LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Wednesday 26th September 2007

Should this be the end of Loo's Muze?

Someone, I can’t remember who, referred to my blog the other day as “the unfortunately titled Lindyloo’s Muze”. I have to confess I have been a tad troubled by this………what is unfortunate about it? Have I a gaping hole in my education, is Lindyloo a euphemism for I know not what? Is this what comes of dabbling in a male domain? Given the extraordinary range of names for blogs, maybe it’s a wee bit too pedestrian? So should I ditch it for one of my other nicknames (well one that I am aware of!) or perhaps my favourite pseudonym Dr ...

Springboard update

I've just got home from a significant meeting of the Health Overview Committee. The item that drew considerable public interest was the threatened closure of Springboard, the local NHS workshop for people with mental health problems. I gave some background to this a few weeks ago. I wish I could give some encouraging news. The Primary Care Trust has withdrawn £1 million from the...

The park moving on

Friends of Newham Grange Park are a group of people who live near the park that have been working hard to transform it into a place that welcomed people of all ages to play, walk, and just enjoy. We were able to be there at the opening on September 2nd, and tonight plans were being laid for future events, much needed seats and bins, planting thousands of bulbs, and even learning how to do hedge...

Gordon - will he or won’t he?

News reaches The Voice from our network of spies at Labour conference that there are unusual levels of activity. The big donors are very much in evidence and every effort is being driven towards manic fundraising. All the usual suspects like agents, PPCs and sitting MPs are being whisked off for readiness training. Printing companies are taking firm [...]

More idiocy from Robert Mugabe

When you country is collapsing around you, when foreign companies are already fleeing the country with their foreign currency reserves, when unemployment is at an all time high, when what you desperately need is jobs, investment and hope for your people, Robert Mugabe consistently fails to deliver and does the worst thing possible. Luckily for Mugabe, he has friends in Russia, Burma, China and no doubt with Hugo Chavez too. Te problem is for Zimbabweans that Africa, and in particular South Africa, care little about the suffering of Black People in Zimbabwe. All they care about is that Mugabe is ...

Fourth Best Council in the UK!!!

Absolutely fantastic news for the authority I am a member of, North Cornwall District Council, today. We have come 4th in "The Times Best Councils to work for" list. We are the only authority in the South West to have made it into the top 20. It is not much of a surprise to us that we have such a good culture amongst our staff as we are continuously complimented on the attitude and enthusiasm of our staff. That would not happen if they were unhappy. The Times mentions the policy of giving time off for voluntary work if matched ...

Utter Garbage from a Roman Catholic Archbishop

It appears the fight against contraception by the Roman Catholic church has hit a new low with a senior Archbishop scandalously claiming that European made condoms are deliberately infected with HIV to give people AIDS. I know the Roman Catholic Church hates all forms of contraception, but what this suggesting, no actually, what this man is brazenly telling lies about, is an utter disgrace. Because of his statement, some people will not use condoms, which in turn will mean they will get HIV/AIDS and will die. What do you call a man whose deliberate actions will lead to some one's ...

Why Labour can't be trusted

Wednesday, 26 September 2007 This is why we said "Labour can't be trusted" During the May Council elections we gave reasons why Labour can't be trusted. While the Lib Dem-led Coalition ran the Council from 2003 to 2007, Labour promised everything to everyone and practicised opposition for opposition's sake. The Labour leader, Cllr George Dunning jumped on every bandwagon and even opposed what his own Labour administration had started or done before 2003. The Evening Gazette's 'You Say' column was filled with letters supporting Labour. We're not sure whether some of their suporters really exist (and here and here). The ...

Collateral Damage (The Years Between - Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond)

After feeling decidedly old the other week at Chatroom/Citizenship I reasserted my youth yesterday with a trip to the Orange Tree to see their revival of The Years Between. I think I counted 5 people in the audience under the age of 60 (and not a single non-white face). It would have caused the diversity people at the Arts Council to have a fit. Anyway don't let that put you off, as after a slow

Even I'm not that much of a geek

I know that we are in a world of long tails and niche media, but a radio station devoted solely to the 2008 presidential election? well whatever floats your boat I suppose. I'm sure the weekly talk show on polls and polling is going to be appointment radio.

Carnival of the Liberals 48

Welcome to my visitors from the USA and a word of explanation to my readers in Britain. Carnival of the Liberals is a fortnightly round-up of the best in liberal blogging. It usually contains postings from North America, though I have had a couple included myself and I have seen other British bloggers there too. I volunteered to host it because I wanted to encourage a bit of transatlantic co-operation and to see if liberalism means the same thing on both sides of the pond. The picture comes from one of my favourite films, A Matter of Life and Death, ...

.........and another thing..........

With thanks for the feedback on my rant about the male dominated blogosphere, it also struck me that of course, nearly always, given the nature of the beast, my commentators are men. So I was delighted to get a comment from Alix who also posted on the issue. Anyway, this is a first for me, blogging on the train on the way to York, actually demonstrates how addicted I have become, paying a fiver for the privilege! But I am paying more than money - unfortunately having decided to cart a laptop round with me as well as all my ...

Bloggers in Burma

There is a piece on the Guardian website giving links to blogs dealing with the current events in Burma: The Irrawaddy News;Zin Media;Mizzima News;Matthew Weaver for the Guardian itself.

I take it back: Brown announces one good policy...

... and hold onto your hats: It's one of ours! No sooner have I written a post slagging off the policy-free zone that is Labour than I look at the Guardian website and see this story: Brown to close private equity loophole Deborah Summers, politics editor Wednesday September 26, 2007 The government will close a tax loophole that allows fat-cat bosses to pay less tax than their office

Lord Bonkers' Diary: A shark in Staines Reservoir

Wednesday I gather from my friends in the Green Liberal Democrats that this summer’s rain is the strongest possible evidence for global warming, just as last summer’s drought was. Indeed our predicament is now so great that it is impossible to conceive of anything that would not be strong evidence for the existence of global warming. Disappointing though the weather has been, it has not prevented the hardier holidaymakers thronging the beaches of Rutland Water. I myself insisted that the Well-Behaved Orphans’ swimming gala went ahead and was there in a warm woollen coat to cheer them on. Some disquiet ...

Labour broadcasts televisual emetic

I'm sure I'm not alone in having cringed a little bit at the Lib Dem conference broadcast that was broadcast last week; the cheesy music, the slightly twee shots of Ming playing football. So I am incredibly grateful to the Labour Party for demonstrating just how much worse it could have been (a big cuddle for anyone who can find a link to Labour's video). Where we approached a big issue and

Gordon Brown and election dates

Having complained before about how easy a ride the media are giving Gordon Brown over his rather arrogant attitudes towards election dates, treating our democracy as if it is his own personal plaything - full credit to Jonathan Freedland for writing: The absurdity that the timing of our elections is in the hands of the prime minister has to end. It doesn't just destabilise our politics; it is grotesquely unfair. British elections are running races in which one of the contestants gets to fire the starting gun. So when Gordon Brown finally names the date, let him also vow to ...

Betfair Tightens on Snap Election

Currently you can back an early election at 2.84 on Betfair (that's a bit worse than 2 to 1 for old fashioned betters). As you can see there's been a distinct tightening of the market over the past few days - and some people who put their money on a while back at odds of 10 or so have probably made a killing. I do, indeed, have some money on an early election. What's more, I personally am well up for it...

What does Russia's response to Burma tell us about Russia's democracy ?

If you were an alien just arrived on Earth who knew nothing of world politics, you might be able to divide the world by it;s political systems very easily by examining each country's response to the situation in Burma. The EU, the USA, indeed virtually every democratic society in the world has spoken out against the undemocratic and brutal military regime in Burma. On the other side. standing as opponents to the protests are China, of course, the puppeteers in chief to Burma's regime, and with them Robert Mugabe's Zimbabwe, a country that cares little for democracy or the rule ...

Telephone canvassing nightmare

I’m presently writing this as a way of avoiding making phone calls on behalf of an excellent candidate who wants to stand for the Lib Dems for the European Parliament at the next lot of elections. Although I’m certain the candidate will be great, I’m not keen on speaking to people on the phone at the best of times, and phoning strangers, even strange Lib Dems, gives me the heebie jeebies. Putting that to one side, and doing my duty, I’m phoning around, but fidgeting while I do it. During the most recent call, to a keen sounding chap in ...

Cancel your subscription to the War on Terror

Do you want to stop the British and American governments conducting or condoning torture in the name of your safety? If so, "Unsubscribe", Amnesty International's new web campaign is for you. Add your name to the list of people who are opting out of the war on terror - at least as far as it's an excuse to breach fundamental human rights. I'm very impressed by the way Amnesty are running this online campaign, which also has the front of the Amnesty supporters newsletter. At lunchtime there were 2,000-odd people signed up, this evening there are 4,000-odd. This has every ...

Support from the strangest places

The government should learn from the Liberal Democrats and look at more ways to tax Britain’s top earners, Treasury Minister Angela Eagle says. So said the BBC yesterday.

Ian Dale’s Top 100 Liberal Democrat Blogs is nothing but Link-bait

It came as some surprise to see my own site linked to from Ian Dale’s political mega-hub, particularly as I’ve not published one even vaguely political story this year. So I’m unable to glean quite how I achieved a rank of #75 in the lib-dem chart, and a higher rank than the official blog of the Liberal Democrat party leader. Ian states that his rankings are a reflection of ‘votes’ cast by his panel. All I can say is that this sort of voting reminds me of the kind they have in Florida where the actual number of votes cast ...

Something in the air

As the days go by, the poll leads extend (11 points now according to YouGov for Channel 4), the expectations of a General Election build and build.Indeed, Simon Heffer in The Telegraph, believes that after all rumours of a snap election, Gordon would look silly if he didn't now go sometime in 2007 ("Nation waits to see if Brown will move in for the kill")Jonathan Freedland in The Guardian provides the most vivid portrayal of what is going on in the inner-circle as they weigh up the options on which Gordon will cogitate("It can't be right that this decision will ...

A third way?

The Echo's public meeting about the issue of an elected mayor last Friday raised some interesting questions, both in the meeting and in the bar afterwards. The most important question, of course, is why there is only one hand-pulled beer on offer in the Arts Centre. Only a few years ago, those of us living nearby were actively discouraged from drinking there unless we were attending an arts

The biggest swearer of them all?

I’ve presented myself, on behalf of the Liberal Democrats, at the odd doorstep. Suffice it to say that I can do the various spiels in my sleep. For example, I take great pride in being able to do the residents survey spiel in record time and without pausing for breath: “Hello/I’m/ calling/on/ behalf/of/ the/lib/ dems/doing/ a/ survey/of/ local/views/ if/you/ are/able/ to/fill/ it/in/ please/

Brown the deceiver

If there was any reason to believe Brown is a fake it is the way he has stayed above the fray to seem `statesmanlike` when his aides have been running around stoking up election fever. I think though even he has realised it’s got out of hand - so he will have to make a decision to go to the country (or rather the middle class marginal polling districts) or say something to upstage David Cameron next week. To call an election during a rival parties conference would be the height of crassness. I don’t actually think that the polls ...

Are you up for a life changing challenge?

Many people who get involved in election campaigns find them the most exhilarating, exciting and life changing events of their lives. I've lost count of the number of people who through their involvem...

My Apologies

I wrote earlier today that the "mass media" (an unspecific and largely unhelpful term, I admit) have failed to question whether Gordon Brown, as Prime Minister, should have the right to call an early election. My sincerest apologies must therefore go to Mr Jonathan Freedland who, in an article in today's Guardian, does indeed question the current state of affairs: "The absurdity that the timing

Burma!

Like most people I'm ashamed our nation is doing so little for the people of Burma. British businesses profit from selling Teak wood from Junta owned plantations, or from selling products made by or for asian companies in burma - for example Mats... Read and post comments | Send to a friend

Why I won't be betting on a November election

Justin Hinchliffe says he is off down the bookies to bet on an November election. I won't be joining him. But that doesn't mean that I am saying it won't be this Autumn. Just think of those cold nights out at Bonfire Night parties, really not the conditions to be getting out the vote! Daylight Saving Time ends on 28 October, so I believe that 25 October is the latest date that Gordon Brown could

The barrier to more powers

Nerys Evans gave the game away earlier on today in the chamber when she confirmed that the Environment Legislative Competence Order (LCO) is encountering problems in Westminster with regards to the breadth of the powers which the Welsh Government are seeking to draw down. This was in stark contrast to the First Minister's claims that all were well yesterday. Although a wrangle over who approves any new nuclear power stations is part of this row, one of the sources of the problem lies in the Government of Wales Act 2006 itself. Section 95 (2) states that: An Order in Council ...

Okay, so let's take this election bluster into the realms of fantasy

As the rumour-mills of the country's press go into overload here's perhaps the most absurd reason why Gordon Brown will call an election within days (as suggested here over a month ago). He will remember 'Sunny' Jim Callaghan, the Labour Prime Minister between 1976 and 1979, who took over from a previously popular leader whose light was on the wane, rather than getting a direct mandate in a General Election and who resisted pressure to go for an election in the autumn of 1978, instead waiting until the Spring of 1979, during which time his 'supporters' in the public sector ...

Remember 1970

Despite the hysteria about the latest "Labour 11 points ahead" YouGov poll, I remain convinced that Brown is not stupid enough to call an election this year. The Labour lead in the polls will diminish with the Tory conference next week (the Tories do conferences very well). And look at what the YouGov poll said about voters' thoughts on a potential election date: ...voters polled by YouGov did

Are we ready for an election?

Well I’ve just got off the phone with my old home council to make sure my postal vote is set up just in case old Gordie decides to call a snap election - after all given Labours current poll position it would make sense. As I live in Jersey at the moment I need to register as an Overseas Elector and set up a postal vote - something I need to do on an annual basis and as I’ve moved house this year I’m not sure if I remebered to do it. Fortunately I had and everything is fine - ...

The proud owner of the 52nd best Lib Dem blog in the country…

Last year I was 58th on the list of Iain Dale’s “top 100 Lib Dem blogs.” I have to say that in a year which saw me elected to public office, it didn’t rank as my number one achievement. But still it provided some pub-table comedy when chatter came to an awkward pause, and it did make me a bit proud to think that there are 99 other Lib Dem bloggers in the world. Which I found surprising. This year I have made sterling progress and risen to the dizzying heights of 52nd place. I’m not sure whether to laugh ...

A heroine - the true leader of Burma

While I was Chair of Women Liberal Democrats we elected Aung San Suu Kyi (in her absence, as she was under house arrest in Burma at the time) as an honorary vice-president of our organisation. I do not know whether she ever heard about her election. If not, perhaps someone will read this and tell her. This wonderful woman is the legitimate leader of Burma, having been elected in 1990 with an overwhelming democratic mandate. My thoughts are with her and all her supporters as they protest peacefully against the thuggish military dictatorship that rules by terror and brutality.

Monster Looney Conference

Allow me to take a moment away from Liberal Democrat blogging and address the Monster Raving Looney Party - the mother of all protest votes. As Labour and the Liberal Democrat conferences are put to one side and the Conservatives get set to start - another British political institution is getting set to launch their annual party get together. The Monster Raving Looney Party are holding their conference in a place full of people that can’t vote for them even if they wanted to - they are holding it in Jersey - a crown dependency with its own Parliament. On ...

Elected Mayor - You Decide!

So, at last the whole tedious rigmarole about whether we should have an elected mayor in Darlington comes to an end tomorrow with our referendum. It may have gripped the political chattering classes, but the average resident has been barely moved by the whole saga. It took the campaigners a year to collect the signatures required, and even then they were short! Just this morning, as I sat in my

Licensing and Planning

Local Councils are both licensing and planning authorities with different systems for making decisions. One area of problem has been that the Licensing Committee is only allowed to take into account a limited range of things and cannot consider planning issues. However, I was pleased today that the Licensing Committee took into account when looking at an application for ... another ... brothel

I’m not competitive, but…

Iain Dale has published his latest list of the top 100 Liberal Democrat blogs, and this year I come in at number 45. I’m not sure what I have done to deserve it, but it is DOWN a whole 24 places on last year! Mind you, I was not only stunned to appear in last year’s list, but I was even more surprised to be at number 21, so perhaps it is now a more accurate reflection of my standing. What was worse though was being told my position in the list by Joe Taylor (On Liberty Online) who has ...

Election Registration and October

It is less disastrous than it used to be, but one disadvantage of holding an October election is that the annual review of the Electoral Register will be in full swing. October 15th is of course the deadline date for voters to get annual registration documents returned. This is usually a peak work month for staff in Democratic Services departments in the principle Local Authorities. Could they cope with (say) a 28th October poll day as well? Of course newly registered voters on this registration cycle come on the register on 1 January 2008 –or do they? This is the ...

Day 2454: Miranda Grell versus Witches

Friday: In Doctor Who there are a race of aliens called the Grell. Pottily convinced that knowledge really IS power, they roam the universe seeking to acquire information, which if true they chirpily label "Good Facts!" The Labour's hopefully-very-soon-to-be-ex-councillor Ms Miranda Grell, though also obsessed with getting power, seems to have had the REVERSE fixation, as she has been found GUILTY of going around spreading BAD FACTS, very Bad Facts indeed. The BBC says so. The Times says so. Lib Dem Voice says so. And the Labour's Blogger Mr Chris Paul says, er, not, actually. Mr Chrisp denounces the Times ...

This is why we said "Labour can't be trusted"

One of Redcar Liberal Democrats slogans, during the Council elections in May was: "Labour can't be trusted." They had spent the past four years promising everything to everyone. Their leader on Redcar & Cleveland Council practiced opposition for opposition's sake. He jumped onto every populist bandwagon and often opposed things his own pre-2003 administration had set in motion. The Evening Gazette's letters column was filled with one paragraph sound-bites, supporting the Labour stance, many of which were in the names of people we suspect do not exist (and here and here). Listed below are just some of the issues where ...

Another Benn branch

Via Norfolk Blogger comes the news that Tony Benn’s granddaughter Emily has been selected by Labour to be their parliamentary candidate in East Worthing and Shoreham. As I’ve noted before, my dad’s second cousin is married to Hilary Benn’s second cousin, so I guess I should add the latest political Benn to the diagram: {Benn-Howells family tree} You’ll be relieved to hear that I, at least, have no plans to become a Labour MP.

The Scream

This is my nephew Dominic reacting to news that climate change is going to destroy the world he's just been born into if we don't do something about it before he reaches adulthood. I thought it only best to scream too!

Bercow Watch: part infinity

According to the Groan, there is a renewed flurry of speculation about a further Tory defection to Labour. Bercow, as ever, is a name which leaps to mind. He was in my local pub last night, scruffy as ever, enthusiastically and elegantly defending the Iraq War to a gaggle of barflies. Whilst loyalty to the Government and common touch might go down well if he were to make the leap, isn’t actually defending Op Telic considered rather outré in Brown Labour? Image: Steve Bell

An Idiot Not To

Brown's lead over the Tories, if YouGov are to be believed, is now 11%. That's 44% to 33%. Hands up everyone who thinks he would be just plain daft not to call a general election this side of Christmas. The Norfolk Blogger probably puts it best: "Brown may be a cautious man, but surely he isn't stupid. Were he not to go to the country now and get caught out in a later election, he would go down

Valley Community Theatre

Valley Community Theatre is on Childwall Valley Road in Netherley. I'm on the board there and yesterday was a meeting. The theatre's had quite a few problems. A fire was one of them - leading to the loss of some stuff plus a power failure for quite some time. But despite all that.. there is an impressive amount of really good work going on right now. We tend to have board meetings at 9 30 on a weekday morning - a quiet time in a theatre. But even then there was a company in rehearsing for a performance early next ...

Rogue polls and Vogue Pols

The endless merry-go-round of opinion polls is not something I ever get too thrilled about- leaving it to the more anorak-y commentators on Politicalbetting.com. In particular the gyrations of YouGov do not give me much confidence as to their methodology. The latest YouGov showing Gordon Brown 11% ahead of the Tories, with the Lib Dems, despite a good conference, losing 3% strikes me as more than usually strange. Yet, in the vague atmosphere of election fever, such a strong lead is creating a media frenzy. For what it is worth, I am not convinced that an election over half term ...

Ming takes part in Community Canvass Week

Ming Campbell has been meeting residents in his North East Fife constituency and hearing their views as part of Ming’s Community Canvass Week. Hundreds of Liberal Democrats across the country are taking part, knocking on doors, surveying residents and canvassing. While he was out, he recorded this short video, challenging Gordon Brown to call a general election: You can watch a subtitled version of this video here.

Reprieve for Remploy

It is difficult to evaluate whether Peter Hain's pronouncements yesterday on Remploy and their plans to close factories is good news or not. It certainly succeeded in heading off an embarrassing Conference defeat for the Labour Government, but does it offer renewed hope for workers as some think? Mr. Hain says that it is now the government, rather than Remploy, which will decide on the future of these factories. So far so good, but it was the Labour government that was leading this agenda in the first place. He says that there will be no compulsory redundancies for disabled workers ...

The poor don’t fret about income inequality

This does seem very true, almost without exception, the loudest voices calling for greater income equality are the wealthy and the middle classes. Socialism was a very middle class phenomenon initially and had to be sold to the working classes. This supports my view that socialism is a form of ‘Tory radicalism’ transplanted to the middle [...]

Is this the future of public transport?

I’ve just had a giggle at a News24 report on Daventry’s “cybercars”. What’s proposed is basically a set of automated golf buggies that you call, get in and sit back as you are taken to your destination.However, after realising it’s not April 1st and checking the Daventry District Council website, I see they’re serious. One problem - speed. They travel at little faster than walking pace. Chris Millar, leader of Daventry District Council described it as “rapid public transport”. The BBC reporter didn’t seem to pick up on this? On further investigation, I see that another system is being proposed, ...

A perverse decision

The decision by the Commission for Racial Equality to take legal action under the Race Relations Act against a local resident who collected 953 signatures on a petition against a possible official travellers’ site near his home is one of the most bizarre I have come across for some time. It just flies in the face of commonsense. In a press statement yesterday the CRE confirmed that they are considering prosecuting Carl Lewis, who organised the petition, under Section 31 of the Race Relations Act, which makes it lawful to bring pressure on someone to act in a discriminatory way. ...

Seabraes Mini Bandstand

Pleased to have been advised by Dundee Contract Services that the mini bandstand at Seabraes is to be repainted.Following residents' complaints that it was scored and faded, I had asked DCS if they could repaint it and I am pleased at the positive response.

Hurrah!

Hurrah! It seems that I am apparently now officially the 47th best Liberal Democrat blog! I am so chuffed! {:-)} The rankings for Iain Dale’s 2007 guide to political blogging have been done by ‘a panel of Lib Dem bloggers’ and that’s where they’ve put me - at least ahead of most (but perhaps not quite all) the non-blogs which are either not really blogs at all, or only updated once a month. But I am not going to rest on my laurels. I have set my sights even higher for the future. Next year I am aiming to be ...

Eagles had a stellar win after slow start

With coming back from honeymoon overnight on Sunday I missed the Philadelphia Eagles huge 56-21 win over the Detroit Lions. Having watched a rerun some hours later I can say I am now very happy. After the first 2 weeks I was disappointed to see their record at 0-2. 1-2 looks much better. McNabb lit the [...]

Is Blogging a Feminist Issue????........and another thing........

I watched Duncan Borrowman's appearance on Doughty Street last night. I thought he was excellent (loved the jacket too Duncan!) but being a woman I couldn't help but notice it was an all male panel. Has anyone done any research on why the blogosphere appears even more male dominated than the wider politicosphere? Is it just that the guys have more time than us gals to put in their tenpenneth? Does it matter? Actually, I do think it matters - and having thought about it a bit I reflected back on a conversation I had with Jeremy Hargreaves at conference. ...

Labour playing party political games

While I've been in Bournemouth, news has reached me that the three Labour Party governors have been removed by Haringey from Fortismere's governing body. There are four 'Local Authority' governors at Fortismere - the other one being me. We are appointed by our parties but required to act independently in the best interests of the school - not according to any party line. Certainly Lib Dem governors are never whipped or put under any pressure to vote or act in any particular way. Haringey Labour have decided to effectively sack three hard working governors who have done a lot for ...

How Not to Lecture Iran

Columbia University took advantage of the presence in New York of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (for the opening of the UN General Assembly) to invite him to a question and answer session on campus. So far so good. But then the university’s president, Lee Bollinger, completely blew it by being gratuitously insulting. In defiance of all diplomatic protocol and the age-old principle of rational academic debate, he introduced the Iranian President by declaring that he exhibited ‘all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator.’ Mr Bollinger went on to call some of his guest’s views ’simply ridiculous’. Now, I am ...

Cookie the Blue Peter cat

In my day the Blue Peter cat would have been called whatever Valerie Singleton damned well said it was and that would have been an end of the matter. And we were happier.

Ricky Gervais: Where did it all go wrong?

The article Ricky Gervais: Where did it all go wrong? Which appeared on the Independent website in late august questions whether Ricky Gervais is funny and relevant.

Day 2453: Young Turkish Delight

Thursday: Thursday was the BIG FINISH to our Conference, but before the main act, we had a warm up from Mr Clogg in the debate on the Surveillance Society. This was another opportunity for him to show off his Civil Liberties credentials and charming smile at the same time. Oddly, the media seem to have spent MOST of the week OBSESSING about whether Mr Clogg (or possibly Mr Hewn) was about to mount a leadership bid or whether Sir Mr the Merciless was going to banish him (or them) to the ICE MOON of FRIDGIA. This may NOT be entirely ...

Wednesday 26th September 2007

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