This morning, Shirley Pickstock looked me straight in the eye and told me that "I'm normal". Such a message might not be a big deal to most of you, but it represents massive reassurance to a politician. I don't know how general she meant this comment to apply, but I have to admit that it might have been limited to my lung capacity.
We were at Morrison's in Welshpool, where Shirley, who works for Powys Local Health Board was promoting awareness of lung disease. She told me that while there are 900,000 people in the UK currently being treated for lung disease, there are thought to be another 2.8 million who are sufferers, and taking no action to deal with it. Much of the cause of lung disease is smoking, and because its thought that breathing difficulties are to some extent self inflicted consequences, sufferers are inhibited from seeking treatment.
Anyway, when I took my breath test, I came up 'normal'. Only question-mark I was left with was that the next man up hit the maximum, and he's a smoker. The logic of this is best left unwritten.
4 comments:
You don't think she might also have been making a comparison between you and the loony who represents us in Montgomeryshire?! You mention Sunday's Telegraph. What about the very unflattering portrait of Lembit Opik in the Observer?? He's described as a child........now how many times have we heard that one before???
Anon - In fact Lembit turned up as well, and he was even more normal than I was. There are quite a lot of negative articles printed in national newspapers, some of them rather unfair in my opinion, but what may matter more in Montgomeryshire is the massive amount of supportive coverage that he's given by the local weekly, The County Times.
The Lib Dems are doing a BIG push with him at the moment because they fear the seat is in danger. They know they've lost the national argument but also know what a whitewash the County Times is. Lembit Opik would have to do something really bad for them to stop supporting him (mind you, given the way he's going, that's probably only a matter of time!) Rest assured that people locally don't buy it. In fact, this blatantly Liberal paper's ploy is actually putting people off. Witness the number of people who complained about last week's edition, having several pictures of the part time MP forced upon them. It didn't go down well at all. I've never heard so many mutterings locally about how the CT insists on carrying his picture way too frequently. Combined with the misguided stance the paper took on Sian Lloyd's book, the editorial staff might be well advised to rethink their stance. People aren't stupid and the CT are treating them as if they are. But be warned, the Lib Dems are really panicking re this seat and they will do anything to retain it.
anon - If their is a 'big push' on at the moment, I consider that to be a compliment, and also a benefit to Montgomeryshire.
And I expect the Lib Dems to do what they can to retain Montgomeryshire - just as I will try hard to win it. That's good for Montgomeryshire as well.
And there is no reason why the County Times should not adopt a policy of supporting a particular party if it wants to. You are right in that peoeple are not daft or blind, and can see what is in front of them. I rad the Telegraph and the Spectator, and there's not much doubt where their political affilioation lies! I can only say that the County Times journalists are always very friendly towards me, and I have no complaints at all.
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