And whilst we're talking about pyramids...

Alright, now I've been, what did I think?

The pyramids at Giza are, in themselves, pretty impressive. A lot more eroded than one is led to imagine, but pretty impressive nonetheless. So, why in the name of Cthulhu would you put a bus park at the base of one of them? And, if you got a ancient boat to display, why would you put it in an astonishingly ugly building right in front of another one? Put it this way, if the ancestors come back, those responsible had better have an good apology ready.

Giza has suffered from horrendous encroachment, virtually all of it illegal and, thus far, unpunished. The fact that you can see Pizza Hut and KFC signs close to the monument does everything to sap any sense of atmosphere from a visit to the pyramids. Compare and contrast with Machu Picchu, where there is no development allowed anywhere near the site except one fairly inobtrusive hotel built outside the exit.

And yet, this would not be enough to kill off the wonderment but for the never-ending hassle of wannabe guides, hijacking you and then demanding money. Heavens, even the security guards want tipping.

My advice to the authorities would be to remove all of the camel riders, fake guides and purveyors of astonishingly tacky souvenirs, and take a look at Skara Brae to see exactly what can be done with such a fantastic piece of history. If need be, do the former at gunpoint.

All of this said, the pyramids are amazing. If I had been given thirty seconds to just admire the view, I would have waxed lyrical about the wonders that allowed the Ancient Egyptians to build such enormous structures using only the primitive tools available then (oh yes, and tens of thousands of slaves, but let us not cavil...). I have to say, the Sphinx is a bit smaller than I had expected...

A day out with Il Patrone

I wasn't the only Liberal Democrat in Cairo for the Liberal International Congress, and with a spare day on the Sunday, it seemed obvious to do something touristic. So, what to do in Cairo on a Sunday? Well, there were those funny looking mountains that we could see from the window of our hotel room... And so, we found ourselves in a car heading through the suburbs towards Giza with two other delegates.

Our fellow travellers were Liberal International Patron and former President, the Rt Hon Lord Steel of Aikwood, and his former assistant, Atul Vadher. I find it, in retrospect, remarkable that it is twenty years since he led our Party, as he is still pretty lively.

I am disappointed in just one sense. As 'Il Patrone', I would expect to see him with a fine cigar, mojito in hand, with a silver-tipped cane, panama hat and a dancing girl on his arm. I think that he'd look damned good...

As a service to my fellow Liberal Democrats...

Every man needs a hobby, and regular readers will know that mine is bureaucracy. I served as Regional Secretary in London for three years (2005 to 2007). And now I'm back (from outer space) but with a twist. And so, it is with great pleasure that, on 1 January, I will be taking up my new role as Regional Secretary for the East of England Liberal Democrats.

A man should keep himself busy, after all...

Waiting for news from Huntingdon...

My newly-adopted Regional Party is holding its Annual Conference and General Meeting in Huntingdon today. And whilst being the best part of two thousand miles away means that I couldn't attend, I do have a personal interest. So, what happened?...

Liberal International - the Leaders speak

The session of keynote speeches by those defined as 'political leaders' took place this afternoon. Wolfgang Gerhardt, Chair of the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung (FNS) and a Free Democrat MP in the German Bundestag, spoke about the importance of education if one is to built the 'knowledge economy' that must inevitably follow in those already developed economies in the global marketplace.

Of course, the FDP are key players in international Liberal circles, especially following their dramatic advance in the recent Bundestag elections, more than doubling their representation. The FNS has been a key element in supporting the cultivation of liberal forces worldwide and, given its direct link to the FDP, and the correlation between funding and political representation, its significance in supporting democratic, liberal voices across the globe will strengthened in coming years.

Next up was Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, ELDR President and a former President of the Liberal International, whose video message provided an overview of global events, in particular the financial crisis. She notes that, contrary to those voices claiming that voters would turn away from liberalism at a time of recession, liberal parties performed well from a pan-European perspective, increasing their relative strength within the European Parliament.

We then heard from Ismail Jussa of the Civic United Front (Tanzania), who thanked, amongst others, the Westminster Foundation for Democracy for their support in building civic society structures in Tanzania, as well as other African nations. He spoke of the difficulties of providing vitally needed education in a country where freedom is vulnerable to attack from authoritarian forces, and much Government spending is derived from external donors. He condemned the concept of 'African democracy' as a disguise for increasingly undemocratic practices by would-be dictators. As he put it, there is only one form of democracy.

As a sign of genuine engagement by our Party, the next speaker was Party President, Ros Scott, who spoke about the failings of the UK education system, its over-centralisation and increasing regimentation. She reaffirmed our commitment to the abolition of student tuition fees, noting the barrier they place before the aspirations of those from less-advantaged backgrounds.

The final speaker was Lamine Ba, from PDS (Senegal), whose brief speech touched upon the role of liberalism in improving the situation of the African people. I might have said more, but my French is not what it might be...

A new Bureau for Liberal International

In today's election, a new team was 'elected' to take Liberal International into a new decade. And, I'm pleased to say, there is a familiar face amongst them.

The new President is Hans van Baalen MEP, from our Dutch sister party, VVD, and he will be supported by Juli Minoves-Triquell from the PLA, Andorra.

The two Treasurers are Josep Soler from LiD, Catalonia and Silver Meikar from ERP, Estonia, and the six Vice Presidents are Dzhevdet Chakarov (MRF, Bulgaria), Wolfgang Gerhardt (FDP, Germany), Bi-Khim Hsiao (DPP, Taiwan), Cristian David (PNL, Romania), Jelko Kacin (LDS, Slovenia) and Robert Woodthorpe-Browne, the Chair of the International Relations Committee of the Liberal Democrats.

Those standing down are Lord Alderdice, after serving three terms as President, Charles Kennedy (yes, that one) and Mamadou Lamine Ba of PDS, Senegal.

I should note that I use the word 'elected' because there wasn't a contest. It is regrettable that such a situation could occur, but without candidates, there can be no contest...

Late breaking news from Cairo...

Yes, you can add SLS, Kosovo to the list of new Observer Members...

As some doors open, others close...

Political parties die, some choose to opt out, others fail to pay their membership fee. And so we say goodbye to;

PLS , Switzerland
PND, Morocco
FDP, Switzerland
ALN, Nicaragua

all of whom have ceased to exist, and;

PLH, Honduras
ADL, Morocco
PLRA, Paraguay
SNP, Seychelles
UPND, Zambia

Consider yourself our mate, consider yourself one of the (Liberal) family...

The 56th Congress has spoken. The applications for membership have been considered, and we now have some new sister parties to work alongside.

The new Full Members are

Democratic Front Party, Egypt
Radicali Italiani
Democrat Party, Thailand
Partido Justicia Nacional, Peru

The new Observer Members are

Alliance Democratique pour le Renouveau, Burundi
The Singapore Democratic Party
The National League for Democracy (Liberated Areas), Burma
Civil Will Party, Mongolia
El Ghad Party, Egypt
Liberal Democratic Party, Bosnia and Herzegovina

In my day, we were delighted by the influx of new members from Eastern and Central Europe and from Latin America, and the notion that liberalism might put down roots in places such as Burundi, Egypt and Mongolia was but a fondly held dream.

Some of them have stories to tell of imprisonment, harassment and violence, all of them appear committed to the concept of a liberal, democratic community and they serve as a reminder of the freedom and liberty that we occasionally take for granted.

Live from the 56th Congress of Liberal International

Busy, busy, busy... Naturally, as the First Husband, I have a critical role, smiling and waving at people (apparently, the gin drinking is core too, but I prefer vodka as a rule...). There is some foreign travel too, and that is why this posting comes to you from the Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel, in the Garden City area of Cairo.

And so I find myself in a large, windowless hall, listening to an rather worthy speech by the Minister of State for Legal and Parliamentary Councils. Of course, he is speaking in Arabic, although I am wearing one of those inexplicably uncomfortable translation gizmos, so I know what he is saying. In fairness, it is really rather impressive that a representative of the President has made the time to speak to our assembled throng.

Next up is Anwar Ibrahim, leader of the Opposition in Malaysia, the former Deputy Prime Minister and imprisoned by the Government on entirely trumped up charges for six years. He takes, for entirely obvious reasons, a strong line on the independence of the judiciary and the defence of human rights and freedoms.

He is, in himself, a fascinating personality. A liberal and a Muslim, his reputation was built as Minister of Finance, transforming the economy, building free market structures sympathetic to the cultural norms of his country, and guiding the nations through the squalls that characterised the world economy at that time.

His imprisonment on charges of sodomy was a deliberate attempt to destroy his political career and his personal reputation, an act which drew worldwide condemnation. A lesser man might have been destroyed, but he has fought the charges, been found not guilty, and gone on to be fully rehabilitated without a stain upon his character.

It is an honour and privilege to have him within the international liberal family.

Marking Gandhi's birthday - an award ceremony with a difference

Now I would be the first to admit that award ceremonies and Mahatma Gandhi are not two phrases that are easily associated. However, to mark the anniversary of the birth of the great man, we were honoured to attend the 'Bapu Awards', organised by the Gandhi National Memorial Society to recognise those who most exemplify the spirit of Gandhi.

The location of the event was in itself historic, as it was the building where Gandhi was interned by the British between 1942 and 1944, and now converted into a small museum. It is at moments like this that I find myself torn between my British and Indian heritages. On one side, one is slightly discomfited by the ability of the British to deny the flow of history, and on the other, one is proud that the liberal urge for self-determination was maintained in such a place.

Our presence was noted by the organisers, and we were given a front row seat for the musical performance that opened the event, and for the speeches and awards that followed.

To give you an idea of the sort of achievement that was recognised, the first award winner was from eastern Maharashtra, where he and his wife provide a medical service under very difficult circumstances. The villages they serve are remote, electricity and running water are not always available, and the Naxalites are active despite the best efforts of local police. It would undoubtedly be easier to work somewhere else, but they continue to serve those in greatest need.

Unexpectedly, our tour secretary re-introduced us all, and our glorious leader spoke movingly about the links between Gandhi and Martin Luther King, about the glory of a man who lived humbly but led a vast nation to freedom against an authoritarian imperial power (that would be the Indian in me...) and about his prescience in calling for a society where we tread more lightly upon the earth. It was a speech made all the more impressive by the fact that he hadn't been expecting to speak at all!

On reflection, one wonders what Gandhi would make of our world today. Doubtless, he would marvel at the advances we have made in medical science and in food production, enabling our planet to support more people and to ensure that they live longer. And yet, he would despair at our politics and at our ability to manufacture crisis and disharmony amongst nations, just because we can.

Perhaps the world needs a global Gandhi of our generation...

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer 2, Government 0

The Coroners and Justice Bill is still winding its merry way through the Lords, with Sue Miller leading for us there. The strategy is clearly to improve access and reduce delay, and her first victory was on amendment 1, which read

in clause 1, page 2, line 20, at end to insert:

“( ) A senior coroner shall inform the Chief Coroner if completion of an investigation is likely to take more than 12 months from the time that the coroner was notified of the death.

( ) The Chief Coroner shall maintain a register of prolonged investigations.”

For some reason, the Government weren't willing to accept such an obviously reasonable proposal, but after a 173-119 defeat, perhaps they will rethink. However, not content with that, she moved amendment 4,

after clause 5, to insert the new clause Information for inquests.

Again, another defeat for the Government, this time by 158 votes to 128.

It's good to see that we're still taking the fight to this increasingly hapless administration...

Is Mid Suffolk District Council willing to degrade my rural idyll?

I went back to Creeting St Peter yesterday to attend a Parish Meeting, called to discuss the proposals for a Business and Enterprise Park at the north-west end of the Parish, adjoining Stowmarket.

We don't do flaming torches and pitchforks as a rule, although Cllr Caroline Byles, our District Councillor, might have felt at home had we brought some - even more so had she decided to turn up. She had told the Parish Council that 'we should be grateful' that development was going to come to our village in the shape of a lorry park. Perhaps living fifteen miles away from the site lends enchantment... and it doesn't feel like that from a mile away.

In fairness, the council officers who came to place the proposals in context with the needs of the Stowmarket area, options for development and geography, did an excellent job of convincing us that they had our best interests at heart. I was personally intrigued by the notion that a regular bus service might be part of village life in the future - my efforts to encourage provision of a bus stop may yet bear fruit - but my concern is that, if development must go ahead, I want as much as possible for the villages of Stowupland and Creeting St Peter.

It was a very well attended meeting by Creeting standards, and a range of questions and concerns were raised. Hopefully, we have laid down a few markers for the future, although without a Parish Plan, it will be difficult to agree upon a principled approach for the village in the face of future development.

An oestrogen pill for the blogosphere, with love from Amaranth

Ah, Mark, so reasonable, so fair-minded in his comments about women and blogging. He's so cute like that. Wrong, but cute nonetheless. Let's be honest, male bloggers are like dinosaurs - they claim to rule the world because they're big. And yet, they don't, and they aren't.

Here in the paradise that is Amaranth, we have taken some meaningful steps to ensure that women bloggers gain their fair share of sunlight. After all, as the only liberal empire in the world, we have standards to maintain. For example, we introduced a television programme called "And who made you God then?" in which bloggers are asked to justify some of their more outrageously hyperbolic postings before a jury made up of senior academics at the University of Feldkirch. In my experience, under withering scrutiny, male bloggers learn to be rather less dogmatic...

However, as merely an occasional drinker at the well of Liberal Democrat blogging, I notice that the top Liberal Democrat blogger is a woman, the top Scottish Liberal Democrat blogger is a woman, and the top Welsh Liberal Democrat is Petra Black (Klaus, can you check that for me?). Indeed, some of the best non-women Liberal Democrats bloggers are animals (gender undefined) and gay men - in some cases both at the same time.

So, perhaps, it isn't that we need more women bloggers, but that we need less men. Now, whilst a cull might be a good thing (and it certainly works wonders with the occasional plague of Conservatives we get here), it is a bit illiberal. So, what could you do to raise the number of women bloggers? Indeed, do you even need to?

In truth, if women want to do something, they almost certainly will. Poison their lover, invade Hungary, suck the blood of a thousand slain enemy warriors, my predecessors as Empress have done all of these things and much more. On the other hand, they might have better things to do, like actually doing things whilst the boys just talk about them...

Rumours of Kelly - have they really thought this through?

This morning, The Times reports that the Kelly review on MP expenses is expected to recommend that those MPs whose nearest railway station is an hour or less from Westminster will no longer be able to claim a second home allowance. For example, from an East Anglian perspective, Eric Pickles (Brentwood and Ongar) will lose the right to claim, whilst Bob Russell (Colchester) will retain it.

In principle, it seems fair that MPs should experience the same lifestyle that many of their constituents experience, the daily commute being part of it. In the current environment, where hostility to politicians and their works is seemingly unlimited, there is a sense that MPs should be more like the rest of us.

And yet I have a little honest doubt, as someone who has commuted for most of his adult life. Yes, I grew used to losing two, sometimes three hours a day to the haul into and out of the city, but I was only working a thirty-six hour week. My hours, whilst flexible, roughly equate to a nine to five day. Is that true for MPs?

Last night, I flicked through the television channels and BBC Parliament was still broadcasting live coverage of the House of Commons at 10.25 p.m. (the House finally adjourned at 10.27 p.m.). So, if Crispin Blunt was going to head back to Reigate, he will have missed the last train home. He has been working, and is now expected to get home. Is that the sort of commute that most people would think of as reasonable? I think not.

One point bears repeating. MPs do not work thirty-six or even forty-five hour weeks, not if they're doing it properly. If you expect them to be available during office hours, and I presume that you do, it's potentially more like a fifty hour week, plus weekends. So, if you expect MPs to commute, is it not fair that they get the downtime to recover too?

But no, you expect them to meet their constituents, to attend village fetes. You expect them to be seen around the constituency, campaigning, holding surgeries. There are limits and, if people are pushed too hard, and the job made almost entirely unattractive, many of the people that you would actually like to see representing you will take one look and say, "No, I think that I'll have a life instead."

So, fair enough, make MPs commute for up to an hour. In return, Parliament opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. Organise it so that there can be proper scrutiny, or leave that to a reformed professional House of Lords, as you will, but crucifying those who represent us on a cross made of our own anger and prejudices will only lead to worse government by an increasingly remote group of professional administrators.

And now for something completely different... Indian wine

Of course, delegations aren't all about meetings in air-conditioned offices. Occasionally, you get to do something unusual and on this trip, the most unexpected event was our visit to to Deccan Plateau Vineyards. This is the first vineyard in India to be owned and run by Indians, as other vineyards have either imported winemakers from overseas, or are owned by overseas purchasers.

Now I've travelled pretty widely in pursuit of wine. Australia, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina have been my favourites, but I've found good wine in less obvious places - Bolivia produces at least one good riesling, for example. However, a winery in its second year was unlikely to produce wine of a decent quality, right?

Wrong. As the delegation discovered, the potential for decent wine is certainly there, and Nitin Shinde, the winemaker, is producing red wines with real potential. I bought three bottles myself as gifts for later in the trip, and I am confident that we will be hearing more about Indian wine in the future.

Damn it Jennie, just sit still and be revered, why don't you?

My friend Jennie is unhappy this morning, a fact which takes a little of the shine off of my day. Jennie is different. She appears to live her life in accordance to one of the key principles of liberalism, in that she refuses to be a slave to conformity, and I get a degree of vicarious pleasure out of that.

She is volatile and direct, and for those of us who have allowed ourselves to be boxed in by convention, by what those around us think, by our upbringing and by our community, she represents a breath of fresh air. Even when I don't wholly agree with her, I am made to think just a little. Best of all, she makes me smile even when she makes a serious point.

All in all, I think that she's a bit of a treasure, to be taken out of the wrapper of the blogosphere and savoured from time to time, to be celebrated and enjoyed.

So, wherever you are and whatever you're doing today, the sun is shining on you, my friend. The clouds that are in the way are someone else's problem...

Women and blogging - a view from the uncategorised

I have been drawn to the debate kicked off by Jennie about women bloggers and recognition/linking. And, whilst Jennie categorises me in a group all of its own (yay, I'm unique!), perhaps, as one of the small number of bloggers with an alter ego who occasionally blogs, I might make a small, rather humble, contribution.

Firstly, I am puzzled by the concept that feminism, and blogging about it, is not political. For one thing, the idea of campaigning for anything is in itself a political act, to be agreed with or disagreed with, to support or reject, in the same way that, for example, British involvement in Afghanistan might be. Indeed, I would argue that any debate on the role, or treatment, of women is really rather more important, given that it potentially directly impacts on the lives of half of the population and indirectly (and here there is genuine cause for debate) on the other half.

As I have noted in the past, I come from a background where a male was discouraged from taking an involved stance on issues of feminism. I apparently couldn't possibly understand the issues, and any attempt to address them was looked upon with suspicion, verging on hostility. Accordingly, I have tended to avoid the debate to some extent, preferring to support from the sidelines.

Jennie presents evidence to support the contention that blogging is not the province of one or other gender, information that is of interest to an old number cruncher like me. So, I thought that I would do some research myself. Mycouncillor.org.uk lists 375 male Liberal Democrat bloggers and 123 female ones, a 3:1 ratio. This is not that far out of line with the ratio of male councillors to female ones if memory serves, so does the imbalance simply reflect the relative dearth of women in politics?

Mark Pack did attempt, albeit in rather weak fashion, put a contradictory figure into the mix, but I'm going with Jennie on this one. So, one must assume that women blog on other things. Alternatively, they blog on subjects that are not perceived to be political.

The definition of 'political' is, I suspect, as wide as that of 'culture' and, having spent eighteen months at your expense trying (and failing) to define the latter, I am loathe to essay an attempt to do so. However, for the purposes of the exercise, I ought to try. So here goes...

A political blog posting is one that considers how society might or might not be changed to alter the lives of individuals or groups

I think that this is has a fairly wide embrace, and certainly includes topics that would probabaly be perceived as being outside of what the mainstream news media might cover using their political correspondents. Those topics might not impact on many people but might be critical to those who are affected.

It also opens a window to those who are working within their communities, doing volunteer work which might not be party political but might require interaction with politicians or government in order to be effective. They often see themselves as apolitical, but their choices do change their societies in a direct way. Given that many women are engaged in local community volunteering, and that some of them probably blog about it, how are they different from those of us who blog of our work as councillors or council candidates?

I suspect that one other factor is that women appear, from the perspective of this bureaucrat at least, to be more outcome focused and less prone to what I describe as a 'look at me' approach. They also tend to be more family orientated, and I suspect that a lot of 'family life' blogging comes from women.

Ah well, those are my thoughts, and if they encourage people to think outside of the box a little, all well and good...

My role in Sir Michael Lord's downfall?

Meanwhile, in Central Suffolk and North Ipswich (or CSI: Mendlesham as I like to think of it), we'll be getting a new MP at the next election, following Sir Michael Lord's announcement that he will be retiring. Given that he ran to be Speaker earlier this year, one presumes that, at that time, he felt capable of seeing out another term, so the announcement came as a bit of a surprise.

Or not, as the case may be...

A few weeks ago, a colleague who shall remain nameless indicated that a Conservative councillor had told him that Michael Lord would be gone shortly, the expenses scandal providing the motive, and that Tim Passmore, Conservative leader of Mid Suffolk District Council, wanted to be selected. What they wanted to know was, how do you deselect a sitting MP? Luckily, I know how we do this, provided the information, and thought no more about it. And then, suddenly, he was gone.

It seems unlikely, but have I inadvertently played a small part in getting a new MP for the constituency? If it's any consolation, Creeting St Peter was moved from Central Suffolk and North Ipswich to Bury St Edmunds in the last boundary changes, so whilst Sir Michael is my MP now, he wouldn't have been after the next election regardless...

The continuing perils of Cincinnati...

Whilst visiting the pharmaceutical plant, I received a message from home. Cincinnati had been rushed to the vet, and I needed to ring the practice to find out what was happening. Luckily, the vet was satisfied that he had had a good night and was recovering well. However, I would need to bring him in again on our return.

And so, a fortnight ago, I took Cincinnati back to the vet, with Katherine for company. There is no doubt that he is struggling, in that he is losing weight, his hind legs are weakened by muscle loss, and he is generally slower. The vet concluded that he was suffering from a hyperactive thyroid and early stage renal disease, and prescribed medication and a change of diet.

A fortnight later, not much has changed. He takes his medication every day, whether he likes it or not. The new cat food is not to his taste, even though it is low in phosphorus and fearfully expensive, so I treat him with expensive, nice-tasting cat food. Signs of recovery are, at this stage, few and far between, but he still enjoys a stroll around the garden, even if he wobbles a little from time to time.

Cinci has had a good run, and at sixteen years old, he has outlived average life expectancy for a house cat. In the meantime, we'll make him as comfortable as possible, keep him warm and safe, and give him as much attention as we can.

There is a corner of a foreign field that is forever Liberal Democrat

One of the more intriguing episodes of our trip to India was a visit to the headquarters of Emcure Pharmaceuticals on the outskirts of Pune. Now I'm not an expert in the production of generic drugs, but one could not help but be impressed by their enthusiasm and attention to detail.

One thing that did hit home though was the costs of production. It was claimed that they could produce a range of commonly prescribed drugs at less than a quarter of the cost currently paid by the NHS, a notion that, if true, could drastically reduce its running costs. At a time when all budgets are under pressure, such savings could prove to be extremely helpful.

The delegation were then led outside to an area of lawn with trees along one side. A small tree was waiting for us, ready to be planted alongside a sign listing the members. In years to come, visitors will know that Liberal Democrats were there, which is reassuring in a small way.

Next, we were taken to the new production facility, a state of the art plant, with an entirely sealed production line to protect staff from the component elements of the product. And yes, there was some dressing up to be done, with protective suits, boots and headgear. Your correspondent looked vaguely silly, but needs must, as they say. I asked about the financial viability of their investment in the plant, and was astonished to be told that it was profitable working at just 10% of capacity.

At the moment, India is focused on production rather than research and development. If that emphasis changed, prospects for the great pharmaceutical companies of the West must be grim. On the other hand, the potential financial benefits for health providers will be vast.

Finally, we were taken to lunch. I was slightly distracted by news from home, but that's another story...