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Bad news from Burma - it seems the country's junta have decided to keep democracy activist Aung Sun Suu Kyi under house arrest. The current term was expiring, and lots of people, including the UN secretary general, hoped the guys would relent and let this really courageous woman out. But no. clearly they are very afraid. Aung Sun Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for 10 of the last 15 years - yet she is still seen as beacon of hope among those wanting democracy in Burma. I suppose things like this underline ...

Sorry for the break in this series but I've been having braodband difficulties at home. And the other night after 35 minutes on the phone to Mumbai they finally confirmed what I tild them in the first minute of the call that my modem was dead, deceased, fallen off this mortal coil, no more. Anyway after a number of enquires into what I'd found out I'm pressing on with the remainder of the

Bromley by-election hq Originally uploaded by rfenwick. This is the ‘before’ shot! ‘after’ will probably follow in a weeks time when this has descended into mayhem. Now that the late Eric Forth’s funeral has passed (Thursday if I remember correctly), many good people have been out delivering leaflets [...]

Did you know that we have a boarding school in Kingston? Marymount is an independent international girls school managed by a Catholic order, tucked away in Coombe Hill. The students come from all over the world - from Japan to Angola - and take the International Baccalaureate. They enjoy an American-style graduation ceremony when they finish. Here are some of...

Well luckily for me, we went off to the England vs Sri Lanka game on Thursday. We normally go on the Saturday of the Edgbaston test. We got to see a whole days play, and got sun burnt into the question! Saw 13 wickets (all ten of the Sri Lankans), and a bit of big KPs batting. The day was topped off by watching the Shed win their 7th Thursday night game in a row, and then to the pub to watch

In the past year my biggest local matter to deal with has been a planning application in the ward I represent for a neighbourhood centre. Nothing wrong with that , you might think. There were even conditions on the outline planning consent for 'a range of uses valuable to the local community' and that the traffic numbers would not be 'demonstrably detrimental to the convenience or safety of

I was on duty this morning at the councillors' surgery at the Town Hall steps in Newbury. This being the first surgery in the council year, the new Mayor was on duty with me, as is the custom. So it was a particular delight to be there with Gill, the mayor, who is also one of my fellow ward councillors for Victoria. Several people stopped to say hello to her and others took pictures of her. She

Speed, heart rate and pedalling cadence as I went over the handlebars yesterday evening. Truly we live in an information-rich society. The heart rate monitor may have flashed up 'whoa, this one's going to hurt' as I passed it on the way to the tarmac, and it'd have been right. Tags: cycling, gravity, pain

Although he doesn't know it, I have recently appointed John Leech as patron of the new Liberal Democrat Association of Tradesmen's Bell pressers. After his (to us) surprise election as MP for Manchester Withington last year, his wife was quoted as saying how, for many months, he got up at 7am to deliver leaflets. I thought: "Ah! A fellow tradesmen's bell presser!". It was very heartening to know

Hat-tip: BBC Radio 4’s The Now Show [At his speech to Google Zeitgeist Europe 2006,] David Cameron was singing the praises of the Internet, and, notably, “the most exciting new businesses, the ones that capture the spirit of the age.” Fair enough. He then went on: “Look at craigslist, which talks about restoring the human voice to the Internet in a humane, non-commercial environment.” So we had

"I'm for individual liberty and equal rights and chances for all men"

I am wary of the idea that Blair's pursuit of Clause IV is a paradign to be followed slavishly. But there is something Clause IVish about Ming's speech on crime and punishment - and it is well done. The great thing is that Ming sinks the "votes for Ian Huntley" complaint, and yet reaffirms the basic principles of liberalism. The twin pillars of a liberal society are the rule of law and respect for human rights. Being a gut liberal is where Ming scores best, and he should continue to speak in this vein. We need to remind people ...

I wouldn't normally include a formal group photo on my blog, preferring informal shots, but this is a remarkable collection of heroes. Every person standing in this picture was commended by the Borough Commander, Chief Superintendant Angela List, at a ceremony yesterday. We heard how some had shown bravery when dealing with violent criminals or rescuing people; some had...

This must the wettest draught on record. The heavy rain today has certainly put paid to all my plans. (I'm prone to catching a cold after a soaking so I'm not going anywhere) At the time of my earlier posting Water, water everywhere , I hadn't realised that Thames Water already had approval from Newham Council for a desalination unit in Beckton which was being constructed to support the envisaged water requirement for the 2020 Olympic Games. Now it seems Mayor Ken Livingston is trying to block the plan and an ...

Ming Campbell's been copping a fair bit of flak in the last fortnight, so it was good to see and hear him in fighting form today, launching a major speech on the liberal approach to crime and justice. I put off reading the speech tonight, slightly concerned Ming might have conceded liberal ground to the brain-dead right-wing press. No need to worry. It strikes an highly effective balance between

1. Deliver a few leaflets in the rain.2. Set video to record Dr. Who.3. Travel to Cardiff to watch Swansea play Barnsley in the League One play-off final at the Millennium Stadium. Come on the Swans!!

What are people's expectations of the Freedom of Information Act? Well, a letter writer in the Western Mail this morning seems to believe that the Act entitles him to know everything about anything: SIR - Under the Freedom of Information Act our children should be told the weight and waist measurement of all our MPs, AMs and SMPs. I am not clear what the public interest element is in holding this information. However, what I do know is that in my own case I try to avoid knowing anything about my waist measurement and weight at all.

I am pleased with Ming Campbell's approach on the issue of Crime. To quote from his speech: A party which is serious about social justice cannot fail to be serious about preventing crime and enforcing the rules. ... I want to be clear: I support the discriminating use of ASBOs in tackling crime and discouraging anti social behaviour. Liberal Democrats in local government have used ASBOs to

I am always very cautious about jumping to conclusions on "Bishop says" or "Bishop attacks" stories. Having read part of David Jenkins' autobiography, I was aware that he is a very thoughtful and dedicated Christian, a mile away from the caricature of the "mad bishop" presented in the tabloids. The latest "Bishop says" story is summarised thus by the BBC: "A senior Anglican bishop has condemned

I grew up on a farm neighbouring those in North Tuddenham hit by the bird flu outbreak, so I have been following developments there with a personal interest. Restrictions around the village have today been lifted, but the effects will continue be felt by farmers.