LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Friday 6th June 2008

Impressed by Broadband Resilience

I lost my home telephone service this week. The dial tone just went leaving a vague electrical noise on the line. So I swapped out the handset, tried dialling without the broadband filter, checked the visible wiring etc. and all seemed fine. But what struck me as weird throughout this was the fact that my broadband service was working well. I had a connection with a good speed as normal so figured that there could not be any problem with the actual wiring. (I had done a quick check to be sure that I was actually linked to my wireless ...

Conservative expenses scandals spread

It's now three MEPs and one Shadow Cabinet member, Caroline Spelman.

Going nowhere fast!

Although Alzheimers is a very serious subject, this initiative by a German care home which apparently succeeds in preventing too many incidents of people in their care wandering off and having to get police and other authorities out to look for them is so supremely simple, and when you think about it and obvious ruse, I just fell off my chair laughing when I read it!

Everyone's in Henley!

In a reflective mood, I have been pondering the nature of networking again, not without irony since I am obviously in on a Friday night. The months after Christmas saw a sharp rise in 'meetings' or networking with other fellow Lib Dems, and, by contrast, the last few weeks have seen a sharp decline! Facebook is a quieter place than ever before, and my yahoo mail isn't exactly bulging at the seams either. Of course, getting out and meeting people is easier to arrange then ever before, so I really have no excuse, even without a car. Not a party ...

Will Vote for Food?

{Vote for food - Zimbabwe} What is the world coming to? You know, I may have very grave concerns about our own democracy and the things our elected dictators are imposing on us, but it behoves us daily to thank whatever deity, sprite or inspiration we believe in, that we are not in Zimbabwe. The inhuman brutality of Mugabe is an affront to mankind. And this is a man who professes to be a Christian. Leviticus is not my favourite tome, but Chap 23 verse 22 seems quite apt: "And when you reap the corn of your land, you shall ...

Heading home

I am now on the train heading home. Thankfully this time it has not been cancelled or delayed. Alan's funeral is to be on Wednesday, at 1pm in St Mary's Church, Whickham. I sent out an email bulletin to constituents about the date and time. Many have asked me over the last few days when it is to be. I tried to book rail tickets for the coming week on the National Express website tonight. I left

Thinking outside the box

An interesting evening visiting a photographic exhibition. Nothing new in that you may think, it was by Andy Elliott at the Dorman Museum, both well known. However the subject was fox hunting in North Yorkshire, and despite some of my family being very much involved in this in the past, being farmers in that area, I have strong views against fox hunting. However I wanted to support...

Abbey: genius meets customer service

Q. Hello, is that Department 2? A. Yes Q. Who is dealing with my problem? A. Department 3 Q. Can you put me through to them? A. No Q. Can you give me contact details for them? A. No Q. Is there anyone else in the whole of Abbey you can put on the phone to me? A. No Genius.

The digital TV switchover

As residents will be aware, I have raised the issue of the anaolgue TV 'switch off' on numerous occasions. I have been in discussions with both Digital UK and Ofcom about the issues affecting Dundee. I'm pleased to see Jim Tolson MSP, the Scottish Liberal Democrat representative on the Local Government and Communities Committee, question experts about the digital TV switchover. As Jim said, "It's really concerning that experts admit that a two-tier digital system could develop for access to digital television. "Liberal Democrats in Westminster and Holyrood have been actively campaigning to ensure a smooth transition between analogue and ...

A Quick Check

That's a relief....

George Orwell Square, Barcelona

The death of irony! Hat tip: Amlwch to Magor

Caroline Spelman in Expenses Trouble?

With a notable journalistic question mark, word reaches me that Caroline Spelman may be in hot water. Orange By Name understands that she could be the latest Tory caught up in an 'expenses row'. One will say no more.

Results: Thursday 5th June 2008

Allerdale BC, All Saints Con 587 (45.0; -1.8) Lab 536 (41.1; -12.2) BNP 99 (7.6; +7.6) Green 58 (4.4; +4.4) Ind 25 (1.9; +1.9) Majority 51 Turnout 35% Con hold Percentage change from May 2007. Forest Heath DC, Red Lodge LD Pat McCloud 321 (55.9; +55.9) Con 230 (40.1; -59.9) UKIP 23 (4.0; +4.0) Majority 91 Turnout 38% LD gain from Con Percentage change from May 2007. Gwynedd UA, Bowydd and Rhiw

Another Tory MEP in trouble over his expenses

One in a week is terrible for the Tory Party, Two is disgraceful, what price a third Tory MEP for being in trouble at some point ? After all, The News of the World printed this about another Tory MEP 'Moustachioed top Tory Roger Helmer is another MEP filling his boots. He has set himself up as a champion for openness and transparency in Brussels. But in an unguarded moment he bragged to our reporter of his plans to exploit the crazy expenses system for thousands more—by tweaking the way his home address is listed. The idea is to make ...

Booklist 2008, part 22

33) Terry Deary, The Fire Chief (London: Kingfisher 2006, ISBN 0753411482). Children's fantasy novel in which Prometheus visits an AU-ish version of Dickensian England. R thought I would like it and lent it to me; it's a fun read with some knowing postmodern touches that grate after a while as an adult, but apparently don't if you're nine ;-) They also don't grate enough to stop me reading more of Deary's work if it should find its way into the house, which is good - being able to read and talk about the same books as the kids without feeling ...

'Next-Gen' Tory MP's will lower abortion limit

Conservaitve Home has conducted an interesting survey of Conservative candidates who are now eagerly expecting to be swept into office on the crest of a Cameron wave. It emailed 225 candidates and the first results, published on the basis of 107 replies' confirmed that an incoming Conservative government will be much more restrictive of abortion. It found '85% support a more restrictive abortion law.' In terms of the time limit for abortions to be performed it found a majority in favour of 20 weeks or less. Amazingly this is taken as a sign on Con Home that these candidates are, ...

House Points: Set Boris free

One advantage of blogging is that publshing is instantaneous. That is not true of weekly journalism. When I wrote this column for Liberal Democrat News on Tuesday evening it was true that no one had heard from Boris for ages. Since then he has resigned his Commons seat and been all over the newspapers. Where's Boris? Has anyone seen Boris Johnson recently? Fears are growing that he is being held against his will by an armed coalition of policy wonks, Cameroons and Tory spin doctors. Look at the decisions being announced in his name. Boris was elected Mayor of London ...

Lembit the author

Is there no end to the talents of the Member for Montgomery? Place your orders now for The Xenophobe's Guide to the Estonians, due out in April 2009.

Tuesday 3rd June 6pm

Waste Management Briefing Members received a briefing from Peter O'Connell, Executive Head of Street Scene Services, on the issues affecting the future of waste disposal in Sutton. Plans to address the increasing costs of using landfill and meeting national recycling targets beyond 2009 were presented.

Scotland performs ... or is it just spin and bluster?

Commenting on the launch of the Scottish Government's 'Scotland Performs' website, where the Scottish Government judges Scotland's economic performance, Liberal Democrat Shadow Finance Secretary, Tavish Scott MSP, said, "The Scottish Government cannot be judge and jury about its own performance. As it has no independent monitoring this website amounts to nothing more than government propaganda. "The people of Scotland will decide whether this Government is achieving its economic targets, not a load of SNP spin and bluster." Personally, I'd go for the spin and bluster explanation!

Has Boris Johnson ditched a pre-election airport promise?

Exhibit A Conservative Leader of Dartford Council, Jeremey Kite: "When I spoke to him [Boris Johnson] during his campaign he assured me north Kent was not an option [for a new airport]." Exhibit B Boris Johnson's staff: "It is too early to identify particular sites and to confirm or deny north Kent is an option." (Source: News Shopper) So that'd [...]

Second Conservative MEP quits over expenses scandal

First it was their Leader, now it is their Chief Whip.

The truth behind Labour's 'Free Swimming ' initiative

Labour today announced that free swimming would be an '2012 Olympic Legacy' How will Labour afford this ? Well the picture below shows that Labour have found the solution. After all we are an island nation.

Interculturalism: A Spanish Perspective

I was at the Spanish Embassy in Belgrave Square last night, for a seminar on Interculturalism — in other words, how Spain is dealing with community cohesion, or 'convivencia', as they call it. As Ambassador Carlos Miranda said in his opening remarks, the Spanish model offers a third alternative to the more familiar models of [...]

Ladbrokes: Labour odds on to lose deposit in Henley

Woof woof.

Lib Dems leading the way on traffic speeds - 30 MPH for Enham one step closer

Following a personal request to Hampshire's Executive Member for the Environment by County Councillor Robin Hughes, Hampshire Highway officers have confirmed that the Enham Alamein 'Village 30' scheme will be implemented as early in July as is practicable.In an email to Cllr Hughes today -5th June 2008 - the Group Manager, Traffic Environment Department stated, "I have alerted both our consultants and Chief Executive's Department with a view to implementation as early in July as is practicable. "Cllr Hughes said, "This is fantastic news for Enham Alamein and I hope that the new 30mph speed limit will be respected by ...

Only in Australia

Can you imagine what the reaction would be in this country if the Prime Minister or a party leader used the phrase 'We've all had to drive the porcelain bus at some stage 'to refer to his sickness. Well at least in Australia they have no such qualms. It's actually a breath of fresh air (which is probably the wrong phrase to use in this case) to hear a politician who speaks like a normal person.

The Nomination is closed

Today at midday the nomination for the coming flash elections to the Wendover Parish Council was closed. Exactly nine courageous citizens have decided to stick their head over the parapit and stepped forward. This means no election: Name of Candidate COOLEY Preeta Josephine HERSANT Sadia HETHERINGTON Sue MANNERS Sue MYERS Alan Sydney RICHARDS Chris SAUNDERS Karen Brigette STAMPER Cheryl Madeleine WORTH Stephen Charles Of the nine six are women. That will make the Parish council 8 women and 5 men. Of those who resigned only Steven worth put his hand up. I suppose the rest intended to wait for the ...

Let the train take the strain...not!

A friend, and former council colleague then defector, some of you will know who I mean but I won't name him, got the news early this week that his mother, in Glasgow, had been taken into hospital having been lain at home for the best part of a month not feeling well but doing little about it. Anyway, without going into too many details said friend is not really working full time at the moment and not claiming benefit - because of the irregular work he does for the local TA and ACF. THis is about enough to keep him ...

Partners and Communities Together meeting

Would you like to actively engage with local agencies, police and residents with initiatives to promote Safer Stronger Neighbourhoods within Walcot? Tuesday 17th June, 6.30pmRiverside Youth and Community Centre, London Road Tuesday 17th June 2008 will mark the third in a planned series of PACT meetings for the Walcot area, PACT meetings are designed to bring members of the community together with local police teams and key representatives of various organisations to decide on priorities in the local area. PACT meetings are about giving members of the community a direct say on what they would like their local neighbourhood team ...

John Major on 42 days

The 42 day internment detention without charge vote is due to come up next week. Former Prime Minister John Major, himself the target of a terrorist attack when the IRA launched mortars into Downing Street. has this to say about the proposals in today's Times: "I don't believe that sacrifice of due process can be justified. [...]

Newhaven by-election: the results

Newhaven residents reject Tories The Conservatives suffered another defeat last night as Lib Dem Maurice Langham swept to victory in a town council by-election in Newhaven. Maurice won 55% of the vote compared to the Conservative's share of 45%. Labour and the Greens are unable to win in the area and did not stand candidates. The defeat sends a clear message to Conservatives on East Sussex County Council that the £145 million price tag of their incinerator planned for Newhaven has put voters off the party locally. Maurice said: I spoke to many local residents during the campaign, and they ...

The wind is up in oxfordshire

Oxfordshire now has its first wind farm (when is a new name going to be given to these facilities?). The Westmill Wind Farm near Shrivenham in the LD controlled Vale has just gone live and the five 1.3mw turbines are expected to generate enough energy for 2,500 homes. A useful point was made by the Chief Exec of the co-operative to challenge those who complain that wind turbines only work when the wind blows. Coal fired power stations only use about 40% of the energy in coal: most of the rest goes up in smoke quite literally. I seem to ...

Persimmon Homes resubmit Coatham Links planning application

Redcar and Cleveland Council is informing residents that Persimmon Homes have resubmitted a planning application for the proposed Coatham Links development. Approximately 2,000 letters are being sent to residents in the area and those who objected to the original application, explaining how they can view the application. Plans will be available to view from Monday, June 9 to Friday, June 27 at two locations - the Council's offices at Belmont House, Rectory Lane, Guisborough during normal office hours and in a room signposted from the Redcar Leisure Centre reception area, weekdays from 10am-7pm. The plans can also be accessed through ...

Gordon Brown is disappearing up his own exhaust pipe

If you want a good laugh, read this snippet from the Scotsman, highlighted by Mark Pack on LibDem Voice.

Not waving but drowning

So the government wants to introduce free swimming for everyone, starting with pensioners. Let's consider this a little further. The government introduced free bus travel for the over 60s. Its a nice idea and it is of course popular among that age group but as many people have pointed out there are many more groups in our country who could benefit from free bus travel. Young people; people on benefits the government desperately wants to get into work; less well off people; how about the families of foreign soldiers serving abroad who may be cut off in a strange country ...

Visitor vouchers

When I moved to Morton Road in summer 2004, one of my first things to sort out was visitors' parking vouchers. I went up to the Municipal Offices, filled in my forms, queued for some time and bought my annual allowance of zone L vouchers - a mix of 1-hour, 3-hour and all-day ones. I [...]

If Chichester and Conway, why not Gray?

Sorry to keep banging on about this, but why is James Gray still a Conservative MP given the firm line that Cameron has taken regarding Giles Chichester and Derek Conway? Perhaps one of my Conservative readers would care to explain it? Share This

Hillary isn't the only woman in the Democratic Party

Should Barack Obama pick Hillary as his VP?  On balance I think not; the narrative that Obama won on was that of a change, a new way of doing things.  Hillary, as a Clinton, quite clearly doesn't embody that narrative (and it's in the rules of narrative that you have to embody it).  To have a Clinton as VP would undermine his narrative and would endanger his election.  Plus, it would be very awkward in the White House. I always veered towards Barack Obama but I was very well aware of importance of Hillary's position; the first woman to have ...

The Fleet river floweth by...

A brilliantly useful comment from a reader brings this map: and comes at a time when I'm told that the now Jubilee Line Underground was going to be the Fleet Line on the basis that it was going to go through Fleet Street and reflected something of the line of the Fleet River... Sounds convincing, but any confirmations out there? Ed Fordham

Obama wins Liberal Burblings poll - Ron Paul second

Many thanks indeed to the 119 people who took the trouble to vote on the NewsVine US Presidential poll which I have had in my side bar for the last few months. 74% voted for a Democrat candidate. 26% voted for a Republican candidate. Details are here. Obama got 33% of the vote, Ron Paul scored highly with 16% and Hillary Clinton got 12%.

Day 2712: Bye Bye BoJo

Wednesday: BoJo the Clown has officially 'taken the Chiltern Hundreds'. That's actually just Parliamentary SLANG, the Parliamentary language for saying: 'I quit'. The Law (by which I mean the Act of Settlement) says that you cannot be an MP and hold an 'office of profit' (of which there are two) working for Mrs the Queen. I know that the ACTUAL office of Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds is held by Lord Blairimort at the moment, and BoJo has ACTUALLY taken the other one... the Telegraph Hundreds-of-Thousands. (Okay, he's REALLY the Crown Steward of the Manor of Northstead, ...

YOUR local phone box may be under threat

Many of our local phone boxes are threatened by a BT plan to remove all 'uneconomic' phone boxes from our streets - whether they are needed for emergency purposes or not. The local boxes on their hit list are: North Road, Yate Goldcrest Road Shire Way (we think that's the Woodchester one) Cherington / Shire Way Little Sodbury End Horton Hill, Horton Rectory Close 'outside Westerleigh Post Office' (well, where it used to be) at the layby, Stover Road Codrington Colts Green, Old Sodbury Brimsham Green Shopping Centre Sundridge Park Since 2002 BT has removed 31,000 kiosks around the UK. ...

Henley: Labour confident of losing their deposit

So says Andrew Grice, Political Editor of the Independent: With Labour in trouble, the by-election looks like being a straight fight between the Tories and LibDems. Labour is confident - of losing its deposit. I am off for my sixth campaigning visit to Henley constituency today. If you can help, please do - details are here. It is important to keep our early momentum.

Gordon Brown and the case of mistaken identity

The Scotsman reports: In the midst of the meltdown, the Prime Minister has not, apparently, relinquished his authoritarianism. He has admonished the "freelancing" attempts by John Hutton, the Business Secretary and Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, for hinting to voters that there would be a retreat on fuel and vehicle excise duty taxes. It is reminiscent of [...]

Wall Street thinks Obama will win

An interesting perspective from CNN Money: 'I think investors are saying they think the Democrats are going to win and they want to be on the winning side,' said William Rutherford, president of Rutherford Investment Management and former State Treasurer of Oregon. The securities industry has already contributed nearly $8 million to Obama's campaign versus just over $4 million to McCain,

Field of Women event coming up

A quick plug for the Field of Women event on 6th July. This is text from the latest newsletter. I appear to have lost some of the links but you can find out more by e mailing info@fieldofwomen.com. "Imagine all the people" Field of Women - Liverpool Cricket Ground on Sunday 6 July, 2008 - REGISTER NOW to be a part of the largest breast cancer support group ever seen in the UK. WE NEED YOU! Thank you to everyone who has registered so far - but we still need people to sign up for the event. We need your ...

Linkspam for 6-6-2008

Key to All Optical Illusions Discovered - Yahoo! News We look not at what is there, but what our brain predicts will be there in a tenth of a seconds time. How weird is that? (tags: Evolution research science) Dark Roasted Blend: Extravagant Designs by Luigi Colani Even a non-petrolhead like me can appreciate these (tags: design transport cool) Dizzy Thinks: Want to host a taxpayer funded website? Good thing: The Welsh Office uses Wordpress. Bad Thing: They're paying Â£500 a month to host it. For a site that probably gets less traffic than my Livejournal. Our tax money at ...

Bring On Milliband

Last night's Question Time was remarkable for almost constant agreement between Vince Cable, Peter Hitchens, Douglas Hurd, Shami Chackrabarti and the studio audience, totally isolating the strangely slimey David Milliband, standing alone as only person incapable of answering a question without unleashing a torrent of spin and general deception. Can Milliband rescue the Labour Party? On last night's performance, he certainly cannot. Like the rest of Labour's cabinet, he's got that way of talking. You know the one. It's because they listen for trigger words and then repeat a rehearsed line back to you. Nothing in the world can make ...

BAE director issued with US subpoena

The Guardian reports that US Department of Justice officials investigating bribery and corruption allegations in relation to the Al-Yamamah arms deal between BAE and Saudi Arabia have issued a subpoena to BAE's business development director Alan Garwood: Until last year, Garwood led a team of 600 civil servants at the Defence Export Service Organisation at the MoD, where he worked on projects including last year's deal to sell Eurofighter Typhoons to Saudi Arabia. He was seconded to the MoD from BAE in 2002. That secondment reinforces the suggestion that the relationship between the MoD and BAE is too close. BAE ...

Graham's blog Friday 6 June 2008

The ten former communist countries which joined the EU in 2004 and 2007 are proving no different from the other member states: they fail to undertake some of the reforms they have agreed and when the others ask 'why?' they plead for extra time or financial help or both. I was in Vilnius on Monday and from the Prime Minister and the other Party leaders I learned of their difficulties in closing the Ignalina nuclear power plant by 2009, as they agreed to do some 14 years ago. True, oil and gas alternatives are now much more costly than foreseen: ...

No change

Anybody who genuinely thought that the Tories have managed to effect a step-change from the nasty, sleazy party they were around the time of the 1997 General Election must have been disabused of that illusion by this latest episode. For all the fuss about the failure of various MPs to declare donations with the electoral commission it remains the case that the most serious allegations of abuse to date have been against the Tory Group Leader in the European Parliament, Giles Chichester and Tory MP Derek Conway. We must not forget that sustained publicity about sleazy Tory MPs directly contributed ...

Political Correctness - A God That Failed?

The A-Z of Politics - I is for Intern

You know you're an intern when... ...you get highly excited by thoughts of a free lunch, or a free drink, or free accommodation, or anything basic and essential that you need for your existence...being free ...you check W4MP more than 5 times a day ...the prospect of the leader of your party dropping by the office is like meeting your favourite band, but you pretend everything's cool. You could have organised that yourself. Even with no work experience. If only they'd give you the opportunity... ...you console yourself every evening with thoughts that the person doing the job you want ...

Gordon Brown looks to 1937 to revive Labour's fortunes

Get your towels ready. Remember the 1937 slogan? Looks like it is coming true.

Blog list: Dirty Dozen

Dirty DozenAlex WilcockAlix MortimerCharlotte GoreDuncan BorrowmanJames GrahamNich StarlingPaul WalterPeter Dunphy Susan GaszzakTristan Mills

Garston Urban Village Hall

This is the text of a letter which started going out yesterday to people living near the Village Hall on Banks Road. I'm posting it here because I suspect there are people who will be interested but who don't live in the immediate area. I have taken off the officers' contact details as it is probably not fair on them - but if anyone wants me to pass on e mail enquiries, please e mail me at my council e mail which is paula.keaveney@liverpool.gov.uk and I will pass it on. Dear Resident, Garston Urban Village Hall, Banks Road, L19 Following ...

Aid Supsended in Zimbabwe

Robert Mugabe is only just returning for the UN-sponsored summit on the food crisis. His own country is one of those most heavily hit so of course naturally his first course of action is to suspend all overseas agencies for providing that aid to his people. Only governemnt agencies will be providing the aid that people need. That will be agencies of the same government that manged to detain US

Friday Quick Quiz

Later on today I am off to Avignon for the weekend. Question:  Which liberal hero's grave can I visit there? No Wikipedi-ing Winner gets to enable *smugmode*

Obama - A historic moment

I should be getting down to writing up my notes from Nick Clegg's speech today, but I keep finding myself distracted. One such distraction was reading this post by Jim Wallis. Having heard Jim speak about his involvement in the Civil Rights movement last week, I found his words particularly heartfelt and moving, so am sitting with tears rolling down my face! He finishes by reflecting on the election of Obama as the Democratic candidate as being truly historic: 'But it is more than historic; it is very personal for many of my generation. A new generation just sees this ...

Forest Heath - Red Lodge By Election result

A second gain for the Lib Dems from the Tories in the last 7 months. Given where the Tories are in the opinion polls not a good result for them. A pretty good result for the local Lib Dems and for local people. Pat McCloud will make a very good councillor. He certainly knows how to stand up for the local community! The Result: Forest Heath DC Red Lodge WardTurnout 38%Pat McCloud Lib Dem 321 votes 55.9% Conservative 230 votes 40.1% UKIP 23 Votes 4.0% Majority 91 Lib Dem gain from Conservative

It was not my intention to become an activist but...

When our engagement was announced, the Daily Telegraph somewhat inaccurately described me as a 'Liberal Democrat activist'. Anyone who knows me would have got a laugh out of that, as I tended to describe my role as 'going to meetings so that you don't have to'. However, whilst Ros gained a partner (and now a husband), the Party has unexpectedly gained an activist. Alright, I'm not prone to

BBC Politics Coverage Minutiae

Whoever picks the music wanted to make me happy tonight. CHEEEEEESE Metal to the max! The Final Countdown by Europe followed by Alice's Elected? Rock on, BBC1!

Redlands Surgery Alert!

{Bird} There will be a advice surgery in the Hexham road community centre (1a Bamburgh Close) from 10-11.30 am, on Saturday 7 June. No need to book: you're very welcome to just drop in and see us. Myself and Daisy look forward to seeing you :D

City Council Meeting - 10 June 2008

The agenda for the City Council meeting on Tuesday 10 June 2008 has now been published and should be available here. Items on the agenda include: the annual report of the Cabinet Member for Regeneration;the annual report of the Cabinet Member for Equalities and Human Resources; anda Liberal Democrat motion opposing ID cards.

Day 2711: United States of Obamica

Tuesday: So, at the end of an historic struggle in the Dumbocratic Primaries, Senator Barry O has finally secured enough delegates to win the nonimation to be President of Americaland, and Senator Hillary-Billary has concedeed that she will concede... conceivably. This, as they say - especially if they happen to be Mr Sean in the trailer for the Avengers Movie - is merely the beginning. Having beaten a lady, now Senator Barry has got to beat an old man*. Gosh, it is a good job he's not got to beat those smart kids from Mr John Barrowboy's quiz show too! ...

Friday 6th June 2008

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