BACK to Westminster after the Christmas break to a political assassination and a pool competition.
The political assassination was the removal of Charles Kennedy as leader of the Liberal Democrats which spawned the usual crop of cruel jokes.
For example “what’s the similarity between Charles Kennedy and Julius Caesar?”
“They were both knifed in the back by men wearing sandals.”
Despite these gags most MPs of other parties feel that Kennedy was treated pretty badly by his own colleagues, in a move they may come to regret.
As for whoever takes over they will have to try to reunite a divided party, and decide on which direction to go politically with a new Tory leader trying to take Lib Dem votes.
It also means that by the end of this parliament all three of the major parties will have changed leaders, since Tony Blair will stand down, almost certainly to be succeeded by Gordon Brown.
On a lighter note the annual House of Commons pool tournament was held on Tuesday evening. Each year MPs are given the opportunity to demonstrate evidence of a misspent youth, and win a pool table for a youth club, and money for charity.
Two years ago I managed to win a table for Fitzalan High School Youth Club, but sadly this year I fell at the final hurdle, being outclassed by the new MP for Dewsbury Shahid Malik.
Nevertheless I won £500 for Parent Project UK, the muscular dystrophy charity that was set up in Cardiff by two of my constituents Nick and Janet Catlin.
Perhaps Charles Kennedy will enter next year.
The political assassination was the removal of Charles Kennedy as leader of the Liberal Democrats which spawned the usual crop of cruel jokes.
For example “what’s the similarity between Charles Kennedy and Julius Caesar?”
“They were both knifed in the back by men wearing sandals.”
Despite these gags most MPs of other parties feel that Kennedy was treated pretty badly by his own colleagues, in a move they may come to regret.
As for whoever takes over they will have to try to reunite a divided party, and decide on which direction to go politically with a new Tory leader trying to take Lib Dem votes.
It also means that by the end of this parliament all three of the major parties will have changed leaders, since Tony Blair will stand down, almost certainly to be succeeded by Gordon Brown.
On a lighter note the annual House of Commons pool tournament was held on Tuesday evening. Each year MPs are given the opportunity to demonstrate evidence of a misspent youth, and win a pool table for a youth club, and money for charity.
Two years ago I managed to win a table for Fitzalan High School Youth Club, but sadly this year I fell at the final hurdle, being outclassed by the new MP for Dewsbury Shahid Malik.
Nevertheless I won £500 for Parent Project UK, the muscular dystrophy charity that was set up in Cardiff by two of my constituents Nick and Janet Catlin.
Perhaps Charles Kennedy will enter next year.