David from Save Hemel Hempstead Hospital writes: If you type "Hospital Hater" in to Google and hit the 'I'm feeling lucky' button, there's a little suprise awaitingI don't usually go in for this sort of thing, but (assuming it is the old West Herts Hospital) I had my arm set at Hemel Hempstead Hospital when I was 4.
The BBC reports that: British Airways has asked a Christian member of staff to conceal her cross necklace because it contravenes the company's uniform policy. But has it added to a sense of unease among Christians? Not with me. I see that Ann Widdecombe is up in arms about it, talking about Christians "being persecuted". But BA staff are allowed to wear such items under their clothing so I don't
Further to the mis-spelt sign at Pinegrove (to see earlier story click on headline above), good news from the Planning & Transportation Department (as I plough through my e-mail backlog tonight!) : "Tayside Contracts did inform us that the Shepherd's Loan sign had been mis-spelt. A replacement sign has already been ordered and will be put up as soon as they receive it from their signshop." More tomorrow!
an organization dedicated to the teaching of science untainted by superstition: creationism and it's spawn intelligent design. That we should need such an outfit in the 21st century is worrying, especially the evidence of deliberate entryism by IDolatrists into some pretty good state schools. Our own Jenny Tonge presciently asked questions about the Reg Vardy funded north east Technology Colleges in PMQs four years ago, when teaching creationism in state funded schools had barely raised its scaly head as an issue. Support BCSE and all the more reason to build a replica HMS Beagle for 2009 to help ...
Well, here I am in all my glory, complete with my old university chum Tim Farron MP. In the dim and distant past, when I was candidate in Hexham (1992 general election), Tim was one of a number of students from Newcastle University I dragged around the wilds of Northumberland delivering leaflets. 14 years later, having beaten me to Parliament, he is the special guest at the Northern Region
... Where I've been watching my older brother, Mark, be inducted as second minister of Norwich Central Baptist Church. (I'm on the far right in the family pic below; Mark's the one standing next to me; beside him are my parents, and then my brother and sister-in-law are on the left.) It's been the first of what I expect will be many trips to Norfolk now he's moved there. It looks like a lovely
I suppose that I'm just putting off the evil moment, but I'm in the midst of marking some candidate application forms for a Candidate Development Day tomorrow, and I need a break. It is therefore mere coincidence that I take this opportunity to talk about tax. When I started working for the Inland Revenue, nearly twenty years ago, late in the second Thatcher government, the memory of 98% tax
There are now a rash of comment across the Broadsheets, here and here for example, analysing the fall out from General Dannatt's recent remarks. What has happened, in constitutional terms, is extraordinary. But it should hardly have been unexpected. For far to long now, the institutions of government and the nation at large that should have been debating the issue of the conduct, progress and success of the war in Iraq have been silent - either through ignorance, dis-interest, or through Party discipline. Generals should not be speaking out in this way, but the tremors before this earthquake could be ...
Thanks to Ramblin' with Roger , I see that the US Census Bureau expects the population of the USA to pass the 300 million mark very soon. Only an estimate of course, but still interesting. Every few seconds the figure on their website increases. You wouldn't believe it now, but I used to be the youngest person in the world.
Been away at my Institute's Conference in Brighton (more on that later!) and just back so a short post to say we've been out delivering my latest West End FOCUS today to constituents - click on the headline above to view the news story about it and to download the on-line edition!
selblog: It's Getting Crowded
On Monday humanity started eating the planet according to new research I have just be given. Research by the US-based Global Footprint Network in partnership with NEF (New Economics Foundation) and Best Foot Forward reveals that humanity has used up what nature can renew this year and is now eating into its 'ecological capital'.
David Cameron is engaged in rewriting history. Here's what he said in 2003.
A dermatologist from Bedford hospital who wishes to emulate the success of independent Wyre Forest MP Richard Taylor is calling on the Liberal Democrats not to front a candidate at the next General Election. Bedford NHS Trust is £12m in debt, and has recently announced more than 120 job cuts. Dr Barry Monk has written to the [...]
I am at the Welsh Liberal Democrat Conference in Aberystwyth where we have just voted to follow the English Party in imposing a minimum age of 10 for party members who wish to vote in party candidate selections. This is one of those provisions that is largely academic but we do have young members and it is important that there are clearly defined rules. So, why 10? Well apparently it is the age of criminal responsibility. Make of that what you will.
When tempted to bet on politics, I am wise to keep my money in my pocket most of the time. In February, I thought I would have a bit of fun. Betting on Hillary Clinton was a bit too obvious. So I bet a tenner on Mark Warner. A good ol' boy from the South. I thought he was in with a shout. Doh! He has dropped out of the race to spend more time with his family. Then in March, the governor of
Very busy surgery this morning in Torquay. One person came in clutching the local newspaper incensed at a letter from David Pedrick-Friend - Labour's Candidate at the last General Election -&nbs...
A busy couple of says. As well as my airport meeting I have been doing home visits to constituents and this morning was doing the councillors' surgery in Speke. All in all I spoke to several people about a range of problems.. but one theme seemed to run through them all, and that was anti social behaviour or noise nuisance of one sort or another. I am taking all of these issues up - but as part of a bigger look at this I have a motion on the city council agenda this coming week about making this the focus ...
Off yesterday to the noise monitoring committee at Liverpool John Lennon airport. It's a small group with reps from different areas - including Hale and Cheshire. We go through the log of complaints that have come in and and look a the results of any investigation. It's one opportunity for us to represent the people affected by the airport in one way or another. I am there for Speke Garston ward. .but will sometimes raise things about South Liverpool in general. Anyway... my worry is that there may be people who don't know how to ...
Notwithstanding all the complications of oil production (such as problems at Prudhoe Bay, foolish invasions of oil rich countries etc) there will come a point at which Oil Production will peak. This will be preceeded by Conventional Oil Production peaking. The link is to some work on my main reference website sourced from the EIA by Mike Pepler. This indicates that Conventional Oil Production
Just to thank everyone who came to the Woodland Cottage last night - in the end we raised over £500 for the BRT as well as having a good night out, so everyone did well out of it. For those of you who weren’t there, the one thing that didn’t meet its reserve at the auction [...]
Having reached the Premiership and the top flight of English football after a mere 135 years of existence and as the oldest team in the top flight they are not about to stand still. Reading have announced plans to expand their stadium from 24,000 capacity up to approximately 38,000. According to the official site "Additional seating will be added to the existing single-tier North, South and East Stands, and a new roof will be constructed over each stand. The West Stand will not be affected. The existing on-site access road will be realigned to accommodate the enlarged stadium. Other ...
Virgin Atlantic has today announced that due to the steep fall in fuel prices, they are to cut the fuel surcharge they have imposed on tickets. Good news then, but when will others follow suit ? I note that wholesale Gas prices have fallen by two thirds since the start of the year, but my bills have only risen ? When will the gas and electricity companies pass on these benefits to their customers ? Isn't this, yet again, an clear example of the fact that companies are quick to pass on rises, but much less keen to ...
This online YouTube movie stuff is the future you know.
Gateshead has won in the four categories we made entries for in the regional campaigns awards. We have won Best Political Campaign, Best Focus Team Achievement, and highly commended in Best Election Campaign and Best Focus Leaflet. We didn't win the Best Local Party category on the grounds we didn't put in an entry. Will have to make do with 4 out of 5!--- Sent via BlackBerry
Whilst looking at the steampunk laptop below, I found the following video on the same livejournal. This sample of the dialogue is intriguing in itself. But is the speaker a sober, sensible whistleblower, or just a fantasist? "And [US Representative Tom Feeney] asked you to design a program to rig an election." "Yes." "While he was the speaker of the Florida House." "Yes." [...] "And
This looks like fun- a laptop with a Morse key and a lot of wood... Found via this livejournal .
The Eastern Daily Press today reports that the new Norfolk Primary Care Trust is aiming to make cuts, closures and bed number reductions at in hospitals and health facilities across the County. However, of these nine, four are in North Norfolk ! When it comes to cuts, North Norfolk always seems to have to make the biggest sacrifice. I made this point on this blog only last week, but the roads in the District are awful, North Norfolk has one of the most elderly populations of any area of the country and it is parts of the area are ...
You may recognise Gay Search from the BBC2 series 'Front Gardens'. She has recently written a book with Delia Smith called 'Delia's Kitchen Garden' which explains how to grow and then cook garden produce. This picture was taken yesteday evening after she had given an inspiring talk to the Kingston Horticultural Association. Her theme was 'The Healing Garden' and she reflected on the...
The link is to A.R.R.S.E. The British ARmy RUmour SErvice. It is interesting how the media have picked up on what is effectively army gossip with various squaddies making anonymous comments in support of Sir Richard Dannatt. Sir Richard should have expected to be sacked in making the comments he did. However, actually what should happen is that the goverment should recognise that their policy 
Jenny Tonge's original comments were harshly dealt with: her latest outburst overstepped the mark.
As the government launches it’s new TV adverts, the press are quoting these figures Latest government figures show that young people are more likely than any other age group to drink heavily [binge drink]. Among 16- to 24-year-olds in England, 33% of men drank more than eight units on at least one day a week [...]
'No deals, no discussions, no distractions, vows Mike German'. At last, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have set out a public position on talk about coalitions that we can all unite behind. Can we now get on with the election, please? Meanwhile, another politician gets off the fence and makes it clear where the Assembly Government stands. Social Justice Minister, Edwina Hart, writes in the Western Mail letters column on stock transfer: "Local authorities cannot defer action in the hope that there will be additional Assembly Government funding. It is not there. They need to address how they ...
Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined myself agreeing with Duncan Borrowman - Save Jenny . Liberalism is certainly not about stifling debate - Who the hell is the sanctimonious Gavin Stollar to make such an arrogant statement just because he doesn't agree with what Jenny has to say. Ok she may have upset some party stalwarts and some of the text may be considered a little insentitive by some people but at least she is speaking her mind and has every right to express her views on the ...
I've often wondered what the effect would be on the Earth if the human race winked out of existance overnight: I always figured the nuclear power stations would be where the trouble lay. Turns out, in this fascinating New Scientist piece, that multiple worldwide meltdowns wouldn't be such a big deal after all.In fact, apart from long-term traps like groundwater and the ocean beds, it'd only take a few decades before the worst of the damage we're doing to the environment would have repaired itself.Imagine that all the people on Earth - all 6.5 billion of us and counting - ...
Whatever your views about Jenny Tonge's comment on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the statement by Gavin Stollar that "In the coming days and weeks we will work closely with colleagues inside the Party to ensure every avenue is explored towards removing Baroness Tonge from the Liberal Democrat benches in the House of Lords." is totally illiberal. Liberalism is not about stifling debate, it is
Am I a stickler for punishment? I jump on a train at 10pm at Kings Cross to head for Newcastle after a slightly hurried meal in an Indian restaurant at Victoria. The big event this weekend is Northern Regional conference. If I haven't had my fill of conferences this year, then there must be something seriously wrong with me! This is the regional AGM so most of the motions are party business.
One of Labour's favourite lines of attack over the past 2 years has been outrage that bills for tenants and residents who are forced to use the accident-prone District Heating Systems installed by previous Labour Councils have been going up sharply over the same period. They're about to go up again. It's a great piece of opportunism. In substance what tenants and leaseholders see is that the Council set their bills and the bills go up. Therefore why not blame the Council? In reality though heating bills are going up sharply for all of us. Most of us, ...
It appears that Ming Campbell has remonstrated with Baroness Jenny Tonge after some of her slightly intemporate remarks (in my personal opinion) on the influence of the Jewish lobby on the Party. Jenny was patently wrong but in a free society we should be able to tolerate those who are wrong (after all, I hate ID cards but I wouldn't demand jail for anyone who supported the concept). I am horrified to hear that there is a campaign to remove the Liberal Democrat whip from Jenny and can say unequivocably "NOT IN MY NAME!".
Some good news to act as antidote to those who have been critical of the current leadership of the Lib Dems. Ming Campbell has rebuked Jenny Tonge for her latest outburst that a "pro-Israeli lobby" (by which she meant Jews) had their "financial grips" on the western world and the Liberal Democrats. In response Campbell has stated that such views were: "[C]ontrary to the principles of the party" and cast "an unjustified slur on its leadership" ... He said the remarks had "clear anti-Semitic connotations". Quite so. Tonge should now be confined to the margins and fringes of ... | < | October 2006 | > | ||||
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