ONE reason why Gordon Brown is so out of touch is that he spends too much time in his Downing Street bunker rather than meeting ordinary voters to discuss how their household finances are being crippled by his policies.
Take Prime Minister's Questions when Hugh Bayley, the York MP, invited Mr Brown to this region to see the local economy for himself.
He wanted to highlight Nestlé's new £15m chocolate factory – and its importance to the region.
It was a high-r
isk strategy on Mr Bayley's part. Not many Labour MPs want to be associated with their leader at present. It is why the PM will not be campaigning in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election – he's been effectively banned by his own party because he is proving so unpopular on the doorsteps.
But a visit to York would have provided the PM with an opportunity to meet some real people and discuss how the economic downturn is impacting upon this region.
Mr Brown's response? Some long-winded answer about Britain's economic prosperity – without acknowledging the hardship now being faced by families across the country. When will he ever learn?
THE Prime Minister does, at least, deserve credit for cutting down to size the Stalinist-like Wakefield MP, Mary Creagh, when she suggested children would not be allowed to start school unless they had received all their jabs.
Within minutes, Gordon Brown authorised a statement which said: "Labour has no plans to introduce compulsory vaccination for children."
Thank goodness for a modicum of common sense. Parents need to be won over by the art of persuasion rather than threats that might only encourage school absenteeism.
But what perplexes me is why such an ineffectual MP has been tasked with drawing up the public health section of Labour's general election manifesto?
IT'S not often that I see eye to eye with John Prescott – but the former Deputy Prime Minister echoes my views in his memoirs when he laments the decline of the "awkward squad" at Westminster.
"I don't know where they'll get the awkward buggers from in the future," said the Hull East MP.
"People don't feel independent enough to challenge – they're caught up with their careers."
I wonder who Prescott has in mind? The aforementioned Mary Creagh?
I'D rather put my faith in the verdict of the local postman about the axing of Saturday services rather than the denials issued by the Royal Mail and Postcom.
"Saturday deliveries will be scrapped," he told me when I queried why, on some days, first post was not arriving at Richmond Towers until 3pm.
"The only thing is that it will not happen until after the next election because a law would have to be passed by Parliament, and Gordon Brown realises that this could finish him off."
The postman's candidness did not surprise me. The Royal Mail's chief executive is, after all, Adam Crozier – the cost-cutter who was such a disastrous boss of the Football Association.
He clearly does not have to rely upon the mail service to receive his unjustifiable £500,000 performance bonus each year. He can afford a private courier.
He's just hoping that the Government will deliver his knighthood or peerage by the same means once he has implemented these cuts – so it doesn't get lost in the post.
WHEN is somebody going to stand up to Tesco?
Its lorries yet again brought the Leeds suburb of Horsforth to a standstill the other day when they chose to double-park outside the local store, taking up all available parking spaces in the process. They clearly didn't give two hoots about other shops.
Now it has became the first supermarket in Britain to launch a shopping website completely in Polish.
Whatever happened to the Government's policy of new immigrants being compelled to learn English – widely regarded as the most effective way of achieving community integration?
Olympic organiser Lord Coe – who grew up in Sheffield – says he regrets that London's sporting facilities lag 30 years behind those of the great northern cities.
The former middle-distance runner has obviously spent too much time at the elite training facilities – sites which have a very different remit to the inadequate grassroots facilities used by the masses.
I suppose this remark is a forerunner to London receiving even more money at this region's expense.
TALKING of sport, it was a privilege to be at Headingley Carnegie to
watch the final league appearance of rugby union great Lawrence Dallaglio, a hero of the 2003 World Cup-winning side, and shake his hand as he left the field of battle.
A true patriot, Dallaglio – captain of London Wasps – richly deserved his standing ovation. No-one has ever sung God Save The Queen with such passion prior to an England international, and Dallaglio is admired for this.
Like most rugby fans, he believes that this country must show greater respect for institutions like its monarchy.
And in contrast to a recent visit to Bradford City where the language on and off the pitch was even unworthy of the gutter, it was a joy to be at a sporting occasion where the players' respect towards the officials was absolute.
Dallaglio simply shrugged his shoulders when he asked for a decision to be explained. His precocious team-mate, Danny Cipriani, queried a touch-line call without resorting to any obscenities. His recent misdemeanour was clearly a one-off aberration
Both these stars showed that sport can still be played the right way if there is sufficient will. Football, and society in general, can learn much from rugby's towering example.
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