UK combat operations end in Iraq

After six years of an illegal, immoral, and unnecessary war, UK combat operations in Iraq ended in Basra.

This is not the time and place to go further into the whys and wherefores. Our thoughts turn to the nearly 200 service personnel who lost their lives in Iraq and of course their friends and family.

I am sure that there is a sense of relief for many that their final tour of Iraq is ending, and I look forward to welcoming them home.

However, we should not forget the toll on Iraq itself, with at least 100,000, and up to 1 million violent deaths as a result of the conflict.

The country is in a much worse condition than six years ago, its population depleted and demoralised, its infrastructure devastated.

Icelandic general election

It seems that voters in Iceland have backed the left-wing coalition and strongly rejected Independent party that oversaw economic collapse.

The coalition is led by interim prime minister Johanna Sigurdardottir. She became her country's first woman PM on 1 February this year; she also became the world's first openly gay head of government.

The conservative Independence party had held a parliamentary majority for some 70 years. However, many blamed it for the country's economic troubles.

The win allows the government to push through a pro-EU agenda, and the majority of the coalition want Iceland to apply for EU membership, which would eventually allow the country to adopt the euro.

Good luck Iceland!

Fianna Fàil joins ELDR

After fruitful negotiations, the European Liberal and Democrat party welcomed Fianna Fàil as a new ELDR member party.

The Irish newcomer will see the ELDR party establish itself as a key player for the forthcoming European elections. For ELDR, Fianna Fàil's membership will bring to the liberal family a new and interesting perspective from a strong party currently in government.

The number of parties belonging to the European liberal family has risen to 58 with the inclusion of two new observer members, the Spanish Centro Democratico Liberal (CDL) and the Slovakian Slobodné fórum (Free Forum).

Happy New Year to all our Bangla Friends

Today is the first day of Baishakh 1416, so happy new year to all our Bangla/Bengali friends.

I know that Naba Barsha is supposed to usher a new beginning, an anticipation filled with delight, happiness, and wealth, which I share with the Bengali community here in Keighley.

Thank you Keighley Lib Dems

Tonight, I had the great honour of being selected by members of the Keighley constituency to contest the next general election as their Parliamentary Candidate.

After a ten-minute speech, the members grilled me extensively for nigh on 40 minutes about plans and priorities for the forthcoming campaign. I think I gave a good account of myself and was thrilled when the “gathered throng” voted for me unanimously.

In 2005, we did very well, increasing our vote, increasing our share of the vote, and beating the national leader of the neo-Nazi BNP into fourth place.

This time round the battle is going to be even tougher.

Labour’s Anne Cryer is standing down, and the party’s in meltdown nationally.

The Tories are desperate to win, Keighley is 92nd on their target list, and they MUST win the seat if they hope to form the next government.

Our job is to stop them.

Funnily enough, it was an event on this day in 1976 that inspired me to finally join the Liberal Party having been a schoolboy supporter for a couple of years. Peter Hain who was then the leader of the Young Liberals was cleared of an obvious “fit-up” charge of robbing a branch of Barclays Bank. Peter’s family had left South Africa ten years previously because of their opposition to apartheid, and it was more than likely that South African agents may have used a “double” to frame him.

Anyway, back to tonight, in this blog, I want to keep you up to date on the campaign in Keighley and give you a chance to get to know me and what I stand for a little bit better.

Thanks Keighley, and thanks to you for reading.