Not Dixon of Dock Green.

 The long running and very popular police series Dixon of Dock Green (1955-1976). Was a benign, comforting and reassuring - as it was boring. Not so with current policing in the country. I was in the Metropolitan Police from 1960-1963 in Soho, London. We had the occasional noisy groups of young people at weekends, but nothing very exciting. The terrible killing of Harry Nowak, by a Sikh young man was unforgivable and has caused public outrage. Last night in Southampton, there were large public protests against the killing and the way police dealt with it, by hand cuffing a dying man. The police in general are on the back foot when it comes to multiracial policing. They are now accused publicly of - two tier policing and being more inclined to believe a racist comment if it’s from a - black person. We have arrived at a crazy situation in our country. 

The Mandy nightmare continues.

 It’s impossible now to think - why was Mandelson appointed as our ambassador to Washington? The tranche of files released on Monday, only confirms what a disastrous a stupid idea this was. Starmer, must be kicking himself for such an error of judgement. It’s very likely this saga will be a major contributor to his eventual downfall. It’s obvious now that it was a crazy and stupid appointment. What can be done to limit the impact of this disaster? 

The Champions League.

 We got close, but not close enough. On Saturday my beloved Arsenal, went into the penalty shootout after extra time. Penalties are always a nightmare and - so it was in Budapest on Saturday evening. The game hadn’t been particularly exciting and was something of an anticlimax. So in the shoot out - who would blink first? PSG won 5/3. There was a rapturous reaction by their supporters and the rest of the team. Arsenal on the other hand, were miserable and deflated. Nevertheless we got into the final of the Champions League and we had won the Premier League the weekend before. Overall we have - done better than many other clubs. Can we next year go on to win this converted trophy? We live in hope. 

Nicola Sturgeon.

 On BBC One this morning we had the one time leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party, being interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg, The reason for the cross examination was the recent - guilty plea by her ex-husband Peter  Murrell - for embezzlement of party funds, to the staggering amount of £400,00. We were expected to believe that she had no knowledge of her ex-husband’s financial misbehaviour. Is it really credible to accept this account of reality. She was throughout this period, the head of the party. Did she not wonder how - where all these objects were paired for ? She is clearly under a lot of stress and strain and must feel desperately unhappy with the current situation, but her story lacks credibility. 

Tony Blair.

 In The Guardian today there is a report on an extended essay by the previous prime minister, Tony Blair. He address the failure of the government to express clearly enough what it’s policies are for the future of the country and moreover there is a crisis in the country. There is no clear sense of directions “radical change is necessary” with the forthcoming leadership election of the Labour Party. What should be central is policy first and then politics - we have currently the cart before the horse. With the introduction of AI - there is a revolution coming down the tracks and we are not sufficiently prepared for it. The next leader of the Labour Party - must make explicit - what these policies are. Accordingly we are on the break of the new AI revolution similar to the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century and no less impactful. 

Angela Rayner.

 I watched the Rest is Politics, podcast a brilliant interview with Angela Rayner. She is someone who has come from poverty to become deputy prime minister. She got into trouble about her tax affairs, following the sale of a flat in Hove and had to resign. Nevertheless she is still in politics and is someone to watch for the future. I have changed my opinion about her, she is far more thoughtful and intelligent than I believed. She talked passionately about the ‘active state’. By this she meant that government can have a positive influence on the lives of individuals. She suggested the various interventions she has introduced into the - private rental market - will have long term benefits. It’s a great shame that she is not in the cabinet, but when Andy Burnham, hopefully returns - she will occupy an important role in his administration. 

You are responsible for your longevity.

 Not surprisingly the latest research suggests that - you are largely responsible for your longevity. The Oxford Longevity Project argues in Living Longer Better ‘we are responsible for 80 per cent of the quality of our lives in old age’. There is clearly a link between socioeconomic factors and ill health - but the choices we make play a very important role in the future quality of our lives. The report recommends that we avoid as far as possible: processed foods, not being obese or overweight, limiting our alcohol consumption, not smoking, taking regular exercise, prioritising sleep and not eating after 6.30 pm and cultivating a non meat diet. What is good about this research is that - we have 80 per cent control over the quality of our lives in old age - much more than we commonly realise.