41

The solistice and my 41st year are now both over. While electoral success has eluded me, the rest of the year has been very eventful:

I managed to be in breach of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act while demonstrating against NHS privatisation (the rozzers were quite pleasant about it and let us carry on for half an hour before asking us to stop).

They were less pleasant during the climate camp week. A two hour wait to be searched in Kingsnorth was un-called for. Tapping my phone conversations prior to a demo outside Allington was equally bizarre. The £5.7 million has meant that police services will be cut in Kent. Clearly the climate campers were a dangerous lot - 12 police injuries, four from direct contact with protesters (hardly surprising given the way the police charged the camp), eight from wasp stings, sun stroke and the like. Also in 2008, the Kingsnorth Six got aquitted only to have the government now trying to appeal. Importantly, 2008 was the year that the climate frontier came to Kent and it looks set to stay too.

A highlight was getting published in the Internation Journal of Cuban Studies (a piece on peak oil and health care).

The campaign for ethical investments at KCC scored a victory with their adoption of the UN's Principles of Responsible Investment.

Here's to a busy and exciting 42nd year!