Common of Houses: Electoral Reform Competition now open

The Common of Houses: Electoral Reform design competition is now open. Got an idea for how the voting system could be redesigned? Then visit the site and get drawing.

Second Glasgow Exhibition

The owner of "Clark Thomas - Express Alterations" in Glasgow has kindly donated part of the vacant shopfront next to their shop to show some of the Common of Houses entries. Its quite a good location right beside the main bus stops to and from the City centre. Its just a small selection of the work but we will be alternating the ones on display and are arranging to have the For sale/ to let signage moved to use the entrie frontage. In the meantime the sign is adding a fun extra dimension to the work with people actually thinking that its the Common of Houses entries are for sale.

Half of MPs to be asked to repay.

"MPs can expect a fresh attack on their reputations when the man assigned by Gordon Brown to audit their expenses publishes his final report.
Sir Thomas Legg will criticise MPs for establishing a "culture of deference", making it difficult for officials to query or challenge their claims.
About 350 MPs are expected to have been asked to repay claims totalling £1m.
But sources suggest Sir Thomas' methods will be called into question by the senior judge considering MPs' appeals. "

Read the rest on the BBC site.

CoH Exhibition @ Glasgow

Here are some of the images from the Glasgow installation that entrants Jude, Phil and Neil put together with the huge assistance of Jane Briggs last Friday. They were lucky with the weather as it's been snowing or slushing ever since.

Apparently the show went down pretty well with the random visitors and was very popular with a couple of little drunk chaps who had some very strong views which Jane advises "would disturb" so we'd best not ask. Suggestions/ comments / votes we can print include things like -

' Maybe we should put the ducks in the House of Commons'

'All nice, love pie in the sky because I'm hungry'

Good work to team Glasgow for putting on the show. There should hopefully be another show happening in Glasgow in January before it heads off on tour.

Glasgow show back on

Just heard from the guys who are organising the Glasgow showing of the Common of Houses exhibition. It will be coming to the streets of that city sometime on Friday afternoon. Keep you eyes open for them and their little structure.

Tour begins

Well the first stop on the Common of Houses tour is to be in Glasgow where two entrant teams (Neil, Jude and Phil) have joined forces to put on an impromptu exhibition in George Square in the centre of Glasgow.

They are doing it as part of Central Station's launch - have a click and hear what that have to say about it - http://www.thisiscentralstation.com/events/common-of-houses-exhibition.aspx

Fingers crossed they don't get arrested for setting up a show on the front steps of the City Chambers.

UPDATE - Delayed start - I got a message from the guys setting up the exhibition on Sunday over the weekend to say that unfortunetly due to illness they have had to postpone. They are currently arranging for a new time.

MPs' mortgage claims 'should end'

Looks like progress in the MPs' expenses policy though they still have to vote it through. The report does seem to be getting to some of the root issues with the current operation. Will MPs accept it?

Interesting read - take a look here.