Yep, bit of a bummer with Iemma at the moment. The saddest thing is that it’s taking a lot of the fun out of the position Labor finds itself in at the moment. Every second day Rudd comes out with a smallish announcement that makes you feel proud to be a Labor supporter.

For instance, just the other day it was announced that we’d pay for 30 Islamic teacher trainers to train teachers in Islamic schools in Afghanistan. It’s such an elegant idea: it helps the people of Afghanistan, it shows we don’t have an anti-Islamic agenda (to both Malays and Afghans), it means Australians won’t be put in harm’s way, it exposes Afghans to moderate strains of Islam from SE Asia, and it deepens our relationship with Malaysia.

And this kind of brilliant, nimble policy-making is in evidence every day. So it’s a good time to drop back in! The whole climate has changed for the better. It almost takes an effort of the imagination to remember what a black cloud we were under with Howard.

P.S. What do Brits think of Rudd. Had any comments?

UK politics is pretty painful if you are a Labour supporter at the moment. Gordon Brown has found it difficult to appeal positively to the electorate, and David Cameron is sadly looking like a breath of fresh air at the moment. Boris is copping the odd embarrassing niggle from the media, but I think at the moment he is just trying to keep his head down, be cautious, and play-down the toff aspect.

Agreed – if Boris was doing to comedy/speaking circuit I would probably be interested in seeing him. I’d never vote for him though.

I like the Fabian turtle idea! These lions are the least fierce I have ever come across – from the streets of Stockholm funnily enough.

What’s happening with UK politics – sounds pretty awful. Is Boris a big media darling?………I’m ashamed to say I’ve got a couple of his books – can’t stand his politics, of course, but there’s something about old-style Tory toffs I find amusing.