The president has declared that the debate over government-controlled health care is over. That will come as news to the millions of Americans who will elect Mitt Romney so we can repeal Obamacare.

Some of you read with me 40 years ago a portion of Aristotle's Ethics a selection of passages that describe his idea of happiness. You may not remember too well.

It is now possible to quantify people's levels of happiness pretty accurately by asking them by observation and by measuring electrical activity in the brain in degrees from terrible pain to sublime joy.

Apparently a democracy is a place where numerous elections are held at great cost without issues and with interchangeable candidates.

Although my seat is a contest between Labour and the Lib Dems it could well make the difference between a Labour and a Tory government at the next election. In terms of international development this choice is a very clear one.

As the economy faces such difficulties more tough questions need to be asked about what the Tories would do if elected. Their ideology of free markets and small government needs challenging. That has to be part of our job.

In Scotland the indication is that for the Westminster elections at least Labour voters are satisfied with their government.

The Government and the Parliament even the House of Lords will consent to a large increase of electors and men who have not considered the subject fully will imagine they have gained much by the concession.

If you have a government that is elected they need to do the hard work - because if they don't they won't be around the next time the ballot box is open.

The growth of modern constitutional government compels for its successful practice the exercise of reason and considerate judgment by the individual citizens who constitute the electorate.