politics

Gay Asylum Victory

Yesterday the UK Supreme Court issued a ruling in an asylum deportation case. The court decided that asking people to hide their sexuality (as the Home Office had been suggesting) was not appropriate. A Win! That was about all I knew.

Beyond the Circle Review

The Consenting Adults Action Network (CAAN) have just published a book (booklet?) by Jane Fae Ozimek (one of the last projects written as John Ozimek) - Beyond the Circle. I got my copy of it the other week and have read it over the past couple of days (the joy of a nicely timed work commute).

On Laws, Summerskill/Stonewall and Outrage

I've not blogged much recently despite wanting to say quite a bit. Other voices can sometimes say it better than I can and I do try and share those voices on my twitter stream.

David Laws resigned from the cabinet the other week after the Telegraph revealed he had been claiming expenses for rent paid to his partner against the rules. They claim that they weren't intending to reveal that his partner was male and therefore pull Laws out of the closet but it's hard to see how that could work in any meaningful way.

Public Privacy?

This is not a blog post I had planned to write - especially in the middle of an election, but blogging, for me, is meant to be about things you find interesting as you find them interesting. Nor is this a blog post which will answer the questions it poses - I don't think there are answers to some of the questions.

This morning a couple of ReTweets came up in my twitter stream from @glynmoody.

RT @alexanderhanff preparing a criminal complaint against Canonical over privacy concerns raised by logging/publishing of online chatrooms

Election Post #2: On digital engagement in Warrington North

I live in the Warrington North constituency (since the boundary changes). A quick look at YourNextMP shows I have 4 candidates to choose from (this will be confirmed once nominations have closed):

  • Derek Clark - UKIP (until very recentl YNMP was suggesting Jack Kirkham) [UPDATE: No UKIP Candidate listed on the formal Warrington North List]
  • Paul Campbell - Conservatives

Election Post No. 1: On liberation

So, with the elections coming up, it's time to start thinking about who I want to vote for. And therein lies a problem. I'm embarassed by all the parties (that is a polite understatement of my true feelings) and live in an ultra-safe constituency. On the one hand, there is Labour who have produced a more and more authoratarian, Orwellian state and who appear to equate liberation with equality with quotas, who abuse parliament and hold the public in utter contempt. On the other are the Conservatives.

Role of MP

Many of us watching the #DEBill debate over the past couple of days (yes I was that sad) came away feeling betrayed. Not just because the bill had passed, but because of the disgusting processes which had been exposed. I have an idealised image of what an MP should do and a rather more realistic vision of what I think they are able to do, a rather more cynical vision of what they actually do all from following the Civil Partnerships Act, the Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations and the Equalities Bill (also passed during wash up in the previous days).

Digital Economy? Err... not quite

I am still at a loss as to what the recording industry think they've gotten with the Digital Economy Bill which passed the Commons late last night. MPs have been throwing around industry figures in the hundreds of millions of pounds lost due to piracy. They seem to be willfully ignoring the argument that one download does not equal one lost sale (and may indeed lead to multiple extra purchases).

I want my liberation

The other side of politics I've been discussing tonight (see last entry)was The Equality Bill and the Tories. A brief discussion with @lawandsexuality through the medium of Facebook comments about where the Tories would likely go with Equality.

The Speaker is Dead! Long Live The Speaker!

I really shouldn't discuss politics late at night. I always end up with ideas running through my head that stop me from sleeping. Still this is what my blog is for, surely 8-).