Liberal Burblings

Archive for February, 2007

It is very welcome news that penalties for using a mobile phone while driving are being toughened up from today.

For the last year I have switched off my “hands-free” mobile in its cradle while driving. I changed my practice after being called by a prize wassock who asked me if he could swop a non-existent room booking with me. He’d got the month wrong. Doh. This happened when I was going onto the M4 and I nearly had an accident due to losing concentration at a crucial point.

One could say: are people going to take notice of the anti-mobile law even now? Well, I was fascinated this morning to learn from BBC Breakfast that one million people have nine points on their licence and therefore they are one mobile phone offence away from a ban.

About eight years ago, I was on nine points after two stupid speeding offences in built-up areas. Since then I have been a meticulous observer of the law on speed limits. When you know you could get a ban with a further three point offence, it is remarkable how much it focusses the mind.

So, I suspect that this toughening-up of the penalties for mobile use will have an impact. Thank goodness for that, from a road safety point of view.

And, if anyone thinks that if they haven’t been stopped by the police they won’t get a penalty, they are in for a big shock. Edmund King of the RAC Foundation says:

They do not need to stop your car to issue you with a penalty. Three points in the post might follow an opportunistic call. That should be a warning to motorists that this is a law that will be enforced and they will not get away with it.

It was a delight to see West Berkshire boy Theo Walcott scoring his first goal for Arsenal in the Carling Cup final.

The goal looked magical and effortless.

Theo’s celebration afterwards was a treat. I have rarely seen anyone so euphoric.

I have had the privilege to visit Ireland about a dozen times in the last ten years. Whenever I visit Dublin I immediately feel at home. Even browsing in the airport bookshop I feel I am at ease – the books about Gaelic traditions, the green scarves, the Leprauchauns…It all just feels as though I am home.

My grandmother was of Irish extraction. Her maiden name was Haley, a good old Irish surname. Perhaps that is why I feel at home there. Being a Celt helps, of course. But I am also proud of being Cornish and English.

So, seeing “God Save the Queen” played at Croke Park was quite an emotional moment for me. The fact that it was heard with great respect is an enormous tribute to the maturity of the Irish nation. You can now truly say that Ireland and England have moved on from a terrible period of history.

On You Tube there is an amateur clip by a spectator, Aidan O’Sullivan, which is awesome. That is because, unlike the TV clips, it shows the Irish spectators up-close during the playing of “God Save the Queen”. They are standing to attention, with complete respect, and they applaud when it ends. Of course, that did not stop them passionately enjoying the two Irish anthems and enjoying, with great glee, the fact that their boys stuffed our boys!

What a glorious occasion! I am quite choked.

Duncan Borrowman engagingly describes the historic nature of the Ireland v England Rugby match at Croke Park, Dublin this afternoon. Singing “God Save the Queen” in Croke Park is controversial, to put it mildly. The place is an inner sanctum of Irish Republicanism, as well as the site of the 1920 “Bloody Sunday” killing of fourteen spectators by the British Black and Tans.

Medals have been withdrawn from the Croke Park museum in protest and Republican Sinn Féin, a dissident faction opposed to the peace process, is planning a protest near the ground.

I was drawn to this wise comment about the controversy from Fintan O’Toole in the Irish Times:

We are a sovereign nation with average per capita incomes above those of the UK. There are probably no two countries in the world whose governments work more closely together than the Irish and British governments do. It is time we got over ourselves.

I was very pleased to receive an email from Nick Harvey highlighting the discussion web site about the conference Trident motion. I have already made some comments on the discussion board. This debate web site is an excellent initiative.