Prodding with a stick

I've started doing voluntary work, Heath Hands do work around Hampstead Heath, mulch spreading, clearing brambles, hedge reduction. I've only been to one session, its rewarding work, after a few hours of labour, you can see the difference you've made. However, a more accurate description of what I'm doing is 'scratching in the dirt with a stick'.

I've got a degree in Manufacturing Engineering, I used to make the best hi-fi equipment in the world, and now I'm reduced to scratching in the dirt with a stick.

I have another stick, my special prodding stick, I use it to get people to do things.

A month ago, there was a wee skirmish on The Spectator's Coffeehouse and MP Tom Harris's blog about poverty in the UK. My contribution was verbalising that the problem started in the 80's, why's it taking the best part of thirty years to do owt about it.

Blaming things on stuff “back in the 80’s” is a bit rich, that’s the best part of thirty years ago.

Labour have been in power for over a decade now, if it was broke could you no have fixed it by now?

It seems Tom Harris has had a bit of think about it, in a piece in the Daily Mail he says this

It has taken nearly three decades of failure to get to this point. It could take us a similar time to repair the damage. So the sooner we start, the better.

Instead of our political leaders blaming each other for our past failures, far better, surely, for them in years to come to be able to share the credit for their success by giving back hope and ambition to our young people.

I love my prodding stick.