Comments
Missed the Budget, saw why it mattered
2009-04-22 23:09:31
As Alistair Darling was delivering the Budget, this Alastair was speaking at the opening of a new MIND resource centre in Hertford. Fair to say I had the easier job.
The date for the MIND event was set before the date of the Budget, and I was trying to think of the last time I didn't follow a Budget live. I was probably a student.
I will catch up on events, and there will be lots of time to debate the Budget, and lots of things to say in future blogs, but in the meantime I wanted to quote something one of the other speakers in Hertford said.
Henck van Bilsen is a consultant cognitive behaviour therapist who also leads a degree programme in CBT at the University of Hertfordshire. Dutch by birth, he is a big, burly man with a big smile and infectious enthusiasm, and a Johnny Halliday song as his mobile phone ringtone.
And he spoke of a 'revolution' taking place in mental health services in Britain. He said the government had taken a conscious decision - he called it historic - to invest in improved access for mental therapies. As a result, he said, without having to go through a GP, it would be possible for people to go straight to a new regional centre for psychological therapies, and hopefully get help.
It is the kind of thing which you never hear about on the TV, rarely read about in the papers, but it matters to a lot of people. And it was refreshing to hear someone being so passionate about a choice a government had made, and talking so eloquently about the benefits that would bring.
He said sometimes we talk of good mental health as though it is an automatic, that we all have a right to happiness and contentment and it should never be challenged. But just as you have to look after your teeth, he said, so you need to look after your mind.
And just as the body goes wrong, so does the mind. I made much the same point. One in four of us will have direct experience of mental illness, as I have. Yet still people find it hard to talk about it. When you see someone with a broken leg, you know how to react. When you hear someone has cancer, no matter how close they may be, no matter how scared you or they may be, we all understand the kind of things we need to say and do. But despite improvements, mental illness remains in many ways the last taboo, which in turn leads to discrimination and isolation, with many mentally ill people saying those feelings of discrimination and isolation are worse than the illness they suffer.
Someone at the meeting asked me how long I thought it would take for attitudes to change. I feel they are changing, and possibly faster than we know. I talked of the fight against racism in football. I read an interview at the weekend with a footballer who was Chelsea's first black player and who used to take vile abuse - from his own team's supporters - and who admitted some of his team-mates could not see what the problem was. Today, a mix of legislative, cultural and campaigning change means whereas before nobody dared challenge the racists, now nobody dares expose their racism in the first place.
I mentioned the film about gay rights campaigner Harvey Milk - a film brilliant for the way it captured the nature of the ups and downs of campaigning - and the fact that only a few years ago, you could not have imagined a Tory leader feeling he had to support Labour legislation on same sex civil partnerships. Exactly how and when the changes in attitudes came is impossible to pinpoint. But the change came.
Or take something like smoking - if you'd have said to me ten years ago that today there would be near universal acceptance that nobody should smoke in buses, trains, planes, offices - let alone pubs and restaurants - I would have dismissed it as woefully out of touch. But it happened. Change happens.
It may be optimism generated by meeting Henck van Bilsen, but I kind of feel we are getting somewhere in the campaign for greater understanding of mental ill health. I hope so.
And the relevance of the Budget could not be clearer. Henck was not being party political, and I have no idea what his politics are. But he rightly made the point that this new approach to the treatment of mental health problems was a government making a choice to invest in that particular aspect of health care.
As if we didn't know already, we certainly know now that there are going to be some very difficult choices in public spending in the coming years. As Tony Blair used to say 'nobody ever came into my room without a cause, and nine times out of ten, it was a cause that they thought could only be addressed by us agreeing to give them more money.'
The competition for resources will become fiercer. The commitment to finding the resources will have to be strong. But I for one am confident a Labour government will always have its heart in the right place when it comes to the NHS, has made some good decisions on mental health in the past, and will maintain that commitment in the future.
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Inspired by kids' green passionPublish date: 2009-10-14 18:24:13
Good news on leukaemia, good news on student activismPublish date: 2009-10-13 08:24:21
Musings from Bertie Ahern, and how I won the Nobel prize for literaturePublish date: 2009-10-12 09:26:18
Continuing double standards in the mediaPublish date: 2009-10-11 11:36:21
The best policies in Cameron's speech were those of Labour Big GovernmentPublish date: 2009-10-08 17:07:40
Tongues slipping all over the placePublish date: 2009-10-08 09:00:07
Cameron confuses strategy and tactics and puts Union at riskPublish date: 2009-10-07 10:29:26
Osborne inspires apathy at BBC LeedsPublish date: 2009-10-06 16:01:59
Let's see more of the Tory candidates pleasePublish date: 2009-10-06 09:23:11
Labour needs to fight on record to stop Tory vandalismPublish date: 2009-10-05 14:28:40
VacuDave goes all peevish at difficult questions. Bring on the debatesPublish date: 2009-10-04 23:33:52
Lots of joking around in Jersey, though nothing as hysterical as Dave's Europe positionPublish date: 2009-10-03 10:31:22
On The Sun, Obama in Copenhagen and Alistair McGowan on the looPublish date: 2009-10-01 10:59:49
Sun switches ain't wot they used to bePublish date: 2009-09-30 10:17:14
Darling and Mandelson show what I mean by authenticityPublish date: 2009-09-28 16:28:18
Serious Politics 1 Low Journalism 0Publish date: 2009-09-27 11:55:54
Media's love for Cameron should be turned into a weaknessPublish date: 2009-09-26 10:30:03
Time for ministers to stand up and fightPublish date: 2009-09-25 09:40:26
Today's media double standards watchPublish date: 2009-09-24 09:29:45
Breaking News - GB wins award, Lib Dems face all waysPublish date: 2009-09-23 09:43:49
Why authenticity is the key to comms, and why Merkel will winPublish date: 2009-09-22 08:29:13
Why I love NHS walk-in centresPublish date: 2009-09-21 12:13:03
Here goes with the smoked SalmondPublish date: 2009-09-20 10:40:21
Breaking News - Cameron's vacuousness an impersonator's nightmarePublish date: 2009-09-19 11:06:09
Cameron has an army of spin doctors - aka journalistsPublish date: 2009-09-18 10:07:06
On Scottish independence, Cameron's short-termism, and Jimmy Carter being rightPublish date: 2009-09-17 09:56:56
Is Cameron Alex Salmond's Trojan Horse?Publish date: 2009-09-15 10:13:42
On the TUC, Roy of the Rovers and Anna WintourPublish date: 2009-09-14 11:04:46
Memo to Apple boss Steve JobsPublish date: 2009-09-13 17:36:31
A day in the life of a (crap) City traderPublish date: 2009-09-11 17:52:25
Defend record with pride, attack Tories with gustoPublish date: 2009-09-10 11:06:36
Cameron's Conservatism beyond parodyPublish date: 2009-09-09 10:38:00
On transforned cities, and tales of Princess Di and Laura BushPublish date: 2009-09-08 09:45:54
Labour should put minister up against Griffin on Question TimePublish date: 2009-09-06 12:39:56
School speech the latest source of right-wing frothing at ObamaPublish date: 2009-09-05 08:23:02
More horse's mouth, less Beeb blah pleasePublish date: 2009-09-04 22:49:20
Real respect for sport can be Olympic legacyPublish date: 2009-09-04 09:27:34
First ladies watch out for Japanese bombshellPublish date: 2009-09-03 10:47:19
TV debate - good idea in theory, but ...Publish date: 2009-09-02 15:37:43
'No worries' - the new response to thanksPublish date: 2009-09-01 12:25:19
Tremors of Japanese political earthquake will be felt far and widePublish date: 2009-08-30 15:50:54
Pressure on Ed Miliband can help get a climate change dealPublish date: 2009-08-28 13:39:08
Why Tories and media cannot stomach GCSE success storyPublish date: 2009-08-27 16:03:34
Exposing the absurdity of Chris GraylingPublish date: 2009-08-26 13:20:19
Joy and beauty and a night of magicPublish date: 2009-08-20 10:55:11
Twitter NHS backlash good for ObamaPublish date: 2009-08-14 15:44:49
A lifetime's ambition fulfilledPublish date: 2009-08-08 16:59:02
Breaking the blog-a-day spell as warm up to holidayPublish date: 2009-07-20 17:44:49
No hiding place from Twitter, me on the bike, JP in DCPublish date: 2009-07-17 18:17:09
At last - something Obama cannot do wellPublish date: 2009-07-16 10:05:47
Will MPs take the lead in the debate on euthanasia?Publish date: 2009-07-15 12:30:01
Berlin brothel leads the way to a greener worldPublish date: 2009-07-14 10:57:25
A time for GB to explain the whole picturePublish date: 2009-07-13 12:37:54
All hail Monty, Jimmy and Collie!Publish date: 2009-07-12 20:06:36
First triathlon of the summer for me, education award for FionaPublish date: 2009-07-12 09:43:06
Of Burnley's friendly and Obama's wandering eyePublish date: 2009-07-11 12:38:52
Two great early morning momentsPublish date: 2009-07-10 10:27:07
Cameron had better be sure he's rightPublish date: 2009-07-09 11:06:22
Guardian scoop has big questions for press, cops and CameronPublish date: 2009-07-08 20:40:54
Divisive legend: Lance ArmstrongPublish date: 2009-07-07 10:38:23
First hug a hoodie, now grab a gayPublish date: 2009-07-06 12:57:09
Mail on Scumday's wonderful account of Lansley's kipperdomPublish date: 2009-07-05 13:14:51
Ecclestone undermines his own success with alarming views on HitlerPublish date: 2009-07-04 14:04:04
When the conmen move more quickly than the councilPublish date: 2009-07-03 10:19:52
Andrew Lansley done up like a kipperPublish date: 2009-07-02 10:10:52
A day spent interviewing footballers, then being interviewed by a transvestite comedianPublish date: 2009-07-01 14:47:40
When the power of black eyes fadesPublish date: 2009-06-30 09:24:59
Farewell to Henry HodgePublish date: 2009-06-29 20:41:12
Honouring the power of sport to do goodPublish date: 2009-06-29 14:49:42
Andy Murray is a winner. Is that why some Brits don't like him?Publish date: 2009-06-28 09:19:20
New Parliament will look very different. The younger the betterPublish date: 2009-06-27 17:34:26
Two nice surprises, sad end to dayPublish date: 2009-06-26 09:16:33
Apology from the Spectator on Iraq boosts Henry Hodge fundPublish date: 2009-06-25 19:57:26
Thanks to Mr Harper on mental health, rebuttal of Mr Hague on IraqPublish date: 2009-06-24 23:47:54
Glad to find Eric Cantona in a quiet cinema ...Publish date: 2009-06-24 00:46:23
By Dave's friends shall we know him?Publish date: 2009-06-23 11:30:20
The Speaker has to balance tradition and change - but defend ParliamentPublish date: 2009-06-22 11:58:44
Less a blog than an apology for not having done onePublish date: 2009-06-21 20:07:43
The day Lions skipper Paul O'Connell took my trousers downPublish date: 2009-06-20 11:48:28
On the Iraq inquiry, Independent article wrongPublish date: 2009-06-19 20:28:24
Thank you to three readers, now please get involvedPublish date: 2009-06-19 09:13:35
A tribute to a lovely manPublish date: 2009-06-18 17:19:40
Bad times in Belfast, great day for Burnley, odd statement from Ed BallsPublish date: 2009-06-18 10:04:47
A plea for five-figure cyber-donationsPublish date: 2009-06-17 07:40:42
On two inquiriesPublish date: 2009-06-16 08:57:39
From India to Iran to Labour witPublish date: 2009-06-15 10:13:17
Memories of Princess DianaPublish date: 2009-06-14 09:54:55
A House Divided?Publish date: 2009-06-13 02:53:47
A humbling NHS experience, a media row and a good GB speechPublish date: 2009-06-12 10:48:46
Psychiatrists heading for relegation in 'disease prestige' league tablePublish date: 2009-06-11 10:25:35
The shrinks awaitPublish date: 2009-06-10 09:44:16
As Obama fights for healthcare, let's celebrate the record herePublish date: 2009-06-09 12:52:55
Anger at BNP seats must be turned into activismPublish date: 2009-06-08 14:11:10
Can today be as frenzied as Friday?Publish date: 2009-06-07 10:31:04
Take heart from a win in LambethPublish date: 2009-06-06 18:46:40
JP is right there was no proper campaign but Tories still weakPublish date: 2009-06-05 13:47:20
Do we care more about the NHS or moats?Publish date: 2009-06-04 00:21:23
Guardian of social justice or attention-seeker?Publish date: 2009-06-03 10:19:33
Who says Britain can't deliver the best?Publish date: 2009-06-02 08:08:38
Mainstream has a duty to vote against BNPPublish date: 2009-06-01 11:03:29
Let Diversity inspire a vote against the hate-filled BNPPublish date: 2009-05-31 12:24:20
White House whack at UK media well-timed but sure to be ignoredPublish date: 2009-05-30 13:41:00
Elvis has a plan to make MPs King againPublish date: 2009-05-29 12:09:44
At least there's a campaign on in ItalyPublish date: 2009-05-28 09:04:32
A blow to gay rights and a boost for Cameron's short-termismPublish date: 2009-05-27 11:27:41
It's my blog and I'll be a big kid if I want toPublish date: 2009-05-26 23:25:58
Highs feel better after so many lowsPublish date: 2009-05-26 10:13:12
Only one present countsPublish date: 2009-05-25 11:05:46
Contrast Cheney and BushPublish date: 2009-05-24 12:11:45
Sex (or at least the female form) obsessed BritainPublish date: 2009-05-23 20:49:57
Sport at both ends of the financial spectrumPublish date: 2009-05-23 09:57:23
Stronger together - whether Scotland or expensesPublish date: 2009-05-22 10:22:36
Back to Number 10, familiar faces, familiar argumentsPublish date: 2009-05-21 10:14:34
Speaking up for ParliamentPublish date: 2009-05-20 11:44:17
Peace in the Middle East - yes he canPublish date: 2009-05-19 09:37:35
Breaking news - one frenzy at a timePublish date: 2009-05-18 10:34:30
Getting a good look at Vince CablePublish date: 2009-05-17 09:36:55
How do you solve a problem like Silvio?Publish date: 2009-05-16 09:32:21
It was the internet wot won itPublish date: 2009-05-15 10:04:57
There now follows ... a good whack at CameronPublish date: 2009-05-14 17:21:28
They got their kit off - so you get your cash outPublish date: 2009-05-14 07:41:11
Expenses row must not obscure Tory intentions on minimum wagePublish date: 2009-05-13 16:12:08
We love you Burnley, we do ... what a nightPublish date: 2009-05-13 02:37:17
A tweet cannot express the wonders of TGVPublish date: 2009-05-12 08:48:31
It's Mind week - Get it off your Chest with me and Stephen FryPublish date: 2009-05-11 06:29:15
Hate the Mail, love ObamaPublish date: 2009-05-10 10:04:00
Burnley 1 Reading 0 - a biased reportPublish date: 2009-05-09 21:26:32
MPs expenses - time for party leaders to meet againPublish date: 2009-05-09 09:50:19
Should happiness replace prosperity as national goal?Publish date: 2009-05-08 08:43:23
Musings from a sleepless nightPublish date: 2009-05-07 07:33:49
Darren Fletcher - an injustice that has to be rightedPublish date: 2009-05-06 09:52:29
Maggie's legacy not as great as she thinksPublish date: 2009-05-05 08:33:02
Here's hoping Cardiff is metaphor for CameronPublish date: 2009-05-04 09:38:30
More Mr Benn and Co pleasePublish date: 2009-05-03 10:03:00
Going Fourth with JPPublish date: 2009-05-02 18:25:41
Journalism - print first, think laterPublish date: 2009-05-02 09:10:01
In praise of two poetsPublish date: 2009-05-01 10:26:36
JP hits the road againPublish date: 2009-04-29 18:52:11
My night with Eddie IzzardPublish date: 2009-04-29 10:53:25
Explaining the 50p top tax ratePublish date: 2009-04-28 09:22:53
George Best and Martin McGuinnessPublish date: 2009-04-27 09:02:35
Cameron confused over indepdendence and impartialityPublish date: 2009-04-26 12:20:56
Guide ro Marathon running part 2Publish date: 2009-04-25 11:01:34
Good signals on coal and the OlympicsPublish date: 2009-04-24 10:45:28
Tips for the London MarathonPublish date: 2009-04-23 17:29:27
Football good, politics bad. AllegedlyPublish date: 2009-04-22 00:00:24
The Great Wall gets greaterPublish date: 2009-04-21 09:55:22
Two sides to police storyPublish date: 2009-04-20 11:39:54
Budgets, Balls, billionaires and Susan BoylePublish date: 2009-04-19 12:31:45
Do muscles have memories?Publish date: 2009-04-18 09:44:44
Bring back standing at footballPublish date: 2009-04-17 14:50:22
When Facebook friends fall outPublish date: 2009-04-16 12:29:16
Guardian sightings and the email and bath plug agendaPublish date: 2009-04-15 11:32:16
The spin is all in the prismPublish date: 2009-04-14 09:22:41
A setback, not a crisisPublish date: 2009-04-13 12:55:19
The real lessons from Damian McBridePublish date: 2009-04-12 10:49:47
Will English always be the dominant language?Publish date: 2009-04-11 10:02:02
On the pipes and what makes a ScotPublish date: 2009-04-10 11:06:20
John Prescott lazy? NO WAYPublish date: 2009-04-09 09:11:31
David Frost is seventyPublish date: 2009-04-08 08:48:38
The Speaker, BBC2, tonight and tomorrow 8pmPublish date: 2009-04-07 14:25:31
Obama, colds and being woken by Korean missilesPublish date: 2009-04-06 11:59:24
When a call matters more than protocolPublish date: 2009-04-05 11:33:42
Green Cities Champions LeaguePublish date: 2009-04-04 10:19:53
Could Cameron have delivered the G20 deal?Publish date: 2009-04-03 10:11:59
Of Benn and BonoPublish date: 2009-04-02 08:21:16
Memo to Sarko - allez vite a LondresPublish date: 2009-04-01 08:46:17
Happy April Fool's DayPublish date: 2009-04-01 01:44:05
Eurostar, Le Monde and a thought for the G20 sherpasPublish date: 2009-03-31 09:17:22
Why Kevin Rudd made an impactPublish date: 2009-03-30 10:24:41
Pre-G20 hype matters less than post-G20 processPublish date: 2009-03-29 13:17:28
The Damned UnitedPublish date: 2009-03-28 10:37:04
A hobby horse, a plug and a bit of sportPublish date: 2009-03-27 10:22:23
Cloughie - he had a lot to be big-headed aboutPublish date: 2009-03-26 09:38:36
A sad sight of the old fearing the youngPublish date: 2009-03-25 17:03:07
Post-modern, post-structural, or bullshit?Publish date: 2009-03-25 08:18:02
Learning the right lessons from ObamaPublish date: 2009-03-24 08:53:15
Lazy Dave needs to keep an eye on lazy KenPublish date: 2009-03-23 11:16:14
Farewell favourite restaurant, hello hometownPublish date: 2009-03-22 08:18:09
Dave, Danny and have the Tories really changed?Publish date: 2009-03-21 08:55:13
Life beyond Dover ...Publish date: 2009-03-20 10:11:21
My friends in The New Statesman - Fergie, Fiona, Tony, Sarah, Kevin, 'Dacre,' and a great GB idea for the G20Publish date: 2009-03-18 10:38:22
Iraq, Iran, GB, Obama and diplomatic chessPublish date: 2009-03-17 10:07:13
The Age of StupidPublish date: 2009-03-16 08:27:13
Is all change good?Publish date: 2009-03-15 10:00:06
The pressure of being a post-modern sex godPublish date: 2009-03-14 10:00:55
Cameron still hasn't sealed the deal with businessPublish date: 2009-03-13 09:21:49
Stand up for social workersPublish date: 2009-03-12 08:31:17
Surely Malcolm Tucker could have told Armando Ianucci ... You can't spin a spinnerPublish date: 2009-03-11 10:58:25
Start of a new approach from Labour?Publish date: 2009-03-10 09:54:12
A peace process still strongPublish date: 2009-03-09 08:21:05
Day of destiny for the real footballer of the yearPublish date: 2009-03-08 09:21:06
Private advice to Peggy Mitchell - the leaked note in fullPublish date: 2009-03-07 08:17:21
Boris, the Tories and the tummy-tickling poodle pressPublish date: 2009-03-06 09:49:37
A day in the life of the self-obsessed TV reporterPublish date: 2009-03-05 07:55:47
GB - good speech, well deliveredPublish date: 2009-03-04 19:31:05
Notes on the environment, a role in EastEndersPublish date: 2009-03-04 10:58:56
She may be my 'wife' but it is time to rebut!Publish date: 2009-03-03 10:52:59
Some speeches matter more than othersPublish date: 2009-03-02 12:04:45
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Inside the chocolate factoryPublish date: 2009-02-28 10:23:59
GB on the G20, JP on Jeremy KylePublish date: 2009-02-27 09:14:36
Charity and the credit crunch, please give generously!Publish date: 2009-02-26 08:55:12
Why oh why are the Tories not home and dry?Publish date: 2009-02-24 09:44:59
Me, Dermot and ten top songsPublish date: 2009-02-23 10:02:19
Names round-upPublish date: 2009-02-22 08:43:39
What's in a name?Publish date: 2009-02-21 09:58:14
Editing the New StatesmanPublish date: 2009-02-20 11:42:36
Salute Peter M’s proper use of the F wordPublish date: 2009-02-19 09:58:58
Labour's communications challenge for the NHSPublish date: 2009-02-18 10:34:39
In praise of KeighleyPublish date: 2009-02-17 14:33:57
A night at the EmiratesPublish date: 2009-02-17 00:06:51
When marriage is testedPublish date: 2009-02-16 13:36:35
Spare me the myths and the whiningPublish date: 2009-02-15 13:29:50
Dave Cameron - is that all there is?Publish date: 2009-02-14 11:11:55
Boris Johnson: F is for ...Publish date: 2009-02-13 07:55:10
The Cameron vacuumPublish date: 2009-02-12 14:48:33
Lincoln, Obama, Blair and the 24 hour media culturePublish date: 2009-02-11 10:28:47
Eighteen interviews later ...Publish date: 2009-02-10 19:24:45
Time to talk about Time to Change on NewsnightPublish date: 2009-02-09 22:47:49
So that’s what they mean by online community?Publish date: 2009-02-08 12:12:51
First blogPublish date: 2009-02-05 15:23:57
Jane A
2009-04-23 21:59:04@morning paper : re the NHS tariff system and what it is. It basically sets an internal NHS price to certain types of treatment - ie a hospital gets a set fee for say, a hip replacement, or a cataract op, in an attempt to set a level playing field for how money flows around the NHS system to fund treatment. There has not yet been a "tariff" for mental health, because it is more complicated to define how mental healthcare is delivered than boiling it down to a procedure. But work is under way, I believe, to crack that problem. Not same as direct payments, which are around social care funding.
@dr John Crippen. Think there is some triaging system (at least in the model of IAPT I am closest to) to channel people to the most useful care for them, and refer them to a GP if the issue needs more than CBT. There are checks and balances along the way to match care to individual need.
Dr John Crippen
2009-04-23 18:24:31I know you always speak sympathetically and with kindness about the problems faced by the mentally ill. You are right about the need for more psychologically based therapies though, on this occasion, I think you have been carried away by the perceived merits of CBT. You are also, I believe, wrong about removing the gate-keeping role of the family doctor. Universal access to what is called "high volume, low intensity" health care (by the government, as quoted by Hanck van Bilsen) will be great for those with minor upsets, but will put those who have serious mental illness at greater risk
Dr John Crippen
http://nhsblogdoc.blogspot.com/2009/04/alastair-campbell-on-mental-health.html
gavin montana
2009-04-23 17:26:08Hopefully as New Labour we will still be in power carry on with improvements to NHS, the last thing we want or need is for a return to the uncareing Tories or a return to old Labour which i can see happeing under Brown/Darling
Em
2009-04-23 17:00:20Couldn't agree more with everything you said, Alastair. Hopeful and inspiring blog entry, thank you.
Don't mind those who attack your attachment to your ethnic heritage. British, English or Scottish, what matters is that you are a talented, kind, and generous human being. Keep up the good work.
Amanda Peace
2009-04-23 12:05:16Dear Mr Campbell.
I am a student researching Mental Health awareness and resources within the PCT's in Derbyshire and have also been doing presentations on the Time to Change campaign, as this is very close to my own heart. Would it be at all possible to interview you at all, via email as I know you will be one very busy man. I really want to make a difference for Mental health awareness and stigma's attatched to it and would like some power behind the research.
Kindest regards
Amanda
Karim
2009-04-23 11:46:15Heard you on BBC Asian Network just now. Agreed that it was great to see young people being so passionate and enthusiastic about the power of words to make change. Agreed as well that the remaining contestants show a great face of young, modern Britain. I'm backing Maris. Must be hard for you knowing who's won but can't say! Amazing that two of the final five came from same school. They must be proud down there!
Wyrdtimes
2009-04-23 11:40:59From one Englishman to another - Happy St George's day Mr Campbell.
May England rise and throw off the last chains of empire.
Home rule for England.
Karen Redman
2009-04-23 10:24:31Hear, hear to T Crocker's comments regarding The Speaker. ALL of the kids did so well & I have to say that I thought your comments to them were so encouraging and put across in such a caring way. It looked as if YOU thoroughly enjoyed the whole process too!
Chopski
2009-04-23 10:16:44The Speaker is successfully challenging negative stereotypes of young people.
The scene where the lad who was eliminated from the competition coped with his disappointment by pulling up his hoody was surprisingly powerful.
morningpaper
2009-04-23 09:35:42Interesting. I did check the budget report for mental health and it comes under cost savings: "billions of pounds per year of cashing savings by extending the success of the NHS tariff pricing system into new areas, most notably community services and mental health." However I don't know what the NHS tariff pricing system IS - is it separate to the direct payments system? It doesn't sound particularly good news to me.
Alina Palimaru
2009-04-23 00:48:46Alastair, great points regarding change in mental health attitudes. Also, excellent work in this area overall! Which is why I'd like to remind people to vote for you as MIND Champion of the year (deadline is April 30!!).
Here's the link: http://www.mind.org.uk/About+Mind/mindawards/champion/mindchamp09.htm
Regarding the budget, you rightly point out that the crucial task was to find a middle ground between the unlimited expectations of the people and the very limited resources the government has to allocate for certain expenditure areas. This challenge has persisted in time and across countries, and I doubt the Tories would have done a better job at this.
The only mention I saw of the Tories' views was their criticism of the measures and blaming Labour for the recession. Quick reminder: dishonest American corporate schemes started it all. Also, while GB was in charge of finances, he oversaw a great economic expansion. Therefore, any attempts to discredit his skills because of the current crisis are invalid.
This only proves that the Tories are the party of "can't do," "absolutely not," and "don't even think about it," without bothering to consider the context of this recession, its roots, and lesson-drawing from other nations (U.S., Japan etc). Oh, and yes, they're a bunch of flip-floppers!
If anyone cares to read some of their policy papers, you will see frequent references to U.S. (conservative) policies and suggestions about how they could be applied in the U.K. They have done this for crime, and most notably, for health policy, both of which would be disastrous in the U.K. However, when it comes to the budget, they depart from U.S. Conservatives (as well as from other countries) and deny the importance of running deficits in order to lift the nation out of depression. Let us not forget that U.S. bailouts started under the watch of President Bush and Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson. Also, Alan Greenspan famously revealed before a Congressional committee that his belief in the market and conservative approach to spending was shaken by the crisis. So here, there is some consensus among Dems and Reps that some spending must be done. But Cameron is very selective in his embrace of American conservatism, and seems absolutely intent on exploiting this crisis for political purposes even though this is so detrimental to the interest of the country.
Their proposals are nonsense. They say they would "get a grip on government spending, and use the savings from cutting waste to introduce real help now for families and pensioners: Freezing council tax for two years, worth over £200 for the typical family; Abolishing income tax on savings for all basic rate taxpayers, worth up to £7,200 a year; Raising the income tax threshold for pensioners, worth up to £400 a year; Help for the unemployed to upskill and reskill during the recession - and tax breaks for companies who create new jobs."
Ok, this only shows their preference for positions that are politically expedient but economically inefficient. Which government programs are they going to cut? What spending will they reduce: for the NHS? For education? For unemployment benefits? If they don't plan to extract any type of revenue, how are they going to pay for the "upskill" and "reskill" during the recession? Tax breaks to people, tax breaks to companies... these will slightly increase revenue to some categories of individuals and to some companies, but there is no guarantee that this revenue will go back into the economy to stimulate spending, commerce etc... Unless the government sets the pace for spending, those with revenues will be reluctant to invest their money. Economic transactions depend to a great degree on trust, and the government is best positioned to restore this trust.
T Crocker
2009-04-23 00:07:02Very interested in Mr Campbell`s contribution to BBC 2`s `The Speaker`. How many people are aware that Duncan and Irene (not to mention five other individuals who appeared in the second episode) attend the same state school in Bristol?
As a teacher who has worked with all of these youngsters, I am fiercely proud of what they have achieved. Every year we have to endure the endless carpings of the right wing press about how "standards are dropping" and how the private sector should "share its expertise" with the rest of us proles. These young people are living proof that our state schools are more than capable of producing bright,articulate,witty individuals who will soon be empowered to make the world a better place.
Charlie
2009-04-23 00:06:40Labour may well, as AC says, have its heart in the right place but certainly not this particular manifestation of it.
Cameron's remark about this being a "Government of the Living Dead" is spot on.....
A General Election followed by a spell in the wilderness should give you sufficient time to remind the Labour Party what it stands for.
David Whewell
2009-04-22 23:41:40"Exactly how and when the changes in attitudes came is impossible to pinpoint. But the change came." - the beauty of this statement, for me, is that this change always comes - it sometimes takes days, weeks, months, even years but it does come - the frustration that I sometimes feel - is generally because of time - not because of values! I do appreciate you (AC) keeping the candle of value burning - some of those still at the coalface dont seem to be able to feel comfortable and at peace with that! don't question or regret your optimism.
David
Matt
2009-04-22 23:41:25great blog.
one of the first things i thought as i was listening to the doom-laden reports of the awful debt figures and the consequences for public services, was that I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the government reining back on this particular mental health initiative.
The Improving Access to Psychological Therapies programme it's called and from memory, £160 million has this year been invested in a network of centres where people can get talking therapy.
Great initiative, making a real difference to millions potentially.
Whether the further phases of the IAPT initiative will be delivered, remains to be seen. I don't have as much confidence - for exactly the reasons you say - because mental health is not visible and high profile its easier to mothball plans for more talking therapy centres. The same couldn't be done with cancer clinics, for example, unless the government has a real death wish.
Time will tell.
One of the other reasons why mental health is not more centre stage is that invariably, the clinicians involved are so far up their own arses, that they can't see the woood for the trees. And as with most specialists, there is a real arrogance and talking down their noses to people. They won't engage with a wider public and haven't a clue about how to go about it. Ironic, given the work they do.
But Henck is one of the good guys, I think.
And very well done for all the brave and courageous efforts you have made to help drag mental health into the public arena.
Jane A
2009-04-22 23:32:10Your - and Henck's - points are so true, and so important. It is easy to trash the government for what it hasn't done & everyone is recently keen on that bandwagon. It is also easier sometimes to quantify what the govt has done for "physical" healthcare (waiting times down from 18mths in 1997 to 8.6 weeks in 2009) as opposed to what they have done for mental health care.
But - really big but - innovations like the improving access to psychological therapies programmes will help so many people with mental health conditions with their quality of life, managing their diagnosis, coping & recovering, and doing so in an easily accessible way. The NHS will partner with charities like MIND to make it happen. That makes me proud of Labour.
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