(This is my speech in Council today on the Corporate Plan)
"This is a good plan and shows awareness of the challenges in our city. It is fine as an internal document, but not so much as an external document, for people out there.
There is something missing and that is politics. We shouldn't be afraid of politics because that is democracy. Democracy is going through tough times.
So I urge you to tweet now! Because if this is just for us, it is irrelevant, no matter how good it is.
We should go further, perhaps in another document, in our website. I would like to see our different visions, our different priorities and our different contributions.
I welcome the Chief Executive's talk of ownership within the Council. I would like to see ownership among councillors as well. But if we are depoliticised, we cannot claim any ownership.
We should not be local government councillors but representatives of democracy. That comes with responsibility, not the cheap political scoring we often do (some more than others).
Democracy is in danger today, across Europe, which includes the UK. We are not far or detached from this economic and democratic crisis. This should be a wake up call for us all.
There is a danger that populism might triumph. But it is worth remembering that the people in Athens who are protesting, are not protesting against the Troika (the European institutions and the IMF), but against their own government.
As we approach the elections, we should remember that we got elected not to pander to populism, but to act responsibly, to take ownership.
We should be mindful of the fragility and of the value of democracy.
We should remember we got elected not to please but to serve.
23 February 2012
Lib Dems are serious about tackling inequality
(my budget speech in Cardiff Council today)
The Lib Dem Executive and the officers of the Council have demonstrated that they can manage finances well at a difficult time.
What I see across the benches is a game to reduce council tax to zero, no matter what that means for services.
It is fascinating to see that other parties have bought into Angela Merkel's fetish for fiscal austerity.
I welcome the fact that the Lib Dems are investing in this city and that they are aware of the complexity of inequality.
Our city is within a wider economic system that is deeply unequal. There needs to be a recognition that to tackle inequality those who have more need to get a little less. That means targeting spending.
Better opportunities for the disadvantaged cause some discomfort. That is how equity works.
As a Council we try to target people in deprives areas. We are investing in education and housing. Inequality is most present in education, which needs to be our main priority.
I don't see in any amendments more investment overall, just shifting money around and cutting.
The Lib Dems have managed to keep council tax low, but what I take pride in is the significant improvement in services. Social services used to be under special measures before this administration. The Lib Dems are serious about inequality. That's not just about putting more money in, but doing things differently.
I want this Council to continue this work and do more to identify people in need early, work with them, and above all empower them, because that is democracy.
The Lib Dem Executive and the officers of the Council have demonstrated that they can manage finances well at a difficult time.
What I see across the benches is a game to reduce council tax to zero, no matter what that means for services.
It is fascinating to see that other parties have bought into Angela Merkel's fetish for fiscal austerity.
I welcome the fact that the Lib Dems are investing in this city and that they are aware of the complexity of inequality.
Our city is within a wider economic system that is deeply unequal. There needs to be a recognition that to tackle inequality those who have more need to get a little less. That means targeting spending.
Better opportunities for the disadvantaged cause some discomfort. That is how equity works.
As a Council we try to target people in deprives areas. We are investing in education and housing. Inequality is most present in education, which needs to be our main priority.
I don't see in any amendments more investment overall, just shifting money around and cutting.
The Lib Dems have managed to keep council tax low, but what I take pride in is the significant improvement in services. Social services used to be under special measures before this administration. The Lib Dems are serious about inequality. That's not just about putting more money in, but doing things differently.
I want this Council to continue this work and do more to identify people in need early, work with them, and above all empower them, because that is democracy.
04 February 2012
Beliefs, Counselling & Homosexuality
The New York Times reports of a law case where a trainee counsellor, Julea Ward, asked for referral of clients seeking same-sex relationship advice on account of her Christian beliefs. Ms Ward claims that she doesn’t want to change her clients’ minds and behaviour, nor does she want to discriminate against homosexual clients. Indeed, she would ask for clients to be reassigned if there were adulterous.
The problem is that this is being treated as a case about belief and conscientious objection. If it were about belief, she could claim rightly that her beliefs prevented her from carrying out her duties. What I feel the court is missing is that this case is about the nature of counselling. Counselling is not about agreeing with the client, condoning immoral behaviour nor is it about imparting judgement. The job of the counsellor is to listen respectfully and enable the client to reflect on what is causing pain and difficulty. You don’t get to choose who your clients are, what they believe and what they do. A counsellor cannot turn people down because they do something the counsellor thinks immoral. We all engage in immoral acts, no matter how small. One might object to an impenitent killer and feel slightly concerned about one’s safety, but if someone asks for counselling, it generally means that they are not simply seeking confirmation about all they do.
Most importantly, life is a lot about pain, about wrongdoing, about selfishness and self-abnegation. There are no saints, only sinners. If one is uncomfortable about the stuff of life, one ought to reconsider one’s career’s options. Medical care is not ruled by theology. A doctor cannot refuse to treat someone who has tried to commit suicide or has been wounded in a fight they caused on account of one’s beliefs that these are immoral acts. The Hippocratic Oath has changed throughout the centuries and the references to euthanasia and abortions are no longer there (interesting topic for another post). In the ‘modern version’ of the Declaration of Geneva, doctors swear to regard the health and life of their patient to be their first consideration. It requires that compassion that faith in God ought to demand.
The problem is that this is being treated as a case about belief and conscientious objection. If it were about belief, she could claim rightly that her beliefs prevented her from carrying out her duties. What I feel the court is missing is that this case is about the nature of counselling. Counselling is not about agreeing with the client, condoning immoral behaviour nor is it about imparting judgement. The job of the counsellor is to listen respectfully and enable the client to reflect on what is causing pain and difficulty. You don’t get to choose who your clients are, what they believe and what they do. A counsellor cannot turn people down because they do something the counsellor thinks immoral. We all engage in immoral acts, no matter how small. One might object to an impenitent killer and feel slightly concerned about one’s safety, but if someone asks for counselling, it generally means that they are not simply seeking confirmation about all they do.
Most importantly, life is a lot about pain, about wrongdoing, about selfishness and self-abnegation. There are no saints, only sinners. If one is uncomfortable about the stuff of life, one ought to reconsider one’s career’s options. Medical care is not ruled by theology. A doctor cannot refuse to treat someone who has tried to commit suicide or has been wounded in a fight they caused on account of one’s beliefs that these are immoral acts. The Hippocratic Oath has changed throughout the centuries and the references to euthanasia and abortions are no longer there (interesting topic for another post). In the ‘modern version’ of the Declaration of Geneva, doctors swear to regard the health and life of their patient to be their first consideration. It requires that compassion that faith in God ought to demand.
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