So here we go - the party conference season begins.
The LibDem conference once again comes across like an over-grown parish council meeting. A series of nervous and seemingly disorganised women in the chair, faltering through the laugably complex rules of engagement.
A cringing opening statement from Simon Hughes, a cringing response from the mayor of Brighton, and what appears to be a half-empty hall. Not a good start.
There was an excellent speech from Michael Moore on foreign policy. Not, unfortunately, the American polemicist and director of Bowling for Columbine, but the young Scots MP that Ming has made in his image.
Foreign policy is always a strong point for the Liberals - after all, its not like they are ever going to be sitting in the Foreign Office. The content of the speech was pretty standard, but I was quite impressed with Moore's delivery. He made much of the subservience of Blair to the US, and attacked the death of British diplomacy, with our PM now just here to lay the groundwork for Condi, and the UN asking our PM to stay at home as he is a liability to peace. The behaviour of Israel towards the Lebanon is a disgrace, and it is good to hear someone say it.
Powerful stuff, and Moore sounded like a politician, as opposed to the chairman of a rural parish council, at times pompous and ridiculous, which is how Simon Hughes came across. It is all so bloody middle class.
"Every child really matters" said LD spokeslady Annette Brook in a quivering voice, to the weakest applause you ever heard. God, I wish there were more shouting socialists or smarmy Tories in the LibDems. Its so boring!
The LibDem conference once again comes across like an over-grown parish council meeting. A series of nervous and seemingly disorganised women in the chair, faltering through the laugably complex rules of engagement.
A cringing opening statement from Simon Hughes, a cringing response from the mayor of Brighton, and what appears to be a half-empty hall. Not a good start.
There was an excellent speech from Michael Moore on foreign policy. Not, unfortunately, the American polemicist and director of Bowling for Columbine, but the young Scots MP that Ming has made in his image.
Foreign policy is always a strong point for the Liberals - after all, its not like they are ever going to be sitting in the Foreign Office. The content of the speech was pretty standard, but I was quite impressed with Moore's delivery. He made much of the subservience of Blair to the US, and attacked the death of British diplomacy, with our PM now just here to lay the groundwork for Condi, and the UN asking our PM to stay at home as he is a liability to peace. The behaviour of Israel towards the Lebanon is a disgrace, and it is good to hear someone say it.
Powerful stuff, and Moore sounded like a politician, as opposed to the chairman of a rural parish council, at times pompous and ridiculous, which is how Simon Hughes came across. It is all so bloody middle class.
"Every child really matters" said LD spokeslady Annette Brook in a quivering voice, to the weakest applause you ever heard. God, I wish there were more shouting socialists or smarmy Tories in the LibDems. Its so boring!
