Stampede at the Sales

MK Leader Dick Cole bloggedthis week about the sell-off of Royal Mail, which has now taken place despite the opposition of two-thirds of the public.  (Unsurprisingly, the strongest support for the sale came from an urban environment, London, but even there it was little more than a quarter of those polled.) He pointed out notContinueContinue reading “Stampede at the Sales”

Review of 2012

Every year when we submit our accounts to the Electoral Commission we are also required to provide a ‘Review of Political Activities’ covering the year just gone.The 2012 Review has recently been forwarded to the Commission and here is what it says:“Between elections, our principal means of communication with the public are now predominantly online.ContinueContinue reading “Review of 2012”

The Evil Empire

Incredibly, in the USA it’s actually a crime to use basic computer skills to access military information that isn’t adequately protected. We say ‘information’ rather than ‘secrets’ because to call something a secret and not put in place the means to keep it so is wishful thinking and a little bit laughable.Laughable? It’s very seriousContinueContinue reading “The Evil Empire”

Review of 2011

Every year when we submit our accounts to the Electoral Commission we are also required to provide a ‘Review of Political Activities’ covering the year just gone.The 2011 Review has recently been forwarded to the Commission and here is what it says:“With no General Election in 2011, activity was less intense than last year butContinueContinue reading “Review of 2011”

Realising Some Virtual Potential

A Cornish blog at the weekend called attention to the fact that the debate on the UK’s constitutional future is now on the move once more. Scotland may go it alone. The North wants recognition. Will Wessex be left behind?It’s up to us. We do not, as a matter of principle, respond to blogs, websitesContinueContinue reading “Realising Some Virtual Potential”

The Sack of Wessex

Pressure is being piled on MPs to toughen scrap-metal legislation in a bid to stop thieves stripping out our infrastructure in search of a quick profit.There was a time when metal theft was more or less restricted to opportunist pilfering from building sites and removing lead from the roofs of abandoned churches. Not any more.ContinueContinue reading “The Sack of Wessex”

Review of 2010

Every year when we submit our accounts to the Electoral Commission we are also required to provide a ‘Review of Political Activities’ covering the year just gone. The 2010 Review has recently been forwarded to the Commission and here is what it says: During 2010 the Party’s on-line presence was maintained and strengthened. The websiteContinueContinue reading “Review of 2010”

Review of 2009

Every year when we submit our accounts to the Electoral Commission we are also required to provide a ‘Review of Political Activities’ covering the year just gone.The 2009 Review has recently been forwarded to the Commission and here is what it says:During 2009, thoughts again turned towards preparations for the forthcoming General Election. The WessexContinueContinue reading “Review of 2009”

A Smaller World, Please

Think globally, act locally. The sentiment is sound but the first instruction requires a lot less effort than the second. A lot less effort, because successive centralist governments at Westminster have made the second instruction well nigh impossible to carry out.Take the example of planning, where local discretion has now been all but abolished. WhenContinueContinue reading “A Smaller World, Please”

Britain’s Best Channels?

Proposed restructuring at the BBC could be a fantastic opportunity for the cultural community of Wessex. Alternatively, the opportunity could, as usual, be strangled at birth.There is no denying that Wessex is poorly served by current arrangements. In contrast to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, there is no dedicated structure ensuring that our regional identityContinueContinue reading “Britain’s Best Channels?”