Public meeting on fairer votes for Edinburgh North and Leith voters

I'm working from home today putting together a training session for the Liberal Democrats conference in Liverpool, the first one since we formed a coalition government.

An email from my Labour MP, Mark Lazarowicz pops into my inbox.

"As you may know, the new Coalition government has made a wide range of proposals for constitutional change. The first of these is the proposal for a referendum on a new voting system (‘the alternative vote’), as well as reductions in the number of MPs and reorganising constituency boundaries for the election of MPs. There was a debate on these proposals on Monday. Next week Parliament will be discussing the plans for ‘Fixed Term Parliaments’, and there are likely to be a lot more debates over the next couple of months."

Mark wants to discuss the fairer votes issue with voters, so is holding a public meeting, and I welcome this initiative, as long as Mark encourages debate and listens, not tell us what he will do irrespective of the views of those at the meeting.

The fairer votes public meeting will take place on Wednesday 22 September at 6.30 pm, in Stockbridge Library.

To book a place, please email doranka@parliament.uk

Mark Lazarowicz MP and the Gurkha's

No, it is not about an MPs expenses!

Two weeks ago, I wrote to my local MP, Mark Lazarowicz about the Gurkha's.

I haven't had a reply and I suspect until the Government u-turn this week forced by Joanna Lumley and the Liberal Democrats, I wasn't going to get one.

I now suspect I will get a gloaty one, I hope not because I will argue back on this issue.

The Liberal Democrats have campaigned for five long years about this issue and finally Gordon Brown saw sense and backed down.

Those who are prepared to die for this country and it's people have a right to live here.

MPs like Mark Lazarowicz didn't care about this, he didn't sign the Parliamentary Motion and now, let us see how different he will react, I suspect like other issue I have written about, the gloat will come.

I look forward to the day Edinburgh North & Leith becomes a Liberal Democrat constituency.