David Cameron tell us that there is no reason why there has to be fewer frontline police officers. He defends this by saying that the Labour Party would have made cuts too. Not the strongest defence to a statement telling the police that they don't have to make cuts. David did go on to say that cuts would mean freezing police pay, reform allowances (I think that means cuts) and cut down on paperwork. It isn't that long ago that I heard of police cuts affecting frontline officers but let's take their word now that 12% cuts could be absorbed.
The claim that no frontline officers should be lost begs the question can we lose non-frontline staff? Let's agree with David and say these staff are unnecessary. Let's agree and say the police force should have their pay frozen. This means they are effectively worth less because of inflation. Let's say they should receive less in allowances and their paperwork isn't important. It strikes me that even if all these factors were present we would not have a good staff morale among officers and if morale falls so does effectiveness and efficiency.
Change the world
Thursday, 31 March 2011
Wednesday, 30 March 2011
A legal minefield
There is a definite big society. Mike Harding was talking about voluntary groups who look after theatres, and individuals who help people with broken down cars or fall over. Yesterday Baroness Newlove, whose husband Garry was murdered by a gang of teenagers in 2007, said that "crime should not be seen as someone else's problem". I agree. If we turn away when something is going wrong then more will go wrong. Policing is only possible with consent. If we all became thieves or if we all started rioting then the police force could not cope. I hope that most of us would attempt to stop crime even if we put ourselves at some risk because failure to do so would lead to a crime spree.
One of Baroness Newlove's suggestions was to allow local people to combat anti-social behaviour. Give out speed guns and enforce speed limits. Go one further and allow locals to set the speed limit. It all sounds very good but it is slightly more difficult in practice. I am quite capable of working a speed gun but would I pick on the right people? How would I know if I was doing a good job or antagonising people I don't like. What would stop me being a vigilante? You may think vigilante is a good word but it means you are acting illegally. It means that you become judge and jury. You may even end up like Charles Bronson. I hear some cheers but it isn't good. Think of a remake of Death Wish but this time make it a horror.
It is a really good idea to encourage individuals to support law and order, to even give assistance to those in authority, but to give over authority to amateurs is a legal minefield.
Change the world
One of Baroness Newlove's suggestions was to allow local people to combat anti-social behaviour. Give out speed guns and enforce speed limits. Go one further and allow locals to set the speed limit. It all sounds very good but it is slightly more difficult in practice. I am quite capable of working a speed gun but would I pick on the right people? How would I know if I was doing a good job or antagonising people I don't like. What would stop me being a vigilante? You may think vigilante is a good word but it means you are acting illegally. It means that you become judge and jury. You may even end up like Charles Bronson. I hear some cheers but it isn't good. Think of a remake of Death Wish but this time make it a horror.
It is a really good idea to encourage individuals to support law and order, to even give assistance to those in authority, but to give over authority to amateurs is a legal minefield.
Change the world
Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Straight talking politicians
I have been gadding about recently. I was watching Mike Harding on Sunday and last week I saw The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. There was a quote in the programme from the author Douglas Adams who said 'A learning experience is one of those things that say "You know that thing you just did? Don't do that"'.
Do you call a spade a spade? It sounds like a good idea because you often hear politicians answer a question which has not been asked. They make up their own answers if they don't like the question. No spades there, however there are plenty of examples when it is better to keep quiet. The trouble for politicians is that they are often asked their opinion and an honest answer may be confrontational.
There is another quote from the show by a character called Zaphod Beeblebrox. "I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer." Now wouldn't that be nice to hear from a politician? I won't hold my breath.
Change the world
Do you call a spade a spade? It sounds like a good idea because you often hear politicians answer a question which has not been asked. They make up their own answers if they don't like the question. No spades there, however there are plenty of examples when it is better to keep quiet. The trouble for politicians is that they are often asked their opinion and an honest answer may be confrontational.
There is another quote from the show by a character called Zaphod Beeblebrox. "I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer." Now wouldn't that be nice to hear from a politician? I won't hold my breath.
Change the world
Monday, 28 March 2011
Lancaster's Big Society
I was watching Mike Harding at the Lancaster Grand Theatre a few hours ago. He is still hearing waves of laughter after all these years. I was speaking to the people sat next to me and they saw him in 1983. I saw him in 1978 at the Manchester Palace. Doesn't time fly! The reason why I am mentioning him is because he spoke about the big society. Some things get him mad and this is one of them. He told the audience that we have always had a big society. If someone's car breaks down then people go and move it. If an old lady falls over people go and help.
The point is the audience were right with him. They don't know what the big society means and neither do I. If we are relying on volunteers then we already have them. If anyone has a desire to help anywhere then it may take a bit of effort but they can do it. I haven't heard of anything that makes it easier to volunteer.
At the end of the show Mike gave a special thanks to the volunteers who run the Grand Theatre. There is the big society.
Change the world
The point is the audience were right with him. They don't know what the big society means and neither do I. If we are relying on volunteers then we already have them. If anyone has a desire to help anywhere then it may take a bit of effort but they can do it. I haven't heard of anything that makes it easier to volunteer.
At the end of the show Mike gave a special thanks to the volunteers who run the Grand Theatre. There is the big society.
Change the world
Sunday, 27 March 2011
Bridging the gap between rich and poor
I returned from a visit to Glasgow yesterday. You may know that I have a keen interest in art and photography and I did visit the art galleries as well as look at Glasgow's many items of street art. I noticed no signs to stop flash photography which would damage the paint on canvas. It wouldn't do any harm to statues but there are often restrictions stopping any form of flash photography anwhere in galleries and museums. I didn't see any signs and I didn't see any flashes. I took some photos without flash and I'll show you some of them in the next week or so if you look at my photography blog.
The point I would make in this blog is that someone has to pay for street art. Everyone who walks in the street can appreciate it. You don't have to pay an entrance fee for the galleries but you do have to be motivated enough to see what is inside so mostly the options are there for rich and poor alike. Whilst in Glasgow l heard Ed Balls response to the budget. I heard him apologise for not listening to Vince Cable. I think that's what he said but it may just have been an apology for the rest of the world causing Britain's economy to fail. Then he said something about Labour not managing to decrease the gap between the rich and the poor. I didn't hear an apology for this but if Labour couldn't do anything to bridge this gap in thirteen years then I think it is fair to say that they would never bridge the gap. At least Glasgow and its council is doing something for equality of opportunity with its street art and its galleries and museums.
Change the world
The point I would make in this blog is that someone has to pay for street art. Everyone who walks in the street can appreciate it. You don't have to pay an entrance fee for the galleries but you do have to be motivated enough to see what is inside so mostly the options are there for rich and poor alike. Whilst in Glasgow l heard Ed Balls response to the budget. I heard him apologise for not listening to Vince Cable. I think that's what he said but it may just have been an apology for the rest of the world causing Britain's economy to fail. Then he said something about Labour not managing to decrease the gap between the rich and the poor. I didn't hear an apology for this but if Labour couldn't do anything to bridge this gap in thirteen years then I think it is fair to say that they would never bridge the gap. At least Glasgow and its council is doing something for equality of opportunity with its street art and its galleries and museums.
Change the world
Saturday, 26 March 2011
Photography and Politics
Today I will join my two blogs as I am showing you amendments to a photograph which then became a political leaflet.On the left is the photo you saw yesterday in the photography blog. It has already been cropped significantly and you will also notice that Lancaster Cathedral has been removed. Increasing the brightness and decreasing the contrast makes it the background in the election leaflet on the right. As for the politics, this is an amendment to the leaflet which was seen on Thursday which showed Morecambe Town Hall in the background. It is a simple explanation of how voting will take place on May 5th and readers of the political blog will know that a full explanation of our present system takes longer than an explanation of the Alternative Vote.
Happy snapping
Friday, 25 March 2011
Disruption at a council meeting
There was a disruption to the Morecambe Town Council meeting last Thursday. I read in the local newspaper that two police community support officers arrived and asked a member of the public to leave. According to the chairman this person "made allegations about us being crooks". On the other hand the member of the public said that the council had no respect for democracy.
The bottom line for the police was that there was no breach of the peace as he was not being abusive. They had been called for disruption but "he was simply expressing his right to freedom of speech".
It may just be the way that it was reported, but if someone is asked to do something by a PCSO then I think it should be done. I am not a lawyer but I am sure that there is room for debate about the law on freedom of speech. Are you allowed to insult someone? Are you allowed to call someone a crook? If you think the word crook is mild then make the word a little more offensive and keep doing that until you decide that words alone may be abusive. Perhaps I should observe the next council meeting.
Change the world
The bottom line for the police was that there was no breach of the peace as he was not being abusive. They had been called for disruption but "he was simply expressing his right to freedom of speech".
It may just be the way that it was reported, but if someone is asked to do something by a PCSO then I think it should be done. I am not a lawyer but I am sure that there is room for debate about the law on freedom of speech. Are you allowed to insult someone? Are you allowed to call someone a crook? If you think the word crook is mild then make the word a little more offensive and keep doing that until you decide that words alone may be abusive. Perhaps I should observe the next council meeting.
Change the world
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