Why We Should All Read: Freedom Central

Okay, so I promise I'll be spacing these out a bit more, but I wanted to show exactly why I love Freedom Central. I'll be doing this for more blogs over the next few weeks, to show those I love reading. It would be wrong though, to start the long trawl through my favourite blogs, without mentioning one of the newest (and dare I say, coolest) blogs in town.

Freedom Central. Yes, its the slightly cheesy (did I say slightly?) almost American name for the Welsh Lib Dem headquarters. Its one of those names which I feel a little embarassed to say. No, actually, that's not right. Its one of those names I used to feel a little embarassed to say. Now I feel almost proud.

Its like watching your cat use the back garden to poop in, instead of the litter tray. It feels like our Party's finally grown into the name of Freedom Central. That sounds like damning with faint praise, but anyone who knows me, knows I love my cats, so saying the Welsh Party is like a maturing cat is the greatest compliment I can pay to it! Well, almost the greatest, if it was the greatest compliment I'd say it was like a Helen Mirren, Judi Dench and Maggie Smith act-off with no clear winner... now THAT is a compliment.

Anyway, moving on, because I grow rapidly sidetracked by the triumvirate of British female acting and cats.

This blog of course, isn't about the name of our headquarters, it is about the blog of the same name. And what a flippin' blog! Its controversial (cue "middle of nowhere" neon signs to flash on, with a chorus of dancing musical theatre actors to sing a song about the joys of being Welsh, whilst their clothes gleam with sparkly red white and green sequins just because they can!), its informative. It has debates. It has regular, fabulous (did I just use the word fabulous? Ych!) contributors.

Matt O'Grady, who calls me angry all the time. That may be true Matt, but watch what you're saying, because you have to sleep some time. No, in all seriousness, Matt is probably my favourite contributor. He combines an appalling irreverence to the status quo with a probing mind and he always has a fresh perspective (gah, I use this "fresh perspective" thing a lot, but it means a lot to me, to see stories through other peoples' eyes, and Matt sure does do that!). He also manages to achieve the impossible: making a political blog somewhat amusing.

Next, I have to declare an interest, is my brother Jeremy Townsend. Alright, so I don't get his obsession with national opera or the complexities of "elite" music (my quote). To me, if its not sung by Tori Amos or doesn't have a dancing troupe with simplistic Andrew Lloyd-Webber tunes, its not worth listening to. But all joking about our different musical tastes aside, his blog posts manage to be concise with the information they deliver, and actually he also achieves a mildly amusing status. In particular, his posts on trains I find enlightening and rather hilarious. He obviously uses trains a lot, and has the rare gift of using those experiences to craft an entertaining blog post. He's also got the rare gift of managing to create a media storm about slagging off a place he probably actually quite likes. How he managed that, I will never know. Oh. And I also have to say I like his blog, because it was a surprise to me that he could actually write. (Joking! Honest!)

Who else? Ah, yes, our famous (infamous?) Peter Black. A splendid, committed and thoroughly decent AM. Also a splendidly committed "boat-rocker", who really doesn't mind poking holes in his own party. That's what attracted me to Peter Black's own blog years ago (yes, folks, for about two years the only blogs I ever read were Peter Black's blog and Paul Flynn's blog - I like to think they may have both affected/effected me a little!). He brings that spark to Freedom Central as well. The spark of choosing relevant information and presenting it carefully and clearly for public consumption. When you read Peter's posts (his own and on Freedom Central), you really get the sense he cares. And that is what we want in our elected politicians. Not that I expect anything less from a Liberal Democrat elected politician, to be honest. And the day I do, is the day I "man the guillotines" (quote from a relative who will remain nameless, there!).

Then we've got Ali Goldsworthy's posts. I haven't quite worked out the "niche" of these posts, yet. Jem does the media storms when he doesn't mean to. Matt tries to create media storms but never succeeds (sorry, Matt! Love you!). Peter balances in the middle. Maybe Ali's niche is that she doesn't have a niche? But whatever her niche is (or isn't), her posts are at times entertaining, at times thought-provoking, at times they provoke anger (that post about the Tories and their female candidates made me so angry I was about to pour acid on their cricket lawns!).

Then we have the admin of Freedom Central (I'm not sure if he wants to remain nameless, so let's call him the Yellow Pimpernel, for now...). The Yellow Pimpernel (incidentally, that's now copyrighted for the possible day when I do an individual blog as Ol, and not as a member of CSLD... a time maybe coming soon!). He (or she....) does a superb job of stringing the individual characters together in this blog, with informative posts about the day-to-day working of the party. In short, he makes the chains that keep the Rosary beads of this religious affair going. Okay, that's gonna make people laugh. How's about he provides the roach that allows the Lib Dems to get stoned? Oh, wow! No, no... that's just so totally not right, and I am so not saying that Freedom Central promotes cannabis use. Okay. He's the light that allows us to read? Oh for heaven's sake, it doesn't really matter, but what I'm trying to say is that Freedom Central would not work without the Yellow Pimpernel.

Then we have the occasional other commenters. Gareth Aubrey giving his opinions about the Welsh affairs of the day. Very informative. Ben Lloyd our Policy Officer who wrote a wonderfully informative post about banking. I think that's what it was about, anyway!

You know, I could talk for years about Freedom Central. I love it. I love the fact that anyone can write an article for it. I would volunteer, but unfortunately I have that irritating (and dare I say it of myself, impossibly immature) habit of swearing a lot. I get passionate you see, and tend not to edit my blog posts too much. I'm an elemental kinda blog-writer, not a polished icy one.

Ways Freedom Central can improve? Well, it is improving every day. Firstly, people need to realise that its not the opinions of the Party, it is a place for debate. When that happens, people can blog what they like and really get it firing up. I see Freedom Central as the possible inheritor of the radical Welsh political tradition. I hope to see some more student pieces written for the blog. I hope to see more media storms (just not about Bala, please!). I hope to see more informative pieces. You know, I really do like to actually learn something from blog reading, not just have my opinions reinforced.

Freedom Central is like a fine wine. Or as one of my school friends said, like Carol Vordemann. They both get better with age. Of course, my friend broke my window soon after that, with a banana. We don't talk that much anymore.

Keep up the good work, Freedom Central! Lead the Welsh invasion of England! Show those English rarified peoples the steel and fire of the Celts!

Okay, maybe not, but do keep writing.

Oh, and for anyone reading this, don't carry on reading this! Go read Freedom Central!

(Apologies to any regular contributor to Freedom Central who I have forgotten... please tell me if I have and I will swiftly remedy the fact!)