EU Treaty Ratified

So despite the Irish 'No' Vote, the Government has today ratified the European Constitution by despositing the papers in Rome. Our only hope is that the Irish are not bullied into revering their decision.

However give it its due, (and whisper it quietly) the EU sometimes can do the right thing. Today EU countries have agreed to widen sanctions on Zimbabwe, including travel bans and asset freezes on a larger circle of officials and supporters of Mugabe, and a further review in September will examine if more measures are needed.

What's the worst that can happen to me as a Councillor?

A bit of verbal abuse from a frustrated resident, a few negative comments on my blog or in an extreme case - and as happened to former Councillor Longhurst - hit over the head with some papers.

In Zimbabwe if I were an MDC councillor I would risk suffering a severe beating, mutilation, torture and death and so would my family. The situation out there is desperate and we need to do something. It is not good enough to sit on the sidelines as the country becomes a fully fledged military dictatorship. The world needs to act and soon.

Zimbabwe

A report in today's Times (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article4116638.ece?&EMC-Bltn=INZA49) makes sickening reading. It is clear that any remaining protection of the 'Rule of Law' is crumbling. The military Junta that back Mugabe's presidency have organized their mobs to ensure that the opposition are all but destroyed ahead of the run-off and the international community just watches and waits. The argument for the West not doing anything is partly based on the need not to look like imperialists flexing their arms over Africa again. This is a valid argument but the need to stop the sheer brutality of the violence of that regime should now outweigh this consideration. Africa has failed to do anything. We need to intervene and to do so soon.