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The dilemma is that, on the one hand Prezza’s a waste of public money, but on the other hand life’s not all work. His game of croquet could be regarded as taking a leaf out of Cameron’s book of work-life balance. The solution to the dilemma is this: Prezza’s party is busy dismantling all of our [...]

Hey, I got my first spam comment today. From the BNP. Thanks guys, nice to know you care. Oh, and thanks to the akismet comment spam filter for keeping the fascists off my site!

I have recently caught up with the HBO series Deadwood. As with almost every HBO show, it is superbly acted, well written and compellingly directed. It also, like most of their shows, has intellectual depth. Life in Deadwood is short, nasty and brutish. A camp set up in a reservation, it has no legal status. Without the law, brute strength or skill with a gun wins out. Everything is a

The Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign against homophobic bullying. As part of the campaign, there's an online petition at: Help stop homophobic bullying This is one petition I'm fully supporting and would encourage others to sign. How can you help this campaign? 1. Sign the petition yourself 2. Do you have a blog or website? If so you can mention the campaign - and link through to the petition page 3. Email people you know about the campaign 4. Do you take part in any online discussion forum ...

Channel Four have a good report on the dilemma facing Bromley Tories. You can watch it here. Tory traditionalists will not be pleased to find they are referred to as "caveman".

As World Environment Day, 5th June 2006, looms large it is time to ‘talk the talk’ and make 1 to 10 pledges to save the environment. From simply leaving the tap off whilst brushing your teeth, through car sharing, to organising / volunteering for an environmental project. Please support the campaign by clicking here for the Environment Agency’s WED pledge website. [...]

I believe Michael Brown, the now infamous "largest Lib Dem donor ever", is every bit the "muppet" he called the party apparatchiks, and would personally not hopefully have accepted that money had I been in a position to do so. But if I had to choose between someone who may have swindled a small number of millionnaires out of some of their probably not all ethically gained loot and a Cameron donor accused of 'repugnant' business practices, I would choose Robin Hood over reputedly Rach rentier anyday. I mean really, how could we even dream that the party ...

This review of the Little Red Book appears in today's Liberal Democrat News. The Little Red Book of New Labour Sleaze Edited by Iain Dale and Guido FawkesPolitico's Media, 2006, £7.99 Tony Blair came to power in 1997 pledged to be whiter than white. "You are not here to enjoy the trappings of power," he told his MPs, "but to do a job and to uphold the highest standards in public life." How have they measured up? Not very well, this chunky little paperback suggests. Peter Mandleson's mortgage, Bernie Ecclestone's donation, the dodgy dossier... are all here. ...

I am deeply disappointed with the Tory list of Transport proposals. I am staggered that they have let the moment pass without seizing an obvious proposal which has been crying out for implementation for many years now. It seems to me that if you are driving and you see a load of cones and they annoy you, there should be a number which you can ring to complain. I am gravely disappointed that the Tories have let this moment pass without leaping on this obvious vote winner.

Just for anyone wondering how to fill the last 10 minutes of Friday at work, or bored over the weekend, three worthy petitions: 1) Lib Dems' Stop Homophobic Bullying Campaign Does what it says on the tin. Find the petition here. 2) The People's Petition A petition supporting the carefully-regulated use of experiments involving animals for vital medical research. Anyone able to make it tomorrow morning should come on the Pro-Test march. 3) Lib Dems' Petition Against Cricket Ground Beer Rip-Offs May sound like a minor sporting issue, but it's free trade baby.

The Liberal Democrats have today unveiled a new campaign aimed at ending homophobioc bullying in schools. The camapaign has three aims that: 1. Homophobic taunts and name calling in schools should be challenged immediately by staff. 2. All schools' anti-bullying policies should be required to include measures specifically to deal with homophobic bullying. 3. At least one teacher in every

Commenting on the election of Diana Wallis as leader of the British Liberal Democrat MEPs, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell MP, said Diana Wallis's contribution since first being elected to the European Parliament in 1999 has been first rate, from her role as spokesperson on the Legal Affairs committee for the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe to her recent appointment as the Rapporteur of the European Parliament's report into the collapse of Equitable Life. Diana will make an excellent leader of the British Liberal Democrat MEPs.

On the face of it some of the Redwood's proposals sound quite sensible: removing dangerous cycle lanes, letting taxis etc share bus lanes, having no all red phase on junctions.But think about what some of these mean, and the potential impact of the headline of allowing left turns at red lights.What do they mean about dangerous cycle lanes? Given the 10 point plan is intended to increase road capacity for cars by 10-20%, I presume they mean cycle lanes that take up road space instead of cars. So Dave's tories want to move one set of road users onto the ...

Some Tories are suggesting that we should allow left turns on red lights.I can see advantages and disadvantages of this, however it is reported as some new idea from a Tory policy group, yet I'm pretty sure that this was included or being spoke about during the 2001 general election.

Yesterday the Kerne Bridge by-election (Herefordshire Council) was held after the resignation (and subsequent death) of the Independent Councillor.

During his leadership campaign, Cameron made one promise that everyone noted - to withdraw Tory MEPs from the pro-federalist EPP group in the European Parliament. In the Guardian Michael White suggests that that promise means David Cameron's honeymoon with the electorate risks being wrecked by internal feuding over the same controversy which helped to destroy Conservative credibility in the 1990s . For Tory MEPs the implication of Cameron keeping his word is that it would cut them off from influential policy-making posts at Strasbourg, along with the EPP's network of funds and Europe-wide connections as the largest EU political ...

Why should LibDems be concerned because of the political uproar in Lithuania where Prime Minister Brazauskas has just (June 1st) resigned? Well two reasons. The resignation came in the wake of this, reported in the Baltic Times on May 24th: VILNIUS - The State Security Department raided Labour Party headquarters onsuspicions that the party had received donations from Russian special servicesand bribes in exchange for support in procuring EU funds. Prosecutors are alsotaking part in the investigation, which has triggered a new wave of instabilityin the minority ruling coalition – and some say the worst crisis yet. Members ofthe ...

I was going to write a long review, but can't be bothered.The film is great, the girls look good and stay until the end of the credits.

All of this morning's papers are reporting that the Tories have decided not to propose tax cuts at the next General Election. Instead they are promising to put economic stability first. Given that tax cuts have been the main policy of the Tories since I have been old enough to vote, this proposal smacks a lot of them abandoning any policies and principles at all in the hope that the unpopularity of the Labour Government and Cameron's photogenicity sweeps them to power. Could this be Cameron's Clause Four moment? If so it fails on several counts. Firstly, ...

The home of the deep fried Mars bar has turned its back in disbelief at the actions of the company in rebranding its brand name product for the world cup. Believe AKA Mars is currently experiencing a major slump in sales North of the Border. Being associated with the only successful home nation to qualify for a world cup may be one thing but it is backfiring in other regions, especially when

According to Cricinfo, Jon Lewis is to make his test debut at Trent Bridge today. Congratulations to him. I hope the ball swings.

Climate change, it seems, has never been a bigger issue. Even the famously resistant Bush administration in the US has acknowledged that climate change is real, and that measures will be required - although Bush thinks that means more nuclear power rather than less, or more efficient, energy use. But the fact that Bush is talking climate change at all is a sign of the issue's importance. And here in the UK, when the Conservatives wanted an issue to try to rehabilitate their image, they chose the environment. Like Bush, they're more keen on quick-fix ideas than ...

World Environment Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972. World Environment Day is hosted every year by a different city and there is an international exposition in the host city. The 2006 World Environment Day is to be held in Algeria and the topic for 2006 is Deserts and Desertification. According to the UN site "World Environment Day can be celebrated in many ways, including street rallies, bicycles parades, green concerts, essay and poster competitions in schools, tree planting, recycling efforts, clean-up campaigns and much more." In the UK the Environment Agency has a page where ...

Coming from Bangor, County Down I was surrounded by places named after the Marquess of Dufferin and Ava, Frederick Hamilton-Temple Blackwood. He was a major landowner all across the County Down and has locations and plagues in buildings all over the place. He served as Govenor General to Canada from 1872-8 and it was interesting to stumble across the news that Orangeville, Dufferin County,

Whatever we think of John Prescott he does fill one vital role, if anything should happen to Tony Blair or he is out of the country or on holiday Prezza steps up to carry out the role vacated by the leader of the country. The same has not been so for the top Judge in Scotland. Steps have been taken by Jack McConnell to ensure that the recent lack of cover for the top post on the Scottish judicary

After 2 hours of young men leaping into sun-dappled lakes whilst the camera lingered over their speedos... in the final hour... at last... and much welcome... Dan Stevens had something to do except practice his 'unfocused gaze into middle distance to convey I'm an aesthete detached from the tangible concerns of Thatcherite Britain'. And it was a good 'un. I nearly cried. I'm happy to report The

I came across the story of Mike (The Headless Chicken) on Wikipedia today: Mike (The Headless Chicken) (1945–47) was a Wyandotte rooster (cockerel) that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off. Now if that isn't a metaphor for the post-Blair New Labour government, I don't know what is.

...Dotheboys Hall is still alive, well and educating in Yorkshire. Unless you're on school dinners, in which case you stand a good chance of getting expelled. No poor kids at the school dinner table, school goes higher up the league table. Let's hope nobody winks. Squeersy used to thrash Dotheboys boys for winking.

Back in my days as a Labour member, in June 1994, I undertook a week’s work experience in the Liverpool regional HQ in Walton. It was a quiet time, owing to the Euro elections having been just fought, so the office was in the usual post-campaign wind-down, though the leadership elections provided some enjoyable background gossip. It was there I met Peter Kilfoyle, the thinking man’s John Prescott

A 400 ft deep mile-long flooded cave system, isolated from the outside world for five million years has been discovered during quarrying near Tel-Aviv. Eight new invertebrate species have so far been discovered, all (surprise surprise) blind and scientists are in a great taking about it, saying there is a great deal to be discovered. Maybe in these circumstances science needs to back respectfully away, stick a carefully sterilised plug in the hole and let a pristine environment carry on as it has, unmolested for another five million years. While we big-brained humans intelligently fuck up a few ...