Marine Le Pen, Non!

As France breathes a temporary sigh of relief in the run offs, Marine Le Pen is still expected to contest the French election right up to the wire, with the margin seeming small, according to the BBC.

All I can say is the woman and her supporters are deluded.

You do not unite anyone, by deliberately excluding minorities.

It creates a fractured and tragic dynamic where everyone loses.

Thus greater is the sadness that some on the left are saying they are not going to vote.

I may not be a die hard Macron supporter, but even I can see he is infinitely preferable to a blatantly right wing candidate.

A candidate who will not only make minorities vulnerable, but will completely destroy the hope of the equality promised in the very essence of France.

France, you have the democratic power to keep extreme intolerance out, please don’t lose that chance.

International female clothing laws

This international women's day the Swiss have banned the burka, this caused a lot of trouble in France when it was instigated.

Banning a burka is a bit like banning a mini skirt, it reveals nothing but intolerance.

Whatever your feelings about revealing or covering up your body enforcing it on someone else without a really good reason is foolish.

As Aung San Suu Kyi has found herself yet again facing the gun in what should be a democracy I will add this: in some parts of the world flip-flops are banned on building sites.

There is a reason for regulating attire on a building site, there is little for wandering about wherever you may find yourself.

Myanmar coup condemned

The Myanmar military has reportedly staged a military coup due to alleged voter fraud.

This shows how fragile Myanmar’s democracy still is.

Aung San Suu Kyi has come in for her criticism of her treatment of the Rohingya internationally, now Myanmar’s whole democracy is in peril.

The military action will not protect the Rohingya and in the context of what is happening in Hong Kong this sits within other democratic challenges in the region.

The US has responded with violence to some of their own democratic challenges, but there has been no coup.

Biden and the UN has spoken up, but this still leaves Myanmar’s democracy in a very dangerous situation.

The military needs to cede control immediately and allow another vote if fraud is really suspected.

Sudan livestream massacre

There has been a live-streamed massacre In Sudan.

They are just fighting for democracy and they are being killed.

Catalonian fractured beauty

Illness and sadness have a funny way of halting the lyrical muse.

Brexit is painfully negotiated and years of agreements initially inspired to cement European peace are squabbled over by some politicians in a way to shame even the most head strong.

Trump turns American politics into a heartbreaking farce that sees a man given power who wields it seemingly only to self aggrandise.

And so it is the turn of Catalonia to raise it's head and fight about what politics is really about, the freedom to democratically define our own futures.

I have never known what it is like to be a Catalan, but there is a strength of purpose always having given it a strong voice within Spain.

And so their leader in Exile looks to me a little bit like an older Democrat fighting for something bigger than themselves in a time when Brexit and Trump have made us knowing and disillusioned.

Catalonia seems to be saying in a mass of ballot boxes, a quieter and humbler yes we can be bigger than our times.

Yes, democracy does mean something.

They are at the turning point of something uncertain to us all.

Britain, please vote

Democracy and education

People often give up on democracy when something catostrophic happens, or a terrible leader is elected.

However, the value of democracy is that it is bound to it's time.

If it is sufficiently flexible and foresighted it can withstand the test of time and create a legacy so great as to lift further generations to the skies.

The reason I am writing this now is some of my country seem to have forgotten the wars of the past, the lessons learnt and the growth still needed.

Heed your lessons

The reason for this is that in order for a democratic society to succeed it needs to develop and learn.

In order for a democracy to learn all of its people need to learn with it.

If you leave too many people behind your democracy will be a farce.

You create a democratic deficit in terms of wealth and education.

Higher deficits in terms of privilege, wealth and education; or indeed to unequal a journey can lead to grave democratic outcomes that hurt the many that go to the polls.

Which way now?

I believe that good journalism should underpin the democratic debate.

Alongside my younger brother we put together a short film with interviews in London and Birmingham to address the question of how people currently feel about voting in the UK.

This is a not for profit venture.

The votes are in

Boris has won the London mayoral race, again, but it was a tight run thing.

Boris Johnson gained a total of 1, 054, 811 votes, or 51. 5 per cent, to Ken Livingstone, the Labour candidate's, 48.5 per cent in the race for mayor.

Those that went to the polls were still disappointingly low in number according to the BBC.

All those silent voices upset me, if you want them to represent you, you need to vote.

It is no surprise given the state of the country's finances and the levels of youth unemployment, but saddening none the less.

Labour now holds a majority in the assembly, having upped their vote by four seats, the Conservatives have lost two but still retain a sizable minority, the BNP have thankfully been ousted from the chamber - long may they be kept out of politics.

Let's see what forthcoming year's bring.

And then there was Saudi Arabia

I can't quite believe this is all happening.

It just doesn't seem real.

I really hope this is the beginning of something good, but it's scary.

For calm engaging analysis turn to Radio 4.

Many more posts in the offing, but I just had to say it, to anyone who's reading.

If I prayed I would pray, but I don't so just know it's on my mind.

Murdoch and media monopolies

I wrote a letter to my MP today, on the issue of the BSkyB merger talks.

Personally I can't believe this merger is even being considered.

You may think that I'm getting this out of proportion as an egotistical journalist, but I don't think I'm being that self obsessed.

Unless you live in a hole a lot of what you choose to talk about over a week is shaped by the media.

The media can help shape election debate, the quality of media drama, the news you do and don't receive...

If I went on I could write an essay, but I've been writing solidly all day and eventually that coffee is going to wear off; plus I'm sure you're intelligent enough to recognise its impact and significance.

Rupert Murdoch's empire

Rupert Murdoch for those of you that might not know owns News Corporation.

As you will see from that link, they, are, massive.

The issue is about him owning more.

More than that whole list.

You can't have one person owning all that, it's madness.

Democracy

A variety of different voices inspires intelligent democratic debate.

One man owning all of that doesn't stimuate a variety of different voices.

If you're reading this I want to encourage you to make some noise, write to your MP, do something.

Why the urgency?


If this goes ahead without proper consideration turning back is extremely difficult and at the moment Jeremy Hunt, who seems to be far from impartial - you'll notice The Guardian reported he had been holidaying with BSkyB - is conducting this matter away from the public eye.

Make them listen, keep the media varied.

Sorry if this is a bit polemic, by all means research it, but I'm tired and hungry now.

Democracy vs the monarchy

Breaking news: pro-democracy figure released after years of house arrest; couple in the UK announce their engagement.

Last saturday I wandered downstairs to receive the news that Aung San Suu Kyi had been released from house arrest after ten years of house arrest.

It raised a tired smile from my lips, which did no justice to the weight and beauty of this news; so I can perhaps forgive David Cameroon for his painfully understated "well overdue" comment.

Aung San Suu Kyi is one of the future modern day political figures that truly makes my heart swell.

She is a hero almost beyond measure in my eyes.

And this is only heightened by the fact she is a woman.

So imagine my dismay that in the following days instead of being inundated with news about the hopes and developments in Burma's new 'democracy', I hear on the hour every hour about the engagement of a little known UK couple: their called William and Kate, oh, did I mention that he is the third in line to the throne of our, er, 'democracy'.