conversations.from: human
conversations.value: What could be a title for a book about Africa, Sailing, Close with the genre: History, World?
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: A title for this book could be 'Sailing Close to the Wind'
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the first three paragraphs for this book.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Sailing Close to the Wind
  If my mother, Lucy, and my father, Tony, were here with us today they would marvel at iPods and iPads but they'd be familiar with the grotesque poverty and despair which scar our communities and blight lives, wasting potential and creating misery. From generation to generation we must stop passing on what is wrong – inequality, injustice – and sustain what is good – a sense of decency, fairness, concern, solidarity – to transform our country and the world for the better.
  I've always heeded the advice of my father to stick to my guns and treat the Houses of Parliament as a place of work, a building where the people of Bolsover send me to do a job for them. I don't regard it as a cosy club where MPs, of all parties, gather to eat and drink together, to enjoy a comfortable life instead of representing those who put their trust in us through the ballot box.
  I've also retained a belief and faith in the power of extra-parliamentary action, particularly through the trade unions. The 650 MPs in the Commons do not have a monopoly on political wisdom, as decisions taken regularly prove. I've been on more picket lines, marches and demonstrations, and spoken at more rallies and meetings than I can count. I've heard more truth, honesty and sanity from people outside Parliament than some of those inside. For 40 years and counting, I've listened to people and disagreed with opponents, particularly Tories.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me three more paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: During the 1984–5 pit strike, Graham was on the picket line every morning at Bolsover colliery until he fell seriously ill. He was admitted to Walton Hospital in Chesterfield and was in a confused state when I saw him. His condition worsened and he fell into a coma. Graham was transferred to the bigger Chesterfield Royal Hospital. He had a beard and straggly hair and when I visited him on a Friday evening, the nurse asked when he'd stopped drinking. Graham, I told them, had epilepsy and never drank. I saw an immediate change in the staff's demeanour. Graham hadn't been taking his tablets, and the hospital didn't know about the epilepsy.
  When the bell went at the end of visiting hours, I refused to leave and staged a sit-in until I saw a doctor. I was fed up with the way he was being treated and wanted to explain his medical history. The following morning, a Saturday, the phone rang. Overnight he'd been transferred to the Hallamshire in Sheffield. The hospital said they knew I was his friend and was unhappy with his care. They were going to pump him full of steroids to try and bring him round. The member of staff calling from the Hallamshire admitted it was risky but said they'd run out of ideas.
  I went to Parliament on the Monday and received a message to contact Pete Darby, a mutual friend. Fearing the worst, I rang back. Pete told me Graham had opened his eyes on gaining consciousness and, noticing he was in a hospital single room, his first words after days in a coma were: 'Hey up, Pete, I hope this isn't private'.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Give me the last five paragraphs.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Naturally, winning my first ballot at Parkhouse colliery was a life changer for me when I was able to represent my mates on the NUM area council in the mid-1950s. They trusted me, Lucy and Tony's lad, to speak for them. Later, Clay Cross Labour Party nominated me to stand for the council and I won again. I'll never forget the countless times I was stopped in the street by well-wishers who, for the most part, assured me they were all related to the family.
  I also acknowledge the part that Derbyshire NUM played in my life, particularly in those years culminating in my winning the area President's job at the age of 34. A few of my colleagues are still around and I will never forget the debt that I owe to them and other friends in the Notts area coalfield NUM such as Henry Richardson, who fought and won a ballot to be a full-time official on the platform of being Skinner's underground mole. Henry is still alive and he is and always will be a socialist. Indeed in Bolsover Constituency Labour Party there are many others who like Henry are never afraid to fight for a socialist society. They have nominated me for Parliament 12 times and all they have asked of me is to remain true to my beliefs and principles.
  I have received tremendous support from colleagues in other areas of the NUM such as Yorkshire, South Wales, Scotland, Kent, Northumberland and in particular Durham where, in total, I have addressed more than one million people since 1978.
  I joined the left-wing Tribune Group when I entered Parliament in 1970. There were just 15 of us. Later I, together with Bob Cryer and others, helped to start the Socialist Campaign Group and I have remained a member ever since. It would be fair to say that at all times I have been much more comfortable with those Labour MPs who accept the need for extra-parliamentary activity, working closely with the trade union movement. That's why on many occasions I have supported John McDonnell for the party leadership even though he has never managed to get the necessary quorum.
  When I first took my seat in Parliament I sat on the front bench below the gangway together with Frank Allaun, Ian Mikardo, Tom Swain and, later, Bob Cryer, Harry Barnes, Ken Purchase, Andrew MacKinlay, Terry Lewis, Mick Clapham, Jimmy Hood and, in his last few months in the Commons, Harold Wilson to whom I surrendered my corner seat before he retired in 1983. Today my neighbours are Ronnie Campbell, Ian Lavery, Ian Mearns, John Cryer, Kelvin Hopkins and Grahame Morris. And all of them at some time have heard many of my lines when I was testing the response to possible Prime Minister's questions.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Delete the last sentence.
conversations.from: assistant
conversations.value: Naturally, winning my first ballot at Parkhouse colliery was a life changer for me when I was able to represent my mates on the NUM area council in the mid-1950s. They trusted me, Lucy and Tony's lad, to speak for them. Later, Clay Cross Labour Party nominated me to stand for the council and I won again. I'll never forget the countless times I was stopped in the street by well-wishers who, for the most part, assured me they were all related to the family.
  I also acknowledge the part that Derbyshire NUM played in my life, particularly in those years culminating in my winning the area President's job at the age of 34. A few of my colleagues are still around and I will never forget the debt that I owe to them and other friends in the Notts area coalfield NUM such as Henry Richardson, who fought and won a ballot to be a full-time official on the platform of being Skinner's underground mole. Henry is still alive and he is and always will be a socialist. Indeed in Bolsover Constituency Labour Party there are many others who like Henry are never afraid to fight for a socialist society. They have nominated me for Parliament 12 times and all they have asked of me is to remain true to my beliefs and principles.
  I have received tremendous support from colleagues in other areas of the NUM such as Yorkshire, South Wales, Scotland, Kent, Northumberland and in particular Durham where, in total, I have addressed more than one million people since 1978.
  I joined the left-wing Tribune Group when I entered Parliament in 1970. There were just 15 of us. Later I, together with Bob Cryer and others, helped to start the Socialist Campaign Group and I have remained a member ever since. It would be fair to say that at all times I have been much more comfortable with those Labour MPs who accept the need for extra-parliamentary activity, working closely with the trade union movement. That's why on many occasions I have supported John McDonnell for the party leadership even though he has never managed to get the necessary quorum.
  When I first took my seat in Parliament I sat on the front bench below the gangway together with Frank Allaun, Ian Mikardo, Tom Swain and, later, Bob Cryer, Harry Barnes, Ken Purchase, Andrew MacKinlay, Terry Lewis, Mick Clapham, Jimmy Hood and, in his last few months in the Commons, Harold Wilson to whom I surrendered my corner seat before he retired in 1983. Today my neighbours are Ronnie Campbell, Ian Lavery, Ian Mearns, John Cryer, Kelvin Hopkins and Grahame Morris.