The Stop the Traffik campaign has introduced the topic of people traffiking into everyday conversation - this is the current global form of slavery, still with us 200 years after the Abolition of the Slave Trade in the UK. The campaign has an excellent website, full of information and lively educational materials, so I was really pleased that it won the Advocacy Award at the New...
The Eastern Daily Press reports today on the announced closure of Aylsham hospital by the Primary Care Trust. The PCT has been going through a sham consultation with members of the public for some months now before going ahead with a decision to do what they wanted to do anyway, and the result us the closure of what is an excellent hospital facility. I had an operation there in 1993 on my knee, and the care was first class, and in 2002 I received ultrasound treatment on my ankle after a nasty double break in it, and again the treatment ...
This morning's Western Mail tells us that there is considerable unease on the part of some GPs and medical charities about the impact of free prescriptions, introduced in Wales as of 1 April this year. The paper reports on anecdotal evidence that patients are already bombarding their GP surgeries with demands for cheap over-the-counter medicines free on prescription. They say that demands include prescriptions for paracetamol, which can cost as little as 1p a pill. They also suggest there is increasing concern that patients with genuine medical problems are struggling to get appointments with their doctors in an already under-pressure ...
What to make of George Galloway's 18-day suspension from the House of Commons? I've probably made it fairly clear already on this blog that I'm not a fan of Mr Galloway, or of the RESPECT Party. Galloway's views on the Middle East are thoroughly counter-productive, and encourage hatred, rather than co-operation, between Muslim and Jewish communities in Britain. His record of attendance and participation in Parliament is beyond a joke, and his speeches, whilst oratorically very impressive, are truth-mangling bile fests which, rather than making peace more likely, actually set it back. I'll never be able to forgive RESPECT for ...
Much to my surprise my last blog actually got a reply from the UK co ordinater of One Voice, my surprise because hadnt really assumed my readership was much beyond my one suscriber. Any way I am well aware that my last blog was more than a bit confussed. I want to for a start reliterate that i am not at any means oppossed to the goals of the one nation group. It also turns out though that i was wrong about my assertion that they were a US based group. Taking what Jake has told me it now seems ...
Only one application registered for Combe Down this week. This is a resubmission of an earlier application for five houses, which was withdrawn. The only difference now is that it has four houses. This in my view is still a gross overdevelopment of the site, which is close to the National Trust Skyline Walk. An example of how the Government's changes to planning regulations, classifying gardens as 'brownfield' sites is leading to inappropriate applications. We support residents in their opposition to this application Ward: Combe Down App Ref: 07/02131/OUT Parish: N/A Registered: 4th July 2007 Expiry Date: 29th August 2007 ...
Labour build up poll leads in all the opinion polls, the Tories are being criticised by the press, their leader loses his gloss, by-election results are far from brilliant, and William Hague is banging on again about Europe. It's just like 1999 all over again !
Hat-Tip: Millennium Elephant You Passed 8th Grade Math Congratulations, you got 10/10 correct!Could You Pass 8th Grade Math? Hat-Tip: Niles
Two days ago, when I criticised David Cameron's publicity trip to Rwanda, Iain Dale criticised me in the comments section of my blog post and made references to the point "if you were here", meaning if I was in Rwanda. Now Iain, is obviously doing some good work out in Rwanda, fair play to him, and I am sure his Tory colleagues will have lots of things to make them seem nice to put in their election leaflets when they get back (don't tell me that they won't Iain). But in may ways, I don't have to be there, in ...
A while ago, a post on the LDYS forums prompted in my mind a soundbite that appealed to me perhaps more than it ought;“You’re not just an economic liberal, you’re an economic liberal and a social liberal? So you’re not a Tory, you’re a Tory who happens not to be a racist homophobe? And I should care why exactly? If I need a Tory who happens not to be a racist homophobe, I’ll talk to Alan Duncan!” 
No, this is ridiculous- the latest entirely unhelpful salvo from Lord Kalms against David Cameron seems to me, even as an impartial observer, pretty unfair. I agree that Cameron is coming across as increasingly hapless. I agree too that he is failing to create a sufficiently mature policy platform. However he has set out how he might get there. Kalms and Norman Tebbit are just some of the voices in the Conservative Party that are muttering and mumbling against their leader. Unfortunately for David Cameron, if he turns on them he will just look petulent, and begin to look increasingly ...
The City Council last week started experimenting with a new way to run council meetings. Instead of potentially a huge number of motions being discussed in turn until the time runs out, the parties (for that read whips and senior councillors) decide to take a few motions from a list and have those debated. The others are merely voted on one way or another. So the printed agenda will in fact include a lot of motions with no chance of being debated as the printing happens before the choices are made and the councillors only find out those choices the ...
Some friends have a band, High Rising who are releasing their first single on Monday. Its worth checking out to add credibility to your MP3 player and help an up and coming band. High Rising are stalwarts of the Warwick Music Scene, what you did not know Warwick had a music scene! Probably the most vibrant since the Beatles did their last gig at the Cavern and headed down to London. High Rising are more ground breaking than the Sex Pistols, crazier lifestyle than The Stones (Anthony once rode his bike into the canal), bigger than Arctic Monkeys, Louder than ...
While his Oxfordshire constituents are bailing out the waters flooding into their homes, Tory leader David "Hug A Hoodie" Cameron is visiting Rwanda. I couldn't help noticing on the film of...
There's a great video about the Hook Library on YouTube.
There has been a lot in the media in the last few days about why the European Union in not helping with the UK's flooding problems and clear-up. I have done some checking and there is a 3 Billion Euro threshold for applications for help from the solidarity fund, there also seems to be some issues with the floods technically being separate events.
One of my local centres of excellence is the National Soil Research Institute at Cranfield University – which has a lot to say about the current floods. It has a damning comment on the failure nationally to follow up on research after the 1999 UK floods. This expands on a key point raised by Jonathan Calder on the impact of intensive agriculture on floods. “After the severe floods of November 1999” says Dick Thompson, NSRI Director “and with the help of the Environment Agency, we looked at the soils within affected catchments and found many to have poor structure. “Soils ...
Well Lincolnshire Pride 2007 is now over (big aahhh everyone) and its was a fantastic weekend for the gay community and for Lincoln as a whole! The weekend was opened on a damp and dreary Saturday by the Mayor of Lincoln, Conversatvie Councillor Hilton Sprat who made the declaration "the council takes a proactive view on equality and diversity and that the equality agenda is right at the front of local politics" - This may come as a surprise to many of the councillors and activists in the local Conservative Party!!! The event kicked off the live music on the ...
The entertaining thing about the question about the cost of red boxes it it demonstrates whether or not individual departments are willing to answer slightly embarrassing questions. Often Special Advisors prevent questions being answered because they appear slightly embarrassing. The embarrassing part of this is that the boxes are expensive and often not bought through a tendering process.
I am back in work today, although my back still feels asa though it is home to a pick-axe wielding fiend who is hacking away at me periodically. Last night's scrutiny meeting was informative on a number of subjects. Our capital and revenue outturn reports were presented, and the financial position of the Council is healthy. Preliminary discussions on alternative ways of providing services were
I’ve been told that the US republican party is the most libertarian party and the best bet for libertarians in the US. This doesn’t fly well with me. As opposed as I am to the Democrat’s ‘liberalism’ and statism, I don’t see that republicans today are libertarian. Some of the liberal agenda was pushed by Reagan and [...]
Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs: Departments: Ministerial Red Boxes Q:To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Ministerial red boxes his Department bought in each of the last five years; what the cost of each was; who the suppliers were: and what tendering process was used in selecting them. A:The information requested by the hon. Member is only available
Wales: Departments: Ministerial Red Boxes Q:To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many ministerial red boxes his Department bought in each of the last five years; what the cost of each was; who the suppliers were; and what tendering process was used in selecting them. A:Ministerial boxes are used by successive Ministers over many years. No new boxes have been ordered in the last five
David Cameron's flood-stricken constituents criticise his trip to Africa in the Daily Mail today: Mr Cameron visited some inundated areas of his constituency on Sunday and urged the Government to take flood prevention more seriously. But Stephen Gosling, 37, whose house was under 2ft of water at the weekend, said: "He came to visit but he just walked past me. He was just walking showing his
Meetings, meetings, meetings - from blogging, to China to trying to Stop the Trafficking of children in the developing world - and Shadow Cabinet too. Later today, I lead for the Liberal Democrats on the Conservative Opposition debate on Attacking Global Poverty. The Tories have spent 18 months producing a huge tome from their commission. But - they barely mention climate change. Given that is the most catastrophic threat the developing world is facing - a bit of an omission I thought. I've put down an amendment on the climate change aspect - but it won't be selected because the ...
The Public Accounts Committee impressively takes apart the government’s anti-social behaviour agenda. ASB interventions are now costing £3.4bn a year, but the government has made no effort to evaluate the effectiveness of really, any of it. The department has no information about the effectiveness of its policies and even supplied the National Audit Office with incorrect data. Whoops. The report concludes: Comparable local areas use different approaches to dealing with antisocial behaviour and there has been no comparative evaluation of the success of these approaches. Nor has there has been a comprehensive evaluation of the use and success of the ...
America has always been somewhat ahead in utilising technology as a political tool. Yesterday, the democratic candidates for president debated in South Carolina, with all the questions coming from videos uploaded onto the video sharing website YouTube.The result was by far the most engaging of the presidential debates so far.Questions ranged from extremely moving to the slightly disturbing. Joe Biden pulled off one of the better one liners of the night in response to the latter. 'If that's his idea of a baby', the Senator quipped, 'he needs help'. He then added that he hoped the man 'doesn't come looking for me'.The questions added a ...
Here's a video from YouTube of Bath Road, Cheltenham town centre taken last Friday, when the River Chelt burst its banks: The Council is of course doing its best to help people affected by flooding, and those without drinking water. Bottled water is currently being given away for free at Sainsburys (with a maximum amount per person), and self-service bowsers are situated in Glynbridge Gardens and at St. Paul's Medical Centre. If you are (or you know) a vulnerable person who is not able to leave their home to get water, call the Council on 01242 262626: there are teams ...
What better qualifications could you want to be an envoy to the Middle East ? After all, Tony Blair has started one war, and supported Israel in their war against Lebanon. Oh, what's that ? He's supposed to be a PEACE envoy ... oh bugger !!!
Labour’s top fundraisers and donors may have been saved from chokey by the Crown Prosecution Service last week, but they still have to run the gauntlet of the House of Commons’ Public Affairs Committee. The committee halted its investigation into ‘cash for honours’ to avoid prejudicing any trial proceedings, but now there are no such restrictions. [...] 
Chris Huhne is extensively quoted in today’s Guardian following his revelations that the Labour government failed to overhaul flood defences and drainage after problems were highlighted by a Department for the Environment review three years ago. “The government has been looking at an integrated approach for more than three years, but did not act on its [...]
The Financial Times reports comments from Lord (Stanley) Kalms, the creator of Dixons and former Tory party treasurer, who: ...said he was "disillusioned to a substantial degree" with Mr Cameron. He warned that the leader "has not quite got the party behind him at the moment". "This is the summer of discontent," said Lord Kalms, life president of the electrical retailer DSG International. "We're
{Mingle2 Free Online Dating - Science Quiz} Free Online Dating
Saturday: Daddy and I took the Internet "could you pass 8th grade science test" test. We got B+ (by getting 23 correct answers out of 26 questions). {Mingle2 Free Online Dating - Science Quiz} Free Online Dating This is pretty good for a seven-year-old stuffed elephant, and pretty poor for a Cambridge graduate. Isn't it Daddy! Daddy got questions 2, 4, and 9 wrong. (And I got ALL of the other questions RIGHT!) Q2 "This type of rock is buried deep within the earth's crust" Daddy answered "Igneous", but the actual answer was "Metamorphic" Igneous rock is made when molten ...
This morning's newspapers continue to feature the very worrying flooding hitting large areas of Britain. Many of them start to focus on causes and solutions, with the Guardian in particular telling us that the government failed to act on its own advice to overhaul UK flood defences and drainage systems that first highlighted deep-seated problems three years ago. What is worrying is that the Government seems to be determined that its very admirable programme to build three million more homes by 2020 should not be held up by the problem. The Housing Minister told us yesterday that flood waters covering ...
This game is getting too easy. A few days ago I was bemoaning the neo-puritanism that appears to have afflicted British politics with the announcements of the reversal on the super-casino plans and the review into the classification of cannabis, together with Tory plans to bribe people to marry, but only a little. And I thought that a rash of statistics and stories about the effects of drinking and twenty-four hour licensing might prefigure an announcement about a review of the changes made only a couple of years ago now to allow the selling of alcohol round the clock. So ...
I was just reading Global vote picks Seven Wonders and looking at In pictures: New Seven Wonders of the World which reports that Chichèn Itza (Mexico), Christ Redeemer (Brazil), Machu Picchu (Peru), Petra (Jordan), The Great Wall of China, The Roman Colosseum (Italy) and The Taj Mahal (India) the Seven New Wonders of the World. | < | July 2007 | > | ||||
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