Peter Tatchell: Got Up Jailhouse Lawyer's Nose

John Hirst has this following the Tatchell interview substitued for the missing Mike Read's Mayoral Interview on 18 Doughty Street last week.

Peter Tatchell is I fear being rather misrepresented. What he was saying surely - and it was clear enough - was that 14 year olds in some countries and of all genders and preferences are legally allowed or practically tolerated HAVING SEX with one another with a narrow band of similar age. NOT Tatchell screwing 14-year-old boys. 14-year-old boys and girls screwing other 14-year-old boys and girls.

There is a huge difference between that proposal which is de facto law anyway and the smear being presented for the prosecution.

You may not agree with freedom for 14-year-olds in this regard, or perhaps you do. But that's another question.

EXCLUSIVE Burnage: Why (Like Arsonists) Do Weak Lib Dem Councillors Return to their Crime?

Picture of gurningly miserable man with burnt bus and list of his many "achievements" in three years of power to follow shortly.

Fibby On T' Fence: Fibs Vote To Keep Crappy Logo

Last comments on Lib Dem Voice's Poll on ditching their absurdy birdy:

Matthew Says:
April 1st, 2007 at 6:06 pm
...
It’s appropriate to keep the bird, as after the 2009 general election when we enter a coalition with the Conservatives, our birdy can perch in a branch of the tory green tree.

Bird Watcher Says:
April 7th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
We should have a bird flying to the right with a very small left wing for Tory areas and a bird flying to the left with a very small right wing for Labour areas. In Nationalist areas we are probably going to be shot down in flames anyway. But perhaps tartan and dragon scale versions could be developed?

Manc Boy Says:
April 11th, 2007 at 9:42 am
How about a rat?

Chris Paul Says:
April 13th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
Manc Boy - I didn’t send you here to say “How about a rat?” although the Chorlton Fibber is trying a rat on his this time round. Some nonsense about it being a Labour rat … but we all know that if you’ve got rats you get in a cat like my killer Tilley and you don’t get in a silly bird called Fibby. Fibby on a Fence (above) makes quite a good combination though.

Burnage: Rattled Out 850 Frank Duffy Leaflets

We also threw a cheery wave to the Lib Dem Cllr Donaldson across the Kingsway. His responding arm went up like lightning at a 45 degree angle but looked nothing whatsoever like sneaky seig heil mimicry, though perhaps like a man wanting to ask a question.

Sneaky Sieg Heils are SO distinctive don't you think? For the time being the LOL graphics department have been warned off sticking Donaldson's head onto a Nazi figure. Though if they happen to come across a genuine picture of the man with his arm straight out just above shoulder height then they have a green light. We've noticed he's been studiously NOT pointing at lamp posts and road signs this season.

Obviously any sneaked pictures of the incident from the chamber will be more than welcome. We know there were camera 'phones in there though the rumour of a candid CCTV camera is as yet unsubstantiated.

The incident? Oh, the time when Donaldson is alleged to have made a Nazi salute during a speech from Cllr Afzal Khan. He claims he was trying to get the Chair's attention to speak. But that really doesn't wash. The Lib Dems sans MP staged another blooming walk out. But were back in time for their municipal trough swill.

All Donaldson's leaflets I've seen begin by saying he's "hard working". That too doesn't wash. And soon enough I'll explain why I say that. It's there on the leaflets clear as day if you know how to read them.

POSTSCRIPT: I finished off my Chorlton iD wad yesterday evening before you ask.

Michael Meacher: Fair's Fair, What a GSOH He Has

Well, it's true. Following a parliamentary enquiry and a flurry of emails round the blog team Michael Meacher DID post my comment on his blog. It has taken me 25 minutes to find it there so here it is with someone's cheeky chappy comment added. Don't know when it was actually put up. Not as the time stamp. So oh go on then Dan, here's your appreciation. Thanks for posting my comment after four days. Buried under more bad news. And an apology: Sorry for not noticing.

Meanwhile I must also say that Michael's website and blog is brighter, in appearance at least, though the colour-clash flower I've pruned from the top doesn't work.

If nothing else the upcoming leadership and deputy contests are setting some new standards for parliamentary web sites.

Tom Watson MP: BBC's Alan Johnston, Missing But *Alive* (link) in Gaza

As Tom Watson MP blogs:
You can sign the petition or join the facebook group. OK it’s not a lot but it shows solidarity.

Manchester blogger Stephen Newton has a round up of the scandal of journalists killed and wounded in action and things you can do to help campaign for protection for frontline heroes of the press.

Michael Meacher: What a Cheeky Old Facebook Comrade He Still Is

Michael still has 56 Facebook members, none of whom has the power of nomination, but he has finally stopped nicking my "Class Act" comment out of context like some third-rate theatrical impressario.

He also removed my guillotine graphic (right) though some persistent blogger bloke has put it back, and so it see-saws onwards to humiliation for the rentier blogger who needs a PA using a parliamentary email address and a committee meeting to pass or likely spike a bloke's blog comment.

Screen grabs may follow. But is he worth it?

One Michael supporter - BECAUSE of the conspiracy theories - Matthew Devereaux Edwards has been assailing me with Aikido quotes, links and metaphors.

Perhaps I can add one from the grandmaster of St Catherine's, Jamaica: The Harder They Come, The Harder They Fall, One And All.

UPDATE: Michael's Researcher and in his own time campaign assister Dan Judelson has posted a couple of comments here and informs me that eventually some kind of link to my guillotine did appear on Michael's blog. I'll take a look and report back.

Iain Dale: Bloody Magistrates Are Revolting

Iain Dale had a post yesterday on a magistrate who has resigned as he doesn't like a sort of flat rate admin-come-restitution levy of £15 that they have to apply. Including to what the old fool calls "victimless crimes" whatever they are. He was an 'Alan'.

But fines are pretty arbritary anyway. Don't suppose this old buffer would have had a problem if there had been an unexplained £15 flat rate hike across the board? Not linked to restitution which may have been a presentation mistake - for some audiences at least.

We had our own Magistrate Alan (another Tory methinks?) making and getting away with "bloody foreigners" comments around the same time as Col "Blimp" Mercer got his.

And he allegedly used to boast at work (for a Council in the North, and he was a very lazy slacker by repute) how he had escaped punishment for drunken and dangerous driving (at 10 am in the morning) by pulling the "don't you know who I am" plus "I'm on my way to Sunday School" tricks.

Still - he didn't mow anyone down that time. It was a victimless non-crime thanks to his pulling rank.

Bloody Magistrates!

So It Goes: Kurt Vonnegut is Gone

British Broadcasting Corporation, New York Times, Washington Post, London Times, and the Manchester Guardian.

Here is a 25-year-old Obit from the San Francisco Chronicle from a long-dead writer. And THIS is a Paris Review interview from Spring 1977.

Google Maps: New York to Felixstowe the Hard Way

Try the above search at Google Maps and pay particular attention at point 23. This goes some way to explain the duration of the journey.

But how fast should leg 23 be completed if other sections average 40 mph?

EXCLUSIVE Mili Vanilli: Dress Rehearsal Scoop

Now they're giving contestants props for the final run through. But please don't tell Gordon. It's a surprise Okey-Cokey Koronation Karoake. This is an Update on This.

Dale on Mike Read: "The bastard!" Two Faced to Boot

"The bastard," mutters Dale. "He said that he asked someone to phone us last week, because he's 'on a charity walk' today. But no one did, and that's not much use with a live broadcast. Instead, we're going to re-broadcast an hour of Peter Tatchell. That seemed a fitting replacement."

Hat tip to DizzyThinks for pointing it out.

Leadership as X Factor: Leadership Nominations Online in Real Time

Perhaps instead it's Jeux Sans Frontieres: Games Without Frontiers, Wars Without Tears? Or Eurovision Song Contest: And from our North East jury: Charles Clarke Nul poins! Et cetera, et cetera and ad nauseum.

New Labour apparently intend to give hourly updates on leadership nominations on the website to engender interest in the country.

Nominations from MPs are due to be put up on the Labour party website on a near hourly basis as part of a plan to increase traffic and interest in the election. MPs will be given three Westminster sitting days to canvass nominations. Any candidate receiving more than 45 votes would have to accept or decline the nomination.

Over three days the competition will see twists and turns, analysis and speculation, as Gordon's alleged 200 nominations are farmed out carefully to keep things live.

Will any other candidate stage an ambush by keeping their powder dry until day three? Will some Brownies be swayed by the smell of the greasepaint, the roar of the paper tigers, and the froth of the rigged ITV phone vote operating alongside?

Will Miliband get a quick 50 nominations without even declaring? Will they be made transferrable in case Mili Vanilli declines? Will Brown deliberately lend some of his nominations out with plenary indulgences? To anyone-but-Mili?

Or will there perhaps be a show of force with Meacher's three being blasted onto the chart immediately for an early lead? To dine out over in dotage with family, friend(s), not to forget all his tenants. "I led the leadership contest once, you know? Now where's your rent you lumpen prole?"

Letter from Stoke-on-Trent: Tarus' Visa Letter

Well, it has arrived. Tarus is out running so we'll have to wait and see what it says. 28 days to get out we expect. More anon as they say.

John Harris: We will soon find out how bold Brown is ready to be

Harris, Brown, Blair and Bono ... all dreaming.

John Harris has blogged-for-Brown in the Guardian's Comment is Free. I continue to be very disappointed with the chattering but inaction from Compass and I replied :

Hello John,
As you know my contribution as a co-conspirator on your SNWDWVF blog project was to reject the idea that a reduced Labour majority would shift the party leftwards as the SCG held the balance of power and to urge voters to stand by Labour. I suggested that instead of this dream balance of power scenario Blair would rely on Tory votes to see his programme through.
Told you so! The same for my money would apply if the Lib Dems were notionally holding the whip hand. They are mavericks and apolitical crackpots and a Grand Alliance might be prefered to relying on them.
Look what they have done in Scotland! Constantly carping about decisions made by the Lib-Lab pact there. Even when they hold the portfolios!
Although we must - as socialists - live in hope, Gordon Brown's ascent to the throne would only be a small and partial recovery for Labour. It might be too little too late. And I must say even for the hopeful it is rather depressing to watch your moral Compass DO NOTHING but chatter and stand by watching Brown's coronation.
Don't you lot have anything about you? To ensure a challenge from both the Left in the shape of McDonnell AND the Centre Left in the shape of ... who knows. Aren't they members of the Compass group of MPs?
Whatever you may imagine Brown is but a small step back to "when we are Labour" and it is essential for the sanity and integrity of our party that he must have to treat with the party and movement to his left as well as, and indeed as more of a priority than with the much much smaller but more bullish forces to his right which provide ALL the challengers you mention.
Robin Cook was a good man. He made a principled decision over the Iraq war, which is more than can be said for the chump Michael Meacher, but he was a loyalist to a fault and a good long way from "when we are Labour" in most matters.
New Labour's marketisation and privatisation have been at the heart of Brown's economic miracle. A three card trick of delivering spending while holding tax in check. I'd rather pay more and not be in hock to the banks for 25 years. I'd certainly rather pay more than be in hock to Tories or Lib Dems for even one year.
Come on Compass! Come on the Parliamentary Labour Party. Stop faffing about. Let's have four or five names on the leadership ballot with at least two to the left of Brown. Let's have the debate Charles and Alan DO NOT want. And let's be Labour again.
Comradely greetings
Chris Paul

PS Have you got your NUJ form in yet John? There's no need for the cuttings. We know who you are and where you live.

Gweirdo: What If Recess Monkey Did Newsnight?

From er Gweirdo, didn't I say?

Exclusive: Tatchell Supports Righteous Assassination in extremis But Redemption for Saddam

18 DOUGHTY STREET: Asked when and where he'd like to be in history in some past interview Tatchell said "January 1933 in the garden of Ribbentrop's Berlin house ready to assassinate Adolf Hitler". But Mugabe he thinks should be assassinated by a black Zimbabwean and not by his good self. Iain Dale tries to extend that to support for the war on Iraq. But Tatchell wouldn't play. Will be interesting to see how Iain blogs this later. The interview is continuing. And will be archived HERE.

.. Tatchell has just claimed he had the opportunity on interrupting a motorcade - in an anti-war protest - to assassinate Blair! He says he spotted the fatal flaw in the armour plating of the limo. But as he believes in non-violence and didn't have his Uzi on him Teflon Tone was safe ...

IMAGE: Mugabe in Manchester.
WHY WAS IT TATCHELL?: Missed the start of the programme and didn't see why Mike Read was off. Just checked the ID and he pulled out at 3pm. The Tatchell interview was off the peg though this was not clear from the screening.

Google Adsense: Having an Almighty Struggle - Help!

Just now there are three or possibly four Ad panels showing on my template but just one advert showing on the live page. If anyone can advise on how to wrestle with the controls successfully I'd be glad of the help. What I'm aiming at is a smallish box top left, a thin links box immediately under the masthead (as Stephen Newton has), and some adverts embedded at the foot of first couple of posts (as DizzyThinks has), and that'll be that.

Blogger is also refusing to deal with uploads of pictures or graphics as page elements. For example I was trying to put the hats logo with the Withington index. Aaaargh.

Iain Dale: First of the Tory Mayoral Candidates to Die on Web TV Channel 18 Doughty Street

Iain Dale has a washed up DJ name of Mike Read on his prog tonight. Ostensibly to ask him about how his fading career can be revived by being a losing Tory Mayoral candidate. No that's wrong. How London's booming fortunes can be wrecked by replacing the incumbent cheeky chappy with Mike Read. A boring, inexperienced egotist with no skills and achievements to speak of. Oh he did write some crappy tunes like this one - "2nd floor: A Dirty Old Man, 3rd Floor: A Couple of Drag Queens ..."

Iain should ask him about these famous Cheeky Girls. Guido has tabulated the Tory tossery and linked to Dale's story about the Lib Dems being all of a dither. Not like them.

UPDATE: Read pulled out, er, at around 3pm or was it 3:35pm?!

Manchester City Council: Some Interesting and Strange Nominations

Twenty wards, of 32, have the standard vanilla quota of Tory, Fibs, Green and Labour. But in twelve there will be some wooden spoon interest as independents and specials vie with the Tories.

In alphabetical order, with a couple of vanilla wards with interest:

Ancoats and Clayton: John Hulse, allegedly with some murky associations with the NF, stands as an independent while the Libs do stick with Danny Valentine, also with some murky associations.
Baguley: Lynn Worthington is an Independent Socialist Save Our Baby Unit, which is interesting.
Charlestown: UKIP are in the pot and the Lib Dems field Whalley Ann Rodgers as a paper tiger.
Cheetham: Former councillor and PPC for Gorton the news whore solicitor Mr Kassim Afzal is dropped for taxi man Sham Raja. Nice chap, no chance.
Chorlton Park: sadly just the four, including our very own star John Hacking.
City Centre: sees an Independent Kin Cheng which is a very interesting development and worth a separate blog later. Kathy Crotty for Labour. Whiney Rob Adlard for Tories. Absentee and almost de-selected Lib Dem Kenny Dobson defending. And Brigit Vollm for the Greens.
Didsbury East: "Chicken" Geoff Bridson (Labour) tackles Helen "D" Fisher (Lib Dem). What a lightweight!
Didsbury West: UKIP PPC Robert Gutfreund-Walmsley is on the ballot.
Gorton South: Sabrina J Jones is standing as TUSP which I think may be The United Socialist Party but is could be a coincidental Tenants' thing. This is the home seat of the wobbling Lib Dem leader Simon Ashley with Julie Reid standing for no nonsense Labour.
Harpurhey: Bullock's for UKIP.
Higher Blackley: Joe Finnon, the student rabble rouser and undercover infiltrator moves across from Fallowfield. This was for a time hot Fash country with a sadly departed Lamb and Flag PH a focus. Shirley Reeve of UKIP also pitches for the right wingers.
Hulme: Former PPC Steve Durrant and anti-fash and anti-war activist (Green) stands again after being humbled into third last time in the Green's "stronghold". Will Cllr Vanessa do photocalls with candidates this time. Or is she still too self-important and picky?
Miles Platting and Newton Heath: Yes, we have Derek Adams for the BNP (he's bananas), Lisa Duffy competing with him in UKIP colours, June Hitchin for Labour and erstwhile Lab, Ind, UKIP now Lib Dem Damien O'Connor.
Moston: Some kind of Rellie of Shirley (Higher Blackley) Peter Reeve makes a matching pair across the boundary.
Rusholme: Nahella Ashraf is Respect's candidate. Bit too keen on the Labour bashing even among friends - e.g. Tony Lloyd MP at Pakistan Earthquake appeal supper had to hear a silly tirade. But she's a good worker.

Some of the Lib Dems go plain, some go "For a Fairer Britain", and some are "Focus Team". Strangely there are no candidates on a platform of an "Unfairer Britain" which means Ann Rodgers and the rest pass the LOL nonsense test.

Manchester City Council: In Half An Hour Nominations Are Published

When they are we will post a link HERE (Should be midday. Not live 12:15, 12:25, hurrah 12:35).

UPDATE: there are a few surprises, enough to blog separately, soon.

This much we know: Respect are NOT standing in Cheetham Hill and are encouraging a vote for Labour's Afzal Khan who has been stalwart anti-war campaigner, a great Lord Mayor and is thoroughly positive about immigration. Respect will stand in Rusholme, aiming to improve on their excellent 800 votes of 2006.

There may also be some independent socialist action in the Council Estates which recently voted for stock transfer and £114M of improvements. Burnage and Fallowfield in particular. Perhaps Chorlton Park.

The National Front stood in Manchester Central in 2005, polling less than the BNP did in ONE ward over EIGHT wards. Expect the BNP in Miles Platting and Newton Heath where the Lib Dem candidate has been a councillor (1), stood for (2), or at least temporarily been a been a member of (3) Labour (123), Independent (123), UKIP (23) and now Lib Dems (23).

Calling him a criminal is a bit harsh as it was only a couple of years fiddling his benefits. When he stood in the General and Local elections of 2005 and 2006 he had at least one helper with an NF history.

The BNP have also stood in Fallowfield - putting up the student chancer who infiltrated NW Respect and was the Treasurer for their Euro Campaign - and in Gorton South where they trounced Greens, UKIP and Tories, in that order.

Other interesting points from the Lib Dems will be whether they run with Danny Valentine again in Ancoats and Clayton, and whether they managed to convince the Green Party to take part in any shenanigans to help them out. Let's hope not.

As for the Tories - apart from their vocal but idle man in the muddle - all eyes will be on how Dave/id's mission to Wythenshawe to get down with hoodies and bouncers pays off in his candidate list for the area.

YouGov Polls: You Too Can Be Heard

YouGov are always looking for more people to take their polls. You can sign up HERE. The remuneration is but slight - lots of prize draws and 50p a shot - but you can also spread the word pyramid stylee and get paid for polls your recruits take as well. Can't be bad.

LibDem Polling: You Too Can Be Heard, Should 'Fibby' Stay or Should She Go Now?

Lib Dem Voice is running a poll on whether the absurd Bird of Fibbery should be superceded. But - just as Fib Dems voted against Lembit Opik for President when he wanted to stop running down opponents - Fib Dems are voting for the Fibbery to continue unchecked, flitting from branch to branch whispering porkies, squitting slime onto our pavements and fences (above), and more pestilent than a Trafalgar Square pigeon.

You too can vote. Above as promised the crapulent Kerron Cross Clan graphic cleaned up for the 21st Century. Aaaargh, I've posted the old one. New one below.

Luke Akehurst: If You Missed The Labour Achievement Film (LAF) Here's Luke

Luke's Blog yesterday covers The Observer on Tony Blair thinking he has been stitched up a bit and some of the key achievements glossed over. But here they are. And they are good. Town Hall achievements in places like Manchester and Hackney are also impressive as we face Local Government elections here - NOT a referendum on Foreign Policy.

Dale says "Boomerang": We say "Chance to Practice Gaelic" and Silly Innuendo

We were fascinated to read that the two bonnie lassies who found themselves abed with the quixotic SNP 'member' Angus MacNeil are one half of the gaelic grrrl power folk band Teine. We're not quite sure how that should be pronounced? Teeny perhaps? Tiny? But as we say in the gaelic: Is fheàrr teine beag a gharas na teine mòr a loisgeas. The little fire that warms is better than the big fire that burns. Or "Size doesn't matter". And remember if you ever find find yourself newly elected, alone and lonely, bladdered and soon to be a dad in a hotel bar and you spy two lovelies: Bàthaidh uisge teth teine. Hot water will quench fire. Hot shower and self-service-you-can-trust saves getting into hot water.

It's Started: This was Posted on an Ancient LoL Post

This article is fantastic; the information you show us is very interesting and is really good written. It’s just great!! Do you want to know something more? Read it... Glass Bongs and Bong featuring Herbal Smoke, water bongs, bongs online head shop, Marijuana Alternative,glass water bongs, Hashish, Ganja, homemade bongs, Smokeshop, cannibis, legal smoking alternatives for herbal highs and aphrodisia. http://www.breadshopinternational.com

Really chuffed. I have a discerning fan called Celia. She wants to sell hash on my site. Cheers. If that URL works it shouldn't as it's been fixed.

The last time I heard the "It's Started" line was from a fellow pet "long dog" owner as one of mine failed miserably at the simulated coursing at Tatton Country Fair.

Being pets they hate muzzles, which must be worn, and being part urban they have seen more plastic bags blowing about than you can shake a stick at. They know they are not tasty if caught. All three, and this fellow's pet, were very embarrassing. Though me lurchers won best pair in show.

Life on Mars: It's A Wonderful Life

Terrific telly. Beating up the wrong man. Constantly. Heaven and Earth. Life and Death. Love and Hate. BAFTA and RTS. The Shameless of 06-07. The Talking Heads track Heaven would have been fully a decade out of time. But there was plenty of that in this series. This is the tune and the lyric that came to my mind towards the denouement.

Everyone is trying to get to the bar.
The name of the bar, the bar is called Heaven.
The band in Heaven plays my favorite song.
They play it once again, they play it all night long.

Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens.
Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens.

There is a party, everyone is there.
Everyone will leave at exactly the same time.
Its hard to imagine that nothing at all
could be so exciting, and so much fun.

Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens.
Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens.

When this kiss is over it will start again. It will not
be any different, it will be exactly the same.
It's hard to imagine that nothing at all
could be so exciting, could be so much fun.

Heaven is a place where nothing every happens.
Heaven is a place where nothing every happens. MP3 HERE

TRIVIA MOMENT: This was perhaps the stand out song of the pre-purge Simply Red, Just Red, Simply Mick etc experimental band. A kind of Al Green fronts Buzzcocks. The smoothed out band did include it on their debut Picture Book.

Myself and Brooky who now lives at the other end of my road - as City Life Magazine - promoted the Red's last home town gig, at the late lamented Tropicana on Oxford Street, before they signed to Seymour "I must have that voice" Stein's Elektra.

Mog was the bass player in the rougher hewn version. Doreen sang BVs in both. The Cousins did 20 arena gigs with them to kick off their world tour 99-00. The band worked as a jazz-folk trio (NME) and this pissed Mick off as he liked the Bass and Drums on our recordings.

United vs Roma: Eight - Three Monstering

Last time I blogged United after six minutes - 3-0 up - they collapsed and only just held on at 3-2. Which would not have been enough tonight. After the first I predicted 6-0 and can be satisfied that it was a six goal margin.

Meanwhile one of Geoff's eggs - converted into a rubbery bouncing bomb - has actually exploded in son's room. Very little effect given the normal skanky detritus and debris.

On The Knocker: Chorlton

Spent 90 minutes out on the knocker in Chorlton just before tea time. Decided to knock even on the known againsts this time.

In some ways these are the most interesting. EVERY SINGLE ONE is happy with the way Manchester Labour is running the City. SOME have specific praise, for example for the bright new street lights.

Our own tribal supporters can be the most demanding. Did you know that Labour and Tories each have about 30% tribal supporters? And the Lib Dems only about 2%? Topped up with Against voters and ditherers. With the other 35% plus in play.

K and H know that Manchester Labour are terrific. But they hate Blair. The fact he's going transfers that hate by STV to Brown. They'll vote for Scargill or Galloway if they get the chance. Otherwise Green.

E and M report some issues with a licencing application although they are a long way from any licenced premises and the nearest two to their address have closed. However one of them is involved with a Club which sells alcohol and that may be it. Died in wool, true blue, but very fond of Tony Lloyd MP and won't dabble with the Lib Duds.

G strongly dislikes negative campaigning, as does LOL as you will be able to tell from the blog, but is right to feel that the Lib Dems are far worse on this as they continue to make idiots of themselves in smudgy print. Back with us.

J and M are Labour at heart but a compulsory purchase around seven or eight years ago - just as the market was picking up - left them feeling out of pocket. They know the Fib Duds are useless and will vote Green this time.

The "outs" win as ever. But of the "ins" we're ahead of any other party and in fact have a lead on all combined. It's only a small sample but it is always good to meet and greet real residents.

Moved on to campaign pictures in Chorlton Park. Lack of juice in 'phone means I miss a slot on the knocker there.

United vs Roma: Three-Nil in 18 Minutes

Aggregate 4-2 and counting.

What's This About?: Dog Walkers' Dirty Protest

Clueless dog walkers in the Mersey Valley appear to be making a point by putting dog pooh into little plastic bags and if they are shameless Lib Dem types chucking them in the bushes or if clever Greens and Tories starting little cairns all over the place - where, presumably, they think there should be dog bins at their convenience.

Well, it's not big and it's not clever. Dog waste bins away from city parks, never mind in the middle of wild country, are hard to sustain. Do these idiots imagine a pack of pooh rangers with rucksacs touring constantly to keep these scenic bins from brimming over?

Apart from which dog pooh before insertion into plastic bags is bio-degradeable and enjoyed by small and microbial woodland creatures; so get a stick and move it out of harms way - off piste. Or if you really want to increase the amount of pooh in plastic bags in land fill or making black smoke over incinerators then bag it and take it home.

Making cairns of pooh-in-plastic is quite frankly idiotic.

UPDATE: This post is dedicated to "Anonymous Troll" and the featured pooh cairn has now been cleared.

Burnage Campaign: Working Every Day to Elect Frank Duffy

Let's get Frank Duffy elected! Today twenty supporters turned out to deliver leaflets and letters across the ward. What a relief it must be for local people to get an honest word from an honest politician. Frank Duffy's Lib Dud opponent is the man reported to Standards and featured in the Manchester Evening News for allegedly making a Nazi salute during a speech from Cllr Afzal Khan in the Council Chamber.

Some incredulous local residents gave us copies of the Fib Dud effort and to be frank it stank. May blog it later.

Picture shows Frank after a Secret Santa effort to fix a Burnage resident's pergola which had blown down in strong winds.

If someone puts something to rights in Burnage without a fuss ... it's probably Frank Duffy.

PARBURY ANECDOTES: To follow soon.

Labour of Love Log Jam: There are Twenty Drafts on my Dashboard

Never was much of a completer-finisher to use Belbin's term. Expect an avalanche of posts over the next couple of days. Including: What we actually did with Geoff's eggs.

Willie Rennie: In The Sea, In The Sea, In The Sea

Cllr John Leech MP's buddy Willie Rennie MP is getting all knotted once again. Remember, the pair of them stood up together and asked probing questions about dumb cluster bombs and both have signed three laudable EDMs on the matter.

Only trouble is that Willie used to part-own and work for McEwan Purvis, the PR Agency which glossed the truth for multinational Raytheon - one of the world's biggest arms dealers and a maker of cluster bombs, bunker busters and all sorts of nasties. Rennie has even been to their factory since his shock election - a couple of constituencies away - and glad handed and soundbited about how great these purveyors of fun sized amputations and worse actually are.

He was well-paid to spin for the firm. He was well-paid for his shares. And now he is well paid to make hypocritical speeches, at the HoP.

Well, Ridiculous Politics brings a new twist. While slapping the Unions at Rosyth on the back and saying he is on side he has also been spotted in at least five clandestine meetings with bosses.

I've got to be honest I think Gordon Brown may be getting a new MP at the next election as this Lib Dem is even worse than the mediocre average.