Intentions vs. Outcomes
Local Member of Parliament (Bristol East) Kerry McCarthy has an awakening and realises that not every problem can be solved through the introduction of a bureaucratic, centrally defined political policy.
There seem to be discussions going on ahead of the Pre-Budget Report next Monday about cutting VAT to boost consumer spending and thus reflate the economy. Seems to me that the ideal solution would be to cut VAT on 'goods' but not on 'bads' - ie. on environmentally-friendly or healthy products, and also on essential items, but not on what could be termed 'useless tat'. So we'd encourage spending, but not mass consumption on a hugely wasteful scale, and achieve certain social objectives too (e.g. on obesity, fuel efficiency, etc).
But I suppose this would just end up being hugely bureaucratic, with companies falling over themselves to prove in court that cheesestrings, Poptarts and Sunny Delight are in the fact the cornerstone of a nutritious diet, and that the average household really cannot exist without Teasmades and electric carving knives and George Foreman grills.
Now as to whether you think this is really a problem that demands the attention of £217,000 per annum worth of MP, or indeed that politicians should stop poking about in people's private affairs, that's another matter entirely.
See here for more discussion of political intervention in personal food choices.
British National Party loses membership list. Internet finds it.
Oops.
Notwithstanding that the BNP peddle some rather unpleasant policies, let's not have any nonsense from the rest of the left wingers about this. Britain is still sort of, kind of, vaguely, mostly, (almost) a free country; we don't hound political opponents out of their houses and jobs and beat them with sticks; we just make tutting noises when we see them and don't invite them round for tea & biscuits.
Je déteste ce que vous écrivez, mais je donnerai ma vie pour que vous puissiez continuer à écrire
(And yes, first and foremost the BNP is a party of the left i.e. authoritarian National Socialists)
Residents Parking Zones
Cllr Neil Harrison makes the Lib Dem position on RPZs clear as mud:
My position (and that of the Lib Dems in general) is that we support communities that want Residents Parking Zones to improve their quality of life, but that we oppose the implementation of Zones where people don't want them.
But what if a local community wants an RPZ if everyone else has one, but would prefer that no one had one ?
Building Bridges
Green Bristol discusses whether a proposed Bus Rapid Transit route will go over the Princes St. bridge, as per recently released simulations, or whether it will go over a planned new bridge. Given the absence of any prior discussion of money in the budget for a new bridge, one wonders whether the builders have agreed to be paid in magic beans. [New annotations added to Simulation Video)
In other news, apparently we're at war with Eastasia, and we've always been at war with Eastasia.
Ashley Fox's questions in regard to the 
