LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Monday 16th April 2007

A Lib Dem making total sense on immigrants rights

A big well done to Anders Hanson, who agrees 100% with comments made by migration watch. People often accuse us Lib Dems of being "soft, but Anders comments show that we make complete sense as a party. Read his comments HERE. Anders explains clearly and lucidly the daft situation that allows Commonwealth citizens the right to vote in elections that European citizens are barred from, but makes even better the point that Irish Citizens, people who are not British at all (indeed, often fiercely so), are entitled to vote in all elections in the UK. I would actually ...

Stumbling and Mumbling on managerialism

He's right, you know: I reckon there was a bit of truth in the managerialist assualt on professional autonomy. Soldiers were sometimes bullies; teachers sometimes pederasts and alcholics, doctors arrogant charlatans (sometimes whilst being good soliders, teachers and doctors). And "professional judgment" can sometimes mean mere guesswork.What's offensive about managerialism, however, is that it overweights this small truth and supplants professional judgment with spurious judgments of its own.Worse still, there's a nasty totalitarian strand in managerialism - the belief that all areas of society should be subordinated to a single organizing ideology.And worst of all, there's something deeply ignoble about ...

Ban booze for under-21s

Some rules are made to be bent, I suppose. Most drivers believe that the 70mph limit on motoroways is an indication that you should not exceed (say) 80mph. The rules on consumption of alcohol were explained to me by the guy serving behind the bar when I was 17. "They set the age limit at eighteen to keep the fifteen year olds out."

The day I agreed with Migrationwatch

It scares me witless, but today I agreed with something said by Migrationwatch - which is their latest campaign is to stop commonwealth citizens from being able to vote in British elections. This is something that I’ve felt was unfair for quite some time. It stems largely from realising that my New Zealand housemate at [...]

Spoiling the ending of "Life On Mars"

Am I the only person left feeling disappointed by the final episode of the BBC's Life On Mars ? I skillfully avoided hearing how it ended for 5 days and finally caught up with it on my Sky+ box last night, and although gripping, it also left me feeling a bit let down. I understand that he could have picked up his "modern" policing techniques from Hyde CID, but there were too many questions left unanswered. For example : 1) If he isn't Sam Tyler and is undercover from Hyde and suffering amnesia, won't his memory come back and he ...

"Dizzy Thinks" highlights errors on Women Lib Dems website

Anyone with any website knowledge or knows anyone who has anything to to with Women Liberal Democrats ought to point them in the direction of this story on Dizzy Thinks. Yes, it's a bit geeky, but his correct and it ought to be fixed.

How many more??????

How many more people are going to die before America Bans guns. words can not describe what has happened today

Would Gordon have told George it was "inexcusable" ?

One would have hoped that with Gordon Brown meeting George W Bush a few days ago in Washington that the Americans might have been more forthcoming in providing help, assistance and evidence in the case of the inquest in to the death of eight UK service personnel. Unfortunately, the so called "special relationship" between the UK and the US does not extend to helping families of service personnel learn the truth about how exactly their loved ones died. There is, you see, a big question mark over how they died. The US later backed by the MOD, put it ...

Metrolink Update

It seems that our questions to Council and the Area Board have paid off, as the communications campaign for the Metrolink closure has begun in earnest today. I have been informed that commuters were given information on the closures at Met stops this morning, and that further information is available from Travel Shops. The website is also a good place for news, and this too has been updated with

Office moves and activities elsewhere

A return to work this morning, and the new office-layout that sees twenty of us squeezed into a space fit for about eight, and where twelve were before. Such are the joys of working in the public sector. I have lost the view from my desk – one which had me staring at the Welsh hills on a clear day, with a panorama of Manchester on the way. In its place I have a pillar and a view of a concrete

Climate change starts at home.......

Monday 16th April 2007 - Given the research that I've been doing recently for my two energy opinions for the International Trade Committee here in the European Parliament, I was really interested when, earlier today, Ming Campbell and Chris Huhne rolled-out the Lib Dem's latest plans to save carbon emissions from our homes: http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/

beware exploding toilets

The BBC brings us news from Japan of toilets bursting into flames! Pressing the "tornado wash" flush button accidently certainly sounds like something that shouldn't be done while still sat on it. I can reveal that my bidet is used exclusively to store copies of Private Eye.

Candidates on 3rd May

Some interesting statistics from the Electoral Reform Society show that Labour are only putting up 6,360 candidates (60% of seats) on 3rd May, compared with 6,667 Liberal Democrat candidates (64%). The Conservatives are fighting 88% of seats. I wonder how many of those 9,264 Tory candidates back Cameron’s new direction?

The Pressures of University

I was originally going to post what follows as a comment on this article on University Romance, but it became a little too personal! I strongly object to the main assumption made in the article, but that's been well dealth with by everyone who's already commented. I'm also concerned about the secondary assumption: namely than life inside university is infinitely easier than outside. Perhaps that's often true, but for some (including me) it can be three years of constantly trying to get the best out of yourself intellectually, feeling guilty about every hour you're not working (including ...

Another thing to blame on secularism

Each week, the Guardian provides a religious person a written version of Radio 4’s Thought for the Day in the form of its column Face to faith. This week it is the turn of a chap called Nicholas Buxton, who has written on the familiar subject of ‘secularists just follow a different kind of [...]

Campaign break

Somehow, I instinctively knew that I was not doing this electioneering thing right. Should I have followed my leader and taken my wife to the Canaries for Easter?

Liberals win in Worcestershire

Last Thursday there was a by-election in the St. Chad's County Council Division of Worcestershire County Council. The by-election was caused by the sad death of Mike Oborski of the Liberals. The Liberals held the seat.

Think tank proposes raising drinking age to 21

First of all, lets just be clear, CentreForum hasn't proposed the age limit on buying alcohol be raised by 3 years. Nor, when you read the fine print of the story in The Independent ("Raise drinking age to 21, says think tank") does IPPR necessarily. However, the idea has been put forward in their latest journal as a way to tackle the health and social problems associated with under-age drinking.The idea was roundly dismissed in our office as I suspect it will be by most other readers. But the author, Jasper Gerrard, is not unknown to liberal circles. Indeed, he ...

Campaign Fun

According to our Conservative Mayor, Torbay is 'on the up'. This is a fatuous phrase with no supporting evidence to back it up, unless he is using it in a negative context. Cer...

Lovely Day ... for delivering!

Up to my eyes in leaflets, posters and blank envelopes!! And no the picture is not me recycling them! The sun is shining so have been out in force delivering this morning. My husband has been convinced that a good couple of hours delivering after work will be good for his soul, so that should get another couple of walks completed. I was up late last night re-vamping my website ... so please do have a look www.arwenfolkes.org - it's less messy than the last one and much more me! Feeling really bouyant today ... my boys are asleep ...

A wonderful way of putting it:

Whilst perusing Tim Worstall’s blog I came across a great comment in a post about one of those little spats which occur in the blog world. This part of the comment has little to do with the spat specifically, but it is a great call to abandon the old left/right spectrum in political debate: Could not [...]

Bob Neill moving to Chislehurst

I read elsewhere on a Conservative blog that Bob Neill is finally selling up his Docklands home and moving to Chislehurst. Interestingly the Conservative blog says "We wish him and Daphne luck with the move." I presume they mean Mr Neill's partner Daphne White, Deputy Mayor of Southend. Cllr White was re-elected last year. Do I assume there will soon be a by-election in Southend?

In case you think the Tories aren't nasty

Mark Pack on lib Dem Voice highlights the outpourings of leading Islington Conservative official Paul Newman. Mr Newman is clearly peeved at being passed over to be the Tory mayoral nominee. But it is not surprising when he goes round describing local residents like this: I have to confess that the denizens of Mildmay are almost bestially stupid . There is not a lot you can do with them...they

"Almost bestially stupid": top Tory's verdict on Islington residents

Paul Newman is Vice-Chair (North) of Islington Conservatives and had this to say recently on Iain Dale’s blog: “I have to confess that the denizens of Mildmay [a ward in Islington] are almost bestially stupid . There is not a lot you can do with them…they live from road kill and sleep under Newspaper.” Ah bless, aren’t [...]

Quote of the Weekend

"We looked like world beaters going forward and panel beaters at the back"Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock

After Another (Exam Induced) Long Pause

A fantastic video that comes via an old friend:

Rotters Open Day

The people at Rotters (community composting project in Garston) are having an Open Day later on this month at Dutch Farm. It's on 28th April. This will be a first chance to see the new arch - the arch is being created by a local artist based on designs by children at St Benedicts. (There is also a plaque based on creations by children at Garston C of E). It was so hard to choose the artwork when I helped judge the competition that I am really looking forward to seeing the finished article. Rotters, which ...

Fidelity out of Sudan

Following my posting about Fidelity and donations to the Tories yesterday comes news to me on a campaign to get Fidelity out of Sudan. The government of Sudan continues to pursue genocide in Darfur, frustrating several long years of diplomat efforts to bring peace and protection to civilians there. Sudan's oil revenue is providing arms and funding for the genocide, rather than economic

Trash-Off Kensington Meadows – Litter Pick Sunday 15 April

Eleven volunteers came out in the morning sun to help launch Friends of Kensington Meadows’ and London Road & Snow Hill Partnership’s programme of 2007 litter picks on Sunday 15 April. You see nine of us in the picture. Janice and Chris joined later. Our litter picks are part of CSV’s Action Earth 2007 campaign and featured on CSV’s website http://www.csv.org.uk/Campaigns/Action+Earth/. We will receive a grant from CSV (Community Service Volunteers) for materials, which should enable us to continue keeping the Meadows clean, especially with such excellent support from the community. Action Earth 2007 is also supported by ...

Read in - read out?

No blog entries for a while - sorry! I've been up to my ears with "real" work and the local election campaign. Today at 12.30 local librarians are staging a read in, which they're calling a "Read Out" in central Winchester by the Buttercross. As one third of professional librarian jobs in Hampshire are being scrapped by the Tory county council it's a great opportunity to show support for these

Stoke Central advertises for a Prospective Parliament Candidate

Stoke-on-Trent Central, one of the West Midlands Moving Forward Seats, has advertised for a prospective Parliamentary Candidate. The Liberal Democrats are currently second in this constituency and it could be one of the surprises of the next General Election.

Isn't life wonderful?

There were several reasons to be cheerful this weekend: a) I could have a brief family break from campaigning and still the team did all that is needed in my absence - thanks team! b) Playing golf with my nephew at the idyllic Ivyleaf course near Kilkhampton, Cornwall.c) Sailing (albeit as a passenger) on Tamar Lake d) Swimming in the sea in early April. This was at Widemouth Bay - see photo.e)

Vanessa “is pleased to consider” taking your money, to fund a better publicity photo

From: Celebrity Group [mailto:mail@celebrity.co.uk] Sent: 13 April 2007 16:45 To: PR@celebrity.co.uk Subject: Vanessa Feltz invites you….. Good Morning,Vanessa Feltz invites you to visit her official website at: www.vanessa.tv.Vanessa is available for suitable personal appearances, products launches, after dinner speaking, advertising & endorsements, award ceremonies, presentations etc. For these invitations please Email full details to vanessa@celebrity.co.uk or call [...]

Neighbourhood committee

It was the last neighbourhood committee of the municipal year last Thursday. A good presentation and discussion/debate about grounds maintenance, and more specifically the upkeep of the planted areas along Speke Boulevard. There's more of a plan now which is good. It was also good to hear the enthusiasm of the officers talking about what they hoped to do.

Bamber Gascoigne's history search site

The Media Guardian (registration needed) at the weekend told us what we wanted to know about Bamber Gascoigne. Fascinatingly, at the age of 72, he has set up his own history search tool. He describes this enterprise as a "one man band". It looks good.

East Speke policing

In Speke on Friday to help the police with their application for another section 30 zone. They are collecting five "community impact statements" - so mine was one of the five they need. Talked about specific incidents around Churchway Road etc - but also more generally about wider concerns in the area. The police seemed near to collecting everything they need, so hopefully the application will be ready soon. I have to say I am really impressed with their commitment. I only wish they had more resources.

Questions

Finally get to the computer. I have had a few questions e mailed in, some very similar so as promised I am going to try to combine and answer them. Firstly - I was asked whether candidates or councillors should be "local". Well I live in my ward so it would be easy to say yes. However some of the ward boundaries run counter to natural community boundaries so I would say that there are actually some cases where being over the border is the same as being local. I think the key thing is ...

Climate Change Starts at Home campaign

Liberal Democrat Leader Menzies Campbell has launched the Climate Change Starts at Home campaign, cementing the party’s position as the greenest of the three major parties. Visiting a house built in the 1870 which is undergoing improvements to make it more energy efficient, Menzies Campbell unveiled bold proposals that demonstrated how upgrading Britain’s homes could reduce [...]

Ming Campbell's site is the best: Daily Mirror

A review of leading politicians’ websites in the Daily Mirror has rated Ming Campbell’s Facebook profile the best online presence.

Government is not about press stories it is about running things

The long running kerfuffle about "spin" has really ignored the fact that the government have got worse at governing and have moved more towards worrying about the next headline. Hence we have the mess over the military selling their stories. We have to operate according to system of rules. Either the military generally can, or the military generally cannot. Driving a coach and horses through

Who is the hippest MP?

The Daily Mirror has been looking at the online presence of various MPs: “It’s a fine line between being able to relate to the younger generation … and coming over like a ’square’ father letting what’s left of his hair down. Here we log on and see how hip our MPs’ sites are”. And the results? 1 [...]

Back to the future - New Labour's very old campaign

I said on the blog yesterday that Labour's leaflets in Gateshead are deadly dull. Shortly after writing that, I was phoned by a constituent to tell me he had received a copy of the Labour leaflet and did I want it (as it seems everyone knows Labour don't put their leaflets through my door!) The blog yesterday was written in response to the Labour leaflet from our target ward of Lobley Hill and

Too much information

Which country has the largest records of genetic information ? You might have thought China, or India since they have the largest populations. In fact, the United Kingdom keeps more genetic information about its citizens than any other state on the Planet. There is more DNA from British citizens in laboratories than in any other country on Earth. The sources for this material is not just the criminal justice system, where DNA from people that is taken to eliminate them from police inquiries is not routinely destroyed. It is also the health care system, and insurance. It ...

Lauren Laverne leaves XFM

London XFM morning DJ Lauren Laverne has suddenly quit her show. She has just been on naming "too many balls in the air" and "changed personal circumstances". I have enjoyed waking up to the intelligent wit of La La (between great tunes). Not often I miss the losing of a morning DJ (if ever) but this is one of those rare occasions. And no, I DON'T wake up to the Today show - it would make me

Plaid kicked into touch

Plaid Cymru's attempt to spend their London legacy has run into the ground somewhat with the BBC's refusal to broadcast rugby games from the grounds of regional sides where the Party has paid for pitch-side advertising. Plaid paid £6,000 for the hoardings and are rather miffed that the broadcaster has seen through their little ploy to get around broadcast rules. They have written to the BBC Controller in Wales, Menna Richards to demand that the BBC acknowledges it has no right to order the removal of the posters and that assurances be given to the clubs that the ...

Obviously I’m not pleased to meet you, then

In amongst all the ‘man splits up from girlfriend’ coverage that’s dominated the news this weekend, there’s been one little snippet that’s utterly confused me. Via Matt: Then a few weeks ago I spoke to a close relative of HM who had spent the day with Kate. She said that although Kate was “a delight” there [...]

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Join the Euro Currency as soon as possible

Sometime ago I signed a petition on 10 Downing Street E-Petitions website calling on the PM to let the UK join the Euro Currency as soon as possible.

Monday 16th April 2007

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