Matt on Form

Matt, courtesy of Telegraph.co.uk

Did You Know There Are 100 Green Blogs Out There?

I have quite rightly been taken to task by The Daily (Maybe) for the fact that I failed to include any Green Blogs in my Top Blogs lists. Jim, who writes the blog, is now rectifying my omission byu compiling the list hinself. Good. I did not deliberately exclude their blogs, or indeed those from any Party. I repeatedly asked for nominations but I can honestly say I had never seen any Green blogs. I'll happily link to the list when it is compiled, and include them in any repeat excercise next year.

Attention Labour Bloggers

If anybody attending the Labour Party Conference can help distribute the Guide to Blogging please let me know and I will courier a box to you. I'm sadly not going as I couldn't get a pass. Sigh.

That Blair Budapest Speech in Full

Furrowed brow. Look down. Purse lips.

Since last summer we have been preserving our political unity and, behind it, our professional political unity as never before in recent years... There is not much choice. There is not, because we have screwed up. Not a little but a lot. No country in Europe has screwed up as much as we have. It can be explained. We have obviously lied throughout the past 18 to 24 monthsnine years. It was perfectly clear that what we were saying was not true...We did not actually do anything for four years. Nothing. You cannot mention any significant government measures that we can be proud of, apart from the fact that in the end we managed to get governance out of the shit. Nothing.

If we have to give an account to the country of what we have done in fournine years, what are we going to say? We can dither a little longer but not much. The moment of truth has arrived quickly. Guys, we are not perfect. Not at all. We will not be either. I cannot say to you that everything will be fine...
The team to which you have entrusted the leadership of this side is roughly capable... is able to define a programme. There may be another team that can do something else. We cannot, we cannot do anything more or better than this. We will not be capable of it.

Will we do something big? Are we going to say: goddammit, some people have come who dared to do it and did not get preoccupied with how they would deal with the travel expenses, fuck it. Instead, we lied morning, noon and night. I do not want to carry on with this. Either we do it and have the personnel for it, or others will do it. I will never give an interview at the end of which we part with each other in argument. Never. I will never hurt the HungarianBritish left. Never.

Ferenc Gyurcsany is 94.

[Are you sure you've got this right? - ed]

The Dirty Game Needs to be Cleaned Up

I got home this evening to watch the Panorama special on football bungs. To be honest I was expecting a damp squib. Not a bit of it. Bolton manager Sam Allardyce copped the wrap. On the face of it, he should be suspended with immediate effect from his position pending a full FA investigation. I reckon this is just the tip of a very cool and sharp iceberg.

However, I thought the case against Mr Harold Redknapp was less than convincing. Many of us Hammers fans have always had some suspicions about some of the transfer dealings Harry conducted at Upton Park. £2.5 million for Titi Camara. Need I say more?

How Should the Libs Deal with David Cameron?

7.00pm I'm at the Observer fringe meeting with Vince Cable, Jeremy Browne and Susan Kramer. They all agree that Conservative campaigning techniques have improved leaps and bounds and that Tory In Touches are now often better than Focus leaflets.

7.10pm Susan Kramer believes that these foundations were laid by IDS. It is quite clear that their only way of attacking David Cameron is to attack the Conservative Party itself as nasty, vicious and selfish. They will grudgingly admit that he is a fresh face but will chant a mantra that he can't carry his Party with him.

7.15pm Jesus, they're now talking about creating a LibDem Cabinet. Delusional. Oh, hang on, in a shock statement Jeremy Browne says Vince Cable won't be in a LibDem Cabinet - shock horror. The nation can rest easy.

7.25pm Browne says the tax vote today gives the Libdems increased credibility.

7.30pm Cable says it's difficult for Ming to get the same level of visibility as Cameron. He believes Ming will get more zing given time. Kramer calls Cameron a store front dummy. Likens Cameron to George W Bush and Tony Blair. Eh? Ming is better the more you see him.

7.35pm Jeremy Browne says "The last thing we should do is put the zing into Ming". The media over-emphasises the cult of youth.

7.40 Audience member says panel is complacent about Cameron. Says Cameron is clever and cleverer than most Libdems think and is heading for victory. Gets round of applause. Cable repeats line about Cameron not being able to take his Party with him. Says Cameron will return to a core vote strategy in the end. Well.... If that's what he thinks....

7.45pm Kramer thinks disillusioned Tories will stay home and won't vote. Libdems must fight on their own ground. Must not follow the Tory agenda. Must concentrate on improving Libdem party organisation.

Time to go...

Conclusion: Complacency rules OK!

EXCLUSIVE: Blair & Gyurcsany: Kindred Spirits

Tony Blair's often accused of lying but always seems to worm his way out of it. However, it seems he has a lot in common with Hungary's Socialist Prime Minister, Ferenc Gyurcsany, who has been caught on tape admitting that he will lie about anything to stay in power.

Obviously our Dear Leader would never think such thoughts. No way. It would be terrible to even suggest such a thing. But I do wonder if Tony Blair is regretting the support he offered to his Socialist Brother during Hungary's recent election campaign. Blair appeared at an election rally in Budapest (attended by an acquaintance of mine) and told the massed throngs:

Ferenc Gyurcsany is a friend and a colleague and someone I admire very much

Does he still Ferenc Gyurcsany so much?

Muslim Cartoonist Attack the Pope

Remember the furore about the cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed that caused such outrage in the Islamic world? Pay a visit to THIS site which shows how muslim cartoonists have responded to the Pope's remarks. Freedom of expression is a wonderful thing, isn't it? Shame not everyone agrees.

Charles in Charge?

I thought I'd wander into the conference hall and check out Charles Kennedy's speech. As I pulled the door open the overwhelming smell of alcohol hit me, but I'm pleased to report that the stench of drink came from the hacks rather than the platform speaker! Kennedy has never been a great platform speaker but this year he seemed to be deliberately putting in a sleep inducing performance. I waited in vain for the mea culpa moment when he would apologise to his Lib Dem colleagues for the traumas he'd put them through but the moment never came. At least he can't be accused of trying to eclipse Ming.

It's quite a tricky problem for Lib Dems to decide if and when Kennedy should return to the front bench team. It's quite apparent that his popularity extends way beyond Lib Dem supporters and there will be a great temptation to bring him back sooner than might be appropriate given the circumstances.

I think Charles Kennedy might be rather enjoying his period out of the limelight. There's a lot to be said for a break from responsibility, especially if you have a new baby. He will know himself that there is no cure for his drink problem and that the longer he is free from day to day responsibilty the easier it will be to cope with it. Call me an old softie but I genuinely hope he conquers it.

I'm just off to the Observer fringe which is titled CONFRONTING CAMERON: HOW TO TACKLE THE NEW LOOK TORIES. Below the belt I would have thought.

Ming Needs to Avoid Vacuous Generalities on Cuts and Coalitions

I'm just about to drive down to Brighton to spend the day with the LibDems. I just listened to Ming Campbell's Today programme interview in which he successfully managed to avoid any question on policy at all. He was asked if he would campaign against all hospital closures yesterday and he gave a straight answer - yes. On the Today programme he was asked how this squared with his mantra of taking the "tough" choices which face the country. He answered that the Health Service was very important. Well, whoopee. He was then asked where the £15 billion of public spending cuts would come from. He said that the three great services of health, education and transport were very important. Vacuous in the extreme.

It's all very well sounding like the voice of sweet reason, but in the end, if you're going to be taken seriously, you have to give us some meat. Ming Campbell is the first to criticise David Cameron for talking about generalities, but there is a crucial difference. The LibDems have decided to come up with specific tax and spending proposals very early in the Parliament, which therefore come under scrutiny. Cameron's policy groups don't report for 6-12 months yet and when they do you can be sure that political opponents and the media will scrutinise them like never before.

The other line which is not sustainable for Ming is his oft-trotted out mantra about getting maximum seats and maximum votes. It's a good soundbite, but it's a motherhood and apple pie phrase. Peopel deserve to know who the LibDems lean towards in any possible coalition if there is a hung parliament at the next election. In their gut, they must individually know. I cannot believe that it would be in the longterm interests of the LibDems to prop up a wholly discredited Labour government, but on the other hand there are many in the LibDems who would rather stick needles in their eyes than consider a coalition with the Conservatives. Speaking from the Conservative viewpoint, the reverse is also true for many of us. However, politics IS about tough choices, and it could well be that this is a real choice which faces the LibDems in 2009. So who's it to be? This is a question I shall be asking LibDems throughout the day on camera, in a wholly unscientific poll. I wonder how many of them will have the courage their leader seems to lack.

Caption Competition: Lady Elspeth's Husband

Image from LibDem website

ConservativeHome has a series of semi naked politicians for a daring caption competition HERE.

Ming Fails the Coronation Street Test

Lady Elspeth's husband has got himself into a right pickle again over his populist habits. Remember THIS story earlier in the year? Well, he's been at it again, according to the Whip column in The Sun. Ming professed his love for Coronation Street but when asked to name a character he could only come up with Bet Lynch, who hasn't been in the show for several years. When asked to name a current character the only boy was completely non-plussed. Some politicians never learn, do they?

Channel 4 News Morning Report Podcast Live from the LibDems

Last night I recorded my Channel 4 News Morning Reports Podcast at the LibDem Conference with LibDem bloggers Alex Foster, Rob Fenwick and Stephen Tall. You can find details and listen to it HERE.

The Today programme also carried a 5 minute interview by Carolyn Quinn with Stephen Tall and myself this morning, which you can listen to HERE. Click on the 6.30-7am section. It's about 17 minutes in. I've also written a piece on blogging for the Today website HERE. That should send the hitcounter rocketing, hopefully!

There's Always One...

On the Today Programme this morning I said I couldn't think of a single Blairite blog. As soon as I said it I knew I'd regret it. And sure enough, an email reaches me to alert me to THIS new blog. Bless.

PS Note to Dizzy. this site was NOT registered by David Taylor.

Lib Dem Car Tax Proposals are Environ-MENTAL

I know it always annoys my friend Conor Burns when I say this, but I like Chris Huhne. I'm sure if I had fought him in the last election I might have a slightly different view, but I speak as I find. However, liking someone personally, doesn't stop me critisising him politically.

Today, Chris Huhne will be outlining his plans to 'sting' Mondeo Man for £850 a year in car tax. Under LibDem environmental tax proposals car tax for a mid range saloon car would rise from £150 to £850, albeit that it would apply only to new cars. For a two litre Ford Mondeo the car tax would rise from £210 to £1500. This would have two effects. It would, at a stroke, result in many car dealerships going out of business, for that this exactly the type of car which most families buy. Secondly it will mean that hardpressed families keep their existing cars for as long as possible as they gradually turn into smoke-belching rust buckets.

This is madness and is entirely regressive, as hardworking families, already struggling to survive, find themselves priced out of cars. In rural areas they would be even more hard hit.

If we are to rebalance the tax system in favour of environmental taxation surely we should be charging on a useage basis, rather than a blunt car equivalent of a poll tax? Road pricing surely has to be the way forward, so you pay for what you use.

Harriman House Takes Over Politicos.co.uk

Some of you will have already picked this up from a Politico's email, but this is the press release being sent out today...

HARRIMAN HOUSE TAKES OVER POLITICOS.CO.UK

Harriman House and Politicos.co.uk announce today that Harriman House has taken over the online bookshop business of Politicos.co.uk.

Harriman House has a network of online bookshops and a fast growing publishing business.
Iain Dale, Managing Director of Politicos.co.uk said: "I am delighted that the Politicos.co.uk business will be continuing under the guidance of Harriman House. Their expertise in online bookselling will help the business grow and I wish them well. My career has moved in another direction and I am about to take on a new role in internet broadcasting, so the timing of this move makes sense."

Dale will not be directly involved in the new business but will act as a consultant to Harriman House's publishing arm on an ad hoc basis.

Myles Hunt, Managing Director of Harriman House said: "Iain has built up a first-class business with a fantastic reputation and we are delighted to be taking over Politicos.co.uk bookshop.
Having managed online financial and business bookshops for over nine years we are looking forward to building on the success of Politicos and developing some exciting new areas of business. We'll be keeping in close contact with Iain, who has a wealth of experience in this area. His advice will ensure a smooth transfer of the business, and we look forward to working with him on some politics related publishing ventures in the coming months."

Editor's Note:
Politicos.co.uk is Britain's only specialist online political bookshop. Politico's started in 1997 as a physical bookshop in Westminster. Three years ago the bookshop closed its doors and reverted to an online/mail order business. A year previously Dale had sold Politico's Publishing to Methuen. Harriman House is both a leading independent publisher of books on business, finance and economics and a provider of specialist online bookshops. Established in 1994 as a mail order bookshop, Harriman moved online in 1997 running the Global-Investor bookshop and a network of over 200 associate bookshops for financial websites, magazines and institutions.
In 2001, Harriman set up a publishing division and currently has 50 titles in print with plans to publish between 15 and 20 new titles a year. The list covers a range of non-fiction subjects from professional finance through to politics and economics and personal finance and computer guides. / end
For more information please contact Tom Orchard or Helen McCusker at Harriman House:
Tel: 01730 233870 email: pr@harriman-house.com

Stephen Tall Towers Above Other LibDem Blogs

Just got back home fromt the LibDem Blogger of the Year awards at their conference, which was won by the very charming Stephen Tall, who writes the Oxford Liberal Blog. He's pictured here receving the award from the LibDem BlogBabe Lynne Featherstone. I am slightly embarrassed that I only ranked it Number 17 in my list, because having had another look at it now, it does deserve to be higher. Still a grotesque blogger template though! The fringe meeting was very well attended and it was good to put faces to names. Did interviews with several journalists there who found it difficult to comprehend that people of different political opionions could actually be friendly to each other. They still don't get this blogging community thingy, do they?

Stephen and I did an interview for the Today programme which will be broadcast in a few hours time. I then interviewed him, Alex Foster and Rob Fenwick for my Channel 4 News Morning Reports Podcast, which you will also be able to hear from 8am. I'll add the link later.

We shifted a couple of hundred copies of the Guide to Blogging and was even asked to autograph a copy! I admit I nearly fell off my chair when a Birmingham LibDem told me she reads my blog every day and finds it very educational. And she was being serious. Anyway, thanks to everyone at the meeting who made me feel welcome. It was a good event, and well done to those who put it on. And that's the last nice thing I shall say about the LibDems this week. I think.

UPDATE: You can hear a 5 minute interview on the Today Programme with Stephen Tall any myself by clicking on the 6.30-7am section HERE.

How to win an Election

Promise to cut taxes and curb the welfare state. Simple, isn't it? Look at the Swedish election result tonight. The Conservative opposition won tonight after twelve years out of power.

Attention Listed Bloggers: BlogBrag Banner for Your Blog

That nice guy Mike Rouse from Blue Torch Solutions has come up with a good idea for blogs who have been listed in my various Top 100s. If you click HERE you can find the code for three different banners for you to add to your site, should you wish to. I'm going to call this banner the BlogBrag.

Memo to self: Promote Blue Torch Solutions from Number 75 in the Conservative category next time...

Blogging Live from the LibDem Conference

Nothing like a good protest to welcome me to the LibDem Party Conference. And it wasn;t a protest at their decision to let me in! These are Brighton & Hove Albion supporters who launched a vocal protest against LibDem MP for Lewes Norman Baker and LibDem controlled Lewes Council who are against the new stadium plans at Falmer. However, I'm assures that all other LibDems locally are in favour of it. I think that's called having your cake and eating it.

Anyway, I'm typing this in the bar of the Metropole Hotel, sitting about ten feet away from the smoking chimney that is Lady Elspeth, the formidable wife of Ming the Merciless. I got here having had the worst nine holes of golf I have played for weeks and endured seeing West Ham lose to a poor Newcastle team. So I'm relying on the LibDems to brighten up my evening. Hmmm.

The reason I am here is to attend the LibDem bloggers fringe meeting tonight, where they are handing out some awards. I'll be recording my Channel 4 Podcast there and also a piece for tomorrow's Today Programme. The Guide to Blogging seems to be going down well with those I have handed it out to. Later.