What's Next?

It's been an eventful time of late. In the UK the Labour Party surprised itself by electing Jeremy Corbyn as its new leader. He has no ministerial or front bench experience - and is ideologically further to the left than most of the Parliamentary Labour Party - but gained an impressive win, and the term "Corbyn-mania" has entered the language. (I never recall the terms Wilson-mania or Callaghan-mania in my youth!). I attended the Party Conference in Brighton - and it was interesting to feel the strange mix of enthusiasm and trepidation - with some individuals showing both.

The Conservative Party Conference was even more interesting - as the battle for the succession to Cameron was clearly in full swing.

Parliament returns this week - and we will see how these developments impact on the atmosphere in Westminster - and upon events themselves.

In Washington, events took an even more dramatic turn - with John Boehner's shock announcement that he was standing down as Speaker. Then, as the GOP conference met to elect his successor, the favourite - Majority Leader, Kevin McCarthy withdrew. The disruptive power of the small group of ultra-conservatives was evident for all to see. Further developments will be monitored closely!

Conservative Party Conference

The final major party conference, as is the usual pattern, is that of the Conservative Party. It is being held in Manchester. Last year Labour held their conference there, and will return next year (and I'll be going!). However for 2011 Manchester hosts the Conservatives. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister will address the conference.

A Conference App is available here.

The website can be found here.

Youthful Indiscretions

At the height of the impeachment process of President Clinton - the media discovered that a number of his congressional accusers themselves had done similar things. Henry Hyde's dismissal of his own four-year long extramarital sexual affair as a "youthful indiscretion", has become notorious. He of course was the Chair of the Judiciary Committee who wrote the Resolution of Impeachment and was Chief Prosecutor at the trial in the Senate. Hyde was himself 41 years of age at the time of his affair. The drama of the impeachment itself was heightened when it was revealed that Bob Livingston, who was due to succeed Newt Gingrich as Speaker, had had a number of extra-material affairs. He resigned. Of course, Newt himself has had a series of marriages - marrying the latest person he had been conducting an affair with.

Now the term has come back to haunt the leaders of the coalition government in Britain. We've heard Prime Minister, David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg demand that the criminals involved in this week's rioting face the consequences of their actions. As the Prime Minister said, "Anyone charged with violent disorder and other serious offences should expect to be remanded in custody, not let back on the streets; and anyone convicted should expect to go to jail."

The Social Media has seen the resurrection of stories these leaders would have prefered forgotten.

The Financial Times - in their respected "Westminster Blog", ran an exclusive about Cameron and his involvement in the drunken and disorderly activities of the Bullingdon Club (April 4th 2010) - available here.
In 2007 Nick Clegg's conviction for arson as a teenager was revealed. The BBC reported on the story here.