LibDem Blogs - Archived!

Headline from the Hartlepool Mail. They must be migrating early this year.

I admit, I watch Doctor Who and Saturday's episode was the worst one I've seen of the new lot, if only for this sequence:

David Boyle has an article in the May issue of Town & Country Planning and has reproduced it on his website. He considers the legacy of modernism in the light of two exhibitoins: Modernism: Designing a New World at the Victoria and Albert Museum until 23 July, and Albers and Moholy-Nagy: From the Bauhaus to the New World which was on at the Tate Modern until recently. David writes: We need our cultural institutions to start re-examining the accepted truths of modernism. Does an international style, shorn of its human, cultural and historical roots, really benefit our cities ...

Lynne Featherstone has written an interesting and thought provoking essay on the problem of children carrying knives elsewhere on Liberal Review - I am glad to see a prominent MP thinking carefully about this issue, and doing so on this site. Knife carrying is undoubtedly a significant problem for the children blighted by their presence on the streets and in schools. However, we should question how widespread a problem it is. The Young people and crime: findings from the 2004 Offending, Crime and Justice Survey states the following: CARRYING WEAPONS … the 2004 OCJS also asked respondents whether ...

From the Swansea Council Labour Opposition blog: "Peter Black, who is actually running things after all" You learn something new everyday. If only it were true!

I have been a bit pre-occupied today, not least by some major dental work, and so have not had much opportunity to post. I am indebted therefore to Daniel Davies for doing all the hard work and posting this story, which I only had second hand from my staff anyway. Then again it looks like he relied on the same source as me: AMs should this week receive invitations from Welsh Secretary Peter Hain

Things are getting bad for Labour - so bad, even Jackie Ashley in today’s thegrauniad is worried: So low is morale that once-ambitious ministers are heard openly discussing the upside of spending a few years out of government, rebuilding friendships and family links, or simply getting some proper sleep. The solution, argues Ms Ashley, is simple: the Prime Minister should announce his timetable for an “orderly transition” at Labour’s party conference in September. This sounds right to me. Mr Blair is now a busted flush, his power draining daily. Where I part company with Ms Ashley is ...

Have Labour developed a new type of Falun Gong? This page suggests they have. A young lady in a red jacket stands, arm outstretched, gaze directed downwards, with a meditative expression on her face. She may be standing on a doorstep, but there are no voters in sight. Perhaps this serene image is how Labour intends to inspire a new generation of activists. Either that or the unfortunate juxtaposition of "Great deals for members!" below "Become a school governor" is more than just coincidence. The Conservatives' 'campaign' section is no better. Do you support their top campaign ...

... according to the Guardian today. And you've probably never even heard of the place.

Could someone who "knows" post in the comments section about How TV scheduling works? I was very, very cross to see the new CH 4 show "Transmission" clashed directly with Jules Holland on friday night. I appreciate that one is more Radio 1 and the other Radio 2 but surely both are aimed at post pub live music crowds? Anyway I flicked between them both with the TV zapper and ended up with more of Transmission although I did enjoy the subtle Dixie Chicks set and will check out the new Radio 2 Jo Brand Show. I think what snarred ...

I'm still on holiday. It was alledged to be a working holiday but in the end I have just collapsed and shared my time between sleeping, walking in the sun shine and getting gently sozzled on Cider in Weatherspoons. I feel conflicted about Wetherspoons. I wouldn't go near the Leeds ones which are awful and it is of course a big chain with as much cultural integrity as McDonalds. Also lets not mention all the anti Euro beer mats and the owners UKIP inspired appearences on Question Time. However how does a boy turn down the best selection of commercially ...

No, I bloody well can't. It is the time of year when all sorts of aquaintances and family members crawl out of the wood work and contact their test- match- stadium- representing friend. Now I'm informed its only a one day international at Headingley this year nevertheless the phone calls have come. What I struggle with are two misconceptions. The first is that Politicans really are that corrupt. That I would have a personal stash of premium tickets supplied in a brown paper envelope in return for planning favours. Are politicans repuations that low? The second is that the Cricket ...

There was an article in the Times on Friday by Peter Riddell that suggests Labour are not doing all that they can to tackle postal voter fraud, despite a fairly clear consensus on what to do from the other parties. No surprise there... While politicians from all parties have been caught abusing the electoral process from time to time, postal voter fraud is more of a regular hobby than occasional accident for the Labour Movement. The dubious practices started within Trade Unions, that is when they could be bothered to have an election, and evolved through all-postal ballot experiments ...

From The Business this weekend there are two articles which I've seen. Firstly Alex Singleton of the Globalisation Institute outlines the moral case for capitalism, which is essentially the reason Liberals support free trade and capitalism. This is something we don't hear enough of in the LibDems. His article At its cores, capitalism is the only way to end poverty is a criticism of the

In what was an interesting weekend of pronouncements from various Labour sources Michael Wills MP for Swindon North, former Home Office Minister says that on its current course Labour are heading for 15 years in the wilderness following the next General Election. Mr Wills has put it down to a matter of trust, basically because he still believes that Labour have good messages on public services.

According to the Guardian website, and Wikipedia, and the Lib Dem website, and his own website, and the Hillhead High website, Ming Campbell was educated at a state school - Hillhead High, Glasgow. According to the Guardian double-page photo spread on June 16 (G2, page 11), he was educated privately in a different city, at George [...]

{George W. Bush looking thoughtful} In Britain, there are few people who think particularly highly of George W. Bush. Of those who do, many of those are people who supported the war in Iraq and the broader 'War on Terror' and are convinced that, whatever his failings, Bush is the best man to see that task through. I'd be surprised, however, if there are many of them left. There has been much written on the subject of Iraq, which I will not repeat here (though I will recommend a recent guest blog ...

In a letter to the Financial Times on the 12th June, Sam Palmisano, the head of IBM called on multinationals to evolve into a new type of corporation — the globally integrated enterprise. This is an interesting perspective on the changing face of international commerce and the way we view globalisation. Alan. By SAMUEL PALMISANO 900 words 12 June 2006Financial TimesLondon Ed1Page 19English(c) 2006 The Financial Times Limited. All rights reserved Everyone, it seems, has a strongly felt position on globalisation. But there has been a lot less in-depth thought about the institution many see as ...

The Secretary of State for Health has been challenged by Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Women and Equality, Lorely Burt MP, over the continued complete ban on gay and bisexual men, and one-year ban on their straight or bisexual female partners, donating blood. She also highlighted the issue of how would-be donors who are rejected are treated.

The Guardian reports today that David Cameron will make a speech about the family in which he will: claim the best test of how good a father is to his children is the amount of time they spend together. Mr Cameron has already suggested that he regards his family as more important than becoming prime minister. "Quality time" is a much over-used phrase, and there are many tales to be told of children abandoned to the care of others (or even sent to boarding school) by excessively driven parents who are "never there" for their children. Yet such a claim ...

Liberal Review has published a piece from me today on how we can help tackle the problems of knife crime.

Recently the Independent ran an article examining the "stranglehold" on top jobs in opinion-forming professions held by the privately-educated, namely the Media, Judiciary, and Parliament. It also made comment on how graduates of Oxford and Cambridge were similarly "over-represented". Yet concern about the influence of Oxbridge is misplaced. Taking account of the usual provisos about background, wealth etc, entry to Oxbridge has a much higher degree of meritocracy about it than the financial clout required to enter the private school system. Indeed, most Oxbridge colleges now operate an admissions policy designed to recognise and allow ...

One has to ask oneself whether the so-called festival of football currently being played out in Germany is about the game itself or the profits that can be made from it. I pose this rather obvious question because of the treatment of more than a 1,000 Dutch fans last Friday. They were forced to watch their team play Ivory Coast in their underpants because their patriotic orange lederhosen carried

Taking part in a recent radio show that interviewed knife-carrying kids in my neck-of -the woods, it was clear that they carry for many reasons. First - kids are afraid that without one they will be vulnerable to others with knives. Second - it gives status. With a knife you may not have much else but you're a big man and who's going to diss you now? And third - for some it is a fashion accessory. Lots of kids don't even know that if you cut an artery in the leg it can kill you. Most of them ...

Photos taken 19th June 2006

Photos taken 1pm June 18th 2006

Photos taken 1pm 18th June 2006

Photos taken June 18th 2006 1pm

Yesterday I spent some time taking thirty photographs of the litter in Station road. I have posted the photographs here. At the Town Council town hall steps surgery, I and other councillors have been receiving complaints about the litter in Station road for the last six years at least. There seems to be an inherent problem in that the level of cleaning for this road is not sufficient.That is perfectly clear from the photographs. There are particular background issues here: 1. It is an extremely busy road for pedestrian movement especially to/from the station. Those people coming from the station ...

Welcome to Nadi, where I'm taking time out from my busy schedule of sunbathing, reading, drinking the occasional dip in the pool and drinking the odd cold beer or two to do a little light shopping and reconnect with the outside world. Of course, I've never been terribly good at doing absolutely nothing at all. However, I have another two weeks of this booked in August so it could be looked upon

In a fascinating contest, world ranked number 12 Fiji defeated number 11 Italy in a game of two halves at a hot and humid Lautoka Park. Despite having an 8.5 kg per man advantage in the scrum, the Fijians were unable to make significant headway due to poor technique and some gallant Italian resistance. Unfortuntely for the Azzurri, that resistance didn't extend to the rest of their display, as