As already reported on Duncan’s blog, I have produced some Blogger Beta sidebar widgets. If you’d like to try them out, go to the Liberal Democrats’ members only website.

Not a BBC Three spinoff from Doctor Who, but Bearwood Corporate Services, the medium of choice through which Lord Ashcroft funded various target seat campaigns for the Conservatives in the general election.

The Electoral Commission’s latest news release details donations and loans reported in the third quarter of 2006, but also include a list of donations that should have been declared earlier but weren’t. Sat on the naughty step with £207k of late donations are the Labour Party, followed by the Tories on £168k. (The LibDems were late with £23k, for which certain local parties deserve a metaphorical clip round the ear.)

Of particular interest are donations made before the 2005 general election. If that seems a long time ago, it’s because it was. The only LibDem donation to fall into this category was a transfer between councillors in Cannock Chase and their local party. The Tories, however, managed to fail to declare on time a number of Lord Ashcroft’s generous pre-election donations: £5,000 to the Harlow Association, donated in January 2005; £5,000 to Brighton Kemptown; £2,145 to the Hastings & Rye Association.

What may amuse LibDem and Labour bloggers is the constituency which received the largest previously-undeclared pre-election boost from Bearwood Corporate Services. Anyone want to hazard a guess? Yes, it’s the £7,993 donation to North Norfolk Conservative Association – and I think we all know who was the candidate there. Now I have no intention of casting aspersions on Iain, of course – PPERA reporting is not the parliamentary candidate’s responsibility – but I couldn’t help a wry smile at the coincidence. (And lest anyone forget, despite Ashcroft’s cash Norman Lamb romped home in North Norfolk, increasing his majority.)

That said, this donation nevertheless is trumped by larger previously unreported donations in Reading East, Wirral West and from the notorious Midlands Industrial Council to the Tory campaign in Shrewsbury & Atcham, among others.

All the main parties need to do better to ensure compliance with the PPERA, but some have further to go than others.

Changes to FM licensing rules will come in to force on December 8th that mean the iTrip and similar products which allow music on MP3 players to be transmitted to stereos via radio waves will become legal. This is good news for those wanting to get the best use of their digital music.

The BBC report credits consumer demand and persistent pressure from the LibDems. Don Foster, the party’s Shadow Culture Secretary, commented on the changes when the draft regulations were published last month:

“I am delighted that music lovers all over the country will finally have the right to enjoy this technology, without the threat of large fines or prison hanging over them.

“For the past two years the Liberal Democrats have repeatedly called for changes to legislation that, we believe, unfairly penalised iTrip users.

“It’s still not clear to me why it has taken this long to find a workable solution, but at least now I can put one of these devices on my Christmas list.”

I am putting an iPod on my own Christmas list this year so, if Santa determines I’ve been a good boy, this is one deregulation I could find very useful in the future.

I wasn’t in the conference hall at Brighton for young Nick Clegg’s speech, but I could tell from the little that I saw on the screens above the BBC stand that it was a speech that would be talked about. I’ve finally caught up thanks to the recording of it on Google Video, where you can find plenty of other coverage from conference.

Turns out the plaudits it received at the time were well deserved. Nick tackles the arrogant, illiberal attitude of the current government head on, as well as proposing a Great Repeal Act. If you’ve not seen his speech yet, get a cup of tea and a biscuit (it’s 18 minutes long), and click the play button.