A long time in politics

A week which started badly for the Conservatives, and which then got worse, and which then saw all three of the main political parties humiliated in Bradford West, ends with that megaphone for revolutionary socialism The Daily Mail offering us this thought:

"...the humble Cornish pasty has become a powerful symbol of class struggle. Absurdly, Mr Cameron felt obliged to respond by proclaiming his affection for pasties. Sadly for his credibility, the shop where he claimed he had bought a pasty most recently closed five years ago."

Without wishing any harm to any West Country Member of Parliament, a by-election right here, right now, would be huge fun.

When George Galloway spoke for Devon

Congratulations to the new Member of Parliament for Bradford West, whose by-election victory last night reminded me of my attempts to find out more about the very strange death of an East Devon helicopter pilot in Latin America more than 20 years ago. Only one MP took much interest, raising the issue in Parliament and taking the time and trouble to make inquiries at the Foreign Office and do media interviews. George might not be universally popular at Westminster or Whitehall. But as the voters of West Bradford have declared, this might not be a bad thing.

A fair cop

The Devon & Cornwall Police Freedom of Information disclosure log is a mine of fascinating data. This answer, posted a few weeks ago, provides details of police officers and civilian staff who have been disciplined for inappropriate use of computers - from shopping and social networking to gambling and porn - and even details of the top 50 sites. I'm pleased to report that bbc.co.uk is among them.

Don't mention the stadium

I see that the agenda for next week's meeting of Cornwall's Environment & Economy Overview & Scrutiny committee has nothing to report about the proposed stadium, which regular readers might think is a bit surprising given that until recently the 4th Floor had been keen to implement its policy by the end of this month. But property developers Inox haven't disappeared from the scene completely. The following day, Strategic Planning considers the Inox application for 1,500 homes on the adjacent site.

Cornwall waste incinerator back on

From the Press Association: The Government won a Court of Appeal challenge today against a ruling which quashed its decision to grant planning permission for a £117 million waste incinerator project in Cornwall.

Onward Christian soldiers

A couple of stories in recent days could test the theories about mixing religion and politics:

No-one who knows South West Devon MP Gary Streeter would doubt the sincerity of his religious convictions or question why he chairs the all-party group Christians in Parliament. So his intervention in the dispute over who should get the credit for saving the life (or should that be restoring the life?) of footballer Fabrice Muamba is very interesting, particularly given that Gary quotes his own 1983 "miracle cure" for a sore hand.

The second story concerns Cornwall Council's decision on Tuesday to restore an act of Christian worship to the agenda of its meetings, on the grounds that a Secretary of State carries more clout than a High Court judge. Secularists are not happy about this and are considering the legal position. As one councillor put it: "God has many mansions. But Cornwall Council chamber is not one of them."

Incinerator Appeal Court verdict expected tomorrow

9.30am in Court 63 at the High Court, apparently. The folk of St Dennis await their fate.