Tory donations accelerate

If anything’s a sign that David Cameron’s getting the Conservatives back on track it is the news that they have reported donations twice those of Labour or the Lib Dems.

The figures are from the latest update on party donations from the Electoral Commission.

They add weight to those who argue that Labour are bogged down as everyone knows Tony Blair is a lame duck and that the Lib Dems are suffering as many think Ming Campbell is on his way out too.

Take your kids to work week?

Parliament wasn’t sitting last week, schools in many areas had their half term too. Some areas, presumably Sutton borough, have half term this week.

I noticed the Lib Dems’ Tom Brake dragging (presumably) his kids back and forth across Portcullis House this morning. I don’t know what he’d have done with them if he needed to go into the chamber but, with some diary management, it must otherwise be easier to take your kids to work in parliament, if you’re an MP, than it would be for many other people.

Perhaps the politicians could look at making this easier for others too? Or at least they could get local authorities to improve child care locally.

They make me sick

This article, ‘Feeling fine? Let’s prove that you’re not‘ about statins – the drugs that help reduce cholesterol – questions the value of encouraging more people to take them, including those who would not normally be considered ill. It concludes that whilst they work many will stop taking them within a year and a good diet and exercise is the best thing long term.

This ‘pill for everything’ argument is reflected in the spoof advertising campaign campaign for imaginary drug Havidol for made up disease Dysphoric Social Attention Consumption Deficit Anxiety Disorder (DSACDAD). It has gained press attention after display in a New York gallery but, the gallery owner says, has also had its website linked to by real anxiety and depression websites.

Popularity contest

The latest ICM poll in the Guardian gives the Tories a 13 point lead. This puts the Conservatives on their highest since 1992 and Labour on a rating similar to that in 1983. However, this is not drawn from the usual question that generates poll headlines but is based on a question citing Brown, Cameron and Campbell as the party leaders.

The Guardian argue this result is due to Gordon Brown’s and Menzies Campbell’s personal unpopularity as much as David Cameron’s, or the Conservative Party’s, popularity. We’ll see if this is sustained and if so, what it does for internal party support for Brown and Campbell.

Gateway to the south

I enjoyed Dizzy Thinks’ post about the upside down tube map, credited to Colourcountry.net. That it looks so wrong really highlights how used we are to the northern bias of the tube.

With today’s news about a vote for a strike on the Underground, it also reminded me of London Underground: The Song. Click, turn up the volume and enjoy (although not if your boss, kids or parents are about!).

More House of Lords cock-ups

Jack Straw has abandoned his much publicised plans for a preferential vote on reform of the House of Lords. This shows that the enthusiasm for compromise is leading from delay to cock-up and wasting time in the process.

There are only two solutions, elect the Lords or leave it as an embarrassment to democracy but at least politicians could do something constructive with the time instead.

Travel expenses

After yesterday’s publication of MPs’ detailed travel expenses some MPs are claiming the figures are wrong. Time will tell if there was a cock-up in the figures or if the MPs in question are simply embarrassed by the extent of their claims.

Much was made in some publications of the claims for cycle mileage by some MPs and absence of claims for cycling by certain others. These politicians claim they don’t bother claiming the 20p a mile for cycling.

I’m happy to believe them. I could probably arrange to claim for cycling between meetings, or could put it on my tax return. I don’t as working out the distance on dozens of short trips is not worth it. When I travel by train I have tickets to submit and by car the distance and claimable rate make it worth a quick visit to multimap’s route finder to check how far I went. Having said that, the bike I use around town has needed several parts recently.

A limitless prison population

I was reading James Graham’s post about ID cards and David Davis. The comments have focused on the reference to the size of the prison population in the original post.

Britain’s prison population is very high in European terms; when taken against total UK population, Britain has the second highest rate in Europe. This has been the case for some time.

Britain’s crime rate is very high in European terms. This too has been the case for some time.

Whilst it follows that with lots of crime there should be lots of people being punished, the current system is plainly not working.

What do we do differently as a society that means we are locking up all these people but still have a high crime rate? Are we too tough on crime – locking up people and locking them into a life of crime? Are we too busy hugging hoodies and not giving them the short sharp shock they need?

I don’t know the answer, but somewhere something must be wrong in the system or in society at large for us to find ourselves in this situation.

Dangers of advertising on news sites

When I get a moment I take a look at what foreign news sites are saying about the big world or British news stories.

Many are carrying news of this week’s letter bombs. However, French newspaper website Le Monde’s coverage of this features unfortunate sponsorship by parcel company Federal Express.

Alcoholism and MPs

The Guardian’s obituary and related article (along with Paul Linford’s post) about the death of former Labour MP Fiona Jones tell a tragic tale – she died aged just 49.

Others have written about the (end of the) parliamentary drinking culture, the divisions locally in her CLP and the PLP nationally leaving surplus ‘97 MPs to sink or swim.

The story is another illustration of our strange relationship with drink. Some newspapers run pieces about the horrors of binge drinking but lots of us, including doctors, use it to help and at the same time alcohol is becoming cheaper relatively. Although, it doesn’t always seem like it!