The week was dominated by the kidnapping of the Nigerian school girls and rightly so.

In my opinion the incident took too long to make it into the international media, but that is fault of the Nigerian government who didn’t push it. They either didn’t want the outside world to know, which in itself is short sighted and stupid. Because today, with social media nothing is safe from making the international headline news, or they didn’t know how or who to ask for help – that too is unwise – ask the best in the field, the British and the Americans.

The girls were kidnapped on April 15th, three days later on Good Friday, April 18th the Foreign Secretary William Hague offered the Nigerians the British government’s help. That was the most he can do. It was up to the Nigerian government to accept and state what kind and level of assistance they needed.

Unfortunately, they did not accept the British government’s offer until a few days ago; over three weeks after the kidnapping took place. Why? Nobody really knows what’s going on internally! But externally, the international pressure via Twitter and the hashtag Bring Back Our Girls was relentless, and the Nigerian government had no choice but to cave under its pressure and publically ask for outside assistance in the matter.

Here in the UK, many asked “why the UK didn’t do more during that time?” It didn’t because it is impossible to do more without interfering in internal affairs.

As someone who grew up in a former British colony, I know and understand that there is a very fine line between being kind and offering help and appearing bossy and colonial. That is why all the British government did and could do is offer to help then wait to be asked by the Nigerians to come and help.

The blame, in the delay in asking/accepting that help, lies squarely with President Goodluck Jonathon who could have accepted weeks ago and saved the girls and their families the agony of time. Three weeks is a very long time for the young girls to not know their fate and for their families to wonder what that fate is.

But we are here now, and I truly hope all the girls are found and rescued so that the healing processes beings.

There have been rumours that three girls died from snake bites and one was married off. But since none of the reports are confirmed, the hope still remains that all the girls are found and freed.

Thoughts and prayers are with the girls and their families.

#BringBackOurGirls

Labour hiring Obama’s campaign strategist, David Axelrod, to help Miliband win next year’s election is a waste of union money.

For starters Axelrod mistook Ed for his brother David! An honest mistake most of Britain do daily, but nonetheless it’s a Freudian slip that says a lot. These people (six figure campaign gurus) do their homework and at such level, will not simply mistake one brother for another, especially not these two brothers.

Secondly Ed Miliband is not Barack Obama. I’m not a fan of Mr Obama’s politics but truth be said, the man has stature, great oratory, a brilliant smile and not a bad sense of humour, none of which Ed Miliband possesses.

Obama, though a rubbish politician is easy on the eye and charismatic. On the other hand, Ed Miliband, besides being a rubbish politician, has zero charisma, an irritating nasal voice and looks like a hyped up 12 year old geek.

I know it’s fashionable these days to import an election guru; all three parties did it, including my own. But as our general elections are becoming more and more presidential, winning is not just about a good strategy but also about having a good candidate who can work the strategy.

Voters can’t see Ed Miliband in number 10 just as they wanted Gordon Brown out of there, and no amount of money will change that.

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When Caroline Spellman suggested “paying for prostitution should be criminalised” it sounded like a roundabout way of criminalising commercial sex. This will only serve to push it underground thus allowing it to flourish in the black market.

Prostitution is not called the oldest profession for nothing. It has been around since the dawn of time, like mankind it managed to survive all disasters, economic, natural and man-made. Because no matter what else is going on there is a market for prostitution.

During Easter week we established (the uproar over Cameron doing God) as a nation we are a secular and liberal one. So why don’t we then look at prostitution ONLY from an economic prospective? And consider legalising and tax it.

This will allow sex workers to get regular health check-ups, get off the streets and work out of secure and clean premises. They will then become known, take more control of their business (money), and get protection from the authorities.

Legalising commercial sex will also reduce abuse. By bringing it out into the open it will reduce trafficking for the sex trade, and decrease disease. Surly those are good enough reasons to consider making buying and selling sex legal not the other way round.

Just a thought

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I was surprised at the number of people who call themselves liberal and believe in personal freedom yet went out of their way to mock and criticise David Cameron because he said he is a religious man!

It’s Easter week, a fitting time for a Prime Minster to admit that he does God and finds solace and comfort in his religion. It was therefore a good and appropriate time for David Cameron to share with the public that it was his religion that helped him get through the darkest moments of his life.

I am also a believer, not of the Christian faith but a Muslim, an Abrahamic and therefore united to both Christianity and Judaism by a commonality. My belief in God, is also what helped me though my darkest hours and continues to help and guide me daily.

Now I understand those who think God is a crutch or mystical thing believers cling to, and find it difficult to understand those of us who have a religious belief. But what I don’t understand is the force and venom they employ to attack us with. As if they are threatened by our faith, when most of us regard our faith as a personal matter never intended to be imposed on others.

During his premiership Tony Blair announced that he doesn’t do God. Only to later find out that he privately did do God and it was a political manoeuvre to publicly denounce his faith. So he lied. He lied about his belief, and where I come from that is a sin.

For Muslims, part of believing is openness about our belief and pride in it, I am sure other religions are the same.

Hiding your creed and who you are went out with the dark ages, just as chastening people for personal freedoms is frowned upon in the twenty first century.

Yet still Cameron’s admission flushed out “not so liberal” lefties who are happy for British Muslims to register their estate, in Britain, under Sharia law. Tasked themselves with neutralising Christmas and removing the word Christ from every communication to not offend other religions. But are not at all happy for their Prime Minster to be truthful about his own religious believes!

In other words, they rather Cameron do a Blair than do God!

I find that truly shocking and disappointing at the same time. Religion and faith is a good thing and as matters of personal freedom and choice they should be encouraged and respected.

Happy Easter to one and all.

A full week packed with varied events. It started with Maria Miller’s resignation and ended with the Conservatives only 1 point behind Labour in the polls.

Maria Miller resigning after fighting to clear her name and keep her job, despite what some might think, was a selfless act.

She was pushed out by public opinion which we all know is shaped by media. Read my take on her resignation HERE

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Remind me again what it I said about the media earlier? After Miller’s resignation David Cameron appointed Sajid Javid to the post of Culture, Media and Sports Secretary. Javid who happened to be Asian and from a working class background, is also a brilliant mind and excelled in banking making himself a tidy fortune before becoming an MP.

But it seems our media and political commentators are solely excited by his background and skin colour!

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The Oscar Pistorius trail is televised on Sky. If the intention of airing it was to help viewers decide or even understand what happened, it failed. Granted I’m not diligently following the case, but from what I’ve seen it gets more confusing each day. I am less sure now of his guilt or innocence than I was when I first heard the news of the shooting last year.

Nothing adds up, nothing proves he is guilty and nothing shows he is innocent – the whole thing does not make any sense!!!

But that’s my opinion.

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This best news and the most important news to everyone in the UK, including the two Eds (Miliband and Balls) is the IMF saying the UK is the fasted growing economy in the G7.

It speaks for itself. It proves that austerity works and this government is on the right track. It says Osborne and Cameron are the winning team and stay away from Labour and the two Eds.

The news also closed the polls between Labour and the Conservatives and between UKIP and the LibDems.

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And on this happy note, I would like to leave you with this clip that had me laughing for two days. This little boy is a brilliant, brilliant negotiator and I expect him to go very far in life.

I haven’t breathed through my nose since the Sahara dust landed in the UK. My head is heavy, my eyes are runny, my skin is all itchy and I sound like Barry White. In other words I feel miserable

I am suffering and they don’t make antihistamine strong enough to sort this Sahara sand infused hayfever.

Ahhh! It felt good getting it all off my chest!

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Was the second EU debate weird or is that just me? I don’t know about you all, but it felt a little more aggressive than it needed to be. It was also a tad repetitive and lots less informative than the LBC’s debate.

It was somewhat macho and combative, not that I mind some testosterone in Punch & Judy politics. I just thought and to some extent hoped Nick & Nigel were going to explain to us why they each believe what they believe. But instead all I heard was two grown men shouting at each other and a presenter desperate to shine and be the centre of attention.

The whole thing felt too over rehearsed and lacked charisma plus it left me exactly where I was before.

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Putting kids in school at the age of two, even if the parents were absolutely useless is bonkers.

It’s too much state interference and a very, very bad idea.

As part of my degree at university I had a couple of semesters on child development. Yet when I became pregnant I bought parenting books to prepare me, talked to other parents, my aunties and my mother. By the time my baby was born I had a pretty good idea what to do with her. Plus it’s true what they say about instinct kicking in; it does the minute that baby is born.

From day one, children need stimulation and interaction with others. But going to a regimented school for long hours at the age of two is not, and should be discouraged.

However, giving young unprepared parents particularly mothers parenting classes is a welcome idea. We offer new mothers to be birthing classes so why not add to that parenting sessions? God knows some do need them.

But what babies need is to be with their mothers especially in the early stages of their development. That’s the best place for them not at a school with a couple of strangers struggling to manage a class of babies.

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When I first saw the new M&S ad, I thought to myself “how odd”. How can my beloved Marks & Sparks go from Twiggy to Annie Lennox? One is warm, welcoming and a fashion icon when the other is not.

Would anyone believes Rita Ora shops for her cloth in M&S, and would M&S stock the kind of cloth Rita Ora wears? Plus how is Doreen Lawrence a fashion icon? In the 20 years she has been in the public eye, I never once saw her wearing something I wanted to copy. She never once struck me as a woman who cared about anything but bringing to justice those who took away the bright life of her brilliant son. So why muddy all that with an awkward fashion shoot?

The women Marks and Spencer used in this year’s ad are fabulous in their fields and passionate about their campaigns, that makes them highly respected public figures but it does not make them fashion icons.

It would have been much better to instead use ordinary women with ordinary backgrounds of real-life stories that touch the heart.

M&S is a British institution build on true British values and believes, they made many fabulous ad campaigns in the past but they got this one wrong.

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When it comes to our relationship with the EU and Europe, I like to think I am a pragmatic Eurosceptic. Pragmatic in that I understand and appreciate the importance of working and cooperating with Europe but believe our alliance is and should be a two way street. It should enhance and enrich us not strip our nation’s sovereignty and dilute its autonomy.

That is why I agree with David Cameron and to some extend Nick Clegg and ever so slightly with Nigel Farage.

I agree with Cameron in that Britain needs to renegotiate some of our existing agreements and have a referendum before any future agreements or rights are relinquished and signed away. Have the same opinion as Clegg, in that our trade agreements are important but where I differ from him is in accepting the status quo and being scared to take any risk improving what we currently have. I also see where Farage is coming from; we are most definitely the EU’s largest customer. But where I disagree with him is in the thinking that because we are a strong customer we should walk away and go it alone just because we can.

Yes the customer is king and yes the customer is always right. And that’s exactly where our strength lies, and we should use it to renegotiate better existing and future deals, we must use it to take back more powers.

Why walk away from a powerful trading, fighting, and negotiating block when you can lead and influence it to your advantage? Why walk away when you hold most the cards?

Post the recent economic downturn, members of the European Union are very aware of their weaknesses and shortcomings. They also recognise Britain is a strong partner that knows how to fix bad economies and nurse them back to good health. That is a plus, a barging power and a favourable position to be in. And even if we ignore it, we cannot ignore our geography, history and lifelong links with the region.

Ukip’s stance of just leave the EU and sort out your own trade agreements manage your own shop and lead a happy British existence with no one telling, asking or remarking about anything you do, is short-sighted and not terribly practical.

Britain has invested a lot in the EU and unlike the Germans and the French with our seat on the table we still have our own currency. Following recent events plus this week’s debate, our feelings about the existing state of affairs are no longer a secret.

That too is an advantage and a good bargaining position to be in.

For the past few weeks I was looking forward to the LBC EU debate. Because I was hoping to learn more about either why we should absolutely stay as is, or most definitely pack up and leave. An hour of debating and three days of analysing later and I haven’t learnt anything new – and still feel the same about our relationship and position in the EU.

I also realised, after remarks form the Continent, that we are the envy of many in the union. The fact that we still have the Pound Sterling, and are able to contemplate leaving the union, is a freedom many at the moment don’t enjoy.

Decades ago when we joined, we joined a trading pack. Today’s EU is more of political amalgamation and in its current state is not what Britain wants or needs and here is where the negotiations should start and end. We need our relationship with the EU to move more towards a trading cooperating union and away from a political dictator.

We might be a small island but we are a mighty nation, a proud and sovereign Britain.

This weekend I am travelling so decided to wrap up the week a day earlier. Hope you don’t mind.

Sadly, there are still a lot of speculations about what might have happened to the Malaysian plane. With each day a new theory emerges and none of them give comfort to the families of the passengers and crow of the vanished plane.

As conspiracy theories go I have my own too. I think somewhere between Indonesia, Vietnam, North Korea, China and India someone knows exactly what happened to flight MH370, but they don’t dare say it in case they are asked how they know what they know!

You see in a world where ‘Knowledge is Power’ not all information is gathered in a kosher manner. Not all governments trust each other and many have their own secret ways of sourcing and capturing information. Plus they all spy on each other. That makes it very difficult for some to admit what they know. Especially when that admission might come at the cost of explaining to the world how they came about it.

Unfortunately to the passengers, crow and their families that cost might mean never publicly knowing what really happened to flight MH370!

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The Ukraine has lost Crimea and the west is still figuring out what to do. While western leaders gather and pass sanctions on Russia and Russian businesses. Many are asking ‘how is it anybody’s business but Russia and the Ukraine?’

And even if the west makes it their business, no one will resolve this matter but the two nations in the middle of the dispute.

‘Crisis’ such as this makes me wonder when are western leaders going to learn that not every problem is theirs to solve and not every boarder is theirs to guard. Other nations need to fight, lose, win or draw to grow and develop too.

Maybe it’s time to let them.

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George Osborne has delivered his best budget to date and Labour hates every word of it. They hate it so much that two days on and they still haven’t responded to it.

I am not going to say anything more about Labour because their leader has said it all by not responding to the budget and going on a temper tantrum instead.

There is no doubt this was a good and encouraging budget. A fair one that had something for everyone; for businesses, for youth, for pensioners, hardworking families and for savers. This was a budget for all.

For me, the best thing about the 2014 budget is the feeling it left people in. The sense that Britain is on the mend and is healing. That Britain is finally coming out of years of mismanagement and decline.

This was the best thing about Wednesday’s budget; the feeling that our country is growing albeit slowly but is steadily moving on the right direction.

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The working week was very eventful both nationally and internationally. However locally and for a Londoner like me, only one event stood out and dominated the past few days. The latest report on the Steven Lawrence murder investigation and the events that surrounded it, are most important.

The report finding that an undercover officer ‘might’ have been spying on the Lawrence family is shocking. Especially after recent negative headlines such as the Duggan shooting and Plebgate.

The police are our protectors and our safety guardians. Not to be able to fully trust them and feel 100% safe around them defeats their purpose and their existence.

That is why accusing any member of the force with corruption is a serious matter that should be closely scrutinised and swiftly dealt with.

When I learnt the Home Secretary, Theresa May, immediately ordered a judge led enquiry, my initial reaction was dismayed shock. As a police sympathizer, I felt a sense of betrayal from the person who is supposed to know them the best. Because since the late 90s in one way or another I worked or had close dealings with members of the Metropolitan Police, so do feel as if I know them well.

However, a day later, after listening to and reading all the remarks from all sides, I felt differently, and realised that May’s announcement was the fastest best way to kill any further speculation. Because a judge led enquiry will take the matter and the pressure from the Met while at the same time get to the bottom of the problem.

It was also a shrewd political move – we all know Labour loves enquires and would have sooner or later called for one.

Plus, hopefully this enquiry will put an end to 21 years of not knowing the full truth. It will also give the Lawrence family the answers they crave and deserve, thus allowing them to have some kind of closure. But most of all allows Steven Lawrence to rest in peace and make his memory about more than negative news headlines. The Lawrence family have suffered enough and suffered it publicly for a very long time; it’s time they find peace.

Finding the truth also means those who did wrong will be properly punished for their crimes.

Like all organisations, whether banking, teaching, nursing, politics or journalism, the police have some bad apples and they need to be appropriately dealt with. That in itself, having some bad apples, is not a big deal, but because of whom the police are it’s always shocking to learn about possible corruption in the force.

Nonetheless, what we all must remember is that the police and especially the Metropolitan Police do a great and honourable job day in and day out. With the exception of maybe a tiny number, all police are brave, selfless men and women who do a brilliant job in protecting us and keeping our great city safe.

Happy March!

Due to technical problems this blogpost is posted much, much later than I expected. Hope you enjoy it all the same.

The week was mostly dominated by Angela Merkel’s visit, net migration figures, Nick Clegg’s over exposure plus Farage and Ukip.

During her one day visit Mrs Merkel had a private sit-down with the PM, addressed both houses of parliament and had tea with the Queen.

Her visit had all the hallmarks of an ally with different believes yet great respect for her friend. I also get the sense both Dave and Angie genuinely like each other.

She showed that she accepts the need for a new treaty and changes, and specifically said that free movement could be looked at, to deal with benefit tourism.

Not quite what Cameron and the Conservatives wanted to hear but it is the best a Europhile leader can offer them.

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Net migration is up 58,000 to 212,000 most of which is from the EU where members are exercising their right for free movement.

Everybody considers the figures to be on the high end of the scale, but Vince Cable seems to think otherwise. He said: “those figures are good news because the reason net immigration is going up is because fewer British people are emigrating and surely that’s a good thing – people are getting jobs here.”

Don’t think Mrs May shares his enthusiasm. But boy what a moral boost will they make in Ukip’s conference.

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Is Nick Clegg over exposed?

Some think the DPM is in danger of becoming over exposed. They think he is doing a lot of talk shows, giving regular press conferences and making too many appearances to the extend school kids are becoming too familiar with him!

The question everyone asking, is all that exposure good for Mr Clegg? But what they should be asking, is it accidental or by design?

It’s tough being the Kingmaker when after one term in coalition politics everyone is determined to go it alone, even in a minority government rather than partner with you. And he knows that. All this talking is Mr Clegg selling himself and his party. With the threat of Ukip on the horizon, everybody is on their toes, holding their breath and waiting in anticipation for the outcome of this May elections. Some do their waiting quietly while working their programme; others do it with grabbing the headlines and staying on the forefront of the news.

But as my papa, who talks very little, used to say; “The more you talk, the less people want to hear from you!”

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Ukip had their Spring Conference this weekend. It’s their last big gathering before the European and local elections in May which their leader, Nigel Farage describes as “the moment we have been waiting for” and will be “the biggest political shock in modern British history”

That remark cuts both ways.

But as we all know, the public, in particular the British public likes the underdog and prefers the understated.

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You really cannot make it up!

Labour’s latest attack is directed at Waitrose, for offering their myWaitrose loyalty card members a free coffee, and (with other purchase) a free newspaper. “They are taking away business from small coffee shops and local newsagents” and that is wrong said Labour.

This is madness gold!

Labour is most definitely becoming more and more the party of killing aspiration and suffocating enterprise!!

Getting punters though the doors is the number one priority of every business, and Waitrose found a genius way to do it. Instead of applauding them and encouraging others to emulate them or come up with similar ideas to increase their custom, Labour rather shoot the Waitrose idea down.

WOW! Labour would rather shut down innovation than encourage and support it. Is the Labour party so bent of destroying any and all ambition in this country?

In Arabic there is a saying used to describe those who won’t help but don’t want others to help either, its literal translation is “Unmerciful, yet won’t allow Allah’s mercy to come down on us”

If the shoes fits….

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The week was diversely eventful, weather, by-election, Ed Miliband liking himself to Mrs T and did I mention the weather?

Rain and winds everywhere, even by British standards the weather has surpassed anything in recent memory.

Politicians of every hue donned their wellies and hit the flooded cities, towns and villages of the south west. Blame was flying from every direction; everyone blamed everyone – the government for the cuts, the environment agency for not preparing enough and God for sending too much rain all at once!

Is it Climate Change, bad flood defences or the cuts? Whatever went wrong, the storms were biblical in their proportions.

At the moment, NOW, no one really cares what didn’t work. That should come later. But at the present time, what affected families and businesses need is support, help and some kind of normality.

Politicising this natural disaster is the lowest kind of politics. What people, animals and businesses at the centre of it need and deserve is collective help.

This is the time to put politics aside and work towards helping the victims.

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Amidst all this weather madness, Deirdre Kelly aka White Dee, Benefits Street’s leading lady, and the matriarch of James Turner Street. Announced she intends to stand for parliament in the 2015 General Election as an independent candidate.

Of course everyone had an opinion and most weren’t positive. Some more sensible than others, but if Ms Kelly can fulfil all the legal requirements to stand; I say ‘good for her’.

We keep saying we want our parliament to be more representative of our society and our MPs to look and sound more like us. Channel Four’s Benefits’ Street showed us how a segment of our society lives. White Dee can bring an actual prospective of life on benefits. She also saw first-hand what drugs, gambling and drink can do to a person and to families.

As for her qualification for the job, let’s then recap. She can read, write and speak – reads and writes most letters for residents’ of the street. She already holds a drop in surgery in her front room for everyone to drop in with their problems. She helps residents (phone calls, writing letters and emails) sort their benefit claims, doctor/hospital appointments, and a variety of issues form her front room using her own resources. She campaign for issues that affect the community – pushed the council on rubbish collection, noisy tenants helped her neighbours with their housing issues.

She might not ‘look’ the part now but I am sure that can be sorted. All she needs is some public speaking coaching and a little direction. Many men and women sitting in parliament today, on both sides of the house, did just that to polish their image and look the part. So can Dee!

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I like and admire Tony Blair because he is a conviction politician, who did what he believed is right even when it was unpopular with his grassroots. But will never use him as a benchmark for what I believe in and want to achieve in politics. Why? Because I am a Conservative and he is not. I am fortunate that our history is littered with conviction Conservatives that I never need to use Blair.

However, can’t say the same about Ed Miliband who wants to lead a ‘One Nation’ Britain like Disraeli with the conviction of Mrs Thatcher.

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A day late, but Happy Valentine’s Day to one and all!