Speeches & Articles

Boldness of action and his new ideas could have offered a democratic alternative

Published: Official Report [Hansard], House of Commons: Centenary Volume 1909-2009 — Great Speeches from 100 Years (House of Commons: 2009)

Introduction to Oswald Mosley's speech of 28 May 1930 by Rt Hon David Blunkett MP

It may seem strange in the extreme for a former Cabinet Minister who had the privilege of overseeing employment policy not just once, but twice, to choose a speech by Oswald Mosley — then Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster — whose subsequent history diverged so fundamentally from the Labour party as to put him beyond the normal bounds of current acknowledgement.

Yet, at this phase, prior to his decline into fascism via the New Party, with which Aneurin Bevan certainly had a flirtation, he had much to say.

In fact, had his proposals, which were put to the Labour party conference later in the year, been accepted, the history of the 1930s — including that of Mosley himself — might have been very different.

The opening of his speech on the Floor of the House may not have been auspicious. It dealt with technicalities — although he made a very good point about the enormity of the challenge requiring more radical, rather than more cautious, approaches.

But should his comments on administration strike us as odd? Not at all. It was only because of the radical modernisation of the Employment Service in 1997 that the New Deal programme devised between myself and Gordon Brown had any chance whatsoever of implementation. There was a transformation in attitude and action throughout the service, but there was a total commitment to the reduction in unemployment — particularly for young people.

The clarion call for Government to be in charge — for Ministers to lead — is one with which I accord entirely. Policies and programmes "captured" by existing thinking and administrative malaise are the road to disaster. It is clear from Mosley's speech that the MacDonald Government was indeed "captured".

Our best friends, our confidantes, our companions - why we mustn't kill animals with kindness

Published: Pet Obesity: The Reality in 2009 (Pet Food Manufacturers' Association, March 2009)

Foreword to the full report

Our pets are our best friends, our confidantes, our companions and, on occasion, our lifelines.

I know from personal experience how important the quality and longevity of a pet's life is. The positive impact we gain from spending time with domestic animals that are close to us — including those who work with us — exercising with them and enjoying their company, is immeasurable.

It is very sad, but perhaps not surprising, that so many of us are unintentionally punishing our pets by overindulgence as a substitute for real love and affection — which sometimes has to be tough love and more care on diet and grooming than we lavish on ourselves. While the emotional bonds between owner and pet are strong and must be nurtured, our tendency to treat animals on a regular basis with goods that are not suited to them is not the right way to cultivate this relationship.

Nine out of every ten pet owners in the UK are not sufficiently concerned about their pet's weight, yet one in three in the UK is overweight — that's approximately 7 million animals.

Rather than attributing this lack of concern to uncaring owners, I believe quite the opposite.

This PFMA paper highlights the need for owners to take responsibility for our actions and to understand the consequences of kindness. It identifies the gaps that exist in owners' knowledge of the best methods of keeping their animals healthy. Above all, it provides a wake-up call to us all to take note of the recommended methods of assessing their condition and to change our behaviour according to their true needs.

I have learned a great deal over the years as a proud owner of five guide dogs (and many small animals as a child) and have also learned a great deal from other charities and organisations I've been involved in. I am continuing to learn. Above all, I am only too aware that our pets deserve to eat well, to be exercised regularly and to enjoy the benefits of a healthy, happy existence in the same way that we do.

Visit the PMFA website here.