Posts on the "Baghdad Burning" blog are rare, and increasingly bitter. Her family are now planning to leave Iraq: I remember Baghdad before the war- one could live anywhere. We didn't know what our neighbors were- we didn't care. No one asked about religion or sect. No one bothered with what was considered a trivial topic: are you Sunni or Shia? You only asked something like that if you were
Worth mentioning as it’s got very little publicity today: Conservatives 38% (-3%) Labour 31% (-2%) Liberal Democrats 20% (+3%) That’s now the fifth poll in a row which has shown the Liberal Democrat support to be up compared with the previous poll from the same company (one each from Populus, Communicate Research, ICM*, YouGov and MORI). The average scores [...]
You may have noticed I gave myself a miliband or two of wriggle room when I said that my Friday post on Scotland was ‘possibly’ my last one. Euan Ferguson’s hagiographic, and appallingly badly written, article about Alex Salmond in the Observer today got me hopping: The border, slow epoxy, is setting. Every indication, every poll, not [...]
Residents of Dunfermline, Cumbernauld, Alloa, Motherwell and Wishaw will no doubt be bemused by Jack McConnell's comments reported in today's Sunday Herald saying that ......"the town centre almost symbolises a lack of civic pride" among other things. He also calls the place he represents, Motherwell, a pigsty. Which party, I wonder, has been in power in all of those towns for as long as anyone can remember? I only really know Dunfermline out of the ones mentioned, where Labour has completely neglected the town centre for decades. Liberal Democrat Councillors, and now Willie Rennie MP, have ...
An interview in the Guardian: Looking colourful in a salmon pink shirt and maroon pair of braces that contrast with his grey, brushed-back hair, Mallon claims that the mayoral model is open to abuse by the power-crazy. He realised that after meeting another mayor early in his tenure - whom he refuses to name. “I would like [...]
Presumably Sentamu and Williams will be condemning this: Hundreds of thousands of people have rallied in Istanbul in support of secularism in Turkey, amid a row over a vote for the country’s next president. The protesters are concerned that the ruling party’s candidate for the post remains loyal to his Islamic roots. The candidate, Abdullah Gul, earlier said [...]
Been a very pleasant weekend. In the end, just wandered down to Hornsey last night for some food and beer in The Three Compasses, today fairly lazy - few more leaflets and a bit of casework chasing, nice Sunday lunch at the Maid of Muswell. It's only this weekend that I realised there are deer in Alexandra Park. I'd never been to that corner of the park before and was surprised to see around a dozen deer grazing in an enclosure. Nice. Very busy week ahead at work, will be making an early start tomorrow...
A perfect “And finally…” story to round off a Sunday. Greg Billingham set off last weekend in the London Marathon. Today, a week after the race started, he crossed the finish line! He “ran” the race in slow motion, raising money for Children with Leukaemia. Although it’s great the BBC reported it, it’s a shame they didn’t [...]
Over the last few months the mainstreaming of children's service's in Cornwall (SureStart into childrens centres) has been taking place all over Cornwall. It has been a time of great flux and worry for many of the employees with changes of roles and governance taking place. One of the thing that the Sure Start programmes did was to spend their funding on employing health staff such as midwives, health visitors, cpn's, speech and language therapists. Each programme employed it's health staff according to most need in the area. Here in Bodmin at Sure Start North Cornwall (I was ...
What a very disappointing programme Victoria's Empire was this evening. I had hoped the BBC had found another presenter able to fill Michael Palin's boots for a quality travel round the world adventure. Sadly, what Victoria Wood served up was bland, uninformative, rather naive drivel. It was like a dumbed down version of Palin with no interaction with the people in the places she visited, just too much of Victoria Wood giving a commentary of what she was doing over the video footage along with some very silly rather twee music which seemed to get in the way ... 
I'm currently in Eastbourne, getting a fix of electioneering (I used to be an addict, now I'm on the detox program. This involves going to the seaside, staying up late, listening to lots of loud machinery, and plenty of exercise... Some of you will know exactly what I mean and why I'm doing it, others will probably be totally baffled.
In 1967 a group of Progressive Jews from the Kingston and Surrey area decided to set up their own congregation. For some years they met in Tudor Hall, but then got the chance to buy a redundant school in Long Ditton. Although they moved outside the borough boundary they still kept the Kingston name, and today they marked their fortieth anniversary with an inclusive and celebratory...
In the local news during my absence from my blog there have been two major issues which seriously affect the housing situation in Cornwall. Firstly, key workers, it would seem are totally unable to afford a house in the county - we are talking about employees of the police force, fire service, health service, education and emergency services. The Halifax survey has uncovered a very serious situation and we are in danger of losing our vital workforce due to average house prices often being nearly ten times their wages. The second thing that has come to light is that ...
During a brief break from delivering today, I found myself peering down into our small pond at the numerous tadpoles and couple of newts there. It does amaze me that a small pond in a garden surrounded by six foot fences, can somehow generate such life. I found it a marvellous bit of therapy, as relief from pounding the pavements. I can understand why Ken Livingstone enjoys keeping newts.
Phew ... it has been a week or so (well in fact much more) of really hard campaigning. I love this little bit before an election - it is hectic and the panic sets in of things that could still be done, but getting close to seeing if you've worked hard enough is exciting. I have been on the doorstep with rosette in the glorious sunshine. As well as helping others I have been fighting my own seat - pleased to say there has been little evidence of the Tories, one almost standard colour leaflet which has been mirrored ... 
On the left, a team of footballers from Bordeaux, which included as former French rugby international; on the right, our own Dinton Casuals Veteran Football team. Felicitations.... et merci bien pour la bouteille de vin et les fleurs.
This weekend Leader of the English Liberal Democrats - Brian Orrell - visited Wolverhampton South West to help out with the campaign here. I also sit of the English Council with Brian so it was also good to catch up with him on the gossip from elsewhere.
Well - don't know whether to be pleased or cheesed off - some bugger has stolen my clothes (metaphorically speaking)! I asked for comments when I posted about my ideas about the internet neighbourhoods and street parties - but I didn't expect to find someone else to write my whole chapter! See Tim Lott's piece in The Independent to see what I mean. Anyway - the fact that someone else is
Speaking at Darfur Rally today so get tube up to Westminster. Thank goodness the sun is shining - as the turnout is pretty impressive. Many, many refugees from Darfur. Key message from the attendees (according to the frequent chant) is to get the UN / African Union troops deployed on the ground to protect the people. This is a terrible and deteriorating situation. Whilst there is a lot of
Following the recent departure of Lauren Laverne from Xfm London, long standing DJ (and Jesus Jones) keyboard player Iain Baker announced it was his last show today. On his blog he states: It's time for my last show on Xfm. Over the last few months i'd been increasingly marginalised at the station (which isn't really an issue, those of you with long memories will remember it's happened before)
We were on holiday in ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />France a few weeks ago and even whilst indulging in France's café culture, is was possible to get im...
Seemed to have a lot of Council and political meetings last week, and I'm facing a similar coming week. The big event last week was the regular Full Council meeting. And my big moment there was seconding a Liberal Democrat motion calling for litter bins to be restored on stations, with the suggestion that these should be placed within site of CCTV cameras. Perhaps I shouldn't mention that I got a bit carried away and proposed Daleks as a suitable design for these, combining a litter bin, a CCTV camera on a stalk, and a means of punishing ...
Remember that on Thursday we are electing a councillor to represent St Mary's for four years. So consider what has happened in St Mary's in the last four years... - The Retreat has been built, at huge cost, and left to decline into a fenced-off mess. - The number of Police officers on the beat has declined. How many do you see on the streets now? - Prestwich Precinct has continued to decline,
The New York Times reports on a strange instance of sex discrimination in the US. It isn’t a simple matter of discrimination against women, but affects both sexes at different times. The situation is that there are different tariffs on items of clothing based on whether they are for men or women. For example, men’s synthetic [...]
Been out pushing our election leaflets through doors and wrecking my nails ... last few days to polling day .... cannot wait ...... Its been an interesting week - lots of positive feedback on the doorstep and lots of casework to sort out after election day. Its also good to meet the people behind the doors of where I deliver leaflets too! Funny week at work with my sixth-formers - last push to
Saturday: I have been UNDERCOVER to report on the latest Doctor Who story – look carefully at this picture of the CULT OF SKARO and you MAY be able to spot an INFILTRATOR… shhhh! {Posted by Picasa} …unfortunately, Dalek Caan has ESCAPED! I am now VERY SCARED that he is hiding behind my sofa, so if you will excuse me I am going to go and take shelter in my Daddies’ bedroom while Daddy Richard reviews the rest of this story for you. It would be easy to be dazzled by the ...
The linked story is one to Leeds where I knew there was postal vote fraud going on (but did not have evidence). Now we have evidence of the Labour Group Leader telling people to throw away Lib Dem votes (strictly flush away). Labour have a history of electoral fraud in many large cities. Historically this involved personation (people pretending to be someone else). The idea of making people sign
Earlier today I posted a story about Labour using electoral fraud as the means of justifying ID cards. This story was in yesterday's Times. Today, in the Sunday Times, they report that Labour are driving a coach and horses through regulations intended to stop voter fraud and they make clear that Labour could be breaking the law. So there you have it. Labour's slogan is Vote Labour so they can introduce ID cards in order to stop Labour activists committing electoral fraud. The hypocrisy of Labour is absolutely stunning. P.S. Thanks to Lib Dem Voice ...
The Eastern Daily Press has reported that Great Yarmouth and Waveney Primary Care Trust has been given £7 million by the government to help it out of its financial black hole. However Norfolk PCT has not been awarded anything because it's debts exceed £7 million. What is interesting about this is that it shows a clear Labour bias because Great Yarmouth and Waveney has 100% representation at Westminster by Labour MP's, whereas Norfolk PCT is covered by seven MP's, of which only two are Labour. Labour claim to show no health bias even though the bulk of ...
From the Sunday Mirror: One senior minister said: “The Tories aren’t doing well in the North, but we reckon we could suffer big losses against the Lib Dems in the South, especially London.” All pretty good until those last two words. Full story is here.
Thank you Cathy Priddey, Duncan Borrowman and to the other people who posted - those who got my point - about the weirdness of who can vote in Lib Dem selections. I still maintain that the rules do not seem to be fair. As an example, in the Winchester selection there were people who had resigned their membership (rather than just being lapsed members) who were entitled to vote. Some of these people even claimed to have used their vote. And yet there was at least one Councillor living in the new constituency who did not ...
I am back in Cardiff Bay for the Politics Show and Radio Wales' Sunday Edition. With only days to go to election day things are hotting up and yet for one man, what happens on Thursday does not seem t0 matter. In this morning's Observer the Chancellor of the Exchequer is already preparing his party for a drubbing. His assertion however, that "the only result that matters in the end is when it actually comes to a general election and people decide what they want to do", will not go down well with all of those people poised to ...
I've met some really nice people on the doorstep over the weekend while canvassing for votes in support of our Liberal Democrat candidates. There's still time but I have yet to have a door...
This is probably the last time campaigners can sit back and pause for breath before the dash to the May 3rd poll and the Welsh general election finishing line. The overwhelming impression has been of delivering leaflets in continuous sunshine. It makes up for all the campaigns in years gone by, foot-slogging through horizontal driving rain, trying to push soaking leaflets (with the ink running, of course) through doors in the hilly villages of the Neath and Aberavon constituencies. One has to add, what a transformation towns like Banwen and Cwmllynfell undergo when the sun is out. ...
I missed this article in The Times, until pointed to it by another blogger, which highlights another, or should I say, the only reason Labour feel they can actually justify ID cards at the moment. It seems that Labour are running out of excuses as quickly as they can make them up as to why ID cards should be introduced. Firstly, it was all about protecting us from terrorism. However, they had ID cards in Spain and this didn't protect them from terrorists. On top of this, you can get an ID card by having a passport and as has ...
Following my enquiry about what is wrong with saying "pardon" or "pleased to meet you" to Her Majesty, I have now received a reply. Here's The Envelope: Check back soon for the opening of The Envelope! Will it be empty? Will it have a letter? What would the letter say? Find out all these and more - exclusively on this blog.
The House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, which includes Labour MPs, has heavily criticised the decision to drop the investigation into BAE, alleged bribes and the Al Yamamah arms deal: We conclude that the Government’s decision to halt the [Al Yamamah] inquiry … may have caused severe damage to the reputation of the UK in the [...]
Just to let people know that a planning application has been submitted for the conversion of an exisiting office building to the rear of 198 Hither Green Lane and the construction of a two storey extension to the side and roof extension, to provide 3 one bedroon flats and 1 one-bedroom house. For further details contact Kemi Erifevieme at Lewisham Council's Planning Service, tel 02083149271 e-mail planning@lewisham.gov.uk. The application number is DC/07/64727.
Yesterday's tremor was not the worst the county has seen. As this page shows, there were much more serious ones in 1382 and 1580.
The Sunday Times has a got a story about Labour breaking the rules on postal voting: All three main parties, meanwhile, have signed up to the Electoral Commission’s code of conduct [on postal voting] … Today we report that the Labour party in Leeds has driven an articulated lorry through this code in a desperate attempt [...] | < | April 2007 | > | ||||
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | |||||
