On last night's TV, Nick Clegg fronts his one man campaign

Oh dear!  I fear this latest message from the Lib Dems will be, how do you say in English, shooting themselves in the foot.
First of all, they clearly haven't seen this broadcast from the Green Party, released just after the patronising and alienating "Debate on Europe".
Secondly, claiming Europe is good for students because of ERASMUS.  Hello? Tuition fees?

Students feel totally betrayed by the Lib Dems.  That's why they joined us in huge numbers in the last few years, making our youth wing larger than the Lib Dems' and sadly split on the question of tuition fees and the coalition.

And most importantly: Nick Clegg.  He was a star once but so, so, unpopular now.  He's just an angry man clinging on to power.

Greens in Europe agree with nick that Europe is vital to protecting our wider environment.  Thanks for making that point but I'll be voting Jean Lambert MEP (Green Party) as my first preference, thanks for the tip.


The Council Must Capitalise on Green Space

As politicians bicker over bins and tax, girls just want to go for a run. 

The London Borough of Barnet would be much diminished without its parks, walks, and open spaces.  We would have nothing.  These are by far the top spots for recreation.  Especially for vulnerable people such as the elderly, disabled, and mums with babies, parks are our lungs where we can go and sunbathe for our vitamin D and excercise for free (without inhailing class-1 carcinogens).  Without these spaces, children would be playing on busy streets, swinging round lamp-posts, running over cars, cars running over Barnet's children.  To get to these parks we often have foot-paths that the council has been unable to build housing or roads on, such as the one that goes from the Church Farm Museum to Queens Road.  The use of these footpaths could be improved by more regular sweeping and patrols to deter robbers and gangs of bike-thieves. Also, single mums and carers struggling from the bedroom tax should not have to pay soaring fees to attend physical activities, while their wealthy neighbours can park for free in Brent Cross for Barnet's most lucrative sport, the Sales.  That is the road to isolation.  Sport should be an energy boost for the masses.
In the past public money has been mis-spent because the Council does not listen to residents or other boroughs.  The Welsh Harp reservoir is a prime example of this with the current Barratt Homes blocks going up, which will over-shadow the wild-life and probably jam up the tiny roads there.  The boating there is a failure by all accounts.  Cross the boarder into Brent and you will walk through a scruffier park but at least it has a boat club, BTYC (Better Than Your Club), and the play-ground with a safe path to get there.
I think inclusivity has to be the number one buzz-word both in what the Council says and does with its leisure centres.  The other buzzword has to be Our Barnet, no privatisation.  Look at the irony of having ATOS and a burger chain sponsoring the Olympics.  We learned during the London 2012 Games of all the heroes who won medals for this country only to have their state benefits cut.  We saw the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne's arrogance in the arena as he was booed as he handed out medals.  The Council need to bring home those facilities that people struggle to get to on their Personal Independence Payments, to within 12 minutes' walk.  At the moment if you check out a Leisure centre in Brent Cross or Burnt Oak you will see the imagination of the contractor.  They are all the same.