Matthew Harris was the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Hendon at the 2010 General Election and is a former vice-chairman of Lib Dem Friends of Israel. He writes here in a personal capacity.
Top marks to the gay Jewish parents who have written to the Lib Dem MP Sarah Teather to dissent from Ms Teather's opposition to equal marriage (http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/102435/gay-jewish-parents-slam-catholi...). Slightly lower marks, perhaps, for the headline about "Catholic MP" - or am I being over-sensitive?
Lib Dem Chief Whip (and Government Deputy Chief Whip) Alistair Carmichael has written this letter to Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust: http://www.scribd.com/doc/122300465/ChiefWhipLetter, regarding David Ward's comments about "the Jews" and the Holocaust. I am very pleased to see that this letter has been written and sent.
As conference season unfolds, the role of interest groups in the political process is again under the spotlight. For the Jewish community, the term "lobby" rarely has favourable connotations.
Please don't read this if you have not yet watched Homeland and if you therefore don't want to know what happens. I'm watching it on my PVR, a Humax that my friends and I call the Hoover.
I have always been hazy as to the precise connection between the Jewish festival of Shavuot and the Christian festival of Pentecost, which often, if not always, occur on the same day - today.
I have never wasted much time blogging about Barnet Council. I have wasted lots of time blogging about other things, but rarely about that. There is a band of bloggers who spend all their time blogging about the Council as if it was Parliament and they were Private Eye...One such is Mrs Angry (I know, I know).
LATEST DISCUSSIONS
RE: David Ward blog post written by John Hilley
" three weeks later (from 27th may) and still no meeting! it's (...)" happygoldfish
RE: David Ward blog post written by John Hilley
" happygoldfish: 28th february: david ward denies (to the (...)" happygoldfish