My response to Peter Lilley MP on joint Lib Dem/Con election ticket

Dear Peter Lilley MP,

On hearing your comment's on BBC Radio 4s Today Programme, I thought I would explain from a campaigning perspective, in Scotland, why you are wrong.

Initially when you said;

'I can conceive that we might fight as a coalition,'

I did think initially you had perhaps overdone the Christmas sherry somewhat, either that or you were talking out your backside. 

On closer inspection however, I feel it is because you have the Liberal Democrats in second place in your own Hitchin and Harpenden constituency and it would therefore provide you with a job for many years to come - dream on my friend, dream on (and no, you aren't my friend).

There is no way on this planet that the majority of Liberal Democrats (including this one), irrespective of the party leaderships view, would ever stand on a joint election ticket with the Conservatives, and so far Nick Clegg has never indicated we would.

This particular paid up member of the Liberal Democrats would never campaign to help the Conservatives and given your party only has the one MP in Scotland I'd rather campaign to get rid of that one, and make Scotland Tory free, as it should be.

Kind regards,

Andrew Reeves
Lib Dem Member

The views expressed in this blog post, as in the majority of my blog posts are of my own opinion and not necessarily those of my employer, because our Party does not dictate.

Conservative MP Philip Hammond insults mentally ill with flippant remarks on suicides

So yet again another Conservative MP hits the news for making flippant remarks.

Photo: Getty Images

This time it is Philip Hammond MP who during an interview, suggested that the train service he used from Surrey to London was:

"pretty reliable, unless somebody jumps off the platform at Wimbledon, which happens with monotonous regularity."

In the Daily Telegraph, Dr Peter Byrne, from The Royal College of Psychiatrists, said:

"There was very little mention of mental health in the Government spending review and it is a pity to hear these kinds of views come through in such ill-considered remarks.

"There is nothing inconsiderate or amusing about people taking their own lives."

I think the attack on Philip Hammond should actually come from closer to home though.

Only in June this year one of Philip Hammond's Conservative colleagues, David Ruffley MP jumped in front of a train at Victoria Station, thankfully he survived and is now back at work.

Thank goodness for Ruffley that he wasn't at Wimbledon Station otherwise he would not have got any sympathy from Hammond, just a whinge about the delay he had caused.

Seriously, MPs and others need to think clearly before they open their mouth and make flippant comments - or as my Mum used to say - engage brain before putting mouth into gear.

David Mundell MP quizzed by police over election expenses

Following the announcement of David Mundell's election expenses mistake - Police probe David Mundell election expenses complaint - and then the news - David Mundell MP set to appear in court over election expenses probe - well, it appears now that the Police have in fact finally got around to this case.

David Mundell MP was apparently questioned by the Police two days ago on Monday.

I still don't think this will come to anything more than a fine, although the fine can be as much as £5,000.

Scotland's only Conservative MP entered a newspaper bill on the long campaign expenses that was really meant to have been entered into the short campaign section, but that would have meant a complete overspend on the legal limit.

Let us wait and see what the Police recommend.

Conservative former Councillors jailed over postal vote scam

From The Independent who have followed this story;

Five men, including two former Conservative councillors, were jailed today for their parts in a failed postal votes scam aimed at getting a Conservative Party candidate, Haroon Rashid elected in the 2005 general election.

A judge heard at Leeds Crown Court that a newspaper investigation and police inquiry unearthed a plot to try to get Tory candidate Haroon Rashid elected in the marginal Bradford West seat using hundreds of fraudulent postal vote applications.

The Court was told detectives examined about 900 suspicious forms - many from people who did not exist or had no idea an application had been made on their behalf.

The plot was foiled before the conspirators had the chance to convert the applications into votes and, in the end, Haroon Rashid was defeated by the sitting Labour MP Marsha Singh who won with a majority of more than 3,000.

Prosecutors said that if the press had not intervened back in May 2005, "the plan may well have been successful".

Today former Bradford city councillor Jamshed Khan, 65, of Russell Street, Bradford; another former councillor Reis Khan, 40, of Whetley Hill, Bradford; Mohammed Sultan, 52, of Toller Lane, Bradford and Mohammed Rafiq, 70, of Cecil Avenue, Bradford, were each jailed for 21 months for their part in the conspiracy.

All four denied a charge of conspiring to defraud the electoral registration officer of Bradford City Council but were found guilty at a trial earlier this year.

Another defendant, Alyas Khan, 52, of Hilton Road, Bradford, admitted the offence and was jailed for 11 months.

Finally the Courts are starting to act on this corrupt practice - yes I would say the same of any Lib Dem found doing it too - we have to stamp down on this nonsense, irrespective of which political party conducts the postal vote fraud.

Conservative Council leader Councillor Kay Cutts snubs gay activist

Ian Campbell was to be presented with a youth citizenship award by the leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Councillor Kay Cutts.

Now Ian Campbell who is gay, was to be presented with the award for his work promoting gay rights and fighting bullying and anti homophobia in schools.

Ian is also the youngest Mayor in the United Kingdom.  At the age of 23 the Labour Councillor was elected to the post of Mayor of Retford, also in Nottinghamshire.

In the past the Leader of Nottinghamshire Council has presented the winner with officials presenting the other awards.

Ian Campbell was chosen as joint Young Person of the Year in Nottinghamshire by a panel of judges including Nottinghamshire's chief constable and given the award at the end of last year.

According to the BBC News website:

The organiser of the Young People of the Year awards, Tony Gearing, claimed: "She was very off hand and had decided she wouldn't take part - despite pleading - with the photographs or with the handing over of the prizes."

It appears that Councillor Cutts asked Ian Campbell what the award was for, and once he had told her she withdrew her hand and was in a bit of shock.

However, as she wasn't available for comment it was left to a spokesperson to comment, who in my opinion has actually added even more fuel to the fire.

The spokesman said:

"The Conservative Party takes allegations of homophobia extremely seriously.

"(We) are satisfied that her conduct at the youth awards ceremony in question was exemplary and any suggestion to the contrary is completely inaccurate.

"None of her actions were in any way homophobic."

He then added Councillor Cutts had refused to be photographed with the winner because he was a Labour Party activist.

What?

The Conservative Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council has refused to have a photo taken with the Mayor of Retford, Councillor Ian Campbell.

Kay Cutts needs to grow up and apologise publicly and then donate money to a LGBT charity of Ian Campbell's choice.

Bassetlaw District Council is Conservative run, but chose to elect Ian Campbell as the Mayor - Ian won his seat from the Conservatives by just 15 votes.  So, in that part of the County the Conservatives are much more grown up than the leader of the Shire, Kay Cutts could well take lessons from her colleagues.

Ian was thrown out of his home when he came out, so I am sure this minor mishap will be nothing to him, but I hope he pursues it and shames Kay Cutts.

UPDATE Friday 6th August 17.37pm
Ian Campbell saw my original blog post and via twitter we have been chatting.

It appears that Councillor Kay Cutts has come out on the attack via BBC Radio Nottingham and has yet again today stressed that she refused to have a photo taken with Ian because he is a Labour Party activist.

Councillor Cutts - what a load of crap.

Go back and read exactly why Ian Campbell won the award, see what happened to him when he came out?

Ian Campbell's political allegiance has diddly squat to do with him winning the award and he was only at the ceremony because he won the award, nothing to do with being a Labour Councillor nor to do with him being the youngest Mayor in the UK.

Councillor Cutts either you are being homophobic, or just plain stupid?

Ian Campbell has stated on twitter to me (so it is in the public domain) that he will accept a full apology from Councillor Kay Cutts.

I think Ian is being great, I still think he should push for a personal donation to a LGBT charity, there is enough of them in Nottingham that would benefit from a donation of £100.

So readers, here is where you come in, if like Ian and I (different political allegiances) you think that Councillor Kay Cutts owes Ian Campbell a full and public apology, and if you like a personal donation of £100 to a LGBT charity of Ian's choice then email her today, in fact do it now!

Councillor Kay Cutts - Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council.  Just click on her name or here.

Conservative Councillor Neil Rockcliffe calls his ward "Chaffrica"

Conservative Councillor, Neil Rockcliffe for Chafford and North Stifford ward in Thurrock, Essex has been slammed for calling his ward "Chaffrica" on his facebook page while on holiday.

Councillor Neil Rockcliffe

Councillor Rockcliffe, wrote: "Is missing being in Chaffrica" and then went on to add:

"Thinking that the scriptwriters of Eastenders must live on Chafford Hundred...has all the ingredients...murderers, rapists, concerned ethnic minorities, gay men etc, etc...."

Councillor Neil Rockliffe, who represents Chafford and North Stifford with just a majority of 117 votes, said he had now removed the posts.

Chafford Hundred has one of the fastest growing black and minority ethnic middle classes in the United Kingdom.

The comments have been slammed by anti-racism organisation TRUST.

A spokesperson speaking on behalf of the Chair of TRUST said: “This isn’t helpful at all. The borough has been red-flagged for community cohesion and we are all working so hard to turn it around.

Speaking to BBC News;

Mr Rockliffe insisted that the reference to "Chaffrica" was a comment about his garden, and how overgrown it is.

He added: "The comment had been blown out of all proportion and taken out of context. It wasn't a public comment and I'm not a career politician."

When asked by the BBC to respond to his references to "murderers, rapists, concerned ethnic minorities (and) gay men," the councillor said: "If you look at the date of the Eastenders comment on Facebook and the episode that went out that night, they were issues in part of that programme."

He said he did not know how the remarks could have got into the public domain but he said they had now been removed.

Speaking before he had managed to speak to Mr Rockliffe himself, Councillor Garry Hague, the leader of the Conservative group and fellow ward councillor on Thurrock Council, told the BBC:

"We are taking this extremely seriously, we will take whatever action is necessary."

A spokesperson for the council refused to be drawn on the matter, but did acknowledge they were aware of it.

Leading Tories are remaining tight-lipped on the subject.

Last week, Councillor Rockcliffe tabled a motion at full council asking: "If the Labour group had something against Chafford Hundred?"

Like every other politician before him, Neil Rockcliffe has made a stupid comment on Facebook and then it appears is denying knowing how it became public!

I would suggest because you pressed enter.

Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen in mental health joke gaffe

The Conservative MP for North West Leicestershire, Andrew Bridgen strayed into the area of mental health in a debate in the House of Commons, unfortunately for him he tried to make a joke of it, never a good idea.

Andrew Bridgen MP: "As for those suffering from mental health problems, especially selective amnesia, I can see plenty in this Chamber."

Neither did he then go on to apologise, another mistake.

Mental health is a serious issue in this country and making light of it by politicians, who should know better, is not helpful.

It is this petty playground throwaway comments that stop mental health being treated as a serious illness.

Mental health is everyone’s business. We all have times when we feel down or stressed or frightened. Most of the time those feelings pass. But sometimes they develop into a more serious problem and that could happen to any one of us, including Andrew Bridgen MP.

You may bounce back from a setback while someone else may feel weighed down by it for a long time.

There’s a stigma attached to mental health problems. This means that people feel uncomfortable about them and don’t talk about them much. Many people don’t even feel comfortable talking about their feelings. But it’s healthy to know and say how you’re feeling.

Hopefully Andrew Bridgen will apologise for his childish comment.

LGBT voters switch from Cameron's Conservatives to Clegg's Liberal Democrats

Finally, the LGBT voters of Britain, well the ones that read Pink News anyway are starting to see that perhaps the Conservatives and David Cameron are not quite what they thought they were.

The recent Pink News poll shows that David Cameron's recent Gay Times interview and Chris Graylings comments about bed & breakfast owners having the right to turn away gay customers are having an effect on the views of LGBT voters.

The Conservative record on supporting gay rights is nothing short of shameful. David Cameron cannot pretend a quick apology for Section 28 will make up for the entrenched and often bigoted views of his hand-picked frontbench colleagues in the House of Commons.

David Cameron and the Conservatives like to pretend that they have changed but they remain the same old Tories.

The Liberal Democrats are now the most popular political party among the LGBT community.
Last month, 25% of the LGBT community said that they would vote Conservative at the upcoming general election, 25% said they'd back the Liberal Democrats and 28% said they'd vote Labour.

However, this month, just a day before a general election is expected to be called, counting only the votes of those that had taken part in the March poll, 20% of the LGBT community have said that they will back the Conservatives, a fall of 5%. Support for Labour remains unchanged at 28%, while support for the Liberal Democrats has increased by 5% to 29%.

The Conservatives still remain the most popular party among those aged 23 and under, but at 35% this month, this is 5% down on our poll a month ago. 32% of those too young to vote at the last election said they would vote Liberal Democrat and just 13% said they'd vote Labour.

Labour's record over the last thirteen years has not convinced that particular group.

PinkNews.co.uk found that 30% of LGBT people felt less favourably of Mr Cameron following an interview broadcast on Channel 4 News, where Mr Cameron was unable to answer questions about votes in the European parliament and the decision to give MPs and peers a free vote issues relating to gay rights.

Last month, 25% of Pink News readers said they'd like to see David Cameron become Prime Minister, ahead of Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg. This month, just 20% of our readers backed David Cameron, 29% backed Gordon Brown and 28% backed Nick Clegg. An increase of 5% for both Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg.

57% of respondents said that the economy is the most important policy issue they will consider when casting their vote, 16% LGBT rights, 9% healthcare, 6% education, 5% foreign policy, 4% immigration and 2% crime.

The PinkNews.co.uk poll had already begun prior to The Observers story of comments by the Conservative MP Chris Grayling where he backed the rights of bed and breakfast owners to ban gay couples.

But the swing from Conservative to Liberal Democrat did increase markedly in the early hours of Sunday.

The voting records of current Conservative MPs who are standing in the coming general election show that:

• One in six, voted in favour of Section 28 in 1988. A sixth voted against its repeal in 2003 including David Cameron and a third of the Shadow Cabinet
• One in ten voted against dropping the age of consent for gay men from 21 to 18 in 1994
• Almost one in five, voted against the Sexual Offences Amendment Bill in 1999 which aimed to reduce the age at which anal sex was legal from 18 to 16
• One in three voted to allow only heterosexual, married couples to adopt in 2002 including seven members of the Shadow Cabinet
• One in three voted against the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations in March 2007 which allows the Secretary of State to make regulations defining discrimination and harassment on grounds of sexual orientation. This included thirty-three, or a third of frontbenchers and four of the Shadow Cabinet
• The Conservative Party opposed The Equality Bill 2008-09. Nineteen members of the Shadow Cabinet joined attempts to block the bill which will introduce a single 'public duty' requiring all publicly-funded bodies to pro-actively promote equality across the board and remove barriers to fair service provision

More stories you can read about the Conservatives and their LGBT record, or lack of it;

Tory LGB group in turmoil over Cameron's catastrophic gay times interview
Cameron crashes as Popplewell asks about Conservative Gay Rights record
Cameron slips up on gay equality - Channel 4 News
Cameron's Conservatives tells Republicans in USA to embrace gay rights
Gay friendly Tories are just wolves in sheep's clothing

Conservative Chris Grayling MP in homophobic comments interview

Only two months ago Sir Michael Scholar warned Chris Grayling MP that the way he used the figures for violent crime were "likely to mislead the public".

Well, now Chris Grayling is embroiled in a homophobic row.

Last month a gay couple were turned away from a B&B run by a Christian couple as reported in the Guardian, well now Conservative MP Chris Grayling has defended this and is in fact urging other B& B owners to do exactly the same, but not hotel owners!

From today's Observer;

The row will alarm David Cameron as he prepares for a general election that looks certain to be called on Tuesday. The Tory leader has gone out of his way to win over gay and lesbian voters by stressing his new-look party's liberal credentials. Last year, he apologised for section 28, the law passed by Margaret Thatcher's Tory government in the late 1980s that bans the promotion of homosexuality in schools. Cameron has also voted in favour of civil partnerships.

However, his progress in attracting the gay vote has been halted by a series of disputes involving his own MPs and MEPs. Tory MEPs last year refused to support a motion that condemned a new homophobic law in Lithuania.

Cameron was also left embarrassed during a recent interview with Gay Times, broadcast by Channel 4 News, in which he admitted he did not know his party's position on a series of votes involving gay rights issues in the UK and European parliaments.

Chris Grayling said in the interview to the Centre for Policy Studies;

I think we need to allow people to have their own consciences," he said. "I personally always took the view that, if you look at the case of should a Christian hotel owner have the right to exclude a gay couple from a hotel, I took the view that if it's a question of somebody who's doing a B&B in their own home, that individual should have the right to decide who does and who doesn't come into their own home."

Sorry Chris, it really doesn't work like that, irrespective if it is their home or not, once they decide to open a business, in this case as a bed and breakfast they have to comply with the law.

And being homophobic is clearly against the law!

This is clearly yet another example proving that the Conservatives are not gay friendly, they are still the same old Tories, Section 28 and homophobia is in their genes I'm afraid.  Whatever rhetoric David Cameron comes out with, they are still the same old Tories with their old and out of touch views.

It is time for David Cameron to act, sack Chris Grayling for his outdated homophobic views.

Tories £5million donor to stand candidate against SNP MP Pete Wishart

Stuart Wheeler, who in 2001 gave £5million to the Conservative Party, and was subsequently thrown out for giving £100,000 to UKIP last year, will announce tomorrow in Westminster that he has set up a new political party that will stand just three candidates at the general election.
One in England, one in Scotland and one in Wales.

Stuart Wheeler, who will stand himself, is going to stand against Conservative MP, Greg Barker in Bexhill.

Greg Barker, the Conservative Shadow Climate Change Minister and close friend of David Cameron, was accused of pocketing £320,000 from buying and selling a flat he bought with the help of expenses.

He owned a home in Pimlico, near the Commons, for 27 months before selling it and moving back to his old address.

The new party's second candidate, accountant Douglas Taylor, will stand against SNP MP Pete Wishart in Perth.

Pete Wishart was asked to repay £1,632 in respect of a duplicate claim for flat rental and a utility bill after an investigation into his expenses.

Mr Wheeler hopes a third Trust Party candidate may stand in Wales.

Stuart Wheeler, who made a fortune from online gambling, says his new anti-expenses cheats party could field three candidates in the Election and has vowed that if elected, he will claim no expenses.


That is easy for a multi millionaire to say, obviously.

You can read the full story in the Mail on Sunday.

Conservative election campaign is too complicated admit the Conservatives

It appears that the Conservatives own election campaign, including Oliver Letwin's policy pyramid has left many of their MPs and candidates confused.  Poor loves.

Over at The Times Online;

MPs and candidates were left baffled after being told at a private meeting to campaign on a combination of one slogan, three promises and six pledges.

To be perfectly honest I am astounded they managed to get this far, so Cameron's Conservatives are campaigning on one slogan, three promises and six pledges - but no policies?

Isn't that what Nick Clegg has been saying about the Conservatives for some time now?

In fact so confused are their candidates and MPs that two of the Conservative MPs after the meeting said about their party's policy;

that they would “make it up on the doorstep”

Given this announcement I wondered if any of their candidates had actually noticed there was indeed instructions from the high command, I mean, take John Lamont MSP in the Scottish Borders, he is quite obviously ignorning the wishes of David Cameron himself as he campaigns for one job in Westminster while already holding one in Holyrood.

It is hardly an inspriring thought is it, two jobs Lamont, when many people in the Scottish Borders don't have any job at all given the awful predicament they find themselves in during the recession.

The dual mandate aspect is a key issue in Scotland and MSPs from both Labour and the Conservatives, including John Lamont are just going ahead on their ego trips, ignoring the wishes of their leaders who claim they want to clean up politics but their candidates are ignoring them and instead are just thinking of themselves, typical Tories.

Senior officials inside Conservative headquarters said that the Campaign Guide, the detailed policy and attack manual for candidates, was unnecessarily complicated.

Unnecessarily complicated so much that candidates ignore it because they don't in fact understand it?

John Lamont has form for ignoring Conservative high command, take the photo below, taken at their Manchester Conference, when the great Eric Pickles said no one should be able to take photos of the Tories supping Champagne, but John 'Bubbles' Lamont ignored him then too.

Shadow ministers have admitted that if there was a Tory victory it would not come with the same enthusiasm that Tony Blair enjoyed.

So, the Conservatives are admitting that they have no policies, they won't be campaigning on them unless it fits into the pyramid puzzle, if they win it means that Cameron won but no-one else really did and they are not as popular as Blair was when he ousted the last Conservative Government!

Yes ladies and gentlement, it is time for change, real change with real people. So, vote for the Liberal Democrats a party putting fairness at the very heart of it's election campaign and policies.

Cameron's Conservative Councillor in rant at East Surrey candidate shortlist

The Daily Telegraph has an interesting story about a Surrey Conservative Councillor who didn't appreciate having one gay man, two black men and three women on the shortlist imposed on them by Conservative Central Office to select the East Surrey Westminster candidate.

Beverley Connolly, a Tory councillor in Tandridge, Surrey, said: "I'm sure they are all eminently able candidates, but some of these people have been parachuted in from out of the area. We have a black candidate, a gay candidate.

"I'm not remotely homophobic. It's not a reflection on their abilities or personalities but you have to ask if people are there just to tick boxes. It's not about what's best for the party in East Surrey, it's about what the party wants."

This is a mixed story really, yet again, another Constituency Association objects to the way that David Cameron and Eric Pickles are running the 'new' Conservative Party.

The list of six includes the 'winner' Sam Gyimah, Tariq Ahmad, Iain Dale, Philippa Broom, Natalie Elphicke and Sally Marks.



This Conservative 'A' list of candidates has been around for a while now and seems to cause controversy all the time, first there was Bromley when the local Association rejected Cameron's 'A' list and instead picked three jobs (and I want a 4th) Bob Neill, last week we were reading about the problems with Joanne Cash, then there was Liz Trust and the affair and the list goes on.

Cameron maybe trying to convince the electorate that they Conservatives have changed, but we are seeing week after week that the grassroots Conservatives have not changed, they are still exactly the same.
Is Conservative Councillor Beverley Connolly homophobic or racist, probably not, does she dislike being told exactly what to do by David Cameron and Conservative Central Office? Definitely.

Joanne Cash, Tory PPC for Westminster North resigns

Conservative Home is reporting;

Ms Cash resigned at a special meeting of the Association tonight - also attended by Eric Pickles and Lord Strathclyde - following internal tensions in the local party.

9.45pm: CCHQ mounting effort to reverse decision.

Tories Twitter Rules for Twits

The Daily Mail today is covering the story so a hat tip to them.

The Conservative high command has issued a directive to every one of their candidates in the forthcoming general election that all twitter, facebook, blog and website comment must be checked first!

So, they are saying every tweet must be approved, every facebook status update must be approved, every letter in the local paper must be approved, every blog post must be approved and every comment or post on a website must be approved.

What they are actually saying is this, we don't trust you to make decisions on your own and we will dictate more than Alistair Campbell and Peter Mandelson did in 1997.

What a load of crap, I'm intrigued how Tory Central Office will even cope with this?

They can't cope with the gaffes that Chris Grayling MP, George Osborne MP and David Cameron make, so how do they propose to manage 650+ candidates?

This is the party that could, according to their own arrogance, possibly form the next government!

Don't get me wrong, people make mistakes on these outlets but that's because they are human.

As a person who uses social media and also works for the Liberal Democrats I would be horrified if the party or my bosses started to tell me what I can or cannot put on my blog, twitter messages and facebook statuses.

But that's the difference.

The Liberal Democrats believe in personal freedom, the Tories, as is becoming more apparent believe in a central dictatorship.

More power to the power of social media and a lot less for Tory CCHQ.

Lies, damn lies and Cameron's Conservatives crime statistics

So, Chris Grayling MP who has been publicly humiliated this week, now today receives another slap, not from other politicians or political parties but from Sir Michael Scholar, the chairman of the UK Statistics Authority.

Sir Michael Scholar has warned Chris Grayling MP that the way he used the figures for violent crime were "likely to mislead the public".

This does beg the question, how can we trust the Conservatives?  This is the party who are arrogantly assuming they are going to form the next government, however given these revelations, how are we supposed to trust anything they say or promise?

They are starting to say anything to get elected, just like their bed fellows in Scotland, the SNP, who is 2007 promised alsorts to get elected only now starting to drop election pledge after election pledge.

Only last month David Cameron admitted he had "messed up" on the rewarding marriage through the tax system.

Annabel Goldie, the Conservatives Scottish Leader has announced that the Conservatives want to freeze the salary of all public sector workers who earn £18,000+ - nurses, policemen and women, council workers, firemen and women and as Liberal Democrats Scottish Leader, Tavish Scott said "A Lance Corporal returning from a tour of duty in Afghanistan will find that the Conservatives have cut his pay in real terms while he has been away."

The Independent have done a little file on Chris Graylings gaffes;

Last August, Chris Grayling made a headline-grabbing speech in which he likened life in Britain’s inner cities to that in Baltimore,Maryland, as portrayed in the acclaimed television series The Wire. “When The Wire comes to Britain’s streets, it is the poor who suffer most. It is the poor who are the ones who have borne the brunt of the surge in violence under this Government,” he said.

This drew angry rebukes from city leaders, including London’s Conservative Mayor, Boris Johnson, who described it as “absolute nonsense”, because crime levels are actually much lower in British inner cities than in Baltimore.

Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary, remarked: “The connection between The Wire and Chris Grayling’s grasp on the problems of modern Britain is that they are both fictional.”

Mr Grayling also almost ruined a political coup that David Cameron pulled off during last autumn’s Conservative Party conference, when the Tory leader announced he had taken on Sir Richard Dannatt, former Chief of the General Staff, as a political adviser.

Asked for his reaction, in front of a television camera, Mr Grayling thought that Sir Richard had agreed to be Gordon Brown’s adviser, and rubbished the appointment as a “political gimmick”. He spent the rest of the day eating his words.

Gay friendly Tories are just wolves in sheep's clothing

We all know that with this being election year lots of groups are being targeted by political parties, well the Tories are trying to court the pink vote, or LGBT voters.

Well now the "shameful" Tory record on voting for gay rights issues is clear for all to see, and they aren't quite as gay friendly as you may think!

A quarter of David Cameron's shadow cabinet have previously voted against gay rights legislation in the House of Commons.

The research by the Liberal Democrats looked at issues including Section 28, adoption and the age of consent. It lists the voting records of current Tory MPs who will be standing in this year's general election.

One in six current Tory MPs standing for re-election voted in favour of Section 28 back in 1988.

A sixth voted against Section 28's repeal in 2003 including a third of the shadow cabinet. David Cameron, Francis Maude and William Hague were among them.

Yes, that's right, David Cameron voted against the repeal of the most anti gay piece of legislation ever - a complete and utter hypocrite!

One in ten of them voted against reducing the age of consent for gay men from 21 to 18 in 1994.

Almost one in five voted against the Sexual Offences Amendment Bill in 1999 which reduced the age at which anal sex is legal from 18 to 16. Seven of these, including shadow equality minister Theresa May, are in the current Cameron shadow cabinet.

One in three voted to allow only heterosexual married couples to adopt in 2002, including seven members of the current Cameron shadow cabinet.

One in three voted against the Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations in March 2007, which allows the Secretary of State to make regulations defining discrimination and harassment on grounds of sexual orientation. This included 33 – a third – of frontbenchers and four members of the shadow cabinet.

Nineteen members of Cameron's shadow cabinet joined an attempt to block the Equality Bill which would introduce a single ‘public duty’ requiring all publicly-funded bodies to proactively promote equality.

Of the 31 shadow cabinet members, ten voted at least once against gay equality. One, the shadow Europe minister, Mark Francois, voted against repealing Section 28, allowing gay couples to adopt and 2007's Sexual Orientation Regulations. He also joined the attempt to block the Equality Bill.

The Tory record on supporting gay rights is nothing short of shameful. David Cameron cannot pretend a quick apology for Section 28 will make up for the entrenched and often bigoted views of his hand-picked frontbench colleagues in the House of Commons.

David Cameron and the Conservatives like to pretend that they have changed but they remain the same old Tories.

Can you imagine what will happen to gay rights if they win the general election later this year?

Hypocritical Tories - Zac Goldsmith admits to being a 'non-dom' and avoiding paying tax in UK

Another week and another Tory being a complete hypocrite shock, this week it is the turn of Zac Goldsmith who has finally admitted being a 'non-dom', short for non-domicile tax status, enabling him to avoid paying sums of tax on his estimated £200million personal fortune.

David Cameron's green advisers disclosure further risks embarrassing the Conservative party, he confirmed that he is a “non-dom” who can legitimately escape paying tax on his inheritance from his late father, Sir James Goldsmith. Much of it is held offshore to The Sunday Times.

Zac Goldsmith, who is the Tory candidate in Richmond Park has told The Sunday Times that he plans to give up his non-dom status next year. Hmmm, is it a coincidence that the general election is next year?

Well, I really hope Susan Kramer MP will ensure every voter in Richmond Park knows about this tax avoidance from the Tory candidate, how on earth can the Tories criticise tax plans from the government when members of David Cameron's team are not paying their share?

The Tories have long criticised non-doms for avoiding tax. George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, has pledged to impose a £25,000 annual levy on their wealth. While Lord Ashcroft, the party’s biggest donor, is under pressure to confirm his tax status to comply with promises made when he took a peerage. But here we have one of their big names openly admitting tax avoidance.

Zac Goldsmith's comment has draw criticism from key opposition politicians including Lord Matthew Oakeshott, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman in the House of Lords who said to The Sunday Times: “Cameron must sack Zac Goldsmith as a candidate now. He’s not fit to sit in parliament, when he’s claimed non-dom status all his life to keep his offshore hundreds of millions free of income, capital gains or inheritance tax. He must pay the millions he’s dodged to the British taxman.”

Well done to Matthew, absolutely spot on.

George Osborne and David Cameron say one thing to the public to try and get votes and here we see how they act in private, utterly appalling and once again highlights their hypocritical approach and attitude.

Racism alive and well in David Cameron's Conservative Party

Yet more proof that the Conservatives may have tried to change their clothing but underneath they are still the same party of sleaze and racism.

Over at Duncan Borrowman's blog, he has an extraordinary post from emails sent to him.

Conservative Councillor Peter Hobbins complains of the campaigning inexperience of the candidates, and when referring to candidates Dilon Gurmal and Cameron Cutie Zerha Zaidi among others says;

"Not one of them has a 'normal' English name....

"For hells sake. Why are Candidates Department so keen on these foreign names?!!!! ...

"Maybe I should change my name to something foreign - how does Petrado Indiano Hobbinso sound to you?"

Do go and read the full posting from Duncan here, especially if you have been tempted by David Cameron to vote Conservative for the first time or if you happen to be one of those rare things in life, a decent Conservative.

Again shame on the Conservatives.

Conservative MP David Curry resigns in latest expenses scandal

Conservative MP, David Curry has now resigned as the chairman of the Parliamentary Standards and Privileges Committee and now faces a formal inquiry into his £30,000 expenses claims for the second home.

Back in 2004, David Curry was apparently having an affair using his constituency home to meet his mistress, once his wife discovered the affair she banned him from that home despite this he continued to claim for this property.

When the Daily Telegraph approached him with the claim that he continued to claim for this second home from Parliamentary Allowances he immediately referred himself to the Parliamentary Commissioner.

In such a position of authority, supposedly policing the expenses scandal it shows that the Tories cannot be trusted.

Read the full piece in the Daily Telegraph.

Yet again more proof if it was needed that David Cameron's Conservative Party is no different from the old days of Tory sleaze.

Caroline Righton and Tories in dirty campaign tricks - shame

As a former campaign organiser for the Liberal Democrats in London I worked with some amazing Councillors who really worked hard trying to do their bit to improve their wards, Stephen Gilbert was one of those who I only got to work with for a short while, but he has turned into one of my best friends within the party.

The one thing that always struck me with Steve was his love for his Cornwall, and when the opportunity came to stand to e the next MP for St. Austell & Newquay he jumped for it and I am so pleased that he is the Liberal Democrats candidate and another of my best friends is the constituency organiser down there - a winning team!

Obviously Steve is rattling the Conservatives down there to the extent that they are running a dirty tricks campaign which is utterly disgraceful.

Caroline Righton (the Conservative candidate) has misrepresented Steve, either deliberately or by mistake in an email she has apparently sent to local residents and also appears to have told a story which not only isn't true, but can very simply be checked! Perhaps she should have done that before sending her email out?

Last Wednesday, both Steve and the Conservative candidate had been invited to two different events - one a question time sort of radio debate, to be broadcast live on Radio Devon, the other a last-minute invite to a meeting about the regeneration of St.Columb, a key town in the constituency of St. Austell & Newquay.

Steve had been down to ask a question to the panel at the radio debate but took the view that the local regeneration issue was more important thn the radio interview - so withdrew from that to go to the St.Columb meeting. The Conservative candidate took the opposite view, and therefore sent her apologies to the local regeneration forum.

Now, sat up here in my flat in Edinburgh it is not for me to decide for one of our top candidates what he should or shouldn't do, but if Steve was one of my candidates, I wold be telling him he did the right thing.

Like lots of candidates across the UK, Steve uses Facebook and Twitter to keep constituents, friends and supporters updated on what he's doing as well as his website.

After that night's meeting he Twittered: "was at meeting about regeneration of major town (declined by Tory PPC; Tory PPC at a publicity stunt (declined by me)"

Bizarrely I actually remember the tweet, as I was on my way home and catching up on Twitter via my Blackberry on UberTwitter.

So, imagine my surprise to find that the Conservative candidate, Caroline Righton then shared this on her email but alleging that Steve had actually sent this out with this next piece added in "D***h**d!!!"

She then goes onto say "I was sent the comment below by a constituent who is privy to my opposition's Twitter emissions, which I am not. Apparently his asterisk'd comment is highly abusive."

Now, the above comment does also add another dimension, because on inspection of Caroline's Twitter account shows that she does in fact follow Steve Gilbert so would have been aware of his tweet - they aren't called emissions! Or, she doesn't actually use her account properly in which case Twitter should suspend it.

However, Caroline's last tweet was from the day after the Radio Debate, so I checked Steve's Twitter account also, to be fair and balanced and to confirm my memory and here is the entry "was at meeting about regeneration of major town (declined by Tory PPC); Tory PPC at a publicity stunt (declined by me)....10:15 PM Oct 21st from web"

As you can see, no mention of D***H**d - it is things like this that ruin politics and I hope Caroline Righton will now formally apologise to Steve and email those same people she did last week to say sorry - if I was Steve I would look to take further action because the Conservatives should not allow candidates like this to represent them or is it that the Conservatives haven't actually changed?

This kind of behaviour should not be tolerated by the people of St. Austell & Newquay nor the Conservative Party and I hope they will show the Conservatives candidate that she is in fact not Right-on at all and this action will not be tolerated. If this was in a job, she would actually be fired, let us see if David Cameron acts on this underhanded campaign tactic?

You can read this story as written by another friend, Councillor Matt Davies.