Today just 2250 years ago, the first sighting of what we now know as Halley’s Comet was recorded Eric Clapton becomes eligible to draw his pension, whilst it’s also ‘Happy Birthday’ to fellow sexagenarians Robbie Coltrane (60), Eddie Jordan (62) and Mervyn King (63).

Once this day in 1978, the Conservative Party announced it had recruited advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi to revamp its image and get its political message across ahead of the General Election. Politicians both within the opposition and in Prime Minister Jim Callaghan’s government criticised the Tory stance, describing it as ‘frivolous’.

Fourteen years later we saw John Major climb onto his soapbox to urge voters in Cheltenham to elect John Taylor as their MP – a mission which resulted in the election of Lib Dem Nigel Jones.

2 must read blog posts

Matriarch of Lib Dem blogging, Kingston councillor Mary Reid, announces that she’ll be stepping down from office at the local elections in May.

It has been almost entirely enjoyable – at times stressful, at times frustrating, but the overall feeling is one of satisfaction that we councillors can actually do things that make a difference to people’s lives.

I’ll miss some of it, but I’m not the sort of person who has regrets or withdrawal symptoms. Instead I’ll just get on with enjoying the next stage of my life, and be grateful that I’ve experienced the privilege of being active in public life in the Royal Borough. Oh – and I intend to carry on blogging.

Criminalising Mephedrone – what might happen?  Duncan Stott doesn’t think the government have thought this one through properly.

The existence of mephedrone is testament to the inherent desire of humans to want to get high. This trait can’t be changed by the government.

2 news stories that might otherwise be buried by the Chancellors’ debate

RAF Airbus transport fleet ‘not fit for war’ 
A £10.5bn deal to provide new Airbus A330-200 aircraft for the RAF’s transport fleet is already running five-and-a-half years behind schedule, the National Audit Office have said. In a further blow, the MoD have been warned that it will require hundreds of millions of pounds of further funding to equip the RAF’s new transport aircraft to fly in war zones.

Blair to rally Labour supporters
Tony Blair will today address Labour supporters in his old constituency of Sedgefield. Media reports suggest that Blair will make several appearances during the campaign, in a strategy endorsed by his successor Gordon Brown.

That’s all for today. Enjoy your last Tuesday before the General Election is called!