But you want my views on the financial crisis? I am flattered. Watch my blog and I will put it up shortly.

What policies do you say have got us where we are?

What do you consider to be “progressive” policies? Green ones? Ye Gods.

Matt

* Get involved with my local party (Hendon)
You’re local party may well have problems knowing who you are if you rely on central membership services. if you’ve not wanted to track people down to get involved it’s hardly a suprise.

To be fair on membership services they processed my change of address swiftly. Why it took so long for Hendon (and London Region for that matter) to recognise the move is unclear to me but as you say if I’d been that bothered I would have chased.

* Make Reflecting Britain actually work
I’m not sure if this wouldn’t get lost amongst the LY, EMLD, LDMF, WLD, GBTF, DELGA mosaic. If you could get these AOs to agree to work together and for that project to be Reflecting Britain it might work, as you say the thing it needs is other people’s time and skills.

I don’t think the project would get lost in the “mosaic” (none of them exactly have a high internet profile) and the project requires individuals to sign up not organisations (who would be a bonus nonetheless).

* Set up some kind of ginger group / blog
The Beveridge Group were rattling on about setting themselves up again at conference. While they’re not quite right as they are, they’re the nearest thing to an antidote to the Littlewood Vision, your involvement would help them to be good in all respects of the word.

I’m not convinced by the Beveridge Group brand – too backwards looking and defensive. Its very name was a reaction to a now defunct rightwing group (the Peel Group – remember them?). If there is a future for social liberalism, it is time it stopped defining itself as being stuck in the 1940s. If the Beveridges were interested in changing their name, their approach and started saying something interesting about the environment and taxing wealth, then I might be attracted to them. But at the moment, being involved with them would probably just make me even more grumpy!

* Quit the party
What would you do if you quit the party? I’d bet that you’d get equally frustated in piecemeal political campaigns. If you joined the Greens, frankly I’d say that your admitting that your not serious about getting quite-good policies into law, just very-good policies into manifestoes.

I didn’t say I was considering joining the Greens – I said I might consider it if they managed to transform themselves into a serious political force over the next five years. Big difference.

* The other ideas you missed
Get a hobby that is uninvolved with politics or the political people you currently mix with.
Take a course at the City Lit or the Working Men’s College in something creative, you’ve got the voice for singing and the wit for stand-up comedy
Have you ever considered turning your writing energies to fiction?

Well, I do have a hobby that gives me a dose on non-politics once a week (boardgames). It might be nice to do something I’m actually any good at though. A course is something I should consider. Thanks.

As someone who has contributed a lot to the general level of debate in the party, I would be very disappointed if you decided to drop your level of involvement. However, I do think that there is a real need for a counterweight to the Liberal Vision crowd. As someone who doesn’t automatically identify with ‘wings’ of the party and very much considers myself still learning and reading, having a forceful voice from all kinds of different parts of the party only makes us all stronger (as long as the tone is mutually respectful and we vow to learn from each other).

Therefore, why not use this blog for the more ‘negative’ stuff, and then use your efforts to reenergise the Beveridge Group in order to make a more positive impact too?

If you want to take a holiday first, then enjoy!

best wishes,
Simon