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In the USA, in Denver, people are facing prosecution for not carrying ID documents on an ordinary cross-town commuter bus. The bus runs through town and transits the edge of the Federal Center ( a complex of buildings, not a security sensitive site). Police are boarding busses and demanding IDs of passengers. A woman who refused to give such IDS has been arrested and will face court on 9th December . Just a cautionary tale perhaps on how things can escalate, to throw into our own ID card debate?

Having kept the same style for over a year now, I felt it was time to make some changes. Having seen Will's new title, I wanted one of my own. I tried photoshoping a picture that I had seen, then I remembered that I'm crap at stuff like that. However I then discovered how Will had done it, and just copied him. It's a great site called Letter James. They have translated from German to English,

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Llangollen Canal is 200 years old today, reports the BBC. It is one of the wonders of the British canal system, and well worth going to see if you are in the area. It is even more spectacular if you sail across it.

Have just come back from the Livingston game this afternoon. Before the kick-off all the fans observed a minutes applause for George Best. I'm sure that George as the consumate showman and rebel would have approved. Unfortunately had little to applaud the rest of the game as the team lost to Kilmarnock 3-0.

The BBC is reporting, via The Times, that “Lord” Archer has been in discussions with the Chief Whip, on the matter of re-joining the Conservative Party. Super. I heartily recommend Jonathan Mantle’s In for a Penny: the unauthorised biography of Jeffrey Archer. It’s a few years old, so doesn’t include the peerage or prison, but is a good laugh nonetheless. Of course, I share more than just Somerset roots with Jeffrey. We both got starred doubled firsts in economics from Oxford, we both won gold medals at the Moscow Olympics, we were both British pioneers of manned space ...

(a) That Jane Moore is one of the stupidest people in Britain. Irritatingly, the Guido Fawkes blog has already picked up on this one, but I shall nonetheless repeat the dialogue that took place on Question Time on Thursday: Jane ‘retard’ Moore: Is that how you met your wife? Alan 'pocket gay' Duncan: I don't actually have a wife Makes you want to stick your tounge in your chin and go “uuuuh”. A rather average edition overall, enlivened only by the appearance of John Thurso’s magnificent soup strainer. (b) That civil servants at the Home Office have a long-standing ...

This piece in today's Guardian on the excuses used to justify not having a TV licence is almost as good as the Jasper Carrott sketch on Australian motor insurance claims. My favourite is the viewer who claimed: "I don't need a TV licence because I only watch Australian soaps and as far as I'm aware you don't need a licence in Australia."

Obviously as a Northern Irish born football fan yesterdays news of George Best's death came with great sadness if not a great shock. There are so many tributes from so many people Malcolm Brodie football correspondent for the Belfast Telegraph who knew George before he even set foot in Manchester. He was to go to Matt Busby's Manchester United to join England's first choice striker Bobby

Friday 25th November 2005 - Lib Dem Shadow Education Secretary Ed Davey MP joined us as our guest speaker for our annual Christmas dinner in Knowsley this week and entered into the Xmas spirit. Ed was also able to meet Council Officers earlier in the day to discuss our 14-19 Collegiate and Building Schools for the Future plans.

Earlier this week Home Office Minister Andy Burnham (no, I'd not heard of him before either) wrote an article attempting to revive the Government's least well justified idea, namely the National Identity Register and ID Cards. Now, I've tackled this dangerous policy before here and to a lesser extent here, here and here. Some arguments in favour of ID cards hold some water and need to be carefully unpicked. No such credit can be levelled at Andy Burnham whose arguments are the worst I have seen in favour of ID cards and the NIR. Here's why: Even the London ...