I managed to get Saturday off for good behaviour and spent the day on basic shopping and domestic duties with my partner, and my cat finally got to spend some time with me also. I also managed to catch up with some friends whom I have not spoken to for some time and have now arranged to go to an event on Friday where the legendary Betty Bourne is performing as part of LGBT History Month. This is an important time of the year to commemorate the struggle of older LGBT people and also to look forward to where the community goes from here. Betty Bourne is a veteran LGBT performer and is something akin to Quentin Crisp's comment when taunted by some homophobic children - "a stately homo of England."
On Sunday I was out canvassing with our council candidates in Herne Hill ward. A fairly good reception on the doorsteps and lots of people who seem to have given up voting or as I call them 'a pox on all your houses' non voters. Mind you, considering the revelations of the Iraq War Inquiry, MPs expenses etc, there is a very deep and jaundiced view amongs the electorate about the political class. It is not unreasonable considering the number of careerists and carpetbaggers flooding into politics but then it was ever so. One need only read the novels of Trollope or Dickens to see the venal and self serving politicians of their day exposed and dissected. Alastair Campbell's tearful performance on the Andrew Marr Show yesterday when asked about deceiving the cabinet, parliament and the country was worthy of one Mr Blackadder Esq, who I thought always had the makings of an excellent MP in either the Labour or Tory (sorry Whig or Tory) parties.
I have to say that our candidates in Lambeth are not of that ilk and are genuinely making the effort, sometimes at great personal cost, to serve the community and make things better for the residents of Lambeth. Well, there are indications in the Times that May 6th it is for the general election. So I am buckling up for the struggle. Not long now until we see the larger parties flooding the electorate with their endless glossy and environmentally unsound leaflets each with a larger and dodgier barchart than the next. No wonder the voters are confused.
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