Euro success, Brown holds on, Langlee visit and a family trauma.

It seems a lifetime since I stood over the boxes at the Scottish Borders Council European election count. An efficient procedure, well managed and well run. It will infact be only 2 weeks this Sunday but it’s been hectic in my life one way or the other.

So we managed to win the council region count at the European elections. No complacency, low turnout, increase in the SNP share and UKIP thrown in as a protest vote, not to mention the Greens who did relatively well. So what did it tell us – it was a result of immense importance to our team of dedicated supporters who deliver, stuff and turnout to fight the good fight. It was a motivator and has left victory at Westminster within our grasp.

But despite all the media hype Gordon Brown has survived. Despite the expense scandal, despite the back room rumours Madelson and Campbell managed to stage manage the desk banging in an upstairs committee room at the palace of Westminster. ” I know I have to change” came the humbling cry from a PM wounded and down but not out. Phew… I thought… We want to fight Gordon Brown at the next election. The Master must be defeated – for those of you who remember the mater in DR Who !!

Here’s the BBC’s very handy full list of all the expenses from every party – a true testament to greed, deceit and embezzlement.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8039273.stm

And so back to issues closer to home. Browns Broadband promise will once again see the rural areas of Scotland miss out. Just like the Digtal switchover on which I have moaned on several occasions – The Borders will be left behind – the price we pay for 40 years in the Wilderness in no mans land.

Borders Conservatives have spoken out against the Government’s “Digital Britain” report, which proposes a 50p per month tax on telephone lines in an
attempt to provide rural areas with an internet connection of 2 Mbps, almost half the speed of that in cities such as London.

Chris Walker, local Conservative Westminster Candidate, blasted Gordon Browns plans of a broadband rollout as “another kick in the teeth for rural living”.
Shadow Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “The plans for broadband rollout are disappointing and mean that by 2012 parts of rural Scotland will be
even further behind than those in cities. We need to recognise there is a real problem with the digital divide that will not be addressed until the
Government stimulates large scale investment by the private sector.”

And so on to Langlee – once regarded as the roughest estate in the Borders… not any more, well kept gardens, mown lawns, plenty of green field for the kids, no dug turds, needles or litter in sight. This was a community starting to get to grips with its own demons. Well done to Judith Cleghorn and all the members of the Langlee residents association – a clear demonstration of civic pride, pulling together a will for social interaction. I’ve offered to host a quiz at the Woodcutter in October – more details to follow – but what a great bunch. This is a blue print for community living. Well done

Chris and Judith Cleghorn at Langlee

And finally – family trauma – After the Euro elections – the results of whic you can see on one of the dedicated pages here on the blog – We headed off to the lakes for a few days break staying at the Ladore Falls Hotel ( excellent by the way ). Our 6 year old Labrador Honey suffered liver failure whilst we were away, many thanks to Keswick vet MR Gilbert, she became very yellow and jaundiced although relatively bright but took a steep nose dive south 2 days later and was rushed back up to Scotland to our own local vet Jimmy Moore. Lorna the associate Vet soon got Honey stabilised on a drip and with antibiotics but we still are unsure of the cause or indeed the best form of treatment and the as I write the poor dog remains on critical. Keep your fingers crossed.

So it is with some reservation that I set off to Silverstone for the annual trip to the Formula 1 Grand Prix – a full report next week and an update on the dog.

Take care.

~ by Chris Walker on June 17, 2009.