LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Thursday 14th February 2008

Foreign Office: anti-corruption causes terrorism

The FCO has always insisted that the Iraq War has in no way lead to an increase in terrorist attacks. To an extent that’s fair enough as life is more complicated than that. So how can they justify insisting on this: In the documents released to the court, Helen Garlick, assistant director of the Serious Fraud Office, was quoted as recalling what the Foreign Office told her about its fears of another bomb attack in the UK. “If this caused another 7/7 how could we say that our investigation, which at this stage might or might not result in a ...

15 Wounded in University Shooting

15 people have been reported injured when a gunman opened fire on students of Northern Illinois University, 65 miles from Chicago. The gunman seriously injured 3-4, with head injuries. BBC News Police have no idea as to who the shooter is, but I strongly feel that it's a disgruntled student.

Berwick moving to Scotland

There are currently plans afoot to bring the English border town of Berwick-upon-Tweed back into the Scottish fold. This, the English Democrats claim, would eventually lead to Scotland annexing up to 20 more miles of the Nothumberland border. Quite obviously they are against this. The town of Berwick has been on the English side of the border several years before Columbus sailed for the East Indies; discovering America in the process. There have been referendums before, as to which side of the border the towns folk wanted to reside in, but they've always voted to remain English. I know that ...

Bush defends "water boarding"

In an interview with the BBC featured on the BBC Ten O'clock news, George Bush maintained his support for the torture/interrogation technique known as water boarding. The problem is, you just know he is actually thinking about this rather than this.

Two Tories and no Lib Dems on Question Time again

Tonight's Question Time features A Labour Minister (Caroline Flint), Australian writer Clive James, a Bishop, Sayeeda Warsi (A Tory Peer) and Melanie Phillips (A right wing pro Tory journalist who works for the Tory mouthpiece the Daily Mail). Yet again, a complete lack of balance from the people who do the bookings for Question Time.

Five hours of high culture each week

Yesterdays announcement of five hours of high culture each week in schools was one of those classic government pronouncements which sounds very laudable, but which wills the end and not the means. The fact that school curricula are already overloaded with years of accumulated initiatives and the inevitable swathe of paperwork and performance indicators, seems to have passed the Minister by. Of course, one of the benefits of a good local education authority has traditionally been to provide the sort of expertise and knowledge needed by schools wishing to provide specialist provision in areas like arts, languages and science. When ...

Bill Kristol: "I'm ambivilent on torture"

I feel sick. Watch the video. Eight minutes in. Right now, I'm ashamed to have the same passport as that man. Come on McCain slap that man down. Please.

Lib Dems are the most attractive party - official!

The good people of Sky have conducted a poll to find the most attractive MPs. The result Five Lib Dems make it to the top ten. Well done to Jenny Willot, Julia Goldsworthy, Nick Clegg, Lynne Featherstone and Jo Swinson. All I can ask is... where was Teather

More interesting polling from Rasmussen

A poll of 500 voters in Colorado showed McCain beating Clinton by 14% and losing to Obama by 7%. These figures, whilst a little suspect, will not look good for Clinton as it increasingly looks like she is less electable than BHO. More details at Rasmussen. For the record, I currently want Clinton to win the nomination (just).

Huckabee staying in to help the generation II Rove's

That's the only point of it according to Campaign standard.

BBC Question Time: open thread

Okay, so theres no Lib Dem on tonights Question Time (broadcast on BBC1 and online from 10.35 pm GMT) … but Im saying nothing more. The panel will include Labours Minister of State for Housing Caroline Flint, the Conservative shadow minister for community cohesion Sayeeda Warsi, the Church of England’s first Bishop for urban life and [...]

Budget Day

This afternoon saw the City Council set both its capital programme and also its revenue budget & council tax for 2008/9. It was the 7th budget meeting I have attended as an elected member of Dundee City Council and was easily the least raucous thus far, with the Labour/Liberal Democrat administrations budget being approved unanimously and, for the first time in a very long time, no alternative proposals on the table. Cllr Joe Morrow, our administrations lead person for finance, made a thoughtful speech and my LibDem colleague Cllr Helen Dick seconded the budget proposal. The Council Tax is frozen ...

Bill's 1992 campaign manager backs Obama

David Wilhelm, Democrat Party bigwig and former Bill Clinton campaign manager, has snubbed HRC and endorsed Obama. He is located in Ohio, a key March 4th state, and is a super delegate pushing up BHO's count one. I don't think this event alone is significant but if more party insiders follow him there could be an avalanche.

Muppetry of the highest order

I'm not sure who are the biggest muppets in the story of the £2m given to the wrong Newcastle. The official who got confused between Newcastle-under-Lyme and Newcastle upon Tyne and gave the small potteries town £2m of the Geordie's LABGI money, or the officials at Newcastle upon Tyne for not being sure enough of their figures to not have forced CLG to rectify it sooner. In my experience when you

The Jam Generation

On the Spectator site Anne McElvoy tries an ingenious piece of cultural analysis: What do David Cameron, David Miliband, Nick Clegg, Yvette Cooper, Michael Gove and (just about) George Osborne have in common They are part of the Jam Generation: a powerful cross-party phenomenon laying the foundations of our political futures. The soundtrack to their formative years is Paul Wellers tuneful, raucous songs of the 1980s.The trouble with this theory is that Cameron's closest connection with The Jam is that he used to be one of the Eton Rifles.

What are the odds

I was amused by the news today that a gambling addict who lost £2.1 million is now suing bookmaker William Hill to get his money back. Graham Calvert claims he was able to open a new account with the bookies despite having agreed a process called self exclusion under which he shouldn't have been able to open that account. However, I suspect he wouldn't have been complaining too much if his bets had been successful. I doubt very much he'd now be arguing that William Hill failed in its duty of care towards him. Although I don't think he has ...

A Real Referendum

In the next few weeks Parliament will be voting on whether to hold a European referendum. The Conservatives are proposing a restrictive referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. My colleagues and I are campaigning hard for the British people to be given a real choice through a referendum on our membership of the European Union as a whole: http://ourcampaign.org.uk/europe In British politics, only the Liberal Democrats have argued consistently that Britain's place is at the heart of Europe. While Labour and the Tories have torn themselves apart over the issue, we have been steadfast for decades in our support for Britain's ...

Visit to Bath Stroke Support Group

On Wednesday 13th February I joined the Bath stroke support group at the Sulis Club at Claverton Down for a lovely Lunch followed by an A.G.M. of the group, all straight forward until the end when it was announced that the Group Organiser Lyn Palmer was leaving but will stay until they find a replacement for them, which was a shock for the group and it was said that she will be sadly missed as...

For King and Country

I don't think anyone thought they'd see the day when a party that is ostensibly of the left criticised a right-wing party for being "anti-Royalist". Such a statement is edging us just a little closer to the American-style "if you oppose us then you're unpatriotic" argument-killer. A dangerous thing, surely At any rate, this hints at a fascinating, slightly surreal and highly possible future political scenario - one in which the anti-Europe right finds itself denouncing the monarch of the day (King Charles III by this point) for his views. Could the future King find himself friends on the left ...

Respect Councillor Defects to the Tories

Now this is bizarre. One of the four councillors, Ahmed Hussain, in Tower Hamlets elected for Respect in 06 who have split from the party in its recent collapse has joined the Tories. A former member of the SWP no less. Funny old world. More info via the Norfolk Blogger.

My Valentine!

Last week my daughter asked if I was doing anything this evening, my reply Well, apart from fending off the queue of handsome young men knocking on my door to take me for dinner...........nothing! Valentine's Day must be a little like Christmas Day for those without family or friends to celebrate with. On every other day of the year us "singles" get along just fine, but on Valentine's day we are made to feel like specimens from the planet Zog. Even Women's Hour, that champion of women's rights, talks to you as if you must be in a relationship, anticipating ...

A good media day

Just back from doing Tyne Tees TV about the Angel of the North, from the site itself. I had a look at the video when I got home. It seemed to go okay. Just listening to the Radio Newcastle article about the Angel. I recorded a bit for it last Friday. It has been quite a successful media day. I had a 2 page spread in the Evening Chronicle with the photos I took of the Get Carter car park. And I

Kenyan jaw-jaw

Thank goodness that both sides are talking in Kenya, under the very ably chairmanship of Kofi Annan. An agreement has been signed but it is not conclusive, apparently. We can only hope...

Top Ten Lib Dem MPs

After reading the Sky poll on the top ten most fanciable MPs across all parties, I thought I would compile my own list. In alphabetical order you understand. No, really... 1. Jeremy Browne MP for Taunton 2. Lorely Burt MP for Solihull 3. Nick Clegg MP for Sheffield Hallam 4. Evan Harris MP for Oxford West & Abingdon 5. Martin Horwood MP for Cheltenham 6. Chris Huhne MP for Eastleigh 7. Matthew Taylor MP for Truro & St Austell 8. Sarah Teather MP for Brent East 9. Steve Webb MP for Northavon 10. Jenny Willott MP for Cardiff Central Any ...

Lambeth conference - time to move on !

My hero: Desmond Tutu Anglican bishops from Uganda have stated that they will boycott the forthcoming Lambeth Conference due to differences over the church's stance on sexual matters. There's a rival conference being organised in Jerusalem. This controversy has been rumbling on for ten years. It really is time to move on. I understand that Rowan Williams has a convenant for people to sign up

What is "peak oil" and what does it mean to me

I have started to read the term "peak oil" a lot recently and have become aware that it is a significant event. In short, it is the point where oil production reaches its very peak before falling in to decline. Is this significant Well yes, it is. A 5% decline in oil production led to a 40% increase in prices in the 1970's, and with new demand for oil and a steady decrease in production, we are looking at an 8% reduction in oil availability each year. What does this mean In short, massive increases, energy scarcity and a real ...

Oxford Call to prayer: Pass the diazepam smartish

Oh gaw blimey. The BBC are at it again. PM had a report on the Oxford Call to prayer thingey (after reading Jock Coats' summary of the situation, I refuse to call it a "controversy" or anything else similar). The BBC reporter, Christopher Landau (who interviewed the Archbishop of Canterbury about Sharia law) characterised the pressure for an amplified call to prayer in terms unrecognisable from

Will Hilary go "illegitimate"

Hilary Clinton could, conceivably, increase her chances of winning the Democratic nomination by obtaining the "re-seating" of delegates from Florida and Michigan. Those delegates are currently not intended to be counted, because the state party organisations there broke the rules and brought forward their primaries. Such a "re-seating" would be a very "dirty" ending to the Democratic nomination

A kick in the Gorbals

If MPs do vote to committing themselves to declare it whenever they employ family members, surely this would be effectively a vote of no confidence in Michael Martin After all, this will pre-empt his own longer term inquiry. It should be remembered that David Maclean’s Freedom from Information Bill, which with the Labour and Conservative front benches’ initial passive assent very nearly became an act last year, came out of proposals by the Speaker Committee. If these proposals had been passed, the fallout from the Conway affair would have been worse by several degrees. Meanwhile, Maclean is part of the ...

Knocking Up in Leyton

If you are free this evening and can get to Leyton its not too late to help us win this crucial By-Election. I popped over there a bit earlier for a couple of hours - unfortunately I couldn't stay for the evening. Its cold outside but the welcome from the first class Waltham Forest team is very warm. We are clearly winning the poster war and seem to have the momentum but we need to get the votes out ! This is the By-Election caused by the disqualification of the disgraced slurmongerer Miranda Grell. If we win it we go ...

Nick Clegg: A real vote on Europe

After my recent expressions of concern on the Europe referendum issue, it seems only fair to post this email from Nick Clegg (or, at least, Cowley Street) which has just popped into my inbox: “In British politics, only the Liberal Democrats have argued consistently that Britain’s place is at the heart of Europe. While Labour and [...]

Most Fanciable MPs 2008

Just a little light entertainment... Sky has announced its Most Fanciable MPs of 2008 list. Good level of Lib Dem representation! Including Lynne and Nick who've made the Top 10 for the second year in a row. 1. (-) Jeremy Hunt (Con: Surrey South West) 2. (1) Julie Kirkbride (Con: Bromsgrove) 3. (-) Julia Goldsworthy (LibDem: Falmouth & Cambourne) 4. (-) Jenny Willott (LibDem: Cardiff Central) 5. (7) Lynne Featherstone (LibDem: Hornsey & Wood Green) 6. (-) Edward Garnier (Conservative: Harborough) 7. (-) Angela E. Smith (Labour: Basildon) 8. (3) Nick Clegg (LibDem: Sheffield Hallam) 9. (-) Jo Swinson (LibDem: ...

Protecting Debate: a Right not a Privilege

Think what you will about Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the outspoken critic of fundamentalist Islam. Agree or disagree with what she has to say. Refuse to acknowledge her opinions, if you like. Fly into a 'murderous' rage, if you must. But do not dispute her right to live out her life in freedom and security and leave her opinions as a matter for debate, not violence. Those were my conclusions after listening to the notorious Ms Hirsi Ali speak before the European Parliament today, pleading with MEPs to extend her the EU's protection now that her own country, the Netherlands, is ...

Why are the UKIP "patriots" so unpatriotic when it comes to the Royal Family

UKIP seem to have shot themselves in the foot (again) today by refusing to stand at the end of Prince Charles speech to British MEP's in Brussels. Apparently UKIP's refusal to stand was because the Prince was apparently advocating a widening of EU powers. UKIP apparnelty missed that this was in order to protect the environment, but hey, to hell with the environment, UKIP care little for that. So get your election leaflets printed now to fight UKIP next year I see the slogans now "Remember, UKIP were the only British political party who refused to stand up and applaud ...

Derek Conway: still getting an extra £13,000 a year

The Independent has the story: The disgraced Conservative MP Derek Conway will keep his place among a group of MPs paid a £13,000-a-year bonus for chairing parliamentary proceedings. Mr Conway’s political career was apparently in ruins after he was suspended from the Commons after being criticised for employing his son as a researcher. But he has retained [...]

Save our post offices

REDCAR Constituencys Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate, Ian Swales, says Labours new plans to close 2500 post offices will hit local communities across Britain. Thats nearly 1 in 5 post offices to close and this includes local post offices in Park Avenue, Redcar and Lazenby. These new closures are on top of the 7500 post offices already closed by Conservative and Labour Governments. The closures will mean long journeys for many just to pick up a pension or send a parcel. Local people deserve much better! Labour have already closed 4000 post offices in Britain. The last Conservative Government closed ...

Liberal Democrat sexy time!

What can I say We kick arse. How about a top ten list most fanciable of political bloggers Oh, hang on… Share This

Spot the Liberal Democrat

Welcome to Question Time! Tonight Watford asks the questions. And joining David Dimbleby tonight will be

The only thing you need to read about the U.S. General Election

Hillary Clinton: ""I would never have voted for the war had we known it would become unpopular." Barack Obama: "Do We Really Want Another Black President After The Events Of Deep Impact" John McCain: "The United States should no longer act as the world's police but instead as the world's stripper, dressed as the police."

Opinion: Giving voice to the afraid

Qassam rocket attacks are to be condemned. House demolitions and land theft are also to be condemned. But whilst we condemn, this does not mean that we should not strive to comprehend. One senior Party member - Jenny Tonge - showed comprehension and was sacked. Her offence was to say she understood the desperation [...]

War on 'War Words'

Why is it that when some somnambulist thinker wants to pretend to be really serious they call for a War on something War on Terror, War on Drugs, and now according to Prince Chattering, we need to conduct the actions against global warming on a mental war footing. I suppose he may be recalling US President Jimmy Carters attempt to mobilise public support for his April 1977 energy policy as the moral equivalent of War Our decision about energy will test the character of the American people and the ability of the President and the Congress to govern. This difficult ...

Skye's the limit!

Maybe there is a case after all for Berwick-upon-Tweed to rejoin Scotland, as it might have to replace the Isle of Skye, which seems to have declared UDI. The Boundary Commission for Scotland has published its draft proposals for new boundaries for Scottish Parliamentary constituencies. But if you look at the maps provided, the Isle of Skye doesn't seem to feature in any of the three Highland seats. Whoops!

Environmentalism - The Good

Wit and Wisdom has a pretty good post on Prince Charles and his ‘War on Climate Change’. Whilst I disagree with a small part of the post, the main thrust is how I think we should approach environmental challenges (and combined with the party’s Green Taxes it makes even more sense). The main thrust is that we [...]

England's Lane Post Office Faces Chop

Dreadful news according to the Ham&High the Englands Lane sub post office is on the governments latest hit list of post offices earmarked for closure. It goes without saying that this is a real kick in the teeth for Belsize. Weve already lost the sub-post offices in Belsize Village and on Haverstock Hill. The government just does not seem to understand that post offices are, for most people, a crucial pillar of their communities and, for some, an absolute lifeline. We will be running a Save Our Post Office petition stall this Saturday morning in Englands Lane so please come ...

Prince charles talking out of his royal fundament surely not...

Prince Charles has told the European Parliament that the fight agains global climate change is a war and that the Doomsday Clock is ticking ever closer to midnight. This is, of course, complete b*ll*cks. There are echoes here of the over emotive language used by the USA following the 11/9/01 terrorist attacks on their country. A dedicated band of terrorists wrought one of the worst attacks ever on a western country and the foolish response was to declare a 'war', which our delightful Prime Minister went along with slavishly. This 'war' immediately legitimised the misguided beliefs of the terrorists and ...

"Mind that Gap" Test Valley Planners threaten to join up Smannell Parish Hamlets

You may have picked up in the local press, Parish Council minutes and our focus leaflets that Test Valley Council is currently consulting a range of options for the borough over the next 20 years. Yes 20 years! With the East Anton development the Parish Council and Lib Dem Councillors suggested a number of suggestions and changes to the planning document which the Tory led Test Valley Planners ignored. Now Test Valley planners are at it again refusing to protect the hamlets of Little London/Finkley/Enham/Woodhouse and Smannell unique character. Test Valley planners have refused to guarantee Councillor Len Gates the ...

Meeting the Climate Challenge

HOW WILL LIVERPOOL MEET THE CLIMATE CHALLENGE Saturday 16 February at 2pm... Film Focus: Liverpool's Response to Climate Change A special showing of Who killed the electric car (tickets £3.50 - box office 0151 707 4450 - or on the day) in FACT Screen 3 Wood Street Liverpool 1 How are local communities, businesses, and our City's Capital of Culture activities aiming to keep the emissions down A debate is to be kicked off by local environmentalists and others, following the showing of an acclaimed film - back at FACT by popular demand - on how global oil interests acted ...

You've been Quango'd!

The news today that quangoes are totally unrepresentative of Britain comes as no surprise. The BBC reported the results of a NLGN survey that found four London Boroughs - Camden, Islington, Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea - control 15% of the quango membership in England. The report draws the conclusion - Looking at England as a whole, within each region there are clear concentrations of power, postcodes which are clearly more likely to produce the great and good for seats on quango Boards. We suspect that the poorer the area you live in, the less likely you are to climb ...

Just for the record, in case the government are interested, it's 36" and 31.5"

So obsessed are the government becoming with the collectionm and subsequent loss, of personal data, it is now being extended to having a national database of all school children and their results in tests. There might possibly be some merit in such a system were it not for the fact that the government have as much idea of how to keep data secure as David Cameron knows what it is like to be poor. At every opportunity, be driving license information, child benefit, pensioners details, in fact just about any walk of life that the government collects data on can ...

Dinner with Dale

Top Tory blogger Iain Dale came to Oxford last night, speaking at a joint event hosted by the Oxford Union and the student Conservatives. I got wind of the invitation about a month ago, and immediately dashed off an email to Ed Waldegrave, the Vice-President of the Union. The slightly quirky debating society usually treats its guest speakers to dinner beforehand, and there are usually half a dozen spaces for ordinary students to come along. I told Ed a load of guff about being a talented and influential Lib Dem blogger; somehow, he bought it, and I got my invite. ...

I like this idea

Over at Reason its asked Why Don’t We Incapacitate Drunk Drivers The usual means to punish drunk drivers is to suspend or revoke their driver’s license. Whilst this will work as a punishment for some others will just continue to drive, often whilst drunk. This punishment hits the repentant who stop drink driving, but it costs them [...]

The infantilism of the British Snob

Last night I had the privilege to attend a dinner in central London hosting the President of Lithuania, Valdas Adamkus. It was a hugely well attended event, with a variety of different attendees. The bulk of the guests were members of the UK's large Lithuanian diaspora. Some were those forced to leave Lithuania by the Soviet occupation. Some were more recent arrivals. Others were those, like myself, who have very long standing connections with Lithuania and the fight for freedom and independence. I was proud to have the honour to be presented to the President in a short meeting that ...

Derek Conway to keep £13,000pa bonus job

This is what ConservativeHome has to say about the story in today's Independent: If Britain's political establishment is looking for ways of regaining the public's trust they should look to restore the link between good conduct and status. Extra transparency is welcome but more important is decisive action against those who do not meet basic standards of behaviour. The failure of ineffective

...and so the Post Office closures start...

The news is starting to get out about the anticipated Post Office closures that the Labour Government is trying to force through... South End Green, Hampstead England's Lane, BelsizeChild's Hill, Barnet Highgate Village East Finchley Alexandra Park Road, Haringey Penine Parade, Barnet Glebe Road, Finchley Watford Way CricklewoodSome of this just feels like spite - it isn't something that many of the post offices themselves want, there has been no real process for discussing this at all and the consultation is notoriously slow and unresponsive.South End Green is especially cruel after the battle to save it two years ago - ...

Well done Spielberg

Many of you will recall I have written before on the need for china to take it's international responsibilities more seriously, particularly in relation to Darfur. This is why I applaud Steven Spielberg in withdrawing from his role as an artistic adviser to the Olympic games over Darfur.

Goose of the Day

Heart-warming news from the Shropshire Star: Love is in the air for Colin the Shropshire goose who has found his sweetheart in time for Valentines Day. Colin, the friendly gander of Whispering Trees Stables in Highley, has finally found his perfect partner - Lucy, from Stretton Westwood, Much Wenlock.Well done, Colin. All of which brings to mind the old joke: My goose comes from Shropshire. Much Wenlock There is now she's met Colin.

Graham Harvey's blog

Graham Harvey, my favourite environmental writer, has a blog: News from the Grassroots.

Gambler sues betting shop for allowing him to gamble

A story doing the rounds on BBC News 24 today concerns a gambler who is suing William Hill for £2 million for um… letting him gamble. "I’m sorry, what" Now, I’ve only been in to William Hill once (go Obama!), but I’m fairly confident that their sole business is betting. This case has arisen because Graham Calvert, [...]

Are the Clintons really this corrupt

Reason brings some speculation over less well known pardons by former president Clinton to my attention. President Clinton pardoned some Puerto Rican terrorists for no apparent reason. It is claimed that the reason was to boost Hillary Clinton’s campaign for the Senate. Pardoning terrorists, outside of a peace deal, is a worrying event and doesn’t exactly give [...]

(No) Planning for Cycling at the Princess Mary Hospital Development

{taken form the AVDC planning website; the 'Gree Roots' here are not what you think} Here is the major part of a very good response to the PMH planning application written by Brian Bostock. This is a very detailed and constructive review of the all important but always overlooked aspect of sustainable routs. Nowhere in the text of this document (he is talking about the 'Transport Statment') can I find any reference to the needs of cyclists. This seems remiss bearing in mind the need to minimise local car journeys. Whilst the various supporting drawings show footpath/cycleways it is not ...

Day 2596: DOCTOR WHO: Dead London

Sunday Returning for a "new series" are the stars of BBC7's Radio Series "Doctor Who", sadly only on Big Fish CD this year it would seem. Mr Paul McGann is "the Doctor", Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, and Ms Sheridan Smith is his current chum, feisty Lucie Miller. It's great to have them back, but what a shame that BBC7 seems to have passed on the opportunity to bring them to a wider audience. I hope it is only because "Torchwood" has nicked the "between Christmas and Easter" slot! Here is Daddy Richard's review of the new series debut: ...

David Camerons new pledge: Im a socialist jihadist conservative

Cameron’s Conservatives have taken their broad church to new limits this week by recruiting a former RESPECT councillor in Tower Hamlets. Ahmed Hussain, who is also a Muslim and a member of the Socialist Worker Party was welcomed into the fold by “four jobs” Bob Neill. His defection makes the Conservative Group the official opposition on Tower Hamlets council. Furthermore: …his move comes as a bitter blow to council leader Denise Jones and Poplar & Canning Town MP Jim Fitzpatrick, both of whom are understood to have written glowing references to London party chief Ken Clark. This is another chapter ...

"Inevitable variations" or "Council fcuk up"

In my creed, waste of public money is like the sin against the Holy Ghost John Morley, 1st Viscount of Blackburn http://www.west-somerset- today.co.uk/today/options/news/newsdetail.cfmid=52532

Sending Welsh Children to Prison Fails to Cut Reoffending

Claire Rayner once said that statistics showed that crime rates could be halved by the simple expedient of locking up the male population between the ages of 18 and 25. It seems from Jenny Willott's latest research that the government has already embarked on this scheme. The next stage is to lock children up for longer. ;-( The alternative may be more expensive in the short term, but will surely save money and contribute to a better society in the long. As Jenny says: "We should focus our efforts on restorative justice programmes where communities have the powers to establish ...

What are tuition fees spent on

Not sure I quite agree with the front page Guardian headline today: Tuition fees favour the rich - new study. When you read the detail, it turns out that the Sutton Trust report is somewhat more nuanced than that. It isn’t the tuition fees policy alone that has lead to the current situation of declining participation rates in higher education for people of lower socio-economic backgrounds, it is a range of factors including the government’s failure to promote its own bursary schemes adequately. Nonetheless, it is ironic that the Labour government, which is so fond of using legislation to “send ...

All-Ethnic-Minority shortlists

Apparently Birmingham Labour Party are up in arms about the prospect of all-ethnic-minority shortlists. Whilst Labour are fighting about this latest proposal, the Liberal Democrats in Birmingham are actually selecting ethnic minorities as candidates in winnable seats.

The dilemma of the placebo

A bomb is about to go off, blowing up hundreds of innocent people. One terrorist knows the location. Youve got them in custody. Do you torture them to find out where it is Thus runs the common moral dilemma beloved of Hollywood movies and TV shows, frequently these days it seems staring Kiefer Sutherland. Are you [...]

Realpolitik 14: Whats that buzzing

Listen to the podcast: In this weeks Realpolitik podcast with myself and Richard Holloway: Every child in school will become a number, not a name. ISPs and illegal downloads. The Archbishop faces the music and sparks a debate on Sharia law in Britain. But how much of it was him, and how much the media Can you hear the mosquito, [...]

Read the letter sent to China by world's nobel laureates...

Link to Independent newspaper:

A Strange Education

Education is the most important thing for many people in the electorate. Everyone loves kids, right But some kids are bad, and those kids shouldn't be close to my kids. The fact is that education policy is driven by a general cause to annoy as many people as possible. We lump everyone in together and people complain that their kids aren't getting a fair chance - it's appeasing NIMBYism by putting together a policy to aggravate it. So, of course, I must have an idea of how to do these things, eh Unsurprisingly, yes. The fact is that children are ...

The Russians Have Come

Over the years that I have been coming to Sharm El Sheikh — a regular stop for the cruise ships I lecture on — I’ve observed the town’s growing Russification. A high percentage of the shops in the Old Market now have their signage in cyrillic, and Russian is the foreign language you hear most [...]

Fairtrade Fortnight approaches

As our preparations gather pace here in Stockton I've just been told about a really useful website. The price comparison site, mysupermarket.com, has put up a page for some of the main supermarkets showing what Fairtrade products are available and at what price. The list includes three of the big ones in this area (and if you try all 3 links there you'll find out which ones). There's also a

Its All Because

Why has it all gone so wrong for the poor Archbishop of Canterbury Why is brave, righteous President Bush so unpopular that even the Republican candidates wont go near him Why is there so much binge-drinking Why do kids get ASBOs And whats the real cause of global warming This video has the answer. Happy Valentines Day! {Posted by Picasa} I love you, Richard.

Clean up to be backed by Council

A clean up of Redland Park & Carrs woodland organised by Cllrs Tim Ball & Gerry Curran will take place on Saturday February 23rd. The Council have agreed to back the clean up and will be providing bags and a lorry to take the rubbish away. Somer Housing have already started a clean up after a meeting with Ward Councillors a few weeks ago and the council have also litter picked several...

Executive Committee 13 February 2008

Last night was the meeting of the Council’s Executive Committee, on which I serve as one of the opposition group leaders. This was a special meeting of the Executive to receive reports relating to the Council’s budget for next year (2008-2009). Finance Report for this Year The Council is expecting to end the year with a relatively small deficit (£233, ooo) in the current financial year. The main area of additional spending is in the adult care services area - some overspending in Physical Disability Services, but mostly a large ovespend in Learning Disability Services. These services are obviously dificult ...

Blunders at Boriss crime launch

The Telegraph: Boris’s criminal blunder It wouldn’t be Boris without a bit of a shambles. and The Mirror, picking up on Boris’s past involvement with Darius Guppy: Bumbling Boris can’t get his story straight It seemed like a reasonable question to a man who wants trusting with solving London’s crime ills. “Are you sorry you helped a friend plan a violent [...]

Fighting to restore a free education

Tempting as it is to say 'I told you so', it is perhaps more appropriate to reflect on the very sobering results of the latest research into the impact of Labour's punitive and unfair tuition fee regime on higher education. The Guardian reports that a Staffordshire University study has shown that many students from poor backgrounds are being put off university because they are afraid of getting into debt. Very few of them know about bursaries or maintenance grants on offer. Nearly two-thirds of pupils who decided not to seek higher education cited anxieties about money as their reason. The ...

Well done to Plaid Cymru

It is unusual for this blog to praise Plaid Cymru but today I am going to make an exception. The occasion is the little Valentine's Day gift to their Labour coalition partners - an easy to use website which enables trade unionists to stop making contributions to Labour-affiliated political funds. It has certainly been the case for too long that Trade Unionists paying into a political fund have, in many cases, been unwittingly subsidising the Labour Party. A great number of them are not aware of this fact nor of how to navigate the red tape that has often been ...

Highgate Village Post Office under threat

Bastards! So the Government is planning on closing Highgate Village Post Office. The whole closure program is daft - and the closure of this sub-post office has all over it the hallmarks of out-of-touch bureaucrats who don't understand the local situation running amok and out of control.The near-by Archway Road Post Office is over subscribed and you have to queue for half an hour just to get to the counter - and that's at the moment, let alone after any closure in Highgate.Our Highgate Post Office is needed. It serves the community. We love it. How dare theyWell - they've ...

Polling day in Leyton - oh, and Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day started early for me - with my alarm going off at 4.15am. Out of the house by 4.30 and on the way to Leyton, where today is polling day for the council by-election. The by-election was caused by the removal of disgraced Labour councillor Miranda Grell following 2006's election campaign. You can find plenty of details on all that by doing a Google search, so I'm not going to go into it now. Our candidate is Winnie Smith and a team of us from Haringey - including our own by-election candidate (for Highgate & Archway on March 6th), ...

President Blair

Dream or nightmare David Miliband thinks he might have priced himself out of the market anyway...

It's said that .......

"When greatness descends from its lofty pedestal, it assumes human dimensions." Louise Colet 1810-1870. Here's this weeks column from Jeremy Browne MP. http://www.tauntonlibdems.org.uk/column.phpid=336

US blogs

The temporary folklore before the nominee’s decided: Daily Kos - Obama Central (along with the Huffington Post and Crooks and Liars) In that case I nominate www.theleftcoaster.com as Hillary Central! Oh my word, I do find the left coaster whiney! Let battle commence!

Nick - There is no shame in admitting you got it wrong

One of Nick Clegg's USPs as far as I am concerned is his transparent honesty. Now is the time for him to demonstrate this by knocking this referendum bunkum on the head once and for all. From where i sit he was bounced into this position by his predecessor. If we can't understand the reality that our apparent U turn on a referendum on the constitution/treaty looks like that to our electorate we understand jack (!) Whatever our position on the need or not for a referendum, we committed to it, we were prepared to argue our case. I hope ...

Keep Redcar's Post Offices Open

Pictured outside Park Avenue Post Office in Redcar, which is threatened with closure, along with Lazenby Post Office, under the Labour Governments plans to axe 2500 post offices are left to right Cllr Glynis Abbott, Cllr Joyce Benbow, Cllr Chris Abbott, Cllr Mary Ovens and Lib Dem Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Redcar Ian Swales

Day 2595: Fire and Brimstone

Saturday: Camden Market ablaze. Archpillock of Canterbury. You can make you own jokes up, frankly.

Day 2594: Carry On Columbus

Friday News from space, as the American shuttle Atlantis lifts off to carry the new European space laboratory to the international space station. The laboratory is called Columbus after the director of the Harry Potter films, and will be using Wingardium Leviosa to get into orbit. No, sorry, I made that last bit up. ACTUALLY, hard-working 24-hour Polish plumber-nauts have now bolted the Columbus onto the rest of the space station and it is ready to begin its ten-year mission to boldly oh, you know the drill. Meanwhile, preparations are being made for the launch of the European Space programme's ...

Thursday 14th February 2008

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