Drogba's ban

Maybe it's just me, but I was appalled by the behaviour of Chelsea player Didier Drogba after their semi final defeat by Barcelona.

Verbally abusing referees is simply not acceptable and it is high time that football authorities took steps. In this case they have. A 6 match ban and a large fine have been handed down.

This is s step in the right direction, but only a step. Footballers need to understand that like it or not they are role models in society. They are heroes to many, as such their behaviour directly influences a large number of people.

No one questions that society is broken and something needs to be done. Selfish self indulgence, lack of discipline, arrogance, lack of respect for authority, violence are all manifestations of that breakdown.

It would be nice to thionk that footballers would take their role seriously and start to live lives that show a good example to those who follow them. Hold your tongues, stop lashing out, think carefully before being seen drunk at night clubs are just some of the ways that they could make a difference to some.

In terms of football authorities, could I suggest that a draconian clamp down on behaviour would help. For example, a sending off results in an immediate season's ban. A second sending off and you never play again- anywhere.

Lothian Buses- Queensferry

Queensferry, despite being part of Edinburgh is not served by Lothian Buses. I have written asking why. I have no doubt that I will receive an answer saying why it cannot be done, although I would love to be surprised and receive a response to the effect that they are looking to do something positive and introduce a service or even extend a service.

Why for example could the 41 not run express to Queensferry?

Identity Cards

http://www.no2id.netIf ever there was a totem of the Labour obsession with total control of people's lives then this is it.

We do not need identity cards in this country. It changes the relationship between the state and the citizen. The state is here to serve the citizen, ID cards will turn that on its head. The arguments about national security are spurious at best, an ID card would not have prevented a single one of our terrorist attrocities.

Good to see therefore that Senior Conservatives are warning potential contractors that their contracts will be cancelled, so don't spend any money.

Trident

I notice that Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg says that He would not renew Trident. Of course he can say what he likes safe in the knowledge that he will never be called upon to implement and of his commitments.... Not even a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.

Those who will have to make that decision know that life isn't so simple.

Scottish Conservatives top European Parliament attendance records

Speaking as an independent analysis of Scottish MEPs’ attendance records in the European Parliament revealed that Scottish Conservative MEPs Struan Stevenson and John Purvis topped the league table and the SNP finished bottom, Struan Stevenson said:

"Scottish Conservatives have always said voters should judge us on our record and this is independent proof that our record is good. Tory MEPs have not only been more open with our expenses than any other party but this evidence says we are also the hardest working. We always said we would offer a strong voice for Scotland in Europe and now we have the proof.

"The SNP claims to be Scotland's voice in Europe but again this evidence shows their MEPs are all too often posted missing. This seems to be a chronic problem in the SNP - Alex Salmond is an MP, he claims an MP’s wage, but rarely attends Westminster.

"I am proud that the evidence over the last few days has shown that Scottish Conservative MEPs are hard working and leading the way in openness on expenses. Where we have led, others are scrambling to follow, except Labour who refuse to come clean over their Euro expenses. Which only begs the question: What have they got to hide?"

Cut Crime - say the Lib Dems

I received a number of election communications recently including one from the Lib Dems who claimed to want to cut crime, and criticised the Conservtives for failing to support a European arrest warrant.

This is an EU invention that allows anyone to be extradited to another European Country for something that is not a crime in Britain. This is all part of their enthusiasm for a United States of Europe.

What's more this is the Lib Dem party that have consistently been soft on crime, for example advocating shorter jail sentences, letting off burglars (Simon Hughes and Mark Oaten), Votes for prisoners including rapists and paedophiles and calling for the legalisation of hard drugs and to quote Vince Cable MP, 'Liberals (and LibDems in particular)…' come across as '…"soft": preoccupied with understanding rather than punishing criminals, fretting about threats to freedom from excessive police powers, pressing for liberalisation of drug laws rather than enforcing them'

Sorry folks, I'm not taking lessons from the Lib Dems on cutting crime.

CRB Checks - or not

One of the features of the Labour Government was the introduction of Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) (Disclosure Scotland) checks as a Child protection measure.

Sadly the good intentions behind this have been outweighed by the negative effects. For example a significant reduction in people being willing to volunteer to work with children and the creation of a sense of suspicion and the poisoning of relationships between generations.

It is said that One of the main reasons for the formation of the Criminal Records Bureau was to reduce the risk of organisations being sued for employing convicted criminals who went on to abuse vulnerable people while in the course of their duty, as the 1990s saw an increase in the American-influenced compensation culture across Britain (Wikipedia).

One additional problem with the system is the way that each and every organisation needs to do an individual check. For example, one person checked in order to be a school governor still needs to be checked by another organisation e.g. a church youth club with whom they may wish to become involved.

This is great business for the company running the bureau, as they make a fortune, but does it help to protect the vulnerable? Well no, according to Sociologist Frank Furedi who has stated that CRB checks cannot provide a "cast-iron guarantee" that children will be safe with a particular adult. (Wikipedia) The system did nothing to prevent the Soham murders.

Maybe it's time that in the light of events that the next Government should have a long, close look at the CRB to see if it is indeed fit for purpose or just another money making machine for an unaccountable company.