The next meeting of the Selly Oak Ward Committee (the three ward councillors) will be held at 7pm in the Selly Oak Centre, 648 Bristol Road on Wednesday 27 September 2006. For some reason, the agenda for the meeting does not yet appear to be on the City Council's website, but full copies of the papers will be available at the meeting and agenda items include: an update on the proposed Residents
The BBC reports: A millionaire businessman whose company gave the Lib Dems more than £2m has been jailed for two years after being branded "dishonest" by a judge.Michael Brown, 40, had admitted committing perjury and making a false declaration to obtain a passport.Let us remember Lord Bonkers' wise words (from Friday): If anyone had it in mind to send him a cake with a file in it, I think that
I gave a brief mention earlier to this morning's Times story about private treatment centres and their effect on our cash-strapped NHS. For me this issue demonstrates just how dogmatic the Blair/Brown Government can be. If you think back to the 1997 election campaign you will remember that Labour were elected because there was 'only 24 hours to save the NHS'. This was based on Labour's stark warning that the Tories intended to privatise the NHS. Nine years later and that same Labour Party is forcing Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to sign up to contracts with private firms to ...
Last week, following a brief chat with Lib Dem Blogger of the Year, Oxford City Council Finance Champion and PoliticalBetting.com pin up Cllr Stephen Tall, I installed a clever widget from those nice people at StatCounter I am now finding out how many people visit this blog. Having thought that my blog was only really read by a few Lib Dem mates, a couple of friends from Uni days and some slightly bemused members of my close family I have been very surprised at the number of visitors this blog gets. The vast majority come through the excellent Lib Dem ...
I'm one of the 100,000 or so who are signed-up to YouGov, the internet pollster. I've not often been stumped by a question, but I have to confess this one took me aback: Of course I chose Fern Britton... Who wouldn't? Though I could swear I heard Gordon Brown refer today to Cherie Blair as a total "mother-figure". But maybe I mis-heard.
Something about Gordon Brown’s speech today rang a bell with me… See if you agree. Here’s an extract from Mr Brown’s cliché-ridden opus: So as a Party and a Government we have climbed a huge mountain. But we must now climb many more and even more challenging mountains ahead. The next ten years will be even more demanding. And because the challenges are quite different, the programme for
The sacking of Chen Liangyu, Communist Party Secretary of Shanghai would appear to be the latest in a number of shots fired by President Hu Jintao at the faction of the Chinese Communist Party loyal to Jiang Zemin. It is very clear that Hu was exasperated at the unwillingness of Jiang Zemin to hand over control of the Military Commission after he stood down as General Secretary of the CCP and President of the People's Republic of China. We appear to be seeing the latest in a series of skirmishes in the Chinese "Civil War". Hu Jintao is desperately ...
Cherie Blair's reported "well that's a lie" outburst at Gordon Brown's speech at the Labour Party conference today is just about the truest thing to have come from a Blair in recent years, most of which have been full of lying and deception. So I've decided to start keeping a little list. Where to start, well there's the weapons of mass destruction: lie. 'We will not...
It's been quite a few years since I've had the opportunity to be at Lib Dem autumn conference. It's immediately evident that it has grown substantially with a great deal more media interest than when I last went. There's also much more security than there used to be- queues for bag checks, the usual sort of stuff that you expect at these sort of events. Generally it was taken in good natured...
Went to two disability fringe events tonight after work. Great briefings, lots of powerful work in place and much more to be done. Gathered some great resources and info to use with my students around disability issues that will be very useful. Spotted by local Bury 2 labour cllrs - comments were made - had to remind them that fringe events are open to Jo public and not just for them!
It is time to welcome Theo to the exciting world of Lib Dem blogging. You can find him at “As I look out over this magnificent vista…” And thanks to Theo for introducing us to the Revd Kingsley Laws.
So – today was Gordon’s big day. For a man renowned for obsession with detail and preparing speeches for ages – I thought it was surprisingly bad. Overall – ok, but in the circumstances – Gordon didn’t rise to the occasion. He has sometimes in the past – “we are best when we are Labour” was one of the few speeches of the New Labour era that really seemed to strike a chord and stick in the memory –
The Radio Times summary of Dispatches: The Labour Loans Scandal (C4, 8:00pm - 9:00pm tonight) reads: "The current affairs programme investigates the secret world of Labour Party funding. Martin Bright, political editor of The New Statesman, looks at how allegations of secret loans and cash for peerages have brought brought Blair's party into disrepute, and unravels the possible legal
Nicol Stephen has signalled his support for lowering the voting age to 16: Mr Stephen said he wanted to be positive, helping young people rather than "demonising and blaming them". He added: "The time's right to reduce the voting age to 16."There is a body of support for this idea is growing: The SNP, Greens and Scottish Socialists already back the idea, which was also endorsed by the independent
There was a new Liberator songbook on sale at Brighton, with a foreword from Lord Bonkers: I can never visit Brighton without being reminded of Sir Richard Attenborough’s Pinkie. Yes, this spacious Sussex resort is famous for its connections with the Arts. I well recall the days when Herbert Wilcox and Anna Neagle would take tea on the Brighton Belle, while even today one may expect to come 
According to a Channel 4 programme I'm currently watching, Labour's pro-business policies began when they began asking rich people for money. It seems that if the loans-for-peerages issue amounts to anything, it will go right to the heart of the "New Labour" label.
And these muppets claim our sums don't add up! Read the article and click on the link top right to see a news report. And don't forget to hold your local Labour MP to account for it!
I think that this article has it pretty much spot on.
I would imagine that many of the speakers at the Labour conference will match Gordon Brown's valediction for Manchester's Labour council and the regeneration of the city centre after the IRA bombing of 1996 (any resemblance between this valediction and campaigning for the council by-election next month is entirely co-incidental, of course...) The regeneration is one of the big challenges we face
Sunday: We are listening to Lord Blairimort on the Andy Marr television show. "What kind of a person USES this sort of language?" asks Daddy Alex. "A twisty-turny weaselly one, OBVIOUSLY," I reply. Mr Andy was trying to get Lord Blairimort to say whether he supported Mr Frown to be next leader of the Labour. "No, Andy, of course I don't. Look… I hate Gordon… and… I always have… and, you know… he'll have to pry the leadership… from my… cold… dead… hands." Is exactly what Lord Blairimort was NOT saying and NOT saying VERY CLEARLY. So, instead ...
Saturday: It has been LOTS of politics for a while hasn't it? Do not worry, ROBIN HOOD is on his way soon. Until then, I have kept Daddy Richard busy with another Dr Who book. Here is what he had to think: Now, couldn't David Tennant have been given this to read? Okay, it would only have been a single CD but there would have been no need to abridge and it is leaps and bounds better than at least 66% of the Doctor's recent literary adventures. Gareth Roberts has always been one of the Doctor Who books' ...
Friday: Mr Frown is setting out his stall to replace Lord Blairimort as the HUMPTY DUMPTY of British Politics. No, not by getting SMASHED. "When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean – neither more nor less." Today, Mr Frown is using the words "devolve power to the people" to mean "create a super new QUANGO". (Microsoft's spill-chequer does not recognise the word "quango" which Daddy says means Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisation. Microsoft suggests "guano". So maybe it DOES recognise the word after all!) Mr ...
My brother David has just become a US citizen and met George Bush Sr. - all in the same week. He poses an intriguing question: what would you say if you met George Bush Sr.? Thinking back to the odd occasion when I have unexpectedly met famous people, I tend to have been struck dumb (Kofi Annan, [...]
Ever gluttons for punishment, we spent the weekend in a small tent on a hillside in Somerset. Friday night served up gale force winds, Saturday gave us thunderstorms, but the tent - a relic from my days in the Scouts and 25 years old if it's a day - was equal to all. A very good weekend, and a much-needed break from stuff going on at home. More to follow, but in the meantime here's some photos: Home, sweet home Room with a view Time for tea Having lots of lovely weather
In Manchester on a fine Saturday afternoon was the protest march against the war in Iraq organised by the Stop the War Coalition with somewhere between 20 to 50 thousand people walking around the city centre with Respect/SWP banners and silly whistles shouting things like "Bush and Blair, Go Go Go" and "who's a terrorist, Blair's a terrorist". Naturally I took part walking around, with a LDYS banner we had gotten our hands on for our stall at Fresher's Week at Man Uni. There were also many of the Lib Dem councillors taking part. It was all very emotional and ... 
There were reports over the weekend that Angela Stretton who was the main prosecution witness in the Lewis case now says that she was pressurised to give false evidence. What appears to be the case in a number of investigations is that the Social Workers decide what they think has happened and then they drive the investigation to prove this. The police may manage to be balanced in their
Music by Richard Rodgers: Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstien II (adapted by Stephen Glenn) She climbs the law, marries MP Her address is number 10 She waltzes on her way to court And whistles on the stair And underneath her gown She has the latest fashion wear I even heard her singing to the jury She's always late for chambers But her politics not stopped She's always late for everything Except for
Menzies Campbell’s Leader’s Speech enthused me last week, and I’m still more enthused after watching the Labour Leader Pre-elect. Ming set out a Liberal vision; while I can see what appeals to people about the Chancellor, Mr Brown doesn’t appeal to me. He has a more forceful voice than Ming, but it was all on one note, and his relentless attack on the listener called to mind Ming’s best joke, that “The Labour Government is like the hurricane that hit the Azores yesterday. A great, grey depression spinning around and sucking everything to the centre. And its name? Hurricane Gordon.” ...
There cannot be a £20 note lying on the pavement because somebody would have picked it up. Equally there cannot be a better way to tax, that doesn’t have some hidden problem, or a government would have already adopted it. Journalists doing their job will be looking for the hidden problem that green taxes suffer. (The lazy ones will metaphorically put their fingers in their ears whenever the environment is mentioned, and emote their preference for SUVs.) The obvious hidden problem for green taxes to have is that if they work, they will raise less revenue. Obvious, but in ...
On the positive side, I can't complain that they're not swift ... *From:* "Terry Deere" Terry.Deere@dft.gsi.gov.uk *To:* Neil Fawcett The website does cover your case - there is an exemption allowing achild over 3 to use a rear seat adult belt where having two other childseats means there is not room for a third. ABfor Terry Deere Dept for Transport Road User Safety Branch 2 zone 2/11 Great Minster House 76 Marsham Street London SW1P 4DR. ... and my response ... Dear AB for Terry Deere, This is getting ...
Okay, well he didn't actually steal it, I'm sure he just had the same idea as I had a year ago and developed it (note to self next time you have a good idea do some thing about it). In an email to a friend on 23rd October 2005 I wrote, "...[the Liberal Democrats should] maintain a list of Acts of Parliament which we would repeal once we get into government. Many, many Acts..." In his speech to the
Michael Brown, who gave £2.4m to the Liberal Democrats at the last general election has been jailed for two years. The Electoral Commission’s ruling on whether the party would have to pay back the donation, which it (the party) has always maintained was received in good faith, can be summarised thus: “No. You don’t have to [...]
I have always wondered about the idea of installing a windmill on my roof. Without highlighting the companies I have been looking at the figures quoted by those companies that provide the windmills. One says: How much energy does it generate?The xxx will generate around 10,000 kWh per year in a good wind site of 5.8m/s average. This is equivalent to five low-energy houses’ electricity demand, or the electrical needs of a twenty man office (i.e. lights, computers, servers, printers, faxes and phones) Lets apply a bit of physics to this. kWh is a KiloWatt Hour. ...
A further development in the child car safety saga. An email has arrived from the mysterious 'TJN for Terry Deere': *From:* "Terry Deere" *To:* Neil Fawcett Thanks for this. Our FAQs explain that there is an exception thatapplies for a child aged 3 years above travelling in the back who mayuse an adult seat belt (ie no need to use a child seat/booster) when twooccupied child seats/boosters prevent the use of a third. For when the car is not full, there is nothing to prevent a child up ...
Page 4o of the Labour Party NEC's Annual Report includes this little gem in the Treasurer's Report: A further commercial loan of £2.0 million was received from Richard Caring in March 2006 on terms similar to those already disclosed, bringing the entire amount of the supporter loans from £11.95 million to £13.95 million (excluding accrued interest). In two cases it has been indicated that the loans are to be repaid when the term comes to an end, and we have made budgetary provision for this repayment. Also, others have already agreed to reschedule their loans to future periods. At ...
A Populus poll for The Times this week asked about what people think of the parties and found that the Liberal Democrats are for the many and not the few, understands the way people live their lives and cares about the problems ordinary people have to face compared to the other parties.
Somebody has been tampering with the Wales Millennium Centre. The poem should read "In these stones horizons sing". Still I am sure Tom will be flattered.
"Building new Labour and winning three elections, [Tony Blair] recognised what we must never forget that we must always be in tune with the aspirations, at all times on the side of the British people." I'm sorry, what? It was a good speech actually - I can see him heading in different directions to His Tonyness. However, I'm a bit concerned about what his definitions of terms such as "modernisation", "privatisation" and "necessary measures" might be. Moreover, as Brown held forth on the disadvantaged, I couldn't help thinking: "That's all very well, but who's been ...
We really need to do some serious thinking about health care. Despite what we're always told, the NHS is not the best health service in the world. It is actually pretty terrible. The almost stalinist centralised control, denigration of the individual, central committees deciding what treatments people can and cannot have, not what is best for them. Throwing money at it hasn't helped. The reforms
…Tony B is doing a great job of nodding and smiling at his ol’ mate Gordo during his speech. But someone should’ve told the shadow cabinet they’d be on camera too - never have so many people looked so miserable. Like a group of kids who have been told tomorrow is their last day at Disneyland. [...]
Well Labour appear to be gearing up to next year's STV council elections by attempted to centralise some control. Possibly scared of losing control of certain councils they are going to insist that councils use ASBOs to deal with issues. What will happen if they don't? Will the council be served with an ASBO or a dispersal order from Labour's Holyrood Politburu? Other proposals include giving front line teachers the power to exclude pupils without refeeral to senior staff, sin bins in schools and tougher punishments for certain crimes. Looks like a serious case of control freakery to me. ...
I'm all for disabled sports and as far as possible for them to play alongside able-bodied competitors. I've actually played bowls with a paralmpian on my team, against a deaf rink in bowls who I jokingly signed to 'shut up' as they wouldn't stop signing as I was attempting to play. I've also been a guide runner for a blind club mate in athletics. However, what on earth is this latest directive from the Scottish Executive? Yes sports clubs should be encouraged to integrate as far as possible disabled sportspeople in their clubs, this is easier for some sports than ...
When someone engages in anti-semitic rhetoric, we should have the possibility of removing them from office. Jenny Tonge's lack of fitness for office is highlighted in this open letter signed by twenty-three other Lords who have brought considerable dignity to their unelected office. It is a shame that they and we will have to endure the conspiratorial ramblings of Jenny Tonge indefinitely.
I've belatedly come across the following Tim Ireland video. It takes a while to load, but it's worth the wait, I can guarantee it! Thanks to liberalneil
For reasons I won’t go into now, I find myself at Labour Party conference. To be precise, I’m currently sitting in the Starbucks outside the Midland Hotel in Manchester. Simply everyone is here, darlings. Dave Miliband and his band of sycophants have just left. Geoff Hoon is sitting behind me and [...]
Health Minister Andy Kerr has added his voice to the weary cyclical finger-pointing at Buckfast Tonic Wine: The long-running feud between Buckfast and the Scottish Executive was re-ignited last night after Health Minister Andy Kerr branded the drink a "seriously bad" cause of anti-social behaviour.This is the worst kind of lowest common denominator populism from Labour. The idea that any
In a strange sort of way, I feel rather nostalgic about the Major years. I entered them as a bright-eyed eight-year-old and left a wiseass fourteener, with a political consciousness born in a time of parliamentary strife and political impotence. And yet, looking back, there is one element of those times I yearn to regain; the evil.Work with me on this one; in the nineties you knew you were getting
Guess its the post conference blues thats got me back to me blog............I know, probably the most occasional blogger known to man - or woman. Hey, but I have to confess to being one of the reprobates who left conference rather depressed at Ming's performance. It wasn't what he said........more the way that he said it.......and we all know "thats what gets results"! I don't agree at all with the criticism of Simon, I guess he is struggling with the same dilemma many of us do. Loyalty v Honesty. Frankly I prefer honesty in a climate where the electorate are ...
Martin Amis was on the Today programme this morning, talking about his forthcoming book and his thoughts on the current state of the West’s moral compass. His despair lies in the ill-considered state erosion of civil rights, and the “panicky use of torture and extended executive powers”. His new book is a series of tales drawn together in a critique of relativism. Unlike a government, a ‘muscular liberal’ commentator like Amis needs to be visibly steadfast in defending values at home if they are to have credibility in supporting their promotion overseas. Unfortunately, governments don’t seem to crave consistency, integrity ...
It is nice to see another young liberal arriving in the blogosphere, especially so as he is from Somerset. Theo Butt Philip’s blog is entitled As I look out over this magnificent vista .
As the Labour Party Conference takes place in Manchester a Labour Minister's shareholdings are being probed. Liam Byrne MP, Labour MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill, and Home Office Minister has been forced to insist that he followed "all the correct procedures" after reports that a company he owns shares in has supplied services to police forces. Mr Byrne owns shares in E-Government Solutions Ltd, which has provided computer services to eight police forces and has had a turnover of £1.4million in the first six months of this year alone.
More evidence that the Blair/Brown government is throwing money down the drain while other parts of the NHS make massive cuts.
I fully support the campaign to designate a Top Level Domain (TLD) to Wales. For a start it will spare Cymuned from having to use an American domain. The issue though is bigger than that. This is not a linguistic matter but an opportunity for Wales to assert its identity on-line. It is also a chance for Welsh civic society (and the Welsh Assembly itself) to associate themselves with the Country as part of their internet presence. Catalonia has a TLD so why not Wales? As it happens I have already set the ball rolling in the Assembly and we ...
Although I support the existence of a smoking shelter outside the National Assembly's Cardiff Bay office, I do share the concerns expressed by the BMA in today's newspaper that it will need to be adapted to fit in with new regulations associated with the smoking in public places legislation. At the time I went to great pains to stress that regulations in Wales will be very similar to Ireland where smoking shelters such as this one, which has a roof, must only have three walls. Instead we have a conservatory extension and the possibility of incurring yet further ...
There are few in the UK who have paid much attention to the Presidential election in Estonia. Yet the Liberal revolution in Estonia has attracted attention vastly disproportionate to the small size of the country. The flat tax revolution sweeping Europe was born here, and the country has become a model for flexibility, openness and the use of technology. The defeat of President Ruutel, albeit by a narrow margin in the electoral college, was a victory against the forces that are trying to roll back the Liberal revolution that has taken place in Estonia over the past fifteen years. Toomas ...
Huge thanks to the leader of South Shropshire DC whose left a comment for me; it's great to get informed debate going! I've added a comment in response which I'll elaborate on here. She made a very valid point about people working in rural areas, which I had assumed from my experience living in a rural area to be pretty much negligible. Most of the affordable housing debate in my area has been
I measure how close winter is by the amount of daylight we have when coming into Newcastle first thing on a Monday morning to catch the train to London. Well, it's 6am and it's completely dark. So winter is approaching fast. We are just pulling out of Newcastle now. And I should be in Cowley St by 10am.I nearly didn't make it. We were five minutes down the road when I realised I'd left my
Perhaps that's a bit of an exaggeration. I do know that my family are making 'worried' noises like, "You've sounded a bit miserable lately, why don't you lighten up a bit?", and, "Are you tired, your blog gives that impression?". Family, aren't they wonderful? And perhaps they're right. The blog has been a bit serious of late, call it sombre. I've allowed the people around me to define my mood,
The most exciting new developement is the soon to be launched web-TV channel 18DoughtyStreet. I've been following it's progress since Iain Dale first mentioned it. Channel 4 News are getting jittery - pointing out that as internet TV is unregulated at present, 18DoughtyStreet will not have to be politically balanced. >>Watch their report here So good to see a forum where the intention is that people can speak their mind without being slapped on the wrist by one party or another. I was asked yesterday if I intend to continue with my blog. Thought what a ... | < | September 2006 | > | ||||
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