I’ve just properly read the letter from the Labour Party. It is a notification of change to the direct debit. It would appear, that at the last conference in 2008, the NEC agreed overwhelmingly to increase membership fees in line with inflation. I do not have a problem with this. However, as a member of the GMB, I am entitled to a reduced rate. This is currently at £12.00 per year. The increase I am facing is £7.00 to £19.00 for the year 2009/2010. By my calculation, this is around 58% increase. I was given to understand, that inflation was currently running at around 4%. Now my maths was never top drawer, but I can see something is not quite right here. So after nearly 20 years membership, I have cancelled my membership. It is not something I do lightly. But when I’m being told, as a public servant, that I must bear the brunt of wage restraint, with an expected pay increase of less than 1%, the expectation that I would be willing to pay such an increase in subscription is laughable.

It has been a mixed day today. Youngest up at 5am this morning. Although he did stay in his room until about 7am. Then I took the eldest’s computer round to his flat. I managed to set it all up on the desk that he’d bought, just. But he left me too it, and went to get his Wii set up. I then dropped him off at the letting agent, to hand in the inventory. We don’t think he would have done it otherwise. A quick pint, then off to do a bit of shopping. It was heaving in Headingley. Full of cricket fans, wandering round in fancy dress. It now seems to be a tradition, that cricket fans turn up at the test match wearing outlandish clothes. Groups wearing everything from Nuns outfits to gorillas to people wearing red hair. All very light hearted and in good humour. Which is pleasing, considering the hammering England has been subjected to in this particular test. Who would have thought, that the lack of Freddie Flintoff, would make such a difference to the team. While I’m on that, if it is only his knee that is troubling him…why did he not have a runner ?

Youngest kicked off again tonight. Definitely no trigger this time! He was on YouTube, and I was dozing in the chair, when he went. Another bad episode that lasted 20 minutes again. And then just now, when it was time to go to bed, he started again. He is now asleep, but I would put good money on him being awake and upset very early in the morning. Going to be a fun week.