LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Monday 2nd June 2008

Has Labour got two Balls?

Is it me or is there a disconnect between Ed Balls, the stalwart defender of playgrounds and opponent of compo culture, who two months ago was saying this: "If you don't want to do something a bit risky, too often people say 'we can't do that because of health and safety'. "It is the risk aversion in some cases which stops things happening which I want to tackle head on," he said. ... The Government's consultation paper says: "We need to work together as a society to create popular attitudes that embrace children in public space and challenge inappropriate 'No ...

Volunteering

Fittingly, the beginning of National Volunteer Week was the day for discussing the report on the Voluntary and Community Sector I have been working on for some months with not just the group of Councillors who have worked on this with me, but 2 Cabinet Members, 3 Officers, and other support officers. It was gone through very thoroughly, and a number of recommendations have been changed, so we...

FireFox Add-Ons - UPDATED!

I &hearts; Firefox. On a raw install, it beats IE. Once it's customised, IE doesn't even touch it. Therefore, following the tradition of {[info]} innerbrat and {[info]} matgb, I am posting a list of the Firefox add-ons I use and love for your interest and edification: Firstly, Extra Search Engines. One of the coolest things about Firefox is the integrated search box that you can add any search engine you like to. I can't remember what comes as default apart from Google and eBay and Amazon, so here's a list of all the ones I have on top of those. ...

The A-Z of Politics - N is for Networking

Networking is best summed up as schmoozing. To the uninitiated, schmoozing is a bit hard to define, like lounging. Whilst lounging is quite relaxing and doesn't always involve alcohol, it's much the same as schmoozing, as there are no rules and you are not obliged to say much. However, there is always an aim to schmoozing. For example, 'A' will want something that 'B' may or may not give to them. If it's a dodgy deal then money may exchange hands. If it's all above board, money may still exchange hands. Sexual politics may also rear its head. If 'B' ...

Irany

Iranian trade unionists have the keen sense of irony that elements of the British left lack. A statement by workers of the Ahvaz Pipe Manufacturing Company, issued today, condemns the Iranian government's brutal repression of recent industrial action by the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane workers in nearby Shush, who can be seen protesting here. They said: Yet again the military and security forces have, unfortunately, instead of confronting the economically corrupt elements and the sugar mafia, attacked our dear countrymen with truncheons and tear gas in Shush city. They even showed no mercy towards their wives and children. And at ...

Getting to grips with recycling

I'm not surprised that Pascal Hauret of Veolia wrote to the Camden New Journal recently to justify the way they collect our recycling, but he didn't quite tell the whole story so I wrote the following letter to the CNJ to fill in the gaps. Mr Haret is right that many councils use commingling - or commangling as it's sometimes called - that is the mixing up all recycling together. Why is that? Here's the basic problem - the government sets us recycling tonnage targets, a bit like the Soviet Union used to do in its Five Year Plans. That's ...

Clinton's campaign sends mixed signals

When will Hillary Clinton bow to the inevitability of the end of her campaign for the Democratic nomination?? Will she ever see the light and manage to clamber over her own ego for long enough to accept it's over?? Maybe there are some signs she is starting to see the light...BreitBart.com reports that campaigning in South Dakota she said; 'I'm just very grateful we kept this campaign going until South Dakota would have the last word, What South Dakota decides tomorrow will have a big influence in what people think going forward.' South Dakota and Montana hold the final two ...

Ten Green Bloggers...

This evening at Westminster I hosted a meeting of 'ten green bloggers' which may start a movement which may change the future of our country. The idea of the meeting was to bring together people who care about the environment - supporters of all political parties or of none - to think how we can use the power of the internet to mobilise people to get effective action on climate change. Our particular focus was on getting the Government's climate change bill amended so that the target for cuts in CO2 emissions by 2050 was not the current rather modest ...

Walking the Way to Health

Residents across Bath and North East Somerset are being encouraged to walk their way to a healthier lifestyle. Bath & North East Somerset Council's Walking the Way to Health scheme currently runs 10 free walks across the area - in Radstock, Writhlington, Misomer Norton, Keynsham, Timsbury, Twerton, Coombe Down, Odd Down and Victoria Park, Bath. There are two levels of health...

Liberal Democrats back National Recycling Week

A UK-wide campaign to encourage people to recycle more of their household waste has been backed by Liberal Democrats in Bath and North East Somerset. The fifth annual National Recycling Week is being held on 2nd - 8th June this year. It is run by the Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP), a national organisation set up to help people produce less waste and...

Brands, narratives, brand narratives, Steve Hilton, politics, Honda and the importance of keeping titles short

There is a lot written about brands and narratives these days. To those who are outside the world of public relations and marketing it must seem a bit strange or just nonsense. Politicians talk about narratives too. Then there are brand narratives to think about. Two things have happened recently that neatly illustrate why all this matters. Honda ran a live television ad and Steve Hilton declared he was going to work from home. Home in California that is. And in case you didn't know it, work is for David Cameron, leader of the Conservative party who happens to be ...

''Ere mate...what'll you give us for an old school?

Browsing the properties for sale websites, as you do, I came across this a few days ago. This building used to be Harrowgate Hill Infants' School on Thompson St West, on the border of Harrowgate Hill and North Road wards. It is up for sale with a guide price of £1 million. When it was closed down a couple of years ago, despite a campaign by local people and your Lib Dem ward councillors for

Liberal Democrats in Reading back National Recycling Week

A UK-wide campaign to encourage people to recycle more of their household waste has been backed by Liberal Democrats in Reading. {2390069078_ba3a7dff7d} National Recycling Week is being held on 2nd - 8th June. This is the fifth year it has been held. This initiative is run by Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP), a national organisation set up to help people produce less waste and advise on how best to deal with rubbish in an environmentally friendly way. Cllr Glenn Goodall, LibDem Group Environmental spokesperson, said, "In Reading each person is on average producing 335 kg of waste per year that ...

Councillor Alan Ord - rest in peace

I was walking out of Victoria Station this morning when I got the news. My colleague of 20 years, Councillor Alan Ord, has died. He went into hospital two weeks ago for an operation that, if successful, would have assisted him to recover fully from a serious case of food poisoning from which he nearly died in 2006. The operation did appear, at first, to be a success. He came home on Friday. But

Targets: just say no

The four police forces which have rejected Whitehall targets are just the beginning. There is a revolution about to begin in the way our public services are run - and some more questions. Once they have discovered that targets are like the Emperor's New Clothes - you just say no and they disappear - then there is a question about exactly who quangos and public services are accountable to, and how. With that proviso, the most exciting aspect of this change is that the police forces have grasped that the way to deal with distorting targets is not to reform ...

David Boyle on target culture

David Boyle has an article on Comment is Free today on the decision by four police forces to reject government targets and allow their officers to use more discretion. He writes: They follow the trail blazed by the top independent schools when they withdrew from the league tables, but this is a much braver and more significant step. It is also an emperor's new clothes moment for government targets: if you deny their existence, they lose their power. Whole swaths of the public sector - and local government in particular - will now be emboldened to go the same way.David ...

BritBlog Roundup 172

This week it's at Philobilon.

Wrong Twice in One Leaflet

Henley Conservatives have got their facts wrong twice over in their first leaflet of the campaign. Lib Dem candidate Stephen Kearney lives in Aston Rowant, near Watlington, and very much in the Henley Constituency. Yet in their first leaflet of the campaign the Tories claim he lives '200 miles away'. But they also get the facts wrong about another candidate. Green candidate Mark Stevenson also lives locally - IN THE NEIGHBOURING VILLAGE TO THE CONSERVATIVE - yet the same leaflet claims that the Conservative is 'the only local candidate'.

Abbey Customer Services: a touch of Kafka

I wish to complain about an Abbey department not replying to me. So I contact Abbey's Complaints Department. Who tell me that they can't take up a complaint until said department has replied to me. Even though my complaint is that they haven't. Nice touch of Kafka. Woof woof. PS It would appear I am not alone. In fact, it's very crowded here in the unhappy with Abbey camp.

Extending Oyster: one person persuaded!

Keith Flett kindly wrote in the local newspaper about my push to get Oyster more widely accepted on train services: Full marks to Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, for raising the issue of pay as you go Oyster Card use on rail networks in Haringey. At the moment they can't be used on the line from Finsbury Park through to Hornsey and beyond, although the train operator First Group seems to be happy for this to take place on its services out of Paddington.Meanwhile on the other side of the borough, recent changes means that Oyster can ...

Is this the end of the road for HRC?

Hannah Strange is reporting that Clinton is preparing to bow out after tomorrow night's primaries. She has, apparentlyI feel , already informed some of her staff that their services will no longer be required. I feel so fatigued by the whole process. The next 5 months won't be any better.

Copayment issues

The government are on a hiding to nothing trying to defend the indefensible about co-payment. Already people buy some drugs directly rather than on prescription because they are cheaper. Making it impossible for people to continue having NHS treatment if they pay for any private treatment undermines the social contract and is probably unlawful. There is a real difficulty with the system in

Tory campaign in Henley makes first big blunder

Paul Walter is right to highlight the Tory blunder in Henley where they are issuing a leafelt claiming the Lib Dem candidate does not live locally when if they had bothered to check their facts they would know that he does actually live locally after all ! This sort of early cock-up can cripple a campaign early on as it can be referred to again and again by the agrieved party as evidence of a dirty tricks campaign and a sign to the electorate that if they will lie about this, they will lie about anything. Certainly in past campaigns ...

HTM on Openlearn

Health Partners International and the Open University have recently been collaborating on the production of a sample unit of a course on healthcare technology management for developing countries. The course is based on a series on six manuals that HPI (in its former incarnation of Ziken International) produced with DFID funding. The manuals are now freely available in electronic form. They are however rather big, each around 300 pages, and there are six of them. I was concerned about the usability of such a document and came up with the idea of basing a course around them, so that potential ...

Appropriate Healthcare Technology

I recently attended the Institution of Engineering and Technology conference on Appropriate Healthcare Technology for Developing Countries. You might think it's not the sexiest thing to do but a) it's at Savoy Place with a gorgeous view over the Thames, b) healthcare technology in developing countries means the differencve between life and death for a lot of people c) they showcase the most alluring bits of kit and d) you get to meet a lot of really interesting people from all over the world. It happens every two years. I first went in 2006 and was bowled over by items ...

Stephen Kearney asks Henley Tories to withdraw leaflet

Stephen Kearney, LibDem candidate for the Henley by-election has written to his opposite number as follows: Dear Councillor Howell, I write to ask you to withdraw a leaflet published on your behalf by the Conservative Party. The leaflet which I enclose states that I live outside Henley Constituency. As you will be aware I moved to Aston Rowant several weeks ago, as I promised I would do to

'So, this is how liberty dies....to thunderous applause?' - Part 1

The 'war on terrorism' has become the main ideological cloak behind which civil liberties are attacked and state extends its power, regulating every sphere of life - state power which is ineffectual at best and is usually counterproductive. We are approaching another controversial vote on extending the powers to detain terror suspects without charge. Contray to widely received wisdom this is not as popular with the wider public as it is often said it is; a You Gov survey carried out in March reported on Angus Reid's Global Monitor found that 70% felt that; 'The 28-day limit should remain, but ...

What is happening at Moor Lane?

A letter in last week's Informer asked what was going to happen to the Moor Lane Junior School site, so I thought it would be a good idea to revisit the things I wrote about in February. What I wrote then was this: So what will happen at the vacant Moor Lane site? The very welcome proposal is to use it for the new Integrated Service for Disabled Children. 'Integrated' in...

Now that I've read Cherie Blair's book...

Over the last week I've read Cherie Blair's autobiography. This follows on from my appearance on Radio 4's Any Questions? where it came up and I defended the idea of her having written it - saying that everyone should be able to have their say, especially someone like her who has been on the receiving end of judgements from so many other people over the years without really being able to answer back. But she's lucky I didn't read it before I went on air - because having read it - what a dreadful book it is! I mean it's ...

2nd June entry

Dear Reader June already this year, I had a successful year when I was Mayor and at the end of the year we give a present to the city, well my year was about caring but also I tried to highlight people that have worked in one firm for 40 years or more so I am providing a book for those names to be entered into, like we do for the 50 years. I am sure my husband who is now the current...

Harrowing footage

A film made, in part, by Alfred Hitchcock, documenting the Holocaust and the freeing of Belsen. It was originally not released due to it being too grisly. It is very disturbing and really brings home the truly evil nature of the Nazi concentration camps. (hat tip: Shagya blog).

Dutch Ban Voting Computers

The link is to a story whereby the Dutch Government have concluded that having computer voting undermines the secret ballot. I wish our government would recognise this before they go down that route. Bits of paper may be archaic, but they provide a transparency of audit trail that is important for democracy.

Vote for Annemarie Wright

My favourite artist - Annemarie Wright - has a piece of art in the Saatchi Gallery Showdown competition.

I've emailed the Russian embassy

Knowing that Richard Younger-Ross tabled his specious amendment about Eurovision there looks likely to be a bigger problem - that of human rights for both the Muscovites and the visitors travelling there next year (that is if they choose Moscow). Given that a lot of LGBT people go there perhaps someone could write to the Russian authorities asking about these concerns? I for one are weighing up the options. [...]

Henley by-election: new BBC report

With the writ for the Henley Parliamentary by-election widely expected to be moved this week, Sunday's BBC1 Politics Show broadcast another report on the state of the campaign so far. Their previous report highlighted the splits in the Henley Conservative Party over the selection of their candidate (now John Howell), whilst yesterday's featured the strong start [...]

Beware the New Labour narrative

I think it's clear what the tramline narrative is we're going to hear over the coming months - Ed Balls defined it classically on R4 Today Prog this morning: `The Global Economy is creating tough economic times that require tough decisions. The choice will be between Labour who steered the economy smoothy for ten years with [...]

Campbell Presses NHS About Cupar Dental Centre Consultation

North East Fife Liberal Democrat MP Sir Menzies Campbell is pressing NHS Fife for a response to concerns he raised on behalf of constituents about the adequacy of the consulation process prior to the planning application for the Dental Centre in Cupar being determined. Commenting Menzies Campbell said "Jim Birrell of Fife Council's Development Services has now acknowledged that 'lessons will be learned' with regard to the planning process and I am glad to hear this. But I am also keen to hear the view of NHS Fife about the adequacy of their consultation process. I have to date not ...

'profoundly dissappointed' at ship to ship backtrack

Sir Menzies Campbell MP has expressed his "profound disappointment" at reports that the UK Government's proposed regulations for Ship-to-Ship (STS) oil transfers will not have any bearing on the Firth of Forth, despite undertakings given earlier this year. Sir Menzies supported Edinburgh North and Leith MP Mark Lazarowicz's Private Members Bill in the House of Commons earlier this year, which was later withdrawn in good faith after the Under Secretary for Transport gave an assurance that the Government would take action. Commenting on the proposed regulations Sir Menzies said, "This consultation does not include a single proposal which would prevent ...

Don't use clear sacks for cans and glass please

Redcar and Cleveland Council is reminding residents not to use the clear recycling bags for the collection of cans and glass because of the possible health and safety risk to collectors. Clear sacks must only be used for the collection of plastic bottles and clean cardboard. If residents requires a box or blue bag, please call 01642 774774.

Farmers Market on Redcar High Street

On Thursday, 5th June - the Northern Dales Farmers Market, will open on Redcar High Street, from 9am-4pm. The market will return on the first Thursday of each month until September. It offers a range of high quality, locally produced products including pork, beef, lamb, jams, chutneys, apple juice, patisseries, pies, vegetables, cheese, chocolates, herbs and plants.

'People told us...we have listened'

The title of this post is extracted from the blog of fellow Lib Dem Les Bonner, from North East Lincolnshire. He refers to his Council's decision to extend free bus travel for the elderly and disabled to pre-9.30am - something Darlington BC says it cannot afford. Of course, 'You spoke...we listened' is also one of John Williams's recent catchphrases: except that in Darlington it only applies to

Clinton wins in Puerto Rico

Yesterday, Hillary Clinton won a landslide victory over Barack Obama in Puerto Rico, getting 68% of the vote to his 32%, a much better showing than expected.

Nick Clegg offers new snapshots of the Liberal Democrat narrative

In The Independent's "you ask the questions" today, Nick Clegg offers some really good snapshots of the Liberal Democrats' developing narrative. He also shows where we have some work to do. Try this:"I just don't believe it's about left or right - the old divisions are breaking down, political loyalties based on class are fading away. The new divisions in British politics are about fairness, about over-centralisation, civil liberties and security, the international rule of law, environmental sustainability, and identity at a time of rapid change. Anyone who wants a fairer, greener Britain in which real change happens to our ...

The US-Iraqi pact, and all the troubles it is causing

The US-Iraqi accord, which is meant to legitamise US military presence in the country after the UN mandate runs out, is exposing the many splits within Iraqi politics and the manifold difficulty in predicting the country's future. All this 'Iraq is getting better rhetoric', based on headline figures of US troop and civilian casualties, completely masks our understanding of the internal political wranglings, which actually will have the greatest effect on the long term stability of Iraq and as such history's judgment of the war as a whole. The Pact is ripping apart the already fractious situation. Ayatollah Sistani, who ...

Labour and the trade unions: is divorce on the agenda?

From today's Financial Times: When Brendan Barber, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, made a plea for Labour to discover a new vision and strategy last month it appeared to mark a watershed in heightened tensions between the party and the unions. Mr Barber, the figurehead of the union movement, is well-known as a party loyalist [...]

Happy Tax Freedom Day

With wide-eyed supplication do they peer heaven-wards and cry: "PLEASE PITY US, GORDO, WE BESEECH THEE, DEAR LEADER" Yet they have SINNED with their binge drinking and visible cigarette packets in shop displays and HOME-MADE TERRORISM and the Leader shall decide in his own time but now HARK! Now hark! For a beam of light, and his big clunking fist doth fall and crack their fetters! Oh happy emancipation, happy day, may we now be free to ... keep our own fucking money? Yes, so we may, for today is Tax Freedom Day. Woop-adee-woop-woop. Until today all our work in ...

Sense has prevailed

A couple days ago Matt Eckel over at the really rather good foreign policy watch could not believe the stupidity of the State Department for revoking Fulbright scholarships for seven Palestinians from Gaza as Israel would not grant them exit visas. State has thankfully reversed this silly decision.

Paul McCartney doing minor roadworks in my ward, and other distractions

Last night I went to the Liverpool Sound concert at Anfield, headlined by Sir Paul McCartney, a man so dazzlingly wealthy and with a musical back-catalogue so ludicrously accomplished, that even a brief contemplation of the scope of his life makes my brain hurt. Here's a guy who's more famous than The Queen, and has been since my parents were in short trousers (or, in my mum's case, whatever young girls wore in the early 60s). Until I was about 16 I thought that "Yesterday" was a centuries-old folk song, and scientists have now proven that the tunes to "Hey ...

Conspiring ;)

Today's Casting the Net is up at LC: a couple of you might find your fame marginally increased ;)

Another Idea Stolen From the Lib Dems

The Telegraph reports today: David Cameron will start a "live and unplugged" tour of Britain this week, inviting people to question him in person in a series of meetings. The Tory leader, who has pioneered the use of webchats and other internet-based methods of communicating with the electorate, will hold an old-fashioned open meeting with voters tomorrow. Tory [...]

If you tolerate this....

Jonny Wright has an interesting post on his blog, 'Hug a Hoodie'. It is interesting because of the questions it raises really, it is an attack on the 'intolerant' left and in particular a piece in the Independent by Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. Now, the piece is titled 'A lament for the death of the left as a political force' so right from the off you can tell that it is going to be a pretty downbeat rant and downbeat rants are usually bitter too; so the colourful invective is to be expected if not forgiven. The basic thesis of the Brown ...

The problems with Gordon Brown's article on detention without trial

So - Gordon Brown flows over many column inches in The Times today defending his insistence on introducing 42 days detention without charge. He holds forth in fulsome manner over the 'compromises', the judicial oversight, the need to come to Parliament for a vote if time beyond 28 days is necessary etc. There's much to disagree with on the grounds which he chooses to argue - such as how meaningful will Parliamentary oversight really be if we're all asked to vote suddenly after a new terror horror or scare? Those are just the circumstances in which you get rushed judgements, ...

Post Office closures: Labour admits they're making profits

Watching Labour minister Pat McFadden on TV yesterday (Andrew Marr show) state what we have all been screaming - that even profitable sub-Post Offices are being closed in the relentless decimation of local public services. I've always argued that you can't judge local public services simply on the basis of direct cash profit and loss - there are indirect costs and benefits too, and many of the benefits are not cash but in other forms. But it really takes the biscuit to be told that even Post Offices that are making a profit on a narrow cash basis are being ...

Henley a Dry Run for the Euro-campaign?

The Tories' choice of candidate for the Henley by-election, Oxfordshire County Councillor John Howell, is interesting, as previously the front-runner had been seen as the leader of the County Council, the farmer Ann Ducker, who would have been quite a formidable opponent for the LibDems' Stephen Kearney. But it seems that the Europhobes within the [...]

Nick Clegg on Iraq, tax, PR, Piers Morgan and more...

The Independent has a Q+A with Nick Clegg today. The questions (and hence the answers) get more interesting the further through the piece you get, and they cover a very wide range of topics including Nick's attitude to tax, what to do if offered PR in return for a coalition, the importance (or not) of [...]

The Politeness of Freedom - A short essay on Political Correctness

Political correctness is an odd matter for us liberal democrats, the inherent contradictions contained within it seems to symbolize the strains between the right and the left of our party. However, we cannot simply continue to ignore the issue, for doing so is allowing the debate to be taken over by a reactionary right winged press, incapable of fully understanding the complex implications of this issue upon society. To allow these people to go unchallenged would be a crime in itself and so we must work out a truly liberal response to the modern threats to political correctness and not ...

Are you using the party's extranet?

The party's extranet is a resource for party activists, elected representatives (including councillors) and staff and the home for artwork, campaign materials, policy briefings and also resources to accompany the party's big national campaigns, such as the crime and health ones. Access is open to all party councillors, staff, approved Parliamentary candidates, local party Chairs, EARS [...]

Free bus travel departs in North East Lincolnshire

Time restrictions have been removed on the national travel scheme.Negotiations between North East Lincolnshire Council and local bus companies have brought about a result that's just the ticket - with the introduction of free travel at any time for eligible pass-holders residing in North East Lincolnshire - starting from the earliest bus services this morning (June 2)Currently, pass-holders can travel free on any local registered bus service between 9.30am and 11pm, in accordance with a national travel scheme. As of today these time restrictions have been removed. People have told us that they need to travel outside the hours of ...

Busy Saturday

Off reasonably early on Saturday to do a home visit as part of some casework I am dealing with. Sometimes issues come up that are much better discussed face to face - and this was one of those. I'm now waiting for replies to various e mails I have sent out on this one. Straight onto the bus after my visit and across to Childwall to help deliver leaflets. And this time it was someone else who was bitten by the dog!

Secret Justice Private Hell

The link is to a worthwhile article in a new magazine called 'Standpoint'.

Thursday 29th May 10am

CHAIR'S BRIEFING Health & Well Being Scrutiny Committee I attend these meetings in my capacity as vice-chair of the committee. The chair is Stuart Gordon-Bullock, a member of the opposition and despite our political differences we have a good working relationship on this committee. The purpose of this meeting is to confirm the details of the full committee [...]

Rain stopped play

I got a reminder call on Friday evening whilst on the train heading back home that there was a fayre at Sunniside Methodist hall. I try to get to all the fayres and similar events held in my ward. Doing so is a useful way of supporting local groups, maintaining profile and of course, buying plants for the allotment. I bought 7 strawberry plants, whilst David bought a load of bedding plants for

A Principled Stand?

I see in the Times this morning, Gordon Brown says that he will stick to his principles and insist on detention without trial for 42 days as part of a package of 'anti terrorist' measures. So, let me get this right. He intends to ram through a totally unnecessary piece of legislation that rides rough shod over much of habeus corpus- one of the most fundamental freedoms in our country. He intends to do this despite the fact that the majority of the population is opposed to the measure, and so is most of the House of Commons. He is ...

The Monday morning blog: stuck in the Brown stuff

There has been considerable speculation about whether or not Borwn will be dumped as Leader and therefore Prime Minister by Labour over the past couple of weeks. Now that I have stated the bleedin' obvious, it is time to explore this further.I have up til now taken the view that Brown will not be forced out. Removing a party leader in opposition is one thing, removing a party leader whilst in

Fighting for our Post Offices

Saturday's South Wales Evening Post reports that 23 Post Offices are to be earmarked for closure in Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot. I am aware that when the official announcement is made tomorrow there will also be closures proposed for Pembrokeshire and Bridgend. This cull comes on top of the 4,000 Post Offices so far closed by Labour since 1997, 150 of them in Wales and 22 of them in Swansea. Their plan is to close another 2,500 branches across the UK in this latest reorganisation, a euphemism if ever I heard one. The Conservatives are no better, they ...

The criminalisation of the masses - is this what Labour mean by a more equal society?

Alright, I wasn't impressed by Labour proposals on cigarette advertising and marketing. As for the new proposals to crack down on drinking amongst under-18's, irritation turns to contempt. Don't get me wrong, I'm not wild about drunken idiots roaming our town centres late at night. It's just that, for me, their age is irrelevant, it's their behaviour that is the issue. Government proposals to

Opinion: The Charge of the Lib Dem Brigade

There's a by-election! Chaaaaarge! This pretty much sums up Lib Dem strategy in Crewe... or is it tactics masking as strategy? And if there are any voices in the party who think our blind rush to by-elections is as mad as the Charge of the Light Brigade, I have news for you. It's the only [...]

Joint MSP/City Councillor Surgery for the West End

I'm holding an extra surgery this week for the local area jointly with Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee West, at : St Peter's Free Church Hall St Peter Street this Friday (6th June 2008) from 1pm to 2pm If there is any issue or problem you'd like your City Councillor or MSP to help with, please come along. All West End residents welcome.

Sticking by His Principles is he? What Principles?

Today's opinion piece in the Times by Gordon Brown regarding the upcoming 42 detention without trail debate, and possible defeat he is facing, ends with the following: That is why I will stick to the principles I have set out and do the right thing: protecting the security of all and the liberties of each; and safeguarding the British people by a careful and proportionate strengthening of powers

The intolerant left: Yasmin Alibhai-Brown goes bonkers

Like all liberals, I think of myself as being on the progressive side of British politics - but you've got to choose your allies carefully. Every once in a while, an article comes along that reminds me that the 'progressive' left can be every bit as dangerous as the 'conservative' right. Yasmin Alibhai-Brown has an article in the Independent which strikes me as one of the most ill-judged bits of commentary I've ever read - from someone who's allegedly on the same side as I am when it comes to civil liberties, foreign policy and social justice. Her basic thesis ...

Government plan for cig crackdown is too weak

The government's plan to make it even more difficult to market and sell cigarettes doesn't go anything like far enough. Personally I think they need to do something serious, such as ban the word "cigarette" which sounds far too innocuous, even friendly. Surely "paper based tobacco smoke inhalation system" would be a better term? We could start by banning the term cigarette on the packets themselves and then reach out to TV, the press and eventually the internet. Pretty soon we could be issuing fines to people for even saying the word out loud in the street. Some people might ...

Taking a stand

The new Standpoint magazine has made a great play of its plan to "defend and celebrate Western civilisation", but how can a magazine do that? I suppose you could roll it up and bop anyone with brown skin on the nose but surely the Telegraph has served that purpose for decades and has the added advantage of having greater reach due to its broadsheet size? Will it come with retractable spikes? Share This

Economics and oil

I didn't watch all of Question Time this week but one thing that Eric Pickles said flew out at me (in what was otherwise an incoherent mess once Dimblebum had punctured his well rehearsed soundbite): before tax, the UK has the lowest priced diesel in Europe. It sounds like a startling, killer fact, but it actually demonstrates what a pointless debate we are having in the UK at the moment about taxing fuel. We have understood since Adam Smith that price is determined by demand and supply. Tax petrol 2p and it doesn't automatically go up 2p because competition will ...

Can they really be Labour's saviours?

Congratulations go to my friends in Oxford City Council's Labour ranks, Cllrs Turner, McManners, Bance and Baxter. They all gained national recognition yesterday in an ever-so-unbiased article in The Guardian, on the subject of Can Oxford save Labour? Obviously, Oxford is a key battleground between Labour and LibDems, and this article attempts to set the parameters of the debate. Labour is presented here as the party of social justice -- yes, that's right, of social justice. I don't eat cornflakes, so I didn't choke (sorry to disappoint you, Antonia & Ed). But here is the fault-line: I'm sure they joined ...

Monday 2nd June 2008

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