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May- June feels a little flat by comparison- Obama, Iraq, Osama

I have been waiting patiently since this announcement was made one month ago for some kind of comment...

But with ash filling the skies on the day this story featured on page 8 of the ipaper...

... the symbolic end to a shambolic war was easily lost among the noise...

... leaving a distinctly Iraq-shaped hole in Obama's first visit to the UK three days later.

The War on Terror, Axis of Evil and WMDs. More than 1 million people marched, and they did it anyway.

What have we learned?

The Robin Cook Memorial Conference is being hosted by Compass at the Institute of Education in London on Saturday.

As a fierce opponent of the war, Cook would have been pleased that t

he event brings together progressive politicians of all parties, pressure groups, trade unions, think tanks, NGOs, academics, activists, thinkers and campaigners from across civil society to discuss and debate how we build the good society.

Since 2003, Compass Youth has aimed to engage young people to find out what issues really matter.

At 12.45pm they will host: Liam Burns, NUS President-elect, Adam Ramsay, co-editor of the Bright Green blog, Tom Wood, Chair of Liberal Youth, Shiv Malik, Guardian journalist and co-author of 'The Jilted Generation' and Lisa Nandy, Labour MP for Wigan.

The panel, chaired by Luke Pearce from Compass Youth, will discuss: ‘Signals of Intent: Values and Structures of Tomorrow’.

"There exists a generational disparity in the way politics is practised and the values political parties represent. Increasingly youth politics is practised on issues and through structures distinct from conventional politics.

“At a time when youth have been disproportionately affected by the recent cuts to funding and in order for the centre left to grow support for our ideals, we must embrace the distinct way of thinking and doing politics that youth movements represent."

So, a month ago, after nine years, my whole political lifetime, the British armed forces stepped off Iraqi soil for the final time.

Where is the Opposition? In fact, where is the Government? Or as a country, after nine years, is this us done?

Tony's children, surely, we have to work out what we need to do to make sure this never happens again?

The truth shall set you free

No idea to AV- which one means I never have to see any of you again?

I went to an event at the London Evening Standard about the change to the voting system.

For the ‘Yes’ campaign, Vince Cable and Ken Livingstone, and for the ‘No’, Lord Michael Howard and some Olympic rower.

It transpired, inevitably, that the ‘Yes’ campaign were not arguing for their preferred system, Nick Clegg called AV a ‘miserable little compromise’ some time ago.

Michael Howard took his chance at the lectern to read a very compelling speech as his line of attack:

“… And that speech was written by none other than… Ken Livingstone.”

…

Today, some of the country might vote on an historic referendum to change the way our country elects its representatives.

Why, in such an objectively sensitive change, are people not more engaged?

1. It is the wrong argument- even the people who want a change don’t want this change. It’s hard to argue convincingly for something you don’t really want.
2. For those who don’t want change, they have done everything in their power to emphasise its complexity. Implying we can’t all count past one.
3. Both teams have accused the other of deception, from the expense of fictitious voting machines to what system delivers what outcome. If you were so confident in your position and respected the people who you are trying to win over, WHY LIE?
4. The media elite, the people charged with explaining the system, learned journalists, have feigned bafflement at such a difficult new thing. Who are these people?
5. To most, it just doesn’t matter. A lot of people don’t vote anyway, possibly because the people who reach the top of political parties are not representative of normal people.
6. What vote? I called the Electoral Commission to find out where my leaflet was and they said one had been delivered to every household. I didn’t get one. Oh and the Royal Wedding, the bank holidays and now Public Enemy No. 1 is dead. A great time to bury potentially life changing but politically devastating news.

On the eve of the vote on AV, I would, if there was the option, urge you all to vote ‘re-open nominations’. Which system will allow more people to get involved, because I'm sick of this.

Led by a laughable, disgraceful field of people who are frankly crooks, liars, cronies.

Men who, let’s face it, cannot keep their hands to themselves. In one way or another.

Gaffy nerds who wouldn’t know the big society if it was outside, just before the gated wall protecting their new money/old money first, second or third home.

But there isn’t.

Sadly, today, there will be no revolution here.

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