Politics

I am afraid I am going to sink in to the dull world of British politics. Sorry.

Last night, the three major party leaders appeared on Question Time. During this it appears (I didn't watch it) that Mr Blair discovered that some GPs surgeries won't make appointments for more than two days in advance for the first time. I can't believe that, everybody that I know who has had call to go to the doctor, my Grandmother, Father, Mother have all said this, in one case appointments couldn't be made more than a single day ahead. I was rather under the impression that it was government policy, although I appear to have been wrong about that. It is a stupid system for so many reasons and needs changing.

Yesterday the Attorney General's legal advice on the recent invasion of Iraq was published. The Government line up to that point was that all advice from a lawyer, like that from a doctor if you get to see one, should be completely confidential and that applies to governments as well as individuals.

I agree with that stance and think that publishing the advice was wrong for exactly that reason. It was done to keep the media happy and shows a distinct lack of moral courage.

Let me be quite clear, while I defend the Government's right to keep the legal advice secret, I in no way agree with the war. I can't comment on the legal issues, not having read the advice nor being an international lawyer, but I do not think the invasion was morally justified at that point in time.

Do I further subscribe to the view that Blair lied? Yes, I do, but I don't hold that against him for two reasons. First, he did what he thought was the right thing to do. I may disagree with his opinion but I have no doubt that he made his decisions with the best of intentions and with all his intelligence and humanity. Secondly, I am not so naive that I think that any politician or leader of any sort can rule effectively while be completely honest.

While I wish that everyone could tell the truth all of the time, and I am labouring to do so myself, I think that while the world is such that if anything less than an overwhelming majority of people are always honest, those that are will be swamped and oppressed. This is particularly true in government and for a stable and effective leadership.

Don't think that I am giving our politicians to lie as and when suits them, such actions need to be very carefully considered and restricted as much as possible, but in some limited circumstances I can understand it and accept it.

Meanwhile, at our children's trampolining club, I was cornered yet again into personal questions by a couple of the older girls. I told the truth, didn't avoid the discussion and it felt good and clean. Or at least not bad

Be honest people, the truth is the way to go.