This blog will soon cease to exist. I’m following the lead of several Lib Dem bloggers by splitting off my various interests that this blog currently covers.

National politics and local Lib Dem issues will come together in a new blog FOCUSing on the local area, whilst my various musical/events/web adventures will be housed elsewhere.

Posts may be sporadic over the next week while I get the new blogs up and running.

As if the excitement of the Princes End by-election wasn’t enough, attention has now turned to Newton ward, a rare Lib Dem stronghold in Sandwell. This was of course the seat held by Martyn Smith for the best part of 30 years until his death a few months ago.

I have in my hand a Labour leaflet currently being delivered in the ward. On the reverse there is a feedback survey with a box for voting intentions. The parties are listed in the following order: Labour, BNP, Conservative, Lib Dem, Other.

For the last five years there has not been a BNP candidate in any Newton ward Council election. Now of course, I’d expect us to be listed last on a Labour leaflet. But to place the BNP second not only raises awareness of a candidate (on the assumption that there will be!), it also gives them credibility.

This is a real kick in the teeth for all Dave Hosell’s Labour colleagues from across Sandwell who worked so hard to defeat the BNP in Princes End earlier this month. Now, it’s widely known how desperate Mr Hosell is to win Newton, but for Labour to resort to short-term tactics like this (against the long-term anti-fascist fight) is totally out of order.

I should also point out this leaflet was seemingly authoured by the West Midlands Labour Party. So is this party campaigns policy? Try explaining that to Labour party members in the rest of Sandwell.

Idiots. 

UPDATE:

I’ve photographed and uploaded the leaflet, on request:

Congratulations to Sandwell-born Steve Webb MP, who takes up the role of environment spokesperson on Nick Clegg’s front bench. Steve worked tirelessly on the manifesto-that-never-was throughout this year and thoroughly deserves this opportunity. His plain-speaking style has won him many fans in the party and I think he’ll take to this role like a duck to water.

Good luck, Steve!

It’s interesting to read of the record number of visitors to Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas market this year. But the real star attraction is the English craft market on Chamberlain Square (in front of the library) Most people wouldn’t realise they had walked between the two, but the goods on offer at the craft market are far more interesting.

If you have a chance before this weekend, stop by the Orchard Pig stall for some mulled cider or mulled apple juice (for once an advertising slogan - hot apple pie in a cup - sums up a product perfectly!)

I’m delighted to hear that 86% of Five Live texters could correctly identify Nick Clegg’s voice over David Cameron’s. So after a whole morning devoted to the question of “can you tell the difference?”, we have a resounding answer - yes!

Congratulations to Nick Clegg. I’m surprised at the slender majority but that will be quickly forgotten if Nick continues the good start he made on the radio this morning.

Stephen Tall’s excellent post on Lib Dem Voice points the way forward for Nick and I wholeheartedly agree. I’m impressed with the “Town Hall” idea, which should help to address the problems we often have with the national media. I do hope he’ll spread himself around a bit and not just concentrate on the target seats. People in the urban West Midlands region need to hear our messages just as much as people in the south-west.

Radio One have banned the word ‘faggot’ from the airwaves, including the reference used in ‘Fairytale of New York’ by the Pogues & Kirsty McGowan.

This ditty has been blaring out in shopping centres, pubs and bars and has there been great uproar from the gay community? No. Surely the context of words such as these is what counts?

I’m now playing, and singing along very loudly to (with my apologies to Bearwood), the original version.

So a BBC opinion piece seems to suggest.

He certainly achieved the aim of getting our party noticed and talked about, thanks mainly to his performances in PMQ’s. The Northern Rock probe and the refusal to meet the Saudi King also scored highly on the Liberalometer. Whether we would’ve had the excellent coverage of the last few months had their not been a leadership election is unknown, but I suspect not.

So well done Vince, but the time has come for Nick or Chris to step forward. But whoever wins, they’d better ensure Vince stays in the public eye.

What a marvellous result in the Princes End by-election tonight:

Labour 796
Con 517
BNP 314
Lib Dem 29

Clearly I mean marvellous in the general sense, rather than from a Lib Dem point of view!

This is set against a background of the BNP losing by just 20 votes back in May, which would’ve given them all 3 councillors in the ward. They’ve gone from 4 councillors to 2 in a matter of months and have performed poorly in both by-elections since May.

Some criticised us for putting up a candidate, saying it would take votes off Labour. Well for me, those 29 votes show exactly why we were right to put up a candidate. Those 29 people wanted to vote Liberal - and it was essential we gave them that opportunity, no matter what the circumstances.

This is a MAJOR step in the battle against fascism in Sandwell. For the third election count in a row, the BNP crew have arrived suited and smiley - and left quietly. Long may it continue!

A story that really caught my attention today was the medical emergency on the remote British island of Tristan Da Cunha.

However, the official Tristan Da Cunha website seems to tell a different story:

“Islanders have been suffering from a flu virus over the last 10 days or so, with asthma sufferers particularly affected, and as a result there is a concern that stocks of drugs are low.

“There is no emergency, no deaths, and the situation is under control.

“Nevertheless the Tristan Administrator David Morley is exploring options for an extra supply of the appropriate drugs as a contingency before the arrival of the next scheduled ship due on 23rd January 2008.

“The Tristan da Cunha community is grateful to receive best wishes from friends across the world following some alarmist media reports today.”

The Brummie of the Year 2007 has been announced and it’s John Tighe of the Spotted Dog pub in Digbeth. Congratulations John!

Hopefully this will give the Keep Digbeth Vibrant campaign some extra media attention.