CentreRight

Credit where credit's due

The 2008 party conference has been special.  And I'm not talking about us having the best leader, the best policies, the best ideas for fixing Britain's broken economy etc etc. I'm talking about conference passes.

Astonishingly, the conference accreditation service has delivered passes quickly and efficiently.  We have not had to endure embarassing spectacles such as MPs, MEPs, senior journalists and large groups of foreign dignitories being made to queue in the blistering cold for two days (a la Bournemouth 2006) in order to obtain a pass.  Those applying to attend conference on the day have had their passes within hours. Those who applied in advance recieved their conference packs weeks ago.

Apart from mild consternation at the cost of passes I haven't heard a grumble, let alone an angry word, about the accreditation services this year.  For Conservative Party conference, that's unheard of. 

Thank you to Fingerprint Events, the CCHQ conferences team and the West Midlands Police for helping to make such an enjoyable - and easily attendable - conference.

From Kinnock to Biden to Miliband

In 1987, Neil Kinnock delivered the following words in a speech to the Labour Party conference:

"Why am I the first Kinnock in a thousand generations to be able to get into university? Why is Glenys the first woman in her family in a thousand generations to be able to get into university? Was it because all our predecessors were thick? Did they lack talent? Those people who could sing and play and recite and write poetry? The people who could make wonderful, beautiful things with their hands? Those people who could dream dreams, see visions? Why didn’t they get it? Was it because they were weak? Those people who could work eight hours underground and then come up and play football? Weak? Does anybody really think that they didn’t get what we had because they didn’t have the talent or the strength or the endurance or the commitment? Of course not. It was because there was no platform upon which they could stand."

Walcome til the Scottish Pairlament wabsite

Browsing through the Scottish Parliament website this morning, I was intrigued to spot a link offering a translation of the web pages into a language called 'Scots'.  Unfamiliar with this 'language' - and safe in the knowledge that the people of Scotland read, write and speak in English - I clicked on the link and was provided with a list of links to the following pages:

• Wha are the MSPs an whit can they dae for me?
• Hoo can I hae ma say in the rinnin o Scotland?
• Makkin yer voice heard in the Scottish Pairlament
• Hoo are new laws made?

If you're a Scots speaker and would like to speak to the Scottish Parliament switchboard in your native tongue, I'm afraid you're out luck as, "at present [they] can tak telephone and textphone caws in English and Gaelic juist".  Don't be alarmed though, the site does contain the full contact details of the "Memmers o the Scottish Pairlament that has been electit for tae represent ye".

A joke? Certainly.  Self-deprecating Scottish satire?  Surely.  Regardless, I fired off an e-mail to the Parliament's information service just to make sure.  Here's the reply:

"Thank you for your enquiry, which was received by the Scottish Parliament Public Information Service.

"The Scottish Parliament works on behalf of all citizens of Scotland and therefore it makes information available in the languages that its people speak.  We have publications and text on our website in Scots because the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) - the administrative body that oversees the production of information on the Parliament for the public - recognises the historical and cultural arguments for facilitating the use of this language. Scots has been recognised by the UK Government as meeting the definition of a "regional or minority language" set out in the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages.

"With regards to the version of Scots that is used, the Scottish Parliament has a contract with a translation service which was awarded through open competition. The translator in this case explained that, as Scots is a living language which evolves, the Concise Scots Dictionary published by the Scottish National Dictionary Association (1985) was used and, in certain cases, they used their own judgement when providing this translation."

What a ridiculous waste of taxpayers' money.

End this Strasbourg farce

According to the EU Observer, the European Parliament has saved between €3 and €4 million of taxpayer's money by holding plenary (voting) sessions in Brussels since the collapse of the roof of the Strasbourg Parliament in August.

Whilst I am quite sure the majority of readers will be well aware of the ludicrous nature of the Strasbourg sitting, let me take this opportunity to reiterate a few facts:

• The Strasbourg Parliament, despite costing €203 million per year to run, is empty for 307 days per year.
• The building belches out more than 20,268 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year, equal to the output of 4,000 homes.
• Around 4,000 MEPs, staff and journalists are forced to make the monthly journey between Brussels and Strasbourg.
• European Parliament officials visiting Strasbourg receive an allowance of nearly €1,000 a week to pay for accommodation and meals

Support for ending the Strasbourg session is near-unanimous amongst both national governments and MEPs - opposed by only a smattering of French and German members.  European Union Treaties, however, demand that all member states grant their unanimous consent to any move away from the status quo which demands MEPs must visit the city twelve times a year.   Despite showing some initial interest in a proposal to convert the Parliament buildings into a European Technology Institute, President Sarkozy appears to have now backed away from the idea. 

Ending the Strasbourg session isn't an issue which should divide either Eurosceptics or Europhiles: it's just common sense.

If you're not one of the 1.2 million people who have already signed the petition against the Strasbourg trek, click here.

Hizb ut-Tahrir on David Cameron

For some reason unbeknown to me, I am a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir's mailing list.

The group, for those who are not familiar with its unique brand of bile, campaigns for the establishment of a radical Islamic caliphate in which non-Muslims would be forced to live under Sharia law.  Amongst many others, Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague has called for the group to be banned.

Kim Jong-Il

As you may have heard, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il has suffered a stroke and is said to be "gravely ill".

Allow me, if I may, to repeat John McCain's reaction to rumours of Fidel Castro's demise:

“I hope he has the opportunity to meet Karl Marx very soon".

Murdoch and McCain

The New York Post has just announced its endorsement of John McCain for President.

The ringing endorsement, which praises McCain's record on taxes, energy and national security, is significant for one reason alone: the newspaper is owned by Rupert Murdoch. 

"McCain's lifelong record of service to America, his battle-tested courage, unshakeable devotion to principle and clear grasp of the dangers and opportunities now facing the nation stand in dramatic contrast to the tissue-paper-thin résumé of his Democratic opponent, freshman Sen. Barack Obama.  McCain has been in Washington for many years now, but he is not of Washington. He knows where the levers of power are located - and how to manipulate them - but he is not controlled by them"

Whilst the New York Post may not be the most high-minded of American newspapers, Rupert Murdoch's The Sun's endorsement of Labour at the 1997 general election has come to be seen as an influential factor in helping the party 'close the deal' with working class voters who flocked to the Conservative Party in droves throughout the Thatcher years.

In McCain's case, the support of the Murdoch media empire will be particularly important as he attempts to court blue-collar workers in the mid-west - arguably the most hotly-contested demographic in the 2008 general election. 

Read the entire endorsement below...

Need more proof we're in a recession?

According to the front page of The Times “just 63,225 new cars” were sold last month, making for the “worst figures since 1966”.  Manufacturers have warned that job losses and plant closures may lie ahead. 

Over at my local council, we’re also feeling the pinch.

According to the loftily-titled ’Corporate and Business Services Financial Monitoring Statement’ presented to the Finance Committee last night, the £127,000 we could have expected to have earned from land charges at this point in the financial year has, to date, only amounted to £77,000 up to July 31st - a shortfall of £50,000, a decline of 40%.  The housing market, if not dead, has certainly taken a large dose of sleeping pills. 

Need more proof we’re in a recession?

Why Palin's speech matters

By now, we'll all have read the numerous rave reviews of Governor Sarah Palin's speech to the Republican National Convention last night.

The most significant reaction to Palin's speech that I have read, however, comes in the form of an e-mail I have just received from a friend on the other side of the pond:

"Rockstar, absolute freaking rockstar.  Her speech, poise and style were perfect.  She means business, can crack a joke, takes no bulls**t and does it all with style and grace.  For the first time this election, I have hope we can pull this off.  I'll write a check now and I'll get off my dead ass for this one.  I am hearing that over and over from women and irritated people in the party.  Democrats are saying the same thing"

As Tim has said, the expressions of palpable delight upon the faces of Republican convention delegates in Minneapolis-St Paul were most certainly genuine.  Out in the "heartlands", it's clear that Palin's speech has sparked a lethargic-yet-large Republican base into action.  For the stale McCain campaign, the importance of this shot in the arm cannot be underestimated. 

To date, the passion in this Presidential campaign has been entirely with the Obama campaign.  Nobody could argue that now.  Sarah Palin has made Republicans believe they can actually win this election. 

Rudy shines in St Paul

Like Tim, I'm also waiting up to hear Governor Sarah Palin formally accept her nomination as John McCain's Vice-Presidential running mate.

Listening to the introductory remarks of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has more than killed the time.

Whilst we have come to expect a Giuliani speech to be laced with patriotic and self-deprecating soundbites, the way in which he sought to contrast Barack Obama's lack of experience with John McCain's long service in the Senate and Palin's eight years as a Mayor and successful term as a wildly-popular Governor was both hilarious and hard-hitting.

"You have a resume from a gifted man with an Ivy League education. He worked as a community organizer, and immersed himself in Chicago machine politics. Then he ran for the state legislature — where nearly 130 times he was unable to make a decision yes or no. He simply voted "present."  As mayor of New York City, I never got a chance to vote "present." And you know, when you're president of the United States, you can't just vote "present." You must make decisions.

"[Governor Palin] is already one of the most successful governors in America - and the most popular. And she already has more executive experience than the entire Democratic ticket. She's led a city and a state. She's reduced taxes and government spending. And she's actually done something about moving America toward energy independence — taking on the oil companies while encouraging more energy exploration here at home.  Taxpayers have an advocate in Sarah Palin — she even sold the former governor's private plane on E-Bay"

Watch the whole speech here.

"I'm not interested. I do not want to be asked"

The McCain camp has been quick to respond to Biden's selection, launching an advert containing footage in which Biden says he would be "proud to run with John McCain" and highlighting unflattering comments he has made about Obama's ability to do the job of President.

McCain pulls ahead of Obama

A Zogby/Reuters poll published this morning continues to point to a close race for the Whitehouse between Senators John McCain and Barack Obama. 

According to the poll, McCain now leads Obama 46% to 41% amongst likely voters, as opposed to the same poll which last month showed Obama leading by 7%.

The poll - the results of which can be viewed in detail here - makes for interesting reading:

• Over the past month, McCain's support has increased by 6% whilst Obama's has fallen by 6%.  Crucially, however, neither candidate has managed to tap into the 13% of voters who describe themselves as "undecided" - this figure remains unchanged from last month. 
• Obama's support has decreased amongst all social categories, most markedly amongst under thirty-fives (-12%), Catholics (-11%), university graduates (-11%), southerners (-11%) and those living in cities (-11%).
• Obama continues to lead McCain 52% to 40% amongst voters aged 18 to 29 despite slipping 12% in this age-group over the past thirty days.
• McCain now holds a 9% lead amongst those who list the economy as their top concern, as opposed to a 4% lead Obama lead amongst this group last month. 
• McCain has the support of 81% of self-proclaimed Republicans with Barack Obama picking up 74% of the Democratic votes.

Commenting on the poll, John Zogby said:

“Since Obama returned from his overseas trip, it seems like McCain has thrown all the punches. Clearly, the blows have landed. In recent days, Obama is fighting back, going after McCain on the economy, the issue voters care about most. McCain has changed the dynamic of the race heading into the two conventions. That puts more pressure on Obama to go to Denver and effectively define himself and McCain.”

Janet Daley: the case for David Cameron

Janet Daley's article in the Daily Telegraph this morning is required reading. 

It's astonishing to think, looking back on the numerous successes the party has experienced over the past few months, just how bad things looked only twelve months ago. 

For a few weeks it appeared as if Clunking Fist's poll lead against the policy-lite Conservatives, having  single-handily "changed politics", beaten back rising flood waters and eliminated food and mouth disease from the British countryside, was virtually unassailable.

How times change.  Brown and Cameron's differing responses to the crisis in Georgia serve as a case in point:

"Where is he [Brown] now that we are facing the most genuinely terrifying international confrontation in a generation? This is the man who has reminded us repeatedly (and rather plaintively) of the triumphal opening chapter of his premiership, implying that he would like nothing more than another opportunity to display Courage Under Fire. And he is missing in action. Gone AWOL? Hidden deep in his bunker surrounded by reassuring aides? Paralysed by the collapse of relations with his own Foreign Secretary? Hunched over his plans for a great autumn relaunch? Who knows?

"Mr Cameron, meanwhile, cleverly filled the vacuum by taking himself off to Georgia to utter an uncompromising message of defiance to the Russians - and to deliver an unambiguous message to the British media that he wasn't just a politician for the soft times. He may have the luxury that Heaven bestows on opposition politicians of being powerless and therefore not encumbered with the problem of actually having to make anything happen, but his statements were unequivocal enough to commit him to a course of action in office - which is brave enough"

Congratulations Dave... but where's Gordon?

Congratulations to David Cameron for seizing the initiative and announcing plans to fly to Tbilisi tomorrow morning for meetings with Georgian political leaders.  The rapid, tough and resolute statements that the Conservative Party have issued throughout the conflict have done a tremendous amount to strengthen the party's foreign policy credentials. 

Whilst I'm not usually given to praising Tony Blair, does anyone else think the United Kingdom would have taken such an embarrassingly low profile in Georgian crisis negotiations on his watch?  I struggle to recall The Clunking Fist issuing even a single memorable public statement on the conflict during the past seven days.

The contrast between Brown and President Sarkozy couldn't be starker.  As Brown's Britain fades into relative obscurity on the international stage, Sarkozy has arguably led France into its most influential position as a foreign policy actor for many years. 

Time to get serious about "cyber warfare"

Many thanks to Steevo for drawing our attention to an article regarding Russia's 'cyber-warfare' attacks on Georgia.

Steevo's message, amongst a number of other pieces that have been published over the past few months, highlights the increasingly important aspect of 'cyber warfare' in modern conflicts.  Sod Grotius' age-old concepts of jus ad bellum and jus in bello; the internet has introduced a new dimension to global conflicts which potentially pits the might of a man with a modem against the weakness of a country and an army.

In May last year, following the removal of a Soviet war memorial from a park in Tallinn, Estonia's government was forced to request urgent international assistance following weeks of sustained and coordinated Russian attacks upon government and private sector web servers in the country.  Whilst the Russian government has strongly denied sanctioning the attacks, domestic investigations into the source of the attacks have proved strangely inconclusive.

Commenting on the crisis, the Head of IT Security at the Estonian Defence Ministry said: "Estonia depends largely on the internet. We have e-government, government is so-called paperless... all the bank services are on the internet. We even elect our parliament via the internet".

The goal of achieving a "paperless government" is, of course, a hugely noble one but along with the benefits of cost savings and increased efficiency, "paperless government" brings with it an alarming new set of security challenges.  Whilst to date the majority of 'cyber warfare' attacks have been relatively low-level in nature, bringing down the odd government website here and there, it can only be a matter of time before the essential public service infrastructure of a country is brought to its knees.

In the case of Estonia, what would be the repercussions of a 'cyber warfare' attack on the servers of its election agency on general election day?  How would the United Kingdom cope if the computer servers coordinating the orders and stock levels of all the country's largest supermarkets were rendered useless for weeks on end following a 'cyber attack'?  Imagine the repercussions if the United States Air Traffic Control System was taken offline at 8am on a rainy Monday morning.

In the immediate aftermath of the attacks on Estonia, NATO was quick to establish a Cyber Defence Management Authority, yet with only a handful of resource-strapped staff the organisation appears powerless to make any meaningful impact in the fight against 'cyber warfare'.  It's only real role appears to be coordinating national responses to attacks as opposed to pre-empting and protecting against them. 

The attacks on Estonia and Georgia prove that it is high time for an ad hoc coalition of democracies - from established NATO members to developing countries such as India, Brazil and (dare I say) Georgia - to come together to form a well-resourced and authoritative global organisation dedicated to protection of domestic computer networks - a "NATO of the internet".

If we don't act now, we'll only live to regret it.

A sign of the times

I suppose it's a sign of the times...

With their official government website at www.government.gov.ge unable to cope with the amount of traffic being generated by panicked citizens (or hold up under the pressure of Russian cyber-attacks?), the Government of Georgia has turned to blogging in order to keep their citizens informed of the latest developments in the conflict with Russia.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is posting up-to-the-minute details of Russian incursions.

Take a look at the site here. 

Russia’s perspective on the crisis in South Ossetia

Until a Google search earlier this evening I was unaware that Pravda, the official media organ of Russia’s Soviet regime, was still in existence. Led by two former Soviet-era editors, however, the "newspaper" continues to be published online.

In an effort to explain the ‘official’ Russian perspective on the hostilities in Georgia, Pravda has today published an interesting collection of articles and quotations from a range of “experts” in an attempt to justify both their country's South Ossetian military incursion and cast aspersions on Georgia's diplomatic motives. On the website, one will find articles accusing President Saakashvili of “commiting war crimes against humanity”, criticising the "two-faced foreign policy of Georgia" and celebrating what the website's contributors describe as a "Russian defeat of the United States" in South Ossetia.

The most curious perspective on the conflict comes from Emmanuel Karagiannis, a lecturer at the University of Macedonia:

"Georgia’s military campaign in South Ossetia aims primarily at solidifying domestic support for the Saakashvili government, while drawing international attention to the country’s ethnic conflicts. Tbilisi knows very well that the violent reoccupation of the breakaway region is not a realistic option, bearing in mind that the majority of the population holds Russian passports.

"Therefore, the Georgian government is seeking a limited war that could possibly lead to new negotiations between Tbilisi and Tskhinvali. Moreover, Tbilisi was well aware that Moscow would face a difficult dilemma: if it did not respond to Georgian attacks, the Kremlin would risk its credibility; on the other hand, if the Russian army launched a counterattack (as it finally did), it would be subject to accusations of invading a small pro-Western country.

"In any case, Georgian belligerent actions will seriously undermine prospects for peace in the Transcaucasus. Moscow should keep in mind that this is a limited war; any extension of the war into Georgia proper would only invoke sympathy for Georgia’s puerile government from the die-hard Cold Warriors in the West"

Click here to view the website.

We've got ourselves a race

Many thanks to Alex Deane for pointing out the conclusions of the most recent (and perhaps even final) Evans-Novak Political Report.  As usual, Novak has hit the nail on the head.

Running in an environment as politically toxic for the Republicans as we see at present, Obama should be scoring a run-away poll lead.  Asked to choose between the Republicans and Democrats on a generic congressional ballot, a poll released yesterday showed registered voters preferring Democratic candidates by an 18% margin - 53% to 35%.  Recent polling numbers appear to point to the strength of the John McCain candidacy and the comparative weakness of the Obama campaign.

Kim Jong-Il is a funny guy

History is littered with numerous examples of the hilarious propaganda of oppressive regimes; from Saparmurat "Türkmenbaşi" Nyýazow's self-imposed cult of personality to Chinese posters heralding the portly Chairman Mao's athletic prowess. 

The official website of the "Democratic People's Republic of Korea", however, elevates us to previously undiscovered plateau of hilarity.

Here are some selected highlights:

"[North Korea] is a genuine worker's state where all the people are completely liberated from... exploitation and oppression"

"[North Korea] will become in the next years the most important hub for trading in North-East Asia.  [The country's] specialized and educated workforce provides an ideal environment for joint-venture projects and investment"

"If any South Korean citizen tries to visit North Korea... he'll be killed by American soldiers. The 'Security Law' in South Korea forbides to any South Korean citizen to talk or read about the North or else he'll be punished with jail or even death penalty" (sic)

"By international standards, [North Korean] citizens enjoy a very high standard of living.  Unlike in many countries of the capitalist world, [North Korea] is a state free of homelessness, unemployment, prostitution and starvation"

When you've got a spare five minutes, take a look for yourself. It's well worth it. 

Obama/Bayh 2008?

After days of media hysteria surrounding Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, speculation abounds that Barack Obama is on the verge of selecting Indiana Senator Evan Bayh as his running mate. 

Obama will be arriving in South Bend, Indiana at 6:30pm tomorrow and will not be departing until 3:25pm the next day. As of yet, he has no public events scheduled.

Sure, this may be yet another cannily-coordinated attempt to throw the media of the Vice-Presidential scent but, even as a convinced McCain supporter, I'm forced to admit that Senator Bayh would be solid addition to the Obama ticket.

Here are four compelling reasons why:

1. Bayh hails from Indiana, a historically Republican state which last backed the Democrats under Lyndon Johnson in 1964. He was re-elected to the Senate in 2004 with 62% of the vote at the same time as George W. Bush blew John Kerry out of the water 60/40. With the loss of three congressional seats in 2006 and an unpopular Republican Governor seeking re-election this year, some argue that the state is in play. Whilst I believe it would be unlikely, even with Bayh on the ballot paper, that Obama would carry the state, his candidacy will undoubtedly force the Republicans to play defensive in a state they should be winning by a double digit margin whilst diverting crucial resources away from the nearby swing states of Iowa, Ohio, Missouri, Michigan and Wisconsin.


2. Bayh, as a former two-term Governor, would bring executive experience to the ticket. He left office with approval ratings that not even a North Korean state-owned opinion polling company acting on the direct instructions of Kim Jong-Il could have claimed to have recorded.


3. Despite being a ordinarily dependable vote for the Democratic agenda throughout his political career, Bayh would bring a carefully cultivated and long nurtured moderate – some may even argue, conservative – presence to the ticket.  As Governor of Indiana, he enacted the largest tax cut in the history of the state whilst balancing its budget for the first time in decades.  In the Senate, he voted for the ban on partial-birth abortions and opposed Democratic-led efforts to overturn the Bush tax cuts.


4. Bayh is a stalwart of the Clintonista Democratic Leadership Council and was an early and vocal supporter of Hillary Clinton's failed Presidential campaign.  The selection of Bayh as Obama's running mate could very well be seen as an olive branch to a wing of the Democratic Party which is feeling nastily bruised and more than a little unloved at the moment.  It's all about unity.   

That said, let's see what happens tomorrow.

Not wishing to gloat but...

...are you still "feeling good" this morning, Lord Ashdown?

Dr No

Gotten over the feeling of elation following Ireland's rejection of the European Constitution Lisbon Treaty yet?  No?  Neither have I. 

For that success, much of the credit must go to Declan Ganley, a 39 year old London-born, Galway-based entrepreneur who, despite being outspent twenty to one, managed to snatch a last minute victory for the "no" campaign from the jaws of defeat. 

He is profiled here, here and here.

Reading the numerous profiles of Mr Ganley and watching his media appearances, what I am most struck by is the simplicity and accessibility of his arguments.  Whilst his opponents in the "yes" camp focussed on complex policy issues his message was tightly focussed on the Treaty's ability to hit people's pay packets, jobs and protecting Ireland's way of life from the "bullying" of the domestic and external political establishment.

I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that the British Eurosceptic movement, despite having the overwhelming majority of public opinion behind it, lacks a young, articulate and instantly likable figure from outside the tawdry world of politics to help make its case.  In Mr Ganley, we appear to have the ideal blueprint. 

If only the British government would do the same…

Well, it took European Commission Chief Commissar President Barroso a whole five seconds into his pre-prepared statement in response to the Irish rejection of the European Constitution Lisbon Treaty to say it but, as we all knew he would, he did:

"The vote in Ireland should not be seen as a vote against the European Union".

Sorry, Mr Barroso, you’re wrong. 

Anyone who has watched the progress of the ‘no’ campaign, led by the highly articulate and personable Declan Ganley, will know that the central argument of the campaign has been against the reduction Ireland’s power in the European Union that would have surely ensued from the ratification of this Treaty.

The Irish people, who account for little more than 1% of the European Union’s total population, have struck a blow for democracy and made it very clear that they would not accept a reduction of their power in the European Council or the loss of their Commissioner.  They've made it clear that they won't accept the supremacy of a distant and unaccountable body, nor will they bow simply to the will of a domestic and external political elite.  The spirit of 1922 lives on.

In short, they’ve stood up for their sovereignty of their country.  If only the British government would do the same…

It's Obama vs McCain - and McCain can win

Sorry Hillary, it's all over. 

Shortly after 2:30am this morning, Barack Obama secured the magic 2,118 delegates needed to secure the 2008 Democratic nomination for President of the United States.

Senator Obama's victory, coming only forty-five years after Martin Luther King's “I have a dream” speech, is nothing short of remarkable.  Conservatives on both the Atlantic would be woefully wrong to sneer at or belittle his achievement.  The success of his campaign to date does not just hint at the the widespread galvanisation of a liberal elite but a yearning amongst black and younger voters for a clean break from the irreversibly-tainted Bush/Clinton brands of 'politics as usual'.

Reading the print and watching the television media over the next few days, it will seem as if Obama has already been inaugurated as President. "President Obama", the broadsheets will assert. "The man who is set become President in November", CNN, the BBC and MSNBC will triumphantly declare. "We've done it", his supporters will crow.

Conservatives must give Obama his moment in the sun - and with that, they must also give his campaign the chance to develop that fatal arrogance that has cursed many a political campaign on both sides of the Atlantic. 

As they always say in boxing matches; the very best thing you can do in early rounds is to allow your opponent to over-reach.

Colin Burgon MP's admiration for Latin America's far-left

Fresh from a preposterous Early Day Motion praising the "achievements" of and "esteem" in which Fidel Castro is held by those "leading the calls for emancipation of the world's poorest people from slavery, hunger and the denial of human rights", Labour MP Colin Burgon has tabled another slew of parliamentary motions in support of Latin American quasi-dictators left-wing revolutionaries. 

Evoking socialist mantras reminiscent of a Student Union debating chamber Burgon has praised the people of Paraguay for their rejection of "North American business interests" following the recent election of Fernando Lugo and has heaped criticism upon sinister-sounding "right-wing forces" in Bolivia who have defied the far-left, pro-centralisation President Evo Morales by scoring clear victories in recent referenda calling for increased regional autonomy. 

Astonishingly, Burgon has also laid down a motion celebrating the "popular governance" of Hugo Chavez. Is this the same form of "popular governance" which led Human Rights Watch to criticise Chavez for "flouting international human rights principles"?  Is this the same President who asserted that he would "stand by Iran at any time and under any conditions"?  Can this be the same person whose administration is alleged to be covertly supporting Colombian FARC rebels? 

Burgon is defending a majority of only 4,500.   I'm sure Alec Shelbrooke would welcome your help...