In one ear and out the other?

"We've gone direct to the British people - some Labour supporters, others not.

And a lot of it wasn't easy listening.

People were blunt with us.

You've all heard it.

Because week in week out, you are out there on the doorsteps.

Talking to people about their concerns.

You know they were livid about the banks.

Worried about the squeeze on their incomes.

Frustrated that their concerns on immigration were not addressed.

Angry when they thought some could work, but didn't.

And you know we lost trust, including because of what happened in Iraq.

We must prevent this happening again.

And you know it's not just about policy, it's about the way we do politics too.

A party created by working people for working people lost touch with them.

We need to be honest about the way we operated as a party.

Because only by being honest can we rebuild.

We need to confront some hard truths.

And if we ever doubt why we need to do this, if you find what I say today difficult, think of the people in your communities suffering today as a result of this Conservative-led Government.

These truths may be uncomfortable for us; but life is more uncomfortable for the people we serve suffering under this Government.

It's not their fault; it's ours that we lost the last election.

We owe it to them not to shy away from any of the difficult changes we need to make."

- Extracted from Ed Miliband's National Policy Forumspeech published in the New Statesman .

Time will tell!

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A question of trust

The 1979 election was said to have been won for the Conservatives by a fake 'Labour isn't working' poster. Today the publishedunemployment figures were simply described by the Prime Minister as "disappointing". Young people who have never worked will no doubt have a different description.

Attacking the public sector has been a key part of the Prime Minister's strategy. He suggests that cutting public sector jobs will enable the private sector to expand by picking-up the slack created. Not so thus far on today's figures. The smoke-screen of attacking the public sector is no substitute for a plan for growth.  Regions have been unjustly condemned for the size of public sector employment in their areas after it was created as a matter of government policy. People filling jobs that were dispersed from London to save money and mop up spare capacity created by the loss of manufacturing jobs are now blamed for current problems and their successors are being made redundant with little or no hope of work.

Today Mr Cameron let slip another government aim of cutting public expenditure. After the Government's earlier gaff of predetermining the outcome of 'discussions' on public sector pensions, David Cameron quickly corrected himself in PM Questions when responding to Ed Miliband telling him that the government was cutting (reforming) public sector pensions. Is it surprising that public sector unions are threatening more public sector strikes?

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Self or selfless?

The current debate on gay marriage ignores an important aspect of marriage - children. Children may not be in the minds of all gay or lesbian couples but if they are, they ignore the fact that it is normal for a child to have a mother (female) and a father (male).

In probably the most high profile case, Sir Elton John and his partner haveadmitted that their son "faced 'challenges' and potential 'double' stigma as he grew up and have consulted counsellors to find out the best way of dealing with any potential problems." Hardly surprising when the boy's 'mother' (and possibly his biological father) will be 84 when Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John is 21 and his father (also possibly his biological father) is in his 70th year and both are/were male. In the US there was another bizarrestory of a pregnant father giving birth to a bouncing baby girl. These sort of cases are so far removed from normality that they highlight the absurdity of change for no apparent reason other than self-gratification. I want, therefore I must have, no matter what the consequences.

Fresh from his Review for the Archbishop of Wales who appears to be somewhataccident prone in his choices, the liberal-minded former bishop of Oxford, Lord Harries of Pentregarth has stepped into the debate with the suggestion: "Instead of at first opposing civil partnerships, and then only accepting them grudgingly with gritted teeth, they should have welcomed them warmly from the first and immediately proposed services of commitments and blessing in church. They should do this even now." Few people are any longer interested in what the Anglican Church has to say but it will be interesting to see what trendy recommendations Lord Harries comes up with for the Church in Wales to hasten its furtherdecline.

Many religious and non-religious heterosexual people supported civil partnerships despite reservations that some participants sought to have their partnerships seen as a marriage. In the church this has become a familiar pattern of give a little, grab the lot. Spurious arguments about equality have seen women's ordination and liberal sexuality take more bites out of the apple until there is nothing left but a barely recognised core. The Anglican Communion is now in its death throws as the Anglican Covenant attempts to paper-over the cracks. For some odd reason, once a band wagon starts rolling people jump on for fear of being left behind and brandedyesterday's people, many clergy included.

PM David Cameron has been followed by the Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband in support of so-called gay rights but in reality it has more to do with electoral advantage than ethics or conscience. By implication Cabinet Minister Francis Maude now associatesfamily values with being nasty!  There is a moral here. Trendy desires have done the Anglican Church no favours in her drive to become more relevant to society. What the country needs is strong leadership based on traditional values instead of pandering to current whims which favour self over selflessness.

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Ed Miliband Out

In the latest bit of political opportunism the leader of the Labour Party, Ed Miliband, has come out 4marriage. Given his ratings there will be many wishing he were out altogether but leaving that aside, not only has he pledged his support but he has pledged "wholehearted" Labour backing for what he sees as 'reform'. He said, "I know that equal marriage is a very, very important part of ensuring equality before the law, the equality in our culture which is so important, and such a sign of us being a modern country and the kind of country I believe in."

This campaign has nothing to do with equality or reform. Marriage cannot be reformed, it is what it is, the union of a man and a woman in an environment that protects the family unit and provides children with the security they need for the benefit of society as a whole. The introduction of civil partnerships has given same sex couples the equality they demanded but that is not enough. Enough is never enough. Today in Anglican Mainstream attention is drawn to a problem in the US military following the introduction of the ?Don?T Ask, Don?T Tell,? Policy with homosexuals now demanding special privileges. We should not be surprised. Just look at the church. Following the acceptance of women for ordination there have been moves by the newly enlightened to ban anyone from ordination if, regardless of conscience, they are unable to accept women priests as consistent with the teaching and tradition of the Apostolic church. To have principles opposed to the latest fad gives rise to accusations of discrimination and even homophobia. So much for 'equality'.

Not satisfied with acceptance of difference we are now expected to embrace it fully or suffer the consequences. To witness members of the clergy using false propaganda to achieve their aims was sad but to witness elected representatives of the people demanding change for which they have no mandate using the same distortions is sickening.

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