Please someone, remind me, are we in the 21st century? Does a London council need to be told what a Bank Holiday is in relation to parking restrictions?

This absurd non-joined up parking system which can result in one side of a road having one set of rules and the other side, a totally conflicting and differing set, has to end.

Mr Mayor, please take hold of this and do the following:

Create a uniform set of rules across ALL London boroughs
Set an Inner and Outer London Resident Parking Permit Fee
Permit short stay in other resident zones (say an hour) if you are in possession of a current resident permit
Create a uniformity to fines
Bring parking enforcement back under the auspices of the Met Police, making use of PCSO’s and TOCU to enforce rules and regulations
Once central query/information point across all London boroughs to deal with bay restrictions/suspensions, working in conjunction with TfL Streets
A full audit of roadside restriction signs and curbside markings, so that all restrictions are clear and legal, repainting and replacing signs as and where required

This is the start… I am sure that there are many other ideas which you can all contribute which would make this a good idea!

David Cameron Backs Down From Gay Marriage Promise To ‘Appease Tory Backbenchers’ is the headline on Huffington Post.

What can I say except the draw the logical assumption that Cameron has traded his spine in for a slightly used one extracted from a jelly fish, should this headline be true!

As they say, watch this space as more will follow…

Is it possible that the almost combined political will of Europe is leading us down the austerity path has failed?

The French electorate have kicked Sarkozy out. The local council elections in the UK clearly gave Cameron and Clegg a black eye.

Can the coalition survive until 2015?

Will Clegg still be the party leader by Christmas 2012?

There is a rising wave of dislike for the austerity measures that have been introduced in countries across Europe. We have already seen the Dutch government fall over a budget crisis in recent days. The Greek elections are taking place today and no one can even start to predict the outcome of these.

Just a thought, but could we have our own European Spring???? In twitter terms #justwondering

We are all now resigned to the fact that we are stuck with Boris now for another 4 years and it is time to go away, lick our wounds, and come out a fighting, campaigning party WITH a direction and clear policies next time around.

However, we have four years in which to hound Boris on his mandates – transport, policing, young people, environment, housing, urban regeneration…and so the list goes on. We need to combine forces with like minded political types and watch him, follow every move and where we can demonstrate he has failed or is slipping, get it in the press.

My passion is for the transport infrastructure. I cannot see how he will keep his promises/mandates on fares or investment. Thankfully we have a voice on the London Assembly who will continue to champion the one hour bus ticket and much more.

At the first sign of a slip up, we must make it known. Where the figures don’t add up, we bring it to the attention of London. And as soon as he reneges on one single mandate, we take Boris to the cleaners with it and make it clear what he and his party are really up to.

Do we really want this blonde buffoon using London as a steping stone on his way to 10 Downing Street?

After 17 years in waiting, French socialists are celebrating in France (and beyond) the victory of François Hollande in the presidential elections. Whilst the predicted 51.9% vote in favour of Hollande is not a landslide, it certainly is a win, with an estimated 80% electoral turn out.

80%? Something that we, here in the UK, can only dream about! But lets not forget that the French are motivated by their elections. They are out on the streets campaigning and protesting about topical issues, it is big news on TV and radio, as well as the printed press, and tonight,

Of course if you believe the Daily Mail, there will be packed Eurostar trains departing Paris at dawn tomorrow, as the rich and wealthy flee the incoming socialist president (just like the supposed number of Brits who where going to leave the UK if Tony Blair had won his first election). Bon voyage to them if this is the case.

Hollande will be a thorn in the side of the coalition government – he is opposed to the austerity policies sweeping Europe. Angela Merkell must be wondering how she is going to deal with the new president-elect, but, if stories are anything to go by, she will not be missing Sarkozy too much…

Much has been made of Hollande’s policies and proposals – however nothing in essence will happen until such stage as he selects his Prime Minister, suggested to possibly be Martine Aubry. Once this has happened, parliamentary elections will occur, and if as tradition dictates, the voters elect a socialist led parliament, then the work can start.

As a left leaning Liberal, I congratulate M Hollande on his victory, and as a self confessed Francophile, I will watch the outcome of this election with the greatest of interest.