Don't turn a petrol giveaway into a sofa riot
Looking at the web this morning, there are 355 reports of Lynne Featherstone's critical comments on the now infamous petrol giveaway in Stroud Green on Friday. Lynne was in Wood Green at the time, but went down to Stroud Green to explain to the broadcast media why she thought it was irresponsible. Lynne was right. We all enjoy a freebie and I wouldn't begrudge anyone a free tank of petrol, but there was traffic chaos in the morning rush hour, with traffic and the W3 bus disrupted for over an hour. If the stunt achieved exactly what was intended - ... (more)
Obama attacks Palin on "earmarks"
I haven't seen any comments about it, but Barack Obama has been developing an interesting technique. Traditionally, stump speeches have been, more or less, delivered at a podium and, more or less, the same speech is repeating over and over again. But from several videos I have seen, Obama is perfecting an engaging technique of wondering around on a stage amongst spectators, tieless, jacketless, (more)
Wearing your England shirt with pride?
Last night a group of us went to see the Andorra - England game in town, the football was rubbish but that is not what annoyed me. (more)
Court case coming up for Lib Dems re: Michael Brown
The Observer reports: The Liberal Democrats are facing an embarrassing High Court battle with a lawyer who says that the party wrongly accepted £632,000 of his money as part of a donation. Robert Mann, 60, claims that the party failed to carry out adequate checks on the money which was received as part of a £2.4m gift from the financier Michael Brown. ...A Liberal Democrat official confirmed (more)
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 (more)
What is it with YouGov and female voters?
It's a well-established pattern that during this Parliament internet pollster YouGov consistently gives the Liberal Democrats lower levels of support than other pollsters (as, for example, I previously blogged about on this site). Looking at the details of polls published so far this year, this pattern remains but there is also an interesting detail when it [...] (more)
Murder Most Foul
Why are the British so addicted to murder mysteries? I confess that I am as hooked as the rest. At school, I devoured the entire oeuvre of Agatha Christie, alongside the more acceptable blood and guts of William Shakespeare. Having an appalling memory for plot, I can still watch a Hercule Poirot as if the [...] (more)