Ronald Stewart-Brown's Memorial Service

Further to my posting about Ronald Stewart-Brown, a stalwart and very useful member of the Brexit movement, whose death is a sad loss to us all, I can now inform everyone who is interested that a Memorial Service will be held for him at Chelsea Old Church on Thursday, January 28 at 2.30. We hope to have a reasonable turn-out of Ronald's political friends and colleagues.

Watching the debate

No, I shall not be doing so. I shall read Hansard tomorrow and comment though, naturally, the result will be of interest. However, in case any of my readers want to watch and don't know the link to the Parliamentary channel, here it is. I am off to have some coffee, then London Library, then the Bruges Group meeting. Catch up later.

A somewhat late notice

Apologies for not posting this before but should anyone in and around London and want to be depressed, Pushkin House is screening a film about Anna Politkovskaya this evening at 7.30.

Two causes - two rallies in London

It is hard to tell whether rallies for a cause achieve anything but one goes on trying to show that there are people out there who care. Tomorrow, August 31, there will be the usual demonstration outside the Russian Embassy and Consulate (actually, it is nearer to the Consulate) in Bayswater Road in London to show solidarity with Strategy-31 in Russia, that is with people who, despite Article 31 in the Russian Constitution, are not allowed to have political rallies. It will start at 6 and carry on till about 8.30 or so. Nearest tube stations are Notting Hill Gate and Queensway, both on the Central Line; there are lots of buses in that part of the world.

The other rally will be outside the Royal Albert Hall on Thursday, also starting at 6. It is organized by the British-Israel Coalition, which is a very diverse and a seriously all-inclusive group, as I know from my participation in Sunday's rally in Trafalgar Square. The reason for Thursday's rally is that the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra is playing at the Proms (a blameless programme) and there are rumours that anti-Israeli demonstrators will be bussed in to protest this "appalling event". Mustn't have cultural exchanges or diversity - that is not what we are about. So, a counter-rally is being planned. The nearest tube station to that is South Kensington on the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines and there are plenty of buses going past the RAH.