To Die in The Hills

In Memory of Robin Cook

To die in the hills is peaceful,
To die in the hills is bliss.
If I want to go let me enjoy my last hours
Away from the bustle, and life's cares and woes.
To breathe in the hills air is beauty
To breathe a last breathe there divine.
Farewell Robin Cook, you were a breathe of fresh air.
Farewell what a shame they called time.

The last time I saw the late MP for Livingston was on election night. He literally breezed into the count hall, swept up to the press gantry and he was off. He looked as fit and healthy as any of the 10 candidates in Bathgate Leisure centre.

I love nothing more that to escape to the hills and the solitude it allows. I love getting up there with my father who is a few years older than Robin Cook’s 59 years. I remember one time that my father backed out of intended route to go up and instead to go through the Mournes. Maybe that was how Robin felt this afternoon, maybe he didn’t take the easy way out, that wasn’t his way. Maybe he pressed on to the task he had set. Whatever happened on Ben Stack a great parliamentarian probably enjoyed his last few hours of life.

Gaynor was with him that night at the count when I last saw my MP alive. My thoughts and prayers go to her and Robin’s family tonight.

God Bless.

Blair Seeks to Amend Human Right's Laws

The Prime Minister has outlined plans to extend powers to deport or exclude foreigners who encourage terrorism. Already we can exclude or deport those who pose a threat to security. However, Blair now wants to clamp down on those who advocated terror and worryingly is prepared to amend human rights laws to make such deportations more straightforward.

Just how far is he prepared to bend to the vagrancies of public opinion and allow the mood to affect legislation grounded in historic contemplation and deliberations?

Charles Kennedy has responded acknowledging that 'there is a worried mood in the country, and rightly so, about the problems and dangers being faced and the terrible events that have taken place.'

However he also warns that 'you can't just legislate by mood. You have also got to legislate introducing means which actually set out what you are trying to achieve.

'If you have an international war on terror, does it make sense simply to re-export a source of potential terror from your own country, rather than dealing with that individual and that issue within your own jurisdiction so that you have some control over it?'

It has also immerged that not all of the Prime Minister's plans were revealed before the cross party consensus was announced in how to tell with the immediate terrorist threat. These proposals which only immerged yesterday appear to be putting a severe strain on that consensus.

Is Blair going to listen? I'll leave you to your own best guess on that.

Oversold now Needing A Health Warning

ID cards can Seriously Damage the Nations Health!

Lib Dem health spokesman Steve Webb said today that he is worried by plans to bar people without ID cards seeing NHS doctors - except in emergencies: quite right too.

This could be especially be true if the Scottish Parliament maintain their stance of not making ID cards compulsory for devolved services. However, there are obvious concerns that ID cards will create similar underclass to health care that existed before Labour introduced the National Health Service.

Wouldn't that be an interesting epitaph for Mr Blair as he dodges doing time on the backbenches?

Well Flogged Horse Oversold!!!

So Labour now admit to overselling the advantages of national identity cards.

Would someone like to tell the MP for Linlithgow and Fakirk East? Whoops I've already done that! While I was sat on his right side in hustings meetings in Linlithgow and Bo'ness he said it would be beneficial to combat identity fraud.

But his colleague Tom McNulty says 'We did suggest, or at least implied, that they might well be a panacea for identity fraud, for benefit fraud, terrorism, entitlement and access to public services.

'ID cards might help where fraud and abuse of identity were part of the equation, but they would not solve the problems.'

Charles Clarke has already said ID cards would not have stopped the London Bombings. I raised the Madrid issue as a case in point during the election, the new MP didn't seem to enamoured by me raising that point.

As Simon Hughes said today the biggest problem that the police face is not proving suspects' identities, but that they did what they were suspected of doing.

Anyway I feel another email to the MP on the issue of ID cards is coming soon.

In other news my interview this morning went as well as I could have hoped. I should hear one way or another about that tomorrow.

Losing 4-0

I must admit I am not a big fan of the Old Firm, either Rangers or Celtic: probably has something to do with my upbringing.

However, knowing that Liverpool were reasonably safe I found myself glued BB2 not ITV2 last night. In first half Celtic started appallingly but they picked up going in 2-0 at half time, three more for extra time, four for the outright win. Was is possible? They were lively throughout the second half and soon all three Livingston supporters in the house my fiancee's father, brother and me were groaning at every missed opportunity.

In the end 4-0 was a good result but not enough, Celtic went down 5-4 on aggregate. Heaven help us when that team travels along the M8 to visit us at Almondvale. Especially as they'll have no midweek football to tire them out this year.

First Person Charged

The first person has been charged in relation to the July 21 bombings. He is not one of the three suspected bombers held in the UK, nor the other suspect detained in Italy.

The charge read out in court is having information that he knew or believed might be of material assistance in securing the apprehension, prosecution or conviction of another person in the UK for an offence involving the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism, failed to disclose that information as soon as reasonably practicable to a constable. Now work your way through that one.

Being Northern Irish born I'm used to not seeing bombers get caught. However, a lot of people in Northern Ireland must be guilty of the above. Even some of the comments by Unionist politicians down the years would lead one to suspect, that unless they had given such information to the police, they would be guilty of the above regarding IRA activities.

I know that the terrorism act is there to protect us. However, some of the new parts being discussed as coming in are too big an infringement of civil liberty. I trust that the Liberal Democrats in Westminster will do their best to strike a balance between the need for prosecution and the need for liberty.

The One That Almost Got Away

Ever got that feeling that the world is ganging up on you? I had earlier today.

Applied for a job closing date was yesterday. The interviews were scheduled for tomorrow. I get a call for an interview. Of course working in a call centre I don't get to actually take the call in real time as I am dealing with a customer so have to call back.

Interview slots are in the middle of the day. I work in Edinburgh interview is over in the West of Scotland. I'm currently acting up in my stand in role. Know this will be awkward but brazenly ask the boss for time off. Get turned turn, ask what would be acceptable.

Redial the prospective employer. They will talk to the boss and see what they can do. I ask if possible first thing or last thing. They call back: I'm again on a call. They offer a compromise first thing in the morning on Thursday. My boss still turns me down. But her boss is beside me when this happens. So before I can send an email of complaint I've been told they will manage.

I just hope the interview goes well after all these problems.