Darwin Day vs. Christ
Spotted in Hove at the weekend:
Politics & Society
The Guardian and MPs’ Expenses: Loving the Crowd
I’ve been doing my bit for transparency and democracy in the last day or so, using the Guardian’s crowdsourcing tool to scour the thousands of documents related to MP expenses. I’ve reviewed just over 300 pages. It’s taken me a fair few hours. Here are a few reflections. Great swathes of documents are tedious and …
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Denis Healey and Me
In the days before blogging, we bloggers had to fulfil our blogging urges somehow. That’s why in spring 1994, with GCSEs looming that summer, I was a keen writer for my school newspaper. Desperate to report more than school fairs where a splendid time was inevitably had by all, I decided to interview some local …
What no Polling Card?
I didn’t receive my polling card for last week’s European Elections (we don’t have a county council in Brighton). This is obviously not the end of the world. Anyone who’s on the electoral register can just turn up to the correct polling station and cast their ballot. But, frankly, this isn’t the point. Voting should …
Why I’m not voting Green
Several people have said to me: “I’m voting Green. I can’t trust any of the main three parties’’ If you’re thinking of voting Green because it’s a fluffy, happy party, I suggest you look a little closer at their policies. It’s not just recycling and renewable energy. It’s an extreme, loony-left programme. Here are some …
Caroline Lucas MEP: Green Party Fat Cat
The Green Party are campaigning hard as the transparent, sleaze-free, squeaky-clean, anti-expenses party. Their anti-fat cat leaflet caught my eye (see below), so I went off to check out the expenses of my Green MEP (and the Green’s leader), Caroline Lucas. To quote a Green Party leaflet I received this week:“We offer a positive alternative …
MP’s Expenses, the Speaker and The Sound of Music
News from the House of Commons. The cross-party performance of “Songs from The Sound of Music” has not been cancelled despite the national outcry regarding MP’s expenses. As Hazel Blears chirped, as she waved a cheque and donned her wimpole at rehearsals: “the show must go on!” This evening of music will begin with a …
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Twitter Politics: Broadcast or Conversation?
Jason Kitcat is a Green councillor on Brighton and Hove city council. It’s probably worth noting that I didn’t vote for him: I’m a member of the Labour party. That said, he has responded to my communications regarding recycling when I’ve sent them. For the record, I found his replies to my emails defeatist, largely …
MPs Expenses: Some ideas and thoughts.
The whole issue of MPs expenses really angers me because ‘I’m following the rules’ is a contemptuous answer that insults our intelligence. The situation is just a bit frothy at the moment with lots of heat and not much light. No media outlets are being particularly clever with their coverage. I’m not sure I have …
‘Smash EDO”s Brighton Smash: Rights without responsibilities
Peaceful protest is a British right we cherish. That’s why protesters were allowed the freedom of the city I live in yesterday. Marching, demonstration, even disruption to traffic is justifiable. We saw bottles and cans thrown at police, paint splashed on public and private property, protesters damaged homes, business premises and, most egregiously, they damaged …
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In Praise of British Citizenship Ceremonies
Patriotism, let alone nationalism, is not that British. We seem coy about celebrating our nationality and it’s rather a shame. Until recently the Union Flag was seldom flown on public buildings and, unlike in other parts of the Commonwealth where the Queen’s portrait is often seen or the States where the Star Spangled Banner is …
50% Income Tax: Who cares?
The one aspect of the 2009 Budget that made the headlines was the 50% Income Tax that will be levelled on incomes over £150k. And let’s recall what that means: if you earn more than £150k, you’ll pay 50% on that portion of your wage over £150k. I’m personally in favour. The Tories haven’t said …
Daily Mail Reader Offer
I can’t imagine why I thought this was amusing.
UKYP: must it be ‘adversarial’?
I’m loving Twitter at the moment. I got an @wilsondan from the great Sir Stephen Fry over the weekend and today, the Member for Twitter, responded too. Huzzah. Tom Harris is the Labour MP for Glasgow South and he was responding to my tweet re the UK Youth Parliament‘s (UKYP) hopes to hold their session …