Protesters gathered outside the UN in New York to show solidarity with the people of Syria in their uprising against the Syrian authorities. Copyright: Demotix

This from Amnesty International this morning:

Syria is becoming an ever more dangerous place for those daring to demand political reform. Over 540 people have died since protestors first took to the streets in March and hundreds more have been arbitrarily arrested, detained and tortured.

One recently released detainee told us how he was stripped, beaten and then made to lick his own blood off the floor.

And we have received accounts of government tanks shelling civilian areas, and of security forces using snipers to target people trying to help wounded protestors.

Take action to stop the bloodshed now

As security was further heightened ahead of last Friday’s Day of Defiance, human rights activists across the country were forced into hiding after receiving threats from the authorities.

Please support our call for Syria to be referred to the International Criminal Court, and urge President al-Assad to stop the killing by immediately reining in the army and security forces. Sign our petition

Thank you once again for your continued support – it is making a huge difference.

Kate Allen
Director

P.S To keep up to date with the latest news and action on Syria, and the Middle East and North Africa crisis please visit our website.

With thanks to Andrew Eddy.

Build your own here.

As horrifying as this may sound, the No campaign took out a two-page advertisement in the Birmingham Mail claiming that a sick baby “needs a new cardiac facility NOT an alternative voting system”.

This is shocking and shameful.

This is not the debate that the country deserves.

It’s clear that the No campaign don’t have the decency and integrity to regulate themselves, but this can’t go on.

The Advertising Standards Authority needs to issue guidance on this campaign, and fast. Co-sign the letter to the ASA today:

http://www.yestofairervotes.org/demand-better

This isn’t the first time that the No campaign have attempted to play on voters’ fears – but it certainly is the crudest.

Just last week they claimed that AV would force the UK to spend £130 million on magical electronic counting machines. This neglected one simple fact – there are absolutely no plans to introduce electronic counting machines – there never were. Australia, which has used AV for 80 years, has never used counting machines.

We must put a stop to these lies, and the only way we can do that is with an open, fair and honest debate – something that is proving surprisingly elusive.

UK voters are entitled to legal, decent, honest and truthful advertising campaigns – these adverts fail on every count. Join us in calling for the ASA to step in today, so that we can get on with the debate the country deserves.

http://www.yestofairervotes.org/demand-better

Yesterday we heard the shocking news that two Amnesty staff members were among 30 human rights activists, journalists and others who were detained by the Egyptian security forces. They are currently being held in an unknown location and we fear that all may be at risk of torture or other ill treatment.

Please take urgent action to insist the Egyptian authorities immediately release all those detained.

27 January - Egypt's protests continue

The arrests are part of an unacceptable clampdown on human rights observers and journalists in Egypt in an attempt to stem independent reporting on the uprising and subsequent crackdown. Our staff and others monitoring the situation on the ground must be allowed to do their crucial work and we are demanding their immediate and unconditional release.

Britain’s current FPTP system was designed for only two parties. But the electorate no longer polarise along two party lines. At the last general election, 35% voted for a range of parties other than the Conservatives or Labour. These two parties share was the lowest ever. It has been steadily falling since its peak in the 1950s.

The current system is returning governments which less and less reflects the opinions of voters. In a Britain where few people trust or respect politicians any more, this serves to further undermine government credibility and public trust.

Of course, for the vested interests which derive their power from this broken system this is of little interest. They believe there is nothing they can’t spin their way out of.

Mr McPartland has replied. He is siding with the dinosaurs:

I believe the system we should use should be the most transparent and easiest to understand. This is why I personally favour the current system.

Which is patronising, my response is:

If you are having trouble understanding AV then perhaps you should resign from Parliament.

Or do you think it’s the rest of us who can’t understand AV?

Do you think we will become confused if faced with more than one choice?

Do you want to protect us from having a second opinion?

Or is it that, as we can no longer be trusted to perpetuate the establishmen, the system has to be gerrymanderd to protect us from ourselves?

Like I said, patronising.

The only thing transparent about the current system is that it transparently serves and protects the political elite to the detriment of the country.

Read the Letter.

I received this today, I thought I would pass it on.

The supporters of the old politics have a problem.

They refuse to defend the current system, and as has been reported this week in the Financial Times, they are now even confused about which MPs support them.

We need you to write to your MP and ask them if they’re for Yes or for No.

Take a moment now to explain to your MP why you want change. And if they don’t want change, ask them why they support first past the post. All we want is clarity:
http://www.yestofairervotes.org/ask-your-mp

As of this week, the referendum is only four months away. It’s time for your MP to pick a side.

Are they afraid to work a little bit harder? Or do they back the Westminster “jobs for life” culture?

Either way – we want them on the record. Do they want to give voters more of a say? Or do they want business as usual?

Ask your MP “Yes or No” now:
http://www.yestofairervotes.org/ask-your-mp

Ask five friends to write to their MPs too. The more letters MPs receive, the more pressure they’ll feel to pick a side.

Thanks,

Katie Ghose

I was in South Africa as long as the English team was. South Africa is a country of great contrasts. Each day was like a different holiday.

As well as the football, I went by cable car to the top of Table Mountain, played football in a township, night clubbed in Cape Town, wine tasted in the Cape Winelands, I went on safari, visited Robben Island and generally played the tourist.

I met lots of great people and made loads of new friends.

bafana bafana

I’ve uploaded some of my photos from South Africa. They capture the many different aspects of this trip.

The most moving day (apart from watching England get stuffed by Germany) was the trip to Robben Island. Here Nelson Mandela spent a good part of his life as a prisoner for resistance to apartheid. Now it is a museum.

We were taken a tour of the prison by en ex-political prisoner. This man was only a couple of years older than me. We would have been at University at the same time. Whilst he was organizing against apartheid on his campus, we were doing similar things in London.

great view

He spent three years in Robben Island for his ‘crimes’, I went down the pub afterwards. How different our lives have been. It makes me realise just how easy things have been for me.

South Africa has come a long way since the end of apartheid. But it still has many problems to face. The FIFA World Cup 2010 has changed the image of South Africa for me. I expect it is similar for the many that ignored the scare mongering and followed their teams.

I suspect it will have changed South Africa as well.

thank you south africa

general election 2010

11:00 I’m awake again. I can’t sleep much. I turn on the TV to catch up on the election results. What is going? What will the politicians do next?. I hope they’ve had more sleep than me.

I eat breakfast and read The Guardian online message boards. Time flies when I do this. A couple of hours later I eat dinner. I’ve not slept properly in 36 hours and everything is fuzzy.

14:30 I arrive back at Stevenage Leisure Centre. The local count’s in progress. This time I wander around. It’s a similar set up as yesterday but with each ward having a separate couple of tables.

The team I’ve spent the last month canvassing with are focussed on Manor ward. One of our councillors retired from here this year, and we’ve made a big effort to get our new guy John Mead elected.

It’s all a bit of an anti-climax after last night.

I go and check out Chells ward. I’ve been delivering leaflets in Chells, but didn’t cross paths with Gareth Steiner, our candidate there. I introduce myself to Gareth. He thanks me for all the deliveries.

Sharon Taylor, the defeated Labour candidate is there. I offer her commiserations on her defeat. She is trying to look on the bright side. Her daughter is getting married in September and she will now have more time to enjoy the wedding and preparations.

16:00 (ish) The returning officer announces the results. John wins in Manor, which was the result we were working on. Gareth has done well and increased the LibDem vote, but not good enough to take the seat. Maybe next time he will get a break through.

Everything else stays the same I think. Perhaps the Conservatives win one from Labour. I am not sure as my mind is definitely beginning to dull with lack of sleep now.

I see Stephen McPartland, out new Conservative MP. I congratulate him on his win. He says, “it’s not sunk in yet.” He looks like he hasn’t slept much either. Close up I realise how young he is. He’s only thirty-three. He says lots of positive things.

I see Howard. “Book at Bedtime,” he says.

“Wah?” I mumble.

“The one across the top”

“Huh?”

“The crossword clue we couldn’t get”

The penny drops. Was it really 34 hours ago we were doing that crossword in Fry Road?

17:00 I’m out on my feet. The talk’s of a hung parliament and in all likelihood another election soon.

Someone mentions me running as a councillor next year.

I must get some sleep first. I go home.

00:30 I leave the Red Lion and head for the count at Stevenage Leisure Centre. I am an ‘Official Counting Agent’ tonight. I’ve been advised to get there sometime after midnight, “Not much happens before then.”

As I walk from the Old Town I fall in with four guys. Three of them are Labour and one Conservative. In Stevenage You can’t tell who’ll be voting for whom from appearances. We’re definitely post-tribal.

One asks who I voted for today. I decline to say. He apologises for asking. Everyone takes the secret part of voting very seriously. They turn for the leisure park to go clubbing. I carry on to the Leisure Centre for the count. I feel very grown up and sensible.

01:00 Arrive Stevenage Leisure Centre. Some constituencies in Sunderland have already returned results! How do they do that? Sunderland’s a Labour strong hold and foregone conclusion. Maybe they just declare for Labour and go down the pub.

In Stevenage they’re still separating local ballot papers from general election ones. As most people fold their voting papers together this takes time. The local election papers are put aside to be counted in the afternoon.

I’ve been given a badge telling the world I’m an ‘Official Counting Agent’. But no one’s told me what I’m supposed to do. I decide to spend some time asking dumb questions. I’m not sure if this is part of my role, but I can’t help verify a vote if I’ve no idea what’s going on.

Every one I talk to is very helpful and willing to explain to me what they are doing and why. There’re a couple of Police officers present. I ask one why they’re here,

“It’s just in case…”

“Are you expecting trouble?”

“Not at all, we are only here as a precaution.”

“What are the plans if there’s trouble?”

“None, seriously, this is Stevenage…”

There’s also some private security present. That bothers me a bit. I recognize one from the Old Town. Apparently Labour have hired part of the Leisure Centre for a private function and the Leisure Centre have employed private security to make sure no one crashes Labour Party’s party.

I spend the next hour drinking coffee and watching the TV as the results come in. A hung parliament is predicted.

02:30 The count is starting in the main hall. There’s a large horseshoe of tables with the counting staff sitting on the inside. There’re chairs on the other side of tables from the counters for observers, agents, candidates and anyone else here to monitor the count.

The ballot papers to be counted are in bags on tables in the centre. These are fed to the counting tables where all the action is.

There’s no organization to the monitoring. All parties have agents present. All candidates are present. Independent observers can apply to be present. Basically you go stand / sit where you like. I suppose the randomness of it all ensures systematic cheating is difficult.

I decide to sit at one table for the whole count rather than wandering around. I sit down and say hello. As usual everyone is polite and friendly. I watch eagle eyed for two hours to see if I can spot any mistake by the counters. They don’t make any.

One of the counters put aside a ballot paper. It has marks in all the boxes. The supervisor passes it. I ask her to explain her decision. Everything stops on my table. This badge makes me quite important.

The paper had one tick , the rest ‘X’s. The rules are explained to me. The voter must clearly differentiate the candidate that they are voting for. So it passes.

I accept that explanation. Perhaps I’m being a pain. To me it’s due diligence, or maybe the power of the badge going to my head.

04:00 The count is over at the tables. All votes have been collected into bundles of 50. The bundles are placed on tables, 2000 to a table I think. We are sitting on the outside of the horse shoe in our party groups. It is obvious that Julia, the LibDem candidate has not won. But it is quite close between Labour and the Conservatives.

05:00 Stevenage declares for the Conservatives. Conservatives cheer, Labour look daggers, everyone else claps politely. Stevenage will have a Conservative MP for the first time since Tony Blair’s landslide in ’97.

05:30 I arrive home and watch TV for an hour. It is definitely going to be a hung parliament.

06:30 I get to bed. I need to be back at the Leisure Centre for 14:00 for the local election count.

Continued Monday with the the local election count.

general election 2010

05:30 My alarm goes off. The big day has arrived. Today in Stevenage we will be voting for a member of parliament and local councillors. I stumble around my flat, half asleep, hoping I will wake up soon.

I’m starting the day ‘telling’ at Fry Road. I need to be there for opening at 7:00. Telling involves sitting outside of a polling station asking for voters’ polling card number.

06:30 I leave home. It’s bright and crisp and way too early. I walk to the polling station, there are no other tellers around when I arrive. The Labour teller turns up. We shake hands and introduce ourselves. Howard is a Labour councillor for the ward although not running this year.

The polling officer brings us a cup off coffee, which was nice of her. She didn’t have to. Early morning voters turn up on their way to work. Everyone seems happy to be voting. There is a kind of holiday atmosphere.

Howard gets out the Guardian crossword. I’m no good with crosswords but get a couple. We are mostly stuck. The two hours pass quickly, chatting to Howard about music and football in Stevenage. These both come under his brief.

09:30 I arrive at my parents place for breakfast. They live near Fry Road so this saves me from going home. I talk politics with my Dad, then have nap. Later, my Mum comes in for lunch.

13:00 I am back at Fry Road for two hours. There is no Labour teller this time. Are they very confident or overworked? I catch the end of the lunch time rush, then it goes quiet.

Rules regarding political activity near polling stations are strict. You can’t attempt to influence a voter or even ask for a card number as they go into the station. You have to wait until they come out. You can’t ask people how they voted, just their polling card number. They’re under no obligation to answer. You can only ask once.

The problem is that on the way out of the polling station voters no longer have their polling card with them. Few people remember their number. So you ask for the first line of their address instead.

15:30 I arrive home. I voted by post a few days earlier so I do not have to vote today.

In the weeks before the election we canvassed homes looking for potential supporters. With the information gathered from telling we can tell if our potential voters turned out.

On polling day, if things are looking close, we drop in on non-voters to remind them to vote, offer lifts to the polling stations etc. This is called ‘knocking up’.

I’m on stand-by for ‘knocking up’. I play World of Warcraft with the TV on in the background. It looks like it’s going to be a big turn out.

20:00 I have not been called up to do any ‘knocking up’. It is unlikely I will be now as the polls shut at 22:00. Either the vote isn’t close or they have forgotten I exist.

I’m due to be monitoring the count at Stevenage Leisure Centre as an ‘Official Counting Agent’ tonight. I’ve been advised to get there sometime after midnight, “Not much happens before then”.

22:00 I’m off out to the count via the Red Lion. I need a break from all this grown up, sensible, respectable behaviour, so I go watch some live music. Thrash metal – not really my thing, but it breaks up the day.

00:30 I’m on my way to the count. My first ever count, I’m quite excited even though there is little chance of a LibDem win in Stevenage.

Continued tomorrow with the the general election count.