Earlier this week this week Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg went to Afghanistan and Pakistan to see for myself the problems and challenges that those countries face. The coalition government is committed to playing our part to helping ensure that the region has a peaceful and prosperous future.
According to local press, the final report by the City Council auditors looking into De Montfort Hall have called it dysfunctional and disorganised and had "serious failings" in the venue's management and administration.
Starting a tour of the town in The Shepherd Neame Brewery sounded like an excellent idea, but coffee was the only thing on offer. The informative talk about the history of hops was excellent and I learned a great deal, especially specific information about the variety of Kent hops.
Following a powerful speech from its newly elected President, Liberal Democrat deputy leader Simon Hughes, the 2010 annual general meeting of the British Group of the Liberal International unanimously called on the government to rule out the like-for-like replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system.
Amidst much heckling from the public gallery, a planning application to allow night working at Epsom Station has been deferred. A meeting of the Planning Committee on 2nd September was remarkable for two reasons : firstly the "consultation" period on the proposals had not expired by the time the plans were brought to the Committee for decision and secondly a blow-by-blow commentary of the meeting was transmitted via the internet on Twitter thanks to local Guardian reporter Thais Portilho-Shrimpton.
Following today's news that the Great North Swim has been cancelled, South Lakes MP Tim Farron has been in discussions with the Chief Executive of the National Park Authority and the Area Management Team of the Environment Agency to try and find a way forward - including, hopefully, rescheduling the swim in the next few weeks.