Bob Piper has been a Labour Councillor for the Abbey
Ward in Sandwell, West Midlands, for 10 years. He is a lifelong supporter of Aston Villa Football Club and a follower of Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
The views expressed here are mine in a personal capacity, not those of the Labour Party, Sandwell MBC, Aston Villa or Yorkshire County Cricket Club. Get it! Mine... just mine!
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
Promoted by Bob Piper of 115 Barclay Rd, B67 5JZ on behalf of the Labour Party, care of 39 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0HA . Hosted (printed) by Swaithe Internet Solutions who are not responsible for any of the contents of these posts.
Please note however, that The Labour Party is not responsible for the content of this website or individual posts as, unless specifically stated, I am writing solely in a personal and individual capacity.
Tomorrow we will cremate our friend Pete who died tragically young from cancer last month after a very short illness. When you lose someone like that it does focus your attention on your own mortality, and stand back and gape with wonderment at the way some people stare death in the face and scream back defiantly. I don't give a fig for honours, whether paid for by cash or doled out by Party leaders for favours past. But someone who is terminally ill with cancer who devotes her few remaining years to raising nearly two million pounds for cancer charities deserves all our respect.
I've said it before, and I am not ashamed to repeat it. We should fully fund the NHS out of personal and corporate taxation, and fund nuclear missiles out of charity boxes and the like.
Mick Davies said:
September 4, 2007 8:23 PM | permalink
A very humbling,uplifting and sad story all at the same time Bob,and she is one of thousands who raise funds for charities.I echo your sentiments entirely,it does seem to be an obscenity were matters of life and death have to rely on charitable donations yet we are happy to fund weapons of death through our taxes.
I agree with you about the incredible example set to us all by Jame Tomlinson.
As for your final sentence, i couldn't agree more. Sadly, I doubt the buggers who decide these things will follow it through. Still, we can both dream and argue for a day that must surely come.
Hear hear Bob. In a more hopeful development a trial has been announced today I believe on the drug Wilson needed but had to pay £3500 a month for. Will blog it tomorrow if I get the chance.
Ernesto said:
September 5, 2007 12:22 PM | permalink
Absolutely spot on. Wear something claret and blue tomorrow. RIP Pete.
"We should fully fund the NHS out of personal and corporate taxation, and fund nuclear missiles out of charity boxes and the like."
Not sure that would make all that much difference. The NHS is on what, £50 billion a year (or is it more now?). Nuclear missiles, even if the next generation get built, will be under £1 billion a year.
Another way of looking at it: the NHS costs more than all corporation tax brings in, somwehere around what all of VAT raises.
Nuclear missiles are somewhere around the Landfill tax or the insurance contract tax.
You may well be right Tim. It would make me feel better though.
Bob Lloyd said:
September 6, 2007 9:14 AM | permalink
50 billion for something that millions of people use everyday .1 billion for some thing we never use .If we've had nuclear weapons since 1947 that 60 billion for bugger all. I'm prepared to cost 1 billion a year to do bugger all .
I can't see people struggling with their mortgages and rents giving sacrificially for monstrous killing machines. And that in part is the attraction to me.
September 4, 2007 8:23 PM | permalink
A very humbling,uplifting and sad story all at the same time Bob,and she is one of thousands who raise funds for charities.I echo your sentiments entirely,it does seem to be an obscenity were matters of life and death have to rely on charitable donations yet we are happy to fund weapons of death through our taxes.