Lessons for Local Party Secretaries: no. 5 - the meeting

You’ve got to the meeting. Time to find a seat. Some suggest that you sit next to the Chair, but not me. I tend to prefer a seat at the opposite end of the table, so that I have a view of everyone else, the Chair can see me frantically signalling that we need to move on and, if all else fails, I can leave in despair (not really…).

Minuting is an art. What you’re trying to do is the bureaucratic equivalent of juggling whilst riding a unicycle through a vat of custard. Your primary responsibility is to make sure that you have an accurate record of what happened, reflecting any debate that takes place. This does not mean a verbatim record, especially as there will usually be someone who has no idea what is going on, makes no contribution worth valuing, and likes to hear their own voice. Stopping them is, fortunately, the Chair’s problem…

It is imperative that you do get an accurate record. If you think that you’ve missed something, make sure that you seek clarification. If need be, summarise the position for your own benefit. You’ll be surprised how many people will appreciate it, as the chances of you being the only person in the room who doesn’t understand what is happening is remote.

However, this is where your preparations pay off. You don’t have to minute the reports, only the matters that arise from them. If those tabling reports are any good, there won’t be many questions. Better yet, and everyone will appreciate this, the only serious discussion will be about things that actually matter. And everyone can leave early…

Make sure that all of the business is done by checking each item off the agenda as it is completed, particularly useful if the Chair decides to vary the agenda for some reason. At the end of the meeting, make certain to pick a date for the next meeting, preferably the next three, as well as a venue. It’s one less thing to worry about in the run-up to the next meeting…

James Graham - a bruiser and a winner

I see that the Rugby League Writers Association have decided upon their Player of the Year.

Step forward, James Graham, and congratulations, although how he finds the time to hone his prop forward skills between working for Unlock Democracy and writing his acclaimed blog, I don't know.

Losing the will to live: the anatomy of a Regional Executive meeting

Welcome to Cowley Street, where the London Regional Executive is in session. I'm listening to Leonard Cohen...

Need I say more?

Flattered though I am...

People have been, in the words of Lord Bonkers, terribly kind about Ros's campaign, and credited me with a key role in it. In truth, however, there is more to this campaign than two people over the breakfast table. Much, much more.

For the real story about the campaign and the amazing team behind it, check out Ros's blog...

Policy from London: a challenge from Jeremy Hargreaves

I've noticed a thread on Liberal Democrat Voice in the Members' Forum about policy making and debating at Federal Conference.

My London Region colleague, Jeremy Hargreaves, has noted that Regional Conferences are far more accessible yet don't tend to be fora for policy discussions. He is, unsurprisingly, quite right.

So here's a challenge. I'm willing to sponsor a motion at the Regional Conference if someone has anything they want debated. It doesn't have to be on an issue that relates solely to London, although if it was relevant to Londoners, that would help. Some ideas that might be a starting point include the shape of London government - we've had eight years of the GLA, what would we like to see changed? Perhaps a policy for usage of the Olympic facilities post-2012, or the question of airport development for London.

If someone wants to start the ball rolling, I'd be delighted to hear from you...

Lessons for Local Party Secretaries: no. 4 – the agenda

A week before the meeting, it will be time to issue the agenda. Naturally, it will include all of the reports from the Officers, your branches, Council Group, PPC(s) and, if you’re really lucky, your MP (let me make that clear, if you’re lucky enough to have an MP, they’re all utterly spiffing and fully engaged with their Local Party…).

It will start with ‘Apologies’, move on to ‘Minutes of the last meeting’, where the previous effort is judged for accuracy, before reaching ‘Matters arising’, where members of the Executive will raise issues that were discussed then and they missed due to absence, sorry, didn't understand the first time... If the reports are up to the mark, it can be noted that the points are already covered there, and members will learn to read them before they come.

Next come the reports, and then ‘Any Other Business’. Don’t forget to include ‘Date and venue of the next meeting’, as it is much harder to agree a date after everyone has gone home.

If a written report has been provided, include it with the agenda. If not, note that on the agenda, as it will confirm that the failure is down to the person who was supposed to report. It might encourage them to supply a report, which you can then circulate using your e-group. Ah yes, an e-group. The party provides a really useful e-list function which, if you’re organised enough, you can use to ensure that you can quickly and efficiently distribute material. Best of all, you can set it so that the Executive can use it to talk to each other, rather than require you to do it all for them.

Tax cuts galore!

And so we come full circle (almost), with a call for tax cuts for the working middle classes. Don't get me wrong, I'm not opposed to tax cuts per se, and firmly believe that government should not be spending money where individual choice might be more effective.

However, promising tax cuts implies that you have a pretty good idea as to the role of government. I'm yet to be entirely convinced that we really do. The question of what government is for is one that has been left hanging amidst the debate over social versus economic liberalism, possibly because it would be potentially messy and divisive.

Such a debate is all the messier for the fact that we tend to see things in shades of grey, rather then the black and white of our primary opponents. Labour strongly believe that government can and should do things for you because it's big - the dinosaur theory of government. Our Conservative f(r)iends believe that government can't and shouldn't do things for you because it's too incompetent to be trusted - the small furry mammal theory. We tend to be more equivical about things.

Unfortunately, we tend to sound rather wishy-washy when addressing such issues instead of saying, "We don't give a f**k who delivers services, as long as they're the best we can afford and there is democratic accountability.". I deeply suspect that such a view reflects the attitude of a large swathe of voters.

There are a number of big ticket items which, in the short term, would allow a Liberal Democrat government to reduce the burden of taxation on what Americans like to call 'hard-working families'. However, the secret to gaining long term credibility is to make tax cuts that last. Voters now routinely expect tax cuts or very low increases in the year before an election, and are entirely cynical about the motivation for politicians in doing so. If we want to change the political culture, we need to overcome that cynicism.

So, the promise of tax cuts is easy and cheap to make. Without a credible means of delivery though, it risks engendering further cynicism amomgst voters. I hope that you know what you're doing, Nick...

Sarah Palin for Vice President of the United States? Why my wife is better qualified...

Sarah Palin has led a state government with a population that was, in 2000, approximately 620,000. I should be impressed, especially when you consider that I've never run anything. My wife, on the other hand, led one of the two ruling parties on Suffolk County Council, population in 2001, approximately 670,000.

Sarah Palin believes that her trip to Germany and her residential proximity to Russia and Canada give her foreign affairs experience. My wife served on the European Union's Committee of the Regions, as well as the North Sea Commission.

Sarah Palin believes that she has the right to tell you how you should live your life. My wife believes that, as long as your actions don't impact negatively on others, you should be empowered to make your own choices.

Sarah Palin vetoed a state grant to a distance learning education program for native Alaskans. My wife improved nursery school provision.

So the answer's obvious. Vote for Ros for Party President, and then persuade any American friends you might have to vote Ros Scott for Vice President of the United States!

Lessons for Local Party Secretaries: no. 3 – preparing for meetings

Most people who have served on an Executive Committee, at any level of the Party, will have horror stories of meetings that run on for hours, sapping the will to live and causing generic unhappiness.

Admittedly, most of this is the fault of the Chair (not anyone I know though, no sirree Bob…) but you can help make it easier. What you want is written reports, circulated in sufficient time that people can read them before they turn up. That way, they are less likely to ask questions, the meeting will reach decisions quickly, and you can all go home. If people ask questions that could be answered by reading a report, you can suggest to them that they do. After a while, they will learn. If they don’t, perhaps a seat on the Executive is not for them…

It is usual to give a week’s notice of a meeting of the Executive Committee. Get into the habit of giving two weeks notice, so that those due to submit written reports can do so, leaving time to distribute them onwards. This will have two effects;

• everyone will have the same information


• you won’t have to minute a rambling stream of consciousness of whatever the individual can remember

Also, ask for any items of business to be included on the agenda under ‘Any Other Business’. That way, you encourage people to think about what they might need in advance. There is nothing more dispiriting at the need of a long meeting, just when your hopes are raised at the prospect of escape, than someone saying, “One item of any other business, Chair”. If it’s on the agenda, the Chair can move matters along more effectively.

Thank individuals who comply with your requests, as this will encourage them to continue doing so. Politely chide those who don’t, and note that you have not received their report, indicating that any time lost whilst people ask them questions is time not spent effectively, especially if they then complain about the length of the meeting (I love irony).

Letting the train take the environmental strain

It appears that the cost of petrol is beginning to benefit the environment.

As a former South Londoner, and a non-driver, I had been fairly reliant on Go-Ahead, the holder of the rail franchises for Southern and Southeastern trains. Despite the usual moaning, I'd always found them to be pretty reliable, and it appears that I'm not the only one who's been convinced.

Yesterday, Go-Ahead announced that passengers numbers were up by approximately 6.5%, an impressive amount indeed. They aren't cheap, but given the marginal costs of driving these days, many have little alternative but to switch from car to train.

My concern is that the rail franchises will take advantage of an opportunity to raise prices and make more profit, a typically short term view, and one that risks driving people back to their cars. As the price of crude oil drops back towards the $100 per barrel mark, the likelihood that the purely economic logic of a switch to public transport ebbs away increases.

An argument is often made that cutting tax rates increases tax take. It seems likely that the same logic applies to the cost of a rail season ticket. So, how about cutting the cost of a season ticket, if only in real terms, gentlemen?

A windfall tax on the energy companies: good short-term politics, lousy long-term economics

Lindsay Hoyle, the Labour MP for Chorley, has been on the news calling for a windfall tax on the energy sector, claiming that he has seventy colleagues who are supportive of his call. It is reassuring to know that Old Labour isn't dead, but they clearly haven't learnt anything new about economics whilst in their political coma.

In fairness, a windfall tax would probably be very good politics, in that there are many people in this country who would happily see the likes of BP and Shell get a 'good kicking'. Higher petrol prices and higher fuel bills add more pain to already suffering consumers, and an opportunity for revenge, encouraged by the likes of the Daily Mail and Daily Express, will be willingly taken.

However, simply grabbing the money is one thing, what you do with it is more important. This government has often demonstrated an enthusiasm to raise money which, once raised, it tends to redistribute ineptly. How would the funds raised be used? How do you ensure that those in most need actually get the support they deserve? Labour struggle with the concept that government is a blunt implement, not a scalpel.

Liberal Democrats have opposed a windfall tax, believing that working with the utilities to target help towards the most vulnerable is the way forward. They know who their customers are, they have the power to adjust their rates, offer discounts and they can work out who is struggling long before the Government can come to the rescue.

However, there are other factors to be considered. If you are a major company operating in the United Kingdom, the prospect of the Government picking on you because you're successful will lead your finance director to ask the question, "should I be looking for a new fiscal residence?". It's a cruel world, international corporate taxation. Your assumptions in government can be shattered by corporate tax rate cuts in neighbouring jurisdictions, and company law is wonderfully opaque, certainly as far as the public are concerned.

There are already signs that our tax base is vulnerable. The process of company migration has begun, with a number of companies upping sticks and moving towards low tax economies in search of competitive advantage. Whilst corporation tax is a relatively small proportion of the overall tax take, when you're in the red as much as Alastair Darling is, every billion counts.

The Conservatives are likely to take a similar view to ours in private. Whether they hold the line in public is a different matter altogether, as there is little short-term advantage to taking an orthodox economic position. It will be a sign of their readiness for government if they bottle this one for short-term political popularity.

Lessons for Local Party Secretaries: no. 2 – establishing your information sources

In order to control information, you need to have some. Bizarrely, people are somewhat loathe to convey information generally, especially if they understand that knowledge is power. Your job, as Secretary, is to empower others whilst making yourself indispensable. Providing people with information will allow them to make better decisions (hopefully), more quickly and without frivolous, unhelpful and, most importantly of all, lengthy, debate. Remember, you are going to be minuting the meetings.

So, what does an Executive Committee need to know? You’ll need reports from the Local Party Officers (Chair, Treasurer, Membership Secretary), whoever organises social events, the Council Group, the PPC(s) and any branches. Where there is no specific source, find one (ensuring that they’re reliable). Explain to them that, in return for providing a written report in advance, the meeting will be shorter and they can go home/to the pub/leafleting earlier. Most people hate sitting in meetings when they could be doing something more useful/fun. Take advantage of that.

Make sure that your Regional Party knows who you are. After the Annual General Meeting, the Secretary is required to report the contact details of the Officers, as well as the Federal and Regional Conference representatives to Cowley Street. Make sure that, if you weren’t responsible then, that it has been done. In return, they’ll send you information about conferences, and use you as a conduit for reaching Local Parties when they have something to disseminate, as will the Federal Party.

Lessons for Local Party Secretaries: no. 1 – establishing your target audience

Not necessarily the first thing that might normally come to mind, I admit. However, in order to successfully transmit information, you really need to know who you’re supposed to send it to.

The first task of an incoming Secretary should be to find out who your stakeholders are. Naturally, the identity of the members of the Executive Committee is important, but is there anyone else who needs to know what the Local Party is doing? If you have an MP, they should probably be on the mailing list, although they aren’t always, and the same goes for any PPCs you might have knocking about. Is their head of office on the list? They should be. Is your Council Group Leader there, and/or the Group Whip? Add them too. Do you have branches? Don’t forget the Branch Chairs then. And, of course, you’re part of a Regional Party. Is there a contact from the Regional Executive (some Regions do this)? Help them to help you by including them.

You’ve got the names, now make up a spreadsheet, which will include their names, roles (if appropriate), addresses, contact telephone and e-mail addresses. Make sure that you distribute it to everyone concerned, so that they can check the details and correct any errors. That way, you know how to contact everyone, and your key contacts will have a readily available sheet of paper with all of the contacts they might need on it.

The 8:52 service to Retiro has been cancelled due to a fire on the train... and the station...

I like Argentina. It's a marvellous country with great wine, good beer, excellent food, attractive women (if that is what you're looking for), some of the best football in the world and more than decent scenery.

Argentines are a lively bunch too. It appears, from my limited experience, that civil liberties include the right to riot in the streets whenever and wherever they feel like it. Indeed, I got a taste of it a few years ago, when I was in Buenos Aires just as George Bush came to town.

So, I read with interest that Buenos Aires commuters set fire to a passenger train, stoned station buildings and tried to overturn a ticket machine in protest against yet another delay to their regular journey. Whilst the Government alleged that activists from the Workers Party were behind the mayhem, the response of a representative of the railway company seems to be more in tune with the approach of the locals;

"We understand that people get angry when the service is delayed."

That, my friends, is bureaucratic poetry...

What Rachida Dati’s pregnancy says about the quality of political coverage

My morning reading of choice is the Times, especially given the fact that the Guardian just annoys me. All that prissy ‘the Government should do this, this and this’ irks, especially when the ‘that, that and that’ is lifted directly from our manifesto and we’re being simultaneously rubbished.

My attention was drawn to the talk of Rachida Dati, described by the Times as, “42, the unmarried Justice Minister and glamourpuss of President Sarkozy’s cabinet”. Glamourpuss? Pardon? Ms Dati is pregnant, and not in a public relationship. This is, apparently, the cause of a media frenzy, with pundits trying to work out who the father is.

I too have some questions. Does her pregnancy impact on her ability to do her job? Does the identity of the father do so? If not, why the fuss?

There is a tradition in French politics, as stated by ‘Le Canard Enchainé’, a weekly journal which specialises in political scandal, that news ends at the bedroom door. The right to a private life is cherished in France, and privacy laws are, accordingly, strict.

Unfortunately, there appears to be no law preventing journalists from patronising half of their readers, or in this instance, more than half of them…

How to be a Local Party Secretary

As one of the Party’s jobbing bureaucrats, people often ask me, “Why are you a Local Party Secretary?”, in much the same way as they might ask, “Why do you make casseroles out of roadkill?”. After all, one can make casseroles out of roadkill, but most of us would prefer to go to Sainsbury’s.

My answer is a simple one, because being the Secretary is where the power is. Your average Local Party Chair is worrying about all the things that need to be done, fighting the temptation to do it themselves (I know, I was that Local Party Chair), and attempting to hold the ring with competing factions (council group, MP and target seat PPC). Your Treasurer will be worrying about PPERA obligations, trying to work out where the money is coming from to pay the printing bills, and wondering whether he/she knows about all of the bank accounts.

Secretaries, on the other hand, control information. Information is power. If you have sufficient influence over the Treasurer, you have total control, and nothing much in the way of responsibility. After all, it was Machiavelli who wrote of the importance of having a good Secretary, and I like to think that he knew a bit about power and how to (ab)use it.

I believe that this information should be shared, so I’ll be publishing a series of pieces on good Secretarial practice over the coming days. Most of it will be common sense, especially to a hardened bureaucrat, but I hope that it will make life a bit easier for anyone taking on the role at their AGM in the coming months.

More design stuff...

Alright, let's see. New links including my personal top 10 blogs. Check. Links that are obsolete removed. Check. Put on silly voice. Check.

I hereby declare the new and improved 'Liberal Bureaucracy' open. May God bless all those who sail in her!

Making the most out of the medium

I tend to be behind the curve in terms of blogging. I did study computing at the University of East Anglia as one of my first year units and hated it. As a mathematician, I operated on the not wholly irrational basis that computers were a plot to make us obsolete. More realistically, teaching us to program in Fortran probably didn't help (and yes, there were still dinosaurs roaming the Norfolk countryside then...).

However, I've spent an hour or so adding Google Analytics to my armoury of 'stuff', and reintroduced myself to Google Adsense, and shuffled the contents of the right-hand bar a bit. I probably need to improve in terms of pictures and links, but that is more an issue of time than anything else, as well as the fact that I often blog using my BlackBerry, which tends to make 'art' somewhat more difficult.

So, I'll have a better idea as to my readership, and I might earn a little money whilst I'm at it... what harm can it do?

Selection Committees, uh, what are they good for? Absolutely nothing?

To be sung to the tune of 'Wild Rover'... "I've been a Returning Officer for many a year, and I've spent all my money on ballots and stamps."

Indeed, I've been a Returning Officer for many years now, and genuinely felt that we ask an awful lot in the pursuit of candidates for mostly hopeless causes. I wrote an article for Liberator nearly two years ago in which I outlined the timetable for a normal candidate selection which ran to 82 days from the placing of the advert to the hustings meeting. I didn't even start on the time it takes to get to the point where the advert can be sent...

In any event, I ended my piece by asking people to make suggestions. For the most part, what responses there were related to the campaigning element, which in itself has little or no impact on the resource wastage that now applies.

Alright then, what do I think then, if I'm so clever? How about this. Abolish selection committees.

Invite the Local Party Executive to draw up a constituency profile, place a standard advert, issue a standard form and request a political CV of no more than two sides of A4 in a font of no less than 10-point, and put all of the applicants before the members.

They've all been through an approval process so presumably meet minimum standards, and removing the usually self-appointed selection committee prevents such a group from imposing any biases they might hold, subconsciously or otherwise, on both applicant and membership alike.

If there are a lot of applicants, have a all member run-off to establish a final shortlist of five. It would certainly test the skill and enthusiasm of the applicants, would engage members and, even better, be fun. Combine that with campaigning rules that positively encourage the use of new media (so much cheaper than paper and postage), and we might even learn a thing or two!

There is even a bonus in terms of diversity, in that women and ethnic minority applicants would have less barriers to overcome. Better still, the need to provide selection committee training would disappear, one of the major bottlenecks in the current system.

As a returning officer, I'd have less paperwork to worry about, as all I'd have to do is deal with protests and ensure that the paperwork was issued on time before attending the hustings and counting the ballots. I could handle more selections, removing another oft-reported bottleneck.

Is that radical enough?

A blogger crashes back to Earth...

Not in the top 50 Lib Dem blogs, probably not in the top 500 political blogs, what is a blogger to do?

I could, on one hand, give up and dedicate myself to the dark arts of party bureaucracy - I have a purple belt in assertive minuting and am a black belt in standing order usage - or sit at home stroking Cincinnati and plotting my revenge on everyone who voted in a 'slasher movie' orgy of blood and body parts.

Alternatively, I could accept that blog rankings are, below the top levels, a happy combination of good fortune, timing and happenstance. In my case, a series of (un)happy coincidences worked to my advantage. And indeed, this theory is partly true.

However, there is an alternative, to try and write more interesting, more relevant blog entries, and to sharpen up the design a bit. I do kind of like the design, so it'll have to be the writing then...

On the campaign trail: the concept of a home cooked meal...

is begiining to become quite attractive. Don't get me wrong, I'm eating well enough (too well, some might say), but the idea of having something that Ros and I buy and prepare ourselves begins to take on the concept of a mirage.

So, day 4 of the campaign proper, and three events already under the belt. The launch day was fun, and although my back was creaking pretty badly - war wound from earlier campaign activity - I was able to do some delivery for Ed Davey whilst others, including Ros, canvassed houses on the A3. We then adjourned to a very pleasant, and packed out, Indian restaurant in Surbiton for a hearty meal and speeches from Ros and Ed.

Tuesday was Bexley, as Ros and Duncan have already indicated. I must note that the 'Happy China' restaurant did us proud.

Last night saw us making our way across North London to Haringey for one of their regular 'Pizza and Politics' nights. Monica Whyte, a former colleague on the Regional Executive, and a candidate for the London Assembly in Enfield & Haringey and on the list, was our host and the conversation flowed as freely as the wine. A quite candid debate ensued, as you might expect with Lynne Featherstone and Jonathan Fryer (or possibly one of the many Jonathan clones that attend every Party event inside the M25) in the room, and it was fascinating to be able to contrast the differing 'lifestyles' of parliamentarians at opposite ends of the Palace of Westminster.

I also found time to catch up with one of our newest approved parliamentary candidates, Helen Duffett, and we talked about strategies for getting selected. I think that Helen has real prospects, and hope that she continues to feel encouraged.

Finally, I should note how pleased I was to see Julia Glenn. Julia has, imperceptably, become an old friend, and I really appreciate her good sense and better advice.

Some light relief: a condensed history of the Liberal Party

Having spent yesterday evening at a 'Pizza and Politics' evening in Haringey, I missed a programme on Radio 4 that I might otherwise have listened to. The good news is that, thanks to the wonders of technology, we all get a chance to enjoy it.

So, for your delectation and delight, here's Adam Long of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, providing a potted history of the Liberal Party...

Hampstead Town: apparently not the last place you'd expect to find a BNP candidate

Word reaches me that the BNP are fielding a candidate in the forthcoming Hampstead Town ward by-election in Camden.

Whilst it does seem like extraordinarily unpromising territory for the racist scum, it makes Julian Harris's exhortation to us all to lend a hand all the more salient. I'll be turning up to deliver a leaflet or two (hundred) at the weekend, time permitting. Besides, our candidate is a fellow member of the London Region Executive, the quite wonderful Linda Chung.

See you there?

Let the Presidential contest commence!

The website is live, just click here and you'll apparently be connected to it.

The launch is underway, and all is going smoothly, except that the 17:16 to Tolworth is running a couple of minutes late. My thanks go to South West Trains for their general incompetence...

It's a great website, so take a look, sign up if you're interested and, if you're a Federal Conference delegate and want to sign Ros's nomination form, get in touch and I'll send you a copy to complete and return.

At the end of the day, it's all about credibility. Ros has lots - you know what to do...

Ros Scott: serious about being Party President

Nominations for the position of President of the Liberal Democrats open today. Naturally, I'm as biased as all hell - after all, I liked the candidate so much that I married her...

The campaign website goes officially live at 17:16 this afternoon. Until then, all that can be seen is a countdown and, for those so inclined, a really quite good video...

Why 17:16? Ros will be catching the 17:16 train to Chessington South from Waterloo, and will disembark at Tolworth to meet activists for a mass canvass in Ed Davey's constituency of Kingston & Surbiton, before adjourning for a 'poppadoms and politics' evening event.

This isn't a campaign about being something, it's about doing something, and so the campaign will start as Ros means to go on if elected.

I'm proud to be associated with this campaign, and even prouder to be married to such a great candidate.

So what do I do on English Candidates Committee anyway?

One of the things that has come to mind as I travel the length and breadth of this sceptred isle with Ros is, how do I report back to my electorate as a directly elected member of English Candidates Committee?

Curiously, I have never been asked to report back, nor has there been any sense that I am expected to. On the other hand, I deeply suspect that my postings on this blog relating to candidate approval and selection have contributed to my being re-elected in recent years. So, what am I up to at the moment?

My key activity is as a member of the new Selection Rules Review Group. As those of you who read my manifesto will remember, I promised to work towards the development of simpler, more proportionate processes for selection of our parliamentary candidates. My main thrust has been to raise the possibility of a two-tier selection system, leaving the mechanics of the current process in place for selections in held and target seats, but moving to a skeleton system for the remainder. I'll expand upon that in a separate posting.

I've also continued to push for a more open and transparent way of doing business. Where possible, I have encouraged wider consultation, including the holding of sessions at Regional conferences - coming to you this autumn.

Finally, I've tried to encourage debate via this blog and via the medium of Liberal Democrat Voice. I've attempted to give honest and complete answers where I feel that facts are missing, introduced some ideas of potential value and generally tried to draw back the curtains on what our committee does.

I will be up for re-election this year, and a manifesto will be issued to members of English Council in October but, until then, any questions you might have will receive as good an answer as I can give.

Bones Commission: are we our own worst enemies sometimes?

Having met a large swathe of the Welsh Party in South Wales over the past few days, I have been impressed by their enthusiasm and sense of optimism, not something that you always encounter.

However, the Welsh Party, like its Scottish counterpart, suffers from a lack of resourcing. Unlike the English Regions, whose back-office functions are handled by Cowley Street, the Welsh and Scottish Parties employ staff to do these jobs.

Don't get me wrong, this is far from being a call for an amalgamation of our three State Parties into one Federal bureaucracy. However, I wonder if we could be more efficient if we could reach some mutually acceptable shared positions. For example, Parliamentary candidate assessment varies between the three States, meaning that a member approved in Wales needs to go through a further process in order to run in, say, Shrewsbury and Atcham. English Regions benefit from cross-regional collaboration. Scotland and Wales do not.

And yet, Wales has a membership one-third that of London, Scotland half that of London. London supports a part-time administrator and two full-time campaigns officers. Can Scotland and Wales really afford to go it alone?

I am more respectful of our Federal structure than most. In an era of devolved government in Scotland and Wales (and London, lest we forget), it would be politically suicidal to move policy and campaigning functions away from Edinburgh and Cardiff. Indeed, any kind of reform would need to be instigated by the Scottish and Welsh Liberal Democrats, and not imposed from on high by a Federal (read English) hierarchy. But if we are serious about making this political party as 'lean and mean' as we can without losing effectiveness, sometimes pragmatism needs to come before pride.

Update: Most ghastly woman award

Hurry! I may not be able to prevent myself from carrying out restorative justice...

Mothers can be really enbarrassing sometimes...

I'm on the 16:25 from Cardiff Central to Paddington, minding my own business.

The mother and daughter combo sitting across the aisle on me rank amongst the most annoying people EVER.

Whilst the daughter is vaguely whiny, the mother is without doubt one of the most ghastly people I've encountered in a very long time. She shouts when using her daughter's I-Pod, spends her time making telephone calls and talking in an astonishingly patronising and precious manner, and is the best excuse I've encountered yet for the reintroduction of the ducking stool.

Our train gets into Paddington at 19:30. If anyone wants to gather together a mob to burn this witch, I'll lay on the kindling...

The Germans are coming, the Germans are coming. Oh, they're here...

As readers of Ros's blog will be aware, we've been in Wales, meeting members and, in between, enjoying some scenery.

I've not been slacking off though, and have demonstrated my knowledge of obscure facts - did you know that New Zealand was the first country to give women the vote? - earning us a bottle of wine to take home from Bridgend, met the author of 'All Along The Watchtower' and been to the happiest place in the country (and the second most miserable).

But the title of this entry? Frankly, I couldn't resist. In Newport, we had the pleasure of the company of Veronica and Mike German. Veronica is busily shaking up Torfaen Council, whilst Mike is preparing for life post-leadership. I don't get the impression that he's terribly worried about the prospect, and he was in good form.

Peter Black has already given his view as to the succession, and it ill befits me to comment on what is predominantly an internal Welsh matter, but having met Kirsty Williams on a couple of occasions, I've been very impressed. She has passion, flair and a fair bit of determination too. If elected, she would certainly represent a change in terms of style and approach.

A first for Liberal Bureaucracy

I've been to my first ever meeting of full council today - in Neath Port Talbot. It lasted 16 minutes, including a welcome to Ros from both the Mayor and the Council Leader.

I'm not going to be critical, especially as the August meeting is held so as to avoid the usual logjam at the first meeting after the summer break that most councils traditionally take. And besides, if anyone had objected to anything, I'm fairly sure that they would have said so...

Afterwards, we were entertained by the Mayor and Deputy Mayoress in the Mayor's Parlour (another first for Liberal Bureaucracy), with tea and little cakes. Yes, I know that Neath Port Talbot is one of just two Welsh authorities with a Labour majority, but they were very nice nonetheless.

We discussed issues related to social housing, and Derek Vaughan, the Labour leader of Neath Port Talbot, who'd quoted from the 'Total Politics' piece when welcoming Ros (yes, it's a gratuitous plug but I'm feeling generous today), was quite candid about the problems the council faces in bringing its housing stock up to the required standards. Inevitably, the estimated shortfall of £497 million in funding will oblige the council to seek a stock transfer to a housing association next year, regardless of the potential democratic deficit that might arise.

My souvenir is a copy of the council papers, which I will keep on a shelf in my office at home and, in later years when my memory has faltered, wonder what they are doing there. It won't be for the lack of a warm welcome though...

Bones Commission: goodbye Devon & Cornwall, hello South West?

Before I start, I should note the wise words of a Party insider, who has reminded me that the Bones Commission report is only an advisory one, and far from binding on anyone.

Deep in the executive summary is a suggestion that the Party's regions in England be realigned with the European regions used for elections to Brussels. As a bureaucrat, believing in neat organisational pyramids, I can see the attractions of such a move. Indeed, one of the impacts of the move to regional lists was the creation of South Central and East of England regions from the former Hants & Wight, Chilterns and Eastern regions.

However, there is an irony in using that as a reasoning, in that there are many who believe that we've never taken European elections seriously, have under-resourced them and then underperformed accordingly.

As a Londoner, such a proposal has little impact on our effective city state. However, it will impact on four regions with varying circumstances. Devon & Cornwall, Western Counties and South Central are, in relative terms, quite successful, with a sizeable Parliamentary presence, and a record of success in local government. South East has a comparatively strong funding stream, yet has just one MP and is generally an area where we are the lead opposition but no more than that.

The simplistic argument against merging Devon & Cornwall with Western Counties, and South Central with South East is one of geography. I am sympathetic but would note that Watford to Norwich (East of England) and Chester to Workington (North West) are hardly a breeze either, yet little fuss is made in either instance.

I would argue, however, that the question of purpose and effectiveness is more salient. We clearly need regional parties that have sufficient scale to be effective in terms of resource use, but we also need to provide an effective level of internal governance that fills the gap between the English Party and local parties. Too big a region risks alienation of the fringes but, more importantly, makes it difficult for regional officers to fulfil their monitoring and enabling roles that are so clearly needed.

Size is not everything in terms of funding either. As important is the ability to bring that funding to bear effectively. Indeed, some smaller regions, such as Devon & Cornwall, are probably more successful at raising funds per head of membership than some of our larger ones - having MPs and running councils evidently helps.

So, on the whole, I'd probably be against the suggestion of the Bones Commission unless a strong case were to be made. And when we see the whole report, maybe we'll see that argument...

Sometimes, just sometimes, Government enables rather than interfering...

News reaches me of that a new service is being tested that ensures people only have to tell the government once about births and deaths. The 'Tell Us Once' service is being piloted to see if it is feasible for people to report their changes to the government only once. In particular, the service aims to make it easier for vulnerable people faced with major upheavals such as bereavement.

A senior HMRC official, Bernadette Kenny, said, “Something like a death in the family is incredibly difficult to deal with, especially if it triggers major financial changes. The last thing a person wants to do is inform several government departments about their loss. This service will mean fewer processes and paperwork, which will help people deal more easily with issues such as housing, tax credits and benefits”.

If all goes well, the Department of Work and Pensions, who are hosted the pilot, plans to run a larger pilot – called a Pathfinder – this autumn.

The perils of taking Facebook too seriously

Jo Anglezarke has recently commented on her recent problems with Facebook, and I find myself sympathising with her, at least to some extent. I do have my doubts about the wisdom of her comments that appear to have triggered the issue, and of her somewhat intemperate language, but there is an issue here worthy of thought.

Facebook is a wonderful thing, and I certainly found myself semi-addicted to it at one point. You add friends and obtain a window into their lives. Status updates are amusing, sad, puzzling and occasionally intriguing. People invite you to events, or to join groups, or to support campaigns far and wide.

However, sometimes there is a dark side. There is the risk of indiscretion, of saying something because you think that it is part of a private conversation, when in truth, it is effectively committed to easily transmittable 'paper'. For those of us in the field of political endeavour, that risk is all the greater, as occasionally becomes apparent.

Recently, I had a disagreement with a fellow Lib Dem blogger and Facebook habitue. It was then suggested by them that I was foolish to trust people on Facebook as I had up until then, and so I removed said person from my Friends list, not as a punishment for them, more like an exercise in avoiding risk for myself.

I freely admit that I have 'sought' very few friends on Facebook since my early addiction, mostly family in fact, but seldom turn down approaches unless I have no idea who they are (and in some of those cases, it is likely that my memory is poor). I have no conscious notion of how many friends I have on Facebook, although it is on my homepage somewhere, nor do I see how it really matters.

It would be nice to think that we can all value ourselves for who we are, and it's probably naive to take such a stance, but is it really sensible to allow oneself to be destabilised by what is, after all, just a social contact network?

Better late than never: the best blog entries wot I wrote...

This may be the last response to Alex Wilcock's invitation and, technically, I've missed the deadline set. However, you're all asleep, or having sex in front of open fires, or whatever, so give me a break, why don't you...

I've been reading through the many blog entries that I have written in the past year to see if there are any worth promoting as amongst my best. It hasn't been easy, as my blogging has been affected by my burgeoning romance with the fair Ros. I have, in short, been less than entirely feisty, although I can't blame Ros - I've had far better things to engage my thoughts with than Blogger.

However, here are a few pieces that I have written that I thought readers might enjoy...

House of Lords Reform - a non-baron writes - I enjoyed writing this, and I still firmly believe that making people dress up as penguins is as good a proposal for selecting members of a second chamber as anything this Government has come up with so far...

Thoughts on public service - how a lack of confidence betrays us all - I still believe that this stuff is important, albeit deeply unfashionable...

The 10p debacle - why the bleeding won't stop - tax and politics. And indeed, the bleeding hasn't stopped...

You are invited to the funeral of the Labour dream - flowers not required - I hate it when politicians give up the pretence of principles and then forget that they ever have any...

European Selection: massacre of the innocents - if only because nobody listened to me five years earlier and they seem determined not to do so again...

I'm not going to claim that they are works of genius but they mattered to me when I wrote them. However, I'm hoping to me more 'up for it' in the coming year, so we'll see how it turns out...

Total Politics - insensitive to its female readers or too sensitive to criticism?

I've been having a bit of a row with Iain Dale this evening, after I made a throwaway remark about his new enterprise, 'Total Politics'. I think that he's been a bit touchy and defensive but...

I am, however, going to criticise one element of the latest issue of 'Total Politics'. This article is the sort of article that adds nothing to political dialogue, and is, to be honest, a bit of an insult to female readers of the magazine. Why does the dress sense of our politicians matter, as long as they are smartly presented? Will there be an article on the dress sense of some of our male politicians?

It's all a bit odd really, as I've generally been quite kindly towards Iain in the past. In fact, our years at the University of East Anglia overlapped somewhat, and whilst I knew a bit about him (to be a Conservative at UEA did tend to mark you out in an institution as generally left-wing as UEA was would tend do to that), I've paid rather more attention to his career in publishing and then retail politics after that. He has successfully carved out a niche in the world of political blogging and all credit to him for doing so. For all the carping that has come from some of our number, he has gone out there and made something happen.

So I have been puzzled by the fact that he has, to be honest, bothered with someone who is really rather insignificant in the great scheme of things. I hold no political power, have a small amount of influence on things that have little, if any, impact beyond the bureaucracy of the Liberal Democrats, and blog when I have time and not even always then.

Some of my non-political friends take the view that most of us bloggers are too self-absorbed and too precious by half. We imply by our words that we have more influence than perhaps we do, and we are lulled into a false sense of self-importance by the fact that lazy journalists tend to resort to us instead of the rather harder job of finding out what non-blogging members and supporters think. Perhaps if some of us took a step back and gave some thought as to what we actually hope to achieve, we might come across as more-rounded human beings than we might currently do*...

* This is not, I repeat not, intended to be an attack on any individual blogger. No, really, it isn't...

HM Revenue & Customs: as I was saying earlier...

The Guardian today raises further concerns about the performance, attitude and approach of HM Revenue & Customs. Its report doesn't make pretty reading for the Board, under its new Chairman, Mike Clasper (left).

There can be no question that he takes over an organisation that is in a less than happy state. Major reorganisations stemming from a series of reviews have led to office closures from Buckie to Bury St Edmunds, the loss of thousands of jobs, and a sense amongst many staff of alienation. And now, at a time when staff are being asked to make sacrifices in pursuit of the imposition of a 5% cut in running costs year by year, a pay offer which offers staff pay rises of 2% in 2008 and 1% in 2009 and 2010 has brought a not wholly unexpected response from the two key unions involved.

I have no great argument with management, especially as they can only play with the cards they're dealt by HM Treasury, and their quoted statistic that resignations represent just 3.2% of our workforce does imply that retention is not a problem. However, might I suggest that if you want an organisation that is smarter and more effective, it might help to recruit better staff by offering them a competitive salary scale.

No, my sense of incredulity is directed at the Government. Their use of the bluntest of blunt instruments, a fixed year on year cut, regardless of the wider economic picture and at a time when inflation is high, means that a planned real terms cut of 4.9% in running costs has become somewhat more draconian in its effects. The spending plans, based on an predicted inflation rate of 2.8% for 2008/09, and 2.5% for 2009/10 and 2010/11, are now clearly shown to be optimistic, and I have my doubts as to whether Ministers actually understand the consequences of their actions.

There is no doubt that scope for efficiencies has always existed. In an age when computer usage in the norm, and when communications doesn't have to be face to face, the existence of offices in areas where accommodation and labour costs are high is sometimes hard to justify. The option of e-filing of documents means that clerical staff who once filed and sorted are obsolete. But change comes with costs of its own. Transitions need to be managed and resourced, treated as investments, if you like. Those responsible for the work need to be motivated to continue working productively whilst their jobs come to an end.

I believe that this results from the Labour misunderstanding of the nature of society. Society is about more than just groups brought together for a common interest, it is about individuals, the very building blocks of our communities. Labour sees our public services as machines, designed to deliver outcomes, but seldom worries about what motivates the individual 'cogs' to perform their duties well and efficiently. Money isn't the prime mover, especially as civil service salaries fall behind the private sector. A sense of public service, the satisfaction of a job well done, pride in our Department, these are all key elements of the 'glue' that holds HM Revenue & Customs together.

So I fear that there will be a fair bit of unhappiness to come, and some unenviable moments for Mr Clasper to look forward to. I plan to stay put, after all, I am somewhat institutionalised. It would be nice to think that there might be an organisation worth working for at the end of it.

My life with Scarlett O'Hara

Issue 3 of 'Total Politics' has been published and, whilst I wouldn't normally promote a magazine which, thus far, has been less than entirely friendly to anyone other than Conservatives, I feel obliged to bring your attention to this item...

Clearly, I'm going to have to buy a new house, as the staircase is utterly unsuitable to sweeping down in voluminous skirts...

The Bones Commission: everybody wants a box of chocolates and a long stem rose…

And so the Executive Summary was published, to the sound of an orchestra of badly played kazoos. To be honest, after all the conjecture, the result has been a bit disappointing. Not as disappointing as the way the document was handled though…

As an object lesson in how not to convey a message of change, the Bones Commission has achieved near perfection. A high-profile launch, some pretty comprehensive consultation and then… nothing. A timetable which slipped by just enough to raise suspicion, plus some judicious leaking to give the impression that the document was cover for a naked power grab by the leadership, and the muttering was underway. Oh dear, this isn’t working terribly well, so we’d better publish the executive summary. Of course, we all know that the main document is much more interesting… I wonder what it says…

I can’t help but feel that we deserve better. As the ‘poor bloody infantry’, if we don’t have a feeling of common purpose, we have nothing. Unlike so many Labour activists, who appear to be able to accept virtually any insult from their leadership as long as they keep winning, or Conservative activists, happy to accept the kiss of the organisational whip, we tend to be rather less willing to blindly trust our generals.

However, rather than proposing that we set up a commission to look at how we might best improve our communication skills, here are some proposals for our glorious leaders;

1. If your timetable is slipping, tell us what is the likely revised date and what the cause of the delay is.
2. Address the leak. If it’s anonymous, condemn it. If you find out who it is, purge them - they almost certainly have their own agenda, and it probably isn’t friendly.
3. Launch it and then publish it - in full. By all means put it in a member-only area but do tell us that you’ve done so.

Organisational change is difficult, especially when the entrenched interests have much to lose, often deservedly. You make it harder when you bungle the delivery of the message…

To Inverness and beyond!

I'd never been any further north than Dingwall until this trip, but I'd have to say that Orkney is well worth the trip. A place that evokes feelings of bleak remoteness, yet a place where you're rarely out of sight of a house.

Ros and I were there on business, but Alastair Carmichael, the unexpectedly youthful MP for Orkney & Shetland, took the time and trouble to show us some of the sights of Mainland, the largest of the cluster of islands that make up Orkney.

Above is a picture of part of the Ring of Brodgar, a circle of standing stones whose age is unknown but likely to be of a similar age to Stonehenge. Set amongst the heather, they attract a much lower number of tourists, but you can walk right up to them, touch them if you so wish, and are probably far more interesting and interactive than Stonehenge is.

On the western shore is the neolithic village of Skara Brae, a World Heritage Site dating back 5,000 years. I've visited a surprising number of World Heritage Sites but Skara Brae would be on any highlight reel. You approach the site by means of a path marked with markers depicting various historic events. However, what makes this special is that the markers are spaced relative to their distance from the sight so you start with events such as the American Declaration of Independence fairly early on your stroll. The birth of Christ is a fair way and, eventually, you get to the establishment of Skara Brae. You then look back and realise that it's quite a walk back to the visitor centre...

As I noted at the time, if such a site was within an easy drive of London, it would be visited by millions, would probably be only visible from a distance, and would be one of the must-see attractions. Instead, it is far away from an international airport, is at the end of a long road and is accessible to the point where the visitor path takes you through the centre of the village itself.

I'm quite keen to go back, especially as I've discovered that there is a flight from Sumbergh, in the Shetlands, to Bergen...

A gentle ramble through my family history

Whilst my father's side of my family is fairly well documented, my mother's is all a bit vague. As a result, the opportunity presented by our trip to Scotland to visit my mother's birthplace was not to be missed.

My mother was born in Keith, a small town about midway between Aberdeen and Inverness, famous for its distilleries, a quite good Highland League football team and not much else. And I have to admit, upon arrival on a grey, gloomy day with rain promised, not threatened, I wasn't wildly impressed. In fact, we missed the centre of town completely and got lost in a rather sombre back street before finally locating Mid Street, where all the action is (note - the use of the word 'action' is entirely relative).

Keith describes itself as 'The Friendly Town' - it even says so on the road signs that tell you that you've arrived - but I was in need of some convincing. However, a stroll past the shops and a few bits of shopping helped and, by the time we'd visited the museum of the Keith and Dufftown Railway (the most northerly heritage railway in the United Kingdom!), I was suffused with a sense that, despite the chill wind and the rain, the welcome was genuinely warm.

There are no obvious traces of my family, but it was nice to visit, especially as my mother hasn't been back since she left as a baby. You never know, she might be encouraged to make a return journey one day...

Glenn Gould - the genius of eccentricity

The other advantage of having my laptop with me is that I can listen to music whilst I while away the miles.

Over the years, I've become quite partial to the recorded works of Glenn Gould, a Canadian-born pianist, whose renditions of the keyboard works of Johann Sebastian Bach are a key part of my music collection.

Gould was something of a mad genius, with a tendancy to hum his way through recordings. If you have a keen ear for such things, you can often detect a background sound which, I always like to think is his subconscious enjoying the sounds the piano is producing. Admittedly, the sound engineers generally made great efforts to mute it, but they didn't always succeed.

Gould was very much a recluse, and gave up live performances at the age of 31. He had already developed a reputation for withdrawing from concerts at the last moment, indeed, Leonard Bernstein began a performance of the Brahms D minor piano concerto with the New York Philharmonic and Gould as soloist by saying, "Don't be frightened, Mr. Gould is here; will appear in a moment.". He then informed the audience that he was assuming no responsibility for what they were about to hear, as Gould had insisted that the entire first movement be played at half the indicated tempo.

Gould had a reputation for not being a slave to tempo, indeed a comparison of those few pieces that he recorded more than once will uncover a range of tempi that horrified the critics.

Sadly, Gould died at the early age of 50, leaving behind him a body of recorded works that are as fresh and entertaining now as they were then. But don't take my word for it, listen to the great man at work... Meanwhile, as my train approaches Berwick, I'll return to his recording of the first Book of "The Well-Tempered Clavier", by J S Bach...

On my way to the Kingdom of Fife - a complete coincidence, your Honour...

I'm actually on my way to St Andrews today, so this piece comes to you live from the 13:00 National Express East Coast service from King's Cross to Glasgow Central via Newcastle.

Now I know what you're thinking, especially if you're not a Liberal Democrat. "Typical bloody LibDem vulture, the man isn't even cold yet, and he's on his way to Glenrothes to set up for the bye-election!". If only I had those sort of psychic skills, I'd be much better off than I am, as my ticket was bought on 9 June. For the record, my condolences go out to the family of John MacDougall who, according to at least one of his political opponents, was a thoroughly decent man.

Actually, I'm joining Ros for the Scottish leg of the Presidential campaign tour, as she's speaking in North East Fife this evening. Luckily, National Express East Coast provide free wi-fi, so I can keep in touch with the outside world whilst speeding towards Northumbria...

The weather is thoroughly vile as we leave Darlington, a mere seven minutes late (we lost that south of Peterborough and show no signs of catching it up), but I'm quite looking forward to this part of the campaign, especially as there will be a bit of tourism thrown in plus a trip to my mother's home town of Keith.

And whilst I'm talking about trains, I'm beginning to suspect that someone at National Express has it in for Jonathan Wallace. Every week, he has a bit of a moan at them for cancelling his train and yet, every time I use them, things run pretty smoothly. If I was Jonathan, I'd be checking where the person responsible for operations actually lives, and who he or she votes for...

European Selection, South East England: it gives me great pleasure to announce...

the result of the announced recount for the list, following the withdrawal of Murari Kaushik and, subsequently, Martin Lury.

As already stated, the top five remain unchanged, but the list now reads;

1. Sharon Bowles
2. Catherine Bearder
3. Ben Abbotts
4. Jim Barnard
5. Antony Hook
6. Simon Green (previously seventh)
7. Zoe Patrick (previously eighth)
8. Gary Lawson (previously ninth)
9. David Grace (previously tenth)
10. John Vincent (new addition)

Notably, John was a candidate last time, and he is the third member of the list who ran in 2004 (Sharon and Catherine are the other two). I ran into John in Brussels last month, and I know that he'll do us proud in the campaign ahead.

Jo, silence doesn't imply apathy, it might just imply that I don't need to waste my time repeating what someone else is likely to say rather better

I have a lot of time for Jo Christie-Smith. So much, in fact, that I encouraged her to apply for the selection of a PPC for Dulwich & West Norwood whilst I was running to be Chair of the Local Party.

We haven't always agreed on the best route towards making our Prospective Parliamentary Candidates more reflective of our society (she is rather more interventionist than I am) and I remember a lengthy argument in a restaurant bar in Brighton a few years back that ran on for more than an hour without any sign that we might reach even a tentative agreement.

She writes really well on issues related to organisation (a pet hobby horse of mine) and equality (something that matters a lot to me, and an area where I have past form). I still don't always agree with her though and we crossed swords rather messily at a meeting of the English Candidates Committee nearly two years ago when, in my view, she was sold down the river by the very people she was supposed to be representing (may the then Executive of the Parliamentary Candidates Association hang their collective heads in shame...).

However, I think that she's been quite harsh on the male element of the LibDem blogosphere when she asks why we aren't commenting. I heard the reports on 'Today' this morning and, in the recesses of my groggy morning mind, my sleepy liberal cortex thought, "Bloody good thing too, what kind of neanderthal thinks that what is done to you when you're drunk is your responsibility?". My next realisation was that I was late for work and really ought to get on with my day.

I tend only to blog when I've got something to say, although I have occasional flights of fancy, or whimsy, when the mood strikes. And today, nothing had happened that I felt particularly equipped to say much of value about. Except, of course, to respond to Jo's blog posting...

So, not so hard on us, Jo. If you want us to join you on the barricades, let us know where you've built them and we'll probably turn up. But don't be surprised if we are delayed by having to write a blog entry telling everyone that we're coming...

Why you might want to invest your money somewhere else if the Conservatives win the next General Election

I don't normally read the Observer on a Sunday morning/afternoon, as it's a bit on the worthy side. However, Ros picked it up this week and, whilst she lounged in the hot tub at the family 'entertainment hub' (and it really is that good...), I ploughed through the Business section to see how grim things are getting (don't ask, you really don't want to know...).

And indeed, things are getting grim, with sterling falling 3% this week against the dollar (the dollar, for pity's sake!), inflation at over 4% (and food inflation at 9%, apparently) and the housing market on a one way ticket to oblivion, it seems.

However, both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesmen were invited to offer their suggestions as to what might be done. Philip Hammond, the Conservative Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury used his opportunity to tell us what was wrong with the economy and what Alastair Darling could be faulted for. As for their 'concrete' proposals;

"We are consulting on proposals for a Fair Fuel Stabiliser, so that when petrol prices rise, the government uses the extra revenue it gets from North Sea Oil to cut fuel duty. We are campaigning for next year's planned increases in road tax to be scrapped. We believe we should cut tax rates for companies. We will improve the process of making tax law. And we should look at reforming insolvency law, so that basically sound companies are given time to come up with a rescue plan."

Good, eh? I knew that you'd be impressed. Vince, on the other hand, provides a mini-manifesto of options, suggestions and proposals. One of the two has a clear understanding of how economics works. The other is a Conservative.

I have a message for George, Philip and the rest of the Conservative Treasury team. Develop some policy, for God's sake. You're only looking good in comparison to the current administration, but if you don't get better fast, the financial markets will eat you alive. And I quite fancy collecting a pension some day...

Dr Rachel Joyce responds

There is a danger to rushing to the barricades in defence of your man/woman/whatever, as a number of Labour activists in East London found out over Miranda Grell.

On Thursday, I highlighted an apparent contradiction between the positions taken by Dr Rachel Joyce, the Conservative PPC for Harrow West, on her blog and on Conservative Home. I e-mailed her to see what she had to say in response, little expecting a reply. And so, I must report that she has interrupted her holiday to provide this...

Dear Mark

Thank you for your email. I am currently abroad on holiday so only have a limited internet access. Can you therefore reply to this email so I know you got it. Of course anti-social behaviour can be as a result of societal failure. If you read my other blog posts about anti-social behaviour you will see this along with poverty are important issues to me. Having worked with some very deprived communities as a doctor, and with people with mental illness, it is clear this is the case. That does not mean however that people should have to put up with bad behaviour.

I do not know you so I am not quite sure why you are raising the issue of Ian Oakley. However, this is my view:

I utterly condemn what Ian did (as he has now admitted it - which was not clear when the news first broke). As I also said in the ConservativeHome comments, the Association will need to offer a wholehearted apology.

I myself only know Ian as a fellow candidate, and not that well. However, he was a nice guy when I met him, with a very loyal group of friends. I am therefore utterly shocked that he could do this sort of thing. However, as I said, I probably didn't meet him more than 10-15 times.

I also have not spoken with him since this news broke so I don't know the details. I do however understand that Watford 3 party politics is very heated. The only explanation I can surmise for this behaviour which was apparently out of his usual character is the stress of that political position. I presume the pressure got to him.

He needs to be both punished and counselled, as does any other criminal who may be in need of professional help. Clearly Ian appears to have issues that need to be worked through. He still must suffer a formal penalty for the crimes. He is clearly suffering a significant effect in his life as a result of his actions, and I do feel sorry for him. However, I also feel very sorry for his victims and wish them well.

As I said, I don't know you but I would hope that we do not get into that type of politics in Harrow. By this I include misleading stories or lies about people or parties. If you read my blog, you will see that I am supportive of some Labour and LibDem politicians as politicians (not with all their policies) - such as Frank Field and Vince Cable.

I believe both parties and their supporters generally mean well, but I don't think their policies are the right ones for the economy, public services, poverty, inequality and for a free liberal democratic society. I used to be a LibDem myself but reached the conclusion based on evidence that their policies were too held down by politically correct dogma - very different to the Liberal tradition and the Whigs of the past.

I hope that clarifies things.

With best wishes

Rachel

Dr Rachel Joyce
Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Harrow West

Now call me old fashioned, but I think that this represents a pretty gutsy response, given the circumstances. Don't get me wrong, I think that she's pretty naive, but it is brave to make a written response to someone she doesn't know, and quite impressive that she should do so at all, especially given the excuse that she is on holiday.

One tip though, Rachel. Using the banner "Evidence-based, common sense politics" is likely to get you into trouble eventually, especially in a political party as policy light as the Conservatives still are.

Lessons in democracy for Conservative Central Office

A few months ago, I noted that a debate was taking place on Conservative Home regarding what appeared to be a rather shambolic, and remarkably undemocratic looking selection process for the Conservative regional lists for Europe. I wasn't gloating, as I was a democracy activist before I joined the Party, and those who know me will know how committed I am to due process and transparency.

My remarks were quite well-received amongst the ranks of Conservative Home activists - I was quite open about who I was, after all - and I've kept an occasional eye on the fallout ever since. Thus far, if there has been any response, it's been fairly low key.

I am in the midst of a process of revising our list for South East England and, as a contrast, here's an explanation of where we're at, by way of comparison...

Having balloted the entire membership within the Region, without protection for the incumbents, we selected a list of ten using STV. Having now suffered a withdrawal, rather than reballot, we will re-run the count, redistributing Murari Kaushik's preferences. Three of the four runners-up have indicated that they would like to be included, so we'll also have to redistribute the preferences for him too.

In fairness to the candidates already selected, we will ensure that no candidate can be placed lower down the list than they are currently. The recount will take place electronically on Monday under the supervision of David Allworthy, the Party's Head of Compliance and Constitutional Affairs.

I'll let you have the result as soon as I can...

Dr Rachel Joyce - an update

For those of you wondering whether or not I was going to get a response to my e-mail to Rachel, it gives me much pleasure to announce that I've had a reply. I'll publish it once I get an opportunity.

It isn't necessarily what you might expect...

Poisoning the well of political discourse

No, this isn't a piece to do with Ian Oakley, although the events surrounding his activities in Watford have given me some food for thought.

As a bureaucrat, I don't tend to do much 'retail' politics, although I've been seen near the frontline more frequently of late. On the other hand, I do read across the blogosphere and have become increasingly aware of the coarseness of a minority of the debate to be found there.

Guido Fawkes, whose general tone is fairly abusive, even when he's right about the issue being debated, attracts in his comments a collection of people who, if they behaved like that in real life, would probably be shied away from by most reasonable members of the public. However, they're not alone, and the Conservative end of the blogosphere is riddled with individuals whose trade in insults is far more prolific than their range of ideas or reasoned argument. And I'm sure that bloggers of all parties and none fall into the same trap, although I don't see much of it amongst Liberal Democrats.

So why worry about this? Perhaps because these are the people who aspire to run the country, sooner rather than later. They believe in a respect agenda, yet they show none to others. They display no value for pluralism, yet they talk of democracy, and of winning elections. They complain about opposition foul play, yet think that similar behaviour by their own side is just a laugh.

I still believe that most people enter the political arena because they want to make the world a better place. They won't agree on method, or ideal of outcome, but they will accept that service to the public is the purpose of the body politic. If politics become the cause of personal abuse, many will wonder if it is worthwhile, and others will choose not to get involved in the first place, leaving our society the poorer for it.

Worse still, if it is true that a diet of violence leads to acts of violence, and many Conservatives claim to believe this, then it is surely true that a diet of abuse will lead to abusive acts, and an abandonment of those restraints that reasonable people place on their own behaviour.

There must be a place in politics for satire, ridicule and irony. However, most of us understand that there is a line beyond which we will not cross. So, from now on, I'm going to avoid those blogs where offensive comments are tolerated, especially anonymous ones.

Abuse, it's not big, and it isn't clever...