When Donald Trump launched his unilateral attack on Iran, the UK Prime Minister, Kier Starmer, was slow in giving his permission for American planes to use British bases for their attack. Like a petulant bully who did not get his way, Trump turned to insults to show his annoyance. In diplomatic circles, certain words are often used to mask the deeper disagreement between parties, but this American president is not known for his diplomacy.  He uses words as he likes, regardless of their effects on the receivers, especially women. He wanted to belittle Starmer because he felt entitled to get what he demanded, and there was someone standing in his way, preventing him from acting macho and powerful. Disrespecting Starmer by comparing him to the great Churchill seemed the next best thing. But should we ignore the words people speak? Did Trump's words really matter, or are they trivial in the scheme of things? Well, they are not trivial. Words embrace, exclude, damn, and uplift. Words ca...

I have never been a political person. I have tended to leave political parties alone  though I have felt it an absolute duty to vote. Many women suffered to get that vote, so I bear that in mind when I am tended to be cynical and not exercise mine. But being a fully paid up member of a political party has never appealed to me - until now. Zack Polanski of the Green Party changed all that virtually overnight! Since he came into my consciousness, I have watched Zack's progress with fascination and awe at the sheer possibilities that could lie ahead under his leadership. I believe that after the debacle of the empty, scandal-ridden Tory years, the need for change is now. That need couldn't be greater and it is blowing on a wind of hope towards us, which gives an exciting feeling of anticipation in the air. Through my membership and support, I felt I wanted to show the effect Zack Polanski, a virtual unknown to me, has already had on people like me (a woman and a minority) who had...

My boyfriend told me this interesting, and somewhat sad anecdote about one of his colleagues who was trying to draw his attention to a woman who was sitting with another group. The guy kept trying to find all kinds of descriptions to let my boyfriend know which woman he was trying to identify, taking ages to do so, while skirting round the obvious fact that the woman was not only Black, but she stood out because everyone else around her was White! It seems that the guy did not want to mention her colour, as he thought it might be offensive, and he too felt self-conscious at ‘making her different’ from the others. Being White himself, my boyfriend added that he, too, would have done the same before he met me! Yet such a seemingly ‘inclusive’ approach begged more questions than it answered. Many people, predominantly White, often pretend that outward appearances do not matter. In fact, some take great pride in professing to be 'colour blind' to others. Colour is supposed to...

In answer to this question, many people might be tempted to say ’No’, judging by their negative or disappointing experience of politics, and the number of politicians who have lost credibility trying to deliver that truth and have been found wanting, or were proven to be blatant liars - like the empty promise of £millions to the NHS (on the side of a bus) to emotionally move people to vote for Brexit!  The surprising fact is that truth does exist in politics, but it is often lost along the way for one main reason: politics operate on two levels - INTENTION and REALITY - and truth is often lurking somewhere between them , which makes it difficult to find. No doubt every politician starts out with the intention of being truthful. They are often guided by ideals of truth, by principles that enable truth, and the determination to deliver their truth. In fact, it seems that the goal of every politician, especially the new ones, is to ensure that voters recognise their singular commit...

Over 17 years ago, USA President Barack Obama burst on the scene with a stirring "Yes, We Can". Many of the American population, especially the youth, were galvanised into action, having been in some despair about the Bush years. They saw Obama's vision, they could feel the possibilities, they loved his speeches and jumped on to his bandwagon. The rest is history as he stormed the White House. Towards the end of his presidency there was some talk of voters being 'disillusioned', of him lacking 'leadership', of the president being 'weak', of falling approval ratings, and all such negative perceptions. But was that really the case, or did some people just expect too much of a mere mortal?  More interesting, are we operating in entirely different times which need a different political approach and reaction if any leader is to be perceived as achieving anything of value? Worse still, can any future politician cut the mustard and please the people al...