Alastair Stewart: I've had an interesting week on the medical front, with a triumph and an own goal
Crossbench peer Lord Walney, the former Labour MP John Woodcock, told Martin Daubney on GB News how he thought Labour was still confused about how to react to the Reform surge in both the opinion polls and, more importantly, in the local Government elections.John is a wise and experienced politician whom I have known and liked for many years. I tweeted my agreement with him and shared my congratulations on such a thoughtful contribution to this vital ongoing debate about the new state of British politics. He messaged back to say he was delighted to have made it into the Westminster studio, which GBNews had named after me. He also said in passing that his wife Isabel Hardman, the assistant Editor of the Spectator, sent her love. I like and admire her and have chaired several panel debates with Isabel for the Spectator. She is a fine political journalist and a clever author. To me, her most important work is ‘The Natural Health Service’ in which she argues there is so much we can do for ourselves, especially for our Mental Health. She has suffered herself, and she discovered, much to my delight, how horse riding can be a form of therapy.We have often discussed it, and the brilliant work Riding for the Disabled does with folk who have mental challenges, as well as those with physical disabilities. I told John their joint good wishes lifted my spirits, especially given my dementia. Remembering old friends and being remembered by them is so uplifting. Alastair Stewart scores a significant health goal in this week's Living With Dementia GB NEWSThe fall-out from those local elections on May 4th continues to rattle the body politic as we now wait to see what Reform will do with real local power, as well as with another MP in their ranks having also won the parliamentary by-election held that day.To me, the simplest explanation is that most people want a smaller, cheaper, and less intrusive state, and lower taxes.This is what Reform basically offers. In addition to that continuing vibrant news story too, others emerged out of the blue, Pope Francis died, and a Conclave of the Cardinals eligible to vote assembled to elect the new Pontiff. Quite a week! It is a labyrinth of a story steeped in ancient ritual, ecclesiastical mystery and curious traditions like the black and white smoke signals. I always like to give a shout-out to a Master or Mistress of their trade excelling in their work. This week, step forward the BBC’s Head of Religion, Aleem Maqbool. These last few days, he has been just brilliant and full of background knowledge. He’s accomplished as a reporter and a presenter. And, unlike so many, he is calmly unobtrusive on location.He has played a blinder from the funeral of Francis to the eventual puff of white smoke for Leo. Sadly, no one gets a similar plaudit for the other double-battled story that hit us: trade deals with both India and the United States.For once, I found myself in the odd position of agreeing with Sir Ed Davey, Leader of the Lib Dems, who declined a judgement, saying it might be wiser to wait for the full detail, study it and then pass judgement. Rare wisdom from the master of political stunts. It is worth remembering, as I do as a former Industrial Correspondent, that trade deals don’t buy or sell a car, an RSG, a microchip or a laptop. They set the rules for selling into and buying from markets, and tariffs and duties impact the price and availability of goods in markets. It is worth remembering that first we must invent and manufacture things that people want and make them well, and at a competitive price.If we can't do that, no number of trade deals will give us growth. Interest Rates were also cut again this week, another “wait and see” story if ever you saw one. The outlook for mortgages and all borrowings is slightly better, but for hard-pressed savers, it is gloomy. An interesting week on the medical front with an NHS triumph and another own goal by the private sector. The local NHS’s ‘smoke-free Hampshire’, has successfully helped me give up smoking.As part of their follow-up service, a woman phoned to see if I qualified for lung cancer screening. She was charming, lucid and easy to deal with. I answered all her questions, having simply confirmed who I was, my weight and height, and my smoking and lung health history.At the conclusion, she said I did qualify and then found a time and date for my scan. From start to finish, she was reassuring and efficient in a kind and thoughtful way. The private sector then sent me the results of my kidney and bladder tests, which were difficult to access and virtually incomprehensible when we finally accessed them. One-nil to the NHS, I say.Alex and his wife Anna dropped by after their break in the West Country, they’d visited the centre where we got our Exmoor pony ‘Doormouse from and brought us some lovely books. The centre asked after Doormouse' and requested some pictures to see how he was. We were happy to oblige. We also celebrated World Donkey Day on May 8 with Hobnob and Iggle Piggle. Again, it really helped to raise my spirits and sense of well-being.
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