Removal van at number 10 Downing Street
Iredale's Eye on Politics is no more
However, I will be keeping an eye on the political scene across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on my new BBC correspondent page - which you can access here.
Thanks to everyone who left comments on my old blog.
I hope you will continue to take part in the debate on my new page and on Twitter @iredalepolitics.
We've seen protests against public spending cuts and marches against the increase in tuition fees. But a group of students from Hull University have taken part in a demonstration with a difference.
The Rally Against Debt took place in Central London on Saturday and was organised to highlight the scale of the national debt - which currently stands at somewhere around the £1 trillion mark - or the equivalent of £40,000 per household.
The rally attracted around 350 people, according to the Metropolitan Police.
Public sector unions have criticised the march, claiming it's an insult to the vulnerable groups who've been adversely affected by spending cuts.
Nikki Knowles and Simon Schofield are members of Hull University's Conservative Future branch. They both told me they were going on the march because they were worried about their debts being passed on to their children's generation.
The students deny their support for cuts is ideologically based, pointing out that it's the basis of good housekeeping not to spend more than you earn.
If that sounds familiar, it's worth remembering that today's first year students weren't even born when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister.
The rally hasn't been organised by any political party, but it's fair to say there is a distinct right-of-centre feel to the line up - with the Taxpayers' Alliance being one of the main sponsors.
So could this be the start of British-style 'Tea Party' - the US grassroots organisation which is opposed to big government?
Dr Simon Lee - a senior lecturer in politics at the University of Hull - thinks not. Dr Lee believes we have a different political culture in the UK, based largely around the welfare state and the NHS. He argues our concept of big government is very different to our American cousins.
However, the organisers of the Rally Against Debt believe there is a silent majority of the British public who accept the need for deficit reduction and would like greater scrutiny of how their money is spent by Whitehall.
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Carl Minns
The scale of the Liberal Democrat meltdown in Hull was clear for all to see. Of the twelve seats being defended by the Lib Dems, Labour won ten, making them the largest party by a sizeable margin.
Following his defeat, Carl Minns told me he was frustrated that the debate over spending cuts had overshadowed other aspects of government policy.
He said: "The Government has been dreadful at developing any narrative outside the cuts agenda and a lot of positive polices that benefit people in northern cities have been lost in the white noise."
Elsewhere in East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire - Labour gained Lincoln from no overall control, but lost North Lincolnshire to the Conservatives, prompting tears of joy from jubilant Tories.
Meanwhile it was the end of the road for the Boston Bypass Independent group, which lost power to the Conservatives - four years after they elected to deliver a bypass to the Lincolnshire town.
But the headlines were dominated by the collapse of the Lib Dem vote in Hull and a council leader forced to look for alternative employment.
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In a city that's long been divided on sporting grounds, Hull's political leaders are preparing for their latest showdown.
The Liberal Democrats stormed to power in this former Labour stronghold four years ago. And this is one of the few councils in the North of England where the Lib Dems still have outright control.
Critics of the Lib Dem-run authority believe the tide is about to turn, due to the impact of spending cuts which will see around 1400 council posts axed and £65 million wiped off the budget.
The Lib Dems' poll ratings nationally have plummeted, but on a visit to Hull last week the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said voters should judge the party on its record locally under the leadership of Carl Minns.
Mr Clegg said that Hull - as recently as 2004 under Labour - was branded the worst council in the country.
Dr Simon Lee - a senior lecturer in politics at the University of Hull - told me: "Hull is a weathervane for the policies of the Coalition government. Hull is an economy overly dependent on public sector jobs, so unless we see evidence of an economic recovery, we are not likely to see it in other parts of the United Kingdom."
Those who choose to vote in Hull will decide the result of one of the most fiercely contested election battles in the country.
With a close contest on the cards between the Lib Dems and Labour, there's every chance the city's two Conservative councillors and two Independents could end up playing a pivotal role.
It was the political equivalent of an FA Cup giant-killing.
A collection of people with little or no political experience coming together to form a new party and taking on the established big guns and winning.
The Boston Bypass Independents stormed to power in the Lincolnshire town in 2007 - wiping out Labour and the Lib Dems and dramatically cutting the Conservatives councillor count as they took control of the borough council.
Four years on, the people of Boston will now be able to give their verdict again. So have things changed over that time?
Well there's still no bypass, but after almost a year of roadworks, a traffic new system with extra lanes and wider roads is in place in the most congested part of town.
However, that scheme is led by Lincolnshire County Council - which is the highways authority - and both the Bypass Independents and the county's ruling Conservatives are claiming credit for their role.
Only the Boston Bypass Independents and Conservatives have fielded enough candidates to be able to take outright control of the council, but there are plenty of other parties looking to make an impact.
For Labour and Lib Dems, this year could be the chance to re-establish themselves after losing all their councillors in 2007.
And while the Bypass Independents were the surprise package of the last election, could the English Democrats take that role this year? They are fielding 11 candidates - including a BNP councillor who has defected to them.
There are also 11 independents standing and UKIP is fielding 8 candidates.
For the first time a number of foreign nationals are standing for various parties, reflecting Boston's strong migrant community presence.
The 2007 result was one of the biggest political shocks anywhere in the country and with almost 100 candidates representing seven different political persuasions, the people of Boston have never had such a varied choice when they determine the road to power in this corner of Lincolnshire.
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Does cutting back on CCTV make clear financial sense in the current climate or put the public at risk?
It's a big talking point on the streets of Lincoln.
A month-long consultation on the future of CCTV in Lincoln drew to a close this week. Residents and businesses were asked their views on a range of options, which included turning-off the cameras altogether.
It currently costs City of Lincoln Council £434,000 a year to run the CCTV system round the clock. The Conservative leader of the council, Darren Grice, has already indicated that the majority of people consulted would prefer the cameras to keep rolling - although that would mean making savings elsewhere.
We've all become use to CCTV pictures filling our news bulletins. Who can forget the haunting images of James Bulger being led to his death? Or the July 7 London bombers preparing to carry our their terrible mission?
But not everyone is convinced the cameras are effective. One Lincoln shopkeeper told me they failed to catch a pair of would-be thieves who weren't picked up when they left his premises, because the picture quality was so bad it it couldn't be used as evidence.
Lincoln is always the scene of a fierce election battle, because this city tends to mirror the national political mood. At the moment it couldn't be closer in the run up to the local elections on 5 May, with the Conservatives and Labour both on 16 seats and the sole Liberal Democrat councillor holding the balance of power.
A final decision will be made on the future of CCTV here in the summer, with other councils also looking at switching off cameras as their financial constraints are brought into sharp focus.
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The man who sits in the big chair in the House of Commons knows full well that Parliament has an image problem outside the boundaries of the Westminster village.
I caught up with John Bercow in Sheffield as he embarked on a regional tour, where he is outlining his vision for improving the public's perception of Parliament.
It was a timely visit. This week, the former Scunthorpe MP Elliot Morley became the biggest culprit so far in the Westminster expenses scandal.
Morley pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court to fiddling his mortgage expenses to the tune of around £32,000. The former Labour minister will now almost certainly facing a prison sentence.
I asked the Speaker to sum up the damage caused by the expenses scandal, which broke in 2009, the year he was elected to the post. Mr Bercow said he believed the reputation of Parliament had suffered over a period of decades and has settled at an historically low level.
John Bercow's political journey from right-wing Tory to social liberal has been well documented. As have the thoughts of his Labour-supporting wife Sally. But Mr Bercow believes he's done more than any other speaker in history to bring the work of parliament to the provinces.
The Speaker is particularly passionate about reconnecting more young people with the Parliamentary process. He told students at Sheffield Hallam University about his plans to create a 'Speaker's Scholarship - where people from working class backgrounds will be paid to work in Parliament.
He rejected my suggestion as a "cynical Yorkshireman" that many people still believed MPs were on the take. Mr Bercow pointed to evidence showing that many voters mistrusted politicians collectively, but believed their own MP was hard working and conscientious.
So has John Bercow done enough to put his own house in order? It's one of our talking points on this week's Politics Show in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
]]>On 5 May, many people will also be deciding who serves on their local parish or town council.
In recent years some areas have seen a big increase in their parish council bills and some are now questioning why they're not subject to the same austerity measures as other public bodies.
Depending on who you speak to, Saxilby in Lincolnshire, could be described as a large village or a small town. But there's no doubting the parish council here has big ambitions - due largely to one man.
Since accountant Peter Odam took charge three years ago, spending on local projects has more than doubled. The parish council now has five full-time staff, including a sports and youth development officer. It also pays for grounds maintenance and is in negotiations about taking over the local library.
Saxilby Parish Council even runs a community centre bar - much to the annoyance of some in the local pub trade.
The current parish precept for a Band D household in the village is more than £100 for the coming year. That's the highest sum in the area.
Parish Council Chairman Peter Odam told me he had no regrets about raising the parish precept, saying he was only responding to feedback from local residents who were willing to pay more for better services.
But one Saxilby resident - who happens to be a former councillor - told me he believed parish spending should be capped in the same way local authorities are limited in the amount they can raise from taxpayers.
Many parish and town councils are trying to shake off their 'Vicar of Dibley' image and see themselves as fulfilling an important role providing services which have been lost elsewhere.
But that role comes at a price and householders across the country must decide whether it's a price worth paying.
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In recent times, we've tended to focus on the human cost of wars.
Now, there's an increasing focus on the financial price of the military operation in Libya.
Lincolnshire's air bases have played their part in a number of conflicts over the years and the current mission in Libya is no exception.
In the past few days Typhoon jets from RAF Coningsby have been policing the no-fly zone, from a base in southern Italy.
And Sentry surveillance aircraft from RAF Waddington have also been supporting the coalition operation.
But from the heart of so-called "RAF county" comes a dissenting voice.
Conservative councillor Chris Underwood-Frost is a former Grenadier Guard who is breaking rank with his own government.
He's questioned the estimated £2m a day cost of the Libya operation at a time when many public sector workers are losing their jobs.
Councillor Underwood points to a package of austerity measures announced recently by Lincolnshire County Council, which add up to £125m. He claims that equates to policing the no-fly zone for two months.
However, a sharply contrasting view comes from Samir Elmrghni - a PhD student at the University of Lincoln - who comes from the rebel-held city of Benghazi.
Samir tells this week's Politics Show in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire that British taxpayers should support the UN-backed mission as it has prevented the slaughter of civilians on a huge scale.
In the week of the budget, the Chancellor told MPs the conflict in Libya would cost tens of millions of pounds, not hundreds of millions.
But some are convinced that now is the wrong time to be reaching for the skies.
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Many people declared themselves Jedi knights in the last Census
Most households should by now have received a Census questionnaire, which will take a snapshot of life in the UK on 27 March.
Local authorities say the survey - which takes place every 10 years - provides them with vital information about how to deliver future services, such as school places and social care.
The first census took place more than 200 years ago. Back in 1801, it was just a simple head count. Now the form runs to 32 pages and asks questions about our ethnicity, religion and marital status.
It's worth noting that in the 2001 Census, around 390,000 people in England and Wales listed their religion as Jedi Knight.
For some, it's a case of too much information.
The No2ID campaign believes the 2011 Census is the work of the "stalker state" - describing it as "an official obsession with documenting our private lives for no good reason and to no good effect".
Campaigners are calling for tighter restrictions on how the information is used, with reports the statistical data could be shared across 27 EU countries.
But not everyone sees the Census as a gross invasion of privacy. I spoke to a pair of mature ladies on the streets of Beverley in East Yorkshire. I asked them how they felt about some of the questions...
"I don't mind answering at all," said one.
"Do you mind answering?" she asked her friend.
"No, I've got nothing to be ashamed about," she replied.
"Unfortunately."
With this year's Census coming with a price tag of just under £1/2bn, the government has already indicated future surveys could be scrapped due to the high cost.
But many public bodies will fight the move arguing there needs to be some way of tracking a changing population.
It's our big talking point on this week's Politics Show in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
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The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has hit back following criticism made of him by a councillor from Grimsby.
Cliff Barber recently defected from the Liberal Democrats to Labour on North East Lincolnshire Council. He claims the Lib Dems have become too similar to the Conservatives and many voters can no longer distinguish between the two coalition parties.
Councillor Barber has served the Freshney ward in Grimsby since 2008. He won't face re-election until next year.
Nick Clegg told my colleague Len Tingle his party went into coalition with the Tories for "the right reasons" and the biggest task they face is "clearing up the economic mess left by Labour".
The Liberal Democrats gathered in Sheffield this weekend for the party's spring conference, amid tight security and a heavy police presence, with around 5000 protesters taking to the streets in a march through the city.
Many Liberal Democrats are nervous about their electoral prospects in May's local government elections.
Opinion polls reveal support for the Lib Dems has plummeted since last year's general election and the party's candidate in the recent Barnsley by-election came sixth with a lost deposit.
The Lib Dems face a tough fight to keep control of its Yorkshire councils such as Hull, Sheffield and York.
But many party workers say they aren't facing the bleak outlook that many commentators suggest, with voters willing to judge councillors on their local record, not - they claim - on what's happening in national government.
The Liberal Democrats' spring conference featured on the latest Politics Show in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
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The Royal Borough of Kingston-upon-Thames appears to have little in common with its northern namesake - Kingston-upon-Hull.
Think rowing, rather than rugby league. White collar service sector over blue collar manufacturing.
Then there's the question of how this outer London borough is coping with the spending squeeze...
In 2011/12 - Kingston-upon-Thames is facing a reduction in its revenue spending power of 2.57% - compared with 8.9% in Kingston-upon-Hull.
Proof say Labour that deprived urban areas - such as Hull - are losing out.
But many South of England Conservatives dispute that claim and argue they too have their fair share of problems.
Conservative councillor David Cunningham recalls how the former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott used to describe the town as the "leafy borough" of Kingston-upon-Thames - a description he does not recognise as the area has a number of deprived housing estates.
In Hull, much attention has been focussed on how vulnerable groups will be affected by council cuts and the situation is mirrored in Kingston-upon-Thames.
I met up with former Kingston council worker Jane Young, who is campaigning against a proposed increase in the charges paid by disabled and elderly residents for the care they receive in their own homes.
Jane dismissed talk of a North-South divide, claiming that her local authority is facing total cuts to its budget of 25% over two years - a substantial chunk for a small council, she argues.
The Liberal Democrat leader of Kingston Council declined our offer to be interviewed for the BBC Politics Show in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
While there's no doubt that some town halls will be hit more than others - it's clear that council cutbacks are having an impact on the people who live by the Thames, as well as those who live on the Humber.
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They have been described by the Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles as the product of "Town Hall Pravda printing presses".
Many Tories believe council newspapers delivered to households are little more than taxpayer-funded propaganda and argue they should be scrapped, or at the very least, scaled back.
New guidance issued by Eric Pickles' department suggests that local authorities should reduce their publications to a quarterly service.
A number of local newspaper publishers have been calling for government curbs on Town Hall free sheets.
North East Lincolnshire Council is faced with making savings of around £30m over four years. The Grimsby-based authority has announced it's reducing editions of its paper from monthly to bi-monthly.
Linc-Up currently costs around £100,000 a year to produce and council chiefs believe they can cut that amount by less than half by reducing the print run and finding cheaper delivery options.
The Liberal Democrat leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, Andrew De Freitas, believes the paper serves an important role by informing residents about how their council tax is being spent.
However, Martin Vickers, the Conservative MP for Cleethorpes - who is a former North East Lincolnshire councillor - disagrees and claims the money would be better spent on an occasional supplement published in co-operation with the local media.
Others would also argue that in an era of Facebook and Twitter, council chiefs should concentrate on web-based communication.
For the time being, council papers look to be here to stay and it's a subject we discussed on this week's Politics Show in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
Your comments, as always, are welcome on this subject.
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The prospect of ballot boxes behind bars pleases few in the corridors of power.
David Cameron has said it makes him feel "physically ill".
But it's another David who is leading Parliament's opposition to prisoners getting the vote.
David Davis has teamed up with Labour's former Home Secretary Jack Straw to oppose moves to allow prisoners serving sentences of less than four years to take part in elections.
The Tory MP for Haltemprice and Howden told me in an interview for BBC Look North: "Those who break the law cannot be allowed to make the law".
The Government recently accepted - albeit reluctantly - a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that British prisoners should be allowed to vote.
The case was originally taken to Strasbourg by John Hirst, a former prisoner from Hull, who served more than 20 years in jail for manslaughter.
Many MPs are angry this decision has been made without the support of Parliament and on Thursday the House of Commons overwhelmingly rejected the idea by 234 votes to 22 - a majority of 212.
The Government has been warned that defying the ECHR ruling could open the flood gates for compensation claims worth more than £100m.
The debate over prison votes is likely to focus on which court should prevail. The European Court of Human Rights or the court of public opinion?
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Ministers are being asked to consider a radical proposal to sell-off the Humber Bridge, with a long term aim of reducing tolls and boosting the regional economy.
It's a scenario that would have once seemed unthinkable, but Hull-based property boss Malcolm Scott believes the Government should pay serious attention to his proposal, which would pay off a big chunk of the outstanding debt on the 30 year old structure.
Malcolm Scott is offering to buy the Humber Bridge debt for £100m. That's less than a third of the outstanding debt, which now stands at £330m.
The price of the tolls would remain at their current level for eight years and would then be reduced to one pound per crossing. The bridge would be run and maintained by a community interest company.
A number of MPs and council leaders are supporting the Scott proposal. The only concern seems to be the time it would take for the tolls to be reduced from current level of £2.70 each way for cars.
The Labour leader of North Lincolnshire Council, Mark Kirk said he was still hopeful that ministers would look at a look at a financial package to reduce the tolls sooner rather than later.
This is the statement issued by the Transport Minister Norman Baker: "I am fully aware of the region's concern regarding the Humber Bridge tolls and am working closely with Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Justine Greening, to help the region and bridge owners find a long term sustainable way forward for this important transport link.
"The Department for Transport is working closely with the Treasury to consider the level of tolls and the implications for transport and the economy for the Humber region and nationally. The review will take into account any views put to us, including those from business leaders, local councils, the Bridge Board and local MPs.
"We will of course have to look at the information from the review in the round, taking account of the economic assessment as well as the difficult financial challenges we currently face as a country."
Malcolm Scott's proposal could be seen a classic example of Localism and the Big Society in action - a community coming up with its own solution to a problem and not relying on 'big' government.
It could be an offer the Coalition will find hard to resist.
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