Doomed, thats what I am, doomed!

They say a week is a long time in Politics but now I understand what they mean! first of all its brought to my attention yesterday that this snp blog is touting me as a potential labour leader. Flattered as I am it's never going to happen, but then, the Tories today called for a £10m fund to be set up to give every child an "outward bound experience" which is exactly what is I called for last Friday to the national conference of the Scottish Anti Bullying network! to quote from my speech:

"schools should be given the resources and the legislative protection, so that they can without fear, offer every child at least one adventure or outward bound style experience in their time at that school.

I have no problem with schools being accountable for their actions. But when it comes to trips, lets not so tie them up with methods of accountability that stop them creating the kinds of opportunities for the kind of life changing experience I have seen again and again. As long as the school has taken reasonable steps to assess risk and plan against it, then schools should be encouraged and supported to take pupils to risky places.

Over protecting young people is as potentially damaging as under protecting them. If we wrap young people in cotton wool we are more likely to suffocate them rather than liberate them.!

First of all complements (of a sort) from the SNP and then Tory support for a policy announcement. As not one, but a number of colleagues have commented... to paraphrase Private Frazer "Ah'm doomed"!

ps I also in that speech called for extending not just maternity but paternity leave to a year each, to be taken either simultaneously or overlapping or consecutively or as some combination of part-time, so for example both parents would work half time for two years and receive support from the state for the other half time. Anything to give parents more time with their kids at as early an age as possible.

I await support for that... maybe I'll not hold my breath though....