Hugh Sandeman
Conservative Councillor for Bell Hill ward, Petersfield

Saw a screening of An Inconvenient Truth the global warming warning film by ex-vice President of the US Al Gore tonight.

Hosted by Friends of the Earth the event was part of their Big Ask campaign, David Miliband MP turned up at the end to erm and ahh answer some questions from the audience.

The film was reasonably compelling, but as with the sources in my GCSE History exams I have been told to look at both sides of an argument and their evidence before making a decision. As you would expect from an 'issue' film the message was very strongly what the narrator wanted the viewer to hear. I am not doubting climate change, I am however open to watching 100 minutes of documentary with graphs and charts to explain why the Gore view just may not be the way climate change will go...

Miliband also trumpeted the fact that a copy of the DVD would be sent to each school in the country. It worries me to think that a politically motivated documentary with clear criticism of the Bush White House and previous Republican administrations is deemed acceptable as an educational tool, I don't think it could be seen as a purely unbiased piece of film making, and without wishing to criticise the school environment that the film would be shown in it seems likely that no counter-argument or wider discussion about other points of view are likely to occur.

This isn't a healthy way to inspire the minds of the generation that are going to have to supply the answers to the climate change phenomenon...if Mr Gore is right of course.

Interesting references to Gore's doubtful green lifestyle Here & Here

Conservative Future got some excellent coverage today on the BBC News Website. Click HERE for the article. With both the BBC interested and Channel 4 making a documentary about CF the media are certainly making themselves familiar with the next Party of Government.

A statue of Margaret Thatcher was unveiled earlier today at the Houses of Parliament. The significance of a living ex-prime minister's statue being erected in the HP is covered HERE by the BBC.

Bell Hill has only one working streetlight

Yesterday I noticed a series of Streetlights in the Bell Hill / Woodbury Avenue area were not working. I have reported the problem to Hampshire Highways and will continue to monitor the situation. If I hear anything more I will post about it here.

EDIT @ 26/02/2007
The lights are working again.

Damian Hinds & Michael Mates MP

On Saturday at Alton Community Centre, Damian Hinds was selected as the Conservative PPC for East Hampshire.

Damian fought off strong competition in each round of the selection process, congratulations to him - I look forward to working with him to reinvigorate CF in East Hampshire.

See what ConservativeHome think about the decision HERE.

With the Oyster card gaining ground across London with its promise of cheaper travel, ease of use and Nectar card style discounts with other retailers there is also the growing awareness that these cards could be used to track the movements of individuals.

This creeping use of technology and the chance that other types of ticket and pass will be phased out over time with the carrot being savings will mean that all commuters will be trackable and your movements can be called up on a computer by anybody in authority that may want to know what you have been up to.

If you shrug and say, 'so-what' after reading this, fair enough. You may not think that Big Brother is undesirable, however whilst travelling home on Friday night I spotted the imagery on this poster advertising security measures across London, I find it quite sinister and was pleased to see that somebody had etched "Big Brother" between the eyes.