Good morning and welcome to today’s Daily View on International Museum Day.

On this day in 1991, Britain’s first astronaut, 27-year-old Helen Sharman,  blasted into orbit on the Soviet Soyuz TM-12 space capsule. I wonder if I should mention that Ms Sharman is from Sheffield?

Sixty years ago, twelve nations agreed the aims and objectives for the permanent organisation of NATO. The founder members at the launch at Lancaster House in London were: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Britain, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the United States.  Later that year, Dwight D Eisenhower was appointed Nato’s first supreme commander.

 2 blog posts for a view of Special Conference

 Alex Folkes at A Lanson Boy:

Would most of those there yesterday have preferred a different election outcome? Yes, of course. Even if we could not have had an overall majority (no longer quite so far fetched as it once was), most there would have liked to be in a position where we could have genuinely dealt with both Labour and the Conservatives. But the Labour Party was not serious about a deal and so it was never on. As one speaker said – how can you have a progressive coalition when only our party is progressive.

Mark Pack’s thoughts on The mood at Birmingham conference was first posted at the Guardian’s ‘Comment is Free’:

That debate lasted nearly four hours, during which a few voices of opposition spoke out. The final vote, though, was so overwhelming (I made it about 98% to 2%) that Nick Clegg joked it had been rather North Korean in style.

More significant were the points made during the debate and the amendments passed, which pressed for the party to stick to its guns on a range of issues, including long-term opposition to tuition fees, support for proportional representation for the Commons and income and wealth inequality.

2 interesting views of today’s news

The Guardian:  House of Commons: Mr Bercow and the new politics

Unless the new Commons grasps that urgent reform remains to be undertaken at the very start of the 2010 parliament, there is a danger that, once the novelty of the new government and parliament have worn off, many of the old problems will gradually reassert themselves. One practical way that MPs can show they understand this danger is by re-electing John Bercow as Speaker today.

The Independent: Miliband bans Labour’s poisonous briefing wars

David Miliband has attempted to head off a rift with his brother, Ed, as they compete to become Labour’s next leader by banning the unattributable and negative media briefings which divided the party during years of infighting under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

That’s all for today. I’m off to enjoy a summer of football, cricket, but hopefully no elections.