Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody dies
BBC has just broken the sad news of her death. Gwyneth Dunwoody was one of those rare MPs who won respect and admiration from members of all political parties. Thursday 17th April 2008
11:48 pm
BBC has just broken the sad news of her death. Gwyneth Dunwoody was one of those rare MPs who won respect and admiration from members of all political parties. 
11:46 pm
Gwyneth Dunwoody has died
Iain Dale broke the news here. Now the BBC is reporting the news too. There is a biography of Gwyneth Dunwoody on her own website. She was a voice of sanity on transport and, as a select committee chair, more than a match for most ministers. 11:38 pm
The US Army on peak oil
The US Army has published a report "Energy Trends and Their Implications for U.S. Army Installations". On page 8: "Oil production is approaching its peak; low growth in availability can be expected for the next 5 to 10 years." They don't say what will happen next, though. Encouragingly, when talking about security implications, they're not lobbying for more work, but say: "A more equitable distribution of resources is in our best interest for a peaceful future" 11:35 pm
Card cloning
My bank account has now been defrauded for the third time since Christmas. For the second time now my card has been cloned and somebody has fed it multiple times into an overseas ATM. I wonder why Barclays don't contact me when this happening, like other banks do. I am trying to phone them to tell them, but they don't have anybody answering phones after 11pm, like other banks do. Barclays really 11:31 pm
Angela Smith wrestles with her conscience - and wins
It seems that Angela Smith is not going to resign as a PPS after all. The Guardian reports: Gordon Brown tonight scrambled to persuade a junior ministerial aide not to resign from the government over a decision to abolish the 10p tax rate. Angela Smith, parliamentary private secretary to Yvette Cooper, the chief secretary to the Treasury, told friends she was unhappy about the abolition, which will leave some lower-paid single people and childless couples worse off. A government source said the prime minister spoke to Smith in a transatlantic phone call during his US visit in an effort to ... 11:27 pm
Is a private US firm about to take over a key part of our health services
Sorry about the short notice but I've just discovered that our local Health Service is consulting about out-of-hours GP services - and we only have until Friday to respond. Our out-of-hours services are the people who provide help when we are at our sickest. They are the doctors who come and look after us when we call them out in the dead of night or who we can go to - currently Camidoc. Without them, every time we got ill in the middle of the night we'd have to drag our sickly selves to A&E - which is not what ... 10:48 pm
Green
This is probably the slickest party political video I've seen this side of the pond: I might not agree with everything they say, but it is very, very well produced. (ps. can you see my google ads I can't, but I think they do that on purpose) 10:35 pm
When carrying out experiments...
Not much experimenting in S104 lately, till today, measuring the specific heat capacity of water. The first safety precaution "keep children and animals away while you are working" proved difficult to implement... 10:28 pm
Little Linguistic Oddities
So we were in town this afternoon, and {[info]} shrublette was being careful not to tread on the Pavement Cracks, and {[info]} matgb asked why. Despite having read Hogfather, he still was unaware of the trope that if you tread on the cracks in the pavement, the bears will get you. I found this slightly understandable, as I had heard variations on it (such as the devil), but apparently he had no idea that anything specific might happen if you tread on pavement cracks, just something bad, maybe involving monsters of some kind... View Poll: Pavement Crack Enforcement Zone PS, ... 10:22 pm
I was beginning to feel sorry for Gordon Brown..........but now he has really cooked his goose!
Today I have found myself feeling a little sorry for Gordo. Maybe he was promoted to his level of incompetence, but he meant well, didn't he Yes, we have an economic crisis, but that has more to do with the US (and not a little to do with the trillions they are spending on their illegal war) doesn't it But...............I just heard what he said about Bush being a great world leader. PLEASE.......PASS THE SICK BAG!!!!! I am sorry, be polite, be diplomatic, be respectful if you must, but do not give that monster any credit for greatness or leadership. ... 9:45 pm
BBC Question Time: open thread
Liberal Democrat shadow housing minister Lembit Opik is one of the panellists on tonights Question Time, which returns after its Easter-ish break (and is broadcast on BBC1 and online from 10.35 pm GMT). The panel will include the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Harriet Harman, the chairman of the Conservative Party Caroline Spelman, the author [...] 9:43 pm
The West Wing
Im on episode 12 of season one after buying the hideously overpriced boxset (considering its over 8 years old). I wasn't sophisticated enough at the age of 19... Somethings happening in Kashmir and there have been lots of serious war discussions with President Bartlett and Leo in attendance. There has been plenty of pacing up and down never-ending corridors (just like they do in comedy sketches) and energetic staff getting over-excited about a misplaced h in Delhi and going to bed with nice ladies only to find out theyre nasty call girls raising money for law degrees. Tut tut. Not ... 9:36 pm
Russia hits oil peak
The FT reports that Leonid Fedun, vice-president of Lukoil says Russia's oil production has peaked. Why does that matter Because Russia is the world's second largest oil producer, just a shade behind Saudi Arabia, and a shade in front of the USA. All these countries produce more than double the amount that Iran, placed fourth, does. It's also the second largest oil exporter, way ahead of Norway (yes, Norway) in third place. The USA's production peaked decades ago, and Saudi Arabia is notoriously secretive about its reserves and future production capacity, and there's been a notion that we're going to ... 9:34 pm
Back to surgeries ... and joint surgeries ...
With the school holidays over, it was back to West End Ward surgeries tonight. These are : Mitchell Street Centre - Mitchell Street (The Base) - Thursdays - 5 pm prompt (except school holidays) Harris Academy, Perth Road (Room 407) - Thursdays - 5.30 pm (prompt) (except school holidays) Blackness Primary School (Staff Room) - Thursdays - 6.15 pm (prompt) (except school holidays) In addition to my usual surgeries, I am doing a joint Students' Surgery a week on Friday at Dundee University Students' Association with Alison McInnes MSP, LibDem MSP for North East Scotland (click on headline for the ... 9:29 pm
The Brown coronation has gone horribly wrong
It has taken a year to get the first Labour resignation over the axing of the 10p rate. Angela Smith has resigned as PPS to Yvette Cooper, even though she voted for the budget resolutions last month and was part of the Treasury team that introduced this measure. That aside, it does show the developing mire into which Labour are sinking. Labour were supposed to be saved by the coronation of Brown. 9:24 pm
Hayek's The Constitution of Liberty
It took me a while to read Friedrich Hayek's The Constitution of Liberty. I finished it when I was on holiday in the US, which is quite apt. The book was published in 1960 when the author was teaching at the University of Chicago. It is certainly worth a read if you are interested in politics and liberalism. It isn't the easiest of books, Hayek's style doesn't always flow. What it does do is to provide a careful definition of liberty and then goes on to argue what is needed to guarantee a free society. You may agree or disagree ... 8:33 pm
Good Samaritan
A quick post. The Metro reports that drivers drove around the dying body of a cyclist, with one motorist driving over and breaking the cyclists legs. He was knocked down by joydrivers. In many parts of the world there are Good Samaritan laws indeed the last episode of Seinfeld is based on just such as law. These come in two types: one law which protects life-savers from compensation claims, the second which legally compels individuals to help in accidents if they are reasonably able to. Germany also requires all drivers to be qualified first aiders. A Kantian might have problems ... 6:52 pm
New Labour cracks open up
Well I never Gordon Brown has just been pronounced as the most boring man and if you thought that was bad enough well no it seems it is not. Gordon as you know had the reputation when he was the chancellor as always getting his own way; well it now seems that as he is now Prime Minister he is unable to instil the same influence. The revelation tonight that one of his Mps is... 6:39 pm
Will the Curse of Lembit strike down Ruth Reed
Building Design - "The Architects' Website" - reports that there are three candidates for the 2009-10 Presidency of the Royal Institute of British Architects. One of them may be in trouble, however, as the site reports that Ruth Reed "claims broad support from RIBA Council and Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik". Visit her nascent campaign website and, sure enough, Lembit's is the first endorsement you come across: Ive known Ruth Reed for many years personally and professionally - especially when she was President of the Royal Society of Architects in Wales. In my view she brings two outstanding personal qualities ... 6:09 pm
When is it right to lose your rag
Lib Dem blogger Alix Mortimer (sometimes of this parish) asks the question over at the Guardians Comment Is Free blog following Brian Paddicks feisty Time Out interview. 
6:06 pm
First Labour resignation over 10p tax rate abolition
According to the BBC, Angela Smith, parliamentary private secretary to Yvette Cooper has told colleagues she is going to resign in protest at the abolition of the 10p tax rate. The Sheffield Hillsborough MP has previously been extremely loyal. The Lib Dems were the first party to point out that Gordon Brown the supposed [...] 6:02 pm
With friends like these...
Another evening of leaflet delivery and campaigning ahead. Still, it could be worse - at least I don't have any colleagues who attack me as I campaign. The weekend too is going to be mostly campaigning, though will hopefully get Saturday evening off and have a resident to go and visit on Sunday inbetween leaflets as well. That will be my last weekend helping out the GLA and mayoral campaign though, as for the final weekend of campaigning I will be in India for a university friend's wedding. Just for a few days and I am missing the second formal ... 6:01 pm
Labour MP resigns as PPS over 10p rate (having voted for it)
Angela Smith, Labour MP for Sheffield Hillsborough has announced she is to resign as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Yvette Cooper over the scrapping of the 10p income tax starter rate. At last, a Labour MP who is standing by her principles! Good for you Angela! But hold on just a minute. Weren't you the same Angela Smith MP who voted for the budget resolutions last month that introduced the 5:54 pm
Junior government member resigns in protest over 10p tax rate
The BBC is reporting that Angela Smith, parliamentary private secretary to Yvette Cooper, and Labour MP for Sheffield Hillsborough, is to resign in protest at the abolition of the 10p tax rate. 5:53 pm
"Vote blue, go green and save money"
That's what David Cameron is saying at the launch of the Conservative's local election campaign. Well I don't think any of us are convinced by the Conservatives on going green, we are the only party with radical and realistic ideas on the environment. On saving money, possibly the tories can do this, but I'd describe it as wasting money. In Worcester the Conservative's squeezed their budget, now they have to make a sudden rise by 4% and are left in £1mn deficit. At the same time they have been cutting services, wasted £25,000 on a new logo and in Worcestershire ... 5:37 pm
What does Ken's decision to put family first say about politics and about him
Ken Livingstone turned up late for a radio debate today, some suggest because the tube was not running on time, but Ken claims it was due to wanting to spend more time with his kids. I can sympathise with Ken's reasons as I am a relatively new father myself, but I gave up any political ambitions I had, which as an approved Lib Dem parliamentary candidate and local councillor who was being asked to stand for a target seat and who had all the necessary contacts and local knowledge, this was a very big decision to make. But I did ... 5:25 pm
Party Reform: The Presidency again
In the run up to this year's Spring Federal Conference I wrote an number of articles about party management and in particular one for Liberal Democrat Voice outlining my opposition to the proposed constitutional amendment which would remove the requirement for the Party President to Chair the Federal Executive. At Conference I was able to carry that opposition through to the debate as I was 5:22 pm
One for the librarians
The History Eaters, by my friend {[info]} neilhudson. 5:13 pm
Little or Big who cares - and who knows without the signs
An interesting sight this afternoon in Big Street Little London. It is all relative because have you seen Little Street This lorry in fact did a grand job in trying to get get up Little Street, the third such lorry delivering to the Old Mill. The trouble is the Old Mill is on Big Street, pictured left. They all thought that the first right in Little London is Big street they ended getting stuck on Little Street looking perplexed until I pointed them in the right direction of the Old Mill. We have asked Robin Hughes our County Councillor to ... 5:06 pm
Bad Blood
As you probably know, the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) is constantly on the look out for more blood donors. Adverts appear on television, the internet, radio and on the sides of buses begging people to become blood donors. As this is one of the single most important ways that ordinary people can help save someones life the NBTS need all the donors they can get unless, that is if the potential donor happens to be a gay man. Due to their ill founded belief that all gay men carry a higher than average risk of contracting HIV the NBTS ... 
5:03 pm
Trees a crowd
Firstly, let me apologise for a really bad pun in the heading. My agent recommended "Wood you believe it" To be honest I don't know which is worse! {Dscf0431} Residents of Green Road have informed me that a number of trees are being cut down to make way for the new development. However, there is one mature oak which resident are hoping Reading Borough Council will give a stay of execution to. The mature oak is situated near the junction with Whiteknights Road and is unfortunately not under a Tree Preservation Order (which for a tree of its size and ... 4:35 pm
Being ripped off
A very worthwhile report by the Office of Fair Trading has found that the public sector has been repeatedly ripped off by construction companies competing for (or rather 'failing to compete' for) big contracts for new schools and hospitals. It turns out - surprise surprise - that the companies have been getting together and agreeing that some would put in 'cover bids' - ie implausibly large bids - to make others look more attractive and also to allow others to inflate their bids and still get the contract. After the event the people who put in the cover bids got ... 3:53 pm
Headlines undermine good reporting
Reporters often find that their finely crafted words are spoilt by an inappropriate heading when the paper is published. It's usually a sub-editor, not the reporter, who writes the headline. Sometimes the editor doesn't read the story too carefully and just goes for an eye-catching shock/horror slogan which contradicts the actual text. This must have been what happened to the front... 2:56 pm
Tory Economics: 1150% Inflation. In a Day.
London viewers watching straight through the BBC London News to the London Decides Mayoral Debate on Tuesday night saw Tory candidate Boris Johnsons spending plans not double, not triple, but multiply by twelve. Planning to throw away every penny spent on bendy buses and charge Londoners to replace them on his own personal whim, such is Mr Johnsons economic competence that when the debate was recorded he priced his vanity project with: I stick by our figure of eight million pounds. But by the time it went out the next day: It would cost, you know, about a hundred million. ... 2:42 pm
Ken grabs a headline from a knife edge
I was quite sad to read Ken's outburst in the Mirror today. He says: "An awful lot of kids are carrying a knife on the assumption they won't get caught. They all have to do time." Knife crime is a huge problem in London. Yet it requires a realistic, pragmatic, nuanced and multi-faceted approach. Livingstone's bluster is of course a product of a very close election campaign against a conservative. Yet it also points to a deeper difficulty that sometimes arises when a locally elected representative is beholden to the whim and record of the national government. His advice of ... 2:22 pm
Over 10,000 households in Wolverhampton South West could be at risk of defaulting on mortgage payments
Over 10,000 households in Wolverhampton South West could be at risk of defaulting on mortgage payments and losing their home, according to an analysis conducted by The Spectator magazine. 1:41 pm
10 Famous.... Albanians
Continuing the occasional theme of finding well known people from different places, my current trip to Albania has inspired me. Although Albania surely has its fair share of villains, especially the evil dictator Enver Hoxha, nonetheless I think I can find some heroes too: Mother Teresa- humanitarian Ismail Kadare- Great European novelist Fan Noli- Poet and founder of the Albanian autocephelous Orthodox church George Kastriot-Skanderbeg- determined opponent of the Ottoman advance into Europe King Zog- romantic rascal Ali Pasha- friend and inspiration to Byron Muhammed Ali- founder of modern Egypt and progenitor of the Royal family there Ibrahim Rugova- advocate ... 1:09 pm
At Last Some Regional Pressure on Mugabe
It has been a while in coming. Possibly cause many have deeper links with the Mugabe regime than they are prepared to admit in polite society. But at least one of the countries of Southern Africa has called on Zimbabwe's Election commission to release the results of last month's Presidential Elections. It follows a special session of the UN Security Council yesterday chaired my South African 12:50 pm
A brief description of weather-worn weariness
I am tired today. I wonder how the candidates for the American Presidential race manage to be in campaign mode for up to two years (followed by then being President, which is no cake walk!) without expiring after the first couple of months. Local elections in Bury are harder than I thought from the outside years ago, despite all the support we’re getting from local people! At least the weather is less threatening today. Yesterday’s promise of sleet didn’t materialise, although my hands didn’t like being out in the cold one little bit last night. Who knows what tonight may ... 12:44 pm
Proud of our Primaries
We're lucky in Camden to have such a great bunch of primary schools. I speak as one who went to, and whose mum taught, at St Paul's School, just at the foot of Primrose Hill. I really enjoyed my days there and made some good friends. I remember being taught PE by John Wilkinson, who subsequently became a very successful Headmaster there for many years. On the other side of the hill, parents are also lucky to have what is one of the 100 best performing schools in the country in Primrose Hill Primary. My sister went their in the ... 12:01 pm
Dirty Tricks
This morning's Western Mail reports that the former Secretary of State for Wales and Neath MP, Peter Hain, is claiming to be the subject of a dirty tricks campaign to discredit him and his campaign team. The paper tells us that in recent weeks, the text of damaging e-mails purporting to have been sent by members of Mr Hains campaign team have been circulated. Some have been sent to the Western Mail while others have gone to Guido Fawkes. They say that it now appears that many of the e-mails have been faked: The RSPCA has this week investigated the ... 11:34 am
Brian Paddick becomes first UK candidate to use Ustream.TV
Ustream.TV is one of the hot new internet trends in the US, being one of the first sites to provide easy and free live webstreaming services. Brian Paddick is using it tomorrow night to host a live question and answer session as his website explains: Campaign Manager Andrew Reeves said: The live webchat will allow Brian to hold [...] 11:10 am
Ding, ding, seconds out!
Not content with having a go at political rivals, it seems Welsh Tories have taken to fighting amongst themselves. Given that their logo is now a tree, you'd have thought they'd know - 'No tree has branches so foolish as to fight amongst themselves'. Click here for full story. 10:58 am
Are you someone
Who’s Who in the Liberal Democrats is in the process of being reissued. You can read all about the project on Jo Christie-Smith’s blog, see the new website (placeholder firmly in place for the minute) and even… join the Facebook group. As Jo says, Were looking to increase the number of entries from Liberal Democrats like never [...] 10:52 am
Geopolemics
I recently came across the Geopolemics website- are really useful store of information about freedom in different countries... well worth a read. 10:17 am
Celebrity Spot
David Mitchell, Mark Corrigan. Wednesday 16th April 2008. Approximately 11pm. Kings Cross, Eastbound platform, Metropolitan Line. Target Suspect boards train to Uxbridge. Julian H boards train to Uxbridge, same carriage. Suspect sits adjacent to Julian H. Suspect appears slimmer, more volume in hair, in good spirits. Grinning, moronic teenagers point at suspect from platform as train departs. Suspect seems to wave at them this is uncertain, as Julian H has indifferently placed his head inside a magazine. Magazine Time. Story something about biofuels being rubbish. Suspect has book. Suspect doesnt read book. Suspect takes free paper from seat opposite. Suspect ... 10:13 am
Ken Needs To Reach Out To Lib Dems
Ken Livingstone needs to make more effort to reach out to Lib Dems if he wants their second preference votes in the London Mayoral contest. And that's what I told him in no uncertain terms in a dramatic face to face confrontation on the Kilburn High Road last weekend (see photo). A recent Ipsos Mori poll put Ken Livingstone slightly ahead of Boris Johnson when second preferences are counted, but only by 2%. If the election is that close, then the second preferences of Lib Dem voters will be crucial. An earlier ICM poll suggested Livingstone and Johnson were neck ... 10:03 am
Todays prize for journalistic irony
… goes to the Daily Telegraph: The contest to become the next mayor of London is likely to be decided by a relatively untested system that is little understood by voters, experts have warned. A shame then that the very next sentence says the electoral system being used is “the single transferable vote”. Errr, it isn’t. Oops. 9:16 am
Opinion: Put your party first and second
I’ve read some of the discussion on Lib Dem Voice about how Liberal Democrats should use their second preferences in the race for London Mayor with some interest. It should be stated up front that much of this speculation is fantastically irrelevant to how Liberal Democrat voters will actually choose. It will only permeate [...] 7:27 am
Boys will be boys
Having just read this story on the BBC website I have to ask myself; have we all lost our sense of humours or what Can this incident (see video) really be worth a police caution for anti-social behaviour Having watched the incident a couple of times now, Im not so sure that it is. Following the incident, the 15 year old 'culprit' apparently told reporters: "It's not really that funny. I know it's not big. I just did it for a laugh". I have to disagree, I found it very, very funny! It certainly took alot of 'balls' to do, ... 7:20 am
Politalks 10: Ruminations on Diana
Lee unfortunately couldnt do the animation for this week, so youre left with only my nasal dulcet tones and the script for this weeks Politalks to guide you through the Diana inquest, Darfur, studentification and the BAE corruption ruling. Listen to this weeks Politalks: It was the paparazzi and the driver, in the tunnel, with high-speed and [...] 7:08 am
Tim'rous Beastie Brown
Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie, O, what panic's in thy breastie! To a Mouse Robert Burns Well echoing the words of Scotland's bard Gordon Brown could well be discribed as a Timorous beastie. First there is his confised state of what he's doing over China and Tibet, then the Prudent Chancellor seems unable to take responsible action for the economy now he has his coveted top job. Now to 1:54 am
Jimmy Carters Middle East Gambit
Former US President Jimmy Carter is in the Middle East, pursuing his one-man mission to inject some life into the moribund peace process, by getting dialogue going between the main protagonists. Controversially (as far as the Israelis and the current occupant of the White House are concerned), he has been photographed embracing Nasser Shaer, a [...] 12:00 am
Citizenship, Calendar Girl, and Maoris, a real privilege
The Citizenship Ceremony started the day, with John conferring Citizenship on 17 adults and 6 children. People were dressed up for the big occasion, and apprehensive and excited. I had a lovely message from one couple I met who had come originally from Nigeria, including the words "it is quite an honour and great privilege for us to be accepted as Her Majesty's subjects". It was a privilege to... 
