Is Steve Churton a hockey dad?

The PJ online has asked it's readers to comment on Steve Churton's presidential BPC speech.  Alas, I was not there and so I can't.  It's a shame no-one thought to put it on YouTube.

I do have access to edited highlights, which suggest that he's got our interests at heart. Apparently it was warmly received (not rapturously?) by those at the conference.

In a small way this parallels our American cousins who, we are told, have taken a vice presidential candidate to their hearts based on one speech she gave at her convention.  I didn't see all of it, but took away from the BBC coverage that she described herself as a pitbull with lipstick.  The Americans loved it.  Meanwhile our tearoom has had an indepth discussion how best to translate the US terminology - what exactly is a 'hockey mom'?  Is it ethical to 'put lipstick on a pig'?

Now there's things in the President's address that I like.  Specifically emphasising the need for RPSGB to be a members organisation, rather than the "modern regulator" that has been so in fashion recently; and the fragmentation of the profession that needs to be resolved to avoid pharmacy's voice being solely the agendas of specific companies, groups and sectors.

Since Governor Palin's speech in the US, certain things have been described about her that I find troubling.  Allegedly she doesn't believe in evolution biology, thinks the best way to get around oil problems is to open up Alaska to drilling, likes hunting and when mayor of a town in Alaska tried to ban books she disapproved of from the town library.

Now I don't expect  Steve Churton to do anything evil, let alone so devious as to ban pharmacy books that he disapproves of.  I know little of him; but like this vice-presidential candidate he has risen quickly to the heights of their profession.  What he says is great; what he does and what the results of his actions will be is the important thing.  

The only thing I knew about Steve Churton before he became president of RPSGB, was that he worked for Boots; a company that has focuses a little too much on the commercical aspects of pharmacy rather than it's professional aspects for my liking.   But let's not be prejudiced about his employer or this employee. 

Sarah Palin's entry into the US presidential election has reinvigorated the Republican party's belief in it's ability to rewin the white house.  Could Steve Churton's success at his own presidential election be the start of a process of reinvigorating our belief in a pharmacy professional body?

One good speech does not a great leader make, let's see him acting on uniting the profession and putting members first.  RPSGB's got 15 and a half months left to do it.