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“I’m not convinced that the Argus wields political influence.”

“I’m not convinced that the Argus wields political influence.”

If I ever needed a reminder that bloggers are everywhere and nothing you ever say is off the record, it came on Tuesday. Something I said on Monday evening at the Brighton Future of News Group (#bfong), as part of a wide ranging discussion about local and national politics, political leaflets ... Read more »
Travel back to 1979 with Question Time

Travel back to 1979 with Question Time

Permit yourself a trip back to 1979. I commend you to the first episode of Question Time currently available on the BBC iPlayer. It’s a wonderful show and maybe, maybe, something to make you hanker after a better, more gentle and more personable age. And blimey, in some cases: how little has ... Read more »
Labour can win Brighton Pavilion

Labour can win Brighton Pavilion

The Argus has published a poll that puts Labour in the lead in Brighton Pavilion. Labour: 26% Conservative: 16% Green: 12% Link to the clipping. The Green’s Jason Kitcat has rubbished the poll and spent a great deal of bloggage slagging off the use of graphs by every party but the ... Read more »
Political ‘crowdsourcing’: must the ‘crowd’ always be the ‘usual suspects’?

Political ‘crowdsourcing’: must the ‘crowd’ always be the ‘usual suspects’?

The Brighton Argus has embarked upon an interesting social media ‘crowdsourcing’ experiment. Voters in the hyper-marginal Brighton Pavilion parliamentary constituency are invited to report their encounters with party candidates via Google Maps. The idea sprang from the Brighton Future of ... Read more »
Where's Ben Duncan's blog gone?

Where’s Ben Duncan’s blog gone?

I know that Ben Duncan and his other Green Party colleagues care keenly about openness, honesty and transparency. They're right. It's the lifeblood of politics. That's why I was terribly worried to hear that Ben Duncan's blog had disappeared from blogland in the past few days. I'm a regular ... Read more »
The Argus and Booze Brighton: Some thoughts

The Argus and Booze Brighton: Some thoughts

Last week the Argus ran a front page piece about the number of places in town that sell alcohol: “Booze Brighton has one bar for every 84 households” I think The Argus missed the point. This is a resort city with two universities and that, combined with a native population that I venture ... Read more »
My David Cameron

My David Cameron

I've been loving the efforts of people to thoroughly lampoon David Cameron. MyDavidCameron.com has lots of lovely spoof posters. You can make your own here. Here are some of my own efforts. Nothing clever. Just a bit childish. Here's a brace for for Doctor Who fans and lovers of The Divine ... Read more »
Smash EDO: I never hid my face.

Smash EDO: I never hid my face.

When I was 17, I was arrested during a Reclaim the Streets demo at the Old Steine in Brighton. I spent the afternoon in cells and my bicycle was confiscated. Subsequently, I went to court, pleaded guilty and took the punishment (bound over for a year and a modest fine, as I recall). On the protest ... Read more »
Sell on eBay to help the people of Haiti

Sell on eBay to help the people of Haiti

You’ve doubtless been moved by the heartbreaking tragedy in Haiti over the past few days in the aftermath of the earthquake there. I’ve found the urge to help overwhelming and yet, combined with a sense of powerlessness, also very frustrating. This article from DFID caught my eye today: ... Read more »
10 Thoughts about the Guardian’s 10:10

10 Thoughts about the Guardian’s 10:10

One of the benefits of the Copenhagen climate discussions must be how it brings the notion of decreasing individual carbon emissions to the front of mind. Over the last few weeks I’ve enjoyed amazing conversations about how we can reduce our individual carbon footprints. The Guardian’s 10:10 ... Read more »
Eton: David Cameron and dirty words

Eton: David Cameron and dirty words

When Alec Douglas-Home died in 1995, I remember asking one of my teachers whether he thought there would ever again be a Prime Minister who’d been schooled at Eton. I paraphrase his reply, but it was unequivocal, slightly venomous and laced with regret. “Never again. John Major and his ... Read more »
Why the Green Silence on Brighton & Hove's Bin Strike?

Why the Green Silence on Brighton & Hove’s Bin Strike?

I love the Brighton Green Party. I constantly delight at their loquacity. Barely a day goes by in the blogosphere without a fascinating new viewpoint or opinion popping up for our delectation. Here’s a summary of the most recent posts I’ve read and enjoyed: - Green Leader Cllr Bill ... Read more »
Remembering Brighton's Heroes

Remembering Brighton’s Heroes

Noone who was present at Henry Allingham's funeral earlier in the year doubts Brighton's pride in its heroes. And today at the Brighton cenotaph down at Old Steine, just like in communities all over, hundreds of people joined in the Service of Rememberance. Rememberance is important every ... Read more »
Brighton's Tory 'Winter of Discontent' starts here

Brighton’s Tory ‘Winter of Discontent’ starts here

I suspect my growing interest in Brighton and Hove's local politics will mean that this isn't the first blog I write about bins, refuse collection and recycling. So here you go: two of the communal bins on my street.  Pics taken half an hour ago. Why is this bad? This is the backlog of just ... Read more »