It is increasingly hard for the man/woman in the street to believe that we will leave - whenever that will be - with some semblance of a result - whatever that would be!

9 years after 9/11 and the Afghan invasion and you feel that it could easily be another 9 years, or another 19 years.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating pulling out just yet, but I do think there is a growing crisis of confidence as to whether we can succeed. And the recent murdering of 3 British soldiers by an Afghan soldier just adds to that feeling.

I think we are fast approaching the point where it will not be just the hearts and minds of Afghans that need to be won over , but the countries involved in the International mission as well.

But above all, if the Afghan government want us to succeed, then they have to work harder both to quell corruption and mis-government in their country, but they need to be winning the hearts and minds of their own people. It’s no use US/UK and others handing out sweets to children and building bridges etc- long term success needs an Afghan Government that is supported by its people and recognises its value and importance to long term stability.

Once that happens our boys can come home safe in the knowledge that their fallen comrades won’t have died in vain and that the mission has truly been a success. BUT that’s the problem as well - our success is reliant on the Afghan Governments success. And that make me feel really uncomfortable about the whole thing.

The international row and widespread condemnation of the storming of ships bound for Gaza by Israeli Defence Forces if nothing else highlights the complete PR disaster that the whole affair is, not forgetting the tragic loss of 9 lives.

What I find particularly incredible is that Israel felt they had to board the ship at all. Why not let them dock ?And, If not Gaza, then somewhere else. If gun running was suspected - then why not unload and search the vessels once docked? Why did they have to board the ships at all?

And whats all this nonsense about carrying paint ball guns as some kind of deterrent?

I have always advocating the right of Israel, as a sovereign state, using whatever means to defend its borders, but really, 500 “peace” activists hardly posed a threat to security in themselves.

My fear for Israel following this unnecessary and damaging act, is that it will lead to further isolation for Israel, and further problems for the Palestinians in Israel - that do badly need aid supplies.

My great hope is that it will bring the powers to be to their senses, that it will make them beleive that such acts just play into the hands of the enemies of Israel and those opposed to the peace process. 

It was welcoming today to hear that four senior Generals have come out against replacing the trident missile system.

The key for Liberal Democrats is that the world has changed beyond belief since the cold war, when Trident was commissioned.

We no longer need to point a range of missiles permanently at one country. Threats to our country now come from different sources, international terrorism, dirty bombs, rogue states.

Trident is quickly becoming obsolete, which is why its potential replacement is on the agenda now. However first of all we have to be clear. While other senior military figures insist that a decision does not need to be made now, and Tridents life could be lengthened, the harsh reality is that we need to adapt our military capabilities to a different era and new challenges.

When coupled with the difficult economic times we currently face, it makes economic and military sense to address this issue as part of a widespread review of military spending that should ensure that our forces can meet the challenges they are likely to face over the coming decade with the best possible resources and equipment. Trident should be part of that review.

The Lib Dems are not looking to unilaterally disarm, but would wish the UK Government to play its part alongside current innitiatives by President Obama, to reduce the worlds nuclear arsenal and tackle head-on the issue of nuclear weaponry development amongst rogue states and in general.

Labour and Tory opposition to these proposals is yet another example of their failure to adapt to changing times. A combination of still fighting the cold war and protecting the “empire” still prevail at great cost to our military budget and under resourced and protected service men and women.

If you would like to read the General’s letter to the Times you can follow the link here.

THE LIBERAL DEMOCRAT MANIFESTO

This is a manifesto you can trust. We have stripped our priorities back to the essential, fundamental changes that Britain needs to make it fair:

• Fair taxes that put money back in your pocket
• A fair chance for every child
• A fair future, creating jobs by making Britain greener
• And a fair deal by cleaning up politics

These are deliverable, practical plans to make your life better, and they are right there on the front cover of our manifesto.  Instead of rhetoric and razzmatazz, we are saying what we will do and how we will pay for it.

Elections should be a competition of ideas, not marketing budgets. They may have the bigger budgets but we have the bigger ideas.And you can trust us to deliver because unlike the other parties, we have spelt out, line by line in the manifesto how every single policy is paid for, and how we will reduce the deficit.

We have set out £15bn of details spending cuts and just £5bn a year of new spending, meaning £10bn for the deficit every year. We are the first party to put detailed spending plans into a manifesto.

Four key pledges

1. Fair taxes: We will ensure no-one pays income tax on the first £10,000 they earn. Most taxpayers will get a tax cut of £700 a year.  We’ll pay for it by closing loopholes that unfairly benefit the rich, a new tax on mansions worth over £2m, a crack down on tax avoidance and higher aviation duty.
2. A fair start for all our children: We will get every child the individual attention they need by cutting class sizes.  We will spend an extra £2.5bn on schools, targeted at children who need the most help. The average primary school could cut class sizes to 20. An average secondary school could see classes of just 16.
3. A fair future: a rebalanced, green economy: We will break up the banks and rebalance the economy away from unsustainable financial speculation. We will be honest about where savings must be made in government spending to balance the books and protect our children’s future. And we will create new jobs with a £3.1bn green stimulus and job creation plan in our first year in office, fully funded by cut backs elsewhere.
4. A fair deal from politicians: We will introduce a fair voting system. We will ensure corrupt MPs can be sacked by their constituents and stop non-doms from donating to parties or sitting in Parliament. We will take power from Westminster and give it to communities, with local power over police and the NHS, and introduce a freedom bill to protect and restore civil liberties.

We also have the following commitments:

• Protect front line NHS services. We will help the NHS work better with the money it has and protect front line services by re-investing the savings we find back into healthcare
• Recruit 3,000 more police officers to keep our streets safe and scrapping ID cards
• Scrap student tuition fees to reduce the burden of student debt immediately and eliminate fee debt altogether over 6 years
• A pay rise for our brave service men and women together with cut backs of bureaucrats and top brass officers in the Ministry of Defence
• Uprate the basic state pension in line with earnings immediately so that pensioners do not fall further behind when the economy starts to grow again

YOU CAN READ NICK CLEGGS MANIFESTO LAUNCH SPEECH HERE

YOU CAN READ OR DOWNLOAD A COPY OF OUR MANIFESTO HERE: libdem_manifesto_2010.pdf

ALTERNATIVELY YOU CAN VIEW OUR MANIFESTO IN FULL OR SECTIONS ON OUR WEBSITE HERE 

I was pleased to meet with officers of the Jewish Representative Council of Manchester last night.

They are meeting local candidates to highlight issues of concern to the organisation and find out candidates views on issues of concern to the Jewish community.

I think it is fair to say there was a frank exchange of views, I spoke openly about issues and hopefully reassured the JRC about issues such as faith schools, anti-semitism, Foreign policy towards Israel  amongst others.

It was a very pleasant meeting, I would offer my thanks to Mrs Barbara Goldstone and colleagues, Frank and Sydney Baigel for allowing me the opportunity to meet with them.

I found it incredible that Gordon Brown should stand at a podium in 2010 and declare that illegal immigrants are not welcome and then spout off (inaccurately) about various statistics that allegedly show asylum seeker numbers and others were reducing. What took him so long.

There has been a deafening silence from Labour for 13 years and now facing their most difficult test at the polls for a generation they decide to break their silence

Immigration is a big election issue for many and if handled badly will just play straight into the hands of extremists.

I do hope that in the election the parties will have a sensible mature rational debate over immigration policy. Electors deserve to know and it’s long overdue.

But I would plea that both electors and politicians look closely at the facts and figures and breakdown the various elements. We can’t treat illegal immigrants the same as legal immigrants ( from say other part of the EU) alongside asylum seekers etc.

There are wholly different circumstances and rights and responsibilities attributable and as the grandson of an immigrant, I have always been proud of my countries liberal approach to immigration and tolerance towards others that are fleeing persecution etc.

And, we must not forget the children caught up in the whole process. As a civilised, liberal, tolerant and caring nation we at the very least have a duty to deal with asylum applications speedily and fairly, keeping families together and not treating people as criminals in the meantime.

It’s a complex issue, not as black and white as the BNP and others would like to make it seem. So lets have a mature debate about immigration but lets not forget that we are dealing with vulnerable human beings as well.

The Chilcot Enquiry into the Iraq War yesterday was astonishing for an incredible insight into how we were manipulated by Blair and Bush into deciding the war was legal when our own Attorney General felt it wasn’t.

When our Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith was opposed to the Iraq war or at least felt it was illegal, he went or was he pushed over the atlantic to visit Condoleeza Rice et al. Incredibly he then returns to the UK suitably reassured that the war would indeed be legal.

Now forgive me for pointing out the startlingly obvious but as the US were a tad keen on invading Iraq and removing Saddam Hussein, were they likely to say anything other than the war would be legal? I think not. It was hardly a neutral second opinion.

What it amounted to was ”we’ve got a problem with our top legal guy who isn’t so sure the war would be legal, you need to work on him”. They did, he advised that he’d changed his mind, we invaded.Incredible and appalling.

In a separate development the Enquiry has voiced concerns over the Governments reluctance to declassify certain information. We need this information in the public domain, the Chilcott enquiry needs it to be able to properly question witnesses ie Blair tomorrow.

A failure to do so will leave too many questions unanswered, we need transparency and openness if the enquiry is to succeed and satisfy the publics demands.

As the full scale of the horror that is the Haiti earthquake begins to hit home, I would urge everyone to spare whatever they can to back the Disasters Emergency Committee Haiti Appeal. Every little helps.

You can donate online by going to their web site here .

Nick Clegg has today written to Gordon Brown urging him to go before the Iraq enquiry before the General Election. Earlier he had raised the issue during Prime Ministers Question Time in the House of Commons.

It is clear from comments made by Alistair Campbell and from questioning by the enquiry itself that it would be more than useful for Gordon Brown to make himself available to answer questions as to his role in the Iraq affair.

In fact it is clear to me that if we are to draw a line under the Iraq war controversy at the next election it is essential that he deals with his now. A failure to do so would lead to speculation that there is indeed something to hide and that the Iraq Enquiry has been politically influenced by showing alleged favouritism to the PM.

The British people need and deserve answers from our PM now, to enable a proper judgement to be made at the next election. They need to know his views and the part he played before a General Election.

So how about it Gordon, transparency and openness or brush it under the carpet till later?

The text of the letter to Gordon Brown from Nick Clegg is below:

Dear Gordon,

I am writing to urge you to indicate immediately to Sir John Chilcot that it is your strong preference to go before the Iraq Inquiry ahead of the General Election.

Following developments yesterday at Alastair Campbell’s hearing, your personal role in the decisions that led to the war in

As I said to you across the floor of the Commons today, people have a right to know the truth about the part you played in this war before they cast their verdict on your Government’s record. I urge you to confirm publicly that should Sir John Chilcot invite you to give evidence to the Inquiry ahead of the election you will agree to do so.

Nick Clegg

Plans by Islam4uk to parade symbolic empty coffins through Wootton Bassett should be cancelled.

Whilst I am concious that there have been many deaths amongst muslim insurgents it is important that this nation can show respect and honour our fallen. And the now familiar parade through Wootton Bassett of the repatriated fallen servicemen has become a focal point of that need as a nation.

So I sincerely hope that the leaders of the Islamic group in question re-think these plans and consider other ways of raising awareness of the numbers killed in this conflict. In a war situation many are killed, many are injured and disfigured, including many innocents, most people are very aware of this.

If they go ahead with this planned parade they will be insulting the repatriation of those that gave everything in the service of this nation. Whilst they will undoubtedly get media coverage, I doubt it would be the kind of coverage that would make a positive contribution and it could further damage relations with muslims in Britain.

Make your protests elsewhere and in the meantime join the people of Wootton Bassett in honouring the fallen the next time there is a repatriation procession through the town.

Desperation amidst the arrival of Obama and other heads of state seemed to galvanise efforts in the final moments of the Copenhagen Climate Summit yesterday but do we have a deal?

Ok agreements were reached which were broadly in line with some hopes, but it is questionable as to whether any of it is legally binding. Targets also are a bit thin on the ground and there would appear to be so much dissagreement outside the US, China and India ie especially South America that you wonder whether this will hold up at all.

We should try and be positive in that reaching a deal of sorts does at least enable the commitment to fund developing countries and enable them to start adapting and making changes and meet their development targets. In addition if China and the US start taking the whole climate  and CO2 emissions thing seriously that will have an impact and will lead to further committments, of that I am sure.

The big question now is that even if countries are bound to these agreements, will they stick to them or will they eventually be watered down? And of course as the deal does not go far enough in any case, is it too little too late?

I am growing increasingly concerned that the semi-stalled climate talks in Copenhagen are going to fail to reach much needed major agreements.

Of course it is always difficult to get meaningful agreements out of these Governmental summits, and when they do they are almost always hard fought compromises that are often ignored or watered down further over time.

But I was hoping this time would be different. As the world fast approaches the point of no return regarding climate change and global warming, I had hoped that the growing climate crisis would start to break through national self interest and political posturing.

I had hoped that the rich developed world would recognise their responsibiities to the poor world and future generations and future life itself.

Failure to reach a milestone agreement will be a frankly damnable result that will consign the Copenhagen summit to the history books as the time that the world stood on the brink, looked around, talked about saving life on earth then stepped off the precipice.

For the sake of the planet lets hope there is a breakthrough.

It’s World Aid day -and is it me or has Aids/HIV ceased to be news? Yet millions of the worlds population are HIV positive or living with Aids, from babies to adults, male, female, gay, straight, black, white. Millions are dying or suffering. Across Africa millions are orphaned, homeless or starve as a result.

Aids is the disease that cursed the 1980’s and 90’s and ravaged Africa. And we must not forget the millions worldwide that have circumbed to this terrible wasting disease. We must also not forget the millions neglected of crucial anti-virul drugs in Africa, because it wasn’t either accepted as a problem or the drug companies weren’t prepared to compromise their profits.

So on World Aids Day 2009 remember: 

• 40 million people live with HIV/AIDS worldwide.

• 12 million children have been orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS.

• There were 4.3 million new HIV infections in 2006 and 2.9 million AIDS-related deaths.

Aids is still with us, It is still killing, It still needs fighting as much as ever.

Support Aids/HIV charities:

Terence Higgins Trust www.tht.org.uk 

George House Trust  www.ght.org.uk

As the Fusiliers march through Bury Town Centre, the Government has just announced a further deployment of 500 troops to Afghanistan, presumably as part of a deal with Obama who is expected to announce major troop increases tomorrow.

However after 8 years and thousands of deaths across the spectrum, this surely is the beginning of the end of the Afghanistan war - at least so far as direct western involvement is concerned.

There is much talk of starting to bring troops home by next christmas, so much will hang on the new strategy devised to finish the task. At last we are also seeing greater political pressure being applied to the Pakistani Government and the Afghan Government to take firmer action themselves to ensure that military gains can be sustained by political improvements. A must if the sub-continent isn’t to sink closer to widespread civil war and unrest following troop withdrawals.

So with about 9500 troops and more equipment (at last) we must see through the coming campaign BUT it is important that we learn the lessons of Iraq and start developing the exit strategy now and start planning for the support that the Afghan Government will require after we have gone. Support that enables the Afghans to develop a sustainable economy and maintain security and peaceful coexistence.

We owe it to all who have lost their lives or been seriously injured or disabled to ensure we have that exit strategy and support plan in place. Failure to do so would be a damning indictment of this Government.

For me the real problem with this whole Libya/lockerbie problem is the way this Government seems to prefer to handle foreign policy and has now got it into a mess with the US Government and previously with EU partners.

I still recall way back in 1997 Robin Cook promising an ethical foreign policy for the UK. Well that would appear to have been truly ditched a long time ago - presumably well befor the Iraq war.

Once again we see the lure of massive trade deals  - a £550 million Oil deal in this case, being the price for sweeping any collection of ethical concerns under the carpet of convenience. From Human rights, arms deals with dictatorships to environmental destruction it would seem that if the price is right this Labour Government will happily turn a blind eye.

To a degree I can appreciate some dilemmas. For instance a deal that provided a major economic boost to UK business and provides or sustains jobs. That would be hard to turn down. But surely to goodness we can inject a bit more moral steel into our negotiations and without totally abandoning our principles.

If this whole Libya/Lockerbie prisoner episode show anything it is the need to reinvigorate our foreign policy with a strong ethical backbone and stop being played for the spineless money grabbing western power we must appear to be to some less than scrupulous foreign powers at times.

Gordon Brown is desperately keen to get G20 Governments signed up to greater control on bank bonuses - why not do the same for an ethical aspect to Foreign policy?

Liberal Democrats have called on Bury South MP Ivan Lewis to explain his role in the freeing of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbset al-Megrahi.

It has been reported that Mr Lewis, Minister with responsibility for Libya, wrote a letter to Scottish Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill just two weeks before the decision to free the bomber, saying that he hoped that MacAskill “would consider the Libyan application” to free al-Megrahi. According to reports the Scottish government saw this as an attempt to influence their decision.

Vic D’Albert, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Bury South said “I’m sure everyone in Bury was shocked by the scenes in Libya giving the Lockerbie bomber a hero’s welcome home. Although al-Megrahi has only a few months to live, I was very disturbed to hear that our own MP may have interfered with the decision made by the Scottish Justice Secretary which granted him his freedom.”

The decision to free the only man convicted of Britain’s deadliest peacetime act of terrorism has prompted suspicion and anger across the world.

Vic D’Albert continued “I urge Ivan Lewis to explain his actions at once. He represents the people of Bury South, and we have a right to know what role our MP has played in this controversial decision, and indeed why he was involved at all. This is a Scottish matter and I would be very worried if any Minister, let alone our own MP, was interfering in this way.”

In what can only be described as gross insensitivity, the compassion shown by the Scottish Government in releasing early the Lockerbie bomber due to terminal illness was swept away by an insulting act of hero celebration for his return home to Libya.

Despite pleas from the British and Scottish Government for the reception to be low key the response by the Libyans was appalling and clearly shows how unaware or utterly uncaring they are about the act of terrorism that was the lockerbie bombing.

If anything this heroes welcome for the lockerbie bomber just raises further concerns about our determination to “bring Libya into the international fold”, can they be trusted?

Today is the first ever World Humanitarian Day to honour international aid workers. The UN who announced World Humanitarian Day hope the event will focus attention on aid workers and increase support for their role.

Aid staff are working in increasingly dangerous environments and are frequently targets of attacks, it says.

Last year 122 international aid workers were killed, a death toll that was higher than that for UN peacekeeping troops.

The inaugural World Humanitarian Day falls on the sixth anniversary of the bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad, in which 22 workers died.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will attend a wreath-laying ceremony at the UN in in New York to remember the victims of the 2003 attack.

The day comes six years after the bombing of the UN’s Baghdad office

Over the past few years Aid workers have been increasingly seen as legitimate targets for killing or kidnapping as a tactic for some groups.

The UN hopes the day will serve as a reminder that aid work is based on a very simple principle: to bring impartial humanitarian relief to all those in need, our correspondent says.

I know very well the risks taken by aid workers. I have a cousin who has worked as an aid worker for the UN, and has been shot, assualted and held at gun point in her time. That’s on top of having to endure hostile conditions, with basic or little amenities - she has also suffered from food poisoning and infections as a result. But she loves the work and the relief aid brings is immensely satisfying.

In our violent world of strife, civil unrest, increased climate extremes and disruption aid work has never been more important and is literally a matter of life and death for millions and a crucial support for struggling nations.

The right wing opponents to Obama’s public health care proposals in the US are now going into hysterical hyperdrive with allegations about the NHS that are totally wrong and a total fiction.

I for one would not be here today if we didn’t have the NHS - OR if I lived in the US - the NHS saved my life and I find it both distateful and upsetting to read the slanderous, insulting comments that are being misrepresented in the US media.

For instance: 

A Republican National Committee ad said that in the U.K. “individuals lose their right to make their own health care choices.”

Another ad launched earlier this month by the anti-tax group Club for Growth claimed that government bureaucrats in Britain had calculated six months of life to be worth $22,750. “Under their socialized system, if your treatment costs more, you’re out of luck,” the ad says, as footage of an elderly man weeping at a woman’s bedside alternate with clips of the Union Jack and Big Ben.

One Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa told a local radio station last week that “countries that have government-run health care” would not have given Sen. Edward Kennedy, who suffers from a brain tumor, the same standard of care as in the U.S. because he is too old. Another Republican, Congressman Paul Broun of Georgia, said that the U.K. and Canada “don’t have the appreciation of life as we do in our society, evidently.”

I am pleased to hear that the Department of Health has now launched a campaign to correct the lies being reported, I believe the Government should also make the strongest representations possible.

What is happening is insulting to all those that have relied on the NHS  and to all those dedicated and highly committed health practitioners that work in the NHS. These right wing comments are nothing short of a disgrace and an insult to the UK.

We love our NHS  - Hands off!

There has been much debate in the media today about David Milibands call for talks with the Taliban.

I think it’s important that we accept that if we are to get out of Afghanistan any time in the not to distant future we have to win some friends and tha Afghan Government has to start talking to those moderate Taliban leaders that may be prepared to listen.

We cannot turn Afghanistan into some sort opf westernised and western looking country. We have to face up to the fact that at the end of the day the Afghan people have to choose their own future. They may well choose an islamic fundamentalist future for their state. That shouldn’t automatically mean we cannot work with them. It shouldn’t ultimately mean they are our avowed enemies.

Nearly 200 British servicemen have now died in Afghanistan and for all we know thousands of taliban and certainly thousands of afghanis have died. If the bloodshed is to stop any time soon we have to start a dialogue, find a level of understanding and a path that leads to a peace acceptable to all a peace that saves lives, improves the security of our nation and ensures those that have sacrificed their lives have not done so in vain.

Listening to Prime Ministers Question Time if one thing stands out its the huge chasm that appears to exist between Labour pronouncements on Afghanistan and the reality on the ground for the ordinary serviceman.

Like many other last night I was profoundly moved by the incredible public reception by residents in Wootton Bassett to return home of the eight servicement recently killed.

At the same time we here persistent reports from soldiers about inadequate equipment, comments from former senior militarymen and advisors about lack of helicopters and other equipment.

The complete incompetence and dithering this Government is showing is now politicising virtually every aspect of Government, even areas such as defence which once carried a convention of Government support. But clearly in the wake of such dithering and incompetence MP’s and opposition can not (and should not) stand by and allow the Government to waffle through the concerns raised while week in week out we bring back more and more of our dead servicemen.

The Government has to get a grip of the situation. We are in NATO, if we haven’t got any more suitable helicopters (to use that example of a pressing need), then lets borrow them off other NATO countries. What’s NATO for, for goodness sake!  If we haven’t got to hand whats need lets get it.

A matter of life and death if ever there was one.

If you give your people a vote to decide their Government, they expect it to count, If you tell the world you are holding democratic elections, then you have to accept the results. 

The lesson over the past week (and sadly repeated time and time again) is that democracy and fair votes is a serious business. It is to be protected, nurtured, developed. Not undermined, tampered with and discarded at will. It is not a showcase PR event for 24 hour news.

If you ask the question you have to be prepared for an answer you don’t like!

So whether it’s the Irish referendum on the Lisbon treaty, Irans elections or for that matter Gordon Browns reform of our democracy and voting reforms, politicians should remember democracy has the words “Fragile, handle with care” stamped all over it.

So Gordon Brown has finally set out plans for an inquiry into the Iraq war. Something tat the Lib Dems have been calling for years. But there are problems.

Firstly, he says it will be held in private and secondly it will take over a year - ie taking it past the date of the next general election.

So far as holding the inquiry is concerned, I appreciate the need to guard state secrets, operational issues etc BUT there is a need to satisfy public concern and in some quarters , outrage at being led into an illegal war. Therefore there is a need to to have an element in the public domain, because there is a need to put the record straight, to come clean and to remove any doubt or concern over a potential cover up or white wash over events that transpired.

As for conveniently publishing the findings after the General Election, well I suppose its no real surprise. I doubt that there is anyone outside the Cabinet and certainly the Labour party that wouldn’t believe that this is being “managed” to minimise the impact, and I suspect that the publication date of the report is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to damage limitation.

So much for open government.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement yesterday that he would support the existence of a Palestinian State, albeit with initially very stringent conditions attached must surely be seen as a gimmer of hope in the quest for peace for Israel and the middle east in general.

As an initial response to Obama’s opening gambit the announcement is a welcome development that undoubtedly gives the process momentum following the kick-start from Obama.

Sadly initial reaction from the Palestinian Authority has been lukewarm to put it mildly. But the Palestinian authority has to recognise the validity and (I hope and believe) the sincerity of the announcement, and that it was not an easy decision to make.

We are at the very beginning of a possible settlement to a lasting middle east peace , but we are there nevertheless and we must hope that international efforts continue to push all sides to proceed along this rocky road both in the knowledge that there will be those determined to sabotage the process and that sticking to a peaceful settlement is the only ultimate course with an priceless prize at the end of the process.

The EU, Unites States and the UK must continue to support Israel in this process and apply pressure to the Palestinian Authority to respond positively to this initial announcement.

Today is polling day. Many people are understandably angry with Parliament over the expenses scandal, many are undoubtedly dissillusioned with British politics. And I know many are toying with the idea of voting for one of the extremist parties such as the BNP or UKIP.

Whatever you do today please don’t vote for the extremists, politics may be damaged but backing extremists will damage Britain. Please vote and please try and vote for one of the mainstream parties.

If you want a strong British contingent working in Europe for Britains future then vote Lib Dem.

Europe: Stronger together, poorer apart. 

This was the week that…

·         Allegations into the misuse of MPs’ expenses continued – one MP claimed for his ‘servants’ quarters’ [more]

·         Labour and Tory MPs decided to stand down over their expenses claims [more]

·         Former Labour Deputy Leader Roy Hattersley called for ministers who avoided paying tax to be sacked [more]

·         Nick Clegg, writing for the Guardian, set out his proposals for electoral and constitutional reform [more]

·         A number of Cabinet ministers and former ministers called for electoral reform [more]; [more]

·         The Treasury’s economic forecasts were doubted by a survey that it commissioned [more]

·         The BNP faced the prospect of an inquiry into their funding [more]

·         David Cameron was criticised for failing to wear a seatbelt in his latest party political broadcast [more]

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         The government’s mortgage rescue scheme has only helped two households in four months [more]

·         Despite government attempts, social mobility in the UK is still falling under Labour [more]

·         Mortgage lending has hit a new low [more]

·         The taxpayer has funded a former Tory spin doctor to the tune of £66,000 through Tory MPs’ expenses [more]

·         Conservative proposals could force a British exit from the EU, claims a group of senior lawyers [more]

·         Tory and UKIP MEPs are the worst UK MEPs for voting for EU transparency and reform [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Launched the campaign for fundamental political reform [more] and http://www.takebackpower.org/

·         Challenged UKIP MEPs to publish their expenses claims as Lib Dem MEPs have [more]

·         Renewed calls for extra police officers to tackle the credit crunch crime wave [more]

·         Highlighted concerns arising from the nationalising of banks [more]

·         Cast doubt on train punctuality figures [more]

·         Demanded the publication of MI5 agents’ guidelines [more]

·         Called for the FSA to launch an allegation into financial irregularities at HBOS [more]

It would seem that the world of current affairs has got stuck in the groove of “expense-gate” recently. It actually took the end of a war (Sri-lanka civil war) to knock it off top place on the news!

As a political campaigner there is nothing more revitalising than getting out on the streets and meeting real people, hearing about real issues that affect peoples day to day living and quality of life. Thanks to the European Elections and the Radcliffe By-election thats exactly what I’ve been doing lately (when not enjoying the latest event in Prestwich festival!)

On the one hand you despair at the the claims for moat cleaning, swimming pool maintenance, duck islands and gi-normous plasma screen TV’s (and the rest).

But what is exhillarating is the great british public voicing their anger and giving the political extablishment a damn good kicking where it hurts most. In a perverse kind of way it shows our democracy and parliament really does matter to people. And so long as the anger and dissapointment is responded to properly by the political parties, I am convinced we will ultimately end up with a much better Parliament, better MP’s and better Government. That has to be the case because if things go in the opposite direction I fear for our democracy and future Governments. 

Back to the campaign trail (or Browns Waterloo as it seems to becoming), and it’s genuinely refreshing to hear peoples concerns about the local issues as well as national and international affairs. Its also good to know that not all politicians are viewed with distrust, dissapointment and disdain nor as fraudsters mired in sleaze and arrogance for their fellow man. No not all of us - just most of us !  

This was the week that…

·         Parliament was rocked by revelations about the misuse of MPs expenses [more]

·         One of David Cameron’s closest aides was forced to quit over his ‘unacceptable’ expenses claims [more]

·         Labour suspended a former minister from the parliamentary party [more] and accepted the resignation of the Justice Minister over the expenses scandal [more]

·         Two Labour peers faced suspension from the House of Lords after being found guilty of intending to accept money to amend legislation [more]

·         An opinion poll showed that Labour support has fallen to a record low [more]

·         A poll of Euro-election voting intentions showed a three-way tie for second place, with Labour, the Liberal Democrats and UKIP all on 19% [more]

·         European leaders criticised Cameron’s decision to move his party to the fringes of European politics [more]

·         Nick Clegg’s public approval rating continued to rise [more]

·         An expert on crime reduction said Labour had failed in its pledge to be ‘tough on the causes of crime’ [more]

·         On Burnley Council, Labour and Tory councillors teamed up with 4 BNP councillors to try to unseat the Lib Dem council leader [more]

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         The number of unemployed jumped 244,000 in the first three months of the year [more]

·         BT announced that it is to cut 15,000 jobs, mostly in the UK [more]

·         100 primary schools are closing every year as demand for places looks set to grow [more]

·         Alistair Darling’s economic forecasts are over-optimistic, according to the Bank of England [more]

·         Teenage crime has soared 60% under New Labour [more]

·         The government has cut funding by 25% for five key environmental initiatives [more]

·         Only 13% of terrorism arrests lead to convictions [more]

·         Gordon Brown is “brutal” and has “anything but” a moral compass according to a former aide [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Launched their European Election campaign under the slogan ‘Stronger Together Poorer Apart’ [more]

·         Wrote to party leaders urging them to fully accept the recommendations of the investigation into MPs’ expenses [more]

·         Called for intercept evidence to be made admissible in court in terrorism cases [more]

·         Welcomed proposals for a mandatory code on alcohol sales [more]

·         Revealed the environmental impact of the government’s major road schemes [more]

·         Uncovered the fact that over 15,000 farmers earn less than the minimum wage [more]

·         Argued for a shift in focus in crime policy - from punishment to crime prevention [more]

·         Pushed for an investigation into allegations against the police at the G20 protests [more]

This was the week that…

·         Cabinet members came under fire as details of their expenses claims were revealed [more]. Outrageous expense claims included claiming for mock Tudor beams [more]; storm windows [more]; hanging baskets [more]; and plumbing to fix water that was ‘too hot’ [more]

·         A Labour peer was accused of abusing the expenses system by claiming expenses for an unoccupied flat [more]

·         A senior Cabinet minister attacked the “lamentable failure” of her own government [more]

·         The pressure was kept up on the government over the poor treatment of Gurkha veterans [more]

·         A Tory MEP received a standing ovation from the European parliament for criticising David Cameron [more], while another Tory MEP described Cameron’s European policy as “dotty” [more]

·         Senior figures in the Foreign Office called into question Tory foreign policy [more]

·         Labour braced themselves to lose their four remaining county councils at the local elections [more]

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         The gap between the rich and the poor has widened significantly under Labour [more]

·         A think tank believes this will be the worst recession since the 1930s [more]

·         House prices are set to fall 28% on average overall [more]

·         Over 20,000 civil servants think the government is run badly [more]

·         Only one in four voters back Brown and Darling to manage the economy properly [more]

·         The gender pay gap is higher in the public sector than in the private sector [more]

·         The government has spent £28,000 on ‘media training’ [more]

·         A Tory MP claimed swine flu is “nothing worse than a cold” [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Revealed the significant increases in train and bus fares under Labour [more]

·         Wrote to the FSA to encourage them to release details of bank ‘stress tests’ [more]

·         Continued to press the government for the fair treatment of Gurkhas [more]

·         Called upon the government to go further after the abandonment of Science SATs [more]

·         Pressed the government for further action on the removal of innocent people’s DNA from databases [more]

·         Uncovered the fact that two million social tenants have missed out on a government rent promise [more]

·         Demanded an urgent review of the out-of-hours care system [more]

·         Rubbished the government’s proposals to ‘fix’ the social services system [more]

This was the week that…

·         The World Health Organisation warned of the threat of a pandemic as swine flu spread across the world [more]

·         Gordon Brown was forced to make concessions in his plans to reform MPs expenses [more]

·         Labour MPs, including two former Home Secretaries, queued up to criticise Gordon Brown and his government [more]; [more]; [more]

·         The government made a u-turn on their communications database plans [more]

·         And the government also cancelled plans for Titan prisons following Lib Dem opposition to the scheme [more]

·         The Home Secretary who launched ID cards called for the scheme to be scrapped [more]

·         Gordon Brown was snubbed by the Pakistani President on a visit to the region [more]

·         The van maker LDV went into administration [more]

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         A record number of people were declared bankrupt in the first quarter of the year [more]

·         Government departments are set to miss their own carbon-cutting targets [more]

·         Labour has lost half its voters from the 2005 election [more]

·         A Labour Minister bet against Labour winning the next election [more]

·         The recession can be “constructive” – according to one Labour Minister [more]

·         Tory parliamentary candidates are more socially conservative and less green than the leadership line [more]

·         The Tories tried to recruit a BNP member to stand as a councillor, saying the parties “sing from the same hymn sheet” [more]

·         David Cameron took an all expenses paid trip to apartheid South Africa as a young party worker [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Defeated the government over Gurkha rights – the first time since the 1970s that a government has been defeated on an opposition day motion [more]

·         Revealed that the government’s mortgage rescue scheme has only helped one household [more]

·         Nick Clegg wrote to other party leaders to try to find a solution to the issues of MPs pay and expenses [more]

·         Welcomed government climbdowns on databases [more] and Titan prisons [more]

·         Criticised the policy that has led to a huge increase in imprisonment of mentally ill offenders [more]

·         Demanded tougher building regulations to prevent an “environmental catastrophe” [more]

·         Uncorked the statistic that the government has a wine cellar worth nearly £800,000 [more]

So 6 years of British involvement in Iraq has all but ended with the tranfer of authority in Basra to US forces.

Commentators and Government spokesmen were last night telling us we’ve done a good job. So why don’t I feel the slightest bit elated?

I feel relieved that (hopefully) there will be no more British casualties, no more widows and grieving families from the conflict. I feel proud that our service men and women have done a first rate job in often hostile or difficult circumstances.

But I still feel anger that we invaded without the backing of the rule of international law at the whim of George W Bush and caused death and suffering to thousands and thousands of innocent Iraqi’s in the process. That an illegal war has led to the loss of life of  outstanding servicemen and women of many nations. And I feel anger that this act of war designed by Bush to break the so called axis of evil actually made things worse and brought relations with the muslim world down even further and brought fundamentalist extremism to our shores.

No I don’t feel is happy or elated. Perhaps because I fear what happens next in Iraq, what happens when the US pulls out, when the next internal elections are due. When the different factions and ethnic groups decide they want to do things differently.

I have hope that we have help settle a peaceful future and foundations for a stable state, but I find it hard to believe at this point in time. But for the 234 British and UK led troops that lost their lives over the past six years I hope my fears are unfounded. 

This was the fortnight that…

·         Gordon Brown’s key aide’s plans to smear senior Tories and their families were exposed [more]

·         And Gordon Brown eventually accepted responsibility [more]

·         The Home Secretary came under pressure following the collapse of the case against Damian Green MP [more]

·         A DNA pioneer attacked the government for storing the DNA of innocent people [more]

·         The Chancellor admitted that his previous economic forecasts were wildly optimistic [more]

·         The CBI attacked the government’s environmental policy [more]

·         Two organisations criticised the government’s ‘knee jerk’ crime and prison policies [more]; [more]

·         A teachers’ union called for a boycott of SATs [more] and adopted a Lib Dem policy [more]

·         A high profile Tory MEP branded the NHS a “mistake” [more]

·         A former Tory councillor was jailed for a year for abusing his expenses privileges [more]

·         Vince Cable published a “lucid and eloquent” book on the recession to positive reviews [more]

Over the last fortnight we learnt that…

·         The UK economy will not recover from the recession until 2012 [more]

·         A bailed-out bank will cut a further 4,500 UK jobs [more]

·         Unemployment will reach 3.2m by 2010 [more]

·         UK industrial production is falling at the fastest rate in four decades [more]

·         Car sales have fallen 30.5% in the last year [more]

·         The government have overpaid the Irish health service – possibly by €750m in the last five years [more]

·         Cost-cutting in the NHS is responsible for 4,000 blunders a year and putting up to 1m patients at risk [more]

·         The Treasury will be left with a £39bn public sector spending gap by 2015 [more]

·         Two thirds of small businesses feel they are not getting enough government support [more]

·         Three ministers have claimed their second home allowances while living in grace-and-favour apartments [more]; [more]; [more]

·         The leader of the Green Party thinks flying to Spain is as bad as stabbing someone in the street [more]

Over the last fortnight the Liberal Democrats…

·         Criticised the governments plans for a new generation of nuclear power plants [more]

·         Rejected government proposals to dock alcoholics’ benefits as ‘inhumane’ [more]

·         Dismissed the government’s new electric car policy as a ‘gimmick’ [more]

·         Uncovered the fact that the NHS is paying the government £81m at a rate of up to 5.6% [more]

·         Published research showing that 4 patients a day die in mental health trusts [more]

·         Revealed that the number of anaphylactic shock cases has doubled in ten years [more]

·         Found that the government’s VAT cut is principally benefiting the rich [more] 

·         Discovered that the dole is worth less now than in the previous two recessions [more]

·         Condemned a proposed 30% price hike by water companies [more]

This was the week that…

·         World leaders met in London and agreed to pump $1 trillion into the world economy [more]

·         A report showed that only 0.6% of the Government’s fiscal stimulus will be spent on green measures [more]

·         At least 4,000 jobs were lost in the UK across a range of sectors [more]

·         The UN named and shamed the UK over its response to the Somali refugee crisis [more]

·         The Home Secretary was criticised for charging the taxpayer for her husband’s adult films [more]

·         An inquiry began into a millionaire’s donations to the Tory party [more]

·         21 NHS trusts failed to meet new hygiene standards [more]

·         Lord Myners came under pressure to resign after he was accused of misleading Parliament [more]

·         A Select Committee called for the National Curriculum to be slimmed down – a Lib Dem policy [more]

·         The scandal into MPs expenses showed no sign of disappearing [more]; [more]

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         Unemployment will hit 3 million within two years [more]

·         The national DNA database has grown 40% in two years and now has more than 5 million people on it [more]

·         There are 10% fewer hospital beds today than there were three years ago [more]

·         The Government’s adult literacy drive is failing and wasting billions according to a government adviser [more]

·         According to most measures, house prices continued to fall in March [more]; [more]

·         Boris Johnson proposes to cut his environmental team in half [more]

·         160,000 kids left primary school without basic English and Maths competency [more]

·         Older people do not have fair access to mental health services in most mental health trusts [more]

·         The Europe Minister hasn’t read the Lisbon Treaty [more]

·         Conservative run Bournemouth Council are employing a transport manager who lives in Edinburgh – and paying £200,000 a year for his travel expenses [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Challenged Gordon Brown to turn the G20 agreement into real help for British people [more]

·         Led a debate challenging the Government in the House of Lords over tax havens [more]

·         Unveiled research showing that 80% of hospitals do not pass on knife crime information to the police [more]

·         Led a debate calling for a step up in nuclear non-proliferation action in the House of Lords [more]

·         Proposed a bill to end discrimination in the line of succession to the throne [more]

·         Highlighted shocking figures showing that prison assaults took place every half an hour in 2008 [more]

·         Called for the same guarantees of access for mental health care as for other health services [more]

This was the week that…

·         HSBC became the latest company to make cuts – 1,200 jobs are to go [more]

·         Business leaders queued up to warn that Britain cannot afford another fiscal stimulus [more]; [more]

·         The government confirmed there will be an Iraq War inquiry, but suggested it will be held in private [more]

·         A UK bond auction failed to find enough buyers for the first time since 2002 [more]

·         The split between the Prime Minister and the Treasury began to widen [more]

·         The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner launched an inquiry into a minister’s expenses [more]

·         A Sunday newspaper revealed the affair of a Labour MP and close friend of Gordon Brown [more]

·         The Conservative Party Chairman came unstuck justifying his expense claims [more]

·         Ken Clarke admitted he wasn’t sure if controversial Conservative tax reforms could be afforded [more]

·         Vince Cable was the only politician named in a ‘fantasy boardroom’ [more] 

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         GDP suffered its biggest quarterly fall since 1980 in the last quarter of 2008 [more]

·         The government will borrow £351bn in the next two years – more than in the 306 years up to Labour’s election victory in 1997 [more]

·         Retail sales almost stalled in February, coming in well below expectations [more]

·         15% of shops will be vacant by the end of 2009 [more]

·         Poor leadership at the Foreign Office has created a culture where “mediocrity flourishes” [more]

·         £3bn of overpaid tax credits have been written off as unrecoverable [more]

·         As many as one quarter of government databases may be illegal [more]

·         The Department of Transport misled environmental groups over Heathrow expansion [more]

·         Unemployment is good for your health – according to one government minister [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Launched their G20 development plan [more]

·         Successfully amended the Coroners and Justice Bill after forcing a government u-turn [more]

·         Tabled an Early Day Motion calling for the second home allowance to be abolished for London MPs [more]

·         Called on the Government to replace the VAT cut with investment into public transport and home insulation to create new jobs [more]

·         Revealed that anti-terror legislation is routinely used by local councils against minor offenders [more]

·         Wrote to the Chancellor over Sir Fred Goodwin’s pension payments [more]

·         Highlighted shocking statistics about Britain’s knife crime culture [more]

This was the week that…

·         Unemployment passed the 2m mark for the first time in 12 years [more]

·         The IMF predicted that the recession in Britain will be the worst in the developed world [more]

·         Evidence grew of the Government’s complicity in torture [more]

·         NHS target culture was blamed for up to 1,200 people dying unnecessarily at a Staffordshire hospital [more]

·         The NHS was criticised for spending millions on unproven schemes [more]

·         The Immigration minister announced plans for a detention centre outside Calais – although no one in France had heard of the plan [more]

·         After Lib Dem pressure, the government backed down on plans to share data between departments [more]

·         Senior Labour figures lined up to criticise the PM and make him accept blame [more] ; [more]

·         The Government Chief Whip accused his own backbenchers of “idleness” [more]

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         Car production fell by almost 60% in January [more]

·         Each adult in Britain is an average of £40,000 worse off because of the recession [more]

·         Gordon Brown was warned over Britain’s weak regulatory regime in 2004 – and did nothing [more]

·         2m people will be on the waiting list for social housing by 2011 [more]

·         The UK will borrow more money than any other major economy next year [more]

·         Britain is giving less help to the country’s poor in the recession than other G8 nations [more]

·         Youth crime has soared over the last 10 years under Labour [more]

·         The Government’s new Department for Energy and Climate Change is in chaos [more]

·         Housing prisoners in police stations has proved more expensive than the Ritz per night [more]

·         The Government has spent £780,000 on flowers in four years [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Condemned the Government over their management of the Northern Rock crisis [more]

·         Exposed a £2bn black hole in the government’s unemployment benefits estimates

·         Challenged the Prime Minister over the Government’s “frenzied” target culture [more]

·         Attended the launch of a cross-party campaign for a ‘Post Bank’ (a long-standing Lib Dem policy) [more]

·         Revealed shocking statistics about alcohol related youth hospital admissions [more]

·         Heaped pressure onto the Government to open a public inquiry into the invasion of Iraq [more]

·         Called for a green road out of recession and criticised the Government’s neglect of the environment [more]

THIS WAS THE WEEK THAT…

·         House sales fell to their lowest level in at least 31 years [more]

·         The recession in the UK continued to gather pace [more]

·         A United Nations report declared that the UK had breached human rights [more]

·         Government divisions over the need to apologise for the economic crisis continued to grow [more]

·         A former cabinet minister publicly attacked Gordon Brown on Labour’s lack of ‘narrative’ [more]

·         Labour MPs rounded on the PM at Prime Minister’s Questions [more]

·         A business leader said that the government was focusing on ‘red herrings’ [more]

·         Government ministers failed to comprehensively reveal their financial interests [more]

·         A Tory MEP described climate change as a ‘media driven frenzy’ [more]

·         A Labour mayor resigned after his arrest over corruption charges [more]

OVER THE LAST WEEK WE LEARNT THAT….

·         Continued systematic failings in the social services are leaving vulnerable children at risk [more]

·         Almost one playing field a day was sold in 2008 despite government commitments to reverse this trend [more]

·         Many elderly people are looked after by untrained staff in unclean care homes [more]

·         One in six children did not get into their first choice secondary school [more]

·         New Royal Navy destroyers will be delivered £1.5bn over budget and two years late [more]

·         The private sector pension deficit is at a record £219bn – and is still growing [more]

·         One in four of the world’s CCTV cameras are in Britain [more]

·         Gordon Brown is the country’s most boring public speaker! [more]

OVER THE LAST WEEK THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS…

·         Revealed that over 1000 serving police officers have criminal convictions [more]

·         Said government economic proposals were “shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted” [more]

·         Visited Google to discuss internet privacy issues [more]

·         Called for dirty care homes to be closed down [more]

·         Demanded a public inquiry following revelations of heavy-handed policing at a protest last year [more]

·         Called for a tougher government response to reduce knife crime [more]

·         Exposed a huge decrease in the amount of domestically produced food consumed in the UK [more]

·         Attacked the government’s insubstantial approach to tackling domestic violence [more]

·         Accused the Home Office of being “illegal, immoral, and ineffective” for keeping the DNA of a baby on record [more]

This was the week that…

·         UK and world markets sank to new lows [more]

·         Repossessions and losses soared at the nationalised bank Northern Rock [more]

·         The Bank of England created £75bn to boost the economy in an unprecedented step [more]

·         Gordon Brown’s speech to Congress received a mixed reception [more]

·         20% of pupils failed to get into their first choice schools [more]

·         Government ministers finally admitted to mistakes over the economy [more]

·         A double Victoria Cross holder condemned the government’s treatment of veterans [more]

·         The government made a u-turn and adopted Lib Dem policy on voter registration [more]

·         Discontent over Brown’s leadership continued to grow [more] but his deputy did herself no favours [more]

Over the last week we learnt that…

·         Labour has spent £7bn on an army of consultants [more]

·         The government misled the public over opposition to Heathrow’s third runway [more]

·         A top Tory became the latest opposition MP to break parliamentary rules [more]

·         Government incompetence and waste has put UK soldiers at risk [more]

·         David Miliband spent £7,000 on ‘presentation’ lessons [more]

·         A breakthrough depression treatment launched two years ago is still not available in most of the country [more]

·         A Labour-dominated committee of MPs launched a stinging attack on the DCLG’s competence [more]

·         It could take a decade for the country to fully recover from the economic crisis [more]

·         12,000 kids could be left without primary school places in London alone [more]

·         One third of young people have carried a weapon in the last year [more]

Over the last week the Liberal Democrats…

·         Boycotted the government’s new unrepresentative Regional Select Committees [more]

·         Warned the government that it had run out of options to tackle the economic crisis [more]

·         Fought to cap individual party donations to £50,000 [more]

·         Voted against the continuation of control orders legislation [more]

·         Revealed that 45,000 pensioners were forced to sell their homes to pay for care homes [more]

·         Called on the Chancellor to stop propping up Labour’s failed PFI projects [more]

·         Pointed out that less than 3% of the government’s fiscal stimulus is going on green measures [more]

Jack Straws decision to veto publication of cabinet minutes relating to lead up to the Iraq war will reinforce the view that there is a cabinet/Government cover up on this issue, further damaging the Labour Government and landing another blow against our democracy.

Remember this decision is in light of a court judgement instructing the Information Officer (FOI) to release papers. Jack Straw insists that releasing such documents will damage Cabinet discussions and debate of important issues. However I beleive there is an overriding need in this case for the British people to discover what went on. We need to know what debate took place , what advice was given that ultimately led this country into an illegal war and the deaths of thousands of innocent people and many of our brave service personnel.

We are being denied the truth from a Government that increasingly fails to recognise the essential need for transparency, openness and individual freedom.

This is a disgraceful act from a discredited Government.