Alan's Green Thoughts

The revelations about the collusions of Hans Asperger, after whom Asperger's syndrome is named, with the Nazi regime and in particular their despicable euthanasia programme, have been a shock to many, to say the least. But there are other good reasons why the Asperger's syndrome label is outdated with regards to autism, and why it should fade from public use. 1. Autism is a continuous spectrum-it does not have discrete labels. "Classic" autism and "Asperger's syndrome" do not really exist; every autistic person is different and language delay occurs separately from autistic spectrum conditions. The autistic spectrum spans infinite possibilities, not a fixed set of labels. The infinity symbol is used for neurodiversity for good reason! 2. Even psychiatric manuals are phasing out the term "Asperger's syndrome". Autism is autism, irrespective of cognitive factors. Asperger's syndrome has been removed from the US and UK psychiatric ma...

Readers, the results of this week's British local by-elections were as follows: Perth & Kinross UA, Highland (1st preference votes): Conservative 1907 (46.7%, +1.3%), SNP 1466 (35.9%, -0.6%), Independent Taylor 280 (6.9%), Labour 239 (5.8%), Green 104 (2.5%, -1.5%), Liberal Democrats 78 (1.5%, -2.0%), Independent Baykal 12 (0.3%). Conservative hold at stage 6. Warrington UA, Lymm South: Liberal Democrats 769 (42.8%, +11.7%), Conservative 649 (36.2%, -2.6%), Labour 328 (18.3%, -1.8%), UKIP 25 (1.4%, -8.3%), Green 24 (1.3%). Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative. West Berkshire UA, Thatcham West: Liberal Democrats 820 (48.4%, +9.7%), Conservative 523 (30.9%, -16.9%), Green 130 (7.7%), Labour 130 (7.7%, -3.6%), UKIP 91 (5.4%). Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative. These are the last set of British local by-elections before this year's local elections of 3 May, and it must be said that the two Liberal Democrat gains in Warrington and West Berkshire were rather pred...

With 18 days to go before polling day for this year's British local council elections, and with a more divided political climate than ever, what will happen? Based on candidates listed on Statements of Persons Nominated (candidates validated as standing for election, for your information), current council numbers, the state of the parties in the opinion polls (local council control is often decided by national issues, even if the council themselves does not have any remit over them), and my own calculations, I predict the following in terms of council control (of those areas which could or will change hands; council control is as of today, not May 2014): LABOUR GAIN FROM CONSERVATIVE: Hillingdon Plymouth Wandsworth LABOUR GAIN FROM NOC: Barnet Kirklees LABOUR LOSE TO NOC: Cannock Chase CONSERVATIVE GAIN FROM LABOUR: Newcastle-under-Lyme CONSERVATIVE GAIN FROM NOC: Basildon Basingstoke & Deane Peterborough Thurrock CONSERVATIVE LOSE TO NOC: Mole ...

Readers, the results of British local by-elections which took place on 12 April 2018 were as follows: Chichester DC, Rogate: Liberal Democrats 446 (55.8%), Conservative 319 (40.1%, -27.3%), Labour 21 (2.6%), Green 12 (1.5%, -18.2%). Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative. [UKIP did not stand] St Edmundsbury BC, St Olave's: Labour 365 (58.6%, +27.0%), Conservative 150 (24.1%, -6.5%), Independent (Byrne) 77 (12.4%), Liberal Democrats 31 (5.0%). South Northamptonshire DC, Middleton Cheney: Conservative 391 (42.1%, -21.6%), Liberal Democrats 316 (34.1%), Labour 183 (19.7%), Green 38 (4.1%). Locality was the name of the game in Chichester, with the winning Liberal Democrat candidate, Kate O'Kelly, having won the Midhurst county council division last year, in which the village of Rogate sits. The Conservative candidate meanwhile gave an address outside the ward, which in a village or small town can put you out of the running well before election day, especially in a by-elect...

The recent Hungarian election returned Putinesque conservative Viktor Orban and his Fidesz-KDNP (Christian Democratic National Party) coalition once again, and with one more seat than before, giving them 134 and allowing them to keep their supermajority (a 2/3 majority, which is required to change the Constitution of Hungary). Despite Viktor's illiberal regime and Putinesque control of Hungarian media, his hardline stances have actually struck a chord with many younger Hungarian voters who had never lived under Communist rule, which ended in 1989, and particularly those who feel left behind by the European Union. Fidesz' support is weakest in the capital, Budapest, and strongest in the western rural areas without a history of a strong industrial base and which are reasonably prosperous. Hungary is not a particularly urbanised country, with Budapest being 8 1/2 times the size of the second largest city, Debrecen, and with a population density only approximately 35% of that of ...

Readers, the results of this week's British local by-elections were as follows: Fylde BC, Heyhouses: Conservative 655 (58.1%, +13.0%), Labour 202 (17.9%, -14.2%), Liberal Democrats 138 (12.2%, -10.6%), Green 133 (11.8%). Highland UA, Caol & Mallaig (1st preference votes): Liberal Democrats 658 (31.1%, +21.8%), SNP 574 (27.2%, +3.2%), Independent (Wood) 454 (21.5%), Conservative 183 (8.7%, +0.5%), Independent (MacKinnon) 146 (6.9%), Independent (Campbell) 98 (4.6%) Liberal Democrat gain from SNP at stage 6. [No Labour candidate this time]. New Forest DC, Milford: Conservative 1057 (76.4%, -3.1%), Liberal Democrats 200 (14.5%), Labour 126 (9.1%, -11.4%). Taunton Deane BC, Wiveliscombe & West Deane: Green 600 (44.7%, +36.3%), Liberal Democrats 389 (29.0%,+18.3%) Conservative 352 (26.2%, +4.5%). Green gain from Independent. [No Independent candidates this time] The Green Party's win in Wiveliscombe & West Deane gives them their first councillor in Taunto...

Today ,Autism Awareness Month begins, although it should really be Autism Acceptance Month. And we should really be accepting and understanding autism throughout the year. One area of life where autism is rarely even mentioned is politics, with the Westminster Commission on Autism Report not receiving significant levels of coverage despite the acclaimed Channel Four documentary "Are you Autistic?" (watch it if you have not yet done so) and only a handful of people diagnosed as being autistic (myself included) standing at election time (and almost always without success, unfortunately). Why is it important we elect autistic (and other neurodiverse) politicians as well as neurotypical politicians? Autistic people are as a rule honest, forthright, and stick by their principles more firmly than neurotypical people. Their strong attention to detail also helps them bring issues which would otherwise not get media coverage, such as when the late Robert Mason (an independent co...