Pamphlets, polls and politicians

Canvassing and leafletting have occupied my time this week. This morning, in order to take advantage of the 'service' button I was out by 7.15am to deliver pamphlets in Wardieburn. 35 tenements - my calves ached at the thought and are aching now. Many of the stairs are immaculate; some less so. I took note of those most noticeably unpleasant and will contact the authorities on Tuesday to see what can be done. However, the reception on the doorstep is generally warm and pleasant and I am encouraged. It remains to be seen whether the Herald's poll yesterday is a blip or part of a sustained pattern recovery for Labour. Years of experience tell me that things are not as bad as they might be. I will never forget the election during the Falklands War. Life long Labour supporters turned against us as a result of our opposition to the war. That was grim.

Today we had an unexpected visit from the new baby and his siblings. Charlie is contented and wakes only to have a sly peek at the world around him or to feed. I have yet to hear him cry. His brother and sister are less sanguine. Santino has asked if he can come to stay with us 'Forever, Granny' and Hollie has reverted to her own baby behaviour which involves much whining and girning. Each finds their perch just a little less secure than it was 3 weeks ago.

And good news for me too. My regular hospital check-up has yielded the information that if I maintain current progress I will be declared 'cured' from cancer in 6 months. I am walking on air. Cancer is such a vile disease which culls our civilisation. I support only 2 charities and give as much as I can. Cancer charities and SightSavers: I cannot imagine the horror of losing my sight due almost entirely to dirty water and I know the horror of cancer intimately. Too many of those I have loved have been taken by it.

Easter Sunday is tomorrow - as a child, brought up in the rhythms of the Church, Easter was the time of Jesus' resurrection - the miracle of faith: I am not hostile to the notion but faith is now lost to me. I spoke once to the most intelligent man I ever met - so clever he had designed weapons for the US Government as well as run ultra successful businesses - a polymath with an insatiable curiosity, relentless rigour. I always felt sorry for him. How bored he must be to have so few people of his abilities to share conversation with. Our exchange turned to God. 'Do you believe in God?' I asked. 'Not the God of Christian faith, no,' he said. 'But there must be a god, a creator.' 'Why?' I ask. 'Because the chance of the world happening by random is mathematically impossible (he quoted the chances to me then: so huge I could not conceive it) that logic points entirely to a single creator.' We spoke long into the evening. Often I could not follow his argument but I am persuaded. When I have more time I want to research his views.

I am delighted the British personnel are now returned home. From the very partial accounts so far available it is plain they have not been treated well. During the week I travelled across town in a taxi. The cabbie was listening to George Galloway on the radio. He spoke of US and UK treatment of foreign prisoners and implied that some of the obscenities we have seen (prisoners stripped and chained and ordered to act like dogs) were the act of national governments: as if the individuals responsible were not exposed to the law and punished: in so doing he implied vindication for the Iranian authorities. Mr Galloway abuses his position as a British politician. Two wrongs have never made a right and they never will.