Cllr. Gavin Ayling

It will be interesting to see how powerful blogs are in achieving an apparently simple aim.

Sign the pledge to campaign against anti-semitism (which is on the rise again): Stop Anti-Semitism.

Dave says, in a comment earlier that “… there are more ways to address [the problem of Scottish influence in England] than a new Parliament“.

First, to be clear, “Scottish influence” isn’t really a fair abbreviation of the problems Dave was referring to. For a more complete idea of the problem, see the Campaign for an English Parliament’s Frequently Asked Questions.

So Dave (and others), let me know if you would, what solutions there are to the democratic deficit in England other than an English Parliament.

What a reflection of the Labour party that when John Prescott commits an assault on a video clip, the conference crowd cheers? Worse, one of the audience said afterwards “What an excellent video — it shows John making clear the Labour message”.

The fact that it was news that a politician apologised, as John did today, is a sad reflection on today’s political class. Let’s hope that he meant that apology and meant it for all the things he did wrong, not just playing croquet and corruption.

I won’t miss Two Jags, and I know I don’t miss his former department. I am disappointed that local Councils are still being told to do things that cost money and that the residents could do without — I am disappointed that the whole of Labour’s Whitehall machine is rubbish, not just JP.

Bloggers beware, there’s a new type of spam that quotes back some of your article and says “I don’t agree” followed by a web address… One was nearly approved today!

Iain Dale commented on David Milliband’s poor showing on yesterday’s Today programme.

I think there are some poignant questions that politicians should answer before we go too far down the route towards becoming environmentalists:

1) Several studies have shown that the cost-benefit ratio of tackling climate change is lower than many other worthy causes for humanity. Would it not be more sensible to tackle those with our hard-earned money?

2) During the late 1940s and the 1950s global temperatures flattened out — this despite the rapid growth of the Japanese, Russian and American economies as well as the development of jets. Should we wonder whether anthropological influences on the climate’s undeniable change are less significant than we think?

3) If politicians on the left seek to control individualism by using environMENTALISM there’s a risk that people will start treating it like a new socialism. We, on the right, must make it clear that avoiding damage to the environment is not a left-wing issue and that the left-wing solutions to climate change are dangerous and, often, counter productive (see the pressure on cars vs. the pressure on aeroplanes).