LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Friday 22nd February 2008

More political than the politicians

Sorry to sully what ought to be a purely political blog with yet another Formula 1 story, but I saw this article and couldn't resist. This is such hilariously-bungled spin that it almost feels more at home on a political website than a motor-racing one. Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher, less talented and more annoying younger brother of world champion Michael, was fired last season by his team, Toyota. He's spent the whole of the winter break desperately trying to find himself a team for 2008. He sucked up to McLaren in the press when they were looking for a ...

Labour unveils its Top 50 Achievements since 1997

The Labour Party: 'On the side of hard-working families', have unveiled their top 50 list of achievements since they came to power in 1997. They apparently "have revolutionised the lives of British people" I like the free fruit for most three and four year olds, but can't help wondering whether they are all what we could rate as 'great achievements', and whether they mostly include things any decent government should be doing anyway. And how do they compare with previous reforming Labour governments I'm starting a list of achievements not mentioned: 1. 100, 000 (or more) innocent Iraqi's killed 2. ...

The return of The Zombies

A respite from this blog's obsession with the Spencer Davis Group: there is an article in today's Guardian on the 1960s British group The Zombies. They are reforming after 40 years in the face of the mythic status their album Odessey and Oracle has acquired. (I discovered it myself a couple of years ago.) Chris White, the bass player who wrote the group's songs along with Rod Argent says: Even till the late 70s we were seen as a curiosity - a band who never quite made it - and then slowly in the 80s and 90s you found young ...

House Points: The nationalisation of everyday life

This is my House Points column from today's Liberal Democrat News. Back to the Future Remember Life on Mars Sam Tyler had an accident and woke up in 1973. Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time Whatever's happened, it's like I've landed on a different planet. With the government rushing through a bill to nationalise Northern Rock, we have all been living on that planet this week. Turn on the television and you expect to see Z Cars, Crossroads or Nationwide. Turn on the radio and its Alvin Stardust or the Bay City Rollers. And for dinner ...

Will Livingstone be "Red Faced" Ken over the Linford issue

If we are to believe the words of Linford Christie's agent, Ken livingstone ha been telling lies over the decision to invite her client to be a torchbearer for the Olympic torch whilst it travels around the UK. Whoever made the decision to invite Linford Christie was very stupid in the first place. When drug taking is so high up the agenda of concerns about the Olympics this year, choosing someone who has a lifetime ban from the Olympics because he was found to have the steroid "nandralone" in his blood wias neither sensible or setting a good example. Of ...

Northern Rock: is Gordon or Dave faring worst

Much of the comment Lib Dem Voice has featured on Northern Rock has centred understandably on Vince Cables sure-footed performance as the partys shadow chancellor. Vince was, we all know, the first to warn of the impending credit crunch, and the first to advocate temporary nationalisation of Northern Rock as the least worst [...]

Word Association, Dave & Auschwitz

Synopsis For Those Who Somehow Havent Noticed: Dave and the Tories list 26 government initiatives, labelling them as gimmicks.One of the initiatives concerns government funding school trips to Auschwitz.Everyone goes a bit mental. Truly disgraceful (Ed Balls), beggars belief (still Ed Balls), sick (Jim Murphy), ignorant (still Jim Murphy), hurtful and offensive (Lord Janner). Et cetera. So, is Mr Balls right Is this truly disgraceful No children, Mr Balls is never right. Do not listen to Mr Balls. Have Dave and the Tories been politically naïve and, frankly, rather stupid Yes. In the original speech frontman Dave said: "Weve never ...

The law and order contradiction which makes no sense

In the wake of the two big murder trials that resulted in gulty verdicts this week, the police have called for an extension to the DNA database so that it covers every single adult in the UK. They say this would lead to an increased in detection rates and more people being locked up in prisin. Ironically, this is said by the police on the same day as the government have announced again that the prisons are full and that judges and magistrates are being encourage to give out "community" sentences rather than send criminals to prison. Does this seem ...

Reframing Barack Obama

The anti-Barack backlash has started. Respected economic commentator Robert Samuelson laments the Obama delusion. He critiques Senator Obamas policy planks and concludes: [Obama] has run on the vague promise of "change," but on issue after issue --immigration, the economy, global warming -- he has offered boilerplate policiesthat evade the underlying causes of the stalemates. These issues remain contentious because they involve real conflicts or differences of opinion. The contrast between his broad rhetoric and his narrow agenda is stark, and yet the press corps -- preoccupied with the political "horse race" -- has treated his invocation of "change" as a ...

Northern Rock attack backfires on Cameron - Cable emerges with honours

The Telegraph reports: Mr Camerons aggressive attacks on the Governments handling of the Northern Rock nationalisation had backfired. A YouGov poll for The Economist found that six out of 10 people thought the Tories were opposing nationalisation because they were playing with politics. And only a fifth of voters said the opposition would have handled the crisis better than the Government

Climate Change - Question Time - Warwick University

Last night I took part in a Question Time style debate on Climate Change as part of Warwick Universitys Go Green Week. The panel included representatives from each of the main parties, and a couple of experts on climate change. The event was very well attended and there were some challenging questions from the audience. The first question on Nuclear Power provoked some debate, with Jayne Innes from Labour taking the view that the decision to invest in new Nuclear power stations was the right one. I felt the general mood of the panel and the floor favoured our position ...

Oh What A Tangled Web They Wove

A Freedom of Information request has led to the publication of the Government's first draft of the weapons dossier that 'spun' the case for an invasion Iraq. Perhaps now we can have a full enqu...

Claremont Post Office Under Threat!

The Post Office Network Change list for Bristol and Somerset has been revealed in the press today. Four Bath Post Offices are down for closure and Liberal Democrat Councillors with threatened Post Offices in their wards are campaigning with Don Foster MP against the Government plans. Councillor Colin Darracott (Walcot) was appalled to learn that Claremont Post Office in Walcot is on the list, saying: Local people in Walcot will certainly be outraged to hear the Government is planning to close their Post Office. It is a focal point of local life in the community and certainly contributes to keeping ...

Disgraceful remark by Cameron: Auschwitz trips are "gimmick"

The Guardian reports: David Cameron was branded "sick and ignorant" today and urged to apologise for describing school trips to Auschwitz as a headline-grabbing "gimmick". The Tory leader sparked a major political row when he condemned educational visits to the concentration camp to teach pupils about the Holocaust. Cameron told a Conservative "North West Conference" in Bolton that Gordon

Electronic Voting in Holland

The link is to a story as to how it was proven that electronic voting is unreliable and opaque in Holland.

A youtube video about the CAFCASS report

Is a Liberal Democrat MP the front man for profligacy at the House of Commons

It seems that the only time a Liberal Democrat answers questions about spending decisions is when Nick Harvey MP acts as spokesman for the Commons Commission. I realise that this body is cross-party in composition and is chaired by the Speaker. But my unease is increasing at having a Liberal Democrat giving answers which reveal what might easily be perceived to be a less than a stringent approach

Results: Thursday 21st February 2008.

Camden LBC, Fortune Green LD Nancy Jirira 1206 (51.5; +4.0), Con 551 (23.5; +1.6), Lab 405 (17.3; -1.7), Green 178 (7.6; -4.0). Majority 655. Turnout 30.2%. LD hold. Last fought 2006. Corby BC, Oakley Vale Con 405 (49.9; +6.6), Lab 267 (32.9; -0.5), LD Scott Ponton 140 (17.2; +3.0), [Ind (0.0; -9.1)]. Majority 138. Turnout 18.7%. Con hold. Last fought 2007. Dartford BC, Princes Lab 592 (50.2; +

Gender balance piss up

I have just received my copy of the Liverpool Agenda and Directory for the Spring Conference. Flicking through it I see that the Campaign for Gender Balance blog awards are now taking place between 2000-2115 on Sat 8th Mar at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Canada Suite. Before I decide whether or not to go (no lying Jo A, just so I don't go) can you tell me - who amongst you is planning on going Secondly, anyone know if there will be refreshments Thirdly, and perhaps more importantly, will there be a bar I understand it's customary for all the ...

It's not the ID card, it's the database behind it that matters

Most of us carry identification of one sort or another with us - driving licence, work ID card, passport, membership cards - so what is different about the National ID card proposed by the Labour Government American and European friends have been surprised that I am so against the proposals; after all, they've had such cards for many years. But don't be lulled by the term...

In Case Anyone Was Wondering

Yes, I'm still very much alive. I've recently had the privilege to join the Folkestone Lions and look forward to working with my friends in the Club to make a difference to the local area and internationally. I've also been providing training to various organisations in London and Kent and talking to others about training their staff. I'm about to go to Croatia for a significant period of time to provide small and medium enterprise development policy advice to the Croatian Government as part of their efforts to meet the requirements to join the EU. This will also involve a ...

Bath Motorists hit by Tory Stealth taxes

At Budget council meeting on February 19th I asked the following questions of the executive member for customer services about parking charges in Bath & North East Somerset. These questions followed on from my comments at the previous week's cabinet meeting when he refuted my allegations about Bath bearing the brunt of any increases in parking charges. Well excuse me for being cynical...

Pour water on this crisis now

Terrible news coming out of Kosovo that Russia's ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin has stated that Russia would be willing to use military force in Kosovo if the situation "escalates". The Cold War wasn't fun the first time and should be avoided at all costs. We nearly faced Armageddon in November 1983 (its true read the link), and another great power stand off would be disastrous. Its very worrying when we have McCain threatening to essentially destroy any relations with Russia by kicking them out of the G8. Russia is accusing British diplomats of being spies and a man wanted ...

Britain's New Model Army

Robert Fox, of the First Post, thinks that now is the time to completing restructure Britain's armed forces to meet 21st century requirements. I do not pretend to know very much about military matters but his core proposals seem very sensible. He suggests that we keep spending at around 2% of GDP, as it is now, (roughly £35 billion). He believes our troops should be trained increasingly in humanitarian and disaster relief as well as counter insurgency skills. He wants a GI bill equivalent, a Foreign Legion, streamlining of headquarters and officers, the RAF to be held at 40,000 personnel ...

Party Reform Commission: Will it work

I was very pleased with Nick Clegg's decision to set up the Party Reform Commission under Chris Bones. It is an indication that Clegg has an awareness of the importance of party management and that he recognises the need for change. Both of which I warmly welcome. But, and you knew there was going to be a but, I do have some significant reservations about the exercise. Given the lack of recent

When "hostility" to nationalisation means being in favour of it

Another day goes by. And so does another posture from David Anderson, the "working class" former Unison big knob who now trots about Westminster as Labour MP for Blaydon. Mr Anderson was a fan of nationalisation. Rail, coal, utilities, and plenty of others I can mention and he's called for them to be nationalised in the past. On 19th November last year, he praised Unison members for "taking

We need to kick out the old guard!

Having watched QT on VoD I thought that Vince missed the point on extraordinary rendition. The problem is that this Government is so rooted in old thinking and old systems (almost psychological orthodoxies) that they didn’t think to look at Diego Garcia as a crafty move by the US. Not only that it’s not as if [...]

Labour's wrecking amendment ruins debate on Post Office Closures

Pictured below L to R Cllr Glyn Nightingale, Ian Swales Lib Dem PPC for Redcar, Cllr Eric Empsom campaigning at Lazenby Post Office under threat from Labour Government cuts.Yesterday we proposed a motion calling on the Council to campaign against proposals to close four Post offices in the Borough of Redcar & Cleveland it read: This Council notes with concern that the following Post Office branches are proposed for closure as part of the Post Office Area Plan: Charltons, Charltons, Saltburn-By-The-Sea. Moorsholm, 44 High Street, Moorsholm, Saltburn-by-the-Sea. Lazenby, Lazenby Post Office, 23 High Street, Lazenby, Middlesbrough. Park Avenue, Park Avenue, ...

Transport Network Committee

This morning I did my overall sex-appeal no harm at all by attending the Transport Network Committee of Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority. A couple of items may be of particular note to Bury. First off there has been a decision to do away with the X35 bus service which operates more or less non-stop between Bury and Manchester. It isn’t well used, which is the reason for its withdrawal after a trial period, although I imagine that the people who do use it may be annoyed to find that their quick bus service has gone. This annoyance will be ...

Plaid squabble amongst themselves

The One Wales' Government decision to renege on its commitment to fund a Welsh Language daily newspaper is apparently causing waves within Plaid Cymru, with former MP and AM, Cynog Dafis wading into the fray. According to the BBC he is one of a number of Plaid voices to attack the move not to give more funds to Y Byd, accusing Heritage Minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas of "betraying" a pledge to set up a Welsh language newspaper: Mr Dafis and a number of other long-standing Plaid supporters have written to Mr Thomas, accusing him of "betraying a manifesto commitment" to ...

Honey of the Week Sarah Teather

Bein a cockney nut-job, Julian H used tread cockney nut-job paper the fain Evenin Standard. This wuz raaaand the time that Julian H was just a young teapot, doin is GCSEs n A-levels (ooh err) at iz cockney school. The little cant. Ed read it on the John Wayne, learnin all abaaaat fings like cockney aaaaass prices, n cockney celebrities, n orrible migrants to Cockneyland (n how they take all the cockneys jobs, the cants), n then for tha next ten years ed read all abaaat the Cockney Princess Diana. One day e read abaaat ow a cockney woman called ...

A Secondary consideration

Whilst the attention of Parliament was turned to Northern Rock yesterday afternoon, I was busy in another part of the House dealing with the secondary legislation bringing in the first tranche of new unitary authorities (Cornwall, Durham, Northumberland, Shropshire and Wiltshire). New Acts of Parliament have always contained secondary legislation or delegated powers, (known variously as regulations, orders and statutory instruments) which bring in the details of the Act, and deal with aspects which might need regular change and where it would be impractical to keep bringing in completely new Acts of Parliament to make minor alterations. The original Act ...

Channel 4 Political Slot

Nick Clegg's recent piece explaining why he is opposed to ID cards. You can also sign the LibDem petition against ID cards at: http://www.libdems.org.uk/noidcards

Letter in Borehamwood Times

I’ve got a letter in the Borehamwood Times this week regarding the Tory Council’s failure to provide enough recycling facilities. Read it here.

Are you on your way to the Forum

Dont forget, if youre a party member you can register for the Lib Dem Voice members forum - in which case you get to read and post on a rich variety of topics which dont always make it into the public blog. Heres a selection of the currently active threads to whet your appetites: * PPCs [...]

Woman hating, male chauvinistic pig

In her post Comment is Free Jo Christie-Smith asked; Is it me, or if you are going to be given a platform on something as well read as Comment is Free, might it just be a little bit reasonable for you to check your facts before launching into an attack on what somebody is suggesting In answer to your question Jo, no its not just you. As someone who has often been misunderstood for his comments on gender balance I too wish people would actually read what has been put in front of them rather than merely see what they ...

Graham's blog entry Friday 22 February

The February week in Strasbourg is often a quiet one and this was no exception. The journalists who made the trek down here found it difficult to justify their presence. Our main debate was a self-congratulatory affair of the kind which grates with me: we debated and later approved by almost 4 to 1 a recommendation that Parliament approve the Lisbon Treaty. While in London or in Dublin the Treaty's opponents seem to be making all the headlines, here they simply came dressed in yellow sweatshirts accusing the majority of "chickening out" of a referendum. The Speaker was applauded when ...

Is this why Lee Jasper was reported to the police

Ken Livingstone tells the world he is getting the police to investigate he senior adviser Lee Jasper. Except that he doesn’t then give the police any specific criminal allegations to investigate. Result The police say To date there have been no criminal allegations reported to us in connection with this individual. All a bit odd you might think. Why [...]

Derrick Ashong has another video

Here's his response to his interview and his emotional argument for BHO.

The most articulate support for Obama I've seen

Watch Derrick Ashong below. Compare this with an elected official looking like an idiot.

Variation of Waiting Restrictions

Below is the Notice of Proposal relating to a Traffic Order - the full schedule for the whole of the City will appear in tonight's Evening Telegraph, but I have indicated those parts of the schedule that cover proposals in respect of streets in the West End Ward :DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL (VARIATION OF WAITING RESTRICTIONS) ORDER 2008 Dundee City Council propose to make an Order under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose of varying the provisions of several Waiting Restriction Orders affecting the City. The effect of the Order ...

Diego... sweaty

British citizens have been puzzled recently to learn that their government runs a faraway island, which sounds very much like a Paraguayan folk singer. They were further baffled to learn that Diego Garcia is actually in the Indian Ocean, that neither British people nor its indigenous Chagossians live there (because we booted them out), and that we let the US employ said lump of rock to ferry Afghans off for waterboarding fun. The anthropologist Sean Carey has written quite widely on justice for the Chagossian people, who were chucked off the island in 1973. Anyway, I have resolved that since ...

Enough from Fayed already

As another day passes in the seemingly interminable inquest into the death of Diana, I am sure that I am not alone in losing patience with Mohamed Fayed. Fayed (the Al- prefix is an honorific like the German Von- which he is not entitled to use) has over the years been repeatedly condemned as a dishonest and rather brutal individual who tends to use threats and bluster as part of his normal business. His illegal dismissals of staff at Harrods for example have, on more than one occasion, seen him condemned by the British legal system over several years. Therefore ...

Serbs you right

So rioters in the Serb capital, Belgrade, attack embassies of countries they are angry with for recognising Kosovo's independence. The Serb government belatedly sends in riot police and the government condemns the actions of thugs. Is anyone convinced Not me. The utterly depressing conclusion one must come to is simply 'here we go again'. Still it makes the decision about Serbia joining the EU a simple one. The phrase 'when Hell freezes over' should be communicated in the diplomatic post to the democrats of Belgrade. In response to an earlier posting on Kosovo's independence, I receivd a highly intemperate anonymous ...

Eat your heart out Iain Dale

Iain Dale recently posted claiming to be the first to post a blog from the Oval Office of the White House. Well, I've gone one better (ok, sort of). This post is coming to you from the Office of the President of Mozambique - Armando Guebuza. And the President is in the room meeting with the members of the African Liberal Network. More soon...

This morning's good news

Another cracking by-election result yesterday, for our neighbours in Camden in the ward of Fortune Green (not to be confused with my own of Fortis Green here in Haringey). We held the seat with no problem at all. With an increased majority and increased share of the vote, seems the residents like what the Lib Dems are doing with the council. The result was: Lib Dem Nancy Jirira 1206 Con 551 Lab 405 Grn 178 Particularly good news, as unusually I wasn't able to go and deliver good morning leaflets for once (due to work commitments). So I might have ...

Diego Garcia: Not just extraordinary rendition

After yesterday’s confession, comes the political analysis and reaction from Anthony Barnett of Our Kingdom, reminding us that the UK soil in question, Diego Garcia, has also been home to other human rights abuses: "It is appalling and shameful but believable that senior front-benchers preparing for Question Time never asked whether there are any British troops [...]

And now for the binge drinking!

Jacqui “Wimp-ass” Smith recently revealed a further segment of her not-so-secret agenda to turn the entire nation into wet-eyed clones of herself by clamping down on underage drinkers in the streets. Presumably her ultimate aim is to secure a society where she feels safe to go out at night because there are no other people [...]

ID cards - the video

Many people might be aware that Liberal Democrats have consistently opposed the Labour Government's proposal for ID cards. We know that the terrorists who bombed Madrid station all had ID papers. We know that the terrorists who bombed London all had valid papers. It's a nonsense to say that cards will stop terrorism. It's a nonsense to say that we need to spend £7,500,000,000 on producing

Comment is Free contributors may well be able to write, but they don't all seem to be able to read very well....

Grrrrr! Is it me, or if you are going to be given a platform on something as well read as Comment is Free, might it just be a little bit reasonable for you to check your facts before launching into an attack on what somebody is suggesting A while back, Brian Paddick spoke about making public transport at night more women friendly by putting guards on certain trains late at night. He was reported as saying such in the Guardian which reported it as 'women friendly' That's not women only, but women friendly. The article goes on to say that: ...

Putting things into perspective

As the media frenzy continues around the number of teen suicides in the County Borough of Bridgend (note: not the town), it is worth recording that the area's suicide rate whilst high, is less than other counties in Wales like Carmarthen and Neath Port Talbot. With thanks to party member and Council candidate, Gary Lewis for reminding me of those statistics.

Opinion: Britains Town Centres - Designed for Disorder

Last Saturday night I decided to go and buy a loaf of bread. Since I live in the centre of town and dont own a car, this was a challenge in itself but thats definitely a theme for another day. What it meant, however was that I came face to face with the reality of [...]

Why is it that .....

despite breakthroughs in medical research the THREAT of this disease seems omnipresent in our hospitals Is it the case, as Private Fraser was wont to yell in Dad's Army ; "We're all doomed". Or can we ever hope to halt its spread Let's hope its the latter because; I'm sick of it.

The use of language

There are times in politics when apparently innocuous language can hide some pretty appalling acts. The phrase 'extraordinary rendition' is a case in point. As a language construct it is fairly meaningless, however as it is practised by the United States and their allies it amounts to the illegal kidnapping and torture of individuals in breach of their rights and of international law. That so many people have come to accept its use without a mass demonstration of outrage outside the American Embassy underlines how innoculated we have become to some of the attrocities going on around us. It is ...

Foreign Hackers Stealing American Health Records

I really don't know what to make of this. Stealing for national security reasons Stealing to sell to insurers Just a joke What do you reckon

Student Politics gets a bit more professional

A friend of mine from school is running the campaign for President of the Edinburgh University Student Association for a guy named Harry Cole. He's running as an independent but he was formerly involved with the university conservatives and his manifesto video (below) looks startlingly similar to a Tory one released at conference (also below). Still, very slick. I'll be very impressed if they manage to get a Tory elected as President of a Student Union. More info here.

Friday 22nd February 2008

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