Life can be a bit trying....

Apologies for having ignored the blog in recent weeks - combination of a lot of short-term contract work and a family crisis.....

But...some comments on the big issues

Women bishops: has to be a Good Thing. The conservative Anglo-Catholics don't like it, but then that is to be expected. many of them are closet gays who can't form decent relationships and, frankly, are more screwed up about relationships and sexuality than those outside the institution. They also can't cope with women, hence the creation of an exclusive little fairy ring within a homophobic institution for them to hide in and self-flagellate via casual sex they shouldn't be having according to what they are supposed to believe.
Let's make it clear. No excuse for gay priests in the closet pretending to be something they are not. None at all, ever, under any circumstances. It is hypocrisy. Come out, fight for change, and win respect for doing so.
And I do think a church with women bishops will be more open to change in the area of sexual orientation, largely because there won't be quite as much of that visceral 'yuk factor' which is at the heart of so many homophobes' fears.

The NHS: the 60th anniversary was celebrated at a time when the scourge of PFI has literally eaten up all the additional money ploughed into the system, and where NHS dentistry is likely to become a thing of the past in the next few years. I have recently agreed to join the local LINK, which is the half-baked new labour replacement for the PPI Forums. They weren't perfect but at least we were able to make some changes and representations. these Links are barely talking shops which appear to me to have no teeth and no clout - and they are likely to be full of organisational placepersons afraid of speaking out of line for fear of losing their grants....

The Labour party: continues to sink in the polls and deservedly so. I think there needs to be a major change of direction, but perhaps that will have to happen in opposition. I think that the Tories will have huge expectations placed upon them and given that their policies are either the same or argue that government can't do anything anyway, expect their honeymoon to be very short indeed.

Everton FC: Where are the signings, Moyesy? Why do we always leave it to the last minute?

More to come....back to work....