JohnBM:Liberal

In recent days the Government, the Royal College of Midwives, National Childbirth Trust and the Department of Health have got themselves in a right old muddle over their swineflu advice for pregnant women.

Having a pregnant wife this has been a little annoying to say the least.

Muddled advice does nothing to allay people’s fears, it increases it.

We’ve had weeks of people dying of “underlying health problems” which is so vague that it covers all medical conditions.

The media (inc.BBC) are the guiltiest parties in over egging the fear pudding. The main evidence being the last year’s news cycle where the main story has gone from “Credit Crunch” to “Recession” to “Depression” to “Swine Flu” to “Expenses” to “Swine Flu”.

Since the Millenium Bug, the media has become addicted to End of the World scenarios.

For pity’s sake – enough already.

The Tories are shouting about Gordon’s plans to consult on election reform. They are accusing Brown of engineering the system to a lesser form of proportional representation to prevent a Tory landslide. This  should not worry Tories as much as another less reported reform – Freedom of Information.

Gordon Brown announced today a pledge to consult on extending Freedom of Information laws. This would include a reduction of the “thirty year” rule on secrecy of cabinet papers to twenty years (GOOD) and a tightening up of FOI under twenty years (BAD).

This would open up the cabinet papers of the Thatcher government to scrutiny and reduce access to the Blair/Brown years.

In the run up to a 2010 election the opening up of the Westland / Miner’s Strike / Belgrano papers would be gold dust for Labour whilst Iraq / Weapons of Mass Destruction / Dr.Kelly would be protected.

Gordon only believes in Freedom for Information for other people’s governments.

Something happens

The tabloids cry: “Something must be done!”

The Ministers shout: “We must do something!”

A Special Advisor holds aloft a piece of paper: “This is something!”

The Prime Minister sighs: “We have done something!”

This month the something has been MP’s expenses.

Started by a plethora of ministers claiming second home expenses for sleeping at their mum’s house or for the house where their whole family live, rising to a crescendo of pay-per-view porn on expenses. Everybody shouting: “Something must be done!”.

Gordon Brown announces today that he wants a vote in Parliament next week replacing second homes allowance with a “turning up to work bonus” – little discussion, three line whip, something done.

Gordon needs to learn not to equate “doing something” with “doing the right thing”.