Any Politics … ?

Hmmmm …

I think I’ve had a morning.

OK, I’ve had a morning: practically everybody today will have a morning, at some point.

What I mean is … …

I’ve had something of an interesting morning.

If you know your politics … ?

You probably have worked out who that is, sitting next to Councillor Chilvers, in the bottom picture.

Maybe I should explain, here … ?

It would be helpful, wouldn’t it … ?

»»•««

Bless her, Councillor Chilvers had been in touch with me, a couple of days ago.

Seemingly, she’d made arrangement for someone she described as a “Senior Lib-Dem MP” would be visiting the Brentwood West ward: she’s one of the three councillors for the area, so you know.

And quietly emailed me to ask if I’d be interested in coming along.

Was I … ?

Given* how sceptical about I’d been about the party I’ve voted for all my life being in coalition with the party I’ve always seen as the enemy … ?

Hell, yes!

It was rather tempting to take some tomatoes along, I will admit that … !

Obviously, the next confession … ?

Is whether I was nervous.

Wasn’t I just.

Sitting here at my desk, right now, I’m confident to admit I’m not sure whether I made a good impression or not.

I’m burbling, aren’t I … ?

At any rate, I was at the local Premier Inn, today, to meet and greet the Liberal Democrat party president, Tim Farron, M. P.

Who I’ve got to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by: he came across as very affable.

And very Lancastrian, I should add: not surprising, according to his Wikipedia entry he was born in Preston.

I have to admit, I was both nervous: and wondering whether I was coherent …

I’m hoping I managed to get across the fact that — having grown up during the 1980s, as Mr Farron had, himself — I’d seen many countries in Europe — those using versions of Proportional Representation — form coalition governments.

And that I was definitely not happy about that … !

Now, I’ll be honest, here, and give Tim his due. He managed to stress his point he felt it was a good thing for the country: and also point out that the Alternative Vote system is one his party’s hoping to introduce in their planned reforms of the House of Lords.

Hmmm …

Now I’m none too sure I’m completely reassured by that: the one thing for reform is to make sure the Upper House is truly democratic. Against is the fact it works, and has done for years.

But will give him his due, in trying to make the effort to be persuasive.

He also managed to quote a Dutch Liberal MP who visited the Lib-Dem parliamentary party, just before the election: one who’d been flattering the fact the UK’s party had kept their hands clean.

Clean, but empty.

As he said, himself, that’s not the case in government: those hands aren’t empty, or clean now.

»»•««

Just as a final point, at the moment.

I do know Tim gave us the Student tuition fees as an example of what he meant about clean/empty hands: he happily admitted they’s got they hands dirty.

Very, especially after pledging to oppose the moves.

He also stressed that part-time students wouldn’t be affected.

I’ve got to admit, I sent a quick text to my kid sister — Nephew Jude’s mum — Ruth.

She confirmed that.

And also admitted she’d have to abandon any plans, on financial grounds, if she was forced to do the course full-time.

Hmmm …

I’m hoping Tim’s reading this.

I’d love to know what he’d tell her.

* Karen was also very frank: she’d asked me and a local businessman called Chris along, as we’d both been sceptical about it.