Defections from one political party to another always spark interest in the media, so the revelation that the Conservatives have been courting various LibDem MPs generated a considerable number of column inches. It’s also produced some predictable splutterings from local Norfolk LibDems, including your correspondent (Letters 15 Feb) Cllr Nich Starling. He understandably protests and says that no one would ever dream of defecting from the LibDems to the Conservatives.
The fact of the matter is that defections from one party to another happen every week at local government level. The party that receives the defector cheers in triumph and the party which the defector has left briefs journalists that he was a ‘nobody’ anyway. That’s the way it goes. As the three main Parties appear closer together in policy terms than ever before it is highly likely that we will find more and more defections happening – and they won’t all be one way.
***********
Tony Blair made a very valid and interesting point this week when he asserted that although British and US universities have roughly the same level of public funding, American universities attract fifteen times more money from philanthropists than their British counterparts. We should be asking ourselves why that is. Why do rich Americans seem happier to part with their money to fund universities, arts projects, sporting institutions and the like, than we do?
Philanthropy in this country has a proud history. Many of our museums would never have got off the ground without it. In the 19th century there was a culture of giving, but as the role State has grown beyond all recognition things have changed. Nowadays, many people regard the State as the 'giver of first resort'.
It's also why it's far easier to raise donations for political parties or causes in the US. Even comparatively poor people are used to donating to Presidential candidates. Here, such donations remain rare, and the preserve of the rich.
British philanthropy outside the rich and famous centres around TV charity appeals which tug at the heartstrings and appease people's guilt. A £20 donation to Children in Need often makes people feel that they have 'done their bit' for the year.
So I applaud Blair's initiative on philanthropy for universities. It now needs to be expanded into other areas too. We could make a start by giving tax relief for people who donate to political parties for a start. Perhaps then the leaders of all three main parties might drop their plans to dip their mits into the taxpayer’s trouser pocket.
*************
A friend of mine had a handbag stolen by a group of schoolkids recently. In the handbag there was a quantity of jewellery. My friend knew the children were from a particular school so she contacted the Head Teacher who managed to identify the five kids involved. He contacted their parents and asked them to return my friend's jewellery. Of the five sets of parents only two agreed to do so. The other three verbally abused the Head Teacher. Is there any hope for children when their parents act like that? No wonder Britain is at the bottom of the World Children’s Wellbeing league. I’m going to sound like a wizened old git, but I am afraid that the permissive society is mostly to blame for this disgraceful state of affairs. The sense of family that permeated our society is gradually disappearing. Kids often have few male role models in their lives and are forced into adulthood at an increasingly early age. We have bred a small but significant underclass of feral youths who will never confirm to society’s norms because they don’t know what they are and care even less.
*************
Like many EDP readers I was delighted to read yesterday that David Prior had been cleared of all charges relating to a possible fraud in a care home of which he is Executive Chairman. David was very kind to me when I was standing at the last election in North Norfolk and I know how traumatic this whole process has been for him and his family. David was, in one sense, lucky. As a lawyer he knew about Police procedures and was probably able to cope with it better than most. think how much worse it would be for someone unfamiliar with our legal system, with no money and little family support.
Of course, the police are bound to arrest innocent people but isn't there a better way of doing it? After all we are all innocent until proven guilty and we should be treated properly and sensitively unless there is a very good reason why not. There are hundreds of people who have been through what David Prior has and suffered much more - bankruptcy, depression, marriage breakdown.
Much as I believe the Cash for Peerages inquiry to be totally justified, it has made me wonder about the very public nature of the arrests of Lord Levy and Tony Blair’s Director of Government Relations, Ruth Turner. Like David Prior, she was arrested at her home at 6.30 in the morning and within hours the press was tipped off.
The Police remain the last of our public services to remain essentially unreformed. Perhaps it’s about time they were.
