After a bit of a low day yesterday, normal service appears to be resumed. I've spent the day being annoyed by my computer, which seems to want to block my AOL connection, and delivering our latest leaflet in East Dulwich. One of the big issues in the area is the ongoing saga of the new federated academy school, whose boys section (the existing school is for girls only) was originally intended to
The Aberfan disaster took place 40 years ago today: I have always said and I will always say that nothing - nothing - I will ever see will compare to the horrors of that day.
Mark and Belinda Oaten have been to Thailand. I hope they had nice weather for it. They have also been on Woman's Hour .
Iain Dale has a list.
It seems that British Troops may have to re-enter the town of Al-Amarah after quietly slipping away earlier this summer. To describe the town as 'relatively quiet' would promote guffaws amongst anyone who has ever had the pleasure of visiting - the key word here being 'relatively'. 1. 'Clashes between police and up to 300 gunmen on Thursday and Friday left at least 30 people dead and 100 injured.' I not not surprised. Feuding between various religious, tribal and clan groupings is endemic in Iraq - and will always be so, unless surpressed by a powerful, ruthless central government. 2. ...
Tonight is ( I think Dwali) and Monday Eid. The new Hindu temple behind my house has been decked out in lights for about a week and I paused for a moment to watch people today hustling and bustling in and out in preparation. They could have been people anywhere anytime preparing for a great Feast. If it is tonight then I shall miss the magnificant firework display they put on but I shall be at a collegues 60th Birthday. Walking towards the Bus Stop I passed the Mosque on Woodsley Road. At this time of year its always ...
I am currently on a temporary contract with a Drugs project in Castleford. I went for 2 weeks in March to help out while they are short staffed and am still there 7 months later. For obvious reasons I can't go into detail but suffice to say they have had high staff turnover and shortages. The good news is that things are on the mend but never the less I have just gone down to 4 days a week at my request. While the money has been nice I just can't function with a full time job and be ...
This is certainly a contender for the ultimate political anorak blog - The Political Bumper Sticker blog. It is dedicated to that peculiar US trend. We don't really have political bumper stickers....or indeed bumper stickers of any sort over here, do we? Rear window stickers perhaps, but not many political ones at that. But this new blog is dedicated to surveying what sort of cars are driven by
Iraq and US and British foreign policy vis-a-vis Iraq has been a disaster ever since Bush decided he was going to oust Saddam come what may and with whatever pretext. As I recall he initially thought Baghdad was responsible for the attack on the twin towers. This article in the Guardian indicates that efforts are under way in Washington and London to find an exit strategy for Iraq. Here in the UK the Chief of the General Staff has said what everyone else has been thinking for some considerable time. He should not have said it but it does ...
I read in Guardian Weekend today that Noel Edmonds is developing an alleged cult following for his phrases used in 'Deal or No Deal'. Such gems include: Welcome to Planet Tension Take the walk of wealth! Will it be a fortune or a fiasco for... Channel 4 is all yours I'll let you judge whether these phrases are brilliant or cringe-worthy. But, I was reminded of the brilliant Humphrey 
Another frantic Friday. Opened the Torbay flower show with one of our Mayor's. (We have four Mayor's in Torbay, a ceremonial Mayor and a Deputy Mayor, a directly elected Mayor and his...
As Lembit takes my comments about him on this blog with such good grace I thought it was worth reproducing the headline from this post on the Lunartalks blog. No doubt it will give him a warm fuzzy feeling the next time he clicks onto here and will ease the trepidation with which he engages with his keyboard everytime he decides that he had better check what I have been saying. Peter McGrath draws attention to this article from Reuters as proof of Lembit's farsightedness. Their reporter records that a fire that destroyed a cottage near Bonn and injured ...
I can remember seeing the news of the Aberfan disaster. I was only seven at the time, but I remember watching the pictures on the TV. Today is the 40th aninversary of the disaster. John Humphreys was a young television reporter sent to cover the tragedy. He knew the area very well, so that added an extra poignancy to his experience. On the BBC website he remembers the events and says: I have
Cllr Donal O’Hanlon and I met with a local resident today to discuss fly-tipping in the lower part of Clifton Road. The matter has been a concern for some years for local residents, who have been disappointed by a lack of Council response. We took a look at the problem and discussed possible solutions with the resident, including measures to stop cars getting close to dumping sites. Donal and I
Today was the “Green Tax Switch” Action day. You may have seen Lib Dem activists in Prestwich and Radcliffe village centres. We obtained a number of signatures for the petition in support of Lib Dem Green Tax policies, and distributed hundreds of leaflets to local residents. It was great to chat to so many people about the plans to increase taxes on bad things like pollution, and lessen the burden
The continuing drama that is my Grandpa took another turn this week, culminating in a trip to the airport which began life as a sad necessity, and ended up being a confusing but relieving waste of time. On Tuesday night Grandpa had a very bad night, prompting the nursing staff to contact the family expressing concerns that he mightn’t survive the day. My Mum, on holiday in Sri Lanka, was
I see that the inevitable has happened and that members of the North Wales Police Authority are to try and reign in Chief Constable, Richard Brunstrom's blog. Some Welsh Liberal Democrat Parliamentarians must be quite envious that authority members have this option. Unsurprisingly, the chief perpetrator of this attempted censorship is a leading Conservative Assembly candidate who has taken exception to what I consider to be outspoken, but nevertheless fairly mild remarks, about a speeding motorist. I do not have to agree with Richard Brunstrom to defend his right to put his point of view. Why should a Chief ...
News in this week of bad news for UK recycled paper production. Mreal are planning to close their plant in Sittingbourne, Kent - that is where Evolve is made, the 100% recycled used by Lib Dems all over the country. So what does this mean? 1. The only plant producing high quality 100% recycled office paper in the UK closed 2. Energy and fuel used to import the paper in the future 3. Jobs lost in
Next week sees the Labour Assembly Government's draft budget come to Plenary. The opposition parties have tabled a joint amendment centred on a number of key areas. These include schools, ambulances and transport. The opposition's amendment is: The National Assembly for Wales declines to take note of the draft budget for the Welsh Assembly Government for the financial years 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 laid in the Table Office on 17 October 2006 by the Minister for Finance, Local Government and Public Services, as it fails to make either adequate provision, or any at all, for the following matters: a) ...
In today’s thegrauniad, Mark Lawson reflects on 20 years of that most iconic of soap operas, Neighbours. "The huge UK success of the show can be attributed to the strong presence of the young but also to another element rarely seen in Crossroads and Coronation Street: the sun."True, though in its earliest incarnation (way back when it was broadcast on Australia’s Seven Network), Neighbours’
According to a survey by 'Unlock Democracy' the Conservatives have "literally died off" across much of the north of England. This news has brought intense debate at Conservative Home. Some of the gems deposited there by Tory supporters so far include: Can a party with a priority list that has more Kensington and Chelsea councillors, than residents of the North West and Yorkshire really expect to
Friday: Ms Claire Snort, the former Cabinet Minister and MP for Chained-to-a-Radiator South has QUIT from the Labour. And as a BONUS, she is not going to try and join the Liberal Democrats either! In her resignation letter she spells out that it is because of the Labour's attempts to shut her up about a HUNG PARLIAMENT that she is going, and in particular, the way that (typically) the Labour has conducted their disciplinary procedures by means of a string of press releases, off the record briefings and outright leaks. Apparently, it has taken Ms Snort twenty-three years ...
Referring to the Muslim veil debate, on Thursday David Cameron told ITV's "Frost Tonight" : I think there is a danger of politicians piling in to have their tenpence-worth and really they have to ask themselves whether this is having an overall good effect or not. He also said he was concerned British Muslims were left feeling "targeted". No doubt one of the people in Cameron's mind when he
In my favourite weekend paper, The Financial Times, the death of the Tory party is announced. Well, not a complete demise – paralysis is confined to certain limbs, in particular the North-East of England, you will be relieved / disappointed / utterly uninterested to learn. This is a media-take on a new report from those clever girls and boys at Unlock Democracy, which is Charter 88 for the Noughties. As always, there are questions over methodology – the report may actually paint a rosier picture than is the case, as it is necessarily biased to the ...
I normally find myself agreeing with much of what is said by Simon Jenkins in the Guardian. However, while yesterday's column on the decline of Nottingham all too accurately put it's finger on the symptoms of that decline, it's proposed remedy was the illness of which it purported to be the cure. Nottingham is not an especially beautiful city. Like most of our regional cities it's suffered the effects of 60's city planners and de-industrialisation. But the real culprits behind their decline are the nimbyish anti-developers like Mr Jenkins himself, and the arch nemisis of all regional talent and expansion, ...
Thursday: So, the Conservatory Tax Commission has said let's have WHOPPING GREAT TAX CUTS, without saying anything about how to AFFORD them. Mr Balloon has said: "Hangin' with the kids, I'm going to be sensible, give the washing up to the maid, and not promise any tax cuts. Not like these ones – these lovely ones here. Aren't they lovely? You'll only get them if you vote for me. Not that that's a promise you know? Why not vote for me anyway? Now, where is Consuella with my ironing?" Does this not sound very much like OFFERING people a ...
This was the title of a fascinating piece in last weeks New Scientist which can be found here. The article was based around the concept that all the people on earth disappeared over night and asked the question what would happen to the earth once we had gone. Amongst the more interesting snippets were : By some estimates, 85 per cent of the night sky above the European Union is light-polluted; in the US it is 62 per cent and in Japan 98.5 per cent. In some countries, including Germany, Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands, there is no longer any ...
Writing exclusively for MayorWatch Lorely Burt MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Women and Equality, today sets out the case for Ruth Kelly’s resignation in the wake of the decision to delay anti-homophobic discrimination rules. Like many of our readers I’m appalled that a Minister can apparently allow personal belief to interfere with her duties and as [...]
Perhaps the greatest political correspondent of the modern age is Sky News’s Peter Spencer. Wildly eccentric (he drives a pink Mercedes), he can make anything seem exciting. If nothing else you have to respect a political correspondent who, as happened this morning, can find a tenuous reason to give us a full three seconds of him [...]
Woke up this morning to the 8:30 thud of the post on the doormat. It's all addressed to Cllr D G Rundle (the other blokes, Mr D and Dr David, they're much less popular). But, look, the Cllr's cheating -- there are three identical envelopes here. Open them up and they all begin: 18 October 2006 Dear sir / madam Please find enclosed copies of Thames Valley Energy Centre's poster promoting the availability of energy saving information packs... So, an organisation where the morning's mantra will be 'think globally, act locally' very thoughtfully have used three envelopes and nine ...
Labour have started the selection process for Wyre Forest. Dr. Richard Taylor of Health Concern is the current MP, although it would appear that Dr. Taylor will be standing down next time. The Conservatives are currently second. The Liberal Democrats did not contest the seat in 2001 or 2005.
Is there a smoking gun behind the Short resignation? And how much does she have in common with Liberal Democrats?
Now, I'm not one of those people who's going to jump off the moral high board when someone mentions the word sex. However, I still feel that RadioTimes.com should re-think the Sponsored Links section of their search facility when an innocent search (honest, guv) can come back with Local Women Wanting Sex Naked Females Free ReviewWatch Porn Movies Onlineand, er Great Christmas SavingsSo what did I
Via Justin, Keith Olbermann on the 2006 Military Commission Act, or below the cut:
This is not funny. How unlucky was that? You live in Germany, then your house gets demolished by a 10mm wide meteorite. We were warned by our very own prophet of doom, and don't forget what happened to the children who made mock of the prophet Elisha: they were eaten by bears. Quite right too. Beats the crap out of an ASBO, getting eaten by a bear. (I bet they yelled Help, help, here come the | < | October 2006 | > | ||||
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