A week is a long time

Public sector strike cuts ambulance response time

2012-01-29T16:08:00.005Z

A freedom of information request has exposed a shocking reduction in ambulance response times during the November 30th public sector strike last year.

NHS London saw its ambulance response time target of eight minutes reduced from 75 per cent to 22 per cent in the most life-threatening category of emergencies.

This category means NHS Trusts should aim to respond to incidents such as strokes and heart attacks within a minimum of eight minutes for 75 per cent of cases.

In sharp contrast, NHS Somerset performed slightly better than its October average on the same day, increasing their figure by three per cent to achieve the national target.

During the evening of November 30th a NHS London spokesperson appealed for drivers to return to work from the picket line as police cars were being used as makeshift ambulances.

Public sector workers from 24 unions went on strike on November 30th last year, causing transport delays and 90 per cent of schools to shut.

They were striking over changes to their pension which could include their income being based on a career pay average instead of their final salary and pegging the retirement age to the state pension age.

London Unison, Somerset Unison, the British Heart Foundation and the Shadow Health Minister Andy Burnham MP were approached for comment but they all declined.

NB This is a report from my NCTJ portfolio and was my own FOI request.

Book Review: Heather Brooke's The Silent State

2012-01-10T11:48:00.004Z

Heather Brooke's 'The Silent State' will leave an indelible mark on your mind. Those questions that rise to the surface ordinarily will resurface during your reading session. This time, though, they will refuse to budge.

Heather makes so many brilliant points in this book you will be educated, entertained and aghast at the same time regardless of where you stand politically.

The story of 'My Society' is of particular interest to those who partake in online politics and research. It's fascinating how the idea for 'They work for you' came from an ordinary guy wanting to find out how his MP voted in the Iraq war debate. The amount of criticism and vengeance the team have received for simply putting the truth online is shocking.

I now realise why the Planning Alerts service suddenly disappeared, why the Ordnance Survey mapping guard their copyright with the ferocity of a drooling bulldog, why the postcode system is so controversial and cloaked in secrecy even though taxpayers fund these services.

Also of interest was how freedom of information works in America where Heather grew up. In America the public are given free online access to public sector or taxpayer funded organisation staff directories. It isn’t seen as a major issue. When she compares this to how much money the government has spent on council call centres to redirect the public to the correct person it's simply outrageous. Only the other day she was musing on twitter (as @newsbrooke) that we should have a staff directory for the Royal Family's employees and I can't see a reason why we shouldn't.

This book is like shadowing an investigative reporter. She takes you into the Old Bailey (by the scabby litter-strewn member-of-the-public entrance of course). She sits you down with the police officer who was bugged mercilessly for whistle blowing and having a relationship with a journalist who was arrested for using information thought to have been leaked to her by the officer. When you see the transcript of the interview with the female journalist on her arrest with all the vital comments which were left out in court you feel her anger.

Heather rose to prominence in 2008 when exposing the state of MPs expenses. This book is published 2 years after that and it's great to see her fight for freedom of information continues unabated.

You won't regret reading this.

A free Press?

2011-12-08T16:00:00.006Z

Dominic Grieve Tory MP for Beaconsfield and Attorney General gave a speech at City University last Thursday evening on the reporting of parliament. He warned that journalists who report MPs comments which breach a court injunction may not be protected by privilege.

His speech was a bold attack on the freedom of the press to report the procedures and debates held in Parliament.

Lib Dem MP John Hemming has used parliamentary privilege to expose Ryan Giggs in parliament who was protected by a court injunction preventing his mistress being revealed thereby 'outing' him in the press and rendering the court order useless. In April he also defended a woman using parliamentary privilege who was later labelled 'a liar' by a judge.

His actions provoked a fierce debate as to whether he had 'abused' parliamentary privilege and if the press were right to repeat his words when they inadvertently revealed the identity of a child. Hemming sees his actions as part of a campaign to end the secrecy of the courts.

Speaking last Thursday evening, Grieve said, "It ill serves the Parliamentary process if court orders are openly flouted for no good reason."

"It is not for a Parliamentarian to ignore the careful and measured approach of a Judge when deciding if an injunction should be granted.

The UK does not currently have a privacy law apart from the Human Rights Act and celebrities often rely on injunctions against the press to protect their interests and reputation. When an MP chooses to use parliamentary privilege to reveal the identity of someone who has obtained an injunction they assume the powers of the judge and this raises serious constitutional questions. It also raises issues around freedom of speech for MPs and the press. There are also matters which arise from uninterrupted television coverage of Parliament which broadcasts the MP revealing the subject of the injunction.

Dominic Grieve continued: "...Just because something has been said does not mean it can be repeated out of context. It was still an open question whether something said in Parliament in breach of a court order could be repeated in the press."

"This question has yet to be authoritatively decided but will shortly be considered further by Parliament...But in the interim - writer beware."

John Hemming MP said yesterday: "The Attorney General reports correctly on the current position of the law. Only parliament can control the reporting of parliament, but people are not necessarily protected by parliamentary privilege upon repeating what is said in parliament. However, the law of confidentiality remains the same as in the Spycatcher case. When something is in the public domain it is not confidential.

In the case of Ryan Giggs, whose name had appeared on the front page of the Sunday Herald, his name was already fairly and squarely in the public domain. Otherwise people may be better advised to report precisely what is said in parliament if they wish protection by parliamentary privilege."

Mike Jempson from the charity 'Media Wise' which exists to help victims of 'media abuse' said: "In the internet age, if injunctions are broken under parliamentary privilege it should be possible for the public to discover what has been said by whom about whom, without journalists being put at risk of prosecution. MPs should have very good reason for breaching an injunction, but then injunctions should not be granted without very good reason for protecting a person or persons especially those (like children) vulnerable through no fault of their own.

One major problems is that injunctions tend to be sought and granted to people with substantial financial resources; that should not be the basis on which protection is granted."

At the moment there is an 'open question' as to whether the press are protected when repeating an expose of a court injunction in parliament but the issue looks set to be resolved by the government in the near future.

How should Parliamentary Candidates be selected?

2011-11-14T14:08:00.007Z

A report published today by the Institute for Government think tank recommends state funding of parliamentary candidate selection processes and bursaries for candidates from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

The paper recommends 12 different ideas for radically reforming the parliamentary candidate selection process. At the moment candidates are expected to fund their campaign entirely from their own bank accounts, including the £500 deposit needed. They are also selected by their political party, or if standing as an Independent select themselves, so the public only vote for a candidate after they have been chosen by those who are involved in the political process.

The list of recommendations are as follows and make for very interesting reading:

1. A greater focus on addressing the unrepresentative “supply” of candidates, including by encouraging a more diverse range of people to participate in party politics at all levels.

I have blogged on including those from 'non-traditional' backgrounds in the political process before. Mostly the biggest barrier is being buried underneath social problems or poverty to the extent that becoming involved is not realistic. Therefore the issue lies with the unfairness of society than politics.

2. Action to address perhaps the most significant hurdle facing many candidates: the cost of standing for Parliament and 3. Specifically, the development of means-tested bursaries for parliamentary candidates of all major parties.

And boy the cost can be huge. I've heard of people saving for years to cover the cost of standing for parliament. You need the £500 needed for the deposit to start with. You also need to be willing to travel around the constituency delivering leaflets or canvassing. Also you need to network around the country at conferences throughout the year otherwise no-one will have heard of you. All at your own cost. I am tempted to say reduce the deposit to £100, but the liberal in me argues it should be free. Anyone should be able to put themselves forward for a say in the political process.

A bursary would be such an exciting development in encouraging poorer candidates. If enough to cover the cost of travel and the deposit it would be a welcome tool to encourage more women and ethnic minorities too.

4. A statutory right to time off work for participation in an election campaign.

This is a great idea but won't work in reality. Disagree if you like but I think it will rile employers and put candidates in a vulnerable position of being politically harassed at work if the employer is not sympathetic. Please leave a suggestion in the comments section if you disagree with me on this.

5. Assessment procedures that do not bias the process towards people with a narrow range of professional backgrounds.

Being a parliamentary candidate is seen as a middle-class thing to do. Public speaking experience and running a business is looked upon very highly while those just starting their careers or working in a manual job are looked down upon. This is also the reason why many candidates are over the age of 30. Those under the age of 30 have less work experience to put on their CV and what experience they do have may not be relevant as they may not be in an 'appropriate' job for their skill level yet.

8. Greater use by the parties of primary elections to select candidates, especially in safe seats where incumbent MPs are retiring.

This is fine, but as the authors of the report themselves admit, in trials this has led to middle-class white men being selected by the public as they have already played a high profile role in local politics. This does nothing to address the inequalities in politics in terms of class, sex or ethnicity.

Also they admit that state funded primaries, especially postal ones, would be hugely expensive for the public. Although they would have a more direct say in who is eventually elected as an MP.

They conclude that a 'hybrid' selection process would be the best option. This would enable local party activists to have their say then the public would be asked to select their favoured candidates.

I have to say this is a hugely positive report which has been picked up by the BBC this morning. I hope I see more people talk about it on twitter and in the media as it addresses all those issues I have been frustrated about since getting involved with politics in 2004.

Are female bloggers safe online?

2011-11-04T14:22:00.007Z

Helen Lewis-Hasteley wrote yesterday on the New Statesman blog about comments that female bloggers receive in response to posts they write.

This takes me back to 2007 when I first started blogging and moaning about the comments I received when a Lib Dem blogger. I was highlighted by a Nazi site and felt a bit scared as a 27 year old. Now, four years later, my skin is a little bit tougher and I can put things into perspective when attacked online.

Recently, having conversed with a man I indirectly began a conversation with through blogging and my online presence, I was shocked to be asked if I had rape fantasies. I replied no and have cut contact but it's a reminder of the power which men are desperate to wield over you after experiencing your power over them as a blogger and a visible online woman in 'their' private sphere of the 'relaxed pornographic' internet. It also makes me think that men feel female bloggers are putting themselves out there to the extent that they are 'asking for it', in terms of both violent and sexual abuse. That they've asked for the abuse by being prominent and confident.

Rape threats and comments about being violent to a female blogger are on another level and signify the power lust of misogynistic men who feel oppressed by the new more visible female online.

This also applies to journalism as a whole. In my view female journalists are attacked much more ferociously upon writing a piece which many people find distasteful. I've encountered many hate-fuelled pieces by male journalists which haven't even been highlighted as anything unusual. The Melanie Phillips of the online world are focused on much more than male journalists who spout hate for example.

Of course there is always the delete button but should female bloggers ignore a threat of violence? As one of the female bloggers in Helen's piece says the police are useless. If you approached them they would probably ask you to keep a diary of the abuse and since it only happens once and is often anonymous it would be a tough call. So nothing happens. Internet sites need to get better at allowing bloggers to report abuse.

Perhaps in another couple of years there will be so many more female bloggers, commentators and journalists that men will be used to us being in 'their private sphere' and carry on quietly with the washing up after reading a challenging article. Lets hope.

UKIP: Catching up with Lib Dems

2011-10-30T15:46:00.006Z

The latest YouGov voting intention figures are out and they make eyewatering reading for the Liberal Democrats.

Not only have they slumped to 8% which takes them back to early nineties popularity levels, they also have UKIP just 1% behind, almost lapping them.

Viewed when in opposition by the Liberal Democrats as a useful stick with which to beat the Tories, UKIP are probably the party people are turning to due to the increasing crisis in the Eurozone. The Liberal Democrats are hopelessly pro-EU. There was just one Liberal Democrat rebel last week in the EU referendum proposal. Adrian Sanders voted for the motion...an 'in/out' referendum.

Many MPs, including those Lib Dem MPs who walked out of the chamber in early 2008 to demonstrate their desire for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, voted against the proposal for a more basic referendum.

Approx 70% of the general public want a EU referendum. The issue has been raised in questions to Ed Miliband at the recent Labour conference, and also during an edition of the BBC's Question Time. Most of them probably couldn't care less about a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, and the Lib Dems will lose some of their support on this issue.

The Tories are also more pro-Europe than the last time they were in government, with many MPs stating that coming out of the EU would harm the UK financially.

Will we see any of the Tory rebels from last week defecting to UKIP?

Book Review: The Banned List

2011-10-22T16:06:00.004+01:00

Twitter followers of the journalist John Rentoul will be familiar with the concept of the 'Banned List', but for those not 'in the know' I will outline the general thrust of the idea.

The Banned List is a collection of tired cliches and worn-out phrases. It's the regurgitated jumble sale of words and sentences which you hear and read in the political press and beyond. At last I have found someone who also condemns the 'Westminster village' and rallies against 're-arranging the deckchairs on the titanic'.

The first section of the book takes the form of an extremely compelling and thoughtful essay by John Rentoul which mentions everyone from Orwell to the cliches of journalists Alice Miles and Paul Mason. Which leads me into the one fault I found with the book. It has a definite Blair-ite lean to it which was obvious to me but I'm not sure if this was because I know Rentoul won't hide his politics whatever he writes or if there was any actually political bias in it.

The Green Party European manifesto of 2009 is cited as an example of the incorrect use of the phrase 'It's the economy, stupid' for example. Which is fine, and other people are attacked on the left alongside us for their language but the political bias grated after twenty pages in. I'm sure Blair-ite politicians and journalists over-use cliche, just not here in John Rentoul's essay. It just didn't seem right that a language essay should be political but that's a minor point. It didn't detract too much from an interesting piece of writing.

Overall the essay is well considered and well worth reading if you are a language student or just an interested person wanting to join Rentoul in his attack on tired phrases.

Join the discussion with John Rentoul on Twitter by using the hashtag #bannedlist.

Thanks to Elliott & Thompson Books for sending me a review copy.

You can buy The Banned List here.

9/11 - Ten years on

2011-09-04T15:52:00.004+01:00

Next Sunday is the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Where was I? Preparing to go and work my extra shift at the local co-op at the age of twenty. I went to serve lottery tickets, alcohol and cigarettes to the customers as usual with a severe lack of understanding of what a momentous day it was.

In the weeks that followed I’m ashamed to say I switched off from the news. On arrival at university after leaving home for the first time I settled into my student life with no television. I never listened to the news specifically on the radio. My CD player only played Garbage and Radiohead at full volume. I hardly ever bought a newspaper in my first year. I pretended it hadn’t happened. I had let my membership of the Labour Party lapse and I was very cynical.

The only mention of it at university was the inauguration speech from the Vice-Chancellor. I remember shuddering at his words, “The world has changed forever.” Of course, at the time, you think it’s only you who feels terrified. Now, I’m not ashamed to admit it publicly. Terror is a normal emotion in our existence in 2011.

In the second year of my English degree, I began to wonder if all the year’s novels were going to be about 9/11. Should I be brave and write a story about it myself? I finally tackled the subject head-on for my dissertation in 2004 but it seems the best novelists waited until 2006 to touch the sensitive subject matter. Ian McEwan’s ‘Saturday’ is particularly poignant. In the scene below the main protagonist Henry Perowne is thinking about his son Theo making sense of the world:

'They’ve never talked so much before. Where’s the adolescent rage, the door-slamming, the muted fury that’s supposed to be Theo’s rite of passage? Is all that feeling sunk in the blues? They discussed Iraq of course, America and power, European distrust, Islam – its suffering and self-pity, Israel and Palestine, dictators, democracy – and then the boys’ stuff: weapons of mass destruction, nuclear fuel rods, satellite photography, lasers, nanotechnology. At the kitchen table, this is the early twenty-first century menu, the specials of the day.'

During the various events which followed I gradually became more aware of the implications. The Iraq war, 18 months later, began when I was halfway through my second year. The 7/7 bombings in London in 2005 happened when I was in Cornwall on a rare holiday.

As our liberties have been stripped away sharply in the last ten years I’m taking stock of all the things terror has inflicted on me. Policemen can now arrest someone for being in possession of photographs of London landmarks. 102,347 – 111,864 civilians have died in Iraq due to military action. Nearly 5000 US and UK soldiers have lost their lives in Iraq. I walk past women and children in my town who have lost their husbands and fathers in the war. Hatred of Muslims and Islam is approaching demonization.

Yes, it’s true what my then Vice-Chancellor said, the world really has changed forever.

State funded political parties?

2011-08-31T12:06:00.006+01:00

Labour could be severely financially damaged by a proposed cap of £50,000 on donations to political parties, the Guardian reported yesterday.

Polly Curtis reports that "An analysis of five and a half years' worth of donations to the parties reveals the move would most dramatically affect Labour's funding base. If the £50,000 limit had been in place over the period, Labour's donations would have been reduced by 72%, the Conservatives' by 37% and the Liberal Democrats' by 25%."

The Guardian doesn't reference smaller parties but one would expect the figure to be somewhere below a reduction of 10%.

Polly Curtis writes: "Some committee members [Committee on Standards in Public Life] are arguing for more public funding for political parties, but most believe this is not achievable in the current economic climate. The debate now appears to rest on whether union money should be treated as single large donations or as multiple small donations from individual members' affiliation fees, and whether those affiliation fees should automatically go to Labour."

I view this cap as the AV proposal of political party funding. It doesn't go far enough and is rendered meaningless as a result. There are many ways parties could get round these proposed rules. The most obvious would be paying in instalments instead of bulk donations. If someone wanted to donate £500,000 for example, what would stop them setting up a direct debit of 10 instalments of £50,000? Or is the cap a complete ban on an individual or organisation donating any more money at all after £50,000?

To fight inequality with more inequality is a waste of time. The Green Party propose state funding of political parties and that is where I sit in the debate. Unfortunately now is not the time to play this card as it would be extremely unpopular and difficult to implement due to so many public sector cuts by the Tory-led government. But it's an idea for the future when things return to normal. It would lead to cleaner politics in my view and a reduction in the financial power of donors who lobby for their own interests.

200% rise in dismissals at Somerset County Council

2011-08-09T12:01:00.003+01:00

Flicking through the published Freedom of Information requests on the Somerset County Council website yesterday made for some shocking reading.

The best ones seems to have come to fruition in May...possibly candidates digging for information to use against the Tory-led council in the recent council elections?

Amongst the released figures are info on sickness levels at county hall:

* There were 102,873 days lost to staff sickness absence in the year 2010/11

* 42 employees had more than 6 months off work due to sickness in the same year

* 19 employees had between one and two years off work due to sickness that year

There aren't any figures for the previous year so we don't know if there has been a rise due to severe stress related to redundancy fears/low morale.

But by far the biggest story is the sharp rise in dismissals at county hall. There were just 12 in the year 2008/9. In the year 2009/10 the figure rose to 32. That's a shocking increase of 200%.

This gives rise to the thought that perhaps disciplinary procedures are being tightened up to save money on redundancy pay.

It will be interesting to find out the figures from 2010/11 when we have them.

SCC Dismissal

The YouTube month for environmental-politico-journo types

2011-08-03T15:01:00.007+01:00

So, it's been three weeks since I blogged and such a lot has happened! Here is a round-up of the YouTube vids in my subscription feed:

Compass held their conference. Caroline Lucas MP spoke:

The Orwell Prize held their debate at the Buxton Festival.

Jenny Jones told the traffic what she thought of it at the Climate Rush Protest.

Laura Marling is releasing a new album.

Finally the Media Standards Trust and the BBC College of Churnalism, sorry, Journalism held this debate about whether Journalists are lazy, sorry, work hard enough.

The News International Mafia*

2011-07-13T21:41:00.003+01:00

When a scandal as big as the Murdoch story breaks with new developments and breaking news every hour it's difficult to take time out and gather your thoughts to write.

Picture source

I was very shocked when the hacking scandal moved beyond the 'London circle' of celebrity and politics to the parents of Milly Dowler and the innocent victims of 9/11 and 7/7.

While I can understand the desperate need for a story to sell a newspaper I feel it's lazy and immoral to undermine the human rights and privacy of ordinary people to lazily attempt to generate a story.

One of the things I've learnt so far from my foray into studying journalism is that gaining a story is often a lengthy hard slog, and, in my view, so it should be. The thought of listening to someone's voicemails and writing about them is childsplay. Why bother to become a journalist at all? Why not just start a crazy anonymous blog and play practical jokes on people in a darkened room? Where is the journalism?

The ramifications of the scandal are so widespread people have only just started to take stock and analyse it on twitter and elsewhere. What could the implications for Ed Miliband's time as Labour leader be? What will David Miliband's chances of becoming leader be after this? Will Labour be more likely to win the next election? After all, not even during the 'dodgy dossier' scandal with Alastair Campbell did the government get so mired in dirt. Perhaps the 'cash for honours' scandal came close.

Of course, now Labour are in opposition that is all neatly forgotten.

One thought I have had during the last few days is a feeling Labour are trying to fight the 21st century version of the mafia. A clique of violent criminals who form close bonds with each other and protect themselves with secret special rules gives News International a definite mafia-style appearance. This is especially the case when you hear what the police have to say about journalists hacking into their phones. It's accepted and no action is taken. This is to accept that the 'mafia' have power over them. This shouldn't happen in a democratic 21st century society. We cannot be ruled by a clique of unelected rich media moguls.

It makes you analyse who these people really are and how they connect to the police, to the secret service and to the ruling classes.

It doesn't really come as a huge shock that the Metropolitan Police allegedly took payments from News International, but then nothing shocks me about the police. I know there are geniune policemen and women working to further the common good and fight for what is good in society but it doesn't take a huge leap from a column in the Times to being gripped in the arms of Murdoch.

With the world becoming closer due to the internet and a more global society it seems we are all rather too close to each other. Journalists are frustrated politicians who attempt to lobby and change policy, and the police are frustrated journalists who write for the Times and become embroiled with the media. Are the lines any more blurred than they used to be?

Who is going to re-draw the boundaries and clear the air?

*allegedly

Men's Final Day at Wimbledon

2011-07-03T20:36:00.003+01:00

Once again, on Wimbledon 'Final' Day or Wimbledon 'Men's Final' day, the issue of whether women's tennis can be taken seriously has been raised once more with gusto.

In various right-wing fascist media outlets which spout misogynistic crap as their daily output the issue of whether women's tennis is worth watching as a sport in itself or is a 'decorative add-on' to the men's tennis has actually been made. Yes, in the summer of 2011.

The main tenet of the argument is that men play for longer. This is not always the case. When BBC1 showed the statistics for the previous men's finals where Nadal had won they displayed an interesting fact. Very rarely had he had to play a four set match, and not one five set match had been presented in the men's final. I can remember several occasions where the women's final has gone into three sets and has been two hours. With the men's final today running just over two hours there isn't much difference when you sit down and think sensibly about it.

The other argument put is that men are stronger than women and hit the ball harder. Therefore they should be paid more and respected more. This is utter nonsense. Not completely, I admit. But women play to the best of the agility and strength. So do men. Therefore they are both putting 100% into their game. Therefore they should be respected equally.

I personally watch both female and male tennis and can't bear to hear any sexism of this kind. There are many sports where female and male sports stars are respected equally and no fuss is made at all, such as swimming or running. Perhaps the attire the girls wear (skirts and dresses are increasingly the norm) are to blame for the obsessive tabloid interest and sexist comments. This wouldn't explain why female swimming stars don't receive this treatment in the media though.

One issue which I would like to see changed is the fuss made over the men's final when there is hardly any fuss made over the women's final. Or perhaps have them both on the same day. I don't remember seeing the same build up on the television before the women's final yesterday, nor do I recall seeing celebrities lining up to watch Sharapova in the same way they queued for Nadal.

It makes me sad to hear such nasty vile comments when there are such talented female tennis players out there who deserve just as much respect as the men.

Greens have most female council candidates

2011-06-16T17:42:00.003+01:00

The Centre for Women & Democracy released a report last friday on the amount of women in the council elections in May 2011.

What is clear from the report is that the Green Party fielded the most female candidates. In the bar chart below there is nearly a full ten percentage point difference between the Tory party and the Green Party.

I blogged this time last year on the amount of female candidates in the General Election 2010. The Green Party also led nationally with 33% of their candidates female.

I've been thinking about the reasons behind this, after being in the Green Party another year since I last wrote.

Of course being a candidate in the Green Party isn't like being a candidate in the Conservative or Labour party. Because the Green Party have structures in place whereby it's seen as unacceptable not to have a woman and a man in leadership roles like Caroline Lucas and Adrian Ramsay. This also works on the executive when appointing roles in the local party. The Green Party uses positive discrimination to allocate roles which in turn encourages women to get more involved and therefore stand.

I have since noticed that the Labour Party, Conservatives and the Lib Dems don't have this leader/deputy female/male rule.

Also, of course, what differentiates the Greens from an all-women shortlist party such as Labour is the lack of candidates full stop. Women are asked and come forward as it is seen as a voluntary role and the party is helped enormously from it rather than it definitely leading to a councillor role.

However, the bar chart above confirms that Green female candidates do rather well, over-representing themselves in the amount of party councillors when compared to candidates fielded.

A fascinating read which is highly recommended if you missed it in your inbox or don't subscribe. You can subscribe to the newsletter HERE.

Vote for Domestic Violence Charity

2011-06-11T13:52:00.004+01:00

Women's Aid are asking its supporters to vote for its charity 'Oasis' in Kent in the semi-finals of the National Lottery Awards.

Domestic violence which leads to a death has increased sharply over the last few years due in part to the recession. The same recession means less money for charities such as Oasis so the situation is even more serious than it normally is. The National Lottery is a good way of injecting money into a very worthwhile cause.

Oasis Domestic Abuse Service 'was established in May 1994 to provide emergency, temporary and safe accommodation and /or support to one of society's most vulnerable groups - women and children who have/or are suffering domestic abuse.'

Please click on the 'vote now' button to the right of the screen after clicking HERE.

Bristol VegFest

2011-05-30T15:21:00.002+01:00

I went along to VegFest yesterday and had a great time being amongst kindred spirits and those who were tempted to go veggie or vegan. I tried to hold back from the free sampling as I'm already vegan but used the opportunity to try some foods I had considered buying before but wasn't quite sure about. I bought some quick-cook organic rice which I had tried and was impressed by a type of 'sheese' which I found tasted just like philadelphia to my surprise.

I loitered around the main stage while Bristol-based Siddy Bennett was playing with her guitar and I found her voice quite captivating! Do check her out if you like artists like Laura Marling or folk generally...

A lovely afternoon!

Greens 4% behind Lib Dems in poll

2011-05-28T15:05:00.004+01:00

Peter Cranie has highlighted the latest IPSOS-MORI poll which shows the Green Party on 6% nationally, with the Liberal Democrats at just 10%:

Labour 42%
Tories 35%
Lib Dems 10%
Greens 6%
SNP/PC 4%
UKIP 2%
BNP 1%

Firstly, I'm puzzled by the amount of coverage UKIP seemed to get for obtaining control of their first parish council just after the local elections. The national media almost ignored the fact that the Green Party is now the largest party on Brighton City Council. We have well over 100 councillors and are polling three times as well as UKIP yet Nigel Farage and his parish council seem to be in the spotlight three times as much. Odd.

As the Lib Dems seem to sink lower and lower into the depths of despair in the polls the Green Party are starting to lap them as they limp onto the home straight after the general and local elections. It won't be long before the percentage points are reversed and the Green Party will be on double figures with the Lib Dems struggling to retain any dignity left.

Meanwhile, Lib Dem MP Simon Hughes sent an hilarious email round to Lib Dem members in truly celebratory mood, guaranteed to get the recently bereft ex-Lib Dem councillors dancing for joy I'm sure. Writing for Lib Dem Voice on Thursday, Chris White attacked Simon Hughes and seemed to think we don't have much support:

"Meanwhile the public did not, except in isolated cases, give much support to the Greens. They rarely do, preferring an Augustinian ‘Lord make me virtuous but not yet’ approach, while hacking down trees because they ‘block out the light’. The Green Investment Bank, bluntly, is not going to float their globally warmed boat."

That's a nice thing to say about the electorate isn't it? Patronising really, especially after speaking to so many people who have been extremely interested in my local party considering it's so small at the moment.

But then, when you're on 10% and the party you're used to being out in the sticks starts to catch you up I suppose it can tempt you to be a little nasty...

A plastic bag tax?

2011-05-21T17:43:00.003+01:00

The Guardian Environment Network reported yesterday that the EU is considering either placing a tax on plastic bags or banning them altogether. It says:

"Although most plastic carrier bags are theoretically recyclable, many are still sent to landfill. Moreover, because of their low weight and small size, they can easily escape the waste management process and end up in the sea or rivers where they pose a serious threat to wildlife and can contaminate waterways and soil.

It has been estimated that there are already around 250 billion floating plastic particles and 500 tonnes of plastic in the Mediterranean alone."

I heard a debate on Radio 5 Live last night between a green campaigner and a woman who was adamant that it was her right to receive a free plastic bag when purchasing something from a shop. She ended up sounding very silly and extremely selfish. I go in several shops now which sell re-usable bags for a small price which can fold up into a smaller size for your handbag. I have several and manage to remember to always have them in my bag when going into town. Apparently I can manage to do this and get by without plastic bags with no car to drive them home in but other people with cars need to be given plastic bags so they can stroll the short distance back to their car in the car park.

We have got too used to convenience and need to revisit the days of paper bags and glass re-usable bottles in exchange for a discount off your next purchase.

The Lib Dem leaflet mountain

2011-05-12T15:26:00.000+01:00

I was tidying up my election folder when I noticed the sheer amount of leaflets which had bombarded the residents of Lyngford from the Lib Dems, despite them only managing to get two out of the three of their candidates elected.

What a mountain!

There were 19,200 leaflets in total. Three A3 Focuses, three A4 Focuses, a letter written to residents and an eve of poll leaflet.

In contrast, the Labour Party got one of their candidates elected after putting a targeted postal voter letter out, an A4 leaflet to all residents and an eve of poll leaflet, a total of 5400 leaflets. So many fewer leaflets yet they managed to get a candidate elected...

In Lyngford I targeted a membership leaflet to 500 homes, a ward-wide A5 leaflet and an A5 polling day leaflet to 1000 homes, a total of 3900 leaflets. I didn't receive any leaflets at all from the Tories - maybe they missed me out or just didn't bother. If this is the case then I am quite insulted more people voted for them than me after all my efforts!

Lyngford is the most marginal seat in Taunton Deane for the Lib Dems but it should tell you how badly they are fairing when this amount of literature comes through the door and still they miss out on 100% success...

Local Election Results

2011-05-07T16:49:00.005+01:00

The results are in and have been counted. We have done better than I had expected...but we have a long long way to go before we gain a green councillor in Taunton Deane. In Bishops Lydeard, a rural village, we had a fantastic result for a penniless basic campaign with no canvassing and just one leaflet. We had four candidates and just reformed the local party late last year.

But we beat the Lib Dems into last place. You can see from the bar chart from 2007 for the same ward that we really hit them hard along with the Independent candidate, Mike Rigby, who unfortunately needed just 9 votes more to win. Mike endorsed our candidate in his leaflet and we reaped the benefits of that with 10% of the vote.

In Fairwater, a town ward, we beat the Labour Party into last place. A brilliant result for a basic campaign again. Well done to Jim Eastwell and his daughter Emily!

My ward, again a town ward, is very unusual for Taunton Deane. It was Labour up until 2007 when the Lib Dems took it. Complete disarray followed with a sacking and a resignation, by-elections and one of the three vacancies just left vacant. The two Lib Dem councillors managed to retain their seats but the third candidate they stood just missed out to a Labour candidate, Libby Lisgo, who is very well respected and known in the local area.

There were ten candidates splitting the vote and I'm proud if I was responsible in any way for keeping a Lib Dem off the council. Labour is certainly preferable to the Lib Dems. Labour fought a very hard campaign, as did the Lib Dems. I didn't have time to discuss the Lib Dem leaflets as I was too busy leafleting myself, but a couple of them were nasty later on in the campaign. They were pouring through the letterbox seemingly every day in the last week.

One of them declared there was only two outcomes possible on the council, Lib Dem or Tory controlled, therefore people should vote Lib Dem. This was rebutted later in a Labour leaflet. Good on them. There are of course three possible outcomes with 'no overall control' being the outcome we have got once more. Desperation. So I got almost 5% but as I said it's unusually Labour friendly for Taunton Deane, and Greens don't tend to do well against resurgent Labour.

Finally our former Parliamentary Candidate, Alan Debenham got the second highest Green percentage. He is very well known and respected in the area and I learnt a lot from campaigning with him.
Overall I learnt so much from this campaign I can hardly put it into words. It was brilliant to get my first election out of the way. Onwards!

The big day

2011-05-01T09:27:00.006+01:00

It's just four days until polling day and I finally finished delivering my first leaflet to all 2400 homes in Lyngford last Wednesday thanks to some much appreciated help from three activists on Easter Monday.

Included in the last 1000 were 'Yes to Fairer Votes' leaflets and I also distributed some membership leaflets and anti-cuts party leaflets to those who I thought may have an interest in finding out more about us.

I have had many kind comments and only a few worrying ones. I met my first BNP voter when out campaigning. It didn't frighten me as much as I thought. We hadn't knocked on his door but he had come up to us in the street so we quickly moved on in search of someone who was worth talking to.

I'm now putting the finishing touches to our polling day leaflets which I hope will remind people to vote with their heart on thursday. We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to change the voting system which is outdated and was only meant for a two-party system. Now we have five or six main political parties it's time to change to a system more suited to this. Voters who don't want to please Nick Clegg should forget about him. Most political parties bar the BNP, Communist Party and the Tories support AV. So think about Caroline Lucas instead!

Having just been sent my pass to the counts on friday it's all sinking in that I am a few days away from receiving my first ever political result. A few kind people have spoken to me as if I am bound to get elected but I am not complacent and would like to just put my best effort in and see what the voters think.

Don't forget to vote green and yes on thursday!

The leaflet war

2011-04-22T16:20:00.005+01:00

Less than two weeks to go now until polling day. I've been around half my ward which is about 1,500 houses - leafleting from Grange Walk to Vera Street, from Lyngford Place to Eastwick Road. I love walking but my limit is about 15 miles. I feel as if I walked that this week with all the stairwells between flats, long drives and short closes scattered around.

It's been a very interesting experience when I've said hi to someone who has looked like they might want a discussion on what I stand for and how the greens are doing locally. A lot of the time I am mistaken for a helper until they look at my leaflet which is probably due to my age. It's very rare indeed for a woman under the age of 35 to stand as a candidate in Taunton and I can't help wondering what some of the older residents think when they look at a picture of a (relatively) young girl wanting their vote! I have the added problem of looking about five years younger than I am which is unfortunate in this situation...but I have a lot of experience now in local politics.

The Lib Dems put a very poorly designed A3 focus leaflet out this week which has angered the residents I spoke with this morning. I emphasised the point that I had one leaflet and wouldn't be cluttering up their doormats. I trust in their ability to make up their mind with a profile in the local paper and what I stand for on an A5 leaflet. A lot of the Lib Dem leaflets don't get read whereas mine is short and very punchy.

All in all it's proving to be a lovely opportunity to acquaint myself with the outer edges of the ward which I don't normally walk around. I'm glad to see most areas are very well kept indeed but was worried to see cars parked on the green in Enmore Road. Lots of ground floor flats in one area of the ward have very loud dogs so security is obviously an issue for them.

The only thing I'm regretting about my leaflet is that it hasn't got the colour green on it. Our resources didn't stretch to any colour. Labour put a very glossy leaflet out last saturday addressed to postal voters which dripped union cash when I took it out of the envelope but unfortunately we don't have any major donors. Just a B&W A5 leaflet.

I'm full of hope that it's enough for the voters of Lyngford to make an informed logical decision.

The campaign so far...

2011-04-17T20:10:00.003+01:00

The leaflets are starting to be printed off and delivered to the four wards we are standing in and the mood is positive in Taunton within the Green Party.

We held our monthly stall in Taunton town centre last weekend where we received a lot of attention including that of a labour and tory opponent. Obviously not used to the greens having a presence during a local election campaign in the town centre with people coming to the stall to chat they hung around as if in shock not knowing what to say or do. Civil words were exchanged between me and my labour opponent. Jokes about socialism aside he is a decent sort but labour at the end of the day and I am not labour for lots of good reasons. I offered him a leaflet but he declined while grinning.

The other opponent who seemed to stand in amazement was a former tory opponent of ours in 2007. He stood against one of our candidates who is a former councillor, the former parliamentary candidate and who gained a good place.

Opponents aside there were many brilliant comments at the stall which have really encouraged and inspired me for the campaign ahead. Lots of school kids approached us asking if we were against the cuts. Obviously a hot topic over the breakfast table at home. I thrust a Young Greens newsletter in their hands enthusiastically. There was such a wide range of people coming up to us, young, old, men, women, couples, disabled people, all from the age of about 12 to 82. A very promising man said he would want to be a councillor for us, perhaps in the future, but at the moment didn't have the time for evening green party meetings. He had councillor written all over him. Leaflets were quickly given to him to encourge him. I hope he joins and comes back to us at the stall.

We publicised a public meeting to be held by us this thursday in the Friends Meeting House in Bath Place at 7.30pm. This seemed to go down really well with several saying they would attend. There will be three speakers, two of them our council candidates. The other will be the parliamentary candidate for Bridgwater, Charlie Graham. He is going to speak on nuclear power in light of the recent leaks at Fukushima.

A few months ago I never thought we would have so much going on. The main barrier still remains people underestimating our presence and power and I hope the stalls, meetings, leaflets and canvassing all persuade people that we are a very different very present and quite powerful party now in Taunton.

Save Priorswood Library Letter

2011-04-13T21:20:00.004+01:00

I wrote a letter to Jeremy Browne MP as part of the 'Help Save Priorswood Library' campaign on facebook on sunday:

"10 April 2011

Jeremy Browne MP
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA

Dear Jeremy Browne MP

You will be aware that following the County Council’s budget meeting there are still eleven libraries and four mobile libraries in Somerset which are under threat of closure. In spite of substantial cuts in local government funding Somerset County Council has chosen to pay off capital expenditure rather than to maintain front line services to the public. I believe library cuts in particular have been singled out to make things difficult for the Government, knowing how popular the service is, and how articulate its users are. This is particularly serious in Somerset, where expenditure on libraries has never been generous and when the service has been subject to several reductions in budget ahead of the current financial crisis.

I appreciate you have no part in the decisions of the County Council but the point I would make is that the local authority is ignoring its statutory obligations under the terms of the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act.

Somerset is a predominantly rural authority and the effect will be as follows if the County Council goes ahead and closes these libraries:

School children bussed home from school in the rural areas will be without recourse to a library for homework and study purposes;

Elderly people unable to carry home books as well as shopping from the nearest town;

Those living in rural areas at a time when bus service are being reduced and petrol process are rising rapidly being deprived of mobile library services;

Selling off library accommodation and thus preventing the restoration of library services when there is an upturn in the financial situation.

The county Council has made no alternative arrangement for these users, and its vague assumption that the Big Society will fill the gap cannot be claimed as fulfilling its obligations under the Act. Significant is the fact that Somerset’s library service, through its advanced computer system, circulates books on a continuing basis amongst all its libraries, so that even the smallest library has a continuous supply of fresh titles, coupled with an efficient reservation service. If a local community were to take over a library it would soon become useless, with books designed to be issued by computer with the computer service withdrawn, no flow of fresh stock, and no reservation service.

The County Council is proposing to charge a commercial rate if a community wished to buy into these facilities. Somerset County council has no effective strategy for its library service. It has not considered the needs of its local communities, and although it carried out a public consultation exercise it has simply ignored the wishes of its communities, as is blatantly obvious from the campaigns raised in every community where a library is to be closed.

As my MP I am now asking you to raise this matter directly with the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, asking him to exercise his powers under the 1964 Public Libraries and Museums Act to intervene and call in Somerset’s decision to close eleven libraries and four mobile libraries.

Yours sincerely

Jo Simmonds"

If you are a resident of Taunton Deane you could copy and paste the text from Iain McFarlane's example. If you are outside the constituency you could adapt it to use in your own campaign if you like.

Green Party Leaflet

2011-04-11T09:40:00.004+01:00

Just putting the finishing touches to a leaflet for our campaign here in Taunton. I found much to inspire me on the Green Party website and on YouTube. The latest video is about the unnecessary public sector cuts and how different our priorities are to the other three main political parties:

Labour are not totally opposed to the public sector cuts. Occasionally you may get an MP like Diane Abbott talk about scrapping Trident but they are very rare in the Lib Dems and Labour. To get a coherent strategy to oppose the public sector cuts you would have to look to the Green Party.

Lib Dems struggle for council candidates

2011-04-08T11:25:00.008+01:00

The Guardian are reporting the decline of Lib Dem council candidates in the upcoming local elections on May 5th.

It's a good excuse for another bar chart so I've bashed the data into my computer:

Labour are predictably doing well out of being the main official opposition to the coalition government but the Green Party have also seen a healthy increase in the number of council candidates on 2007.

What is most shocking about the data is the fall of Lib Dem candidates. Where have they all gone? As Polly Curtis reports:

"A lot of focus on election night will be on Sheffield, which is Lib Dem-controlled and includes Nick Clegg's Hallam constituency. Newcastle city council, like Sheffield a Lib Dem northern outpost, is also vulnerable to a Labour resurgence."

Lets hope it's not all predictable with some Green wins too!

Green Party Candidates

2011-04-05T09:54:00.004+01:00

So the deadline for local election candidates passed yesterday. In 24 hours we will all know the full list of candidates across all political parties.

In Taunton Deane we have managed to emerge from having a non-existent local Green Party in October to having four candidates standing for us in May. It's a long way off from a full slate but we hope to gain more members, fundraise and raise our profile very high in Taunton over the coming months and years.

For now I am glad I at last have a Green Party candidate to vote for in the local elections even though that candidate is me. I'm also proud that other people in my area who are aggrieved with the main political parties have an alternative choice if they want it.

Low support for war

2011-03-22T21:23:00.007Z

YouGov has an interesting poll up showing how our involvement in Libya is more unpopular than our invasion of Iraq in 2003.

In a survey it reveals how people are less decisive than they were nearly a decade ago:

"On March 20, 2003, 53% supported the invasion; today just 45% think ‘Britain, France, the US and other countries are right to take military action in Libya’. Eight years ago, 39% opposed the invasion; today, 35% oppose military action. The biggest difference is the number who say ‘don’t know’: up from 8% in 2003 to 19% today."

Perhaps the main difference is that the Iraq war is ongoing with many people in ordinary towns and cities knowing directly or indirectly a friend or relative who has been killed or injured. These aren't memories, these are real people who remind everyone day-by-day what the true cost of a war is.

In denial about nuclear?

2011-03-15T13:39:00.005Z

An earthquake equivalent to a third of a hydrogen bomb shook Japan last week.

Now they have an atomic disaster of a different kind.

Japan's nuclear plants are exploding and anti-nuclear protesters are being accused of taking advantage of the situation.

We have arrived at a point where being pro-nuclear is accepted. Lots of high profile environmentalists now support nuclear because it is carbon neutral and weakens our reliance on oil.

To be anti-nuclear is to be pro-oil, pro-coal, antiquated and stuck in the past. All the old fears about radiation are tutted at and pro-nuclear politicians roll their eyes as claims about cancer are dismissed with a casual wave of the hand.

Many people will carry on their ordinary lives unaware of the implications for nuclear in this country or will not care. But this doesn't mean we shouldn't take heed of the lessons which can be learnt from this disaster.

Even though many people don't have a vivid imagination to think that a disaster could happen in this country this is often because they don't know anything at all about nuclear power plants. Some people think we are given the full facts about nuclear. I disagree.

Lots of people will think it can't happen in this country as our nuclear power plants are better built or we won't have an earthquake. But the prototype that our nuclear power plants in the 21st century are based on in France is going horribly wrong and is massively over budget.

Also Britain is due to experience severe flooding and nuclear power plants are built by the sea, which would be most affected in the event of this happening. All we would need would be a severe flood and a power cut and no-one would be able to attend to the power plant. Thousands of people would be in hospital after being contaminated.

They don't run themselves. They need people. In a world more inclined to disaster we can't take this risk anymore.

Coalition Pledge Tracker

2011-03-10T14:26:00.003Z

I've found a great tool on the guardian website which you can use for a quick easy-to-understand checklist of coalition manifesto pledges which have either not been kept, are in progress or have been delivered.

Shockingly, there are a huge amount of health pledges which haven't been kept and have been dropped.

Also as you can see below no action has been taken to tackle huge bonuses in the financial sector as promised in the coalition agreement published shortly after the General Election last May.

Also no action has been taken to scrutinise Trident as promised. This shows the lack of green credentials of the Lib Dem and Tory-led government. The unimpressive few green pledges outlined haven't been honoured:

Perhaps campaigners can ask people on the doorstep to search google for 'Guardian Coalition Pledge Tracker' and see if they are happy with what their local Lib Dems or Tories are in agreement with locally.

Lib Dems in Sheffield

2011-03-08T21:55:00.003Z

Sheffield Green Party have noticed how high security is for this year's Lib Dem Spring Conference at the weekend in the city.

Normally you can walk around the city hall but not today. Not when the Lib Dems are in town. It looks like fort knox. Sad.

Inside the Tory Room...

2011-03-05T16:07:00.001Z

The Tories are in Cardiff this weekend where their 'Spring Forum' is being held ahead of the Welsh Assembly elections in May. I watched the speech by Osborne on their 'livestream' where a private discussion on Warsi's speech seemed to be happening in public:

This confirms the suspicion about the May elections; that the Tories won't be campaigning hard at all against the Lib Dems. Given the Barnsley Central result should they bother even if they had to?

Greens beat Lib Dems

2011-03-04T15:11:00.003Z

Some great news for the Green Party ahead of the council elections this May.

The Greens polled 3% ahead of the Lib Dems who came last and 2% short of third place in the Cardiff City Council by-election last night.

Cardiff is of course Plaid Cyrmru/Lab territory but you can always tell a lot from losses and it's a sign of what's to come for the Lib Dems locally.

Here are the results:

Cardiff City - Riverside:

Lab 1700, Plaid Cymru 1099, C 369, Green 277, Lib Dem 187. (May 2008 - Three seats Plaid Cymru 1064, 1064, 991, Lab 786, 743, 707, C 295, Lib Dem 280, 250, 235, C 209, 206).

Lab gain from Plaid Cymru. Swing 14.7% Plaid Cymru to Lab.

Barnsley Central By-Election

2011-03-04T14:52:00.003Z

Can it get any worse for Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems? Down from second place in Barnsley Central with 17% of the vote to sixth and just 4%. A lost deposit, abused on the doorstep and humiliated in front of the entire country.

But at least Clegg has a ministerial car. And some spin:

Murdoch & Fairness

2011-03-03T16:39:00.005Z

Rupert Murdoch's bid to take over BSkyB has been allowed by the Tory Minister Jeremy Hunt.

It's a sad day for democracy as there is a huge amount of opposition to this continued monopoly with Murdoch owning such a large share of our media.

If you weren't aware of just how much he owns this Guardian Data Blog is very useful.

One of his titles, the News of the World has recently been embroiled in a huge phone hacking scandal.

He also owns the Wall Street Journal which is discussed in a book I am reading at the moment, and would urge you strongly to read if you are interested in Murdoch and his power. It's called 'The Man who owns the News' by Michael Wolff.

He investigates all aspects of Murdoch's character and his 'autistic' and dogged rise to power over 50 years.

In the YouTube video below he tells an interviewer they were quite a few 'left wing' reporters at the Journal which did tend to skew things slightly.

But in the book I'm reading Michael Wolff seems to take a very different point of view:

"Even as discussion proceeded about the protections for the Wall Street Journal's editorial independence, Murdoch would go through the paper every morning slashing and stabbing its pages, full of annoyance, contempt, and incredulity."

Listen to him trying to defend himself here:

You can read what Caroline Lucas thinks about the takeover and Murdoch in the Politics Weekly Podcast here.

Is the Green Party too middle-class?

2011-03-01T01:11:00.007Z

Derek Wall blogged recently about a seminar on how to engage the working-class in Green Party politics. It is an issue which should be seen as more important than the over-representation of Etonians and privately-educated graduates in politics.

Activists are mostly middle-class and the minority working-class members in a party tend to remain inactive, not taking the necessary steps to progress from activist to candidate to councillor to parliamentary candidate to MP.

This is in part due to lack of expectation by themselves and by other people. Class segregation means those in manual jobs tend to socialise with others in the same position and rarely meet those outside their sphere. To become involved in politics means to exit this sphere which can feel strange. Their parents have typically never been involved with politics or have grown up seeing the Tories argue with Labour on the television and haven’t really assessed any other party.

They also crave the stability of a main political party. Whilst not hugely active in politics the working-class vote in order to change the status quo very definitely. I don’t know how my parents vote or voted but it was an anti-Thatcher vote during the last recession which certainly wouldn’t have been given to the Greens. They were desperate for change and wouldn’t have taken that risk in a million years. The issues which were of the upmost importance were housing, business, sustainable transport and the recession. Hugely self-reliant and environmentally aware they still may not have voted green even if they were to be transported through time to 2011.

An issue which is interesting here is why working-class people aren't green in the same quantities as the middle-classes. I think the main reason is awareness rather than finance although money can put a halt to various green activities. Even a lack of awareness of how much it costs to be green can stop them. For example veganism is viewed as costly over vegetarianism or a meat-based diet which isn't always true. Although you would need an awareness of diet and nutrition to make this green choice successful. Many people also think green energy is more expensive whereas ecotricity now offer to match your existing energy bill. Again, perhaps a lack of awareness caused by lack of access to the internet? Lack of interest? Apathy? I know I have learnt a great deal about how to be greener through the internet which wasn't available to me at home until a few years ago. I certainly wasn't as green when I didn't have the internet.

One of the best things about the Green Party is that it is opening up to encompass other issues and attacking them with great social policies alongside environmentally aware ideals. The Greens are a very different party now to the Ecology Party. We have grown up and the momentum towards getting a parliamentary green party is building. We look serious as if we expect to be voted for. So we will. Once working-class people actually hear about our policies and what we can do to help their individual situation they will come towards us. We need to get our message out on key issues like crime, council housing and the living wage. We need to soften the exit from their ‘sphere’. ‘Green left’ as a group full of people sympathetic to working-class issues works very well for that purpose although I am making the assumption that working-class people will be socialists, which of course they may not be.

The main (and least patronising) way we can encourage working-class people to join and vote for the Green Party is to have working-class candidates and councillors talking to them about our policies. So if you come across any potential councillors who aren’t from a middle-class background or haven’t got a professional job get in there and ask them to stand for us in the local elections this May.

Grinning councillors cut services

2011-02-27T22:34:00.004Z

Iain McFarlane from the facebook cause 'Help Save Priorswood Library' posted the video below today. It looks like some of the councillors voting are enjoying the process a little more than is necessary.

Many of them live in areas which don't rely heavily on public services such as libraries. Many of them don't rely on libraries themselves. For most of them they have just voted on a page full of figures and are relieved to have defeated the local campaigners.

South West One lose £16.5 million

2011-02-26T20:06:00.005Z

Stumbling across this odd YouTube video by 'Our Somerset' reminded me of 'South West One' and its huge losses.

There is a lot of debate in the comments section underneath this article about whether its losses are funded by the taxpayer with the majority of contributors agreeing that they are.

Shame on the 2007 Lib Dem led council.

Twitter tutorial

2011-02-22T00:44:00.006Z

I've been asked three times in recent weeks about twitter after talking about it in informal groups at meetings. It's a bit bewildering as people really do expect you to explain to them there and then how to get on twitter and what you do.

I'm not great at summing twitter up into a short statement as I tend to want to tell them everything in order to encourage them to sign up. But time doesn't usually allow for a full explanation and the internet isn't generally around when this question is asked.

So for any future occasions I plan to have a word document in my bag to pull out handily or plan to write my blog address while I gloat at being prepared and knowledgable!

Here are the basic steps to register for an account on twitter.

You can do as little or as much as you want with it and you mustn't feel in a hurry to tweet, put a photo up or follow people. Take it at your own pace as it is strange to use if you haven't seen it before.

1. Go to twitter.com.

2. Imagine you are called Emily Smith. For this tutorial you can either be an activist using twitter for informal purposes to campaign on green issues or you can be a councillor.

The first barrier if you have a common name is that your name will probably be taken as a username. You should think what will be easy for others to remember when you tell them your username at events.

'EmilySmith02' is okay but could cause confusion - maybe people looking for you will type 'EmilySmithO2'. It's up to you.

If you spend a few minutes brainstorming ideas you can usually pick a great name which hasn't been taken yet. If you told someone your username was 'Emilyisgreen' they would certainly remember you and follow you. It also portrays the essence of why you are on twitter which is to campaign on green issues. Perfect!

If you are a councillor then you will notice that your username is limited to 15 characters and therefore you cannot have 'councilloremilysmith'. Equally you should spend a few minutes thinking about what you can have although the obvious second choice 'CllrEmilySmith' is available here. I've seen some very imaginative usernames on twitter which suit the person tweeting perfectly whilst also being memorable.

3. Pick a password of 6 or more characters. Twitter is very prone to hacking attacks so try if you can to pick a password which isn't used on your email account or facebook.

4. Enter your email address. If you don't have one you could always use your partner's address as you don't really need email updates although they are useful when people send you 'Direct Messages'. These are secret messages you can send only to people who follow you back on twitter. They are also limited to 140 characters and are completely private. Although as stated before don't use this message system for anything of a highly confidential nature as accounts have been known to be hacked.

5. When you click onto the next screen you will find twitter asks you to follow randomly selected accounts. If they are not interesting to you don't bother at this stage.

6. You can skip the next screen which asks you if you want to send everyone in your email contacts a message asking them to follow you on twitter. Be aware that if you do this it will go to absolutely everyone who your email provider has decided to save to your contacts. This could include people you have forgotten about.

7. Go to your email account where you will have an email from twitter. Click on the link in it.

8. Click on your name at the top right hand of the screen and a drop down menu will appear. Click 'settings'.

9. In the next screen the 'account' and 'profile' are the ones you most need to go into. Don't worry about the others for now.

10. In the 'Account' tab you will be asked if you want to 'protect my tweets'. If you want as many people as possible to see your tweets obviously leave it blank, but be aware your tweets may show up on google when someone does a search for you on the internet, even employers! Protecting your tweets hides them completely from anyone who hasn't asked permission to follow you. This weeds out the 'spam' accounts but means you may not get as many followers as those who leave their accounts open.

11. Click on the link in the right hand column which says 'upload a photo' after clicking 'home' to upload a photo, preferably of your head and shoulders!

12. You can search for other people you may know or type 'greenparty' which will bring up the national green party account. Click follow underneath their photo. From this account you could see who they follow and maybe follow them too. To follow people back click 'followers' to the right of the screen and click 'follow'.

13.

Please feel free to direct anyone you know who is on the internet and thinking of standing for election in any capacity here to get started on twitter. Tweeting green councillors and activists are fab!

Ken Clarke vague on Europe

2011-02-20T20:56:00.004Z

The Guardian reports on Ken Clarke's appearance on this morning's 'Marr' programme outlining the government's plans to reform the European Court of Human Rights.

There will be a commission on a 'British Bill of Rights' as Cameron announced during last Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions:

"The government is due to launch a commission on the creation of a British bill of rights, but while it would look into how to improve the relationship between the UK and Strasbourg, Clarke said it was not clear how this would work with the convention on human rights. Although some have called for the UK to withdraw from the convention, Clarke said it would be "startling" for any British government not to comply with the court's rulings. But Clarke said he wanted to look into whether some issues could be handled by other courts and parliaments rather than Strasbourg."

Sound vague? Muddled? Confusing? Surely not, after all this is the government who is u-turning so much it's become a regular occurrence. How on earth can we have our own bill of rights whilst also taking rulings from Strasbourg?

If you thought Europe was complicated then it doesn't look like it's going to get any simpler under the Tories. You may even not be able to understand what's happening and give up.

Which could be the point.

Tree saved

2011-02-18T00:32:00.002Z

My thoughts on the days events in a funny YouTube video from 'NutzTube'.

AV: Lab PR v The Truth

2011-02-16T22:02:00.006Z

There have been a few myths thrown around twitter on AV which have been misleading me amongst others. I found the figures below in a Guardian article written shortly after the General Election last year in which Alan Travis shows us what the 2010 election results would have looked like in terms of seats under AV and STV.

As you can see Labour do a little bit better under AV, the Lib Dems see an increase of 22 seats and the Tories see a decrease of 28 seats. 'Others' don't experience a change except under STV.

This is interesting as certain Labour bloggers are spreading lies around twitter that AV means Labour 'loses big time'. This is obviously not backed up with any evidence, as is normally the case with twitter. I do wonder where the Labour tweeter got the idea from though.

This reveals the fact that the Labour campaigners against AV are not doing it due to losing any MPs but are playing party politics with voting reform.

Tweeting from the Chamber?

2011-02-14T15:53:00.005Z

A few weeks ago the Westminster village was plunged into disarray and panic by a false rumour that twitter was about to be banned from the chamber of the House of Commons.

Now there is another rumour. The iPad could be allowed into class.

Today's Guardian outlines the proposals:

"Sir Alan Haselhurst, the former Commons deputy speaker, who chairs the administration committee, said his committee was conducting an experiment to see whether members found it useful having an iPad during hearings.

There was a trial during the last parliament, he said, which involved one committee room being fitted with WiFi so that MPs who were there could use laptops during committee hearings. "But that experience taught us nothing because members did not bother taking advantage of it," he said."

While this would save paper and look as if parliament was a least trying to get wired up in a way other parliaments are, it leads me to wonder if MPs should have the internet at all in the chamber?

There was a similar ruling on this allowing people to have their phones in court cases and tweet but why would any elected representative want the internet during a debate if they weren't using it to find out information to help them, something which isn't allowed?

Why not allow iPads and laptops but ban the internet? MPs don't use email to correspond with their constituents. When emails are sent they are sent by researchers back in their offices. If they really need to send an email they should go back to their office and write one. It's the same with tweets. It doesn't look professional.

The article continues:

"Peers are also concerned that the routine use of computers in the chamber could affect the way debates are conducted. Although the Lords administration and works committee recently said in a report that iPads and other devices should be allowed in the chamber during a one-year trial, it also said that internet access could be "abused" and that peers participating in debates should now be allowed "to use electronic devices to search the web speculatively in the hope of finding information for use in debate which is not generally available to other participants"."

In terms of local government there have been instances of twitter bans but some councils embrace it positively.

I'm also not sure why they can have twitter in the chamber but not have electronic voting, as Caroline Lucas recently queried.

A consensus needs to be reached across all levels of government.

Big Society Spoof

2011-02-13T22:30:00.002Z

Much talk ten months after the general election about the Big Society. Here's an interesting spoof video on Cameron's 'Big Society' by 'Psychicsupper' on YouTube:

Lib Dem Bar Chart Spin

2011-02-09T11:56:00.005Z

A lot has been said by bloggers on Lib Dem bar charts distorting the truth at the top right of their election leaflets. They often display the results of three parties when they are in first or second place with the third party looking rather pathetic next to them.

While several activities that could be seen to influence the way constituents vote in an election are banned by the Electoral Commission, such as tweeting the results of postal votes before close of polls, printing a bar chart with the words 'Lab cannot win in Taunton Deane' with the results of an unrelated election is strangely not among them.

This is my version of the bar chart on the leaflet below. While the bar chart on the Lib Dem leaflet delivered to my house on monday is surprisingly accurate considering others I've seen it can hardly be fair to label the Labour candidate as a false hope. Also why are they using the General Election results?

I've bashed the 2010 Lyngford By-Election results into my computer and a fairer result came out showing it's more of a three-way fight here with the third place party polling a respectable 21% rather than just 5%:

Why weren't the local Lib Dems confident enough to show this result?

What do you want your local councillor to fight for?

2011-02-08T10:00:00.001Z

In case you missed it there was a Green Party 'Channel 4 Political Slot' on Saturday afternoon:

Green Party Councillors talk to people about what they want from their local councillor. Actually seeing them is always popular which is relevant after my last post!

First Leaflet of the Elections

2011-02-07T11:41:00.003Z

A Lib Dem leaflet was shoved through my letterbox this morning by a man with a bright yellow Lib Dem bag. It's the first leaflet of the election, proving the Lib Dems are anxious about their two councillors in the ward of Lyngford.

The Lib Dem who was elected after a her predecessor was sacked for not attending council meetings is Cllr Nicola Messenger. She was elected over 12 months ago in 2009 but you wouldn't think so after reading about her plans to meet constituents.

The leaflet contains:

Front page:

1. Priorswood Library (photo with Jeremy Browne MP)
2. Pupil Premium (photo with Jeremy Browne MP)

Second page:

1. Parking outside Priorswood shops - campaigning for a limit of 3 hours parking (photo of both cllrs)
2. Academy funding of £10.7 million received
3. In support of the new £16 million Northern Inner Distribution Road
4. Support for the £11 million canalside housing development

Third page:

1. A Lib Dem councillor attacks Tory council leader on the cuts, particularly 100% cuts to arts funding in Somerset
2. Suggestions to help the Tories manage cuts 'in a fairer way'
3. Pensions - links between pensions and earnings have been restored
4. An attack on Labour's legacy of debt

Back page:

1. Support for yes to fairer votes
2. Councillor Drop-in sessions
3. Post offices 'saved'
4. 'Tell us what you think' with no option to become a member - low expectations this year?

Why Saturday? Why the EDL?

2011-02-06T19:38:00.007Z

David Cameron's speech on multiculturalism clashed with an anti-Islam English Defence League march in Luton on Saturday. Did he do this intentionally or was it a complete coincidence? Why was this the biggest anti-Islam march so far in the UK?

There could be many factors contributing to the rise of this strand of racism. The most obvious one is rising unemployment among white working class men. This is one of the causes I said would contribute to the rise of terrorism in 2008. I predicted a downward spiral where Muslims would feel alienated due to the rise of racism. I thought this would push those on the sidelines further to the extremes. Unemployment is always a major factor in the rise of racism. It gives a green light to extremes of behaviour and racism and terrorism are two extremes.

David Cameron's speech will not help cure these two poisons in society. He argued that Muslims need to be more 'British'. This does not address the underlying cause of terrorism and Muslim extremism.

Cameron said:

"There are practical things that we can do as well. That includes making sure that immigrants speak the language of their new home and ensuring that people are educated in the elements of a common culture and curriculum."

The idea that immigrants should have to speak the language of their new country is at best patronising and at worst racist. It feels like an invasion into the homes and culture of those who may want to continue speaking their mother tongue whilst speaking basic English. They aren't offending anyone. Neither are they potential terrorists. I have met immigrants who speak English perfectly but still feel alienated and unhappy. I have met immigrants who speak only basic English who are very integrated into their community. Sometimes the female members of the family have no need to speak English and to ask them to do so is a waste of time and money.

I feel this was an ill-timed speech full of racial stereotypes and dangerous characterisations. Lets hope more considerate cautious language will be used in the future to avoid fanning the flames of racism and Islamism.

Stephen Williams MP #fail

2011-02-04T15:00:00.004Z

This is the twitter profile of Stephen Williams, the Lib Dem MP for Bristol West. When you land on his page you are greeted with the message 'Thanks for visiting my Twitter page. I'm afraid I cannot respond to individual tweets - if you want to get in touch, please visit http://bit.ly/bWMZRX'

[Click on picture to enlarge]

The issue of such a grumpy profile message aside, should an MP who doesn't have time to tweet or have a member of staff interested enough to answer tweets when interaction is the whole point of twitter actually be on twitter in the first place?

When compared to other MPs who fully exploit the functions and potential of twitter, such as Tom Watson and Caroline Lucas, Stephen Williams is bound to come off worse and at best will surely look really quite lazy.

Taking the argument that MPs should only be on twitter if they are prepared to engage with other people and at least follow them back to its full conclusion would mean that only MPs themselves should be on the site with a verified account. Although the blue verified tick on twitter only means that the person is who they say they are, not that they write their own tweets.

One can understand celebrities employing staff to update their tweets for them or journalists but surely the main reason why MPs sign up for social networking is to connect with constituents. Thus it would be fine to have a website with a list of press releases. This is usually their party website. But twitter isn't just a website. It's a social media platform which could very easily make you look like you ignore constituents or are quite neglectful, thus doing you more harm than good.

It's amazing how many Lib Dem MPs are guilty of not maintaining a good social networking profile. You can almost see the reminder emails from twitter in their email inboxes stacking up on top of casework and other important correspondence as they fail to log into the site and update their status.

It's not hard to update your status these days. There are numerous ways of doing it on the move and you can still, though controversially, tweet from the chamber of the house of commons. So there really is no excuse not to connect with constituents in this way.

I've seen many people on twitter ask very good and genuine questions of MPs, which, if not answered, would make them look very incompetent indeed.

I hope Stephen Williams gets round to following someone soon. Perhaps some of his constituents who may be quite angry he voted to sell off the forests this week?

Taunton Tuition Fee Protest

2011-02-04T14:32:00.002Z

Students from Richard Huish college in Taunton demonstrated through the town centre today to protest against the abolition of EMA and the increase in tuition fees being introduced by the Lib Dem and Tory-led government. The rally afterwards was attended by Billy Bragg who spoke and sang. The London rally before Christmas was attended by Caroline Lucas who outlined the Green Party's stance on these issues:

Courtesy of The Green Party Channel on YouTube

Is IPSA inept?

2011-02-03T14:22:00.004Z

Sir George Young, leader of the Commons, has issued a highly critical paper on the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority which has taken charge of MPs expenses.

There are reports of several MPs moaning about having expense claims rejected by IPSA with stories of MPs spending Christmas in debt and living on their bank overdraft.

While I agree with the general concept of having an independent body assess the expenses claims as the rules did need tightening up, I can see there is a huge problem with the day-to-day running and administrative procedures of IPSA. Since the election in 2010 I have heard endless moans and complaints from MPs on twitter and the blogosphere about the problems.

If IPSA are allowed to continue with the alleged maladministration then the scales of power will be tipped back towards MPs and we will return to a system where corruption will flourish.

Local Taunton Library Saved...till 2012

2011-02-01T23:57:00.004Z

I shared this video on my twitter feed and facebook profile last night. It's a great campaigning video which I would recommend you watch if you have the time.

Today I read the great news that my local library here in Priorswood will be saved from closure. There's a catch though. It's only saved until 2012. My local paper reported today that:

"Event organisers now plan to establish a Priorswood Library Action Network (PLAN) to liaise with authorities and Somerset stakeholders in the hope of safeguarding the library's future beyond 2012."

I hope everyone who is local can attend the read-in mentioned in the article at Priorswood Library at 10am this Friday. The number 2 bus leaves regularly from the parade in town out to Priorswood shops which is just opposite the library if you don't live locally but would like to show your support.

Farage nonsense

2011-01-31T22:49:00.007Z

I've been reading about the EU quite a lot lately and have found no shortage of UKIP videos to watch on YouTube. I'm glad UKIP are so prolific on the site. At least people can hear what utter nonsense they speak and perhaps a few voters who may have been swayed to vote for the useless excuse for a party may just float another way instead.

Despite being in the party for so long Nigel Farage admits he still doesn't know whether the EU can be seen as a 'left-wing or right-wing organisation'. Which shows the level of debate they have within their party.

Save Somerset Libraries

2011-01-28T17:30:00.006Z

If you live in Somerset you will know that a fair few of the libraries which were said to be under threat of closure have been 'saved' provisionally. Although there is little certainty about this change of heart the campaign to save all the libraries continues unabated. Here are a few things you can do if you live in Somerset or know someone who does:

1. Watch this video:

2. Join 'Help Save Priorswood Library'

3. Join 'Friends of Glastonbury Library' on facebook

4. Sign the petition to Save Somerset Libraries

5. Join the 'Save Somerset Libraries' facebook page

6. Read the County Council Cabinet Meeting Agenda for Wednesday 2nd February 2011

7. Read the additional Library Report for that meeting here

8. Attend the Cabinet Meeting on Wednesday 2nd February and ask a question. I unfortunately cannot attend this due to other commitments.

9. Priorswood Library are having a 'read-in' on Friday 4th February from 10am - 11am where you can write a letter to your councillor and chat about things you can do to help.

Tabloid Paper or Listening Post?

2011-01-27T12:52:00.003Z

The news that the phone hacking scandal is beginning to be taken seriously by the Met Police with a major inquiry is welcome news for anyone in public life.

There have been hints by various people in the media that the News of the World pays the police for information, therefore tipping the power balance strongly in favour of the tabloid press. The paper argues that exposing the private life of public figures is in the public interest and they have an important role to play when working with the police.

But what powers do the papers have unofficially? At what point do we have another police organisation monitoring ordinary people who are connected with people in public life in some way? A paper who acts solely to investigate people's lives to sell newspapers is very different from the police who don't profit financially from solving crimes or exposing wrongdoing. If the tabloid press were a community newspaper investigating crimes without gaining profit things would be very different.

As it stands the tabloid press cannot be seen or known to have these unofficial powers to spy into people's private lives. The papers will be less salacious and scandalous for it and circulation will drop dramatically but law and order must be seen to be obeyed by everyone working in the media.

Private School Pensions? You subsidise them

2011-01-26T21:43:00.004Z

If you found tonight's screening of 'Posh and Posher' food for thought then Devon Green Party Cllr Paula Black could provide an interesting dessert. After a freedom of infomation request she found that private school teachers' pensions are being subsidised by the taxpayer even though 93% of the general population go through the state school system.

According to the South West Green Party website:

"Teachers working in state schools contribute to their pension from their own salaries, with additional contributions from their employers. Private schools can make the same contribution for the same benefits. However, private schools would not be allowed by the Pension Regulator to pay so little if they ran their own pension schemes. In effect, the government - that is, us the tax payer - is subsidising private sector pensions."

Paula, a former primary school teacher herself, says she is disgusted that this is still allowed during a time of such massive cuts to the public sector:

"Private schools are businesses, they exist to make money for private individuals, should we the tax-payers be financing these pensions? I think not."

It's just another insult when added to the fact that private schools are registered charities when they are quite clearly run as businesses. It's shocking that so much criticism is levelled at public sector pensions when this issue is totally ignored.

Show sexism the red card

2011-01-25T15:41:00.004Z

The news that Sky Reporter Andy Burton has been taken off air comes as welcome news just 24 hours after two other reporters were 'stood down' for their sexist comments about a female referee.

Their comments about women never understanding the offside rule were patronising and condescending. As an occasional viewer of football and a former 10 year old member of my school's girls football team I found them particularly offensive.

It seems to be a vicious cirle in football that women stay away due to sexism which in turn worsens the attitude of some men due to our absence from the sport. It's a circle which desperately needs to be broken.

Even more female commentators, referees and more women's football on television is urgently needed.

The morals of an undercover cop

2011-01-23T16:54:00.005Z

Today in The Observer an undercover policeman claims that he was sanctioned to 'use' promiscuity as a tool to dig for information when infiltrating green activist groups. He says:

"As regards being with women in very, very, very promiscuous groups such as the eco-wing, environmental movement, leftwing, or the Animal Liberation Front – it's an extremely promiscuous lifestyle and you cannot not be promiscuous in there."

Despite his strange claims being refuted by the Association of Chief Police Officers the unnamed policeman is adamant that sexual activity is rife in 'left wing and eco groups' and that sexual relationships are de rigueur.

When you think that his only experience of being in any of these groups is through his undercover work as a spy it should tell you that he may have got a skewed view.

Unfortunately we haven't heard of very right-wing groups being infiltrated in this way such as the BNP or indeed political parties but when someone does it will be fascinating to compare and contrast human behaviour. One suspects human behaviour takes an identical pattern regardless of political view or activity.

Also when you consider the age range of the typical activist who is most likely to be under 30, unattached and childless it doesn't come as a huge surprise to find out sexual relationships happen in these groups.

The real issue of course is that the undercover policeman claims he was authorised to be sexually manipulative and use his sexuality to gain information. This is highly unethical, repulsive and beats the low moral activities in my previous post about tabloid hacks.

The morals of a tabloid hack

2011-01-22T16:48:00.004Z

A lot has been said in the last 24 hours or so about the morality of tabloid hacks and the ethical viewpoints they bring to government roles in communications with the departure of Tory Director of Comms Andy Coulson.

The other Director of Comms everyone begins to talk about at this point is usually Alastair Campbell. Having had the misfortune of reading a few biographies on him in my twenties he certainly wasn't a saint either.

Quoting himself in his own Mirror articles on Labour while pretending they were from 'insiders' in the Labour Party led him to conclude he was a part-time spinner/journo. With such a blurry line drawn between journalists and party staff one wonders why the Tory Party don't just employ a hack part-time and let them continue writing newspaper articles.

Another example is Lance Price who was plucked from the BBC, worked for Tony Blair and Alastair Campbell, then walked back into the BBC again. I say...why bother leaving?

Coulson satire

2011-01-21T22:32:00.004Z

A quite funny video from 2009 YouTube for some light relief from the stories of the day. Further searches on Coulson failed to provide anything funnier so you'll have to make do I'm afraid.

Coulson quits

2011-01-21T13:27:00.006Z

In a minutely spun resignation timed perfectly to be released just as Blair was approaching a crucial point while giving evidence to the Iraq Inquiry, Andy Coulson has managed to pick the ideal day to leave his post as spinner for the Tory-led government. According to various reports he decided to resign on Wednesday which is interesting in itself as this was 24 hours after an article by Ben Brogan on his Telegraph blog. There was a real 'You're great but you will still have to go' tone to Ben's piece which set the agenda for the rest of the week. He is now being tipped by a few people on twitter to be the next Tory Director of Comms. He ends the piece by saying:

'A statement between now and Easter, say, confirming that he will move on after the May elections for example would not have surprised me. Now it’s not so easy. As is always the case in these situations, finding a quiet moment when such a move can be announced without appearing to be a reaction to headlines is tricky. Mr Coulson has shown that one of his greatest skills is loyalty, so it may be that he will know better than his boss when the time has come to make that announcement.'

The Iraq Inquiry will of course be more of a pain to the Tory party as they are in government and have never opposed the Iraq war. There was a real opportunity for Coulson to wipe the Inquiry off the news agenda, even just for an hour or two and take the top spot. Lets hope from a Green Party perspective that the two stories hang around and haunt the Tories in equal measure.

The 'middle-ground' Tory

2011-01-21T00:21:00.006Z

I last blogged on December 6th 2009 about various anti-abortion articles which had started to appear randomly but frequently in the media. I sustained a prolonged attack on my blog a few weeks after I wrote the post with hundreds of hits from another site and a lot of comments full of hatred and bile directed towards me which were destined for the email bin. Not surprisingly I haven't blogged about it much since. In fact I haven't touched the issue at all in 2010.

Any issues which don't involve cuts and redundancies have been pushed down the political agenda in 2010 drowning feminist issues somewhat. Whilst this is understandable I welcome Julie Bindel's article in this week's New Statesman. She points out that the new influx of Tory MPs are in favour of reducing time limits for abortions. One of them is the usual suspect Nadine Dorries, who's right-wing views were daubed all over her twitter feed on the subject of EMA this week. No surprises in her statement which contains similar anecdotal evidence and a substantial lack of fact:

'The Tory MP Nadine Dorries is a well-known anti-abortionist. In 2006 she introduced a private member's bill in the Commons calling for the limit to be reduced from 24 to 21 weeks. She also proposed a mandatory ten-day "cooling-off" period for women wishing to have an abortion, during which they would be required to undergo counselling as a condition of consent. Then, in 2008, she tabled an amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill seeking to reduce the upper limit from 24 weeks to 20. It was defeated by 332 votes to 190.

“Please do not describe me as pro-life," Dorries says when we talk. "I am middle-ground, and hold the opinion about abortion that most people in this country agree with." There are, to date, no poll results that substantiate her claims about public attitudes.'

I made the observation when the Tories were in opposition and I'll make it again...I fear they are planning to roll back the time limit week by week until abortions are only legal in life-threatening cases such as in Ireland. The fact that we now have a Tory led government means this has become more probable although of course it won't happen overnight. Those of us who favour control of our own bodies and choice must oppose it at every twist and turn.

Adam Boulton Interview

2011-01-16T08:55:00.003Z

Today's Observer carries an interview with the Sky News Reporter Adam Boulton. Amongst the many 'verbal delights' which lurk rather threateningly within the article are a swipe against young news presenters and the nepotism within the Labour shadow cabinet.

Mr Boulton muses:

"I do think there's a cult of youth on a lot of terrestrial television. But, so far, touch wood, we've been blessedly isolated from that. I have to be honest: sometimes I'm watching the news and I see some 28-year-old in an anorak going on and I find myself thinking: 'What do you know, son?'"

Although not male and definitely not partial to an anorak, could this be a coded reference to the relatively young but talented BBC News Presenter Laura Kuensberg?

List of bloggers

2011-01-15T15:04:00.004Z

I have finally got round to starting a list of bloggers in the right column on my blog. Despite this blog going for over two years I have found it hard as I didn't know who to link to when I first joined the Greens from the Lib Dems. My google reader changed quite drastically back then and it's changed again this week after I updated all my feeds on my own private google reader.

Lots of bloggers seem to have gone quiet or have given up all together. Quite a few Lib Dem blog feeds are now defunct due to defections in the last year or so. Labour are over-represented in the list. This is due to them now being the main opposition party. They will be quite fascinating to watch in the lead up to the next General Election (or when a motion of no-confidence is passed as happened in the last coaltion government the UK experienced).

A belated thanks to all those who added this blog to their list a few months ago.

Lab Hold

2011-01-12T23:50:00.004Z

In an eve-of-poll Newsnight strangely absent of any mention of the Green Party, Baroness Warsi, Douglas Alexander and Tim Farron were on the panel tonight for the 'By-election Special'. Various points were raised by a carefully selected audience.

A student asked Tim Farron why she was now having to reconsider her place at university after working hard as an A Level student due to the increase in fees. He argued the case that she would only be paying them when she earnt over 21k as a graduate but she didn't look any less depressed at the prospect.

I had huge sympathy for her. Remembering the prospect of taking out a 10k student loan when I was her age was equally off-putting. Such huge debt is staggering at such a young age. It doesn't matter how much you will be earning when you pay it off.

Also a teacher challenged Baroness Warsi about the Building Schools for the Future project in Oldham East & Saddleworth. Warsi wandered off the point into the pupil premium which seems to be wheeled out at every mention of BSF. Luckily the teacher leapt in again and told her she wasn't asking about the pupil premium but about BSF.

I think 'Lab hold' is safely in the bag.

Lies, Damned Lies

2011-01-08T16:00:00.006Z

The comments directed at the Pakistani community by Jack Straw are deeply unsettling and irresponsible. He is right to address a specific criminal issue but to add the angle of ethnicity to the discussion shows a shocking lack of judgment. I can't remember any comments by any MP focussing on white gangs in this way when a lot of gang crime is also white. To tell the Pakistani community to be 'more open' is also offensive suggesting it acts as a whole mass with the sole aim of covering up crime. Where this may be true on some estates it's not right to deflect this issue onto the whole community. It will only alienate those who aren't integrated and cause further problems.

Obviously because of the higher percentage of ethnic minorities in the crime statistics, allegedly due to racism on the part of the police, there will inevitably be a misunderstanding of the true picture. Choosing to highlight Pakistani crime in this way is racist and disappointing.

Labour split over AV

2010-12-29T16:47:00.005Z

Photo Source

The Guardian reports today that half of Labour MPs will vote 'No' in the AV referendum expected to be held in May. Ed Miliband has made it clear that the official Labour Party line is to support a 'Yes' vote but MPs will be allowed to vote freely. The Labour Party manifesto did not state its support for a 'Yes' vote specifically as far as I can see but did support a referendum to allow the public to decide.

I have had a completely open mind about AV. My mind has changed 3 times since the May elections. At first I saw it as a climbdown from the PR we all thought the Lib Dems would get after swallowing their 2010 manifesto but I now see it as a real change. This change of mind has been mostly due to seeing the passion and gusto with which Tory and right-wing Labour MPs are organising themselves in the #no2av campaign group on twitter and elsewhere. The more they oppose it the more I want to support it. But that's not the whole reason.

To oppose it would be cutting off our nose to spite our face. If the Green and Labour parties can't abandon party politics temporarily on such important and vital issues then we should assess why we are in politics in the first place. Is it to change the world for the better or to be militant while the world becomes a poorer place around us?

So I'll be voting 'Yes' in May and I hope you will too.

11 for 2011

2010-12-27T14:48:00.003Z

Here are my eleven fears, hopes and wishes for 2011:

1. Fear - The state education system may not survive the disrespect the overwhelmingly privately educated Tory led goverment are showing it. The Tory rifles have no knowledge of the schools 93% of the population go to which is a thought that scares me. Even Clegg went to Westminster School which is on the same road where the coalition press conference was held recently in SW1. Small world. Small world indeed, with real people so very distant...

2. Hope - I hope to become a trainee journalist this year. I hope to go into a few newsrooms on work experience. I hope to pass my NCTJ exams in November. I have a hunch I will as I know a fair bit of the books I'm studying already. Shrthnd s a bt f a bggr thgh...

3. Wish - I wish the government weren't cutting so much in the public sector. The cuts are ideological as we had the welfare system erected during a recession before. The cuts haven't influenced my decision to move into the private sector at all. Honest...

4. Fear - I fear the rumours of 'coalition candidates' in the by-election coming up in January and in the General Election 2015. I have already lost any respect I had for the Lib Dems after voting for them in May and seeing them lap at Cameron's feet but it will go through the floor if they field merger candidates. A kind of sub-floor disrespect.

5. Hope - I hope the Lib Dems suffer very badly indeed in the local elections.

6. Wish - I have a wish that people will vote for me when I stand in the local elections. Obvious that one...

7. Fear - I fear the cost of libraries shutting will be felt fully in about five years' time. Rainy afternoons in the libary in small towns and villages will be a thing of the past. I would have been a deprived and bored child indeed without our library growing up very rurally without our own transport. It fills me with such dread just thinking about it.

8. Hope - I hope we achieve a true democracy where protests don't have to always be violent to attract attention. In a geniune democracy we would be content to march peacefully in the full knowledge our views would register in the corridors of power.

9. Wish - A wish to have more money isn't selfish is it?

10. Fear - I have a fear I have eaten too many chocolates over christmas.

11. Hope - I hope all our opposition politicians get sharper this year. A few of them are fighting the wrong battles. They need to focus on providing the country with effective opposition and protecting society instead of personal backbiting.

Merry Christmas a Happy New Year to all my readers...

By-election selection

2010-12-23T19:17:00.004Z

With the Lib Dems on 8% in the latest YouGov polls the Oldham East and Saddleworth By-election will be fascinating to watch. The Lib Dems seem highly confident in their candidate Elwyn Watkins who missed out on victory in May to Phil Woolas by a few streets of voters. Although with the string of Lib Dem revelations by the Telegraph this week Labour and Green candidates have it all to play for. Today George Galloway stood aside to allow the Green Party a clean path to fight Labour.

The ten candidates are as follows but the six main contenders are Labour, Tory, Greens, Lib Dems, BNP and UKIP:

Debbie Abrahams (Labour)
Kashif Ali (Conservative)
Peter Allen (Green Party)
Derek Adams (British National Party)
Paul Nuttall (UK Independence Party)
Elwyn Watkins (Liberal Democrats)
David Bishop (Bus-Pass Elvis Party)
The Flying Brick (Monster Raving Loony Party)
Loz Kaye (Pirate Party of the United Kingdom)
Stephen Morris (English Democrats)

The election is on Thursday 13th January 2011.

Ouch! Lib Dem Sting!

2010-12-22T14:41:00.003Z

Well, Vince hasn't resigned and the story rumbles on. Today three more Lib Dem ministers have been 'caught' on tape revealing their true views. A cynic would ask if this was a double bluff, with rebellious disgruntled senior Lib Dems in collusion with the Telegraph. After all, we all know it was Ed Davey who was behind the 'clever' roundabout plot to oust Charles Kennedy in 2005/06. Also Steve Webb has been criticised in the past by Nick Clegg. Is this a way to hit out at the Lib Dem leader without being punished and sacked?

If the journalists hadn't posed as constituents attending an MPs surgery I wouldn't be so suspicious but constituents have to have a geniune reason to attend one and these reporters would have stood out a mile for wanting a general chat. Also, if you are heading down this road of thought the above tweet by Tim Farron MP certainly doesn't do much to dispel it.

Cable so able?

2010-12-20T22:49:00.005Z

It seems Jackie Ashley's sunday plea to stop Lib Dem baiting and giving the Tories a free ride hasn't registered with Telegraph journalists. No surprise there. They've run an undercover expose of Vince Cable's 'real views' about the coalition government. As if we couldn't guess. Apparently Telegraph journos posing as constituents have caused Vince to talk freely. Very freely. So freely in fact that it reads like a conversation with a confidant. Strange that.

Amongst many other interesting verbal delights Vince spluttered:

“Can I be very frank with you ... I have a nuclear option, it’s like fighting a war. They know I have nuclear weapons, but I don’t have any conventional weapons. If they push me too far then I can walk out of the Government and bring the Government down and they know that.”

One can only conclude that Vince is very trusting of his Twickenham constituents...

Tory/Lib Dem Merger?

2010-12-18T23:59:00.000Z

The Oldham East and Saddleworth By-Election coverage is speeding up just as many people involved in politics slow down for christmas. Tonight an article written by Melissa Kite on the Telegraph Blogs site seems to support the rumour that the Tory Party may not stand a candidate, preferring instead to stand aside for the Lib Dems. She says:

"Mr Cameron is said to be “desperately worried” about the prospect of a poor Lib Dem showing which could dent Nick Clegg’s credibility and destabilise the Coalition."

Also she hints at a trend in the future which I think moves it beyond just an electoral pact into a Tory/Lib Dem merger:

"It is now a very real possibility that the Conservatives may not contest seats where they are third in order to help Mr Clegg and keep the coalition arrangement going."

After the May election this year there were many questions asked of MPs whether the two parties would still stand their own individual candidates regardless of the coalition with all of them protesting strongly of their intent to do so. Is this yet another coalition claim which has been reversed? What will happen in the 2015 election? Where will the Tory voters who haven't got a candidate to vote for go? Labour? Green?

Goodbye Iain Dale

2010-12-17T23:49:00.004Z

News reaches The Westcountry that Iain Dale has finally given up blogging. Although in his blog post finale you would be forgiven for thinking he'd just given up evening television. Blogging on his laptop while watching telly in the evening has become impossible according to the Tory blog 'king' as he now has to drag himself reluctantly kicking and screaming into the studios of LBC Radio every night. You have my sympathy, Iain. It sounds like a tough life indeed.

Canvassing in jail

2010-12-17T14:49:00.009Z

As prisoners who are serving less than four years gain the right to vote I thought I would explore the issues surrounding human rights in this area.

Those who oppose the move often argue that prisoners have taken away the human rights of other people and therefore should have the right to vote taken away from them. This is logical when you think that locking people up in prison involves taking away the fundamental right to freedom. If you take away this right why not take them all? Of course prisoners are trained and educated in prison and also sometimes hold a job. Does this give the right to freedom back to them to some extent? The ability to choose which A Level to study or which book to read is based on the freedom of choice. So why are some rights denied and some retained?

Prisoners are educated in jail because of the need to rehabilitate. There is general consensus that allowing them to work gives them a sense of control over their lives and destiny. If you sit around all day not doing anything the chances of rebuilding your life are slim. Democracy fuels the sense we have a purpose in life, a feeling of freedom over determinism. When we take away the right to vote and participate in democracy it gives rise to a sense that a person is on the outside of society looking in which further alienates them from participating healthily and safely in life.

I would also use the same argument that I use when outlining the case for 16 and 17 year olds to hold the vote. They have various other rights, so why does the law stop short of allowing them to vote?

If there was an argument to deny prisoners the vote we would have to deny all other human rights to prisoners to justify it.

Somerset Library Consultation

2010-12-16T16:03:00.004Z

Somerset County Council are holding a consultation about its library service. They are proposing to involve twenty local communities in the running of their own libraries. The communities seem to have no choice and if they don't work with SCC they will see their library close. Having seen the impact of my own local library close for just a couple of days per week, after a recruitment freeze was implemented due to a staff departure I can only see chaos myself. If you also have strong feelings I would advise you to complete the survey and try and get along to one of the consultation events. The survey is here.

As it says on their website it will only take 20 or 30 minutes of your time when you go. If you live in Taunton and care about services around more rural Somerset the nearest town is Glastonbury, Wellington or Williton and the other days and times are as follows:

• Tuesday, 4 January, 11am to 2pm, The Princess Hall, Princess Street, Burnham-on-Sea, TA8 1EH

• Wednesday, 5 January, 5pm to 8pm, Crewkerne Town Hall, Market Square, Victoria Buildings, Crewkerne TA18 7LN

• Friday, 7 January, 9am to 12pm, Glastonbury Town Hall, Magdalene Street, Glastonbury, BA6 9EL

• Saturday, 8 January, 10am to 1pm, Caryford Community Hall, Ansford, Castle Cary, BA7 7JJ

• Monday, 10 January, 5pm to 8pm, Danesfield School, North Road, Williton TA4 4SW

• Tuesday, 11 January, 5pm to 8pm, Courtfields School, Mantle Street, Wellington, TA21 8SW

Lib Dem Disaster

2010-12-07T20:25:00.004Z

It's certainly the week for odd news. First there was the journalist publishing the world's security secrets in the name of free speech and open democracy; then there was the Lib Dem Russian researcher accused of being a spy. But the oddest story by far is surely the Lib Dems keeping schtum about which way they will vote on the tuition fee hike on Thursday. Cynics would think there was some kind of strategy not to play their cards until the very last minute to minimize student rioting and media disarray but perhaps they genuinely haven't made up their mind yet.

It's odd to see the NUS berate the Lib Dems when you walked past their stall as a student with a Lib Dem petition to axe fees 7 years earlier. As a student from a poorer background I had the full amount of student loan and was angry about the lack of a grant for people like me who had no family support. I walked past their stall as a Labour member and refused to sign when asked. I also hated the Lib Dems and wasn't at all involved in student politics.

Of course, I know this is selfish now and I have a much wider perspective on life as a 30 year old. I know those who who are eligible to pay tuition fees aren't always the ones who are able to pay. Perhaps that realisation was why I joined the Lib Dems after university, attracted by their token policies of anti-fees, pro-PR, anti-council tax and anti-Iraq. I don't agree that people should have more than a maximum of 10k student loan debt hanging round their neck as they go out into the world of work. Any more than this is ridiculous. Higher education should be seen as an extension of compulsory education which is being protected from the cuts.

I have gone full circle on fees. I don't agree with any fees at all now. I think the Green Party have the best viewpoint of all four main political parties, that businesses who benefit from having graduates work for them and contributing to their profit should pay for their education. This will stop the 'brain drain' and encourage business to value graduates more. If only we could see some of this common sense implemented...

Telegraph hides behind paywall

2010-11-30T15:28:00.010Z

The Financial Times has just announced that the Telegraph is going to start charging for its online news content. I predicted this would happen in my post The end of free online news? on 3rd December last year. Almost exactly a year after The Times closed its content behind a paywall there are now three main papers inaccessible to those who won't register their credit card. Indeed, in the article last year I cast doubt upon the move as a viable business decision, and it seems I was right to question it. Sales of The Times have dipped below 500,000 for the first time in 16 years. Its circulation fell 14.23% in August to 494,205 and paid for circulation fell to 444,065. During the past year the amount of what I call 'serious blogs', those written by journalists adding to the amount of free online news content, has increased dramatically.

It's interesting to see how the right wing leaning newspapers are dealing with a drop in sales due to the recession compared to the left wing leaning papers. The Independent has risen to the challenge of the slump in sales by coming up with extra content at an affordable price in the shape of the 'I paper'. A shorter read than The Independent it makes a well written newspaper easily accessible to those bitten by the credit crunch while also maintaining their bigger Independent paper and free online content.

So, News International leads and everyone follows...hardly a revelation, is it?

Legal Aid Cuts - A two-tiered system?

2010-11-22T21:50:00.003Z

The news that Legal Aid is to be slashed by £350 million was announced last week. Coming in a month of shockwaves it almost fades into insignificance, but its importance shouldn't be underestimated.

The most crucial change is reducing the savings threshold from £3000 solely in savings to just £1000 in either savings or assets. This means if you are deemed to hold any kind of assets of just £1000 or more you will have to pay for your own trial. If you have ploughed all your savings into your house and have an employment compensation trial coming up you should start saving now. The impact on family law will mean more emphasis on mediation and settling out of court. There will be more onus on the individual to apply for divorce and save money by being their own solicitor.

It encourages lawyers to cherry pick cases which they will be 110% sure they will win. It also discourages justice where there is a small but significant compensation claim as the outcome may not cancel out the fees of the court case. It will undermine the process of justice and the 'right to a fair trial' outlined in the European Court of Human Rights:

Article 6 - 3 (c)

'To defend himself in person or through legal assistance of his own choosing or, if he has not sufficient means to pay for legal assistance, to be given it free when the interests of justice so require.'

Of course this is open to interpretation. Is a compensation claim in the interests of justice? I would argue it is as it encourages a fair and democratic society but others seem to disagree. Especially Tories. A two-tiered legal system awaits.

Taunton Deane Greens at Unison March

2010-11-07T22:00:00.004Z

I was proud to join the Somerset Unison march and rally through the town centre in Taunton as a member of the Green Party. We had a strong presence, along with a wide variety of unions, and we made our protest loudly against the £43 million cuts proposed for Somerset. A 100% cut in Arts funding, cuts to libraries and PCSOs, household recycling centres and a massive 1,500 council jobs cut is outrageous. It’s shocking that funding for road repairs is being cut severely when a new road is being built for Taunton. At a time when we should be making our town more sustainable for a fairer future for all these regressive unnecessary cuts will only increase unemployment and reduce efficient public transport.

Chris Huhne: Spinning Around

2010-10-30T14:29:00.009+01:00

Chris Huhne has been spinning around until he's dizzy on the Liberal Democrat Party's unofficial website Lib Dem Voice. Despite the Lib Dems traditionally being opposed to nuclear energy they are desperately now trying to explain their massive u-turn and why they now support it. Basically Chris waffles about the FT which isn't surprising since he used to work for them as a journalist and finishes the article with a sentence which should have been at the top: 'We surrended to the Tories' which is really just another way of saying 'Sorry...we are useless and powerless politically emotional f**kwits aren't we?'

Simon Hughes said in November last year how committed the Lib Dems were to stopping new builds and this belief that the Lib Dems are still as firmly opposed still sticks with people I speak to today.

Recently I took part in the consultation process against Hinkley Point and the letter I received was just a relay of what I'd already heard Chris Huhne say in Parliament. It was a scrappy letter which did not address any of my concerns about waste and illness, for which there is plenty of proof and evidence. The letter is below. You will need to click on the images to enlarge them.

I am 3!

2010-10-28T12:39:00.003+01:00

Just popping in to tell everyone I have been blogging politically for three years now! What an achievement. There have been a few hairy moments but my pursuit of the truth remains as strong as ever. My first year of blogging is lost in the ethos so you'll have to imagine what I said if you didn't read my first blog. My first full year as a Green Party blogger is celebrated below with all the Green highlights and Lib Dem misfortunes locally and nationally. Enjoy.

Hung out to dry November 23rd 2009

Lib Dem u-turn on tax November 30th 2009

Lib Dem councillor sacked December 16th 2009

Lib Dem councillor sacked - By-election January 17th 2010

Two Lib Dem PPCs resign January 20th 2010

Lib Dem AM punches paramedic February 8th 2010

Weirdo Beardo Greenie Killers March 6th 2010

Lib Dems have least amount of female candidates May 1st 2010

Vote Green get Caroline Lucas! May 7th 2010

A week is a long time: Tuesday May 11th 2010 A blog post detailing the events of the Tuesday after the General Election.

Green issues in the coalition government May 14th 2010

Environmentally-dead Ed September 28th 2010

Unison & Green Party response to the CSR

2010-10-23T14:04:00.005+01:00

In the week of the Comprehensive Spending Review on Wednesday, the Somerset branch of Unison have responded with dismay at the extent of the cuts in Local Government in the county town where 4 in 10 workers have a job in the public sector:

Ian Ducat, Unison South West Regional Secretary said:

“Whilst there is no question that the deficit has to be addressed the speed and scale of the cuts announced are totally unnecessary.

"The Government did have a choice but chose to ignore the options and the real risk is that job losses in the public sector will result in further unemployment in the private sector.

“What is perhaps the most sordid aspect of these cuts is the Coalition claim that they are fair and we are all in it together.

"This is absolute nonsense - TUC and UNISON research showed that the cuts will hit the poorest households up to 13 times harder.”

The Taunton branch of Unison are marching against the cuts meeting at French Weir at 10.30 on Saturday 6th November to march at 11am. I hope to see you there. In the meantime here is Caroline Lucas with the Green Party's view on the savage cuts:

Blog Action Day - Water

2010-10-15T19:25:00.006+01:00

Blog Action Day 2010: Water from Blog Action Day on Vimeo.

Blog Action Day is here again and this year's subject is water. It's an issue which I feel passionately about as it encompasses human rights and the environment. I won't regurgitate the facts which are on the Blog Action Day's website but I will give you the link to their petition which you should sign for an International Water Treaty.

Here is another hard hitting video from WaterAid:

Lib Dem Failures - Bumper Issue

2010-10-13T17:00:00.007+01:00

[Click on the image to enlarge]

While watching the Labour conference on BBC Parliament a couple of weeks back I made a note to myself to write on a local Lib Dem leaflet which Ben Bradshaw highlighted in his speech to delegates. Since then Lib Dem failures and their ability to pass the buck to the 'Tory Government' when they are in coalition alongside them has tripled. The above tweets from Caroline Lucas tell of her frustration to change the referendum on AV next May to include an option for the public to choose PR. Of course the rich irony of it is that the Lib Dems have always had a policy of implementing PR and this was to be the bargaining tool were they ever to go in to coalition. It doesn't bode well for those Lib Dem voters I met during the election, unfortunately due to no Green candidate locally, this includes myself, who rated the issue of PR very highly indeed. I feel let down by them as a party and I'm sure other voters locally and nationally do as well. To not have the freedom to rebel against the Tory Party and vote for Caroline's amendment shows the Lib Dem Party are going to be useless in coalition. They were more effective in opposition.

[Click on the image to enlarge]

And so we come to the leaflet the Taunton Lib Dems have distributed to thousands of homes across the constituency in their worn through yellow socks with that black dove design around the top. Hang on - doesn't it include a campaign against the Tories for scrapping free swimming? All through the leaflet it's as if the national coalition government doesn't exist. Taunton seems to be a strange parallel universe where the Lib Dems aren't responsible and can still act as if they are in opposition.

[Click on the image to enlarge]

And finally...a THIRD betrayal of the truth. The Lib Dems have had this in their manifesto since I joined their party in 2004. In fact it's one of the reasons why I was so attracted to them as a new graduate. Only to be scrapped as soon as they sit in government.

What's next - an A3 Focus with a slip to campaign against the 'Tory hike in fees'?

Environmentally-dead Ed

2010-09-28T19:38:00.004+01:00

After just 3 days as leader of the Labour Party Ed Miliband made his speech to conference this afternoon to a mixed response.

Predictably the party seems to be in shock from his victory after a year or two of the media hyping up his older brother as a 'genius' and 'extremely talented'. For a while his name appeared in every political journal, blog and newspaper as the man the media wanted to lead labour. You couldn't escape David Miliband's face staring back at you.

I was surprised when he didn't put his name forward to stand against Gordon Brown when Tony Blair stepped aside. I was even more surprised when his younger brother started to appear regularly on his trips to conferences on climate change as environment secretary. He struck me as more down to earth than his older brother, more humble, professional and sensible. David in comparison seemed to me to be smug and over-hyped.

So it won't surprise you that I am glad that Ed Miliband is leader. He's the lesser of two evils.

What was striking in his speech today was his attack on the unions, despite being elected by union members in huge quantities, and his almost complete amnesia over climate change and environmental issues.

We had to wait until right at the end until he mentioned green issues at all which made me sigh with disappointment. If he had mentioned his commitment to tackling these serious issues earlier in the speech I would have been persuaded that he was geniunely passionate about them.

As it is I have to salvage what I can from the man who is already making the ConDems worry. I feel glad he supports gay marriage and is committed to a living wage. These are both committments the Green Party have already made though.

I am not tempted by the Labour Party with Ed Miliband as leader. It's a mystery why any Green would be. We are committed to policies the Labour Party will never commit to on the environment and our social policy is light years ahead.

Miliband v Miliband

2010-08-31T21:20:00.003+01:00

I was 13 the last time Labour had a significant leadership election and in recovery from the shock news of John Smith's death. I remember precisely what I was doing at school, which staff room I was in and what I felt when I saw it on the television. It didn't seem long before Tony Blair had been elected as leader. Now, 16 years later, as the media try and fail to hype David Miliband as the next Blair I feel nothing but disappointment.

I have been left totally cold whenever I have heard David Miliband perform in hustings, either online or on the radio or television. Apart from the episode with the banana there seems to be no sense of humour or any real charisma. In a hustings for the Unite union he even mistakenly answered "100 pounds" when asked by the journalist Kevin Maguire how much the unemployed received. This is usually the type of question a member gets asked to see if they can cut it as a PPC never mind a Labour leader and possible future Prime Minister.

I was listening to the permanently over-excited Stephen Nolan on Sunday evening when he interviewed Andy Burnham before David Miliband. The interview was lame and I don't think Stephen's style is particularly conducive to extracting interesting or intelligent answers but it still didn't excuse David Miliband's poor performance. He basically reeled off his experience in various ministerial posts making me nod off over my book as I listened. I think there is a lack of passion there.

On the contrary whenever I hear Ed Miliband speak about poverty or environmental issues or even just defending his view of the Iraq war I see a passion and a charisma in him. It's nice to see. People who care genuinely often have it. It's hard to think he is related to robotic David.

Benefit fraudsters

2010-08-10T20:09:00.003+01:00

David Cameron announced today that he intends to crack down on benefit fraudsters by using credit rating agencies. This has inevitably made me assess my own situation and the positions of other vulnerable people who exist on benefits.

Until recently I thought benefit fraud was a black and white issue. Those who were guilty of claiming benefits falsely would be caught. Those who weren't committing fraud wouldn't. I now realise the entire system is a filthy mess.

There are several things wrong with the way the Department for Work and Pensions carry out their business in this area. They are completely incompetent in 'making checks'. The private companies they have employed and are about to employ are incompetent too. I have had to rectify a few mistakes on my credit record with experian in the past (you can make a FOI request to see the information they have on you at any time and I would advise you strongly to do this) and they do not have my trust.

When I say the DWP don't 'make checks' what I mean is they don't carry out basic fact finding exercises like making phone calls or talking to people. Another criticism is that people who suspect benefit fraud can phone a DWP line anonymously. This leaves the system completely open to abuse against vulnerable people. After all, why would someone want so badly to withhold their identity when reporting someone for fraud? In any other area of life you would be able to prosecute people for complaining maliciously, but not against benefit claimants it seems.

I say this because during the recent election I was falsely accused of fraud. The letter arrived out of the blue. I was quite shocked. Then I started to think about the date on the letter. It was the wednesday I had had an argument with someone who is closely associated with a political 'enemy' in my town. We had been speaking about politics and how many hours I could work when claiming benefits. She had, indeed, told me she would phone the DWP and check, then get back to me later that afternoon. Of course no phone call came. The only phone call I received was from my advisor at the local jobcentre obviously in a panic at me having all my benefits stopped with no notice when I had just joined a course in order to try and get back to work. It had crossed my mind that she was behind it but I didn't think you could do it anonymously. I had thought at least you would have to give a name and address just to check you weren't a 15 year old blowing chewing gum bubbles dobbing in their stepdad for a larf.

Three months later and still without any money at all whilst on appeal I had assessed what could have been the reason why I was treated so harshly by the DWP during the election campaign. I had worked for someone in a position of trust over me and she had abused it. It was the worst realisation at the worst time.

I don't have any problem with cracking down on benefit fraud. If tackled alongside the large amount of rich people who avoid tax while people at the local council earning £11,000 in secretarial jobs scrape together pennies to pay the taxman it would save the economy a large amount of money indeed. What I do have a problem with is the abuse of very vulnerable people on benefits.

This right to anonymity should be waived.

Non-partisan human

2010-08-07T13:13:00.002+01:00

When I joined the Green Party last September after being a member of the Lib Dems for 5 years I made a promise to myself that I would review the situation before renewing my membership after a year. It's been a strange year trying to get myself motivated to participate as much as I could against a brick wall of ill health and unemployment.

Several patterns have repeated themselves in the Green Party which is inevitable since it is a political party. I feel I have been put firmly in a 'box of expectation' with several people expecting me to be a council candidate or a parliamentary candidate. I feel that I have met a goodly amount of extremely pleasant members and activists in the Green Party who are there genuinely because they are committed to a greener more equal world. By the end of my first year in the Lib Dems I had already come across several people who seemed much like tories and who were very very nasty indeed. I am glad to say I have not met any such people in the Green Party.

I am confused as to why some people are Green Party members though when they actually support and help an opposition candidate. This obviously renders their Green Party membership void and useless. It seems silly to me.

One pattern that didn't repeat itself was the way I've been treated firmly as a defector. When I joined the Lib Dems I was also a defector from Labour, but of course it was done invisibly pre-blog. I defected from Labour during a time when I wasn't active politically. I'm not sure anyone would have noticed to be honest.

Now I am feeling quite disillusioned once more. Perhaps I'm one of those people who just can't be a member of a political party. However if I do let my membership lapse it won't be due to any ill-feeling towards the Green Party. My anger towards the Lib Dems is just as sharp today as it was the day I resigned and I won't be rejoining them. I hope the many members who have left the Lib Dems won't either.

So in short I am craving the freedom of being a non-partisan blogger and, more importantly, human being. I don't want to be a number or be subject to rules and regulations. I want to be me.

The Big Experiment

2010-07-20T16:40:00.006+01:00

Yesterday David Cameron further outlined his vision for the 'Big Society'. Perfectly good staff will be removed from local services such as libraries and replaced with volunteers who will apparently fill the same post with identical knowledge, experience and skills for no pay...must be nice living in Cameron's dreamy world...

Of all the half baked ideas the Tories have cooked up I think this has to be the worst. First of all to say a job could be done just as well by a volunteer is disheartening to public sector staff who face vigorous competition for their jobs from both inside the sector and out. Also when I think of the small local library and librarians in the ward I live in I'm pretty sure a pay packet at the end of the month is small recompense for the amount of conflict they encounter. Amongst the anti-social behaviour I've witnessed at the library are school children throwing stones from the playing fields outside, a young man flashing at someone in the library, a girl who has had to be banned from the library for shouting and swearing.

One of the librarians holds a special session for pre-school children where she reads and interacts with them. Looking up to a good valued member of staff encourages the children. They feel as if the, sometimes, alien world of learning and books is valued highly when it may not be at home. They will feel as if the government cares about them learning to read and getting fun from learning with someone who loves their job and who isn't aggrieved with the world as volunteers, lets face it, can easily be. They're not paid so they're entitled to be.

Add to this the people like me in there asking for IT help and whether a book is in the library yet or if it's likely to be in the future and you need a special kind of librarian with people skills at the very top of the list of requirements.

Now I'm not going to say volunteers don't have these skills. Quite the opposite, I think during a recession there will be a lot of people who would love the chance to put their people skills to good use in a library. The question is more if we should be asking these good people to give away their time for free? These people won't have the small recompense at the end of the month of being paid.

Who will thank them at the end of the day for being a volunteer librarian as they shut the lights off in the library? Will they come back the following morning?

I see this as a regressive step. This government places no value on libraries and the vital role they perform.

Women in Politics on 5Live

2010-07-11T14:14:00.004+01:00

In a world where the Labour media and MPs hang on the every tweet and movement of a former party girl who describes herself as 'Under Big Ben'...

In a world where it's acceptable to get p***ed while being paid to work by the taxpayer...

...In this world it's really not that surprising that many women feel alienated by the political process to the point where they don't even join a political party never mind stand as a candidate for one.

At the moment politics attracts a very 'male brained' kind of woman. They speak in a male way, have male characteristics and are probably a little bit more pushy and aggressive than the general female population in the 'real' world. They also get on better with men.

Not the best women to entice other women into parliament who have the 'traditionally female characteristics'.(For example, not wanting to spend the night in the bar or make jokes based on sexual innuendo).

There was a good discussion this morning on Radio 5 Live with Kate Silverton. Caroline Lucas had just finished her 30 minute interview in which she outlined all the best reasons why women aren't in parliament. Very few other women and hours which repel anyone who wants to see their children. She was saying how, compared to the European Parliament, she now feels conspicuous as a female MP in a sea of men. I think it's sad, but I know she won't let it stop her. She is perfectly balanced between being pushy and maintaining a softer side. I would also put Harriet Harman in this category. Very few women who go in the commons are like that.

The Iain Dale Awards

2010-07-05T19:30:00.004+01:00

It seems it's that time of the year again - where Iain Dale makes his list of blogs based on a process which is entirely unfair and a waste of time. Sometimes the blogs are arranged in a slightly different order, but other than this nothing particularly exciting happens.

As last year, please kindly don't bother nominating this blog (if you were!) - I won't be returning the favour with my nominations as I don't participate so you will be wasting your time. Iain also knows I am boycotting the awards so he will reject any nominations I'm sure.

Feel free to participate yourself it's purely a personal point of view!

PS I started a third blog last week - it's called The Cutting Room.

#Mistake

2010-06-30T15:02:00.003+01:00

There's something quite alluring about watching people on google and twitter isn't there? Particularly when they don't belong to your party...however much you admire them or like them as an online friend it's great when they slip up. Particularly those who have a reputation for being slick like Alastair Campbell. By the way, if you do make a mistake on twitter or google I'll lovingly capture it for you with the print screen button...so, no pressure.

On a more serious note, I have found out tons from following people on twitter...mostly that:

1. However much you admire and respect people in other parties it doesn't ever stop them being a prat.

2. Journalists really love themselves and really really want you to read their column. Most of them don't seem to have a personal life to tweet about.

3. Sometimes you can really meet kindred spirits on twitter. That's why it's addictive.

4. Politicians are human too.

I think they are all valuable lessons to have learnt...

Friend or foe - you can follow me here.

Loved by the rich, feared by the poor

2010-06-27T12:16:00.007+01:00

As the homoerotic Cam-Clegg hue fades from the rose garden and the thorns are exposed, rumours are rife, in the Indie and elsewhere that Lib Dem rebels plan to team up with Labour to oppose this week's budget.

The budget, which included savage cuts, and pay and benefit freezes along with a VAT hike should be an embarrassment to the Lib Dems but Cameron's poodle is too busy lapping up the ministerial water...blithely in denial. It hurts me to see once passionate Clegg delivering radical sounding speeches in the run up to the election only to turn into a tory nodding dog. His passion touched me and moved my polling day cross from Labour to Lib Dem in the place of no Green. No mean feat given how much anger I had and still have towards the Lib Dems. Now he seems to be starring in a bad Doctor Who amnesia plot in a parallel universe.

The hike in VAT of 2.5% to 20% may not sound much but I certainly noticed my change mounting up when it was reduced to 15% in the new year. So this is the VAT bombshell I saw the now amnesiac Lib Dems standing in front of before the election? I'm stunned.

Lets look to Billy Bragg for some sense for a minute:

It sounds like a dream doesn't it? A fair tax. A glimpse of hope...

Elect Ed Miliband....as MP?

2010-06-16T15:20:00.004+01:00

[Click image to enlarge]

Ed Miliband and his hapless band of interns and volunteer campaigners took a break from debating Ed's employment status last night. He joined the four other leadership contenders on newsnight for a Labour hustings. It was an odd event, with the MPs talking mostly about Cameron's Tories and the new coalition government, but there was also the rare glimpse of their vision for the Labour Party and why they wanted to be the person to be able to enforce it.

You can watch the hustings here. Ed Balls came off the worst in the debate with lots of hesitation as if he wasn't quite sure of what he was saying. Diane Abbott spoke eloquently with lots of passion about her constituency issues in a deprived area of London. Andy Burnham put in an average performance. Leading the debate was of course David Miliband, a very talented orator, and his brother Ed.

Looking on Wiki briefly after the debate last night, I noticed that Diane Abbott and Ed Balls both have either a criminal offence or parliamentary embarrassment to their names. Also Ed Miliband isn't married and Diane Abbott is divorced. I would love to say we lived in a world where this doesn't matter but if you look at previous leaders there is no other conclusion you could come to other than it matters a great deal.

On this logic, of discounting contenders due to personal circumstances, and looking at media support, it does seem to be a one horse race with just David Miliband the main strong contender. Although I hope his brother tidies his website and cranks his campaign up a gear as I think he has the better ideas for society.

Taunton Car Club

2010-06-06T19:10:00.003+01:00

Taunton Transition Town were out and about in town on Bank Holiday Monday. I went to one of their meetings last month and was very inspired so was sorry to miss them last week. One of the issues they spoke about was setting up a car club* here in Taunton Deane.

As you will see if you click the link they are basing it on a club which is already up and running in Exeter. They want everyone who is interested in joining to express an interest using the above website. I have already signed up for a family member.

The rules are:

A single deposit payment of £50 (returnable on leaving the club subject to conditions) is all you need to sign up.

With just a small standing administration fee of less than a £1 a week, you can try out Co-Cars for 6 months and see how simple and easy to use it really is! Other than that, you only pay when you actually use the cars.

Co-Cars User Rates

Current* user rates are .....

Hatchbacks & Estates hourly rate: £3.95 per hour

Day rate: £40
(Continuous 24 hour booking or multiples thereof)
Mileage rate (all cars): 23.5p per mile
(includes 0.5p contribution to Carbon Re-investment Scheme

Telephone booking: Free

On-line booking: Free

Unfortunately I can't join as understandably you need a full driving licence and to have held it for 12 or more months, but I am looking forward to not feeling pressurised into buying a car when I feel I don't really need one 24/7...

*Car will most probably look very different to the one pictured.

David Laws should resign as MP

2010-05-31T20:23:00.004+01:00

As the coalition government limps into its third week there are rumours that David Laws is thinking of resigning his post as MP for Yeovil. Apart from offering to lend the government some sticky backed plastic to keep it together I have some advice for him.

Go. Go now....no, now.

He is obviously in the wrong and has admitted it openly. He has paid back the £40,000 and resigned his post as Minister, both admissions of guilt. He knew he shouldn't have paid his partner rent but was too embarrassed to openly admit his sexuality. While he does look like a deeply private man there are certain things about your private life that sometimes need to be written in a form or declared to the authorities. If you apply for a Parliamentary Pass there are all sorts of invasive questions to answer...as an MP in receipt of taxpayer's money you pay for the privilege by being open and honest and willing to answer these invasive questions.

He should go now as there is no way round the fundamental issue of wrongdoing and fraud. There are no excuses. The embarrassment over his sexuality was a ploy for the sympathy vote which backfired. If he stays as MP the new rules which make it easy for the constituency to vote him out will evict him from Parliament..only in a much more embarrassing way. Also there are allegations over his links with Edelman which could include Jeremy Browne in the picture as a former employee for the lobbying firm.

The time to resign is now.

Lib Dem cuts to Recycling

2010-05-26T15:25:00.006+01:00

In my blog post on Saturday 8th May I outlined how the then Lib Dem Council had taken the decision to remove all recycling banks in car parks in Taunton and Wellington. Of course there has been a transition of power from Lib Dem to Tory at the Full Council meeting a couple of weeks ago but it still doesn't change the fact that cuts to recycling services happened under a Lib Dem administration. I am hoping that a new Tory Council will use this opportunity to rectify a Lib Dem mistake and reinstate the banks.

Today I wrote a comment to Taunton Deane Borough Council asking them to reconsider the decision to remove them:

"I would like to make a comment regarding the removal of the recycling banks in Taunton Deane and Wellington.

Please could you outline the reasons why there are now no recycling banks for people to take bottles and paper to in any car parks. Could you send me the research you have to show they have been underused? Also could you send me the figures, for example, how much the council is saving by removing them and what other potential areas could have been cut instead?

Could you also send me information on what percentage of households in the Taunton Deane area now have doorstep plastic recycling and the date by which all households will have this.

I would like to register my opposition to these cuts and wish the car park recycling banks to be reinstated as soon as possible."

If you want to write to them to voice your opposition to these cuts you can email them at enquiries@tauntondeane.gov.uk.

Updated: My email was forwarded to the Environment Department on May 27th...watch this space.

Green issues in the coalition government

2010-05-14T19:42:00.006+01:00

Joss Garman blogged yesterday at Left Food Forward on the green priorities for the coalition government. The general thesis of the article is that its focus on environmental issues could well be patchy.

"The Lib Dems agreed to abstain on the issue of new nuclear plants, which could pave the way for new nuclear stations, except that both parties have written into the agreement that they wouldn’t allow any public subsidy to make this happen. Well, no nuclear station has been built without subsidy, anywhere in the world, ever. So new nuclear is definitely now in doubt. The economics simply don’t stack up.

It is certainly good news to see the confirmation that an emissions performance standard will be introduced for power stations, but we don’t yet know the level at which it will be set. The Lib Dems’ went into the election with a promise to pass tough pollution standards for new power stations that would rule out dirty coal plants like Kingsnorth, while the Tories backed off from firm commitments at the last minute."

This latter paragraph is interesting as the 38 degrees amendment to the Energy Bill a few months ago was ignored by many Lib Dem MPs, including my MP Jeremy Browne who wasn't anywhere near parliament even though the vote happened on a Wednesday - this would have placed standards on the emissions of power stations. Opposing nuclear power is also not a commitment by the Lib Dems...many arguments have surrounded their official opposition to it. Unofficially they are not so committed to opposing it...

A few months ago now Jonathan Porritt visited Taunton to speak on the Stop Hinkley campaign - you can watch a section of his speech here:

You can sign the petition at the top of this page - click the Stop Hinkley picture...

A week is a long time: Tuesday

2010-05-11T19:06:00.017+01:00

We started today with talk of a rainbow coalition. We end it with the final negotiations for a Tory/Lib Dem government.

Douglas Alexander began the day with a protest about not sitting with the SNP in government. This is understandable as he is a Scottish MP who regularly criticises and hurls abuse at them. Labour and the SNP are sworn enemies in Scotland. This would have had an affect on Scottish politics similar to the affect we will find in the Tory/Lib Dem warzone in the South West if we have a Tory/Lib Dem coalition...interesting to see how this 'Alexander affect' will play out in the next General Election. In particular in Taunton how will Mark Formosa and Jeremy Browne argue about anything in hustings when they are both in government together?

Caroline Lucas appeared mid afternoon to say she would not enter into a coalition and supported PR over 'phoney AV'.

Rumours started to fly mid afternoon when a car full of bags appeared at the back of Number Ten Downing Street. It turned out not to be the PM's, but it was enough to make everyone conclude Lib Dem talks with Labour had finished.

Nick Clegg was snapped sneakily while going to a meeting today. Click on the highlighted text to be taken to a picture - you will see what's in his briefing note. This could outline the agenda of the next government.

7.01 pm - An email from Simon Hughes arrives in my inbox - after emailing him through a 38 degrees campaign for PR on Friday. The text is:

"Thank you for your e-mail. Over the past few days I have been really encouraged that so many people agree that our political system needs fundamental change and I agree with you that electoral reform is a key part of this. I have argued, campaigned and worked for major constitutional, electoral and political reform all my adult life - especially so that we can have fair votes and a representative parliament as soon as possible. I have also for a long time been a member of the Electoral Reform Society
(coincidentally based in my constituency) and active in the Campaign for Fair Votes.

Obviously, the negotiations which are now going on between Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives, and now the Liberal Democrats and the Labour Party are delicate and complicated, but I am clear that this is a great opportunity for Liberal Democrats to change the political system for generations to come. I have met formally and informally with my local party members and supporters and talked with others, and many other people have written to me, phoned me and sent me emails about this subject since last Friday. I am trying to take all these views into account in the discussions and meetings I have had and will continue to have with my colleagues who are the other Liberal Democrat members of parliament.

I can assure you that I and my colleagues are doing all that we can to ensure that as soon as possible the British people have a voting system for our UK parliament which truly gives every citizen a fair vote and gives Britain a representative parliament at last.

I hope that this has clarified my position and thank you very much again for
writing.

Best Wishes
Simon

Simon Hughes MP
Member of Parliament for Bermondsey and Old Southwark"

Slightly behind the times as the Lib Dems have since ceased talking to Labour - keep up Simon - but nice to hear you are committed to PR.

7.19 pm - At the time of writing Gordon Brown resigned as Prime Minister wishing the new Prime Minister well. I predict Cameron and Clegg will enter 10 Downing Street later tonight after the Tory and Lib Dem meetings due to happen around 8pm. When it happens I will update this blog post.

7.21 pm - It seems Cameron can now enter Downing Street.

7.46 pm - Cameron on his way to see the Queen. Gordon Brown on his way to Labour HQ.

7.50 pm - Sarah and Gordon Brown arrive with their children to applause at Labour HQ.

8.00 pm - Danny Alexander (Lib Dem MP) says talks with Tories ended in a 'good atmosphere'.

8.10 pm - Samantha and David Cameron enter Buckingham Palace. Wonder who will enter Number 11? George Osborne?

8.26 pm - First Tory member of staff enters Downing Street.

8.38 pm - Cameron heads to 10 Downing Street where his team members await. Hoping the Lib Dems will be a thorn in his side if we have a lib/con coalition.

8.42 pm - Cameron enters Downing Street as Prime Minister.

8.44 pm - Cameron mentions Clegg - Lib/Con coalition a definite?

8.47 pm - Cameron kisses his wife after confirming a Lib/Con coalition.

8.50 pm - If you voted Lib Dem and are furious about them propping up a Tory government you can join The Green Party here.

Live blog ends.

A week is a long time: Monday

2010-05-10T21:09:00.005+01:00

After the poker game weekend the coalition talks have taken a sharp right turn with the resignation of Gordon Brown as Labour Party Leader.

It seems that a prediction on BBC News by a commentator on Friday morning has turned out to be right on the money - David Miliband as Prime Minister with a Lab/Lib/Green coalition. Although Lib Dem talks with the Tories continue unabated.

As no party won the election due to a hung parliament we will not have an elected Prime Minister whoever is in charge as the public did not elect anyone.

It is a ridiculous statement to say we will have another unelected Prime Minister after Gordon Brown. Many Prime Ministers have been elected into their post by party members in a leadership contest in the past. It's nothing new.

Both the Tories and Labour seem to be offering a referendum on AV but no immediate implementation. Caroline Lucas has spoken of her support for a referendum. I support a referendum but have low hopes of it happening. We are regularly promised referendums which never appear.

If we have a rainbow coalition I would support either Harriet Harman or David Miliband or indeed Caroline Lucas to be our Prime Minister. I also don't see how the smaller parties who may be helped up by PR could be ignored on the issue if in this position with Labour.

Yvette Cooper said earlier that electoral reform is not a priority. It is a priority, but it's alongside solving the economic crisis. It is just as important as 65% of people want PR.

I think potentially we could see a month of wrangling and uncertainty. Especially if Labour MPs like Yvette Cooper won't meet Lib Dems demands for PR.

It will take a week if they accept they are not in government any more.

Yvette, I'm afraid it's not your call on PR.