Safest place for a protest is St Pauls

This week I was asked by the Bracknell Standard what I think about the Occupy London Stock Exchange protest at St Paul's Cathedral in London.

 

My Response

 

A democracy should expect protest, and protests should not be comfortable. So I am happy for the protest to camp at St Paul's. I don't see why St Paul's had to close because these protestors are not violent.

 

Of course a better location would be the near a bank but then they would not be as safe from being moved on by the police at one of those locations.

 

So I support the reasons for this protest and I don't have an issue with its location. I don't even mind if the protesters are not there all night, don't see why that matters. what matters is the message, after all I rather suspect Jesus would be on their side and not on the side of the bankers who are protected from capitalism and are yet fundamental to it.

No more 3 line whips for petitions

Readers of my blog will know that I am not a pro EU member of the Liberal Democrats, I like UKIP believe that the European parliament is not democrat. It's simply to big to be representative of the British people. I love my fellow Europeans and would be happy with a common market etc, but not the every growing power of the European project.

Now that's my position but that's not why I was angry with the EU referendum voting (so angry I considered leaving the party).

I have found myself so angry with the 3 line whip imposed by all 3 main parties in the EU referendum vote that I have been unable to write about it. I could not get a word down without including a number of swear words etc. I have now calmed down.

This weeks vote was a great victory for UKIP. A very cleverly constructed petition which was designed to cause as much trouble as possible for the 3 main parties. And how was it handled by them? Badly that's how!

The Independent MEP Nikki Sinclaire who is a former UKIP member did an excellent job of raising and campaigning on this petition (driving up and down the country to get signatures). Sinclaire handed the petition into Downing Street calling for a public vote.

I was very appalled that the Lib Dems decided that our MP's could not have a free hand, we agree with a referendum after all to finally settle the matter. It pay of been to support the governments position on this and help the Tories out but it did not look good. We are making ourselves out to appear to be just like the rest. You could blame the system, personally I blame the political leaders and their decisions.

Wednesdays Prime ministers questions proved just how close Labour are two the coalition parties on europe. Ed Miliband found a split between Clegg and Cameron (not really a shocker is it) and didn't attack the Tories on their EU split or indeed the Lib Dems. In some ways Labour are more pro EU then the Lib Dems as at least we believe in reform. I'm not so sure Labour do given their record.

Personally I don't have a problem with members of the same party having different views on Europe but thats not taking to account the Conservatives history on the EU.

I really think this and all petitions that parliament decide to vote on should be a free vote. Otherwise what's the point of them. It should be a free discussion, even if the subject is difficult for the party leaders and for those who are members of parties.

More importantly I feel a 3 line whip is anti democratic. We vote for MP's as well as parties. So next time please don't hand UKIP headlines on a plate. No more 3 line whips for petitions please.

 

£250 Million for weekly bin collections!

This weeks Bracknell Standard question was "Councils now have the opportunity to return to weekly bin collections after the Government put aside £250 million to help councils go back to the weekly system but councils must sign up for a minimum of five years to receive the money. In Bracknell, council leader Councillor Paul Bettison has not ruled out the possibility but fears it may lead to spiralling costs.

"Would you like to see a return to weekly bin collections, or do you feel the fortnightly collections are okay? The council says statistics show people may not be able to organise themselves for weekly bin collections, do you agree with this?"

 

And my reply;

 

I believe my own local party (Lib Dems) support the idea of a weekly bin collection. However I'm not as keen. I understand that this is a very emotive issue, I myself fall on the bi-Weekly bin collections side of the argument. I don't think its right that the coalition have found £250 million to spend on bins when this could be better spend on many other things should as elderly care or children's services or social housing.
 
Some people also don't believe in recycling and this is a way of forcing them to use it as you need to use that second blue bin thereby ensuring that recycling is done.
 
Then again I don't get so upset about the bin issue as others, I think there are many far more important things to worry about. After all if we only have the bins to worry about then life can't be that bad, can it?

 

 

What do you think?

"Twitter Day" A waste of time

Below is my recent answer to Bracknell Standards What does Bracknell think column.

 

This week's question was; Bracknell Forest Council recently held a "Twitter Day" where it's Twitter followers were given regular updates on what the council's staff were doing on a an average day.

 

Do you think it's a good idea to get people more involved and knowledgeable on what the council does?

 

Should local authorities embrace social media as a modern, and free, way of getting information to their residents?

 

and, are you a fan of social media or do you prefer more old-fashioned methods like a council magazine put through the door?

 

My reply;

 

As a member of the political twitterati you may imagine that I think this is a good idea. But actually I think its a waste of time and money. Email is a fair way to communicate with the council, not using up staffs time to post messages on Twitter or Facebook.
 
I have twittered with many a politician but really their number of followers is very low compared to the number of constituents they have. to me it seems a little unfair that just because I'm on twitter and engaged in the political twitter community that I get preferential treatment when talking to MP's.
 
Of course this could be corrected by getting everyone else to join twitter and following me

Oliver Letwin you idiot!

Clearly Oliver left his brains in his office. You don't throw documents into a park bin. No one should, let alone an MP with confidential government documents. What an idiot!

Surely he has access to a shredder, what was he thinking of?

Lets hope Oliver is not put in charge of green policy or recycling as he clearly couldn't careless about waste management.

England After the Riots Debate

Rt. Hon Michael Gove MP Secretary of State for Education (Conservative)

Michael Gove Surrey Heath's MP needs no introduction. His angry clash with Harriet Harman over the relationship between unemployment and social deprivation was one of the defining media events related to the riots.

Lord Maurice Glasman (Labour)

Maurice Glasman is famous for promoting ideas of "blue Labour" within the Labour Party. These are centred on faith, hearth and heritage or three Fs history, hearth and heritage or three Rs roots, reciprocity, and relationships. His ideas feature a strong aversion to unrestricted market forces.

Tom Brake MP (Liberal Democrat)

Tom Brake clashed with David Davis on Sky Television about the imposition of severe sentences on rioters convicted for petty offenses. He believes that these sentences do not work as a means of preventing repeat offending. His strong interest in the rehabilitation is summed up as restorative justice.

Peter Henley (Our Chairman)

Peter Henley is one of the leading presenters on the BBC's Politics Show.

Please join us for this important, unique event.

7.30pm Friday 21^st October Camberley Workingmen's Club Obelisk Way Camberley.
Further information form Murray Rowlands 01276 27367

Fed up of credit card references for our national debt, here's the solution.

If the national debt is just like a credit card, then why can't we just transfer it at 0 percent interest for 18 months.