Trusting the opposition! Who, and which animals, can be in the party. Wet Wednesday at the market.

As well as fearing that Russian extremists might be trying to get into the UK disguised as Ukrainian refugees, it seems that Priti Patel doesn’t quite trust the Labour Party with government security briefings. “I’m sure if the party opposite wanted a security briefing from our colleagues, we’d happily provide one,” she told Labour, during a Commons statement, “But, at the same time, I’m very sceptical of how they treat and respect security advice.”

Oops! That’s not very nice! I don’t think she needs to worry. Keir Starmer is being very careful. Eleven Labour MPs were threatened with removal of the party whip if they did not remove their names from a Stop the War statement criticising NATO. They all did as they were told. Diane Abbott has remarked that “Keir Starmer is entitled to say we can’t sign up to Stop the War”, but also pointed out that “Tony Blair never made that stipulation”. Indeed! Not even Tony Blair! At the Parliamentary Labour Party meeting on Monday, Keir Starmer said: “Let me be very clear. There will be no place in this party for false equivalence between the actions of Russia and the actions of NATO.” I don’t know what was said regarding Russia and NATO but surely rational debate should be able to go on without threat of whip withdrawal or even expulsion. Diane Abbott was quick to remind everyone that she fully supports Keir Starmer. That seems to be another thing you have to do!

Things could be worse. Dogs could be joining the party, which I read happened recently to Les Républicains, the party of the French right wing parliamentary candidate Valérie Pécresse. She has been subjected to a certain amount of ridicule as a result.

“Douglas was a discreet party activist,” wrote the newspaper  Libération. “After paying €30 online in November, he received a membership card and the right to vote in the primary. No one saw him at meetings and he never commented on the campaign on social media – for the very good reason that Douglas is a dog.”

Libération said it had contacted Douglas’s owner, who confirmed that he had signed up the animal with his own contact details “to see if it was possible”.

That’s enough of that. 

It’s Wednesday again. I had to more or less hang myself out to dry when I came back from Uppermill this morning. It was not raining when I cycled to Uppermill but it started to come down quite heavily while I was there and after that it seemed set in for the day. Rather a contrast to yesterday’s blue sky and sunshine! The radio weather forecast has just confirmed this.

Good news! Jenny, the cheese and biscuit lady has returned to the market. It no longer looks quite so sparse. And ai have replenished our supply of gluten free biscuits. And the fruit and veg man has rhubarb this morning. Crumble is called for in the next day or so. Not today, however. Today we are making pancakes a day late and various members of the family are coming round to partake of them.

Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone.