Robert Buckland Weblog

That’s it.  It is now official.  Harold Wilson’s adage about a week being a long time in politics is no longer true.  Half a day, or even half an hour is a long time, especially if you are the Prime Minisiter.  A satisfactory performance at Prime Minister’s Questions was followed by the public bombshell of the Hewitt/Hoon letter.  My Labour opponent in South Swindon was so incensed that she interrupted a TV interview with Mr Hoon in the Lobby to describe his actions as disgraceful.  I am sure that she and her boss feel very wounded indeed by this and previous attempts to remove him from office. 

The spectacle of Cabinet Ministers nervously eyeing ech other to see who is prepared to take the plunge only added to the farce.  That Labour is divided is no longer a matter of opinion; it is a clear sstatement of fact.  As Eric Pickles said, there needs to be a secret ballot but this time of the entire country.  If Labour MPs can’t support their leader, why on earth should we?  If Labour MPs can’t organise themselves to remove a leader,  what hope for the Labour Party? 

I was sad to note the departure of my friend Cllr Steve Wakefield from the Conservative Group to sit as an Independent on Swindon Council.  Steve has worked hard for Swindon and for the residents of Toothill and Westlea and I know that he will continue in that vein.  My thanks and best wishes to him, Deb and the family.  Steve was a very popular Mayor of the Borough in 2008/09 and his contributions to the Adver about the history of the GWR in Swindon are always an interesting read.  Steve’s support for the Blunsdon and Cricklade Railway is well known.  Although he is a native of St. Helen’s,  the railway heritage of Swindon makes it the perfect place for him.

Swindon Borough Council Conservative Group’s decision to look again at the budget proposals to reduce funding for the local DIal-A-Ride service is something that I warmly welcome.  Voluntary organisations such as Dial-a-Ride have an invaluable role to play in the local community.   I look forward to both the Council and Dial-a-Ride working together to safeguard and improve the service that is provided to vulnerable people who cannot get about wihtout such help. 

Meanwhile the snow has provided my two with a lot of action instead of school.  All Swindon’s schools bar two were close yesterday, and with more snow forecast there may be more problems next week.