tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-179340232008-05-07T11:10:30.999+01:00Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comBlogger479125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-80115029256898030392008-05-07T10:55:00.000+01:002008-05-07T11:10:31.068+01:00

Most people with Indian blood in their veins love elephants, or as the press here refer to them in their curiously old-fashioned manner, pachyderms. I am no exception to that rule so today was an opportunity to meet an elephant and, more importantly, introduce Ros to one for the first time. I had arranged a sightseeing trip to an organic spice plantation in central Goa, as I know that Ros loves

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-77273850185392812692008-05-06T08:43:00.000+01:002008-05-06T08:55:43.943+01:00

I read Bob's recent conspiracy theory about the Crewe and Nantwich by-election candidate selection with some interest, as the only member of the English Candidates Committee who blogs. Now I'm not a perpetual defender of the processes of the Party, although I'm perfectly happy to debate why things are done the way they are. On the other hand, it disturbs me when the 'system' is attacked without

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-18784432548125619662008-05-03T06:03:00.000+01:002008-05-03T06:23:56.863+01:00

It would appear that an inquest is already underway into our disappointing result in London. So, I think to myself, perhaps a comment or two of my own is in order... Picking our candidates earlier is indeed a good thing. We do it for Europe about eighteen months out, and we probably should have done for London. Perhaps the then Regional Candidates Chair should explain why we didn't... The

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-51098368297690660302008-05-03T05:47:00.000+01:002008-05-03T06:01:33.575+01:00

Ros is taking a swim, so I thought that I'd take the opportunity to reconnect to the outside world. After three days in Bangalore to recover from jetlag and acclimitise to the weather (it's about 35 degrees and the sun is beating down from an almost entirely blue sky), we've moved on to romantic India of legend, with a visit to Mysore, where we toured the Maharajah's palace before retiring to

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-79520410344576112152008-04-28T12:52:00.000+01:002008-04-28T13:13:22.373+01:00

It's rather warm here in Bangalore but, just as at home in London, Karnataka is awash with election fever, with polls due to take place here on 10 May for the State Assembly. The various political parties are vying for supremacy, as observers are of the view that the result in this southern state will influence the timing of Lok Sabha (the Indian equivalent of the Commons) elections to come. One

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-66896279974773197762008-04-24T09:38:00.000+01:002008-04-24T09:44:54.218+01:00

It was such a wonderful day in Suffolk yesterday, with bright sunshine over Otley Hall, the sound of lute music accompanied by the call of peacocks and some of Mark and Ros's dearest friends and family there to witness their marriage. Naturally, I was there to represent the family. After all, we've been watching over Mark for some time now. Mark was first to arrive in his sage green and cream

Empress Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06716595633547890312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-28737306384445289732008-04-22T11:12:00.000+01:002008-04-22T11:27:03.943+01:00

Welcome to the Salthouse Harbour Hotel, on the quayside in Ipswich, where a slightly nervouse but pretty excited bureaucrat is preparing for a day to remember. I've had a decent night's sleep, eaten a hearty breakfast, and successfully transferred from one hotel to the next. In about two hours, I'll be off to Otley Hall for a truly great day. The sun is beginning to burn off the morning clouds

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-49472260253902027192008-04-21T22:07:00.001+01:002008-04-21T22:31:45.891+01:00

It is with increasing disbelief that I watch the neanderthal corps of Labour MP's stride into battle in defence of the poor following the abolition of the 10% rate band. Even those I considered to be of an intellectual capacity appropriate to being a competent legislator have been shown up as apparently lazy and feckless. The cry goes up, "We didn't know what the impact of the last budget would

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-55563918948544096952008-04-21T15:38:00.003+01:002008-04-21T16:01:13.654+01:00

A year ago, as our friend Julia points out, I fell into the category of people least likely to be married within a year. Not only was I doggedly single and quite hopelessly disorganised, but I was getting ready to move house and was somewhere between San Francisco and Melbourne, on my way to, eventually, Vanuatu. And then Ros came along... It's been a bit of a whirlwind since then, with all of

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-62413066513007674012008-04-13T19:00:00.006+01:002008-04-13T19:51:00.223+01:00

We're on our way back from the North East, having spent the day campaigning in Durham. As in Northumberland, the highly unpopular imposition of a unitary authority across Durham has been the cause of much infighting amongst Labour councillors, many of whom have lost their seats through the abolition of the district councils, slashing the number of available positions by as much as 60%.

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-17057422101101275222008-04-13T07:33:00.000+01:002008-04-13T08:10:08.286+01:00

I really knew that I should have researched more on the haiku form before I blogged yesterday. On the other hand, canvassing in Alnwick seemed to be more immediately relevant. At least the erudite nature of my readership is apparent. So, here is a response to the anonymous Tory leafletter in inner London... Tory Boris fan Get used to some frustration Johnson is a fraud

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-21384976736628892282008-04-12T18:39:00.000+01:002008-04-12T18:47:44.689+01:00

I don't know much about poetry, and less about the noble Japanese concept, but here goes anyway... Train A duo of baronesses Leaflets and rain The sting of hail Kindly old lady and her view Fiona and her car Alnwick More rain Canvass cards slightly damp Alan Beith Sunshine on the Castle Seagulls

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-66397409406719370222008-04-11T10:55:00.003+01:002008-04-11T11:18:51.077+01:00

Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, this entry comes to you from somewhere between York and Darlington, courtesy of National Express East Coast's free wifi service. It will therefore come as no surprise when I tell you that Ros and I are on our way to the North East to campaign in Newcastle, Berwick and Durham as part of their campaign in the forthcoming local elections. Whilst Ros has a

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-9608860771215722032008-04-09T02:24:00.002+01:002008-04-09T02:35:09.232+01:00

My old friend, Peter Facey, and his colleagues at Unlock Democracy have launched 'Vote Match', an opportunity for voters to measure their views against those of the declared candidates for Mayor of London. Now, whilst I admit to being a member of the Council of Unlock Democracy, having been elected last month, I thought that I really ought to try it first. It would seem that the candidate who

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-25900521403423070612008-04-03T22:28:00.003+01:002008-04-03T22:42:04.889+01:00

I had a moment or two to spare, so I thought that I might see what our Conservative friends are up to. And fascinating it was too... ConservativeHome is running a piece on the way Conservative Central Office has "stitched up" their selection process for the European Parliament, then withheld the results data from members. There are suggestions that ballot papers didn't go out to all members,

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-60375821421780663802008-04-01T22:48:00.000+01:002008-04-01T23:23:04.425+01:00

And so, inevitably, I'm at a dinner launching Farrukh Islam's campaign for the GLA constituency of Havering & Redbridge, here in Barkingside. There is a theory that investment of campaigning resources in those areas of traditional weakness that exist will achieve significant returns in terms of additional votes. After all, we all adhere to a belief that, if given a genuine choice, the public

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-27009525112135981862008-03-29T10:42:00.002Z2008-03-29T11:06:52.744Z

I've just got back for a visit to my local vet. Not the usual call for flea treatment or something unpredictable but instead, given that I own five cats aged betwen fifteen and seventeen, the first of a series of visits that would eventually have to be made. Last year, Victoria, my black and white cat, contracted cancer and underwent fairly radical surgery, involving the removal of most of her

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-13246395423262491652008-03-28T21:41:00.002Z2008-03-28T21:59:06.560Z

Never let it be said that the life of a faceless bureaucrat revolves entirely around bits of paper. There is, I confess, quite a lot of paper involved but Ros is still working through the process of weaning me off of the stuff. As part of that process, and because she has a wonderful sense of humour, I was driven to Milton Keynes today to try body flying, otherwise known as indoor skydiving.

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-58484028635514248332008-03-27T15:43:00.000Z2008-03-27T16:06:32.640Z

I had the great pleasure of attending a function in support of the 'I'm 4 Ros' campaign last night, where the guest speaker was the apparently infamous Brian Eno. I say 'apparently' because a degree of fuss has been made about his recruitment as an adviser to Nick Clegg on reaching out beyond the core vote. He spoke to an intrigued audience on those issues about our democracy which trouble him,

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-35545557161589278532008-03-25T23:21:00.003Z2008-03-26T00:00:02.319Z

Ros and I attended the launch of "Liberal Youth", the rebranded Liberal Democrat Youth and Students (LDYS). There were lots of young people around, and very few older people. Spirits were high, and there was plenty of optimism and confidence in the air. How different from the first launch of the youth wing of the Liberal Democrats post-merger... I first got involved with the Young Liberals in

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-64021299861349211232008-03-24T23:13:00.000Z2008-03-24T23:49:37.587Z

One of the difficulties with blogging is fighting the urge to control debate. As a liberal, I believe in the concept of freedom to publish. On the other hand, there is a responsibility to protect the wider society where hurt or offence may ensue. As a publisher, I want to propagate my views and, by attracting favourable supporting comments, gain greater credibility for them. This, in turn,

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-53132873655788796982008-03-23T17:29:00.000Z2008-03-23T17:45:30.354Z

Amazingly, London's run of by-elections has come to an end (five wins, two good seconds and Havering). And so this bureaucrat found himself in Creeting St Peter, delivering a walk small in numbers but large in distance. There are some rewards. Despite the snow, there is much to see, horses to pat, pheasants to admire - they're a bit more confident now the season is over - hares in the fields and

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-23242834192631350842008-03-20T20:11:00.000Z2008-03-20T20:28:28.603Z

And so I have delivered my first and, quite possibly penultimate, Regional Conference. Most people seemed to enjoy it, the feedback has been positive and, thanks to the efforts of what I must lovingly refer to as the Regional Geek Sub-committee, attendance was very good. Hopefully, we made a profit... I've already eulogised about Sally Hamwee, but the contributions from Brian Paddick and Nick

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-33535751430342123642008-03-19T18:03:00.000Z2008-03-19T18:07:08.941Z

Alright, this might not be the headline that leaps most readily to mind when you think about the noble Baroness Hamwee of Richmond upon Thames, but I think that it’s high time for a re-evaluation. Like many people, even those whose interest in politics is somewhat above the norm, I have traditionally paid little heed to what goes on in either the London Assembly or the House of Lords. The media

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17934023.post-56466074322414049452008-03-12T15:34:00.000Z2008-03-12T16:04:55.865Z

The recent controversy over the 'Civil Serf' blog which, I note, is no longer accessible, is a reminder of the high-wire act that is blogging when you're a civil servant. All of us sign the Official Secrets Act when we commence our employment with whatever Department we join, and we are asked to keep any political involvement to a minimum, as is entirely appropriate given our role as servants of

Mark Valladareshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15773193846795037711noreply@blogger.com