Liberal Burblings

Archive for February, 2009

Obvious really.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAmCmNa-NSE&hl=en&fs=1]

Obvious really.

After Labour dramatically quit at a budget meeting – all over an incinerator. The world of local councils, eh? This was all tweeted about as it happened by Councillor Jon Rogers – @Cllrjonrogers – last night.

Jo Swinson brilliantly tweeted the unfolding disgrace in parliament yesterday.

Quite frankly, we’ve come to expect the kind of outrageous stupidity of Labour over Freedom of information, as with Jack Straw’s refusal to publish six year old cabinet minutes. It is ludicrous because the minutes, if Clare Short is to be believed, are more notable for the reporting a lack of debate, rather than the full debate which Straw disingenuously says he wants to ensure in future, and gives as a reason for refusing the minutes’ release.

But it is the breathtaking hypocrisy of the Conservatives which is most notable on this matter. The moment they sniff power they ditch all their promises about freedom of information and effectively back out of their commitment to the Convention on Modern Liberty before the ink is dry on it.

I’d like to express my deep and sincere sympathy to David Cameron and his family on the death of their son Ivan, aged six. Monday was the anniversary of the death of our son, Toby, aged 16 months, a few years ago. So I have some inkling of the overwhelming pain and grief which the Cameron family will be feeling today and for years to come. My heart goes out to them.

A rather disturbing story. Cerrie Burnell is a presenter on CBeebies. You can read about the furore surrounding her here in the Daily Mail.

Basically, nine complaints have been lodged with the BBC from parents who think their children may be upset by Ms Burnell, who has had a disability from birth. And, of course, as usual, coverage in the media has whipped the whole thing up so that there have been some pretty unedifying remarks about the presenter on various net message boards.

Lucy Mangan in the Guardian covers the issue very sensitively and sensibly:

Parents have complained that they cannot let their children watch her because the sight will “possibly cause sleep problems”, that she is scaring toddlers, and that they are being forced to discuss the issue of disability with their offspring before they are ready.

Altogether, it makes you glad that the medieval witch-hunters weren’t internet-enabled. The comments of course reveal nothing about the children’s true feelings and everything about those of the adults involved. Young, CBeebies-age children do not have profound concerns about disability. I worked for several years, on and off, at a school for physically disabled children and it was never their able-bodied peers who were the problem when our paths crossed on school outings, but their parents, who kept them pinioned to their sides and made sure they turned their faces away.

I have to agree. I watched CBeebies with our child for about six years until a few years ago. I have always found that young children are extremely accepting of everyone they encounter. They don’t even notice disabilities – not in a negative way anyway.

I congratulate Ms Burnell on her continuing role on CBeebies.

As for ‘scaring children’. Have these parents not read any children’s stories recently? Little Red Riding Hood is only the half of it.