Ah the big freeze, we keep hearing about it on the news and in the papers “wrap up warm because it’s the return of the big freeze” you would have thought that Britain would actually have plans ready to implement. The Scottish Transport minister, Stewart Stevenson resigned last week over the snow which caused traffic across Scotland to grind to a halt. But why are we so badly prepared as a country? The snow manages to close schools, cause airports across Britain to close, it causes trains to be delayed and cancelled, or even railway lines to be covered in ice so the train can not run.

How on earth do countries like Switzerland cope?  Surely with a plan of action, a good level of grit and education about driving in bad weather we can not only keep Britain moving, but also reduce the amount of deaths through weather like we are seeing now? Temperatures are expected to go as low as -20C in Scotland and as low as -10 in other part of the country, we as a country need to be able to adapt to the sudden change in weather, we need to be able to cope with heat and cope with ridiculously cold temperatures like now. Of course it is rather nice when it snows, but then snow turns to ice and ice causes problems such as deaths. Britain must start to get used to sudden changes in the weather, perhaps we should take tips from the Swiss?

Here’s a few tips for you anyway; if you are driving for a long distance take with you; a flask of hot drink, a blanket, a full charged mobile phone, and not forgetting an iPad so you can read this blog if you get stuck and you’re bored waiting for the snow to stop.

P.S Don’t forget to check on elderly neighbours!

TSF

I have had quite a few messages asking why I have not posted a blog for a few days, my apologies for this. I have been very busy campaigning in the run up to the most important general election in a generation. What a week it has been though, we have had some people getting the ‘Clegg factor’ with his rapid increase in the polls, we have had Gordon on the campaign trail around the country and we have had David Cameron followed by a chicken then egged at a college in Cornwall. Obviously when I say we have had him followed and egged, I don’t mean the Labour party!

So the second leaders debate is almost here, the Daily Politics doing a daily debates on policies from most departments and with the battle buses going round the country, election fever is in full swing. I would like to write though about something which I have blogged about previously, and that is the two faces of the Conservative party and David Cameron.

Most of us have watched that dreadful interview Cameron gave to GT Magazine, if you haven’t click here. Not only did David Cameron ask for the interview to start again from scratch due to him making a complete mess of it, but when asked about gay rights, he appeared to say one thing and his fellow Conservative’s in Europe say something completely opposite. Cameron didn’t appear to know what his Tory MEPs knew about the legislation Lithuania had introduced which was effectively their version of Section 28 that had been brought in, in Britain under Thatcher.  When it came to MEPs voting to condemn this legislation, the Conservative MEPs abstained, they did not even bother voting for something which was extremely homophobic. Yet Cameron insists the Tories have changed and they are ‘gay friendly’.

On climate change, David Cameron stated “the environment is one of our top priorities”  yet back in Europe his MEPs say climate change is a myth, they even voted against aiming for the 30% reduction target by 2020.

On health and the NHS, something I have again blogged about many times. You have David Cameron stating they are the party of the NHS, yet one of his top Tories, Dan Hannan MEP called the NHS a 60 year mistake. Cameron has still refused to condemn Hannan’s comments. In January I published an article, about a meeting Cameron had held in his private office in the House of Commons with a group seeking full privatisation of the NHS.

It appears that on the issues I have just talked about that these are the same old Conservatives. You have Cameron saying one thing to us in Britain, yet his Conservative MEPs say the total opposite in Europe. Don’t be fooled!

Please watch the video below and share it with your friends and family.

Cameron Vs Tory MEPs

It may be a sign that Christmas is here, the UK is full of snow! However it appears that as always us Brit’s are not prepared for a few inches of snow, we have seen airports closed, flights cancelled, euro star trains breaking down leaving passengers trapped for hours and hours, buses removed off the roads and unbelievable traffic jams.

This snow may be thicker than last year, but surely we as a country ought to have been prepared for such weather. Last year the London bus system ground to a halt, and this year that sort of action has spread throughout the UK.  How can 6 inches of snow bring the UK to a standstill, when countries such as Canada, Finland and Russia cope with snow and temperatures reaching sometimes -15 degrees C. The pictures on this blog are from Manchester where i live, even just a few miles from the city the snow is 4/5″ covering the playingfields. I really do think as i hope many others do that the UK should have been better prepared for this sort of weather, and that lessons can be learnt from this  plan is put in place ready for the next time snow hits the UK.

TSF.