On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 13:34:55 +0100 someone who may be "Tony Day"
wrote this:-

If Blair is out of the country (which I assume he is), Prescott is acting
head of state.

Mrs Battenburg is head of state, whether she is in the UK or not.
She has a whole line of successors, whose place in the pecking order
is worked out in a rather sexist way, but these only come into play
upon death.

As such, it would be extraordinarily remiss if he did not
show a personal interest and concern, on the state's behalf, in any major
disaster of national significance.

His interest is in votes, he is a party politician. He might or
might not be interested and concerned on a personal level, but that
is a separate issue.

I do not think this is a major disaster and of national
significance. Obviously it is locally very serious and it is right
for assistance to be rendered from the UK as a whole.

It is NOT a political visit.

It is a totally party political visit.

If he did not visit, he would also be criticized (rightly).

He would be criticised. Whether this criticism would be right or
wrong is a matter of debate.

Whether such visits do any good may be arguable

Opinion was divided on his visit to Ladbroke Grove, but I am not
convinced it did any good. However, as his prowess in water was
being spun this weekend perhaps he was more use this time.

- the proof of the pudding
will be when we see what, if any, financial assistance Government makes
available to the local community to help rebuild.

We live in an era of telecommunications. As it has become less
important to visit in person so party politicians seem to be doing
more personal visits.

Hopefully his
understanding has been improved by the visit (which, incidentally, the local
lunchtime news described as "brief").

If he is up to his job then he will already have enough
understanding of such events. One of the effects of global warming
is going to be more weather extremes. He claims to be interested in
global warming and in England he covers all sorts of planning. Thus
he should have ensured that he is briefed adequately on such things,
for example with reference to Lynmouth.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
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