under the desk and blame someone else, that is not good local representation, its not even representation good or bad.
I make no bones about the fact that i support the Labour Party so you would expect me to say that the local representatives are not very good, but i mean surely at this time you want the people you elect to actually act in your best interests and not their own and Im sorry but I have difficulty seeing in whose interests it is to spend so much money on a public enquiry when Ellon is in need of a new secondary school and as was pointed out to me an actual town centre so the place can get its heart back.
Those are the issues that should matter, how do we improve the area we all live in for all of us not just some guys who want to play golf.
Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg address spoke about a "government of the people, by the people, for the people" that is what i want for Ellon and I hope that soon the people of this town may get close to getting it.
You have councillors who completely ignore what the public want and indeed hide behind the cloak of party loyalty to vote for things, or totally ignore what the public wants and rather than stand up and defend themselves they play the innocent victim and act as if they never expected to be attacked in the way they are.
Now while I am a great believer that there is a place in politics for the man or woman who will stand up and be counted what we have here in Ellon is people who will hide under the desk and blame someone else, that is not good local representation, its not even representation good or bad.
I make no bones about the fact that i support the Labour Party so you would expect me to say that the local representatives are not very good, but i mean surely at this time you want the people you elect to actually act in your best interests and not their own and Im sorry but I have difficulty seeing in whose interests it is to spend so much money on a public enquiry when Ellon is in need of a new secondary school and as was pointed out to me an actual town centre so the place can get its heart back.
Those are the issues that should matter, how do we improve the area we all live in for all of us not just some guys who want to play golf.
Abraham Lincoln in the Gettysburg address spoke about a "government of the people, by the people, for the people" that is what i want for Ellon and I hope that soon the people of this town may get close to getting it.
Monday, 8 December 2008
Well Done Margo
OK here is my first post in a while and indeed the first of I hope some regular posts.
I have been posting on another blog but I have decided to post this one here because it is controversial in some peoples eyes and it is my views and not the views of the other people behind the other blog.
Tonight I watched panorama, its not a programme that I have been watching recently as i find it has went from the good investigative journalism that it is famous for and went for the lowest common denominator on the stories it has done, that is until tonight.
Margo MacDonald I have to say is not my favourite politician, she beat the party I love in govan in 1973, was deputy leader of a party I Loathe and was elected as a member of the first Scottish Parliament for them before falling out with them and standing as an independent.
But after tonight I have to say she is a woman who has gone right up in my estimation due in no small part to her courage in trying to get an issue debated that some see as totally wrong but that she sees as personal and to do it in a way that while she has a vested interest in the debate actually wants to see a proper debate a clinical debate take place.
The issue is of course assisted suicide, its live to her because she is suffering from Parkinson's disease and can foresee a time when she may wish to end her own life to spare herself and her loved ones the suffering that may follow. That is what I call love.
I want to live until I am old old man, I want to see any children that I may in time become the father off grow up and be the best they can be, I want to see my loved ones be happy but if I was to suffer from a debilitating disease and was to arrive at a point where I thought I was being a burden and no longer had a quality of life that I wanted then I would want the right to end my life.
I have spoken about it with the one I love and I hope that day never comes but let us all remember that it might and because that might happen I want to be able to have that choice, and it is for that reason that today I say well done to the independent list MSP for the Lothians.
I have been posting on another blog but I have decided to post this one here because it is controversial in some peoples eyes and it is my views and not the views of the other people behind the other blog.
Tonight I watched panorama, its not a programme that I have been watching recently as i find it has went from the good investigative journalism that it is famous for and went for the lowest common denominator on the stories it has done, that is until tonight.
Margo MacDonald I have to say is not my favourite politician, she beat the party I love in govan in 1973, was deputy leader of a party I Loathe and was elected as a member of the first Scottish Parliament for them before falling out with them and standing as an independent.
But after tonight I have to say she is a woman who has gone right up in my estimation due in no small part to her courage in trying to get an issue debated that some see as totally wrong but that she sees as personal and to do it in a way that while she has a vested interest in the debate actually wants to see a proper debate a clinical debate take place.
The issue is of course assisted suicide, its live to her because she is suffering from Parkinson's disease and can foresee a time when she may wish to end her own life to spare herself and her loved ones the suffering that may follow. That is what I call love.
I want to live until I am old old man, I want to see any children that I may in time become the father off grow up and be the best they can be, I want to see my loved ones be happy but if I was to suffer from a debilitating disease and was to arrive at a point where I thought I was being a burden and no longer had a quality of life that I wanted then I would want the right to end my life.
I have spoken about it with the one I love and I hope that day never comes but let us all remember that it might and because that might happen I want to be able to have that choice, and it is for that reason that today I say well done to the independent list MSP for the Lothians.
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