The Sir Cyril Smith Page

3.17.31pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 22nd Sep 2005

"Telling it how it is!" - Sir Cyril Smith

Welcome to Sir Cyril's monthly update - this month Sir Cyril gives us his opinion on the Lib Dem Conference.

"I've been watching the Daily Politics show - supposed to be about the Liberal Democrat Conference, it had more NON-Liberal Democrats on it - as it had party members! The Conference has been a very good one from what I see and hear. Remember all these TV and Press Critics are paid a salary to slag off the Lib Dems - they are all writers for Tory and Labour Newspapers. It was ever thus - nothing new there!!

The platform was defeated once and a second time on when the "privatisation of the Royal Mail" was referred back for further consideration. So what! There's nothing new in that - it's good for democracy, good for the Leadership (in its widest sense) to brought to heel! and clearly demonstrates that we are a democratic party, practising what we preach!

The Conference heard Paul Rowen, our excellent Rochdale MP speaking in that capacity. He was very well received. For the first time at a Conference moving a Rochdale Amendment about dentists and what is required. The Motion was seconded by Cllr. William Hobhouse who was wildly cheered and who, with his wife Wera who are an asset to the party - it's great to have them.

As always, it's an annual theme at all party conferences we had the Leadership raised. IT IS A NON-ISSUE - Charles Kennedy does an excellent job, and he does it well. Watch it next week - the Labour Conference, it'll be all labour Blair Versus Brown. The Tory Conference it will all be about Clarke Versus Davies. The press make mountains out of molehills and invent stories and call them news. As I say Kennedy does a good job, and so long as he is there, and I hope that it will be for many more years - he has my full support.

Meanwhile here in Rochdale our Liberal Democrat Party continues as a happy united group - we are in great spirits. The Conservative Councillors (all of them!) continue to support Labour, and they vote with them on every single issue. If you want a Labour Council in Rochdale cote Conservative - they put Labour in!

Finally - a word about the German Elections - which I followed with great interest, having many friends there. When considering coalitions there as against this country - remember that they have Proportional Representation which allows minorities to survive. We do not, and until we have the Liberal Democrats at national level, should never consider coalition. If we ever get it then that is different matter.

Perhaps the CDU in Germany (a Tory Group really) should send for Cllr. Ian Duckworth (Rochdale's Conservative Leader) to advise them on how to trade their political souls to Labour! After all - he's done it here!!