LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Friday 27th April 2007

Iain Dale makes a good point about silly a Lib Dem candidate's comments

I agree with what Iain is saying here 100%. To denigrate a candidate because of their age is ludicrous. of course, it does not stop Iain and other from denigrating Ming Campbell because he is older than "Call me Dave" Cameron, but that is not what this story is about. Four years ago my running mate in Fakenham North, Simon Wright, who is now Lib Dem PPC for Norwich South, was rubbished on the door by the opposition simply for being too young. It didn't stop him winning by 350 votes, but if that is what can happen to ...

Constructive XO Restaurant Meeting

Thanks to those who joined me for a very constructive meeting on April 18th with the XO restaurant general manager, Adam Saunders. Here are the minutes: Noise Residents felt this had eased off since the restaurant opened. The problem is now primarily taxis idling or beeping horns at leaving time on a Friday or Saturday evening. Adam said the new doorman (also called Adam) had been given instructions to ask people to be quiet but that he could not enforce it if they ignored him. Parking Residents said it was certainly harder to park in ...

“Think of the poor whiting, Bill”

Today's House Points from Liberal Democrat News. As it turned out, Maclean's bill was not debated today but will reappear next month. The Guardian explains the machinations behind this. I knew I should have written more about fish. Dodgy questions Last Thursday’s environment questions provided a chance to catch up with the career of Ben Bradshaw. And the bad news for Bradshaw watchers is that he is still the Minister for Fish. You imagine him cornering the prime minister in the lobby and talking about his ambitions for the Treasury or the Foreign Office. And Tony ...

Lib Dems on course to win Edinburgh Central

The Evening News has done a profile on Edinburgh Central. In it under-threat Labour incumbent admits that people are thinking about the SNP. How interesting. I seem to remember the struggling Labour campaign in Dunfermline talking up the SNP as their main rivals when they knew perfectly well that their support was haemorraging to Willie Rennie. In 2005 the struggling Labour campaign in Edinburgh South talked up the Tories as their main rivals when they knew Marilyne MacLaren was breathing down Nigel Griffith's neck. In fact, Marilyne was just 405 votes behind. The moral ...

"How's it going?"

This evening, I had a chat with a local Tory candidate and council colleague who I am quite friendly with. He was putting up the usual stakeboards in his garden. "How's it going?" he asked. "Very well", I said,"Lovely weather for it." I do wonder whether he was hoping I would divulge our detailed canvass statistics. Some hope.

Anders hits the streets

One of the disadvantages of being a constituency organiser is that you spend most of your election sat in an office writing and printing leaflets. I enjoy being out there delivering leaflets or knocking on doors, particularly when the weather has been as good as it has been lately. Fortunately, with most of my [...]

On the seventh day...

It is the story that they are all talking about, Tory candidate, Darren Millar's unbelievable assertion that homosexuality is a sin and that creationism should be taught in schools. It was first broken by Arsembly and then picked up on the blogosphere and in the media. I only heard about it at 1pm when Ciaran Jenkins interviewed me for ITV Wales on the subject. Alun Pugh, who was there remembers it clearly.The Tories have been denying that the remarks attributed to Mr Millar were in fact said by him. Their version of events is that he had merely pointed ...

Labour's negative campaigning is an indication of their desperation

Labour's negative campaigning in Redcar & Cleveland knows no bounds. Their election material is full of one liners that only those most clued up on local and national issues can understand. Their campaign is desperate and dishonest. It seeks to mislead the public. Unlike the Lib Dems they have not published a local manifesto and the Labour leader told Council officials that they were not prepared to tell them what their plans are until after the election. Obviously they intend to make it up as they go along in just the same way as they are insulting the ...

Factchecking Durkin

Rob Fenwick points me in the direction of the Great Global Warming Swindle website. I’ve got my foot out of the door and was barely looking at the website, but two inaccuracies screamed out at me, one mere exaggeration, the other a bonkers, brainless, stupid factual error that only a complete moron would commit. Claim the first: A [...]

Children and Alcohol

I'm quite saddened by the calls today to ban alcohol being given to children under 15. I was always allowed, in fact encouraged, to have a glass of wine with Sunday dinner. This has undoubtedly given me a rather expensive fondness for decent red, but it did mean that I knew what it was all about and I learned to drink sensibly. I have overindulged over the years, but not to huge excess. I'm never very keen on these knee jerk solutions which involve banning things. We need to learn to drink better, ...

Homophobic Tories ? Allegations made against Welsh Assembly candidate

Oh dear, the headline says it all really. Darren Millar, the Tory candidate is denying the Labour allegations, but it appears to be getting a lot of coverage in Wales. Is this an attempt by the Tories to appeal to a certain demographic ? Read the story HERE. It must be an ongoing concern for the many gay Tories that there are elements within their party who continue to make statements about homosexuality as if it is a sin or a criminal act. Most of the Tories I know that I would consider to be friends, are ...

Intelligent people those Cornish !

We all know the Cornish are intelligent people, you don't get 100% representation from Lib Dem MP's by being one pasty short of a picnic, but The Times today has highlighted a wonderful story that shows the ingenuity of the Cornish. Attempts by the Peruvian Arms pub to become registered as a Peruvian consulate, and thus avoid the smoking ban might have been unsuccessful, but it appears they have not given up hope of finding a loophole. I personally support the ban, but admire their ingenuity.

How Labour Campaign - Number Two

Yesterday this blogger felt it necessary to bring to readers attention just how Labour likes to fake photographs for leaflets. Today, it is this blog's job to point you in the direction of Chris & Glynis Abbot's blog, highlighting how Labour don't understand how to add up and how the misrepresent facts in their leaflets.

Lambeth Parking, 9 months to get a refund... and counting

An individual tale of unnecessary irritation, courtesy of Lambeth Parking Services, forwarded to me by a remarkably patient sufferer, not getting much joy from either LPS or the Labour Leader of Lambeth. LPS made a mistake, but still haven't refunded the recipient after 9 months! "Dear Cllr Reed Reference: as Penalty Charge Notice: LH27378288 Date of issue: 01 August 2006 Location: Kennington Road - Camera 173 Whilst I paid the above penalty charge immediately, I did write to explain we had parked in order to obtain a congestion charge ticket. Following this letter I received a ...

If they are so confident of winning why are Labour telling so many porkies?

Posted by Chris In a leaflet, going out in Coatham Ward, Labour refer to "big fat cheques paid to 4 leaders of the Coalition whilst if Labour were in control you would only have to pay for one leader." Like every thing else Labour are claiming this is way off the mark. If they are so confident of winning the election why do they feel it necessary to tell so many porkies? The extra amount paid to myself as Lib Dem Group Leader (16 members), the Conservative Group Leader (13 Members) and the leader of the independent group ...

The real global warming swindle: the DVD costs £9.99

The makers of Channel 4 documentary the Great Global Warming Swindle, which handed a comfort blanket to all those people who wanted to kid themselves that Global Warming wasn’t really happening, are about to cash in on their propaganda prog by bringing out their programme - presumably including the graphs that had to be [...]

Conservative councillor arrested

News from Portsmouth: Tory Jezz Baker was arrested at 1.30pm yesterday after a month-long police investigation. It is understood to be alleged that Cllr Baker, who sits on the city council planning committee, took money to support planning applications. The full story is on the local newspaper’s website.

Man of Steel, Man of Bronze

In modern Russia there are groups that are essentially Fascist. The British Ambassador to Moscow has been harried for months by "Nashi" . Essentially Nashi is a pro-Putin group that behaves with considerable brutality- they have rightly been compared with the Nazi SA thugs that helped bully Germany into allowing Hitler into power. These thugs have now come to Tallinn. Violence and looting broke out as the government of Estonia sought to move the controversial statue of the "Bronze Man"- a Soviet era memorial to Soviet troops, sometimes known to the bitter Estonians as the "Tomb of ...

The Big MO

The big MO appears to be with the Lib Dems at the moment. This is not a reference to a soap opera character on Eastenders but what psephologists refer to as 'Momentum'. A Psephologist is s...

Milnbank Road and Morven Terrace

Had complaints from residents that the electricity sub-station in Milnbank Road (near to Bankmill Road and the playpark) is badly graffitied (see right). I have reported this to Scottish & Southern Electric asking for it to be tidied up.In my recent FOCUS Special Edition for Ancrum and Pentland areas, I highlighted the visit I had recently made to meet residents in Morven Terrace who pointed out that the pavement at the entrance is so narrow that many elderly people walk at the side of the road and there is no "Elderly Persons Crossing" warning sign near the entrance (there is ...

15% swing from Conservatives to Lib Dem in last by-election before May 3rd

The Chingford Green by-election (London Borough of Waltham Forest) took place last night: Conservative 1694 (55.2; -14.8) Lib Dem Graham Woolnough 1022 (33.3; +14.3) Labour 208 (6.8; -4.2) UKIP 143 (4.7; +4.7). Majority 672 Turnout 38.5% Conservative hold Swing: 15% Conservative to Liberal Democrat

“Little black boys will join hands with little white boys as brothers.”

British schools face US-style segregation according to Nick Johnson, Director of policy and public sector at the Commission for Racial Equality. The problem is at its most acute in areas where racial minorities make up a greater proportion of the population than the national average of 8 per cent. Mr. Johnson’s fear is that this will lead to greater alienation, as children grow up never mixing with peers from other races. Mr. Johnson’s solution is typically Statist. Schools are to be required to have “a balanced and diverse intake”, and the amount of money they receive may be ...

Degree classifications and university names - Do they mean anything at all ?

The BBC reports that degree courses and classifications are not comparable between courses. This would be obvious to most people who have any experience of going to University, but questions ought to be asked of the relevant authorities as to why Ofsted is not doing its job here. My own personal experience on my own course when at Coventry University (an ex poly) was that when at the end of the first year we had to choose our specialism from a choice politics, history or international relations, some friends of mine opted for international relations because, as they pointed ...

How green are the Conservatives?

That’s the question posed by Chris Huhne MP in his article for today’s Guardian which you can also read on the party’s website.

A new shop for Bearwood Road

Those interested in the development of Bearwood Town Centre will be pleased to hear of another fresh food shop due to open shortly. A greengrocers will trade from the currently vacant unit opposite the Barclays Bank. Although there is a greengrocers further up towards the Hagley Road, I think this is a positive move for choice [...]

Canvassing in Clarendon

The Clarendon Team. Nicole Alexander, Myself, Cllr Sarah Boad, Robert Cunliffe & Cllr Eithne Goode. As I have a few rare free moments I thought I would share some experiences from our campaign in Clarendon. Clarendon is a very mixed ward right in the centre of Leamington spa in Warwickshire. We have everything from multi million mansions to student flats, our main shopping area, award winning parks, the river and we even have a farm on the edge of the ward.Our response has been fantastic here! I have had people stopping their cars in side streets to talk ...

Support coming from many places!!

On a stick

I’m feeling especially generous this Friday, so here is a double treat. A particularly great extract from an episode of Lee and Herring’s Fist of Fun – which I love. As usual, there are some great jibes at about Somerset. My friend Daniel did an interview with Stewart Lee a few years ago, which is here. Why doesn’t Radio One have stuff like this any more?

Reasons to be cheerful

It is a refreshing change when Liberal Democrat colleagues support the views of our American friends. And no Liberal Democrat colleague comes more exalted than this Liberal Democrat colleague. I hope the Prime Minister is hanging his head in shame.A site for political analysis and opinion of an avowedly liberal view. It's all about freedom.

Liberal Democrat Party Political Broadcast

Tonight will see the third Liberal Democrat Broadcast for the Local Elections. It will be screened on BBC2 at 5.55pm, ITV1 at 6.25pm and BBC1 at 6.55pm. If you miss out (because you are canvassing or delivering no doubt!) it will also appear on www.colin-ross.org.uk in the top right hand corner later.

Six

The final weekend of the campaign is nearly upon us, and thanks to the twin effects of el-nino and global warming, it’s going to be a fine one. Short term gain (perfect weather for leafleting) but long term pain (what’s that crashing sound? Oh, an iceberg melting… Are anyone else’s feet getting wet?) I feel. This weekend sees the next Election Focus deliveries, as we continue talking to the

More treasured campaigning moments.

Yesterday was, shall we say, interesting. I was out delivering at what passes locally for the Final Frontier (the boundary between Westminster and Camden). You can tell a lot about a place by people's front doors. I feel particular sympathy with the elector who had put a notice above his doorbell stating simply: "This is not a brothel!" Further up the same street a distinctly worse for wear and far from clean individual asked me whether there was an off licence down the road. I said I didn't know, but that there was a ...

Moral authority and coalitions

The Scotsman today has a real story on the elections in an interview with Nicol Stephen ("Lib Dem leader insists largest party has authority"). In it he says two things of particular interest. a) He would only negotiate a coalition with the largest party; and b) the top three Lib Dem policies in the negotiation would be more time in the school curriculum for physical exercise, a revolution in renewables and 100 new health centres dedicated to preventative health.These comments will certainly be recalled shortly after next Thursday. However, they might also prove relevant after the next General Election. With ...

Lies, Damned Lies...

Today's main Telegraph poll shows the Tories down 2 and Labour unchanged. So if you were a Tory supporting newspaper, how would you spin that? You would ignore the result of your main poll, and instead focus on the hypothetical question about whether people want a Labour government under Brown or a Tory government under Cameron. Sure enough, the Tories have a 10 point lead. Only thing is, that's exactly the same lead as last month. So on the hypothetical question, nothing has changed. And on the 'real' question about voting ...

Tax, the Family and Economics

Another evening, another lecture. Tonight I listened to Professor Harold James speak about Tax, the Family and Economics: The Global Dimension, though there seemed very little about the global dimension and a lot of general theory. Nonetheless it was an interesting lecture on what is a hot topic of the day, and if you are truly desperate you can apparently watch the whole thing on 18, Doughty Street (looking out for the back of a handsome head in the front row on the right, if the lights aren’t reflecting off it too sharply). As the title would suggest, Professor ...

The Daily Mail - first for rubbish!

The Daily Mail, I’m told, is the one of the biggest selling daily newspapers in High Wycombe. Strange then that they would want to antagonise the locals with their ill-judged piece calling us ‘the town where only the rats are happy‘. Reading the article, you might be forgiven for thinking that High Wycombe has become [...]

Have David Cameron or Iain Dale got anything to say about the four-legged voter?

Whilst the rest of the blogosphere is reeling from the news that the Conservatives have just realised that the majority of voters are women (and therefore, you know, might have a bit of an impact on election results) I would like to just point out that dogs have a vote too. But have David Cameron - or even that self-styled dog owner Iain Dale - got anything to say on policies for the four-legged voter? I think not!

Moron vs House

Houser….. So who saw the continuation of the war between the nicotine gum addicted copper with a ‘I hate so therefore I need an object of my hate and I gonna get you House’ fixation continue the escalation of the attack on House last night? Apart from the interesting ethical dilema that didn’t really get any airplay about the obligation to treat someone with that level of obesety, an interesting topic of discussion in it’s own right and worthy of more serious note than being wedged into a review of an episode of a TV series, there ...

Internet TV

I am in the Assembly in Cardiff Bay at the moment prior to my debut on 18 Doughty Street. No doubt I will find a link to put on here if anybody is interested in watching. I really do need to find the time to watch their programmes at some point.

An unlikely alliance

The Tories must be feeling pretty sore today. Two opinion polls, for HTV and the Western Mail, have shown their vote falling back and then to top it all one of their MPs suggests that they should go into coalition with Labour. Monmouth MP David Davies, who has been an AM for eight years and won the parliamentary seat in the general election two years ago, told the Western Mail that based on their current political standpoints, the Tories and Labour were probably better suited to a coalition: “If you were a student of politics who has arrived ...

US protest is a grave embarrassment to the Prime Minister

Commenting on reports that the US issued a diplomatic protest over Britain’s decision to drop the investigation into alleged bribery by BAE, Liberal Democrat Leader Menzies Campbell said: “American dismay at the British decision to discontinue the BAE investigation is a grave embarrassment to the Prime Minister. “Reports that the UK has been trying to undermine the [...]

Primetime crime

Regular readers will recall that I shot a crime-themed video for the last Liberal Democrat party conference. I was pleased to see, when I got a copy of Tuesday’s party election broadcast, that a little bit of the footage I shot for that on my travels around the country made it onto primetime telly on BBC [...]

What happens when you write to Al Gore by mistake?

I recently wrote back to local constituents who had contacted me about the Climate Change Bill. But I made a small mistake – and included Al Gore (who I have had correspondence with, but obviously isn’t a constituent!) by mistake. Rather sweetly he wrote back to me: Even signed by Al himself!

Campbell visits Abingdon youth project

Ming yesterday met with residents and staff at the Foyer housing development in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The Foyer helps young people from difficult backgrounds by providing housing and support that will eventually equip them for independent living. The project is funded by the Guinness Trust, local church groups and the Liberal Democrat run Town Council.

Graham's blog entry 27th April 2007

Du vin, de la stupidité, de Boursin

Some charity called Alcohol Concern wants parents who let their teenage sprogs have a drink to be hauled through the Courts. This, I feel, would be a retrograde step. Call me trite, glib, bourgeois and out-of-touch, no doubt I am all of these things, but I suspect that parents who give their teens a drop of wine or a glass of beer with dinner are generally doing more good than harm. They’re nurturing the belief that alcohol isn’t a tremendous drug; it’s something rather pedestrian, which sensible people like to enjoy with their food. I think it’s called de-mystification. My ...

A second Romanian revolution?

Anyone who has not been following political events in Romania should read this. Gallagher over-eggs the pudding a bit in suggesting the impeachment of the president could undermine the whole of the EU but the threat to the development of Romanian democracy is real. And the most shocking fact is that the threat is being led [...]

On Liberty, Online: Facebook is just a tool... and so is Guido

Have just popped over to Guido's for his weekly bash-a-Lib-Dem thread. I would have thought that he could have come up with something better than "Ming has a Facebook profile"* to attack the man, though. I don't get it. He has an e-mail address too, perhaps we could have a go at him for that? No, I know exactly what this is all about. Ming's opponents have absolutely no ammunition when it comes to matters of substance, and so resort to the political equivalent of chanting "Old man, old man..." Isn't that ultimately why it piqued your ...

US criticised investigation axe

The Financial Times reports today that the United States made a “formal diplomatic protest to the British government” over the decision to abandon the Serious Fraud Office’s investigation into BAE’s export sales to Saudi Arabia. Diplomatic insiders told the Financial Times that Washington said the British decision put the Blair government in breach of both the [...]

Labour Social Services "action" plan

The Lib Dems managed to stop Haringey Labour's inadequate plans for Adult Social Services being approved last night. The Audit Committee was being asked to consider the Council's response to the annual audit and inspection letter and then agree the actions that the Labour Executive have planned to address them. One of the worst parts of the Council's last assessment was for Adult Social Services, which fell from a 3 star rating to 2 stars. In the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) report which looked at this as well, not only did the Council get an even ...

Seven

It is slightly strange to go canvassing on my own street - I don't know what to expect, and somehow anything other than a definite "yes" from a near neighbour feels more like a personal sleight than anything else. Why I should think that geographical proximity to my house should alter voting intentions is something that I can't quite put my finger on... But the feeling is there all the same.

Wilcock Condensed: An Eighth of a Century Later…

Edited and extruded, here’s the WC for the original post: I love Richard.438 words down to 3. I’m getting good at this.

Wilcock Condensed: Free Doctor Who Books

The full posting weighs in at a sprightly 4,768 words. Compressed and compacted, but with all the healthy natural content of the original, here is my Wilcock Condensed (WC for short) version: Following the renewed success of Doctor Who on TV, lots of people are buying the Who books too. Various books come free with SFX or Doctor Who Magazine at the moment: they’re all previously published books and they’re all good, though they’re not perfect. Read them all.There are also some completely new books published by the BBC. They’re not bad, though they’re not perfect. Read them all. ...

Postal votes cast - predictions sealed

I have just cast my postal vote and made a blog posting which I will publish after the announcement of the election results on May 4th, with my election predictions for West Berkshire and Newbury. I will print off that posting later today and post it to myself, in an envelope sealed with sellotape, which I will sign across, so that I can prove through the postmark that I made the prediction today.

Newsnight predict Labour meltdown

A fascinating Newsnight last night. Michael Crick is starting to make his mark as their political editor. According to the University of Plymouth's study of 50 recent by-elections, they predict these May 3rd results: Conservatives on 38% and +330 seats Liberal Democrats on 29% and +110 seats Labour ...

Fawthrop for Mayor? You're having a laugh

This man wants to be Mayor of London. I wouldn't vote for him to be Mayor of Wyre Piddle! Watch this clip with Bromley Tory councillor Simon Fawthrop on Iain Dale's Blog from 18 Doughty Street. Incredible!

Pa rom prom prom Proms

The Proms programme for this year has been published, and I can’t wait! Neither of the ‘First nights’ in the last two years have been packed out, but I imagine this year’s will be with Beethoven’s ninth on offer. Heralding the start of the Proms, an Ode to Joy indeed! Wahoo!

Day 2308: New Earth discovered; Beware of the Cat Monsters!

Friday: Space… the way the news treats it these days, you would think it was less like the FINAL FRONTIER and more like the CORNER SHOP. But, as Mr DOUGLAS ADAMS once said, you might THINK it's a long way down the road to the corner shop, but that's just PEANUTS to space. Take this new planet that scientists have discovered. Already the newspapers are all calling it "New Earth". People are talking about it being ONLY twenty light years away. ONLY! That means that even at the speed of LIGHT it would take twenty ...

Friday 27th April 2007

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