Nick Adams-King's Blog

Twitter has been something of a flutter over the last couple of days about an open letter written by the singer James Blunt to the new Shadow Culture Secretary, Chris Bryant.

Bryant made some comments during a magazine interview.  He was attempting to make a point about equality of access to the arts and more specifically to careers in the arts.

I noticed a story this morning about the opening of Africa's largest wind farm in South Africa.  An enormous undertaking and a major achievement.  Apparently even bigger solar farms are under construction according to the article.

It left me to start thinking about climate change.  How it has dissipated both as a media and political issue.  How regardless of your view the underlying principal remains an important one.  One we should not and can not ignore.

'm truly shocked at The Time's choice of Nigel Farage as Briton of the Year this morning.

The choice of the leader of UKIP sends out a wholly wrong message.  True, he has been on the top of his game politically, Farage has been almost ubiquitous across the British media.  

Love him or loath him, he has been an inescapable presence.  

But so were other people.  Wouldn't it have been so much better for The Times to chose a Briton whose contribution was positive.  Up-lifting.  Inspiring. 

Wouldn't it have been so much better if The Times had chosen the late Stephen Sutton.

Dear Mr Farage

Yet again one of your candidates is reported to have made discriminatory comments.  This time it wasnt just someone who had once been a member of your party.  Who had at some point in the past stood for a council seat under UKIP colours.  

No.  This time it was one of your parliamentary candidates.  Selected to stand in a seat your party is touting as one where it has the best chance of winning come the May 7th General Election. 

A very wise and well versed friend once told me that politics was a 'seductive mistress'

'Like trying to give up smoking, you always think you're over it and then you decide to have just one last cigarette,' he said.  

Having never smoked a cigarette in my life I can't relate to the analogy.  I can however understand the description of the subject being seductive.