Dr Phillip Lee, MP for Bracknell constituency, is supporting the launch of Chance to be Chancellor 2012 and is calling on schools and young people in Bracknell constituency to take up in the challenge to learn about, and share their opinions on, Budget 2012.  Run by the Citizenship Foundation, in partnership with Aviva, Chance to be Chancellor is open to all 14-18 year olds across the UK.

Running until the 20th February, participants can enter into a national competition to win great prizes and visit HM Treasury in London.

 To find out more and get involved visit:
www.chancetobechancellor.org.uk

Dr Lee commented: “I am supporting this campaign because I would like to see more young people engage in politics.  I believe that this is a great opportunity for young politics-lovers to get a chance to experience a day as a Chancellor.”

To engage with students on local democracy a Question Time event was held on the 14th October as part of the European Local Democracy Week. On the panel was Dr Phillip Lee MP for Bracknell, Home Secretary Theresa May, and Cllr Prue Bray.

The European Local Democracy Week in Wokingham is to promote democratic participation at a local level. The event was designed to encourage young people to have an active role in local decision making and an opportunity to ask politicians and councilors about local issues that were important to them.

Dr Lee commented: “I truly believe that Question Time as part of the Local Democracy Week is a successful tool in encouraging children and young people to participate in decision making and making their voices heard. The event was fantastic opportunity to involve students in community affairs and increase their knowledge of democratic institutions and processes.”

In the summer of 1998, I had the pleasure of working on an isolated Pacific island with two Burmese doctors. This ‘husband and wife’ team from Rangoon took care of over 2000 Aitutaki residents, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They had originally found themselves on the island of Aitutaki as part of a VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas) programme. They stayed on after, mainly to help the islanders, however, a contributory factor to their decision was the military government in Burma. In 1988 one of them had been in Rangoon at the time of the military crackdown that led to the deaths of over 3000 Burmese. She told me of the horrific scenes in casualty departments that night. The sight of numerous gun-shot wounds had clearly had a profound effect upon her. Furthermore, her family had, had close links with Aung San Suu Kyi’s opposition movement and hence on her returns home she had been regularly subjected to close observation by the military.

As I watched the footage on television last night, remarkably being shared with the world via new media, I remembered my Burmese colleague’s recollections of the 1988 massacre. Today, Burma stands at a cross-road. The military government has succeeded in benefitting the very few and hindering the economic progress of the many. It has been humbling to see people on the streets calling for democracy ignoring the real threat of being shot. Despite this bravery, the international response has so far been modest at best, primarily because of Chinese heel-dragging. Once more the UN has appeared powerless to defend those rights we take for granted here in Britain: freedom of speech, democratic self-government, etc. What can Britain do to support the Burmese people? If possible, should a former colonial power been seen to intervene? My answer would be ‘Yes’. Not intervene in a military way, but rather, apply firm economic pressure via the EU – e.g. cancel credit, stop gas and oil purchase, freeze state assets, suspend trade and investment by Western companies. And if that did not work, apply pressure to China? How? Mention withdrawing support for the Olympics next year. Either the democratic countries of the world are serious about supporting freedoms abroad or they are not. It is about time basic principles of freedom are supported by the international community. It would be interesting to ask my former Burmese medical colleague what she now thinks about her freedom of speech, her freedom to move and her right to vote.

For a long time now I have thought there was a strong possibility that Mr Brown would ‘cut and run’ this Autumn. Despite it being against his perceived cautious nature, my belief was that the economy was not likely to get better over the next two years and, in view of the fact that his hands are all over the current credit/debt crisis (both public and private), Mr Brown would understand the climate for electoral success would get no better than now. Yesterday’s speech, however, has given me cause to think again. Might he bottle it, ‘do a Callaghan’, and wait for the Spring?

The hype surrounding the possible announcement of an election date had lead most political anoraks (such as myself) to tune in yesterday afternoon expecting a rip-roaring speech designed to inspire the few Socialists left on this island, whilst reassuring the great majority of centre-right leaning voters this country still sensibly possesses. Mr Brown did not deliver. Indeed his performance was more soporific than stimulating. We were beaten into submission by a series of new ‘policy’ announcements – removing licenses from shops selling alcohol to minors (already possible), expelling immigrants who break the law (already possible). A further drone reminded us of the importance he personally attached to tertiary education for all, irrespective of means, without mentioning the implementation of tuition fees by his own Party. Remarkable. And finally, he hardly managed to mention Iraq or Afghanistan. How come British military commitments abroad are not worthy of more consideration? He apparently managed to mention the words Britain and British 71 times in his speech. What about British lives and British military casualties, Mr Brown?

So, on reflection, if this was a speech prefacing an election battle then Mr Brown is no Napoleon. The ‘ovation’ from his troops was relatively short and had the air of ‘thank God he’s finished’ about it. As someone who always thought he would ‘go early’, yesterday’s speech came as a pleasant surprise. I now suspect that Brown is a bottler.