Somewhat off-topic: Norman Baker

The_Slithy_Tove

This is not directly related to parking tickets, but may be of interest to members here who have had dealings with Norman Baker MP over the issue of such in the past.

While at the Department of Transport, several of us crossed swords with one Norman Baker, then responsible for pushing through the dreadful Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act, and in the process
- getting completely hoodwinked by the PPCs into what fine, upstanding pillars of the community they are, and they always stick to the rules
- failing utterly to check out the BPA Ltd's out and out lies concerning the number of parking charge cases that went to court
- telling lies and ignoring the questions when challenged by people like us over PoFA

Well, in the same way that the civil service rewards incompetence (head of the failed Birmingham City Council now heads up the failing HMRC), Mr Baker's new job at the Home Office now includes pushing through yet another appalling piece of legislation, which, in the usual way of governments, is a poorly worded sledgehammer to crack a nut, and whose unintended consequences (allowing the police to stop you doing pretty much anything they don't like) are fudged over and ignored.

It's not often I agree with George Monbiot, but this is one of them:
At last, a law to stop almost anyone from doing almost anything

Norman Baker, you continue to be a complete waste of space, and a great example of having your head firmly [STRIKE]up your a**e[/STRIKE] in the sand.

The_Deep

Not all bad, according to Wiki

Baker is known for uncovering scandals and conflicts of interest among MPs and the government; he had one of the highest profiles of any backbench MP.[7] In his first three months in the House of Commons, he asked more questions than Rathbone had asked in 23 years.[8] A dogged investigator and exponent of Freedom of Information, his consistent questioning of Peter Mandelson led to Mandelson's second resignation from government,[8][9] and he has also raised issues about Lord Birt and his role as Tony Blair's adviser. After compiling figures in 2002 which revealed that the government's fleet of ministerial cars had grown to its largest ever size,[10] he began in January 2005 to campaign to force disclosure of the details of MPs' expenses under the Freedom of Information Act, finally succeeding in February 2007.[11] He suffered embarrassment when The Daily Telegraph published details of his own expense claims, which included £3000 for "office rental", although he in fact uses a room in his home for office purposes. In October 2001 he won a test case in the High Court, when the National Security Appeals panel ruled that the Data Protection Act required the Security Service MI5 to allow him access to information which he believed the security service holds on him, the first time this had happened in the 92-year history of MI5.[12][13] The Daily Mail described him as having 'consistently been a thorn in the Government's side'.[14] In 2001 he was named "Inquisitor of the Year" in the Zurich/Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year Awards and, in February 2002, he won the Channel 4 Opposition MP of the Year Award.[15]

Coupon-mad

Oh, believe me he is certainly considered 'bad' by the people of Brighton who like me, support BHA. A nimby leading a bunch of other squabbling nimbies.