2009 in review (part 1): exploring the limits of being the 'First Husband'

Here at 'Liberal Bureaucracy', we've grown used to reviewing the year gone by, and 2009 is no exception...

The year began with a dawning realisation that life was about to become very different. The unique role of Presidential husband - yes, I am the first (or should that be "no, I'm Spartacus") - was likely to be a bit of challenge to a slightly impulsive bureaucrat. I didn't realise just how much of a challenge it would turn out to be.

However, there were trips to make, conferences to attend and travel plans to make. The first of these was to Wales, but I would be just about everywhere before long. Trains were a personal bugbear, and my unhappiness over National Express's axing of my much-loved Monday morning full English breakfast spilt over to a general criticism of the cheeseparing greed and incompetence of various train operating companies, South West Trains being an early target. And whilst, occasionally, I would be nice about trains from time to time, my personal grudge against National Express would keep me warm for months to come...

Another feature of the early months of the year was expenses. I had already spotted that there would be trouble given the freedom of information legislation that had been passed, and it was clear that some Parliamentarians didn't really get it. And sure enough, they didn't, and boy, what a mess they found themselves in.

I'm not an easy person to provoke, and yet I was obviously becoming more sensitive. I picked fights with Iain Dale over Israel, Irfan Ahmed over just about everything, James Graham over his attack on Paddy Ashdown, and I hadn't even started on Liberal Vision yet. I needed something to keep me occupied, clearly. Ah yes, being Liberal Youth's Returning Officer would keep me usefully engaged. How difficult could that be, after all?

Ah yes, Liberal Youth... and there I was, in the middle of one of the most unpleasant contests in the history of youth politics in this country. Who was it that sang, "clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right"? If that seems a bit harsh, and it is in retrospect, I was at least "stuck in the middle" with Ros. And yet, in spite of everything, I managed to emerge from the whole sorry saga with my credibility intact, and Liberal Youth went on to be much more successful, so it must have been worth it.

I was now beginning to take an interest in my new neighbourhood too. A Local Government Review was underway in Suffolk, albeit falteringly, and although I still owned a house in London, there was no intention that this situation would last...

Just another typical Christmas in Creeting St Peter...

Ah yes, Christmas in rural Suffolk. We've been wrapped up in all of those last minute activities that are so much a part of village life. First, the trip to Mr Allard's farm butchery, to collect the 'Christmas meat' - turkey and roast pork this year, and then a quick swing past St Peter's Church to confirm timimgs before heading back to the demesne to drug the cat prior to another visit to the vet. We were somewhat delayed in doing so by a traffic holdup - a quail was walking down the middle of the road and we didn't want to run it over.

The evening was spent attending the annual Christmas Eve carol service, where Ros gave one of the readings, and the Rev. Christine gave the blessing - we're a surprisingly radical bunch in mid-Suffolk. The parish church dates back to the 12th century, and is a small, but cheery place of worship.

And so, the village is quiet, and the sense of anticipation is acute for the big day ahead.

On that note, I should really wish you all a very merry Christmas, and don't stint on the enjoyment. It only comes once a year, I'm told...

Thoughts from the Train: the death of the British stiff upper lip?

Here in the warmth of my first class carriage, somewhere just outside Colchester, it is tempting to be grateful for small mercies. Yes, it's crowded, and we're not moving very quickly - reports of overrunning engineering works between Manningtree and Colchester, of points failures at Witham and the fact that it is really quite chilly have contributed to that - but I will get to London eventually.

Meanwhile, chaos reigns at our stations and airports, with snow and ice causing cancellations and delays - and an awful lot of whinging. Curiously, in unusual weather conditions, things tend not to run smoothly. To get to my office this morning, I am reliant on three different modes of transport - a taxi to get me to the station, a train to get me to London, and an underground train to get me to the office. Each of them is vulnerable, with the car accurately parked in a ditch near my home testament to the treacherous driving conditions away from the main arteries.

And yet the story is one of people whining that they are being inconvenienced. No signs of anyone saying how pleased they are that rail workers, bus drivers and the like are doing their best to get people from A to B. Perhaps we need to reflect on just how amazing it is that the technology exists to get so many people to so many places with such ease (under normal circumstances) and with so little sense of adventure and danger.

So, is it me, or has that traditional sense of stoicism been lost? Are we now so conditioned to find someone to blame that the ability to conclude that things simply break or go wrong and that we should deal with it has withered away? At St Pancras International, the sounds of outrage have been loud and long, as Eurostar work out what went wrong before resuming services, and for those stuck in the tunnels as the evacuation procedure failed dismally, there are grounds for unhappiness.

However, those stuck in London, or Brussels, or Paris, claiming that they'll never use Eurostar again, do themselves no credit. As the weather improves, and the locomotive problems are resolved, I don't doubt that Eurostar will do their utmost to get everyone to where they want to go, likewise with the airlines. Isn't that as much as most people can reasonably expect?

So, as we make our erratic way to wherever it is we're going today, spare a thought for those who are trying to get you there. They're probably as frustrated as you are, they probably have as little information as you do, and they would rather be at home than take their chances in the snow and ice.

On being forced to drink beer...

What with the snow and all, getting back to Mid Suffolk has proved to be a little trickier than usual. It isn't possible to book a taxi from the station, and I really don't want Ros out on the roads.

So, I'm forced to wait here at Stowmarket station. Luckily, rather than having to wait in a drafty taxi office, next door is the rather more congenial 'Kings Arms', the newly reopened pub. It's a bit of a throwback, as it looks like a private home converted into a local. However, the real ale is good, and well kept, with Woodforde's Wherry and Woodforde's Nog on draft, plus a range of visiting beers including London Pride and Timothy Taylor's Landlord, a very fine ale indeed.

The guy in the taxi office is going to fetch me when a car is available so, all in all, I could be in worse shape... A pint of Nog, landlord, if you please!

Glorious moments in local democracy (part 4,391)

I have recently found myself with something of a (temporary) dilemma. As a Parish Councillor, I am responsible for considering any planning application that falls within the boundaries of Creeting St Peter - we are a statutory consultee. However, the latest application was from me, or to be more accurate us.

Fine, you might think. Declare interest, withdraw from discussion, problem solved. Unfortunately, in Creeting St Peter, life is not that simple. We have never been at full strength - five - and at the moment are just three in number. So, by declaring an interest, I thus made the body inquorate, and they could not reach a view. Not ideal, I would suggest.

At least the neighbours were consulted, and a sign went up notifying the village that our application was in. However, it does seem wrong that a public meeting didn't take place to discuss the matter, even if we had taken every precaution to ensure that we fulfilled every dot and comma of planning law.

Ah well, we did get planning permission, and building will start shortly on the office that I've always dreamt of...

Climate change - is scaring people the right approach?

As the snow falls over Central London, and the prospects for a deal on climate change ebb away in Copenhagen, I find myself wondering whether our approach is the correct one.

Alright, I admit, I am a sceptic on the issue of climate change. It isn't that I dispute the science - it is clear that the chemistry is sound enough - but, as a statistician, I was trained to question any set of numbers presented to me. I'm not keen on the notion of calling those with dispute the science 'deniers' either, it all smacks of polarising the debate to the point where it isn't a debate, more a shouting match.

My scepticism is rooted in the message. Cut our emissions, we are told, and the polar icecaps won't melt. Or they may not. Or something. Whatever. The problem is that we are all aware that the climate does change, and it has in the past. If my history is correct, at one point, hippopotami grazed in the Thames Valley, which leads one to assume that it was a bit warmer here then.

The real question is, what impact does our behaviour have on the trend? Doubtless, our interference isn't helping - it seldom does. And how do we remedy that?

Actually, there are plenty of quite convincing reasons for acting, many of which appeal to something more immediate and tangible - our financial wellbeing. If I can insulate my home, I'll save money on my fuel bill, use less in the way of valuable and finite fossil fuels, and cause less in the way of carbon emissions. Like most people, I understand the former, because my wallet is slightly heavier as a result.

If, in my office, I turn the thermostat down by one degree, the cost to my employer is reduced and, as a civil servant, the cost of running the Department I work in is reduced, thus freeing up more money for nurses, teachers and policemen (and wouldn't you rather have more of them than of me?). Alternatively, it reduces the national debt - and every little counts...

As a Parish Councillor, I could replace our old streetlights with more efficient ones, reducing our electricity bill and allowing me to keep the precept low.

There is another consideration, the fact that we British are animal lovers. Tell us about some cute animal whose habitat is threatened, and we'll be there, raising funds to create places for the lesser-spotted this, or the hairy-nosed that, to live.

So, perhaps the way to encourage the British to change our habits is to appeal to our greed and our love of cute, furry animals. And on the way, we might well unintentionally save the planet...

Frankie Howard and Leslie Phillips - alive and well in the House of Lords

Clearly, the House of Lords retains a sense of humour, as today's exchange indicates;

Asked By Baroness Deech

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make proposals relating to the titles used by the husbands of women members of the House of Lords.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice (Lord Bach): My Lords, the Government have no plans to alter the existing arrangements in relation to the use of courtesy titles or styles for the husbands of women Members of the House of Lords.

Baroness Deech: I thank the Minister for his Answer, albeit that it was disappointing. The Equality Bill is wending its way through this House. Does he accept that equality between the sexes should start in this Chamber? If a male Peer’s wife is always a Lady, why should not the same courtesy be extended to the husband of a woman Peer, who I am sure has done just as much to support their spouse? If the issue is trivial, titles should either be extended to husbands or confined only to the recipient.

Lord Bach: My Lords, I agree with the noble Baroness that it is an anomalous situation whereby a woman takes her husband’s title but a man does not take his wife’s. I suspect that the reason is that the UK honours system of names and titles is complex and is rooted in history. In recent history, thankfully, the position of women has changed dramatically. However, notwithstanding that, I have to tell the House that the Government are not aware of any great anxiety or urgent desire for change in this respect.

Baroness Trumpington: My Lords, is the Minister aware that when my husband was alive, he loved being called “m’lord”; he loved putting his drinks on my bill; and it added a certain frisson to staying in an hotel together?
Lord Bach: I am absolutely delighted to hear that story and I very much hope that other noble Baronesses will bear it in mind.

Lord Wright of Richmond: Is the Minister aware that the frisson must have been much greater when the husband of the noble Baroness, Lady Trumpington, was known as “Mister” in an hotel?

Lord Bach: The noble Lord obviously knows much more than I do.

The Lord Bishop of Chester: My Lords, the House will be aware that the wives of Bishops need to be considered as well, as they do not have any title. If the Minister was minded to resolve the anomaly without addressing the concerns potentially of Bishops’ wives, he might have a deputation of them on his doorstep, which is not a prospect I should wish on him.

Lord Bach: The right reverend Prelate has scared me off already, so we will very much bear in mind what he says.

Baroness Sharples: Perhaps I may say that neither my second nor my third husband objected. I have had the same situation as the noble Baroness, when signing into an hotel did raise a few eyebrows.

Lord Bach: I thank the noble Baroness for that.

Lord Boston of Faversham: My Lords, in supporting my noble friend Lady Deech in her suggestion, does this matter not go a little further than that? For example, is it not the case that the wife of a Knight Bachelor has the title “Lady”? Therefore, is there not an argument for the husband of a Dame of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire to have an equivalent title as well? While I understand the Minister’s statement that the Government have no proposals on these matters, might there not be a case to refer these matters to a Select Committee of your Lordships’ House?

Lord Bach: My Lords, there is always a case for referring any matter that is raised in your Lordships’ House to a Select Committee. I am not sure that this is the best case. The Public Administration Select Committee of another place looked inter alia at titles and name changing honours. While recognising that this issue was contentious, it recommended the phasing out of knighthoods and what it called damehoods. In February 2005, the Government’s response was that they did not believe that the case had been made for phasing out the awards of knighthoods and damehoods or knights bachelor. They said that they play a well respected, understood and valued part in our national life.

Baroness Howe of Idlicote: My Lords—

Lord Thomas of Gresford: My Lords—

Baroness Buscombe: My Lords—

Baroness Wall of New Barnet: My Lords—

The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): My Lords, if we are quick, we could hear from my noble friend and then the noble Lord, Lord Thomas of Gresford.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My Lords, at one level of course this is an amusing topic and we can all have a jolly good laugh at each other’s expense, but the noble Baroness, Lady Deech, has made a serious point. This is not an anomaly, it is discrimination. It is discrimination that a man may confer on his wife an honour that a woman may not confer on her husband. It is perfectly straightforward and I see many heads nodding in agreement. Does not my noble friend think that there is some way of addressing a discrimination that we practise and laugh about?

Lord Bach: My Lords, I actually agree with my noble friend that this is an issue that has a serious side to it. The Government are not going to act on it in the near future, but that does not take away from the fact that this matter is serious.

Lord Thomas of Gresford: My Lords, I get an even greater frisson than the noble Baroness, Lady Trumpington, in hotels. Is it not the answer to this that you can call yourself anything you wish? Earlier this year there was a Lord in the dock who got 10 years. But surely, after today’s debate, the husband of a lady Peer should be called the “honourable breadwinner”.
Lord Bach: My Lords, the noble Lord asked two questions, but I am going to mention only the first. On “frisson”, I think that the noble Lord gives us too much information.

Ah well, a title appears to be out of the question. Pity, I was just trying out 'Marquess' for size...

Wokingham - where it's easier to sign up deliverers than to answer the quiz...

After a lengthy, but quite pleasant journey, we arrived at Earley, where we had an engagement to meet Steve Scarrott, victor of the recent Radstock by-election, and Prue Bray, our Group Leader on Wokingham Council and PPC for Wokingham.

Our first activity was to visit some of our canvassed supporters from the by-election, to see if they would be willing to do some delivering for us. The first two doors yielded success, much to my surprise, as did my fourth. It was clearly time to stop before I pushed my good fortune and evident natural charm too far...

A pitstop for tea, and off to a curry quiz night. Tahir, whom I had met before, and is very active, had organised the event and a decent crowd came out to support it and to hear the guest speaker. The food was excellent, although the quiz was shaping up to be one of the most difficult I've ever encountered. It was time to make my excuses and head into the night...

On Liberty or, to be more accurate, in Liberty...

Yesterday evening was spent attending a black tie dinner in support of Swansea and Gower Liberal Democrats. Not having had much detail about the event in advance, I was pleasantly surprised that we would be in Swansea City's swish new venue, Liberty Stadium (how appropriate is that for a Liberal Democrat event?).

In the presence of the award-winning Cllr Peter Black AM, and the Audrey Hepburn-like Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats, Kirsty Williams, the evening sped along, although my cold was making life a little trying. A bottle of Patagonian Malbec helped a bit though, and winning a bottle of New Zealand sauvignon blanc will doubtless aid my recovery still further.

However, the fun really started with the auction, and with Peter Black at the microphone. Tea at the Lords raised a decent sum, but the next lot, tea at the Assembly with Peter, seemed not to have the same drawing power. I suspect that most Swansea Liberal Democrats have now had tea with Peter, so I put in a decent enough bid. And won.

So, the next time I'm in the Cardiff area, I can be certain of a nice tea. Of course, Cardiff isn't particularly convenient for mid-Suffolk but...

Swansea - not exactly what you might expect

Two weeks ago, Scotland. This weekend, Wales, and in particular, Swansea. After a lengthy train journey - engineering works causing a detour via Gloucester, we were met by Peter May, the PPC for Swansea West, a key target seat for 2010, and John, the campaign organiser.

Whilst we were ostensibly there to do a fundraising dinner for Peter and his campaign team, we had time to look at some of the successes of the Liberal Democrat-led administration. Our first visit was to the new library at the Civic Centre, with its views over Swansea Bay, a nice little cafe, and easy access to council services. The building itself is a bit on the brutalist side - brushed concrete is hard to beautify - but the location is excellent. It also sits on the new metro bus route that uses priority lanes to cut through the city, all very impressive.

Next, we visited the leisure centre, including a pretty spectacular water park, with slides that go up as well as down. The building is apparently unique, in that it is the only building to have been opened by the Queen twice, once in 1977, then again after the refurbishment in 2008.

The Waterfront Museum, built using the old Swansea Victoria railway station as its core, was our next stop. Whilst it isn't officially operated by Swansea City Council, it forms part of the development of the marina area. It's a free exhibit, very interactive and high-tech, and well worth a visit if you're in the area.

Our last stop was Swansea's Winter Wonderland, with fairground rides and a skating rink, which lasts from mid-November to early-January. Thronged with people out to enjoy themselves, it looked like fun.

Throw in the natural scenery of the Gower and beyond, you could certainly see how a week could be spent here, maybe more.