Am I the last real liberal on the planet? Well, I seem to be according to the Guardian's woolly liberal quiz? And according to the Political Compass I'm Economic Left (-3.25) and Social Libertarian (-6.62). Which I kinda knew anyway. Of all the world's leaders, I'm closest to the Dalai Lama. Hmmmm............not really sure about that last bit.
I was Ward Secretary of my local Labour Party at 17, carried on into the Oxford University Labour Club in the mid-70's, got fed up with apologising for Callaghan's Government and joined the Liberals in 1977 and was immediately press-ganged into becoming a defeated local council candidate. I eventually became a Liberal Democrat Councillor for Walkley in Sheffield, Yorkshire from 1994 to 2000.
I then took a break from active politics and moved back home to London. But clearly the bug bit me again, and I agreed to stand in a by-election in Lewisham Central, which seemed like a pretty safe Labour seat (see result last time).
The election was by all-postal ballot, which is a bit of a novelty in the UK, and indeed anywhere. The result was declared on 23 October. AND I WON!
At the Council's AGM in March 2004, I was appointed to the Quality Public Services Select Committee, and I also understand that I'm to fill a vacancy on the Public Accounts Select Committee.
See my Lewisham Central page for more details about the ward and my work as a local councillor. For more about politics in Lewisham, see the Lewisham Liberal Democrat site, and also the Lewisham Council site.
Political Blogs
I also keep a weblog of my nefarious political and other activities at http://andrewmilton.easyjournal.com And I get occasional nice mentions in the blog of my constituent Adam Tinworth.
Can't say I've spotted any favourable mentions in the blog of a Labour councillor for neighbouring Blackheath, but pluralist as I am I thought I'd give it a mention. And while I'm in a generous mood, here's a plug for the blog of Labour MEP for Yorkshire, Richard Corbett, whom I knew in my mis-spent youth in the Oxford University Labour Club.
To restore the balance bewteen partiality on the one hand and impartiality on the other, here are blogs of a couple of Liberal Democrats who helped in my election campaign:
For lots more political and other blogs, see the The Weblog at The Guardian.
Political/Eco Sites [must update this soon!]
If that's enough politics for you, and you're ready for some personal stuff, then click here.
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