LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Wednesday 14th May 2008

The curse of the moderator......on or off?

Alex Wilcock has had a bit of a go at me this evening for leaving my moderator on having lit the blue touchpaper and then swanned off for the day. Well Alex, it has to be said it is a while since I have upset you, so I guess it was gonna happen sometime (!) and I take your point. But, it tends to be when I am saying something controversial I get in as much trouble with comments as I do with what I said originally. But, given I am on a major swan off tomorrow until Monday night, ...

Canterbury Tales

I spent much of today in Canterbury, balmy under the strong spring sun. In the afternoon, after an al fresco pasta lunch, I spoke to the local University of the Third Age (U3A), on my life as a foreign corespondent — the highs and lows of roaming the world, from the Vietnam War to my [...]

Edwards endorses Obama

Surely it is all over now?? John Edwards has endorsed Barack Obama as the Democrat's Presidential nominee and may have effectively ended the nomination battle between Obama and Clinton. One of the major problems the Obama campaign thus far has been his inability to seriously swing blue-collar Democrat's behind his campaign. Worrying fissures have been appearing in the Democrat core vote and there are sign's that this could damage the party in November. Exit polls out of West Virgina showed as much as 35% of Clinton's vote willing to turn against Obama in November and opt instead for John McCain. ...

ConservativeHome gets nervous about Henley

A posting on ConservativeHome comes to our attention: The LibDems are already gearing up. They've started a lively website, opened a campaign HQ and they plan to select their candidate on Monday.The party is understandably focused on the Crewe campaign - as are we - but let's not delay for long. We don't want the LibDems building up a head of steam.Read the comments too - the usual selection of the good, the mad and the ugly.

"If this is within the rules, then the rules need tightening up."

How can anyone jusify spending public money on taxis for shopping trips? Not just one, or two, or even three, because that would be bad enough...but for 156! That's got to be one heck of a power trip? It seems �4,139 of the money I have earnt so far in my career has been fundng this bloody woman's shopping addiction. God knows where she shops in London but I hope her husband is financially fleeced violently in the process. I have blogged quite a few times now on Michael Martin's expenses but even I wasn't expecting his wife to have ...

The other significant American election news

Most of the coverage in the UK of American elections in the last couple of days has focused on Hillary Clinton’s latest primary victory and then John Edwards’s endorsement of Barack Obama. However, also of significance is the special election (by-election) win chalked up by the Democrats in a formerly solidly Republican Mississipi congressional seat. George [...]

Who said a leopard can never change it's spots?

I am living prove they can. However, before I go on and explain, I understand that it is normal practice to issue an advance warning when you are about to say or show something controversial. For example; "This commercial for Jodie Marsh dolls contains scenes of extreme violence and has nudity from the very beginning. Viewers of a nervous disposition are asked to look away... now." I feel what I am about to say now could well be considered one of those moments. As some of you may already know, had you read his blog, Love and Liberty , Alex ...

Conservative councillor joins the Liberal Democrats

Focus on the Ladden-Frome area reports: Councillor Sarah Turley (Boyd Valley) has left South Gloucestershire's ruling Conservative group and joined the Liberal Democrats. Sarah says, "When I stood for election last year I was determined to stand up for my local community. Unfortunately, over the last year I have found that my work has been undermined by members [...]

Stretch yourself!

The Councillors Commission report was being discussed at a meeting this morning, and we were being asked to look at what ways our Council wanted to go forward in encouraging more people to stand for the Council and getting young people genuinely involved in the democratic process. Lots of ideas around support for Councillors, problems of getting time off work, and how do we really get young...

List Elections - get better, or die trying...

And so the wedding is done, the honeymoon too, and it is, sadly, time to return to Planet LibDem. Yesterday saw a jet-lagged Regional Conference Chair attend a meeting of the Regional Executive, where thoughts of the elections past were uppermost on people's minds. I won't go into any detail as to what was discussed, although it would be fair to say that there was a variety of views to be had.

That ghastly woman...

I see that Boycie, commenting on his Lib Dem Voice piece, would rather like it if we shot Mad Nad full of holes on account of the fact that she is a twisted lying stupid fundamentalist harpy who disgraces politics, women and, indeed, stupid liars, fundamentalists and harpies, and then asked David Cameron what he was gonna do about it, [...]

Nadine Dorries and the barrel of fish

There has been, of late, something of a concerted effort to debunk the rubbish spouted by Nadine Dorries. Mostly, this campaign has dealt entirely in fact. Mostly, it has been a pretty comprehensive rebuttal of her nonsensical viewpoints. However, at least in part, it has been ad hominem. I don't think we do ourselves any favours by referring to her as Mad Nad, or attacking her personally, and I am grateful to see that the people who are doing this are in the minority. Still, she does make it difficult to not indulge in personal attacks when she posts like ...

George W Bush highlights yet again what an absolute arse he is

George W Bush, in an effort to show solidarity with the troops whose lives he put in danger, said today that he too had made sacrifices because of the war in Iraq. Yes, apparently to show solidarity he has given up golf. I know, sometimes words simply cannot do justice.

Post Office consultation branded a sham

The news that all 37 post offices scheduled for closure in Teesside and surrounding areas will in fact close has been greeted with disbelief by local Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Ian Swales. He said "there has been a tremendous campaign to keep a number of these post offices open particularly the four in the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland. The fact that the Post Office management have refused to listen to any protests proves that all the decisions were already made. The consultation process was a sham. It would have helped if MP's had voted to delay the process in ...

One million still losing out despite Chancellor's by-election budget

Commenting on the Chancellor's plans to compensate low paid workers who lost out when the 10p income tax rate was abolished, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Ian Swales said: "This Government's tax policy has descended into a complete farce. "The abolition of the 10p rate was designed to help Labour win the election that never was. Now this by-election budget is designed to help them cling on to Crewe in next week's vote. "The Chancellor is desperately trying to backtrack from the disastrous decisions of the Prime Minister but has still hasn't managed to get it right. This u-turn leaves 1.1 ...

Is the Red Box blog all sulkypoos?

A mystery was unveiled at the bloggers’ interview with the Cleggster last week, which has been most excellently written up in full by That Elephant thus leaving me free to flit over the surface in dilettantish fashion. We were talking about the national media, specifically about how they won’t unkink their anuses sufficiently to actually discuss [...]

Laughton, Gumley and Saddington

I have just found a blog posting with some lovely pictures of the countryside to the west of Market Harborough, where I live.

The Maths of Government

In the midst of news programmes on radio trying to make sense of the "draft Queen's speech" and the 10p tax cut compensation package I heard the following comment from a certain minister: "Repossessions are increasing but they're still at a record low". Which school did she go to? And this is the government that lectures teachers about not getting children to the "right" level of numeracy. I'm

Scratch a 'New' Conservative....

...and all the familiar prejudices come rushing out. Yesterday it was lesbians in the Conservative cross-hairs and today it is 'shameless' parents and 'scruffy' teachers. Tory work and pensions spokesman Chris Grayling is set to lambast mothers and fathers who do not know what good parenting is and follow the example of Frank Gallagher, the father in Channel 4's comedy Shameless. Grayling said in a speech to the Reform think-tank that; "I think many parts of our society no longer know how to bring up children. We live in a country where in many places Frank Gallagher-style parenting has become ...

Google is fab!

I can't believe it. I really can't. Sometimes I must surf only 5% of the web. I stay very safely in my own little hamlet only occasionally straying further afield to read a certain man's blog in Crewe. Why do I do this when the internet offers such hidden delights just around the corner? Google reader is fab. I've never subscribed to any websites in a feeder, I thought it would be awful to use, but it's not. I've also customised my google homepage to include all the world news from Reuters, CNN and the Beeb, and added an extra ...

Thérèse Raquin - Book Review

This book is one of Émile Zola's seminal works and it's easy to see why, if you read it prepare to be transfixed in horror. It is a tragedy but a dark tragedy where love is reduced to base desire. Apart from the maternal love of Mme Raquin love makes not one appearance in it's pure, virtuous forms and even that is perverted by the end of the book. The reduction of human emotions to the 'animal' occurs across the board and the result is a cruel light shone on the darkness of the human heart. Thérèse is married to ...

A little local success

Last year, the Labour councillors on the planning committee in Gateshead voted to reject an application to install a cash machine in our village post office in Sunniside. The argument adopted (paraphrased in my own style) was that putting such a facility onto a front street would bring traffic chaos and the entire ediface of western civilisation would collapse etc etc etc. I had handed in a

Does government encourage a more neighbourly society ?

People will think this comment silly and possibly lacking in political punch, but I was struck today by something my wife told me about the mother and baby group that meets in our village. Now having only lived here for about three years we do not have any "local" friends. I have lots of family who live just two miles away and we have lots of friends who live about three miles away, but locally we know very few people. So going to mother and baby group has been a good way for my wife to make some local friends ...

Londis robbery

As I indicated on Radio Tay news at 5pm, the West End community has expressed great concern at the armed robbery early today at the Londis supermarket in Perth Road. Everyone hopes that the Dundee public to do all they can to assist Tayside Police with their enquiries into the matter. I have already spoken with our local community policeman about the matter. Thankfully the Londis store has a good CCTV system, which will undoubtedly help the Police, but I am taking the step of writing again to the Chief Constable pointing out that an extension of the general CCTV ...

Opinion Polls Trend Report April - No Change

Very Little to report in terms of change - it always seems odd looking at polls when you have just had real election results but here it is (very late) for the record. The top rating is down by 1 percent (from 21 to 20 wih ICM and Com Res) but the lowest rating is up from 16 to 17 (YouGov and Populus).

Day 2685: Ant 'n' Dec's Award Night Takeaway

Thursday: It's not EVERY week where the bosses of ITV find themselves in the same dock with GENERAL FRANCO, both accused of fixing the popular vote in a talent contest. In some ways it's actually MORE shocking to deceive the public about the votes in the awarding of an award than it is to cheat people who are entering a fixed phone-in competition. It's like HUSTLE, isn't it? There, you know that ACTUALLY it's criminal but the code of the con means that there is always an "OUT". You don't HAVE to choose to play - it's only because you ...

Guido hasn't noticed yet...

Thought I'd post to beat Guido to it: Nick Clegg has published his expenses. No doubt Mr. Fawkes will claim all the credit after his campaign. I thought his requests to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards (?) were interesting, Particularly his equivocal support for House oversight of HR, wages etc. His call for public itemisation of staffing is interesting but what does it mean? More specifically, what does 'staff' mean? Is an intern a member of staff if not paid, and therefore does the MP have to declare him or her? Interesting...

Spotted in Malta

Nicely sums up the plight of our own Labour Party

Don't expand Heathrow - extend Eurostar to it

I was struck by the press release from Norman Baker. I would think one solution to at least part of the problem is not to expand Heathrow, but to extend Eurostar to it! Or am I being naive? Transfer passengers increasingly crowding already congested Heathrow - Baker Nearly a third of all passengers at Heathrow, Britain's most congested airport, are expected to be travellers stopping only to

Obama faces racism in West Virginia

Newhaven by-election

A by election will take place next month - tuesday the 5th of June, for a seat on Newhaven Town Council. The options are the Liberal Democrat Maurice Langham, an active member of the community, or David Neave, an unknown Conservative candidate from Telscoombe. The Liberal Democrats continue to be the controlling party of Newhaven Town and Lewes District Councils, so show your support by voting for Maurice! Let your voice be heard - vote!

More London election errors: the results have the wrong number of wards

I’ve already blogged about how London Elects admitted to failing to count all the votes in the London Mayor election. Now looking through the detailed figures I see that Lambeth has sprouted two extra wards. What seems to have happened is that some, but only some, of the ballot boxes in Brixton Hill and Thornton wards [...]

Its the Economy...stupid

Now the air truly is dark with chickens coming home to roost for Gordon Brown. It is now clear that the Governor of the Bank of England is going to be writing a lot of letters explaining how he has missed the inflation target. The newspapers are full of columns on the coming economic disaster. The dreaded "R word" - recession- is now being coupled with inflation and comparisons are being drawn with the stagflation decade of the 1970s. Thus, the fact that many comparisons are being made between Gordon Brown today and the Major government after 1995, is even ...

New law would give teens opportunities

At this moment, a new law to create new opportunities for young people will be proposed by local Welsh Liberal Democrat AM Peter Black in the Assembly. Peter won the ballot to introduce private members' legislation, is putting forward the proposed measure for debate today. If he has been successful, Peter will have six months to work on his outline proposal and bring forward a detailed draft measure. Peter says: "Talk to young people and they will tell you that there are very few things for teenagers to do or places to go. They want more after school facilities, music ...

The cost of an election splurge

Cllr Keith Davies has questioned the decision by Neath Port Talbot CBC to split the May 1st election count over ten centres. Not only were costs incurred in lighting halls unnecessarily, but several successful candidates complained about failure of management and consequent delays at some of the smaller centres, as the ERO's staff was split and expertise diluted. One might also add the cost of the co-ordinating centre in Port Talbot civic centre, which was intended to serve the media, but which seems to have been largely by-passed.

Non-Labour councillors should have enhanced scrutiny rôle

Ioan Richards informs us that LibDem-led Swansea City will tomorrow offer the Labour opposition the chairs of each of the council's four scrutiny committees. That makes more apposite the call by two leading Neath Port Talbot councillors for greater responsibility for opposition members when the composition of committees is calculated later this month. Martyn Peters and Keith Davies point to the fact that Labour was elected on a minority of the popular vote. Perhaps this will sway the incoming council leader in his proposals, but since it cut no ice with either Margaret Thatcher or Tony Blair on the national ...

Development

The Government says we have to build 6000 more houses in Truro. That's 12,000 to 15,000 new people adding to our existing population of just under 20,000, with no extra money for infrastructure. Anyone who was in Truro on Monday, when minor roadworks on Morlaix Avenue brought the traffic to a standstill for miles around, will wonder how the City is going to cope with all these extra people. So I was interested to be invited up to Penair School by Persimmon Homes, who are hoping to build 450 houses at Tolgarick, which is out by Arch Hill. They were ...

The Single Equalities Act

Speak to Equality and Diversity Forum today, wearing my hat of Liberal Democrat Equalities spokesperson. What I am trying to persuade the world of, in regard to the Single Equalities Act, is threefold. First - discrimination more difficult - and the particular suggestion I make today is for 'name blind' employment applications, i.e. keeping the names of applications hidden from those who process job applications. Why? Well, to take personal experience as an example - two of my interns who had non-Anglo Saxon names applied to loads and loads of jobs - not even getting an interview. After they worked ...

Linkspam for 14-5-2008

Canadian federal election, 1993 - Wikipedia Looking at various sources and I was reminded of this result - is it possible Labour's headed for a wipeout of these proportions unless they sort themselves out? (tags: politics canada landslides) 'Wizard's First Rule' to be TV series to be produced by Sam Raimi. That slurping noise? That's a thousand brains melting at the idea. If you haven't read the book? Don't. Really, don't. (tags: sam+raimi tv terry+goodkind) BBC NEWS | UK | Dear MoD: where is ET? Heh: staff and customers at a pub in Tunbridge Wells reported seeing a UFO with ...

Doncha just love our newspapers

One of the downsides of flying anywhere, apart from climate change, security threats and so on, is the danger that the only thing to read is a free copy of the Daily Mail. This was the sad fate which befell Mark and I on our return from India. Having so recently tied the knot, we were interested to read the piece excoriating the government for its recent guidance to Registrars that photographs of the signing of the register should be banned, on the grounds that it would be possible to zoom in on the details and use them for nefarious ...

Whitehall gossip

Charles Clarke speaking into mobile phone, central London, today: I trust him, but I am not sure about her Who could he have been talking about?

Boris Johnson Resignation Watch Day 9: Farewell to Henley Letter

Boris Johnson has a letter in this week’s Henley Standard bidding farewell to his constituents*: "Were the people of London really going to go for a Conservative mayor? "Well, they have. I am writing this from ex-Mayor Livingstone’s eyrie in City Hall, and it is time for Henley to find itself a new MP. It will [...]

Until the last dog dies

James Carville is thinking of getting his cheque book out. Speaking at Furman University, he said that Hillary Clinton should fight until the last dog dies. "I still hear some dogs barking," said Carville, the flamboyant Louisianan known as the left's ragin' Cajun. "I'm for Senator Clinton, but I think the great likelihood is that Obama will be the nominee. "As soon as I determine when that is, I

Another electronic counting cock up

Mark Pack has the story on the failure of London Elects to count all the votes for the mayoral election. OK, the numbers are small and made no significant difference, but it raises the question as to what audit checks where built into the process and why they didn't kick in before the result was announced. Time for the Electoral Commisssion to take a look at the process methinks.

Tories start Old Bexley & Sidcup selection

The Conservatives have started the selection process for the candidate to replace Derek Conway in Old Bexley & Sidcup, applications close on 30th May. I am waiting to see if: 1. The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards announces the result of the investigation into Henry Conway's employment before the new candidate is announced. 2. The Tories select a local candidate.

More Mike Gravel

James Schneider points us at Mike Gravel and one of his videos. He has many videos, that particular one is rather sane… I like his wooing of Obama Girl: He also covers the Beatles:

Ieuan Air revisited

The old jokes are always the best. The Welsh Tories have reached into the book of faded political insults to make a perfectly valid point about the heavily subsidised airlink between Cardiff and Ynys Mon. They said that the airlink should be renamed 'Ieuan air' because the deputy first minister is the "chief beneficiary". Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones has revealed that he has used the service 42 times since its launch a year ago. Staff in his private office have used the service eight times whilst staff in his assembly government department have taken the flights on 68 ...

Scottish Labour Back to Square One

It looks like the Snakes and Ladders set may well be being put away in the Wendy house of cards, or should that be house of horrors. I'm sure Wendy Alexander thought she may well have found the ladder to lift her well up the board when she made her announcement that she would call for an earlier referendum than the Nats were prepared to. However, since then after she encountered a series of

Binky Icon

My email has a very efficient spam filter, thank goodness. Sometimes so efficient that 'real' email gets caught, so I always check before clearing it out. Normally it's the usual mix of unwanted ads for sex, drugs, rock 'n' Rolex. The names of the supposed senders range from the plausible to the hilarious: my current [...]

Weird Wonderland - DVD Review

Spirited Away, 120 mins, PG, Hayao Miyazaki Rather than make you wait till the end of the review for my opinion I will start with it; Spirited Away (Sen To Chihiro Kamikakushi in Japan) is marvellous, brilliant, fantastic, supercalifragilistic expialidocious and more. It opens with a girl called Chihiro and her parents setting off for there new home. Chihiro is quite naturally upset and refuses to be placated. On their journey they take a detour and end up entering a mysterious cave. The cave opens up to a luscious green landscape, a dried up river, and a ghost town. While ...

Local paper in earth-shattering headline bid

This was the leading headline on the Oxford Mail website this morning: "No One Injured In Shed Fire"A whole city breathes a collective sigh of relief.

Hilary wins in West Virginia

Hillary Clinton swept to a landslide victory over Barack Obama in the West Virginia Democratic primary, just as the polls had predicted.

Fantastic Films programme announced

Just received by email from the organisers of the 7th Fantastic Films Weekend (Friday 13 to Sunday 15 June):Hot off the press (or whatever the equivalent is on the interweb) here's the full FFW 2008 programme, almost all confirmed... Friday 12.00 Brain Dead TBC 1.00 Count Dracula (Pt 1) 2.00 The Nightmare Man (Pt 1) 2.00 Spine Tingler! 2.15 Vampire Diary 3.00 Schalcken the Painter 4.00 Black Christmas 4.15 Vigilante 6.00 Outland 70mm 6.15 An American Werewolf in London 8.15 The Mist 8.45 Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows Saturday 11.00 ...And Now the Screaming Starts! 11.30 Scars of ...

Freedom of speech

The Assembly chamber and the Welsh blogosphere yesterday was littered with toys thrown out of various Assembly Member's prams in response to the guidance issued by the Assembly Commission on the use of publicly websites. It might have benefited many of those members if, instead of resorting to kneejerk reactions they had actually sat down with officials and worked out what the guidance means and how much latitude it allows them. I believe that they may well have been pleasantly surprised. It may even have saved Leighton Andrews the trouble of taking legal advice as to whether his human rights ...

Burma

I spoke this morning with the Lord Provost about the deteriorating situation in Burma and this is a matter of great concern to both of us and millions of others across the world. I asked the LP if he can make a public appeal locally for the people of Dundee to help the people of Burma. He is very willing to do so. Dundonians always rally to help in circumstances like this and the Disasters Emergency Committee has a website where donations can be made : http://www.dec.org.uk/donate_now/ Also on the subject of Burma, I received this yesterday : Dear Councillor ...

Away from W Virginia, Democrat win in by-election bodes ill for Republicans

Well, they call them special elections in the States.... It's a constant theme of mine that the Democrats have to win in the South to win the States. So this special election win in Mississippi must be giving the Republicans a lot of worries in respect of November. Conservative Home put it very well when they headed their article about this with the title: Imagine the Tories losing Kensington &

Mike Gravel is officially the weirdest presidential candidate

He went for the Democratic nomination, now he's going for the Libertarian one. Check out is very bizarre video below.

on raising the personal tax allowance

As I blogged about last month, following this year's Budget the government was �2.8bn short of breaching its sustainable income rule. This rule stipulated that the government would not spend more than 40% of national income. Yesterday we found out that the Chancellor intends to spend �2.7bn giving basic rate tax payers a tax cut. He will do this by increasing the personal allowance by �600 and will fund this by borrowing. The tax cut works as such: The personal allowance is increased by �600, before this the �600 would be taxed at 20% gaining the Treasury �120, now you ...

Day 2683: The Vice of the Clintons

Tuesday: No, no, no, this is NOTHING to do with her HUSBAND; this is the question of whether Senator Hillary-Billary is now willing to settle for being Barry O's Vice-President, and if that is why she is staying IN the contest which she has very probably lost by now. The BIG WIN for Barry O in North Carolina and only a narrow victory for Hillary-Billary in Indiana put a great big stopper in her resurgent tide and, more importantly, made the money dry up and super-delegates declare for Barry O, turning him back into Barry MO (...for MOmentum, you see!) ...

A Chancellor on the Ropes

In an attempt to pull the fat out of the fire before the polls close in the Crewe and Nantwich bye-election the Chancellor has announced a bodge to offset the damage caused by the abolition of the 10p tax rate. Two months after the budget (and well after a year that Labour were warned by the [...]

Ethical Shopping: It's Not Just Because I Am a Yorkshire Cheapskate

Yesterday, for various reasons, I went to Tesco's. I looked around the fruit and veg, but didn't buy much, partly because it was almost empty, and partly because of some of the prices. This morning I went to post a couple of parcels (sorry, Renae, I know it's late, but your Stephen is finally on the way. Also, {[info]} sovietkiki, expect books) and had a look round the little fruit and veg shop on the high street. The melons that were �1.79 each in Tesco's were two for �1 in Dyson's. The cherries that were �4.99 a punnet in Tesco's ...

China's earthquake tragedy...

As the death toll keeps rising as more towns and villages are found to have been devasted, I hope the chinese authorities will start to accept more outside help, especially from teams ofering search and rescue support with sniffer dogs. At this stage the priority is not in recriminations but must be in locating and rescuing any survivors and, as with the Burmese cyclone, no country should have to cope alone in the face of such disaster beacause these tragedies are beyond political control and reach out to the wider humanity in all of us.

Blogger Exclusive: Brian "The King of Bling" Coleman's Speech on TV. Come see! Come see!

Also reported in The Local E-Press and a thank you to this clever technician and of course Andrea the Milanese Politcalbetting.com King and Source of All Knowledge.

Conservative by-election campaign runs into a spot of legal bother

Ah happy memories. Remember the glories of last summer and the Ealing Southall by-election when the Conservatives sanctimoniously threatened the Liberal Democrats with legal action over use of an image in a leaflet, saying that this was an outrageous breach of the law, would result in a huge financial penalty, the end of the world etc [...]

Brown/Darling analogy

Just thought of one - Brown a really untalented ventriloquist with Darling as the dummy!

It's an utter shambles!

Let’s say it as it is about this Labour government. It’s an utter shambles - and they couldn’t run a McDonalds let alone an economy. First, there was the cynical tax grab from lower earners to give as an election bribe to middle-income earners. Second, there was the spun out gesture to Mr Field that was then dissected and rejected. Now there’s this hotchpotch [...]

"You're a total shambles - you're hired!"

Television producers are reportedly working on a new Apprentice-style show for aspiring politicians. The show, to be called Junior PM will be an " Apprentice meets Maria/Strictly Come Dancing audience", and go out on BBC One. Some of you may be thinking, "so what, another mindless tv show", why bother mentioning it? Well, I'll tell you why I mention it. It's not so much the show itself, it's who the producers want to host it. None other than Mr Personality himself, Gordon Brown. I kid you not, not even I could make this up. Apparently, Gordon is said to be ...

Prankster Spink

Recently ejected sorry liberated from the constrictions of Tory affiliation, Bob Spink reveals his true blue credentials yet again with a prankish amendment to Diane Abbott's EDM on 'Farmers in the Developing World' "Line 5, after `to', insert `seek reform of EU protectionist policies and'." Seems Sprankster is UKIP to the core. Then again any good Tory would be were they faced with deselection by their local party at the next election.

Big Hitter to move to Environment

The papers for tomorrow's Annual Council meeting arrived on my doormat last night. Cllr Nick Wallis, one of the big hitters in the Labour Group, is to move to the Sustainable Environment and Climate Change Portfolio. Cllr Veronica Copeland moves over to Adult Services while Cllr Andy Scott joins the Cabinet, replacing Nick Wallis at Health and Leisure. Cllr David Lyonette continues his less than

Man Woman Woman Man...........its all of no consequence in a by election, isn't it??????

Thanks to Jane for alerting me to the news that whereas last week we had an "attractive young woman" replacing a presumably not quite so attractive older man..........this week we have the reverse and all the associated fallout. I made my views clear on Crewe and Nantwich selection and they apply here. If we think a candidate isn''t good enough why on earth do we select them???? But, the other interesting issue here is that at a time when we are banging on about a more representative party we have yet again missed a trick. Whilst Cameron et al are ...

Headline fiction

The Surrey Comet has done it again! A perfectly accurate front page report has been ruined by the sensational and totally inaccurate headline: 'Charity centre to shut'. The last time this happened - only three weeks ago - two unrelated stories were combined under a 'Council wields axe' headline. The reality was that six elderly people were being moved from sub-standard accommodation,...

10p troubles

Funnily enough, Gordon Brown didn’t exactly spell out that he was effectively doubling income tax for 5 million low paid workers last year. Instead he announced “I can now return income tax to just two rates by removing the 10p band on non savings income”. It all sounded like a minor technicality. Mind you, he [...]

Repossessions on course to be highest since 1991 - Cable

Commenting on the 17% rise in repossession orders in the past year announced at the weekend by the Government, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "The number of families threatened with repossessions is on course to be the highest since 1991, at the height of the Tory recession. "Repossession claims have skyrocketed since last year. Many families could well end up losing their homes in the months ahead. "The Prime Minister's pride and stubbornness has made him completely unwilling to recognise the dangers in the housing market. It is overstretched households that will pay the price. "This Government must ...

Treasury gets its sticky fingers on �79 Million EU flood aid

English South West MEP Graham Watson has reacted in fury to news that the Treasury will keep �79 Million of the �110 Million granted by the EU's Solidarity Fund to help with the clean-up from last year's floods. "For the Treasury to deny the Department of Communities and Local Government over two-thirds of the EU flood solidarity money is thinly disguised theft. It also shows the absurdity of the so-called "rebate" negotiated by Mrs. Thatcher, which has always enriched the Chancellor at the expense of ordinary citizens". It seems that not only in the Third World does aid intended to ...

Is Cameron in the wrong party?

A couple of years ago when Cameron started describing himself as a liberal, my immediate thought was, so what are you doing in the Tories then mate? At the time much was made of his invitation to some of our, shall we say, more right wing front benchers, to come and join his expanding tent. Maybe now is the time for Nick Clegg to make a similar approach the other way? The news (hat tip to Darrell) this week that he has for the fourth time voted with the minority of his party perhaps is an indication that eventually (perhaps ...

Not the approved canvassing technique

Ever noticed how houses with doorbells that play tunes (rather than just go ding-dong) have a much higher tendency to be Liberal Democrats. Just a thought

Utterly brilliant

Just for the record, I shall be nominating this as the best single posting in this year's Lib Dem Blogs awards. Until a better one comes along...

Environmental Vandal at important Hillside

The field above Cotswold view that had recently had a planning application on it withdrawn on it by somer housing has been raised to the ground. Yesterday morning a tractor was on site and cut away all of the small trees and undergrowth destroying any wildlife enclaves as it went. It seems that the private landowner who was hoping to sell his land to somer...

Stranger than fiction

The remarkable scene yesterday of an emergency budget being introduced at a time when there was no financial or economic emergency took some believing. This stuff is stranger than fiction. The only emergency was in Downing Street where Labour were in a state of complete panic about their vote meltdown.No doubt there will be a bunch of deadwood Labour backbenchers who will claim credit for this

An audience with Nick Clegg

"Good evening Mr Haw!" I said cheerily as I wandered past the assorted tents and placards still disfiguring the east side of Parliament Square; but the legendary peace campaigner studiously ignored my outstretched hand. I thought this just a touch rude, but reasoned afterwards that he must have taken me for a member of the [...]

Annual Council and Mayor Making today

An important day for Bury today - it’s “Annual Council,” where Councillors vote to see who will form the Council’s Executive (i.e. who will run the Council) for the coming year. Since the Conservatives won a small overall majority in the election, they have the votes to ensure that they run the Council, and I’m sure their lady members will be suitably dressed to mark the occasion, before heading off to Ascot or whatever is the correct thing to do with what they’ve got on their heads. There will also be a debate on proposed changes to the Council’s constitution, particularly around ...

A winning plan for the capital

Here is a real plan of action for a Liberal mayor: Widen the four main roads into the city Create a new outer ring road Build a new rail link from the centre to the main airport Extend the underground system to the south western suburbs Build a new airport to the south of the city Construct new port facilities in [...]

Parking Charges Increase

Lib Dem Councillors have expressed their disappointment that the scrutiny call-in, which had been organised to look into the increases in parking costs in Bath, has been dismissed.The panel voted, by four votes to three, to dismiss the call-in, with Conservative Councillors from outside of Bath backing the original decision taken by their Conservative Cabinet colleague. The Cabinet member has now gone ahead and implemented the decision to apply increases of up to 60% to residents' permit costs across the city, as well as a number of other changes to parking costs and arrangements. The call-in panel raised a number ...

Liberal Lords a-blogging

The Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords have launched a new eNewsletter. Every month you can be updated on what's happening in the House of Lords, what the members of our group in the House of Lords have been up to and read a short Op-Ed from one of the Lib Dems in the Lords. This [...]

Can Cameron Lead the Conservatives (part 587)?

Stephen Tall has pointed me to this piece by John Rentoul on the Independent Blog: David Cameron voted against the majority of Conservative MPs who took part in the division yesterday on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. He was one of 37 Tories voting in favour; 49 voted against. The rest found something better to do. This sounds awfully familiar. Indeed, the Embryology Bill is a fascinating case study of Cameron Non-Leadership in action. First of all, there is the “they aren’t defying me if I make it a free vote” tactic. He did this earlier in the year ...

Cicero talks sense

This excellent posting from Cicero on Scottish politics is well worth reading.

Act on Burma Now!

Burma risks becoming the Rwanda de nos jours, according to Anna Roberts, Co-Director of Burma Campaign, who was the keynote speaker at a Liberal International British Group (LIBG) Forum on Burma at the National Liberal Club last night. As Nwe Aung (the other speaker), Director of the National Council of the Union of Burma’s European [...]

Stephen Kearney chosen as Lib Dem candidate for Henley by-election

From the national party website: Henley Liberal Democrats have selected Stephen Kearney to be their candidate for the expected Henley by-election.Stephen Kearney, 49, is Chief Executive of an international development charity that works in Africa and the UK.

Triangulation and the Treasury

Credit where it’s due, at least Alastair Darling’s statement today has the virtue of being a simple change, rather than the convoluted nonsense he was talking about a couple of weeks ago. I find the psychology of Labour ministers throughout this debacle fascinating. At each and every turn their response has been to sell off their critics rather than sort out the problem at root. At first, they simply couldn’t understand why a change that benefited the majority of people was proving so unpopular. In interview after interview they blathered on about most people being better off and “hard working ...

10p tax made simple - Steve Webb explains the changes

Steve Webb's blog explains the Government's latest tax changes. Are you a winner or a loser? Are the Government's changes a one-off, or will they apply next year as well? Just a thought, is this U-turn anything to do with the Crewe and Nantwich by-election? But there will be 1.1 million people that still lose out - earning between just over �6,500 and �12,800 - so they are worse off than most of the people who gain from this week's changes.

Day 2677: Lesbians are So Gay - A headline with at least SIX possible meanings!

Wednesday: The Greek Island of LESBOS is famous for exactly ONE thing: and let's face facts, it ISN'T the olive oil exports and it's not the Petrified Forest either. And yet, apparently, it has come as a bit of a SHOCK to the people of Lesbos that the name of their island might actually be used HOMONYMICALLY. They are just a LITTLE bit behind the times with this news, what with the term "Lesbian" having been used to describe ladies of the gay daddy persuasion since at least 1732 and probably a lot earlier. What this means is legal action. ...

Wednesday 14th May 2008

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