There is little more comforting to me right now than the idea of Keith Vaz fighting for his job. Whether it's because he was actually audacious enough to believe he would get away with gaining a public honour for voting (and convincing others to vote) for the illiberal 42 day legislation, or because he was simply so stupid as to stare evidence in the face and disregard it 6 months later, I'm just glad he's maybe getting screwed.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not vindictive, but as Aaron over at Tygerland says, if you're stupid enough to get caught then you deserve to be punished.

Gordon Brown has defended the use of CCTV, ID cards and the DNA database - saying they protect civil liberties.

In a speech to the IPPR think tank, the prime minister said they helped ensure people's right to live free from crime.

This is from the news story via the BBC regarding Brown's speech to the IPPR think tank. It seems as though the argument Brown wishes to deploy is that we're all safer if we're under greater governmental control and security service surveillance. In fact in a week or so's time Brown is going to unveil a policy that says we are all to be chained to our work desks or sofa's (depending on the time of day) to ensure that no-one has the opportunity to take anyone elses freedoms away from them via crime ever again!

As usual my version of the web blog review is up over at Liberal Conspiracy. It's a bit more of a mixed list this time, but all about the 42 day legislation passed yesterday.

Here is my list of blogs that didn't quite make it, in the future I'll be using this space to make a best of the week list.

Because Baronesses are people too - Ros Scott looks into a recent report about dwindling trust levels in this country. Myself, I'm not sure if I can take her word for it (ba-doom-ching).
Peter Black AM - Peter Black highlights the BBC and its unwillingness to embrace devolution.
Political Betting - PBC wonders what victory there was if any for Brown in the wider scheme of things.
Comment is Free - Dianne Abbott was an absolute star in the commons yesterday, and here was her stance in article form posted just before hand.
Comment is Free - Anne details why she thinks this whole thing has harmed politics as a whole thanks to (you guessed it) Brown.

If you were to ask me what I believe the real problem with Labour is right now, and their gloomy looking future after the recent YouGov poll, I would say that it isn't the 10p fiasco, it isn't fuel prices, it isn't energy bills, it isn't council tax, and it isn't Gordon Brown. Well, at least not individually, it's all of it all more that sums up to one whole that is of greater concern that its parts...it's perception over take home pay and just how much we're being bled dry by various different outlets of our hard earned.

So, what better for Labour and their popularity than to truly start solving this disparity, or at least to make solid and honest attempts to ensure that no-one is under any illusions that the Tories (or anyone else) are actually going to be able to manage the economy better? For me the best place to start is with our energy prices, a subject that the government clearly feel is a priority given the announcements made on the 30th of May. Don't be fooled though, if you're hoping for a cure to the ever booming gas and electricity prices then you'll be sorely disappointed by this latest official announcement.

If I were in charge what would I ask for...nay, demand? I would say that the government needs to demand reform of the pricing structure of Gas and Electricity in this country. It is quite simply like living in bizarro land to see energy companies blathering on in their adverts about how much they care about the environment and just need us (the customer) to change our ways to be eco-friendly, when their pricing structures proportionally benefit those that waste energy and can afford to do so. It is this proportionality of value for energy that is so irking.

If you'd like to read more about my issues with energy pricing structures and what I would like to see happen in the future, please read on by following the link below!

According to the Times the answer is emphatically no. If you enjoy a government that slaps itself on the back for any minor achievement and backs itself up at every pitfall, a government that criminalises our children and refuses to undertake previously promised constitutional reform, and a government that refuses to help pensioners out of the same rut that they were in a decade ago on fuel pricing while overspending on the irrelevant and economy sapping event otherwise known as the Olympics, then perhaps you'll be happy to hear that Miliband (David kind) is planning in "secret" to run for PM when the opportunity arises...backed by every sheriff of Nottingham that currently resides in power.

Gordon Brown has responded to the absolutely DEVASTATING result in Crewe and Nantwich by claiming that he is "listening", a desperate sense of language that almost pleads with the electorate to trust him going forward in to the future...and rightly so. He should be pleading, he should be begging, in fact he should be display a whole host of traits that are both simultaneously apologetic to the electorate that he and his government have betrayed so badly in the last 6 months and non-conducive to him remaining the leader of this country.

Can I just say... HALLELUJAH! If there is a god then they have obviously heard our collective prayers because today's PMQs was far beyond head and shoulders above the rest of the recent events

The reason for this seems to be partly down to a slight reduction in the heckling, but in reality I believe it to be because of as much as half the amount of planted Labour questions, real issues being discussed, and perhaps through a lack of pressure a Prime Minister that actually answered questions better without the constant need to attack "the party opposite"

Steve Webb, Lib Dem MP, has recently said online that online campaiging such as e-petitions offers a great way to get people involved in campaigning. I completely agree, I think that the more avenues open to people to easily show their disgust, horror, disapproval or disenfranchisement with policy the better. However one area that I don't agree any of this works is E-Petitions.

The government is contemplating a total ban on all Zimbabwean sportsmen and women from entering the country to play sport in an effort to try and sway the country in to not re-electing their leader Robert Mugabe. Noble in intention perhaps, but just what is the point of it, and what would it really achieve?

When do you use RPI to measure inflation and when do you use CPI? The answer is quite simply "whenever we feel like it!". In a response earlier this month to a petition to change the student loan interest rate from being linked to RPI to CPI to reflect the government's inflation figures, the Prime Minister's office has stated it has no intention to change a thing...in line with the general policy of taking in to account public opinion through the site.