LibDem Blogs - Archived!

by Steve Travis Earlier this evening on Channel 4 I caught the end of a property programme. Fronted by the fragrant Sarah Beaney, the aim of the programme was to spend £10,000 trying to improve the look of a row of 12 Edwardian terrace houses in Nottingham. Time, in the form of 40 years of "DIY", had taken its toll on these unfortunate houses. What had once been a uniform row with a degree of aesthetic integrity, was now the all-too-common collection of UPVC windows, "Wally-bricks" (stone cladding), garish paint-jobs and paved-over front gardens. At the ...

When I was in the sixth form I used to hurry down to Preedy's after school on Fridays to buy their only copy of the New Statesman. I usually got it, though I do recall missing out on the controversial issue produced to mark the Queen's Silver Jubilee. In those days before Princess Di and the royals' sell out to celebrity culture, it was still controversial to attack the monarchy. For my 25p I got a leading article on the front page (which seemed terribly grown up), James Fenton's witty political commentary on page 2 and a Garland cartoon on ...

by Phil Grant Steve Travis' post The Second Time Around has made the case for Liberal Democrat moves to bridge the schism with liberal-minded Conservatives. This is one way of combatting the pessimism often seen from the "Stringworld" analysis of British politics. Stringworld thinkers can't see the labels "left" and "right" without taking them extremely literally. In Stringworld, everybody in politics is tied down to a straight line. We can move strategically right or left (if the move is rightward, more often than not it is a "lurch"), but that exhausts the possibilities - there's no escaping one dimension. Stringworld ...

Is what I have for Dominique Walker, sister of Anthony Walker, the black teenager who was killed in a disgusting racist attack with an axe. It is absolutely unthinkable that even in this modern society, people are still not only judged for what they are, but are being punished for that they are. It is absolutely sickening. I have the utmost respect for Dominique Walker for being able to come out and say what she did. It is a display of the greatest level of bravery and faith.

Ever got that feeling that the world is ganging up on you? I had earlier today. Applied for a job closing date was yesterday. The interviews were scheduled for tomorrow. I get a call for an interview. Of course working in a call centrew I don't get to actually take the call in real time as I am dealing with a customer so have to call back. Interview slots are in the middle of the day. I work in

Maybe Guido Fawkes is right that those spinning against the Prime Minister are his nearest and dearest. Now his local Party Chair is speculating publicly about his future as an MP. Meanwhile his sister-in-law is openly defying the ban on protest he instigated around the House of Commons. Lauren Booth was quoted as saying, "This is all about silencing critics of the war in Iraq and ID cards and denying people the right to free speech. If you heard on television that someone in another country was banned from gathering near a government building to stage a legitimate protest you ...

This post at Samizdata contained the following lines which I found somewhat worrying: We noticed that there were two or three Asian men holding camcorders and filming stairwells, restaurants and the maps of the ferry. This may be innocent behaviour but we took photos of them. The photos have been passed on to the Kent constabulary. This could be something or nothing, but vigilance is the purview of the alert citizen, not a monopoly of our less than competent authorities. What worried me was not the act of good citizenship - this is indeed responsible and correct ...

Resonance FM is now Podcasting. A selection of the finest shows on Resonance, plus a few that have not yet been broadcast are now available for download. Of particular interest is Kevin Eldon’s new series “Speakers”. My personal favourites Hooting Yard and The Exciting Hellebore Shew.

by Steve Travis The Observer's Nick Cohen returned recently to a familiar theme arguing amongst other things that Grammar Schools were essential to prevent “selection by wealth”, and were killed off by an unthinking conspiracy of Labour former-Public Schoolboys as a move to finish off the competition. Cohen rather over-eggs the conspiracy-theorist pudding with this latter point, but his others bear considered reflection. As it is, 7% of the school population attend fee-paying schools, a number that is creeping up year on year. And for those who’s “ideology” prevents them from exercising this option, they instead move to “nice” areas ...

Without a doubt, the best commentary on the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas "Hot Coffee" scandal.