LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Friday 11th August 2006

The Path to a Free China - Part 4 Liberalisation First

O.K. Now getting down to the heart of the matter on China. How could and should China transition to a liberal democracy (the stuff that would have Hu Jintao choking on his breakfast baozi)? Given that rapid democratisation might lead to tyranny of the majority (don't forget the Cultural Revolution people) and the election of a strong man my view would be that China should firstly seek to liberalise politically as well as economically BEFORE the introduction of multiparty democracy. The reality in China is that were China to democratise overnight many people would not be in a position ...

Liberal Democrat tax plans

Could we have asked for a better set of headlines than these? Tories outflanked on tax cuts for poor Lib Dems' green tax plan unveiled Lib Dems unveil plans for £15bn tax on the rich

Hoping for a Ceasefire in Lebanon Soon

Whilst many people will be very anxious at the recent news here at home in the UK some of the root causes of our troubles are continuing in Lebanon. I've heard estimates that over a 1000 people have died in Lebanon, most of them civilians and 100 have died in Israel. Tonight the United Nations will hopefully pass a resolution demanding a ceasefire. I hope that it will be a just settlement and that the Israelis and Hezbollah will cease their fighting for the sake of the people of Lebanon.

Chinese Liberal Democrats - Great News

I've just got my copy of Liberal Democrat News today (nicknamed "Pravda" by a few of the more cynical and naturally subversive amongst Lib Dems). Am delighted to see that there is a Chinese Liberal Democrats group and I genuinely hope that they will go from strength to strength spreading liberal democratic values and genuinely engaging the Chinese community with the party and likewise, and more importantly, the party with the Chinese community who make an outstanding contribution to Britain's commercial, culinary and cultural life. A month is never complete without a visit to Chinatown in London for ...

Tax and our Energy Future

The party launched our tax proposals today. A set of changes that amount to making the the UK tax base simpler, fairer and greener, without raising or lowering the overall level of tax, and for now draw a clear point of difference between us, Labour and the Tories. All good stuff. I made my contributions the Tax Commission on the business tax sub-group. Sad to say the main suggestion didn't make it. I'd quite like to see the UK become a world leader in sustainable energy and I think some of the massive tax generated by unsustainable sources, ...

Happy birthday to The First Post

The First Post, which bills itself as an "online daily magazine", is one year old today. Browsing through it, I can recommend Jonathan Keates's review of Consuming Passions: Leisure and pleasure in Victorian Britain by Judith Flanders. Like Matthew Sweet's Inventing the Victorians it presents evidence that the Victorians were less, er, Victorian than we think.

Terrorist threats

As I was driven around Kingston yesterday morning with the Home Library Service we kept the radio on LBC to catch all news on the foiled terrorist attack and its impact on travellers. I'm sure everyone has tales to tell of cancelled holidays and disruption. I flew from the States back to Heathrow at the weekend - so I've felt a real sense that the danger was remarkably...

Prescott speaks - and who said Music Hall is dead?

John Prescott has pulled himself up to his full height. He has spoken with the full weight of authority vested in him as "Deputy Prime Minister". He was there on BBC News at Ten. I can't find a link to it, but I swear I saw him. Now, one can forgive old Reidy and Squeaky Alexander getting up at 4.30am on Thursday morning and doing a deadpan, straight to camera, never mind the questions, "the

Whizzing past my nose

If you think I look terrified in this photo, then you are right! Those clubs were whizzing past only a couple of inches in front of my nose. I'm not sure that the Council had done a full risk assessment before I was subjected to it.... Just one of the delights of Thumbs Up, It's Thursday.

Books and tapes and knitting wool

If you are housebound then the Home Library Service must be a godsend. Emma Burnside, who manages it, and her team select a box full of books, videos and audio tapes for each client, and take them round on a monthly basis. They know exactly what genre each person enjoys and what they have read before. But I was surprised to discover that they also supply balls of knitting wool. Many...

Progress on Seabraes issues

Pleased to see progress with the issues here following site visit earlier in the week. I am advised by Waste Management at the City Council that the glass I reported to them has been cleared. The car park manager has also advised - "Roseangle Car Park has been tidied up and will be done so on a regular basis." Additionally the Council's Access Officer has spoken with Scottish Enterprise Tayside (SET) about the damaged 'cycle white markings' on the cycle path and SET is to progress this. Lastly, I paste below part of the response received by ...

Leabonese "green helmet man" exposed as a fake

I'm sure many of you saw the footage after the Qana bombings of the man in the green helmet carrying a dead child. Well, rumours flew around that the footage was staged, i.e. the bombing too place, but that the...

Livingstone turns again - barmy cycle registration dropped

Ken Livingstone has apparently dropped his plans, which I highlighted last month, to introduce compulsory cycle registration in London . Normally Ken’s U-turns are bad news. Things like not introducing conductors on buses when he promised he would. Or building a new motorway at the Thames Gateway when he promised he wouldn’t - but this is an excellent U-turn! [...]

Major technical problem with biometric passports

I'm sure you are aware that we're all going to have biometric passports in the near future. One of the favoured (i.e. very likely to be used) methods of storing the data on the passports is an RFID chip. For...

Senator Ted Stevens' "Toobs"

This is a classic of its genre. Senator Ted Stevens represents Alaska on the US Senate. He has made some controversial statements about the internet. This has led a bright spark to produce this musical rendition of some of Senator Stevens' more inspired bon mots on the subject of cyberspace. It is a fascinating aural experience. As they say over the pond: "Enjoy!" My thanks to my personal

OAP ASBO

I'm quite glad to see Southwark Council lose their ASBO case against East Street trader, George Mothersole. Mr. Mothersole is no angel and his behaviour cited in the case, broadly abuse and shoving against a Council official, was certainly anti-social, but hardly warranted the expensive response of what is expected to a £30k lawsuit. While his defence, that giving an 80-year old an ASBO is inappropriate, is drivel, he's old enough to know better, rather than too old to get his behaviour held to account - the question here was that of a proportional response. We have ...

Supporting Our Troops The New Labour Way…

Overshadowed by the events of yesterday, the Commons defence committee has published areas of concern over the provision of equipment to our troops in Iraq. An analysis of the report can be found on the BBC site, the full report can be downloaded here and the issues of under resourcing can be found in Section [...]

No 'hug a Housing Officer' here

It's not often I agree with Southwark Labour activist Janet Yatak, whose main contribution to local politics is to foam and rave about the Liberal Democrat administration in the pages of the local papers, but on a recent letter about Housing she had a point. The comparison she was making was with John Reid's approach to the many problems at the Home Office and an approach she'd like to see in respect of Southwark's Housing Department. While it was quite extraordinary for Janet to claim that Reid has "fixed all the problems" with the Home Office, the approach of ...

Late Conservative agent's son is a suspect

An interesting piece of background to the airline terrorist plot: The Sun and the Guardian report that one of the suspects, Abdul Waheed, was born Don Stewart-Whyte, the son of Conservative agent Douglas Stewart-Whyte, who died nine years ago.

247

Yes, 247 miles so far as I sit here at the hostel in Crianlarich writing this. I think that’s about a quarter of the way - or at least, I’m going to assume itis - and that deserves a celebration, so I’m having a bottle of Irn Bru as I write this, and in a [...]

Is that a green tax or are you just pleased to see me?

A rather helpful comment on the Lib Dem tax plans launched today has come from Friends of the Earth's Head of Policy, Mike Childs. He said: "The Liberal Democrats have thrown down a green gauntlet to Labour and the Conservatives with their new green taxation plans. They are very progressive measures to make doing the right thing for the environment also the right thing for your pocket. We very

Reducing babies oxygen intake

This is an interesting study where 34 babies were given reduced oxygen for an average of 6.9 hours by only giving them 15% oxygen in the air they breathe rather than the normal 20%. In 4 infants exposure to hypoxic conditions was ended early because of prolonged and severe falls in oxygen saturation. Now this is what is called a "non-theraputic" intervention. That is something is done to the

Jock Coats: The Tax Commission - What the papers say, and what they don't.

Despite the terrible disruption of yesterday the media have picked up on the Lib Dems' tax proposals, and are giving us some reasonable coverage - with the exception of the Independent who, as you will see below seem to be ploughing a bit of a lone furrow, or taking their line from conservative commentators. Here's a run down of the ones I've seen so far and then my take on the paper and the way forward till conference. The BBC so far seems the most positive, concentrating mostly on the fact that up to two million people would come out ...

There’s no need to be afraid*

I note from the list on the BBC News website that, of the 19 people held on suspicion of plotting to blow up aircraft whose assets have been frozen (their assets, not the aircrafts’), their postcodes show that nine are from East 17. This is far too serious a matter to derive humour from (translation: I [...]

No more Guardian for me!

This morning I cheerily waved as I passed my local newsagent. But I did not enter. I have bought the Guardian for as long as I can remember but - sports section or no sports section - I have finally had enough. I will now read the op-eds online. I don't see why I should pay to be annoyed. Today's leader was an example of why the Guardian will no longer be getting £4.70 per week from me, and my morning coffee will never be the same again. The most fundamental fact is that Hizbullah was, it is pretty generally ...

In case you missed it

A toothless but nevertheless interesting interview with Stephen Williams MP “how does it feel to be turning 40!?” Though for obvious reasons I’m not sure I agree with their opinion that he is our only out gay MP. No Tags

Welcome to South London Press readers!

The South London Press has a big article on councillors who have set up political blogs. So welcome to any new readers! This blog has only been going for a month or so but already I am getting a steady stream of readers. My story about the new school was even picked up the South London Press’ [...]

Intervention and counter-insurgency in Lebanon

Paul Moorcraft has an interesting article in today's Guardian that deals with what should happen to bring the conflict in Lebanon to a close. I agree with him that a French led UN force would be best placed to supervise the withdrawal of the IDF and the disarmament of Hizbollah. Both of these events clearly have to happen for there to be any lasting peace in southern Lebanon. Moorcraft also makes an important contribution to our understanding of Hizbollah and asymmetric war. Hizbullah is a novel hybrid, combining the sophistication and weaponry of a formal army blended with the near-invisibility ...

Would flat taxes help the poor?

That an article has appeared in the Daily Mail today claiming that flat taxes would help the poor should come as no surprise. That it is based on a piece of original research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation however ought to raise at least the odd eyebrow. In fact, man-bites-dog spin from the JRF notwithstanding, [...]

Quote of the Day - or is there something wrong with us?

Vince Cable on free trade: "I have run into a certain amount of conflict with bodies like Oxfam and Christian Aid, who are very effective at presenting what looks like extremely professional, well-researched data which seems to prove that trade is bad for poor countries and bad for poor people in these countries. I do not know a great deal about the subjects that they deal with, but I know enough

Radio Star?

I got to a Council meeting last night only to be handed a message to ring a journalist from Channel Four. Apparently, they wanted to do an interview with me on the Liberal Democrat Tax proposals. I rang back only to discover that it was a radio interview. Who knew that Channel Four has a radio station? I didn't. I really must get out less.

Please don't forget the Middle East

In the turmoil of yesterday's security developments, it would be easy to forget that peace is no reality yet in the Lebanon, Israel and Palestine. It is really good then to see thatthe Archbishop of York is to embark on an act of ‘public witness’ to encourage people throughout the country to join him in a week long campaign of prayer and fasting for Peace in the Middle East. His initiative deserves wide support. Starting on Sunday August 13th, The Most Revd. Dr. John Sentamu will forego his seven day holiday to Salzburg to camp inside York Minster where ...

Labour in 'inbreeding' shock!

Ian Gibson, Labour MP for Norwich North, has apologised for letting slip his view that the above average rate of diabetes in Norfolk is the result of inbreeding. He doesn't appear to make reference to the family history of his diabetic constituents anywhere on his own site, as far as I can see. Probably just as well.

Stodge: Thinking about migration

I’ve spent the last few days musing on the question of immigration, emigration and migration. As John Reid said this very morning, it’s a subject that needs to be discussed without accusations of racism thrown around like confetti. It’s a serious issue and possibly the most contentious at the moment. How should liberals respond to the many challenges migration presents and the fears, both real and imagined that it provokes among very many people? Parties like the BNP and, to some degree, the Conservatives, shamefully play on these fears and seek to create perceptions of economic breakdown and social ...

London: Rip it up and start again?

MayorWatch have been in touch to tell of their controversial plans to deselect the existing Lib Dem London Assembley members. The starting point for the debate is the (intuitively persuasive) idea that a good background for a London mayor would be membership of the Assembley. But, Mike Tuffrey aside, they don´t fancy backing any of the current crowd. The conclusion is that the London list next time around should be filled with "bright young things" who could do the job in 2012: Accordingly it is the bright young things like [Caroline]Pidgeon who should be placed in the top four or ...

Liberal Democrats publish new taxation plans

Today the Liberal Democrat tax commission has unveiled its proposals for a fairer, greener and simpler tax system.

Day 2040: Can You Tell Me How to Get, How to Get to Avenue Q

Friday We went to the THEATRE today in order to see a MUSICAL PLAY called "AVENUE Q". I have never sneaked into a theatre before. It is a lot like sneaking into the cinema except that the seats are for people with SMALLER BOTTOMS and there is nowhere to put your HUGE flagon of fizzy pop. In fact there was NO huge flagon of fizzy pop! Although there WAS a break at half-time for ice creams – which was a GOOD IDEA. The first thing to notice about "Avenue Q" is that several of the actors were carrying ...

Possibly Not the Worst Home Secretary Conceivable

Jonathan Calder has written a penetrating (if depressing) analysis of Home Secretary John Reid. In the early days of New Labour, Liberals who had hopes for it saw Home Affairs as an embarrassing aberration; even those suckered at the time have now long known that the occasional early liberal noises were the aberration, but remember how shockingly authoritarian Jack Straw seemed back then? People who were New Labour sceptics from the beginning used to mention Mr Straw as code to make Paddy Ashdown wince. In Opposition, he had been in a bidding war to be more illiberal than Michael Howard. ...

Tax Commission round-up

Whilst I have only seen the electronic feeds from the Friday papers so far, after the extraordinary events of yesterday, as I commented elsewhere earlier it would be a surprise if the Lib Dems' tax proposals, despite all the work that has gone into them, made significant headlines, even if we were proposing replacing the pound Sterling with peanut M150,000 of annual income) need to remember that

Social justice - Lib Dem style?

I really ought to go to bed, but I thought I’d leave you with this little snippet. According to the Lib Dem Treasury team notes about the tax commission’s new proposals, a retired couple on a £15,000 income living in a Band G house will be £1,578 better off under their proposals (assuming average environmental taxes [...]

Gone

ing.

Taxing times

I have often found myself asking this question, and today is no exception: just what is Evan Harris going on about? “While these proposals do raise significant amounts of revenue from high levels of wealth, this is less true of high incomes,” he said, adding he would ask for the change at the party’s conference in [...]

Rule of Law is Still The Rule of The Game

All the signs are that yesterday’s action by our police and security services saved the lives of thousands of innocent lives. For that they deserve every word of praise they receive. Unfortunately yesterday’s events drowned out comments made by Home Secretary John Reid on Wednesday. Addressing a gathering organised by the Demos think-tank Reid again attacked those [...]

<	August 2006					>
S	M	T	W	T	F	S
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

Friday 11th August 2006

Previous days:

Archives

Search for...

Adverts

Buttons

LibDem Blog Box

Contributors

Campaigns

From the BBC...

Backlinks...

From the LibDems...

From the Independent...

From Politics.co.uk...

From the Guardian...

Adverts