Words of wisdom

It was sometime in the summer of 1982 that I first heard a sound which had a profound effect on me. I was bowling to my older brother (as is the social role of the younger brother) when the next song came onto the tape on the tape recorder. The song was called My Generation and I was listening to it for the first time fully seventeen years after its UK release. It blew me away with its sheer energy and menacing lyrics. The juggernaut rhythm section of Entwistle and Moon constituted the most amazing sound which I had ever heard. This solid bass line being cheekily punctuated by the unpredictable interruptions of the most precocious drummer I had ever heard was led by the gravel voiced Roger Daltrey fairly dripping with testosterone. To cap it all though came the incomparable defiant lyric,"I hope I die before I get old". This was the catchphrase of youth everywhere in every society in every age.

Last week a musician who shaped the music of the sixties and far beyond turned 65. It received very little in the way of press coverage which surprised me. I am referring to Peter Dennis Blanford Townshend of The Who. The chief songwriter and group leader since 1964 can now board buses for free. Along the way, his foot soldiers Keith Moon and John Entwistle have lived by his famous lyric and left us fans wanting more and wishing they were still with us. Such was Townshend's penchant for excess over the years in between, the only surprise for those around him is that Moon and Entwistle have beaten him to it! So the man who wrote:

1. I hope I die before I get old,
2. No-one knows what its like to be the bad man,
3. An entire rock opera regarding a deaf, dumb and blind boy,
4. A rock opera based at least semi-autobiographically on a young mod called Jimmy,
5. Meet the new boss - same as the old boss,
6. Teenage wasteland,
7. Too much of anything is too much for me,
8. Who's Next - in my very humble opinion the very best studio album ever made, and,
9. I can see for miles

is now a pensioner - against all odds. So, Pete Townshend, my profound and most sincere thanks to you for all the great music which you have given us over so many years.

Ultimate supergroup

If you've been watching the recent TV programme narrated by Mark Radcliffe, you may, like me prefer your music with a bit of balls. I've found the series interesting and arguments such as these make for stimulating discussion.

So to start off with, its a bit like picking a great football team - you start from the back and work your way towards the front. Traditionally, the back means the drummer. But, I would maintain that you would have to pick the drummer alongside a quality bass player who played in the same group because this constitutes the rhythm section and will underpin the entire sound of the group. This makes it a bit of a two horse race; either you go for Bonham and Jones from Led Zeppelin or you go for Moon and Entwhistle from the Who. Other applicants need not apply! The best bass player on show here is Entwhistle, comfortably. While Bonham might just shade Moon for technique, Moon is the only choice for the complete package and he and Entwhistle do create the mother of all rhythm sections. However, I think to do this properly, they will need a keyboard player to complement them. This is not so easy as several great players spring to mind. Lord, McLagan, Emerson and Manzarek are the obvious front runners. With Moon in the band, I don't want anyone too showy so this rules out the wonderful Keith Emerson. Manzarek is too used to having to supply the base sound so is surplus to requirements in the company of the legendary Ox. So which sound is the most appealing? The harder rock sound of Jon Lord or the bluesier style of Ian McLagan? Keith Moon wouldn't go for the latter because he nicked his wife so Jon Lord it is. I now have a rollicking good rhythm section. Being really cheeky, I would recruit a good backing vocalist to supply rhythm guitar and can think of nobody better than the late great Steve Marriott. For lead guitar I want someone really special who has the whole bag of tricks. For me, Jimmy Page from about 1968 to 1974 was without equal so he gets the gig. Would you really want to try and sing with that lot behind you? Well, I suspect that not many would be able to. The only candidate who I would deem capable of competing while at the same time shining would be Ian Gillan. So there is my band although I would urge those of a nervous disposition to keep their distance...

The voyage away from Marx

When the last Conservative government commenced in 1979, it did so against a backdrop of militant trade union activity when strikes were called in even the most spurious contexts. The greatest acheivement of Margaret Thatcher was the crushing of the trade union movement. She saved the country millions in both money and jobs. As we enter the first tentative days of this, the latest Conservative administration, the challenge facing the country is rather similar. Today, the last remaining union of any relevant power or size is threatening to bring British Airways to its knees. It is imperative that Willy Walsh holds his nerve and stands firm against them. If he does not stand firm, they will bankrupt his company with their unrealistic demands. If he holds firm, the outcome may be the same, only in spite of them rather than because of them.

On a national level, George Osborne and his colleagues in the treasury know that they must face up to the looming battle with the public sector. I observed with interest yesterday that one of his first strategies is to include the effect of public sector pensions on the balance sheet for the national debt. And about time too. Let us start to see the whole picture rather than the doctored version to which we have been subjected for the past thirteen years. It is high time that people realised the full extent of our behemoth of public services on the state of our national finances.

Of course, what is already accepted is the need to make cuts in the number of people currently employed by the public sector. We need to be able to properly evaluate what we get back for every job currently being financed. Without question, many of these jobs are absolutely vital. The rest need to be held to account and ditched in the absence of sufficient evidence of their worth.

However, the real challenge facing Mr. Osborne and his colleagues is to address the way that public sector pensions are currently financed. A member of the public retiring today with a money purchase scheme has to scour the market for the best available annuity deal. Currently, the best deal doesn't even top 2%. Public sector pensions by contrast are final salary schemes so are completely recession, inflation and interest rate proof. Given that the latter make up by far the greatest proportion of those retiring, it is now time to have another look. The current model by common consent is absolutely unsustainable. Also, the age old argument that public sector employees sacrificed greater salaries for the later security of a safe pension no longer hold true. While there are still some public sector employees on the lower eschelons of the earning ladder, the vast majority are much better off than they were twenty years ago and the gap between salaries in the public and private sectors has been steadily narrowing for a number of years now. Also, let us not forget the very damaging advent of the minimum wage which will now be here to stay - another unmeasured guarantee bestowed by the squander politics of "New" Labour.

This is a battle which has to be fought and will pale into insignificance the current union battle with British Airways. The trouble is, if you leave groups of people in clover for too long, they sart to expect it as a given right. It is not a given right but quite how George Osborne will sell this will be very interesting to watch. Not least because the very economic future of this country is dependent on the outcome.

On his side is the news today that John Cruddas, the only viable left wing contender for the Labour party leadership, has declared that he will not run. This means that the only declared candidates are the centre ground Millibands with the expected declarations from the like minded Burnham and Balls. It is quite likely that the capacity of the Labour Party for in fighting will leave them squabbling with each-other for the next three or four years. More than enough time to set in motion the real, pertinent and pressing reforms of the public sector. Hold your nerve George and get ready for a bumpy ride.

Electoral reform

With every passing day, Nick Clegg is making the prospect of change to the electoral system less and less likely. The waiting and dithering and uncertainty of the last five days will linger in people's minds. Who wants to go through this every time we have an election? Why don't we have fixed five year terms with the first year being taken up by a three way political soap opera with the the least popular party assuming the greatest importance. This really is a load of nonsense and it is the British tax payer and the Brititsh economy which will be the loser by it. Last Thursday, David Cameron looked comparitively weak with just 306 seats. Thanks to the indecisiveness of the Liberals, David Cameron now carries the whip hand and will absolutely walk the next General lection. Remember, with all their committees and deference to the Unions, Labour won't have a formal recognised leader until almost Christmas anyway so there is nothing now standing in the way of the Conservatives. Ironically, theye are now better off for having faalen short in the Election. Clegg is the definitive child in the sweet shop. You can have chocolate or sweets. But you have to make a decision Nick! Otherwise you get neither...

Let's have another go!

It now seems likely that Nick Clegg is standing in the way of a new government being formed. He has 52 seats and about 6 million votes. Meanwhile the country is immersed in its worst deficit since the second world war, unemployment is rising, inflation is rising, fuel prices at the pump are rising and the stock markets are becoming more jittery than my insides following an Indian takeaway. After both his public denouncements of Labour and his party's antipathy towards Labour (the last time they got cosy with Labour, Labour welched on the deal; no surprises there then), it is difficult to imagine a Lib/Lab coalition. Should they pursue this route, David Cameron will undoubtedly reclaim the upper hand immediately by siding with the Ulster MPs. In the event of the latter, the Liberals may well lose this opportunity to at least be discussing PR at a level of Government. Nick Clegg appears to be looking the gift horse in the mouth. He may not prefer the idea of the Conser vatives, but it is Hobson's choice. In poker you can only bluff so far and I feel Clegg's cards have run out. Time to face reality and choose your partner Mr. Clegg.

An unlikely marriage

If, as expected, a coalition of Liberals and Conservatives ensues from this Election, I believe the country will be the winner by it. The Liberals will have to cede dominance to the sheer number of Tory seats while at the same time having, for the first time in almost a century, the semblance of a voice in Government. A semblance is better than no voice at all and at least represents a rung on the ladder and an opportunity to turn 90 years of pledges into actual actions. For David Cameron, this is a golden opportunity to put his country first and be remembered as the saviour of Britain from the thirteen years of Labour squandering. He really can't lose and is surrounded by acumen on all sides. Now, will Gordon Brown finally have the decency to just go and leave the running of the country to those chosen by the people!

This was the day we were warned about

The result of the election is as predicted by most opinion polls: A hung Parliament. Disaster. The mechanics of the seats and vote shares present a most confusing picture. The Conservatives look to be falling about 16 seats short of a working majority. Labour can only hope to carry on with a complex coalition involving at least two other parties one of which has to be the Liberals.

For the latter to happen with Gordon Brown remaining in charge would represent the absolute nadir of British politics. How can a current unelected Prime Minister seek to carry on when 71% of the electorate have shunned him and his party? However, this looks to be the intention of Brown. Previously, I have found this odious man to be a two-faced power freak. My sentiment toward him has now advanced to unabated loathing. Clearly, he is bereft of dignity and self deluded to a Hitleresque degree.

So, what happened? Well, in hindsight it all now begins to make sense. The Scots and Welsh have been most faithful to Labour. Why? Because their dependence on the Public Sector to feed their economies has assumed the levels of life support. Brown is absolutely culpable in this. England, by contrast, has become staunchly Conservative.

I voted Conservative for the first time because when it came to putting my cross next to the Liberal candidate, I couldn't live with returning Brown to power. Simple as that. No complex policy assessments. No deep analysis of the TV debates or the manifestos. I just didn't want to see Brown continue. I only wonder how many others voted likewise?

Clearly, Cameron also polarises people only not to the same extent as Brown. The result? The Liberals were squeezed out in the middle. If anyone would like a taste of what PR would bring, this morning's result of nobody having a majority should present a more clear picture.

My birthday is on November 5th. I would be amazed if we haven't gone back to the polls before then. With even a modicum of dignity, Brown would resign forthwith and go now.

The changing weather

I awoke this morning with great surprise to see the weather had changed. On Election day. A theory exists which states that fine weather will see the incumbent government returned whereas a change will point to a change of government. For my final political blog before results start to come in, therefore, I predict a Conservative majority of between 10 and 30 seats with the Liberals accruing between 75 and 100 seats. Labour, I predict, will be seeking a new leader, and Balls will be unseated to preclude him from such considerations. Adios!

Yesterday, today and tomorrow

Yesterday I paraded around the Medical School, where I am a student, resplendent in a figure hugging latex and spandex body suit with the dermatomes painted on it. The idea was to provide a free learning resource for my colleagues whilst raising money for a cause close to my heart. Meningitis UK hopes to raise £7million to fund research into the development of a vaccine for meningitis C which sadly claims thousands of unsuspecting lives every year. Our daughter Thea was one such life and she succumbed with frightening speed on June 5th 2010 at the tender age of just 15months. On a positive note, I raised nearly £230 yesterday so the humiliation of being attired in the said figure hugging suit was well worth it so a big thank you to all at Keele medical school who donated so generously.

Today I have just paid the latest installment of £600 to clear my tuition fees for another year. Yes, medical students such as myself who have a prior 2:1 science degree have to fund themselves through medical school. Some would say that future earnings will render such an expense meaningless but at the age of 41, it will still be another three years before an income starts to come my way. It seems rather churlish to make someone jump through the hoop of attaining a 2:1 degree to be able to apply to study medicine before then hitting them again for the full cost of their tuition fees. However, such as things are in Blighty, I fear this situation is unlikely to change in the near future.

Which brings me tomorrow. With allegedly 40% of voters still undecided as to which direction to vote, the outcome of tomorrows General Election is intriguing. My reading of human nature is this: We fear change. This will be borne out in the result. I predict that half of those undecided will plump for Cameron (safe change) with 30% going for Clegg (radical change) and the remaining 20% going for the Bigot Denouncer himself. As such, I predict a slight Conservative majority with a sharp reduction in the number of Labour MPs and the Liberals finishing close to but not quite higher than 100 seats. The post election bickering and finger pointing will not chnage the outcome. Cuts, austerity, belt tightening and an increased awareness that those striking Public Sector employees demanding their rights to their pensions in Athens could soon be British. Britain has to decide whether to give in to them or take the brave decision. All public sector pensions need to be changed to money purchase schemes with immediate effect. In other words, you will retire with an income relative to the fund of money which you have accumulated - with no guarantees. People must be encouraged to take greater ownership of their own affairs which is where David Cameron is absolutely spot on. Goodbye Nanny, hello DIY..