Tory Brain on Strike?

Perhaps I am a bit thick, but I have difficulty in understanding the argument that the Tories are making ad nausium against today's strike.

Apparently the unions are irresponsible for conducting a strike while negotiations are ongoing!

Isn't the time that negotiations are omgoing the best time to protest and express strength of feeling?

Wouldn't strike action, protest, complaint etc be rather redundant after negotiations ended, after coming to agreement or after a decision is made?

Poems & Politics: Do you remember 1926?

Now that Normal Mouth is no longer available to argue with about the importance of literature and the arts in Welsh politics, I have decided to make the occasional Poems and politics post, linking great poems to the issues of the day.

This first one is influenced by Charlie Mark's post about the Prison Officers Union's call for a General Strike.

It is a part of Idris Davies' long poem Gwalia Deserta

Do you remember 1926?

Do you remember 1926? That summer of soups and speeches,
The sunlight on the idle wheels and the deserted crossings,
And the laughter and the cursing in the moonlit streets?
Do you remember 1926? The slogans and the penny concerts,
The jazz bands and the moorland picnics,
And the slanderous tongues of famous cities?
Do you remember 1926? The great dream and the swift disaster,
The fanatic and the traitor, and more than all,
The bravery of the simple, faithful folk?
'Ay, ay, we remember 1926,' said Dai and Shinkin,
As they stood on the kerb in Charing Cross Road,
'And we shall remember 1926 until our blood is dry.'

YouGov: David Davis

YouGov has a panel of some 5,000 members who fill in a daily survey. Some of the questions on Friday's survey were about David Davis, the petrol tanker driver's strike and releasing very old prisoners. Here are the results:

A similar proportion support (41%) and oppose (45%) the decision by David Davis to resign over the 42-day detention of terrorist suspects.

Interestingly, half believe the Liberal Democrats made the right decision not stand against David Davis in a by-election, yet the same proportion say it is wrong for the Labour Party not to stand.

Two thirds of panellists say it is morally wrong for the Government to offer concessions and deals to other parties on unrelated matters in order to get its legislation through.

On the subject of petrol, half of the panelists intend to make fewer car journeys as a consequence of increasing prices. And, most seem confident that there will be no petrol shortages as 48% of respondents have not filled up the car in advance of the tanker strike. Only 10% have topped up, just in case.

An overwhelming majority (85%) say that convicted murders such as the Black Panther should never become eligible for parole no matter what their age.

If you would like to join YouGov you can do so by clicking here.