I’ve never really been one for the fluffy stuff of environmentalism. I’m concerned about global warming and in favour of cuts to carbon not because, I’m sentimental about our green and pleasant land. But because, I really, really want to make at least sixty. And on my sixtieth birthday it is nice to imagine that I can say, “yhe my grandchildren can grow up to be my age, fullfill themselves, and live happily.”

Perhaps the reality of parenthood is different but it is my dream so far.

The biggest barrier to this dream at the moment is the threat that by the time I’m forty the world will be flooded, there won’t be enough food and temperatures will be spiralling because, the man made rise in temperature, has set of natural and uncontrollable emissions of carbon. So I think, cut carbon, avoid all of the above, live happily ever after, achieve dream.

What I’m saying here is environmentalism is for me and I dare say for most people pragmatic. Appeal able to many even those who currently aren’t “with it” because global warming poses a real risk to them and their current life standards.

Channel 4 News is broadcasting from the artic on the battle for oil below it, discussing the risk of a new cold war over supplies. I think the green agenda is missing a trick to outflank the right here.

From a purely security prospective do I actually want to rely on oil coming from Mr Putin, the Middle East which is hardly stable and Livingstones mate who’s tramping on local democracy a bit? Answer not really, and most Daily Mail readers probably aren’t keen on the idea either.

Most people don’t agree with the ideological/spiritual side to environmentalism, the science is hard to explain and open to contradiction. The security implications of reliance on Russia etc is neither hard to explain nor easily contradicted. Further they can appeal to all voters. Environmentalists and the Lib Dems should not be afraid to talk about the threat than reliance on oil puts our economy and national security in.

Cameron’s Conservative’s are angry and harping the end of civilisation in Britain, Labour do what ever they do in government or more to the point don’t do much and Ming and the Lib Dems pose real and radical reform in this instance on the environment (though there’s a lot more than just that proposed at conference.)

Cameron’s quick fire reactionary lots of rhetoric and no new ideas that the Mail so love might quietly announced the end of the Cameron project. According to Ian Dale the one real proposal that the quality of life policy group for the Tories have come up with is to tax the planes by the flight rather than the passenger, a policy we passed nearly a year ago. Lib Dems then are reconfirmed as the real party of innovation, radicalism and real alternatives.

Sounds to me like politics might be back to its normal pattern

The Observer today carries a small paragraph section reporting that the Conservatives will allow parents to set up their own schools and force local authorities to help fund them, of course it doesn’t mention if the schools will be able to have entrance exams and parents “top up” their schools receiving state money. We will see soon when the policy review panel reports back.

Also in the observer Nick Clegg gets a whole page to himself on the new Lib Dem immigration plans.

“You know your Conservative when Margret Thatcher rocks your boat and not Jordon.”

Where the hell did that come from, what awful crevice of Ian Dale’s head told him to write that, it makes Oedipus sound....... No not quiet but very nearly. I was never a big fan of tories but I had some respect for them. Other favourites are:

“When someone says "Change" you look in your wallet ......”
“You attack your own leader, but freak out when the BBC do it.”
“...you see Emily Maitlis's legs and all you feel is outrage.”
“. . . you read Ian Dale's diary and realise he's 'not one of us'.”
“you watch Star Wars thinking the Empire has a point of view.”
“... the majority in the country no longer agree with you”

At 19.00 hrs I posted that “the Cameron project is dead,” and Cameron could only win “if Brown screwed up”. At 20.55 a former aid to Thatcher John O’Sullivan said pretty much the same thing on Conservativehome, saying “Gordon Brown will probably win the next election and, if he does not, the likely reason is that he will have been defeated by events in the real world”, and “so “Project Cameron” has not really improved matters.”
Rather rudely he didn’t credit me as a source but if the Tories need political advice from me they’re welcome to ask, then grovel and beg. I’m always here for that.

There is also a facebook group set up to get Hague to take over as leader, hasnt this very nearly happened anyway.

That’s just one of many recommendations that have been given to Cameron on Conservativehome about where to go. There is actually a good and varied mix of solutions given to him perhaps representative of how varied his problems are. He seems to me to of now got lost, no longer on a ideological conservative path, but not the compassionate/liberal one he started on whatever it was called or meant to be. All of his policy comities have reported which leaves him the hard place of having to choose policies, and stick to them.

While we’re on the subject can anyone explain what the conservatives are actually doing about tax, first they weren’t doing anything, then they were bringing in green ones, then cuts for families, then Deadwood started up about tax cuts that weren’t tax cuts, then we had real tax cuts, the last headline I saw said possible tax cuts. Now I’m sure on the whole their tax proposals are consistent but I think that’s a fair list of headiness on their tax proposals. Let’s face it the Cameron project is no longer offering any direction, it’s bogged down in appeasing everyone and is now a dead horse.

Cameron may be the right guy to have if Brown starts screwing up, but he isn’t about to actually aggressively win the general election and certainly not move the centre ground of British politics, my advice, like Howard strengthen the votes and seats you have, on current performance your not going to win more.

The expected election in Australia hasn’t been mentioned yet and there seems to be lacks of politics going on here so here’s my quick brief to the Australian election should it come.

There are three main parties in Australia, the Liberal party led by nasty ultra conservative Howard, and Labour led by photogenic new leader Rudd. The Liberals are supported in coalition by the National Party, so despite a choice of three parties at a national level it is a choice between Howard or Rudd.

That said the Greens, Family First and Australian Democrats may manage to hold the balance of power, the Parliament compared to our own is a tad small so it’s conceivable it might be done. The Labour party need only 16 more seats to form a government out of the 150 available. The formation of a Labour government looks highly likely with Rudd a safely established 10% lead in the polls.

The perceived cause of the rise of Rudd support is the WorkChoice legislation bought in by Howard and its anti employee reforms (Redwood comes to mind) some half a million people are estimated to of protested against the Bill on a the organised protest day. The safety of universal and government provided health care has also been flagged up as a concern. Education also a concern, given the recent drought I imagine the environment will be to. On both health and education Rudd leads the polls as the most capable, if the environment is an issue the fact that Howard hasn’t implemented the Kyoto Protocol will also presumably help Rudd.

If you haven’t heard of Howard then he is a notoriously right – wing, leader as neoconservative as many of those who occupy the White House, one Liberal Candidate I would not back.

Russell Brand and several other comics are putting on a one of show to raise awareness/money to get the BAA investigation back in the stand. Tickmaster link here

This time last week I pleaded Lib Dem bloggers to be pleased for A level students rather than miserable “it was easier in my time.” And I can honestly say they did me proud so as promised celebration get you into my top ten, in no particular order are the submissions that I will place in order on Monday on how good they are.

A radical writes was the first submission although unfortunately as like me he is a student he can’t be judged but will gain a honorary place for being a fellow young liberal blogger. I would like to just mention on he’s subject about the class thing, that coming from a state school I would be careful to group the plight of state sector pupils together. There are of course inequalities (resources etc) and labels at play but the key factor at work is the individual pupil and their drive to succeed.

Next to submit on the subject was Hot Ginger and Dynamite nice to read how they celebrated in the dark days of 2001 before commercial pubs even better it begins with a good clean hook to newspaper editors of the, “in my day kind.”

Duncan Borrowman came in with a really sweet piece on his daughter ahhhhhhhhhhh, this blog is a real contender. The Proud Father tactic bound to get him high in the judges book.

Richard Baum gave all students a well done message and gave proper and mature commentary on the future of exams.

James Grahems piece on blondes was very good a visual masterpiece for all male A level students to enjoy, if only the cameras came my school.

Jonathan Calder put out a whole side of the argument which I hadn’t thought about. Until now I’ve passed on the bad exam related pun so here it goes full marks to him. (sorry needed that.) JC does have a good point though now I think about I realise it might be the reason I’m so proud to say I was interviewed for my course.

A quick scan over politicalopinions.com also show a trend on blogs to congratulate pupils. Submissions can be entered until Monday. On my part I got what I wanted and am of to Leeds and well done to all those who took exams, good luck GCSE students for next week, and as I’ve done them you can say what you want.

There is only one ever recorded violent other throw of government in US history which was successful. It occurred in 1898 in Wilmington North Carolina. It was the days when Democrats were the racist party and the Republicans the nice ones. In North Carolina it would other throw the rights that the Black community had won in the Civil War, a mob of democrats marched into Wilmington forced the Republican mayor out of town along with Black and White officials, the mob also killed 20 black civilians and burnt down houses. Unfortunately I can’t say this surprised me when I came across a article on the event after clicking random article on Wikipedia.

What did shock me was that it took until January this year for the North Carolina Democrat party to formally apologise for the event, that’s well over a hundred years. Really how did North Carolina miss that for that long????