ALDE Party Congress, Athens 2019 - the draft resolutions for debate

Yes, it's coming up to that time of year again, when liberals from across the continent come together to meet, debate and swap ideas. There may also be the odd glass of something taken too... Over the next two weeks, I'll be covering the resolutions submitted for debate, and offering some of my thoughts where appropriate.

But first, here's the list (and I'll add links to each as I publish...)

1. A Climate Policy that Delivers on the Paris Agreement (submitted by Centerpartiet (Sweden), Nowoczesna (Poland), Radikale Venstre (Denmark), Liberal Democrats and LYMEC)
2. Carbon Capture and Storage: Reaching the Paris Goals (submitted by Venstre (Norway))
3. Chick culling – A European concern (submitted by the Free Democrats (Germany)) 
4. A framework directive on soil protection (submitted by Radicali Italiani)
5. Resolution on Transnational lists and the lead candidate process (submitted by the ALDE Individual Members and LYMEC)
6. Democracy, rule of law and knowledge during the digital revolution (submitted by Radicali Italiani)
7. Creation of a European Rule of Law Mechanism (submitted by the ALDE Individual Members)
8. Strengthening European democracy and values (submitted by Piu Europa (Italy))
9. Supporting ALDE Individual Members in Central and Eastern Europe (submitted by the ALDE Individual Members)
10. Improving Europe’s capabilities to address the rise of China (submitted by Centerpartiet (Sweden), Liberalerna (Sweden) and the Free Democrats (Germany))
11. Strengthening the European Union as a Global Actor (submitted by the Free Democrats (Germany)) 
12. The United Kingdom and the European Union (submitted by the Liberal Democrats)
13. Reducing Harm for Migrant and Vulnerable Workers (submitted by the Liberal Democrats)

It's a varied list, with three resolutions either authored or co-authored by the Liberal Democrats. But bear in mind that these aren't the final versions, as amendments are possible until 27 September, and members of the Federal International Relations Committee, including myself, are already on the case...

Leaving Conference with an unexpected spring in my step

There is a danger that, once you’ve been to enough Federal Conferences, you tend to become a wee bit cynical about the whole thing. Policy motions where speakers compete to agree most ardently, big set piece speeches from senior figures designed to rally the troops in the face of adversity, that sort of thing. And yet, and yet...

It has, in the end, been a rather satisfying four days. I have been given an unexpected opportunity to be useful, done something I’m good at, made a speech and been rather inspired to do something new. Somebody might yet pay for that...

Conference felt slightly unfamiliar - upbeat, confident, keen to get at our competition. For those of us who suffered the slings and arrows of the Coalition years - being mostly right was only partial consolation for the decimation of our Councillor base - with the expectation of taking another kicking, the notion that we might go into an election cycle looking to make significant advances is slightly bewildering, albeit in a good way. The enthusiasm is... catching.

I enjoyed Vince Cable’s speech. Self-deprecating, funny yet serious in turn, he got a thoroughly well-deserved standing ovation. Was he a great Leader? I leave others, perhaps more neutral than I, to judge that. He was, however, a thinker, and in a political era when sound bites and reaction seem to outweigh ideas and contemplation, he stood out from the throng.

But for me, the revelation was Jo’s speech. The first speech as Leader sets a tone and an impression that can determine what comes thereafter, and whilst I expected a professional, well-crafted effort, I don’t think I quite expected the manner of its delivery.

There was confidence, which I did expect, there was passion, which I think we need, but there was also a hint of vulnerability, of a human being beneath the “screen image”. It felt relatable, as if the subjects mattered, as if she “got it”. It wasn’t the sort of speech that Jeremy Corbyn or Boris Johnson could ever give.

I could sense a air of anticipation before we were allowed into the hall after lunch, and Conference wanted to like her even as she came onto the stage. And there was, as an old friend said afterwards, a vague sense of an evangelical meeting to it all - a Conference that believed and wanted to go out and deliver that message.

It is, I guess, alright to be a Liberal Democrat again, and it feels surprisingly good...

Conference beckons...

I have to admit that, in recent years, I’ve rather drifted through Party conferences. I don’t really have a role, and I’ve not particularly sought one. This year is different though.

This year, I’m organised, with a diary of things to go to or do, a speech I’m minded to give, and nominations to get (I’ll say more about that another time...). I’ve even got a job, albeit one that I might have hoped was unnecessary.

The journey down to Bournemouth has been pleasant enough, with some scenery to look at, and everything has run to schedule so far. Ros is already at our hotel, and dinner is booked.

So, what are my prospective “highlights”?

I’ve got a meeting of the Federal International Relations Committee on Sunday afternoon, which should be relatively uneventful, if brief. We’ve had to squeeze it in because it clashes with Jo Swinson’s Q&A session. Unfortunately, that means that it clashes with the Federal Board report, which our Chair really ought to be at, I guess. I’m hoping to escape in time for the Constitutional Amendments, given that I’m partly responsible for some of them.

Oh yes, that. The idea of changing the requirements for calling a Special Conference was not mine, but I’m claiming the solution, a percentage of both membership and Local Parties. It struck me that why not allow this to vary automatically as the Party expands or contracts, rather than having to amend it if numbers change significantly? I may not be wholly popular in certain quarters, but it does strike me that, in the Internet age, it’s much easier to rally opinion and support, and our Constitution should reflect that.

I’ve got some training to do too, which is unusual. I hope to make the session on “Running a data led Local Party”, although it is a bit early on the Sunday morning. On Monday, I’ve set aside time for sessions on “Unconscious Bias” and “People behind the scenes” (people like me, I guess), and on Tuesday I’m keen to support the “Be a Councillor - Making a difference as a Town or Parish Councillor”, especially as I don’t think that ALDC have done much of this previously.

I’ll probably be at the Peers fringe event (do come along, they’re mostly lovely!), and will be putting in an appearance at the LGBT+ Lib Dems AGM. Following recent events, they find themselves in need of a Returning Officer and, as they asked nicely...

I’m minded to put in a card for the debate on Business Tax, sensing that there might not be very many, and that I have an unusual perspective on the subject. The motion itself is a bit “motherhood and apple pie”, and I often suspect that politicians are happier discussing how to spend money rather than how it might be raised, but it is rather important. There’s also a motion on railways, but I’m not enough of a train geek to feel that a contribution would add value. But who knows?

So, fingers crossed, I’ll be doing things rather than drifting semi-aimlessly. And, if you run into me, do say hello. I’m a friendly soul and I don’t bite...

Talking about a constitution...

Never let it be said that this blog is not focussed on the big issues, such as constitutional reform. Yet, funnily enough, having written about the importance of our unwritten conventions, this evening I found myself debating a new constitution for our county umbrella group, the Suffolk Association of Local Councils.

Apparently, the current version has developed over many years and almost as many iterations, finally becoming so overloaded that it was felt easier to just start again. And, indeed, it is a far more streamlined, accessible document. But, as is often the case, I felt that it could be better.

This evening was billed as being one of the three means by which members could make their opinions and suggestions known and, after the Chief Executive had introduced the document, I had intended to raise two issues of immediate concern. It was perhaps then unfortunate that the debate segued almost seamlessly into a discussion of issues relating to planning enforcement, which the chair of the meeting not unreasonably ran with, as it was clearly the will of the meeting to raise mutual concerns.

I let the debate blow itself out, before the Chair attempted to move on to next business. Politely, I noted that the accompanying document to the draft constitution stated quite clearly that the meeting was an opportunity to raise issues of concern or to seek clarification, and that I wanted to do just that.

There was a little uneasy shuffling, but I felt that I needed to stand my ground. So I did.

I wanted to question why the constitution as drafted appeared to make no reference to issues of diversity and equality, noting my previously stated concerns about the lack of gender balance amongst the Honorary Vice Presidents three years or so ago (they were all male). Where was the commitment not to allow such things to happen again? What message did the apparent lack of interest send out to women and other under represented groups?

In fairness, both the Chair and the Chief Executive acknowledged that SALC needed to do better in this area, and promised that my concerns would be conveyed to the Board (I now intend to be at the AGM to follow that up).

There was also a proposal to remove term limits for officers. Funnily enough, I might have let that slide a few years ago, but it is clear that best practice for public bodies is to have term limits, and I have been convinced by that argument. Long-established leaders in most groups tend to become ossified, and hard to shift, and I noted that SALC appeared to be heading away from acknowledged best practice.

The logic was, apparently, that people had simply ended up rotating through the Board positions, which perhaps indicates a closed-shop mentality amongst some of them, conscious or subconscious. Or, in other words, “we’re not very good at developing new leaders, so we’ll give up trying”.

Finally, whilst I had the floor, I raised the issue of holding an AGM during a workday. Yes, I can see the attraction, but it does send a subliminal message to non-retired Parish Councillors that they aren’t perhaps as important as retired ones, who possibly have more time on their hands.

So, a small blow for diversity, and a marker to the SALC Board that somebody is watching them. Transparency, as one of my fellow councillors noted, is a good thing, and it tends to lead to better decision making.

Here’s hoping, eh?

As Wednesday turns into... more Wednesday?

It’s late in the evening, the time of the day during the work week when I usually FaceTime Ros and we catch up on each other’s days. Except that, today, Ros’s day hasn’t finished, nor does it look much like finishing anytime soon.

The debate on a business motion to secure time to debate what is now the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 6) Bill, has been scarred by the submitting of 101 amendments by Conservative Peers who have chosen now to conclude that, whilst they might well have been in favour of Parliamentary sovereignty at first, all they really want is to crash the country’s economy regardless of the impact that this might have on its citizens.

And so, methodically, each amendment has to be moved, debated and, after due consideration, moved to a vote. That means, in non-Parliamentary language, telling the mover or his colleagues to shut up and sit down, by order of the House. This takes time, lots of time. And that, after all, is the intention, to talk out the Bill and thwart Parliamentary sovereignty.

There is another convention at threat here, that of the elected House ultimately having the right to have its legislation passed, albeit after proper scrutiny - you wouldn’t believe some of the rubbish which passes for scrutiny at the Commons end.

But, of course, for the Brexiteers, the ends justify the means. Attack the judiciary, attack the neutrality of the Civil Service, undermine all of the supports that underpin our Parliamentary democracy, regardless of the long-term impact of doing so. And there is a long-term impact because, once you’ve scrambled the egg, you can’t unscramble it again. Because if you can do it, anybody else can too - “bad people”, for want of a better phrase, more dangerous people. And they can do it to you.

Now, in truth, whilst I respect our unwritten constitution, with all of its quirks and idiosyncrasies, I’ve always favoured a written alternative, laying out the rules so that anyone (theoretically) can find out how the game is played. And, if ever there was a time to move on this, it is now. The need to resort to procedural jiggerypokery to allow a majority in both Houses of Parliament (and that’s what we have, make no mistake) to make law, leads us ever further down the road to an American style of politics which would serve this country very badly.

And so, Ros and her colleagues are settling in for a long night of voting down wrecking amendments. It’s a terrible way to do business, but there’s a whole raft of principles at stake here, and somebody has to stand up for the rule of law and the notion of fair play.

Meanwhile, the radicalisation of the Conservative Party continues unchecked...

Ros in the Lords: Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill, Report Stage

Ros is a member of the Shadow Sponsor Body tasked with overseeing the essential work of dragging the core of the Parliamentary Estate into the modern age, or perhaps as accurate, salvaging the building before it explodes, catches fire or is flooded with sewage. In that capacity, she had some thoughts to outline in response to what turned out to be a rather short, and harmonious, Report Stage...

My Lords, I will add my thanks to all those who have worked during August to come up with a solution that meets not just the needs of those moving the amendments but the sentiments that were expressed during the debate. As a member of the shadow sponsor body, I think that this gives some clarity about the wishes of the House and the responsibilities of the sponsor body when it gets its substantive form. 

Right from the beginning, outreach and education have been an absolute priority for the sponsor body. I assure the noble Earl that we have had a lot of discussions with the education and outreach department already, and I assure the noble Lord, Lord Norton, that flexibility is one of the key things that we are thinking about in design. Obviously not every room in the Palace can be entirely flexible - there are too many constraints, particularly of heritage, for that - but one of our overall objectives will be to end up with a much more flexible space because, as the noble Lord said, we simply cannot predict where we are going to be in future.

The shadow sponsor body has always felt, as the noble Lord, Lord Blunkett, has previously so passionately described, that the renewal of Parliament is not just about the building—that is extremely important to us. When we think about overall renewal, some of the issues are matters of operation - about how we do things - some are procedural and some are cultural. The Houses of Parliament are extremely conservative organisations that are quite resistant to change, so we have to accept that there is also cultural thinking. 

A lot of these matters need attention from Parliament. The noble Lord, Lord Blunkett, was right to talk about the need for close working between the shadow sponsor body - the sponsor body, going forward - and the rest of Parliament, and how we do these things together. It is certainly not for the sponsor body to start telling Parliament what its procedures should look like and so on—so there is very much a need for close working on that.

My final point is that it has become clear to me, having chaired a number of sessions - particularly on the question of accessibility, but the point is wider - that there is an awful lot that we could do now. We do not have to wait for the physical restoration of this building. I urge the House to find ways of exploring some of the things that could be done right now to make the building more accessible - and I mean accessible in its full sense in terms of the language that we use and the way that people engage with this place - while we wait for more tangible physical accessibility improvements further down the road. 

We need to think about how Parliament creates the space to think about those things when there is so much else going on. If Parliament is to come through what is a particularly torrid time at the moment, we really must give some attention to these matters.

Ros in the Lords: Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill

Monday saw the Second Reading of the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Bill, which creates the formal structures required to carry out the task of saving the Palace of Westminster from ever more rapid decay. Admittedly, some of their noble Lords seemed rather determined to fight a battle that had been lost more than a year ago, but Ros was focussed on the task at hand...

Baroness Scott of Needham Market (LD)

My Lords, I start by reminding the House that I am a member of the shadow sponsor body. I agree with every word that the noble Lord, Lord Carter, said about the clarity and focus of the members of the sponsor body in delivering this project. I can assure the House that, even though we are still in shadow form, we are behaving as much as we can as if we were doing the job and, therefore, a huge amount is already going on. However, there comes a point where we need to be on a statutory footing, and that is why we need the Bill. I pay particular tribute to Liz Peace and the other external members, who are working well over and above their expected time commitment to come up to speed, not only with the project and the labyrinthine way in which we make decisions but on how their special expertise can be used to best effect.​

The time has come when we must get on with it and get the project off the ground. It is not to Parliament’s credit that this building has been allowed to deteriorate to its current form. I often think that we are so accustomed to that deterioration that we do not see it any more. We do not see the portakabins in the courtyards because there is no space; or the large parts of the building that are covered in scaffolding because the masonry is falling off; or the piles of unwanted material cluttering up the ground floor because there is not anywhere to put it— the fire risk has already been referred to by the noble Baroness in her opening—or the constant and expensive patching up of the mechanical and electrical services. Through all of these we plough on regardless.

What we are doing to the heritage here is tragic. I have been here for almost 20 years and have only just realised that there is a mediaeval cloister in the House of Commons and that this historic gem is in a state of serious disrepair. The one fact that really struck home to me—which, to my shame, I had not realised—is that in this entire Palace there is only one lift that meets modern accessibility criteria. That is disgraceful.

The Joint Committee has done a great job. It has pointed out—the noble Lord, Lord Blunkett, referred to this—that restoration and renewal brings forward a chance for democratic renewal. However, I would add that, in this most conservative of institutions, restoration and renewal can also be a catalyst for operational renewal in areas such as catering, support functions such as IT and security, visitors, education and so on. When I talk about Parliament in the context of this work, I mean the whole of Parliament as an institution and not only the Members.

It is a very complicated project. It has many technical challenges in a confined space in a world heritage site, with the complexities of all the different activities that we need this building to deliver, whether as a home for our democracy, an operational Parliament, a workplace for many, a visitor attraction, an educational resource and so much more. So Parliament made the right decision 18 months ago when it decided to use the model successfully used for the Olympics—I am glad the scrutiny committee supported that. That committee focused attention on the relationship between the sponsor body and the delivery authority that it will establish in statutory form. As the noble and learned Lord, Lord Hope, said in his opening remarks, it is a well-trodden, contractual relationship—or should be.

For me, the key is that for everything to work, the brief set by the sponsor body, acting as the single client, must be clear and not subject to constant change. The most important relationship is that between Parliament itself and the sponsor body. For the sponsor body to act as the single client effectively, it can certainly take the lead, but it is not Parliament. The democratic renewal of which I spoke earlier must be led by Parliament itself. The sponsor body should reflect the wishes of Parliament, certainly by offering up ideas and options, but mostly by looking at how the current Parliament’s aspirations can be met and ensuring that future aspirations are not stopped.​

The same goes for operational renewal. It is not for the sponsor body to tell Parliament how to run its security, catering or visitor management, but rather to explore with Parliament what opportunities there might be for more efficient, effective and imaginative services.

The sponsor body is ambitious, and Parliament should be too. From much of the work the sponsor body has done so far in talking to many Members and staff, it is quite clear that there is a lot we could do right now. We do not have to wait for restoration and renewal, but we are so conservative that we never change anything. Many of the questions raised by Members and staff about restoration and renewal are about not the building work itself but how the building will be used. That should be in the hands of noble Lords and the Administration, not the shadow sponsor body.

We have heard a lot about Caroline Shenton’s book, and she gave us a copy when we started. The previous Clerk of the House of Commons commented that Barry needed a sponsor body. I am sure that may be right, but we must be realistic that the sponsor body itself is not a magic bullet. Parliament has a responsibility to be ambitious and to make this work. Parliamentary oversight of the work after the event is important, but the real value lies in engagement before the decisions are made, really understanding the potential consequences of particular options and aspirations and guiding the sponsor body accordingly.

The approach taken in the Bill envisages key milestones in the project which require parliamentary approval and an estimates committee with financial oversight powers. There will be a serious focus on communications between the sponsor body and Parliament, but we need to give more thought to how that will work the other way round: how Parliament is going to communicate with the sponsor body. There is potentially a very important role for the Deputy Speaker, the Services Committee chaired by the noble Lord, Lord Laming, and the arts and heritage committee. Then there will be the usual mechanism of debates and questions, all of which will play an important part. The sponsor body has established a set of key strategic objectives, which include health and safety, security, accessibility, heritage, effective working and value for money. Very few people would disagree with any of them. The job of the sponsor body is to commission a project that delivers as many of them as possible, but there will be points where Parliament will have choices to make. They may be difficult choices, and Parliament will need to be very clear about where its priorities lie.

Day 7 - Tbilisi, and a nice long soak...

Whilst Borjomi is famous for its mineral water, Tbilisi is famous for its thermal baths, where you soak in the warm waters supposedly renown for their health giving qualities. Various famous people came to Tbilisi, bathed and were seriously impressed. These days, it’s rather more of a tourist thing, but it looked like fun, so I had booked a private room and a peeling before arriving in Georgia.

I had picked one of the more highly recommended, recently refurnished baths, and arrived to find something rather spectacular, at least on the outside. And, somewhat to my relief, it was just as nice inside.

For about £65, you get two hours in a private room, large enough to hold four, if you’ve brought friends along. The room, or at least my one, came with a warm thermal bath, a cool thermal bath and a scorchingly hot Finnish sauna, which you can alternate as you feel the desire. For not much extra, a rather stocky Georgian will come to the room and give you what is called a peeling, where he scrubs you with a mildly scouring hand mitt, soaps you and then rinses you off. Anyone who has been to a Turkish bath will understand what I’m talking about. You lose quite a lot of dead skin, and come out of it rather smoother than you went in.

They’ll also bring you food and drink, including alcohol, and the room comes with a menu. The room is charged by the hour, rather than per person, making it potentially very reasonable in cost terms.

And it was very good. I came in slightly weary and a bit frazzled, and left rather more relaxed.

The rest of the day was spent walking around the city, despite the heat. Tbilisi is a very walkable city, and even if your accommodation is less than central, the Metro system can bring you to the old town quickly and efficiently. I rather liked the place, and if time permits, I’ll bring Ros, as I think she’d like it too.

Day 6 - Borjomi back to Tbilisi, the day of the big match...

There’s no doubt that this was something of a helter skelter sort of the trip, and I didn’t really allow myself much time to stand and stare, so it was time to head back to Tbilisi, for I had arranged, via an online app, a ticket for Georgia’s home Euro 2020 qualifying match against the mighty Gibraltar.

The train times out of Borjomi being somewhat inconvenient - either too early in the morning or too late to get to the game, I had to improvise. A taxi was arranged to take me back to Khashuri, to connect with the train from Poti to Tbilisi, and a train ticket purchased via the Georgian Railways app.

Georgian driving etiquette is vaguely familiar, given the amount of time I’ve spent in Mumbai over the years. Patience does not figure hugely, and overtaking manoeuvres can be a bit “close your eyes and wait for the crash” from a passenger perspective. But my driver got me to the station easily enough. Change was a different matter, as my 100 Lari note as clearly more than he could handle. Luckily, a nearby bank solved the problem, I paid him a ridiculously reasonable fare - Tbilisi taxi drivers are clearly not reflective of the rest of Georgia - and I could catch my late running train.

Back in Tbilisi, the weather was rather threatening, very warm with the promise of thunderstorms. I borrowed an umbrella for the walk to the Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena, the home of Dinamo Tbilisi and also the national stadium. I wasn’t alone, with what looked like an organised group of fans matching to the stadium singing and lighting flares. The atmosphere didn’t seem particularly tense, and given the likely absence of away supporters, it didn’t seem to be a concern.

Arriving at the stadium, the mobile ticket on my phone was scanned and I was in, in good time for a 3 Lari beer and an encounter with three Gibraltar fans, all from England. They had clearly travelled without any great expectation of a glorious victory but were there for a good time and an explore.

The game itself was fairly uneventful. Gibraltar started off keeping virtually everyone behind the ball, daring the Georgians to come at them, which worked for about half an hour, when the ball was rather prodded in from just inside the area by the Georgian midfielder, Guilia. At that point, the Gibraltar tactics changed, and they pushed forward a bit more. Just before half time, they won a free kick just outside the box, which was curled towards the top corner only to be clawed away by the Georgian goalkeeper.

The second half was a contest between a collection of skilled, but not terribly team orientated individuals, aka Georgia, and a well drilled but not terribly skilful Gibraltar. A goalkeeping error and a slightly dubious penalty saw the Georgians run away with a 3-0 win, which was probably deserved on the run of play. Fair play to the Gibraltarians though, they do try to attack the opposition, rather than keeping ten men behind the ball for ninety minutes.

It never did rain, but the floodlights attracted hordes of insects, a feast for the local swallows who swooped in time and again. It was probably more productive than being a Gibraltar forward was likely to be...

Day 5 - Borjomi and the little train that could...

Regular readers will be aware that I rather like trains. Admittedly, I am not one of those people who can tell you all about locomotives and stuff, fascinating though I’m sure it is, but I like to go on journeys, and trains allow you to get more of a feel for a place and an opportunity to see it up close.

There is what is described as a tourist train from Borjomi to Bakuriani, a ski town rather higher up in the mountains. It is slow, taking two hours or so to cover a journey which takes about half an hour by bus, but as I was on holiday...

Meet our locomotive, built in Czechoslovakia in 1966. Behind it are three reasonably simple carriages with large windows and plenty of space. The seats are comfortable enough, but you’re making this journey for the views.

The late morning service theoretically allows a connection with the early morning train from Tbilisi but, as our departure time approached, the Tbilisi train didn’t. I hope that there wasn’t anyone intending to make the connection, for we set off on time, without seemingly a thought of waiting.

The slowness is a by-product of the general “upness” of the route, which winds around and around as it gains altitude, often seeming to double back on itself. And it’s rather neglected too, with the station buildings in various states of decay. Indeed, the only money that appears to have been spent is on some spectacular new hats for the stationmasters - they appear inordinately proud of them.

It became apparent quite quickly that our conductor had something of an eye for the main chance. Occasionally, passengers would disembark at a station and be escorted to the locomotive for a ride in the cab. Unfortunately, not being particularly pretty, I didn’t get my hopes up. But it was a lovely ride, with some gorgeous countryside and, for the connoisseur of railway stations, some interesting architecture.

We got to Bakuriani, albeit somewhat later than scheduled, leaving me about three quarters of an hour to briefly explore the town, find a snack lunch, and get back to the station.

The return journey was for standing in the covered open ends of the carriages, taking pictures and enjoying the mountain air. Until Tba, that was. The train driver had caught my eye and indicated that I should spend some time in the cab. I didn’t hesitate.

It’s clear that this is a way for the train crew to pad what is probably a pretty small wage, although I suspect it breaks the routine too. After all, the train is moving at about 10 mph, and they drive the train up and back once a day. They offer to photograph you at the controls, give you a stool to sit on whilst you travel, allow you to take all the photos you want. What could be better?

I left them 10 Lari, which might have been overly generous, but I didn’t care. It was worth it for the fun alone, and the return train fare had only been 4 Lari...

Day 4 - Tbilisi to Borjomi, and a value for money train ride...

I’d rather lost track of this, but perhaps I ought to catch up before moving onwards...

It was very early in the morning in Tbilisi, and even earlier according to my body clock, but when the alarm went off at 5.20 a.m., I was ready to go. Better still, my hotel was too, for when I went to checkout, they had very efficiently arranged a picnic breakfast for me. And yes, it did appear to have enough food to feed three people, but I was hardly going to complain.

My taxi whisked me through the empty streets of Tbilisi to the main station, I went to the ticket office as indicated the night before, and asked for a one way ticket to Borjomi. Two Lari, I was told, the equivalent of about 56p. That seemed unlikely, but sure enough, the ticket said Borjomi, and I silently expressed amazement as I headed to the platform.

Now you might wonder what you get for 2 Lari, and the answer is, well, an aging but reasonably comfortable seat on a train which travels rather slower than its aerodynamic design implies. We travelled reasonably steadily as far as Khashuri on the main line, and I began to wonder how the whole journey could take its scheduled four hours or so.

All became clear as we left Khashuri and headed up the single track branch line. I don’t know if it comes down to a lack of maintenance, or the nature of the track, but we proceeded up the valley at about 10 mph, stopping occasionally in remote spots to drop off or pick up who knows. It was, indeed, the sort of journey where, if you knew the route, you could probably get off, run a bit, and pick up the train further along the route.

But we did eventually get to Borjomi, and I headed to my hotel, the rather extravagant Crowne Plaza. Unsurprisingly, given how early I was, my room wasn’t available, so I left my luggage and set off into the Mineral Water Park.

Borjomi is famous for its water, which tastes not unlikely Vichy’s St-Yorre, i.e. slightly salty, and can be found everywhere in Georgia and beyond. And thus, it is a tourist attraction, where you can take the waters as you stroll up the valley of a tributary of the River Mtkvari, try the fairground rides and enjoy the greenery. However, if you’re a bit hardier, and have some decent walking shoes, you can walk rather further up the valley to the thermal pools.

It was a nice day, and I had some time to kill, so I set off. It was a bit warmer than I had thought, and rather further than the signs implied, but it was a nice walk, and I eventually reached the Tsars Thermal Baths, which looked like a rather nice spot, filled with locals for the most part. I hadn’t brought swimwear with me, unfortunately, so I turned round and walked back down the valley for a bite of lunch and some pampering.

I’d booked a two hour Ayurvedic session, on the basis that they had a Keralan masseur and the chances of my finding one much closer than Georgia was fairly remote.

It was every bit as good as the spa menu promised, and I spent the evening on the balcony of my hotel room, as an electrical storm lit up the night sky....

Day 3 - Skopje to Tbilisi, via the world’s meeting point...

Skopje Airport, and not Skopje Alexander the Great Airport, is the equivalent of, say, Leeds Bradford Airport, but without the glamour. It’s functional, no more, no less, but it has the advantage of not being a place you can easily get lost.

The flight to Istanbul was short and uneventful, although Turkish Airlines managed to serve a cooked breakfast which was better than just about anything British Airways have ever served me, and they do this for a flight of just over an hour and a half.

My connection in the new Istanbul Airport was rather less than that, but I bypassed the short connection route and headed into the heart of the airport. And my, is it something, a vast shopping and eating opportunity with convenient parking for aircraft and connections to just about everywhere. Mogadishu? Check. Ulaan Bataar? Certainly, via Almaty. And, unlike Heathrow, it didn’t seem to be particularly stressed, as everyone seemed pretty relaxed. It’s an airport that seems to work, and if there is a flaw, it’s that there aren’t many convenient hotel rooms available.

As an comparison with the fiasco that is Berlin’s new airport, it just shows how ambitious Turkey is, even whilst its government edges ever closer towards authoritarianism.

I made the next flight easily, in fact, so easily that I went for another walk - those steps don’t do themselves, you know.

The Tbilisi flight is another two and a half hours eastwards, and the Turkish meatballs with a vegetable casserole were most welcome. And, unlike most European airlines, business class on Turkish Airlines comes with wider seats, rather more legroom and a fair bit of recline.

Tbilisi. Capital of Georgia. Home to some of the world’s most rapacious taxi drivers. My advice is, do your research first so, when they somehow forget to start the meter, the 90 Lari fare they ask for can be negotiated down to something more like the 30 Lari it should be. It’s a pity, as Georgians seem like a friendly enough bunch, but their Tourism Ministry need to do something about that.

My hotel was within a reasonable walk of the main station so, having settled in, I set off to explore and buy my train ticket for the next day. I found the station, even found the ticket office and managed to find out that they don’t sell tickets in advance on the route I would be taking.

I would have an early start the next morning...

Day 2 - Skopje, skoping out a new city...

North Macedonia is country number 65, and whilst for some of my FIRC colleagues, I am a mere amateur, my goal of visiting more countries than I have birthdays is well on target. But why Skopje, and why for just thirty-three hours?

Well, it comes down to those frequent flyer miles and the best means of using them. The best connection for my next destination is through Istanbul, but I didn’t want the hassle of a Turkish visa, thus somewhere with an early, but not too early, flight to Istanbul allowing the connection to be made.

My hotel was on Macedonia Square, close to the enormous statue of Alexander the Great. And it is very big. The idea of the government was to build big statues to celebrate the historic past of a country which, strictly, doesn’t have that much.

And there is a lot of statuary. Now, given that the country could do with some infrastructure, I would probably have used the money differently, but then I’m not trying to create a sense of nationhood.

I didn’t really have any plans, but did what I usually do, i.e. go and find the railway station and have a look around. Take my advice. Don’t bother. Skopje’s railway station is undoubtedly the most depressing place I have ever been, dark, gloomy, neglected. There are trains, albeit not that many, but you wouldn’t want to turn up too early, or during the hours of darkness.

The old railway station is now the Museum of the City of Skopje, with the clock stopped at the moment the 1963 earthquake struck the city. And that’s why they built a new one. Socialist brutalism is a thing, but not one to cherish.

The city lies between two ranges of hills, and the River Vardar runs through its heart on its way to the Aegean Sea. Its primary role in Skopje is to provide an excuse to build new-classical buildings along its banks, but it’s grey and not terribly inviting.

In the afternoon, I went for another walk, this time heading northwest along the river, past the home ground of FK Vardar, apparently the most renowned football team in North Macedonia. No, I hadn’t heard of them either, perhaps because they’ve never met an English opponent in the twenty seasons they’ve taken part in European club competitions. It’s a big stadium though, and the national team play here.

My goal was the Skopje City Mall, and to get there, my route took me through the City Park, which is rather peaceful and, whilst it isn’t terribly nurtured, it’s a nice place to walk.

The shopping mall is where the young of Skopje go to hang out and, whilst by our standards, it’s not that special, there’s a decent range of shops, some of which are vaguely familiar, including an outpost of Lush. But there wasn’t enough to persuade me to hang around, so I headed back to the hotel and an early night.

For I had a plane to catch in the morning...

Day 1 - London to Skopje, taking the scenic route to the spa...

So, here I am, sitting on a balcony overlooking a small spa town in the South Caucasus. And the water is slightly, but noticeably salty, best drunk warm. You may wonder what I’m doing here and, to some extent, I’m wondering too. But it’s been fun, and a little bit erratically journeyed.

Perhaps I ought to go back to the beginning...

When I arranged this trip, it was on the basis that Ros would be busy travelling somewhere else and, as is our habit, when Ros goes somewhere, I go somewhere that Ros might not be that interested in, or with an itinerary that wouldn’t really suit her. I had thought that this trip possibly fell into both categories, but certainly the latter.

That might be explained by the first leg of the journey, on Sunday morning, which took me to Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, via Warsaw and Vienna, with a journey time of just over fifteen hours. There is a catch to using frequent flyer miles for your journey, and in this case, it meant either some fearsomely early starts (which I’m not good at), or arrival times in the middle of the night (which aren’t high on my preference list either).

Using the Lufthansa lounge at Heathrow’s Terminal 2 is strongly recommended - they have jelly beans and a typically Germanic breakfast (hearty) - before LOT Polish Airlines safely conveyed me to Warsaw, where I spent a happy(ish) hour walking laps of the airport - I’m doing the Society for Civil Servants walking challenge, and attempting to do 15,000 steps a day. I then found their lounge and ate their free snacks. Their onward flight to Vienna was very civilised too, on time, and with a perfectly decent inflight meal.

Into Vienna, and more airport laps - my, is Vienna Airport big? The Austrian Airlines lounge was surprisingly ordinary though, enlivened only by the sight of Sir Nicholas Soames catching up on his reading before heading home from a NATO Parliamentary Assembly meeting in Bratislava. I didn’t disturb him, although if I had, it would have been to say how much I enjoy his Twitter feed.

Their inflight meal on the short hop to Skopje was pretty good though, with a hot, breaded chicken breast with potato salad as the highlight.

We arrived in Skopje just before midnight, and I had only one goal - to get to my hotel room and crash. I made it without drama...

Suffolk - where self-help means doing something you’ve paid someone else to do...

I’d be the first to accept that, when money is tight, a steadfast reliance on local government to do things for you is probably unwise, unless, of course, you have little choice. However, it is a step beyond that to ask lower tiers of government to take on duties that you’re levying a tax for, but keeping the money.

And that’s the case with what is charmingly called Suffolk's Community Self-Help Scheme.

Suffolk County Council, like so many other local authorities, is seeking to make savings, and apparently, has a mere £120,000 per annum available for highways work other than basic maintenance. So, they’re seeking support from Town and Parish Councils to fill the void. The Community Self-Help Scheme is described as a response by the County Council to requests to empower and support town and parish councils across Suffolk to carry out small local maintenance tasks in their communities.

Now set aside the fact that, as a Parish Council, we’d really rather not do that, but they explain that;

The limitations on local authority budgets means that Suffolk County Council prioritises its funding and its focus on maintaining a safe network for all users. As a result, we are not able to undertake the extra works which town and parish councils would like to see being done to maintain and improve the look of their areas.

Now, you’re probably thinking what I’m thinking, that would be things like traffic calming, or something vaguely infrastructure related. But no, they go on to provide a handy list of the range of works that Town and Parish Councils might like to take on;

• Sign cleaning
• Fingerpost cleaning/painting/repair
• Tree pruning/branch removal
• Hedge cutting/pruning
• Siding out of footways, or paths (removing encroaching grass and weeds)
• Grass verge cutting
• Weed killing/weed removal
• Developing verge reserves

It is my understanding that Suffolk County Council will retain legal responsibility for maintaining the road network to a satisfactory standard, a point they emphasise;

Suffolk County Council, as the highway authority, has a duty to uphold and protect the rights of the public to use and enjoy all highways for which it is responsible. 

Suffolk County Council, as the highway authority, remains bound by statute (Highways Act 1980) to maintain the highway network in a safe condition. The County Council sets out in its policies the level of service it will provide to discharge its duty to maintain.

So, why should I, or my fellow parish councillors, seek to take up their generous offer? After all, if anything were to go wrong, and volunteers found to have carried out the work in a manner considered inappropriate by Suffolk County Council (who have every incentive to pass the buck), we become liable - Suffolk County Council require the signing of an indemnity should we seek to do any work.

I’m not sure that I see the benefits outweighing the risks to the Parish Council.

Funnily enough, I did once clean a road sign in the Parish, as it was annoying me, but if I had had to fill in a bunch of paperwork, and ensure that the Parish Council had £5,000,000 worth of public liability insurance, I’m not sure I’d have bothered. In truth, I have no idea how much that level of public liability insurance costs, but it’s an additional cost, and duplicates the insurance that Suffolk County Council already hold.

And does anyone really expect that a Parish Council, run by volunteers, can achieve the same economies of scale as a County Council, with its trained professionals and lawyers? Consider me a sceptic.

So, I may sneak out and clean the odd road sign in future. But it may be in the guise of a concerned citizen, rather than as a parish councillor. You can’t be too careful, after all...

Mid Suffolk elections 2019 - a time of unexpected nervousness and high drama...

On Wednesday, I had made time to listen to an East Anglian Daily Times podcast, previewing the local elections across Suffolk. The presenters had concluded that Mid Suffolk was likely to be the least interesting of the five contests and, to be honest, I didn't really have grounds to disagree. A notional majority of fourteen on the newly trimmed thirty-four seat authority, and only really the Greens and the Liberal Democrats - both plucky but seriously under-resourced - standing in their way.

It turned out slightly differently...

When the early results started coming in from across the country on Thursday night and the early hours of Friday, it became apparent that the Conservative vote had melted down. But, and this was an important "but", it did seem that there were serious campaigns being run in those places. That wasn't entirely true in Mid Suffolk. Yes, in our held and target seats, campaigns were being run, and in many wards, if you didn't want to vote Conservative, you had very few options - half of the seats were Conservative vs A N Other - but still...

By the time I woke up on Friday morning, the sheer horror of overnight events must have been beginning to dawn on local Conservatives, and, as the very much paper candidate in Claydon & Barham, a two member ward with two Conservative candidates and a Green, it was beginning to dawn on me that a most unlikely outcome was not entirely impossible.

The count started at 9 a.m., and as the ballot papers had been verified overnight, there must already have been some unease in Conservative circles, as it turned out.

Things started to go sour early, with Bacton going to the Greens - goodbye Conservative Housing portfolio holder - by nearly 2:1, the Green canddiate having painted the sheep on his smallholding with "Vote Andy". It wasn't even close, and when Ringshall & Battisford went Green soon after, I did begin to wonder.

And then it became clear that this was going to be pretty bloody for the Conservatives, when their leader, Nick Gowrley, bit the dust, losing to our very own Keith Scarff by 114. Now, Keith has lost so many elections at District and County levels by agonisingly small margins that I seriously wondered why he does this to himself, but he got himself a proper scalp. He'll be a very good councillor for the south end of Stowmarket.

The notional Conservative majority was now eight, and only six seats had been declared...

Fressingfield went Tory (no real surprise there), and I lost in Claydon & Barham by 290 (the Green got within 155 of the County's Police and Crime Commissioner!). As a paperless candidate, resident outside the ward, I'd gained 35% of the vote. The game was, most definitely, on...

Three more holds, Kathy Guthrie and Matthew Hicks for the Conservatives in Debenham anjd Hoxne & Worlingworth respectively, and John Field in Blakenham for us with 51.7% of the vote, and then the result which made me think that no overall control was a real possibility, with a Green gain of one of the seats in the north Stowmarket ward of Chilton.

Notional Conservative majority now six...

Onehouse's veteran Green councillor won handily and then Eye returned its expected Conservative, but only after a scare. The Returning Officer had called the candidates together to advise that the Liberal Democrat candidate, Tim Glenton, had narrowly won. And then he hadn't, losing by forty-nine (I'm guessing that a bundle check undid the original verdict).

The Conservatives held Walsham-le-Willows and Stonham, Penny Otton, our Group Leader, was safely returned in Rattlesden with 64% of the votes. The two member ward of Haughley, Stowupland & Wetherden returned the two expected Greens with majorities of around 1,000 apiece, Rickinghall returned Conservative Jessica Fleming (who clearly divides her time between Cabot Cove and mid-Suffolk), although her sole opponent (Labour) got within 200 votes.

Another Green gain in Thurston, and then a result which seemed at first amazing but turned out to have rather more significance than anyone might have imagined, as my successor as Local Party Treasurer, David Child, lost by one to the sitting Conservative. Now, my suspicion is that there was no campaign in the central Stowmarket ward of St Peter's, but I'm a bit out of touch, so I'll put it down to bad luck.

The notional Conservative majority was now done to four. But they did have the Independent in Combs Ford, who'd been a portfolio holder in the outgoing Conservative administration. So, it was still six really...

And then, Gislingham went Green, and the Conservatives lost another to the Greens in the newly created Stow Thorney ward - everything east of the railway line in Stowmarket.

Mid Suffolk was notionally a no overall control authority!

Palgrave returned the expected Conservative but we were still to hear from Needham Market, a Liberal Democrat stronghold for thirty years and Ros's old District seat between 1991 and 1995 (yes, it all started there). I knew that the Conservatives hadn't campaigned but still, it's the Conservatives and I'm used to bad news. We couldn't have lost, could we? But no, we hadn't, and Mike Norris and his new running mate, Steve Phillips, were very comfortably voted in by a 2:1 margin.

That left Stradbroke & Laxfield (safe Conservative and with the former Green candidate not running) and the two member ward of Elmswell & Woolpit, notionally split with one Green and one Conservative... who lost by more than two hundred!

And so, the carnage was over, leaving the Mid Suffolk Conservatives headless and out of control, with key leadership figures gone, along with their seemingly impregnable majority.

The final outcome - Conservatives 16 (minus 8), Greens 12 (plus 7), Liberal Democrats 5 (plus 1), Independent 1 - leaves the council absolutely hung, unless Gerard Brewster, the Independent, swaps sides. I don't know if he will, indeed I strongly suspect that he won't, but from the comments I've heard, the Conservatives hope to hang on with the casting vote of the Chair. One vote switched or extra in St Peter's ward and a coin toss, and we would have seen possibly the first ever Green/Liberal Democrat coalition administration, a point that the Green Leader, Andrew Stringer openly stated as being the likely outcome afterwards.

The voting shares are a cause for thought though;

• Conservatives - 40.68% (thirty-two candidates)
• Greens - 34.00% (twenty-one candidates)
• Liberal Democrats - 17.69% (19 candidates)
• Labour - 4.30% (9 candidates)
• Independents - 3.00% (2 candidates)
• UKIP - 0.32% (1 candidate)

We're back in third place, having come second across the District in the 2017 County elections. All credit to the local Greens - they appear to have swallowed whole the classic ALDC playbook and they're very persistent - but it could be argued that, were we to be more ambitious, it could have been us.

From a proportionality perspective the result reasonably reflects the votes cast, for the vote share, if applied proportionately, would have generated a result;

Conservatives 14, Greens 12, Liberal Democrats 6, Labour 1, Independent 1

FPTP saves the Conservatives again, though.

The conclusions I draw from the results are as follows;

1. In this instance, an anti-Conservative pact, albeit a very informal, possibly accidental one, worked. The absence of Labour, UKIP and any corps of independents helped, and you're unlikely to replicate that in many places. We have a joint group on Suffolk County Council and Mid Suffolk has two relatively friendly groups at District level.
2. Labour simply don't exist in rural districts like Mid Suffolk, and even where they were the only opponents to Conservatives, they rarely did well.
3. Our local Conservatives don't campaign between elections - they seldom have to - but when circumstances combine as they did on Thursday, they are extremely vulnerable as they seem unable, or possibly too arrogant, to respond here. Again, I don't suspect that's the case in a lot of other places.
4. Whilst UKIP didn't play any significant role in Mid Suffolk, their absence saved the Conservatives from a far worse drubbing. I suspect that even I might have won had they contested Claydon & Barham, for example.

And so, the apparently least interesting contest in Suffolk turned out to be the most dramatic, even on a night of drama across the county. And, for the first time in nearly a decade, Liberal Democrats were not counting their losses and mourning their disappointments. We nearly ended up with a gain of three, but we have something to work towards for 2023, and thoughts now turn to winning back Bosmere and gaining Stowmarket South in the 2021 County elections - bearing in mind the possibility of revised boundaries in the meantime.

We've got some of our mojo back, the Greens have the wind in their sails, and the world looks like a very different place all of a sudden...

An unfortunately timed planning application...

Early April, with nominations for the District and Parish Councils closed, and a sense of hiatus, as we wait to see who our new District Councillors might be - Creeting St Peter has moved from the old Stowupland Ward to a new, two-member, Needham Market Ward. And then, a somewhat unexpected event, a planning application that impacts directly on the village core.

The key roads in the village are three in number. Pound Road, which becomes Creeting Lane as it leaves the village, runs through the middle, and is our connection to the outside world in both directions - north towards Stowupland, south towards Stowmarket and Needham Market. Two roads runs broadly eastwards off it, The Lane from the centre of the village, and a private road to Roydon Hall Farm about 150 yards further north. The U-shape that they form encloses an area of meadow, access to which is only possible through a house on Pound Road called, aptly, Meadows.

The planning application is an interesting one, seeking to demolish “Meadows” and replace it on the site with five four-bedroomed houses - executive homes, I guess you’d call them. The meadow is to be left untouched, although the design of the application is such that the option of extending into the meadow (which is much larger) remains open.

Five houses isn’t very much, I hear you say, and in that sense, you’d be right. Except that there are only seventy or so houses in the village, many of which are single storey and certainly smaller than four bedrooms. In addition, the village is designated as non-viable by the District Council, lacking as it does any facilities or services. 

It was clear that this was going to be controversial, and it was agreed that an Extraordinary Parish Council would be needed. Social media (yes, we have well established village Facebook and WhatsApp groups) was already abuzz, especially as the meadow borders many village homes.

As Chair, my job was to remain calm, work with our Clerk to organise a meeting and invite residents to take part and make their voices heard. There was only one minor complication - I wasn’t going to be available to take the chair due to a prior engagement. It was all slightly awkward.

Luckily, as previously mentioned, my Vice Chair is perfectly capable, as is our Clerk, and so, having indicated what I thought needed doing in advance, I left it to my colleagues to handle things.

The report from the meeting was interesting. Twenty-three residents had turned out for the meeting, or in other words, twenty-two more than we usually get, and there was some quite robust, and well-founded, criticism of the proposed development. A view was taken as to a formal response from the Parish Council, and Richard, my Vice Chair, set to work afterwards drafting our submission to the District Council.

It was an impressive effort, and the follow up was just what you would hope for, with engagement with our District Councillor (who added his own elegantly drafted suggestions) and all those who participated in the meeting. Frankly, I can’t see that I could have done a better job.

And so, Creeting St Peter Parish Council Fulfilled its obligations as a statutory consultee. That doesn’t sound very dramatic, or big, or important, but to the residents of the village, it is a demonstration of what we do, quietly, meeting after meeting. It also, I hope, reassures them that the Parish Council is in good hands, which is important to me and my colleagues.

And now we await the response of the District Council. They haven’t always been seen to serve us well, particularly in terms of enforcement, but they have a District Plan, a five year supply of housing plots, and the law on their side.

Let’s hope that they see it our way...