LibDem Blogs - Archived!

Voter fraud? Sort it with ID cards. Terrorism? ID cards. Benefit fraud? ID cards. And now immigration. Is it just me, or do I fail to see how ID cards will actually stop immigrants getting here? Also, how will a system where identity doesn't have to be proven immediately actually track down illegal immigrants? They'll just continue to disappear into thin air - as proven by the fact the government has no idea how many people are actually in the country. Why can't the government just admit it - the Home Office has had ID cards as a pet project ...

I do love the internet. A bit of searching reveals a 1985 article by Rafe Champion that uses the wisdom of Henry Root as a starting point for an examination of Karl Popper's philosophy. Let me explain. After the success of his letters, Root was moved to publish Henry Root's World of Knowledge. Rafe Champion points out that many academic philosophers share his misunderstanding of Popper's philosophy. Root wrote: POPPER, Sir Karl (b 1902); Member of the Vienna Circle. "That which is unfalsifiable is meaningless." Did he solve the problem of induction? The argument still rages. See Swans.As Champion says, ...

Advancing Services for Kingston Kids (ASKK) has been around for several months now. You can browse ASKK's directory of organisations which offer services for children, young people, parents and carers in Kingston. These include the statutory services - health, schools, social services, libraries, youth service - plus voluntary organisations, such as advice shops, sports and arts groups. All the services in the directory are accredited, with either one or two stars. This means that they meet certain standards, such as having enhanced police checks on all the staff who have contact with children, and proper management. ...

I've just spent a very enjoyable hour or so in the Potsdamer Platz. It's hard to believe that twenty years ago, it was an urban wasteland adjoining the Berlin Wall, because today it is a highly vibrant and active area, with some fantastic modern buildings. Then again, when I consider how much it has changed in the three years since I first set foot in Berlin, it really does hit home the pace of change in the city. OK, so I'm a big fan of glass-and-steel-type architecture, but I challenge people to think that the new developments around the square ...

In my previous posting Islington-re-think-rubbish, I mentioned some of Islington's recycling services introduced to households this year - the pilot kitchen waste collection scheme - two new food recycling buckets delivered to my flat last week. Well I followed the instructions - attached the deodorising strip to the small kitchen bucket - continued to fill it up. Didn't have much waste - mainly

Whilst in the Zitadelle in Spandau today (of which more later), I was browsing the historical museum of Spandau exhibition there. It wasn't a brilliant collection, but did have some points of broader interest - especially the exhibits regarding the development of cultural life in Spandau - for example the growth of the Vereine, or clubs, in the 19th century so that by 1874, even in a small area like Spandau, there were 90 different clubs one could join. This is of particular interest to me because the growth of associational life in Germany at this time has been used ...

Colin Hendry, from the Manchester United Independent Supporters Association, said he thought police were too heavy-handed... "The barricade went up, the Glazers started to move and people sat down in front of the barricade."But police in riot gear, with batons, without warning, without instruction to disperse, just attacked those people." I don't know about you, but it's not that much of an overreaction when the same article states: Echoes of "die, Glazer die" rumbled around the stadium as about 300 fans vented their frustration. At least one party here is exaggerating.

I checked in with Leila's Shop on Calvert Avenue to see if this event was still going ahead and picked up leaflets with the following info: Sunday 3rd July 1pm - 5pm Picnic at Arnold Circus (centre of Boundary Estate) Bring your food & drinks and a dish to share - we'll provide the lawn! Then popped round to the Shoreditch Tabernacle Baptist Church and passed some onto Rev. Sarah Parry. The conversion of their hall is looking stunning and will be opening in September. Passed on other leaflets to Cllr Matin, Yates House resident, the ...

The No2ID campaign held a public meeting in London last night with an interesting array of speakers. George Galloway spoke in his new guise as a Respect Party MP. I have no time for his politics and the far-left sorts who have coalesced around Respect. God help us if ever they were to have [...]

Google has released its Maps API. I’ve had a play and produced this map which marks the birthplaces of four generations of my ancestors. (I couldn’t get the JavaScript to work properly directly so I’ve had to imbed it in an IFRAME element. Any suggestions for getting the code to work loads from a JavaScript file [...]

Welsh politics has taken a rather bizarre turn in recent days, Labour Assembly Ministers have started to campaign against and criticise their own Government.Firstly, there was the admission by Economic Development Minister, Andrew Davies, yesterday, that the Welsh Development Agency, which he is responsible for, is performing badly. Wales has slumped to ninth in the UK inward investment league for 2005 after topping the list the previous year. The number of new jobs created in Wales by overseas investors fell 36% over the 2004-2005 period, while the UK total rose 31% to a new record level.Incredibly, Mr. Davies told the ...

The big point about the proposed second runway for Birmingham International Airport is that it is having an effect today on many people living in Sheldon. The uncertainty affecting their properties causes them difficulties if they wish to move. I don't personally believe that the runway will ever be built, but the uncertainty causes sufficient problems to justify the government revisiting their