LOYALTY, is it important? Yes, very much so. Blind loyalty? We hope not. At the moment I'm thinking about the predicament that a lot of people will be finding themselves in.

Is there anybody out there that really thinks that armed warfare is the answer? I don't think so, we all know in the end it still has to be resolved around a table.

But what if war is the only way to get people to that table?

Now I'm not a big fan of New Labour (and you can say that again) but at times like this we should all put party politics aside and argue, plead, do whatever is best for our country.

I don't always "agree" with Jack Straw, but at the moment I do feel sorry for him. He is in a very, very important job, which must absorb all of his time. Yet he is expected to carry out the duties of a local MP; how can he do both jobs?

As MP his loyalties are to us, as Minister of the Realm, his loyalties should and must be to the government, to the Prime Minister, the country. And the two things are not always quite the same thing.

As our MP, Jack is honour bound to do his best to represent all of the people of Blackburn and hopefully not find himself being held to ransom by a very vocal few, which is how it appears at the moment. It would be better, perhaps when an MP is elevated to the Cabinet that a deputy should be found, elected, or whatever, to tend to the needs of the constituency.

Then this problem of perceived divided loyalties would not occur.

SOME folk can manage money better than others. My mum was one of those lovely people who couldn't. She was generous to a fault.

Whenever you went to visit she wouldn't let you leave empty-handed. It would be a cake she'd baked, or a cardigan knitted for one of the boys, plant for the garden, socks for John.

A long time ago I gave her £15 to treat herself.

When I went up later in the week she had spent it on an electric kettle for one of my brothers. I was furious. Didn't tell her that of course, but I moaned like mad to my husband.

"For heaven's sake!" he said. "You gave that money to your mother as a present, so what she does with it is her business. It probably gives your mum a lot of pleasure being able to buy something expensive for someone."

So, perhaps that should apply to Prince Charles, he has given pressies, and in my book I would think its no-one else's business what he chooses to do with them.

Heaven knows I've recycled a few in my time, haven't you?

Living in the public eye all the time must be absolute hell. You would think that his household could be his own private business, wouldn't you?

Can't say I'd like an in-depth inquiry into mine. Perish the thought.

I once met Prince Charles, I was doing some work for the Prince's Trust. It was absolutely throwing it down, they had put the group that was to meet him inside a sort of open-fronted warehouse under cover.

And he walked round having a pleasant word with everyone. Then he noticed some women standing across the road by the fence watching.

"Please," he said, "get me an umbrella." "But sir, it's really raining very, very heavily." "No matter," he replied, "if they can stand it so can I," and he crossed over the road to chat with them. Came back with his light suit black with the rain and very wet.

Just thought I'd mention it.

Till next week.

PS Wouldn't it be absolutely dire if our men "out there" got the impression we were not 100 per cent behind them?