Aneurin Bevan

It was good to watch the programme recounting the life of arguably the the perfect socialist.

In the current day it is quite easy to forget what the Labour movement was created to deal with and the kind of issues that have largely gone yet are within the living memory of many of our elder comrades.

Particularly as a Health and Safety specialist I get bad feelings over the poor Chinese cockle pickers that went to their deaths in Morecambe Bay. How on earth in 21st century Britain can such a tragedy happen? This showed a callous lack of respect for human life every bit as bad as the cruel pit owners that fired Bevans crusading zeal and drove him from such humble beginnings to being a Minister of State that not only delivered the National Health Service but also, as Minister of Housing, started the delivery of real homes for the heroes of the Second World War. Seeing the prefabs being erected and the standard of finish that was light years from the miserable Victorian slum terraces that many of the heroes had emerged from and indeed himself.

I wonder who of the present crop of Ministers, will be remembered as fondly by the left as this giant of a man?

Sunday at Sally's

It was nice to be invited to Sally Keeble's house for a Sunday Lunch get together.

It was quite informal with no speeches and formal stuff. Winston and his wife Janice also attended from the Northampton South Labour Party.

I was good to catch up with friends from several constituencies and sample South African dishes.

There is a lot said about alleged divisions between the Labour parties in Northampton.

On the basis of this it is wishful thinking that serves some peoples purposes and something that if it really existed at all, is very much past tense now.