LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Tuesday 27th February 2007

Newsnight on the Unrecognised Villages of the Negev

Being a complete email/blog junky, marooned as I am in a fabulous hotel in Belfast.....with no internet access, I have had to swallow my pride and filch a laptop from a random guy who unfortunately found himself sat in the hotel bar. So, have caught up on emails one of which from a friend who runs the Regional Council for the Unrecognised Villages in the Negev let me know about this Newsnight feature. Normal service will resume tomorrow........hope someone has wi-fi at conference or I will seriously be suffering from withdrawal symptoms!

My first proper council speech

Today was my first proper speech at full council. I presented the first annual report of my Audit Committee, and seemed to get a good reception, and some exceptionally complementary remarks from members from across the political divide. There was also some genuine laughter over the interactive bit. Good to see people from all sides actually seeing the funny side to something. Full text below. Check against delivery as they say! Thank you Lord Mayor. This is speech and a report that is a first in three ways: To begin with, it is the first time that I have ...

All the BBC cares about are bloody house prices...

According to James Cameron (director of Titanic, three hours of our lives that many of us will never get back) the tombs' of Jesus and his family have been found in the Holy Land. Which is nice. A 'local resident' excitedly told the BBC that all the publicity for the area "... will mean our house prices will go up because Christians will want to live here". Somebody might want to break it to her

A story every Daily Mail reader should look at

I am grateful to Liberal Democrat voice for bringing to our attention how the Daily Mail censors any criticism of their paper. Quite frankly the Daily Mail and its reporters wouldn't know proper journalism of it slapped them round the face with a typewriter !

Digital media and citizenship

This morning I was invited to speak to a research seminar at the Institute for Public Policy Research. They are exploring the impact of local media on citizenship, and this particular session was looking at digital media. I was one of five speakers, all approaching the topic from very different perspectives. I returned to the theme I was exploring last week - a comparison of Kingston's...

Fantastic Reading v Man U game!

What a brilliant game this evening! Full marks to Reading for scrabbling back to 2-3. But what a mad first six minutes! Unfortunately, extra time was never to be, after John Motson said, in the 86th minute: "Reading could do this, you know". Just for good measure, he administered the last rites in the 92nd with "Still time for Reading".

The golden pig

This rather splendid lion was greeted enthusiastically at the start of the Chinese New Year celebrations held on Sunday in Tolworth. It danced around the room then managed to grab a lettuce that was suspended above it, 'eat' it and eventually spit it out to lots of cheers. The New Year was actually the weekend before but many people were up in London joining the celebrations there, so...

A Very British Wedge Strategy

I meant to blog about this article yesterday but hey, don’t you know there’s a war on? As a summary of the various arguments currently raging between what is often oversimplified as faith groups and secularists, it isn’t too bad. But unfortunately, it is also guilty of a moral relativism and lazy journalistic notions about [...]

Ebay - Postage prices are taking the piss aren't they ?

Simple observation. I sold my old phone on ebay two weeks ago. It cost me approximately £6 to send it first class - special delivery. So why does every ebay seller seem to charge £8 for sending a small lead by normal first class post that will easily fit in to a bubble wrap envelope ? One seller ever wanted to charge £20 for sending it special delivery ! Basically, ebay sellers are using postage as a way of scamming people out of cash. Why doesn't an MP take this issue up with ebay ? Any offers ?

Reading concede three goals in first six minutes!

It was fascinating to hear Reading FC chairman, John Madejski, speculating a few days ago, on BBC Radio Berkshire, as to whether he fancied taking on Middlesborough or West Brom in the FA Cup Quarter Final. Tempting providence, or what? My ten year old daughter was asked, with her after-school classmates today, to guess the result tonight. "2-3 to Man U" she said.."Out of the mouths of babes

We would make the NHS Clean and Green

Trust in Wales Ymddiried yng Nghymru WELSH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS DEMOCRATIAID RHYDDFRYDOL CYMRU Welsh Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Jenny Randerson, AM for Cardiff Central, said: “We will establish an action group to Clean & Green the NHS – saving the planet, saving lives and saving money which can be invested in front line services. “Our ‘Clean & Green’ strategy will cover issues such as increasing energy efficiency, promoting recycling opportunities, tackling MRSA and other infections, and on-site renewable micro-generation. “We will examine ways of making ward structures less dormitory, with more emphasis on single rooms and improved ...

Good page for Ming in the Times

The Times carry a very positive page about Ming today, entitled "Man in the middle who may yet dictate the way forward". The main story is accompanied by a positivish piece by Peter Riddell referring to "Dependable Ming" and his "shrewdness and experience": He closely observed the troubles of his past leaders. He is not going to do anything daft. These could be reassuring qualities in face of

We would develop transport hubs at our rail and bus stations

Welsh Liberal Democrat transport spokesperson Kirsty Williams, AM for Brecon and Radnorshire, said: “We will promote the use of rail stations as transport hubs, providing better connections between different modes of transport, especially in our major towns. “Our rail and bus stations all too-often don’t make the grade. The can create a terrible first impression of a town for commuters, businesspeople and tourists. We need them to be cleaner, safer and provide easy access for the next part of the journey. “We need the government to invest in creating safe and friendly train ...

Name That Pond!

Every so often I get a metal tapping machine message from an overexcited television person pleading with me to devise a game show based on some aspect of Hooting Yard. These people are invariably young and stupid, and I try hard not to be a git as I refuse their offers of ruinous wealth and [...]

Daily Mail website 'editing users' comments'

Yesterday, former BBC Man Martin Belam wrote about the Daily Mail’s distortion of an NSPCC report. Having then commented on the story on their website, he got quite a shock: This is what they published: If you actually read the report ChildLine issued, it does not say that suicidal five year olds called ChildLine. It says that [...]

Spring in Winter

Out leafletting tonight, in the gusting winter winds, I met a resident in Spring Vale asking about when his road is going to be fixed. There are so many pot-holes in it that driving down it is like riding through a fairground funhouse on a penny-farthing, so I will make some enquiries with the Council tomorrow and find out more. Last night another resident rang, this time about the traffic

At last it happens: Irish presenter in two places at once!

There used to be a joke that Terry Wogan managed to broadcast in two places at once. Now his Irish colleague Eamonn Holmes has actually done it! He was live on a cookery programme, with quiz phone-in, on BBC2 at the same time as doing a live phone-in radio show on Radio Five Live! Remarkable! Cue another "Quiz show fiddle furore" story....except that for the "live" cookery programme, which was

Tory MP makes allegations of organised postal vote fraud by Labour in Shrewsbury

Daniel Kawczinski, Conservative MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham has made wide ranging allegations of a postal vote fraud organised by the Labour Party activists in Shrewsbury, according to the BBC. He used parliamentary privilege to make allegations against named members of the Labour Party, knowing that by stating it in parliament he could not be sued for slander. Read about it HERE.

Shock! Horror! Torygraph describes rumblings about the Mingership by Rockall Focus deliverer

I suppose we should be grateful for any media coverage. And at least in the Torygraph, the readership is likely to have sympathy with someone complaining about being written off by some as "too old". Oh look, that well known alleged senior front-bencher U.P.Source has been muttering. U.P.Source should "put up or shut up"! ....that's Unnamed Party Source, in case I am being too obscure. Even the

Planning Application

Ward: Combe Down App Ref: 07/00320/FUL Parish: N/A Registered: 2nd February 2007 ...

Tories still using "front" organisations to channel funds

What would it be called outside of politics ? Cooking the books or Laundering funds ? The Tories call it a "donation", but in much the same way as the Midlands Industrial Council has "channelled" funds to the Tories whilst allowing its donors some anonymity, now it is happening in Scotland, with a donation of £700,000. With strict rules on foreign donors, presumably this is an ideal way for funds to be handed to the Tories without anyone knowing where it comes from. It might just about conform to the letter of the law, but it is ...

The real reason Jade Goody has gone to India

Does anyone actually believe that Jade Goody has done to India to find the "real India" ? In my personal opinion she has gone to rescue her career. Her agent claims it is a private visit, but how many private visitors are surrounded by the press just hours after landing in the country ? I could be wrong, but to me it is another cynical attempt to gain publicity. I think the Independent has a nice line on the story HERE.

Podcast #1: keeping Council Tax down

Well, here it is - my first podcast. Not too sure if this is a step back from video, or if it fosters the kind of cosy bonhomie fireside chat which would make FDR proud. Whatever, I decided it had to be tried. A report back from me on last night’s Council Tax-setting meeting in Oxford. Happy listening. powered by ODEO

To pay or not to make

I’ve been having a debate with a number of users on a forum I visit regularly about the legality of downloading TV shows and whether they would still do it from a bit torrent site if a broadcaster released a for sale version (DRM aside). Well a number of people, one specifically certainly wouldn’t - they [...]

Soaps should include political characters

The Guardian today discussed the role of soaps in making politics more high profile in this article. The only memory I really have of soaps starring political characters is Alf and Audrey Roberts. For those of you that don’t remember, Alf was the mayor of Weatherfield in Corrie and Audrey mayoress. She [...]

"Together We Can Cut Crime": rejecting the policy paper

In four days time the Liberal Democrat federal conference will have the opportunity to debate and vote upon the law and order policy paper, Together We Can Cut Crime. This is a worthy attempt to tackle the perception of rising lawlessness in our society and to genuinely bring down rates of criminality and especially re-offending. Sadly, in the process it brushes aside too many of our fundamental principles and seeks centralising and patronising solutions. It needs amending. Failing that, it needs rejecting. To be fair, the paper really isn’t that bad. It tries hard, and many of its suggestions ...

Al Gore must learn to lead by example

I know Al Gore has a bigger house than the average person, so it isn't a fair comparison, but a report from the Tennessee Centre for Policy Research has shown that he used 20 times more energy than the average US householder. You have to take in to account that the Tennessee Centre for Policy Research is clearly committed to "free market" principles, which I understand to mean "opposes any controls to protect the environment", so clearly this organisation has little time for Al Gore or the film "An Inconvenient Truth". However, is Al Gore doing all he can to ...

"War - Huh - What is it good for ?" - Next week's number 1 ?

Hilariously, given that it is such a serious subject, a group going under the title "The Ugly Rumours", the name of Tony Blair's old university band, have already entered the top ten on download sales for next week's singles chart, with a single protesting about the war in Iraq. The song, a cover version of Edwin Starr's 70's hit "War", is promoted by the Stop the War coalition and has been promoted heavily on stop the war marches, on web forums and by e-mail. Read more about it HERE. Wouldn't it be funny if it was number one for ...

Andy D'urso proves again why fans call him Andy D'arsole

On Saturday, when refereeing the Norwich versus Coventry match, not only did the referee, a certain premiership ref called Andy D'urso, miss seven first half handballs, including one that led directly to Coventry's goal, but he also booked Darren Huckerby for diving. Now much like Andrew Johnson for Everton, Darren Huckerby has been accused by many for being a diver, quite unfairly in my opinion. On Saturday Huckerby broke in to the box, then with a coming together of legs, Huckerby fell. Whatever else happened, and it is quite possible that the defender played the ball first, it is ...

The Emporer’s New Age

I’ve been wondering whether to blog about this all day, as it must surely be pretty obvious to all concerned what a terrible mistake it was. But, to recap, Ming asked the following question: “Have a look at me. Do I look too old?” How is anyone supposed to answer this? Does he look old, [...]

TWELVE new Community Wardens to be recruited

Redcar and Cleveland Council today announced plans to begin a recruiting drive which will add another 12 community safety wardens to its successful borough-wide service, bringing the number of wardens to 35 by April 1. The increase in personnel will help the service, which currently operates from the Borough's six police stations on a seven-day shift pattern, widen its targets of tackling antisocial behaviour and enviro crime. The Council's Cabinet Member for Community Safety Councillor Joyce Benbow said: "We are absolutely delighted to be in a position to extend the service. "We hope that, along with the ...

Hello to Aberdeen airport security!

If you're reading this - yes, I do really exist, and yes I do have my own blog. PS Could you be a bit more sensitive when frisking me next time? Dogs have rights too you know.

Beaton, not stirred

Last year the Indy chose the headline, Is Alistair Beaton Britain's greatest living satirist?, to trail its profile of the Spitting Image writer turned playwright. The answer is clearly no*, as anyone who has seen his most recent works - The Trial of Tony Blair and A Very Social Secretary - will well understand. (He was also, lest we remember, co-responsible for 1990’s Dunrulin’, an execrably

New PFI at Southmead - a good deal?

Today marks the next step forward in plans to merge Frenchay and Southmead into a single PFI 'super-hospital' on the Southmead site. Leaving aside the issue of whether Frenchay or Southmead is the better site (on which my views are well known!), and the fact that the new hospital will have significantly fewer beds than the two that it replaces, I am also concerned about using PFI to pay for the hospital.This is on a number of grounds: PFI can be poor value for money; for one thing, the Government can borrow money much more cheaply than the private ...

It Shouldn't Happen To A Vet

In Select Committee today we took evidence from the commercial radio industry as part of our enquiry into public service media content. In the commercial radio sector, local radio licencees do n...

Trident Forum a success

The Trident Forum last night was a success. I was there to help run the mechanics of it whilst Nick Harvey answered the posts. We finished at 10.30pm, an hour and a half after the scheduled time. So plenty of interest. Deadline for amendments closed at midday today. It will be interesting to see what has been submitted.

Nick Harvey does not believe in using Nuclear Weapons - so why have them?

If you are going to have Nuclear Weapons and believe that they work as a deterrent then you have to be prepared to use them, or at least say you will. Nick Harvey on his web-forum last night said that "We do not support their use, and the whole point of the deterrent is that we do not use it." Actually Nick it will only work as a deterrent if someone believes you will use it!

Ming: "Put up or shut up"

Oh dear.

To Shrewsbury by water

The Shropshire Star has a piece about plans to make the Severn navigable to Bridgnorth and Shrewsbury. There is more information on the Severn Navigation Restoration Trust site.

Opening Sentence of the Day

The judges were unanimous. The winner is Alistair Harper on Comment is Free: I spent my Saturday evening eagerly looking forward to the penis of a seventeen-year-old wizard.

Social Capital

Social Capital is in the news again with suggestions that potential migrants should do voluntary work. There probably is some feedback both ways. However, Social Capital is measured by the extent to which people trust strangers. Robert Putnam's book "Bowling Alone" deals with this. The link gives some reference to this. I would think, however, that the approach and arguments used by

Redwood on the red benches

Last week, John Redwood was complaining about how his speech 10 years ago on single mothers had been deliberately distorted by Labour spin doctors. He has a point, particularly given that Labour has now gone far further than the Tories ever did in this area, but I don’t think anyone should be too sympathetic [...]

Car mobile phones - the police don't need to stop offenders to penalise them

It is very welcome news that penalties for using a mobile phone while driving are being toughened up from today. For the last year I have switched off my "hands-free" mobile in its cradle while driving. I changed my practice after being called by a prize wassock who asked me if he could swop a non-existent room booking with me. He'd got the month wrong. Doh. This happened when I was going onto

St. David's Day

The Government has now responded to the 11,000 signature e-petition calling on St. David's Day to be made a public holiday. Rather predictably they have said 'no': The Government receives a variety of suggestions for new or different Bank Holidays and celebrations. Whilst the Government is pleased that so many people are interested, as you can imagine it is not possible to please everyone as to who or what should be celebrated. Unlike Northern Ireland, where St Patrick's Day is a bank holiday, bank and public holidays in Great Britain do not, by tradition commemorate particular individuals, events, or ...

The earth moves

A minor earthquake has started to gather momentum in British politics and its epicentre is Wales. The Western Mail reports that the Welsh Conservatives are planning to commit themselves to the introduction of proportional representation in council elections. A draft version of the party's manifesto for May's National Assembly election contains a section that advocates PR in local government. If the final version includes the commitment when it is published towards the end of next month, it will be the first time the Conservative Party has formally backed PR at any level in Britain. The acceptance of PR ...

Powder of choice?

Today's Daily Post reports that traces of cocaine have been found in the Senedd in Cardiff Bay. Tests were carried out with pink paper swabs which turn blue on contact with cocaine by some budding investigative journalist but are nevertheless very disturbing. North Wales Tory AM, Mark Isherwood is quite right in his comments that “Given that the Assembly building has very quickly become one of the most-visited attractions in Wales, and it is being visited by a very broad section of society, it should not be particularly surprising. “But it is reflective of the reality of ...

Bed blocking crisis - Jenny Randerson comment

Official statistics reveal hundreds of Welsh patients are still waiting to be transferred to the next stage of their treatment. Welsh Liberal Democrat Health spokesperson Jenny Randerson said: "Bed blocking is adding to the pressure placed on Welsh hospitals and ambulance services. These figures show 689 patients were waiting to move on to the next stage of their care at the end of January, whether in hospitals or in their own homes. "That is a 7% increase from December, and an increase of thirty from January last year. The problem isn't getting better. ...

Police Neighbourhood Tasking Meeting - East Selly Park

The Cannon Hill Neighbourhood Policing Team (which covers the area of Selly Park north of Dogpool Lane and east of Pershore Road as well as Cannon Hill Park) has organised its first Tasking Meeting. The meeting will held on Wednesday 7 March 2007 at 7pm in the Large Hexagonal room at the Midlands Arts Centre (mac), Cannon Hill Park. The purpose of the meeting will be to introduce the Cannon

Conservapedia, part 2

More on Conservapedia, the erratically-available much-needed alternative to Wikipedia. As the name might suggest, it's an American Conservative attempt to write an encyclopedia with only family-friendly, god-fearing articles; where you can read the "Christian" view of topics like Evolution. Presumably there won't be a family-friendly God-fearing version of the Wikipedia article on Autofellatio. It is relatively unusual to have an online encyclopedia set up because Wikipedia content has the wrong ideology. One such is the New World Encyclopedia, which "organises knowledge for happiness, prosperity and world peace", and also for the Moonies. Another is the Baidu Baike, the ...

Councillor Jerry Evans selected for Birmingham Hall Green

Birmingham Hall Green local party last night selected local Councillor Jerry Evans as their candidate for the next General Election. Birmingham Hall Green is an exciting prospect for the Liberal Democrats, with 10 of the 12 Councillors in the constituency having been elected as Liberal Democrats (one now sits as an Independent) and they regularly out-poll Labour across the constituency at the local elections.

The Heroic Bus Driver Of Pointy Town

There was a heroic bus driver, and his name was Kim Fat Goo. He drove his bus through puddles. He drove it straight and true, though he swerved if he saw a duck or a pig or an infant human tiny or a succubus or an incubus as he steered towards the briny. He drove [...]

"The line is busy..."

At the moment it seems that hardly a day goes by without more rules, more bans, less freedom. Today new legislation comes in that will increase the punishments for using a hand held mobile telephone while driving. We know that using a phone while driving drastically compromises a driver's concentration and dramatically increases the chances of an accident- indeed the chances are roughly comparable with the accident rate of drink driving. The trouble is that this is also true for hands free phone use too- which stays legal, for now. Meanwhile in fact pedestrians suffer the same ...

Hawkhill Flooding and planning matters

Following concerns about flooding on Hawkhill, I have had the following feedback: "After further investigation we have discovered that these gullies exit into an interceptor on the Hawkhill itself. We will require to contract a specialist clearing company to clean out this chamber as the equipment Tayside Contracts have is not large enough to cope. We will try to keep the area clear until such time we can have the chamber cleared." At last night's Development Quality Committee, I moved an additional refusal reason in relation to the application in respect of Listed Building Consent ...

Do I have magnetic thighs?

I've got a paper travelcard for this month - as I bought it at Alexandra Palace which has yet to be Oysterised. Using an old style travelcard instead of Oyster has three main benefits: 1. "They" can't track my every moment through London 2. It annoys Ken Livingstone 3. My Oystercard tends only to work at barriers around 50% of the time and getting a replacement (which I've had to do a couple of times before) is time-consuming Ok, numbers 1 and 2 I'm not all that bothered about. Number 3 though I did think would offer me ...

Amnesty Appeal

Amnesty International have raised the case of Shi Tao, a chinese journalist and are appealing for his release. He was arrested in 2004 and sentenced to 10 years in prison for sending an email to a pro-democracy website in the US about press restrictions around the anniversary of the crackdown on peaceful protests in Tiananmen Square in 1989. In the UK we often take the right to blog for granted. But supposing a post on this blog or any other landed you in prison? In China, internet sites are blocked, chat rooms are monitored and journalists and bloggers can ...

British Conservatives are more extreme than their American counterparts

Yesterday I had the displeasure to listen to attend a meeting at the Heritage Foundation, America's leading conservative think tank. I fully expected to disagree with some of the views aired, but after years of following the far right, I thought I would be ok. I have to admit to always having had a kind of morose fascination with the views of the far right. Like a small child picking a scab, knowing that it will hurt but curious to see what lies beneath that vile layer of puss. Despite this, the proceedings of the meeting still managed to shock ...

Political.............Moi????!

My evening started at an IPPR event where our Nick Clegg delivered an excellent speech on Justice and Liberty. I took a pic and if anyone can remind me how to get it from my camera onto a card I will post it. More about his speech later as I am far too tired to decipher my notes at this time of night and I still have to pack for a jaunt over to Northern Ireland tomorrow..........oh this jetset life!!! I got back to Bedford in time to catch the end of a meeting about young people's services ...

We would bring more empty properties into use

Pick of the Day Dewis y Dydd Welsh Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson Mick Bates, said: “There are thousands of empty properties all over Wales serving no purpose, but knowing the exact number and location is not easy at the moment. That is why we will work with local authorities to conduct annual local surveys of empty properties, making it easier to target action at bringing them into use. “To tackle homelessness and the affordable housing crisis in general we need a better system of gathering information on the current ...

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Tuesday 27th February 2007

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