Radical new proposals to reduce poverty and tackle inequality in Britain have been launched by the Liberal Democrats. The plans aim to reverse Gordon Brown's dependency culture by giving people educational and employment opportunities as well as incentives to work and save. Five million people will be lifted out of relative poverty, with 10 million fewer means-tested benefits in payment, by 2020.
I've been listening to Windows Weekly on Twit since it launched, hosted by Leo Laporte with Paul Thurrott (he of Winsupersite fame). Geeky? Yes, but I don't care, it's entertaining, informative and the latest edition has lead me to rethink my hatred of Microsoft. In fact, I've rethought my hatred of Microsoft so much I'm composing this post in Windows Live Writer, which is well recommended and
Britain's benefits system is unacceptably complex and makes errors inevitable, according to a recent report by MPs. The damning assessment by the Work and Pensions Select Committee highlights the bewildering complexity of the current system of means-tested benefits. It has emerged that £2.5 billion was lost to fraud and errors last year.
It not been great month for Hollywood Don Cameron and his Conservatori Family faction of contemporary dancers. Apparently old Conservatoris are pining for days when Signora Thatcher, the Iron Don, used to keep order in the United Territories by chucking Union Leaders down open mine-shafts. Not so many open these days though. "It used to be case that if a member of one's caporegime wasn't working, one could slap him around a bit with an old bicycle" say Signor Leigh of the Conservatori Cornershop faction. "Now one is expected to give the idle bugger a hug and say 'there, there, ...
In the Hood, In the Hood, He's the Wizard in the Hood, He uses Magic Powers for the Forces of Good... Hat-tip, and thanks, to: Barcharters Anonymous 
Well here it is, in all its glory. The gnome light is on (powered by a small solar panel!). Sorry about the quality of the picture, I had to take it without the flash so you can see the light a glaze.
In Bath and NE Somerset we started our Learning Difficulties Partnership Board 18 months ago. I have just been appointed as Chair for the coming year. I will have a co-chair and together we will launch the years work at our Bath & NE Somerset conference for the partnership in early September. To make a success of the board we will need to get our three networks more actively involved and ensure...
I would just like to say thank you to my fellow Lib Dem members this evening for electing me as their new Group Leader at North Cornwall District Council. It is an honour to be given this role and especially with the interesting times we face ahead. Ian Jolly has been an excellent Group Leader from whom I have learnt a lot and whilst I am slightly nervous about filling his shoes, I would like to say thank you to him for how he has served the group. One of my first aims is to raise the profile of the ...
There was an interesting conflict this weekend between Labour in Southwark and their national party. On the one hand we have the latest Labour Rose... distributed to a handful of homes in Cathedrals ward, on the other we have Labour's Children's Minister Ed Balls and a National Audit Office Report on anti-social behaviour. One of Labour's often repeated Cameron-style vacuous PR-messages concerns the claim that they are 'tough on anti-social behaviour', and that they measure this toughness in respect of the number of ASBOs issued by Councils. Non-Labour Councils that didn't issue as many ASBOs as Labour-run Camden were attacked ...
I read Richard Branson’s reminiscences (widely covered in today’s press) that he smoked dope with the Rolling Stones and had sex in an aircraft toilet (part bravado and part fantasy surely) and the cynic in me asks what is trying to flog us now? Too many cheesy PR stunts from Richard Branson over the years incline me to believe that he is just about to launch a product on the market or maybe he is still hoping for a decent price for Virgin Media.
The Bush and Brown Camp David "mood music" and/or "body language" is encouraging. No silly aping the Bush ape walk from the British Prime Minister. No silly jeans or bomber jackets. No Colgate references. Instead, sober suits and ties. Gordon Brown kept a stern face as Bush tried one of his "fratboy" tricks - doing a bit of a wheely in his golf buggy in front of the press. And no praise for
I know I go on about this a fair bit, but it is important (to me at least). There are a fair few petitions around but the latest is at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/StopStrasbourg/ This petition calls upon the Prime Minister to exert pressure on other EU member states to end the monthly Strasbourg travelling circus by the European Parliament.
{younis-mahmoud.jpg} Last summer, I flew from Bahrain to Dubai with the Iraqi national football team. As our plane was severely delayed, we had time to get to know each other in the departure lounge, in the sort of chummy way guys do in the Middle East. They were thrilled to know I had been to Baghdad (even if it was before any of the players were born). And now I am really chuffed that they have won the Asian Cup Final, captain Younis Mahmoud’s header in the 71st minute giving them a 1:0 victory over Saudi Arabia. Last night, the area ...
Last night I went to see The Simpson, I had been waiting to see this for a few weeks now with the trailers suggesting the film would be great. It was not great but certainly very good.
I'll make my views clear to everyone to start off with. I am something of a sceptic over Europe. I don't mind the principle of the EU, not at all. In the same way as I think Communism is, in principle a lovely concept. However, the EU is deeply flawed, has far too many things wrong with it, is deeply mistrusted by a high percentage of this country (okay, I know UK politicians are too, but at least we choose them) , has too many bureaucrats interfering in things that are not broken, and EU rules are not applied equally ...
I'm sorry, it's my fault. I've had links to three proper Tory blogs: Martine Martin's Lebwog - it was beautifully put together, she's intelligent and strongly dislikes Bush. But she's stopped writing. Prague Tory -interesting stuff, though I often didn't agree with him. But he's just stopped writing. That leaves Iain Dale's Diary. I'm sorry, I'm clearly a jinx, it's doomed.
Today Hull Council, run by the Liberal Democrats, announced a 25% cut in council tax for all those houses that have been flooded. yes, this amounts to only a small amount of money back for people who have lost so much. However, it is a gesture, a sign that the council does care and does sympathise with the residents. Compare Hull Council with the Environment Agency who it was revealed today had handed out massive bonuses to senior people for hitting targets, including for "work in preventing flooding". Whilst the people who received these bonuses might be entitles to them, ...
Despite trying to hang around as little as possible with them, I feel qualified to assert that there are essentially two types of Tories. There are those who simply want power, and the ideologically Conservative. Both are as nasty as the other, and don’t forget both qualify for bogey man status on the very grounds they are Tories. Cameron falls comfortably into the first type. From Eaton, his politics is all about keeping power in the family. His whole move to the centre is nothing but a cynical ploy to get power. The number of Eatonians in his cabinet and ...
The "silly Season" has arrived! Official confirmation comes with this story in the Sun: "I saw the fins just like Jaws" - HORRIFIED mum Catherine Price videoed a “harmless” shark off Cornwall — then discovered it was Britain’s JAWS. Holidaymaker Catherine was on a boat trip with son Callum, seven, when they spotted the 12ft monster’s fin. As it circled in the water, fellow tourists 
Commenting ahead of Gordon Brown’s first trip to Washington as Prime Minister, Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell said: “There are three things which should be on Gordon Brown’s agenda when he meets President Bush: renegotiation of the one-sided extradition treaty; the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention centre; and a negotiated withdrawal of British forces from Iraq. “These should be the objective of a candid friend. The excessively subordinated relationship between the President and Mr Blair should be put to bed.”
Eighty percent of the current Conservative Shadow Cabinet have voted against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) equality legislation, according to figures released on Friday by the Liberal Democrats. On the 40th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality, the party also called on the Government to implement a three-point plan for true LGBT equality. The Liberal Democrat plan calls for: Better action in schools, including age appropriate sex and relationship education, and measures to tackle homophobic and transphobic bullying. Consistent and comprehensive legislation, with a Single Equality Act using current race legislation as a template to protect people on the ...
Welcome to the 23rd of our weekly round-ups from the Lib Dem blogosphere, featuring the seven most popular stories according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (22nd-28th July), together with a hand-picked quintet you might otherwise have missed. Here we go, in descending order of popularity: 1. Another Lib Dem councillor defects in Oxford on Lib Dem [...]
It is very welcome to read of the report from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, which says that there is no evidence to support an increase in the detention without charge period beyond 28 days. Chairman Andrew Dismore MP 'said there was only one serious alleged plot where six people were held up to 28 days - three of whom were then released. "You could say, on the one hand,
OK. Peter Preston has written about us in the Guardian today. Reactions so far have appeared over on the rather snappily named Barcharters Anonymous, and, of course, on Lib Dem Voice, courtesy of Mr. Tall. Apologies if I've missed someone, post me a comment. Now, plenty of attention has been given to the usual tired cut-and-paste attacks on Ming, and the unevidenced assertion that we have "No new
1500 orange suited prisoners at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, Cebu, Philippines have become a worldwide hit performing dance routines on youtube. Videos show hundreds of the men performing to songs like Thriller, Radio Ga Ga, In The Navy and others. The Michael Jackson one alone has had over 2.5 million views since being posted on July 17th. The man behind the idea Byron Garcia says the real benefits are not its popularity but its effect on the prisoners. "Do you see discipline, coordination, synchronisation? The high morale and high self esteem. If you watch the video, you ...
Regular FreeThink readers will make sure they catch these four must-read pieces today:Peter Preston in The Guardian gives an end-of-term report on the Lib Dems, and finds them somewhat lacking. 'Unshiftable Sir Ming'Andrew Holdenbury of the think tank Reform does a similar job for Gordon Brown, and finds him equally lacking 'Gordon the going backwards PM' French presidential politics, and how its being operated by Sarozy, is the subject of John Thornhill in The Times (Its a while since the theme played big in the papers so its good to return to an old favourite) 'France's president spins his plates'Most ...
This story (link) is about a toddler sadly being drowned in a domestic swimming pool. A similar situation where a toddler died caused the parents' other children to be taken into care. What happens when the same thing happens with a local authority "in loco parentis". We also have a story about children being abused in foster care in Coventry. I am aware of three deaths this year in foster
On Saturday I had a house warming party. I know I have lived in the house over 4 months now, but this was the ideal time to have the party, being in the summer holidays and now most of the house had been decorated. My house is definitely a great place to entertain, lots of room in the garden as well as room in the house and having 3 toilets certainly means no one is caught short or has to queue!
We've started planning the next edition of Youth Live - the magazine that's by and for young people in (at the moment!) Liverpool. Our first edition was launched a bit earlier this summer - but we are now looking for the next one, to be coming out in early October. Our company secretary - Richard - is sorting out a meeting of a small group of young people to make some editorial decisions (including appointing an editor for this one) and then they, and others, will be busy producing the articles, getting the pictures, doing the design and so on. ...
I’ve put a few improvements onto the Flock Together site: It’s now possible to log in to Flock Together using your Liberal Democrats Account - just go to this page to link the two accounts For users that don’t have account or don’t log in, Flock Together now does a much better job of remembering your location and your preferences I’ve added some information to the front page which lets you know what’s happened recently on Flock Together. There’s a fuller version on this page. You can now add a link and a description to your user page (under ‘Your ...
Now, where was I? Away in a haze, probably. But I really must tell you about the time Dobson wangled himself a job on Modern Snipe magazine. It is a wonder that a pamphleteer with so shaky a grasp of ornithology should seek employ on such a title, but Dobson had his reasons. Well, reason. In the course of a conversation with a regular down at the Cow & Pins, Dobson learned that the name of the editor of Modern Snipe was an anagram of Marigold Chew, and he chose to see in this some sort of mystical significance. Ten ...
There was a letter in the Liverpool Echo the other day from a reader saying he had heard of plans for an incinerator to be built on the edge of Speke. He had done a bit of phoning around about this and had heard that this was a site being looked at by the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority (MWDA) He may well be right. The fact is that the MWDA has a list of sites it is looking at for a huge new facility. The authority knows that this will be very sensitive - so sensitive that it has yet ...
A small look at the extraordinary use of YouTube by American politicians and their supporters. Coming soon to a computer near you Giuliani Girl and McCain Mama. Maybe we should do something similar in the UK.
The BBC tells us: The first whisky distillery to be built in England for over 100 years opens its doors to visitors next month but none of them will be able to taste a drop. The English Whisky Company is to open a visitor centre at its £1m East Harling distillery in Norfolk on 18 August. Production is well under way but the whisky has to mature and cannot be sold until at least Christmas 2009. However, they will be able to see master distiller Iain Henderson at work.But it is not clear that it is the first English distillery ...
This is a note to direct you to an excellent tribute on the BBC website. But mostly it is an excuse to reproduce this still.
Iain Dale, like his politics or not, has pushed the credibility of political blogging far higher than it would have gone had his blog not become the success it has. One way in which Iain did this last year was to list his "top 100" blogs, and this year he wants ordinary humble readers to help him in his quest to find the top twenty political blogs. If you want to nominate your top 20 and stand a chance of winning a prize !!!! Then CLICK HERE to link to Iain's site.
Just received confirmation that I have passed my School Based Assessment part of my head teacher's qualification, NPQH. Just need to go on the residential and complete the skills based assessment now.
In showbiz news, Lembit Öpik welcomes not one, but two Transylvanian pop-haemovores into his no doubt delightful home in rural Wales. I for one, am on tenterhooks for the OK! Magazine shoot.
Dec's rambling makes a further comment here: At the end of the show they show their coordinates as being 78° North. That is 12° and about 800 miles short of the true North Pole. Of course one could argue that they could had gone to Magnetic North, which moves and that is exactly where they did go. Unfortunately they did so 11 years late since they conveniently choose (sic) the position of
Finally we have a roof over our heads. Soon we will even have a bed! After much looking, several disasters, battles with evil estate agents and even more evil landlords my wife and I are finally back in West London. Isleworth in Hounslow to be precise. We were greeted yesterday upon our return from deepest darkest East [...]
Can somebody please tell our Lib Dem MPs (and those editing our videos) to be aware that the face you are pulling at the start of the film is the holding frame that You Tube will show to the world. This is just a small selection: Ed Davey is desperately trying to learn to whistle: Steve Webb takes a nap: Ming gets his passport photo: Ed Davey is having a poo: Caption Challenge: If anyone funnier than me wants to have a go on your own blogs post a link in the comments and i'll post it on my main ...
Gisela Stuart MP is an unlikely "rebel". She's your archetypal "Blair babe". On election night in 1997, her successful result at Edgbaston came early on, and gave a clear signal that we were in for a Labour landslide. Ms Stuart has been criticising Gordon Brown for not holding a referendum on the European Constitution/Treaty. She should know what she is talking about. She helped write the
Thanks to an anonymous commenter on my previous post, who asked whether Top Gear actually went to the North Pole. The co-ordinates shown on their SatNav when they were said to be at the North Pole were: N78˚35’7” W104˚11’9”. Steoroid.com states that, at this "finishing point", they were 792 miles from the North Pole or 307 miles from the magnetic North Pole: The North Pole is at N90 latitude,
Now here’s an offer you surely can’t refuse: to help Iain Dale choose his top 100 political blogs. In September Harriman House will publish the 2007 Guide to Political Blogging in the UK. It will contain articles on blogging by some of Britain’s leading bloggers, together with a directory of UK political blogs, and a [...]
I think it’s safe to say that former Guardian editor Peter Preston ain’t too enamoured of the Lib Dems, or of our leader, Ming Campbell: The only certainty confirmed through the political ides of July is that Sir Menzies Campbell will lead the Liberal Democrats into the next election. Gordon Brown has to choose when to [...]
According to digital spy, Lib Dem MP Lembit Öpik has welcomed twin sisters Gabriela and Monica Irmia (aka the Cheeky Girls) into his Montgomeryshire cottage: The politician was thrilled when fiancée Gabriela agreed to move in to his country cottage in Montgomeryshire, Wales. However, her mother Margit became concerned that Gabriela’s sister Monica would be lonely [...]
My list of "Thing To Do" for the weekend included replacing the camcorder. The old one had died on me in Sedgefield and given my addiction to video making, I needed a new one quickly. So that was sorted on early Saturday afternoon and we took it immediately to the Gateshead Summer Flower Show where I did some filming for my next email newsletter for constituents, many of whom seemed to be at the
The Metronet debacle has inevitably led to the unions and other groups to call for renationalisation of the London Underground. The logic is that since Metronet has gone bust the part privatisation is a failure and only government could run it. This argument is simply the ‘public good, private bad’ argument, which is as bad as the [...]
I am not particularly enamoured with large bonuses in either the private or the public sector. There is always a question mark over who determines them, how they are assessed and whether they can be justified or not. I am not therefore singling out the Environment Agency for any other reason apart from the fact that they are the latest body to have gone down this route. Those officials I have met and worked with in the Environment Agency are dedicated, hard-working professionals who do a very difficult job very well under the spotlight of intensely critical public scrutiny. These ...
Last week Lib Dem Voice reported on our new party strategy to lift 5 million people out of poverty. A big, wide-ranging document that covers everything from benefits claims to affordable housing. So it was odd that there were precisely zero comments left about it at Lib Dem Voice - compared with 35 on the stripagram, and 37 on the myth of classical liberalism. Now, I also help run another,
Ok, I know it seems a little bit premature to be talking about Christmas, but the West End Christmas Week takes a fair bit of planning and therefore an initial meeting of the informal committee that organises the week has been planned for 13th August. If you would like to participate, call me on 459378 or e-mail christmas@frasermacpherson.org.uk. Last year's West End Christmas Week was a great success (you can read a bit about it by clicking on the headline above) and we're working for a big success again this year, with a number of new initiatives too.
Peter Preston has some helpful advice for us Lib Dems in the Guardian today. Clearly with our best interests at heart he suggests that “To win Lib Dems don’t just need a change in the voting system, they need new faces and ideas…” OK, thanks for that… New faces, new ideas, AND a different voting system… hmmm, we can still keep the logo though eh? (Just checking, I'm quite fond of Libby) If I understand his odd logic correctly, humbling the Tories, and failing to finish a poor third in Sedgefield, and Ealing Southall, and thus denying ourselves the cathartic ...
Readers of my old blog, Liberal Legend, might recall that I charted the strengthening of Hu Jintao's political position inside China by moving against the so-called "Shanghai faction" of the Chinese Communist Party. The Shanghai faction is apparently loyal to former President, Zhang Zemin. Ironically, it was members of this faction that tended to hold sway in Jiangxi Province when I worked there. Chen Lianyi, the former Party Secretary of Shanghai, has apparently been kicked out of the Chinese Communist Party in the past week. An interesting act of retribution that will have put the fear of God amongst Jiang ...
Some people may have read or heard about how Paul Pettinger a councillor in Exeter has refused to stand for prayers during a civic meeting. If you click on the link below you will be able to read the story as published on www.thisisexeter.co.uk | < | July 2007 | > | ||||
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