LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Saturday 7th June 2008

Bert Hazell: The oldest surviving former MP

Bert Hazell, who was Labour MP for North Norfolk between 1964 and 1970, is still alive at the age of 101. According to the Daily Telegraph, 'On November 8 this year he will take over the late Lord Shinwell's mantle as the country's longest living former MP.' A Labour MP for North Norfolk? An article by Malcolm Redfellow will give you the consituency's fascinating history of political radicalsism. And that excellent newspaper the Diss Mercury will tell you more about Mr Hazell.

Oscance 2008

This afternoon I took part in the Oscance event at the Church of St James the Less in Paddington, to commemorate the wedding there of Oscar Wilde and Constance Lloyd. The broadcaster Christopher Cook compered the programme, which included a dramatic reading of the Wilde children's story, 'The Happy Prince', piano music (incuding the 'Oscar [...]

Should the Lib Dems love bomb David Cameron?

There was an important article on politicalbetting.com this week, written by Mike Smithson. He discussed the problems the Liberal Democrats have had campaigning against the Conservatives ever since David Cameron became leader and suggested a way forward for the party. He writes: in the two and a half years since Cameron became Tory leader the Lib Dems have gone through three leaders themselves and still do not have effective rhetoric for dealing with NuCon. What do they say about a party that has surged in the polls and now looks as though it will form the next government?Smithson suggests that ...

Unity in Lebanon

After seeming to be on the brink of civil war, Lebanon appears to be pulling itself together. Nicholaz Sarkozy has been on a visit showing his support for the countries government and army and urging unity. He visited the President and traveled with the PM, ministers and even opposition. There seems to be much hope for the future and of course celebration of a new President, especially after the deadlock. General Michel Suleiman is praised for keeping the army neutral, which has to be a good thing in Lebanon. So it seems there is peace in Lebanon, for now, let's ...

Why a climate change bill was blocked in the US

A climate change bill was to put caps on oil refineries, power plants and factories. But it was blocked by Congress by Republicans, had it got through it would of course have been vetoed by George Bush. It would have also placed on taxes. I can see nothing from the reports that it would have done damage to the countries economy. Changes in the industry like this can actually be possitive for the economy by helping modernise it. It's likely to be in a year's time when the bill is pushed again, when there's a new President. Both Obama and ...

Angels and demons....

I was attracted to a debate on Liberal Democrat Voice regarding Mark Oaten's piece in The Guardian today. I have always been of the opinion that we expect too much of people in public life and in some cases put intolerable pressure on them to perform over and above what we would expect of ourselves. In my view this is in some ways natural; we want to feel that people who legislate for us are somehow our 'betters' because it is reassuring. However, in some ways it is deeply unnatural and damaging to what we do, after all, term a ...

Why the Religious should oppose Faith Schools

I myself a Christian strongly oppose the government's support of Faith Schools. I was reminded of the issue while watching a report on BBC news on the UK's first State-funded Hindu School. A guy from a Secular thing was saying about how it could divide communities. He also spoke of how bringing children up from the age of 5 in a closed community from the same religion doesn't prepare them for the real World. These school segregate people. At this Hindu School a test to keep it Hindu will be whether or not the children are vegetarian. However the school ...

Can Obama do it?

The Media have been talking about whether or not Obama can get the white working class voters to back him for President. But if you look at a different situation that could have emerged, things could have been worse. As the race was so close some were saying Obama might just win the popular vote, but the super delegates might back Hillary and get her as the nominee. This would have probably been unlikely, as we saw Super delegates side with Obama to try and finish the race quickly and they would probably not want to go against the popular ...

The US Election

I have been a supporter of Hillary Clinton, as anyone who takes a look at the links on the blog could not fail to notice. I believe she has been an excellent Senator for New York. Today, Hillary endorsed Barack Obama. I think it is vital the USA elects a Democrat and kicks out the Republicans in November. Err .. so as of today, the links on the US election will alter.

Polls closing early in Henley by-election?

If you're going to do an election countdown clock, you'd have thought you'd set it to hit zero either when polls open at 7am or when polls close at 10pm. But setting it to hit zero in the early evening? Well, if someone in Henley Conservatives is reading this, I suggest you change your countdown [...]

Housing problems decades on

Today I enjoyed meeting someone that John had worked with as a volunteer 40 years ago ! We were at an event with other Mayors, and the Mayoress of Harrogate had worked with him in the formation of the Harrogate Shelter Group. It was sad that Shelter is needed today, just as it was 40 years ago. Some things have got better, but many other issues have arisen with an increase in problems caused...

Hillary says: 'Yes we can!'

Hillary Clinton finally concedes defeat and makes one of the most powerful speeches I have heard in a long while. Despite being a strong Obama supporter, I was moved by her. This was the speech she could never make before: a strong woman who works and fights hard. She had to strike a balance between not banging on about being a woman, and not being seen to be too hard ( we all remember the tears during an interview) So in today's speech she could declare that we have witnessed a truly historical turning point: A woman, within reach of ...

Jacquie Bell chosen to fight Stockton South

From the Darlington & Stockton Times: The Liberal Democrats have picked a social worker to challenge Labour MP Dari Taylor for the Stockton South seat at the next general election.The party selected Jacquie Bell as their prospective parliamentary candidate at a meeting at the weekend.Mrs Bell, who is from Sheffield, has previously challenged William Hague for the Richmond constituency.Later: It looks as though this is old news. Suzanne Fletcher had the story a month ago.

Children's books: No to age banding

Philip Pullman had a column in this morning's Guardian protesting about a move by publishers to print age guidance figures on all books: A month or so ago I had a letter from each of my publishers telling me that they had commissioned some research and that, as a result of the findings, they were going to place an age-guidance figure on all their books, saying that this one was for children of 9+, that one for 7+, and so on.My immediate response was to say, as vigorously as I could, 'Not on my books, you're not.' And, to their ...

Angling for second slot....

So, Hillary Rodham Clinton has finally bowed to the inevitable and bowed out of the race to be the Democratic nominee for the White House. I have written before that I didn't expect her too given her previous form - granted, she has but her glowing words for Obama and offering her support do little to impress me; nor do they convince me she has suddenly 'seen the light' and realised the Democrat chances in November matter more than her own personal career. Call me cynical but I have two words for those who are impressed 'Vice President'. Remember this ...

Hillary - one hell of a speech

I've just been watching Hillary Clinton's concession speech from Washington. It was a hell of a speech. Short of streaking down Pennsylvania Avenue with 'I love Obama' written on her back, I don't think she could have been expected to say or do anything more to fulsomely throw all her support behind Barack Obama. She categorically endorsed him and said she would 'work her heart out' for him. She

You've been left behind - a joke?

Now I really, re-he-he-he-eally hope this is a joke. There is a website called you've been left behind, which offers a post rapture service to to 'snatch' your family and friends 'from the flames' when the rapture comes. Yes that's right, six days after the rapture, in which of course the client has been whisked off to heaven, letters are sent to the clients unbelieving friends and family so that they might repent and be saved to. How utterly bizarre and crazed. Is it a joke? Is it serious? Or is some bright spark making some cash off some seriously ...

Definately video of the day

Check out the Soviet National anthem done in a do they know its christmas style. Most irregular. You may also enjoy the techno version

What's hot on the web?

Sky had me back on this week going through some of the stories that are hot on the web. If you missed it, you can still watch the piece courtesy of their archive - and watch out for the special Sky snail graphics near the end!

Suffolk Reviews: St Peter's Brewery Fruit Beer - Grapefruit

The advantage of having twelve bottles of beer, each of them different, is that you can 'impulse drink'. Improved weather in mid-Suffolk gave me an opportunity to try this unusual beer, unusual in that citrus fruit is something more commonly added to beer in slices and crammed into the neck of the bottle. Not this time though... The tasting notes read:'We use our Wheat Beer as the base for this

The Big Green Bookshop

{Lynne Featherstone and Simon Key at the Big Green Bookshop, Wood Green} Yesterday I visited the Big Green Bookshop (the defiant result of two heroes of our day - Simon Key and Tim West - who set up a new bookshop after Wood Green's last bookshop closed down). Went to see how they were doing since opening three months ago. Great is the answer. In trouble for my own daughter's birthday tomorrow I asked advice. I said she would be 19 and was interested in film. The recommendation was Persepolis - a graphic novel and film to be released shortly. ...

The art of government

I have commented before about the impending problem Labour faces as we approach the year 2010. Keen to appear as an action-orientated government, determined to tackle the big issues of the day New Labour set about creating a whole series of targets as soon as they took office in 1997. Cannily, they acknowledged that in many instances it would take a generation to eradicate long-standing sores like child poverty and fuel poverty and so they picked a date in the distance future by which they hoped to achieve it. In this way they would be able to marshall the necessary ...

Breaking the Spell

When a Government is this unpopular, I suspect that many people do something very odd: They choose to think well of the main opposition and try to ignore any evidence, facts or opinions that might conflict with 'surely they've got to be better than this shower?' People who swore they'd never, ever vote Conservative are biting their tongues and swallowing their prides. I can see this process happening at work, and it's terrifying. This spell, as long as it holds, will be enough to get the Tories into power. It's important they don't make policy announcements or go into specifics ...

Welcome back Bob Shaw

Yes, after a short break, Bob has given into temptation and has his sixth blog title in six months: The Devil's Advocate. Welcome back Bob!

Rodney and Aaron Redmond

Long, long ago in the summer of 1973 - Life on Mars year - the first side to tour England was New Zealand. We cricket fans looked forward in particular to seeing their aggressive new opening batsman Rodney Redmond. He had played his first test against Pakistan the previous winter and scored 107 and 56 in his two innings. As it turned out, Redmond had trouble adjusting to his new contact lenses, played poorly and did not feature in any of the tests. The result was the New Zealand opened with the far less aggressive Glenn Turner and John Parker. ...

Where do you stand on road pricing?

The Lib Dems' new transport policies - and in particular the party's support for road pricing compensated by cuts in VED and fuel duties - have certainly attracted a lot of comment on LDV. And, as it stands, our poll to find out whether readers (who of course may or may not be Lib Dems) [...]

Whither freedom when you're under 'threat'?

Scarily, I agree with every damned word: The Government has been saying, in a catchy, misleading piece of spin: "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear." This is a demagogue's trick. We do have something to fear - the total loss of privacy to an intrusive state with authoritarian tendencies. This is not a United Kingdom that I recognise and Parliament should not accept it. Why is it scary? Because it's bloody John Major, he who was Prime Minister when I was 18, he who I campaigned against in '92 and '97, he who resigned and ...

Detention Without Charge - a Reminder

In the light of John Major's comments re: the 42 days issue, I'd like to remind everyone of one thing. The debate before the house is not referring to the total period a person can be kept inside before they have to be released. This is, in fact, about whether or not we should have 42 days of imprisonment for people before they are even told what they are supposed to have done wrong. Once you have been charged, once the rozzers have deigned to tell you what they think you've done, you can still be kept locked up for ...

In defence of Caroline Spelman

I don't rate Caroline Spelman as a frontbencher. She has particularly annoyed me in the past by attacking the government for its proposals to revalue council tax (according to the Tories there is something magical about the year 1991 which means that all property taxes should based on the value of homes at that point). I question how someone who believes such nonsense can be said to be qualified to sit on the front benches of any political party. Sadly however, if you follow that logic you would have to get rid of most of all three front benches. Regarding ...

Bumper Linkspam o'Doom

I spent last evening losing at Ludo with {[info]} matgb and {[info]} burlesque_bunny and her other half, and therefore didn't get around to backreading. Thus, today's linkspam of random things that caught my magpie eye is HUGE! Also, if I haven't hat-tipped you for the link, it's because I forgot who linked me to what. This is because I are a scatty old bint. For which, I apologise. A fair few of them came from m'colleague Douglas over at LC, though. First up, Ros Scott is unsure that too much choice is a good thing. I certainly agree that in ...

Boris reveals design for new Routemaster bus

In fact this is a Dundee Corporation bus, pictured in 1957. And according to Bridget Fox, Boris is already backpedalling: he has decalred that bringing in a new generation of routemasters is now an aspiration not a commitment. So we must dream on. Thanks to Fraser Macpherson for the picture.

Seumus Milne: why let the facts get in the way of a good argument?

Seaumus Milne is one of my least favourite columnists, to the extent that I rarely bother reading more than the byline of his articles. I bit this week though, although I needn't have bothered. His article "A mania for tax cuts at any cost defies public opinion" gets the current political situation pretty much ass-backwards. His overall thesis, that the main political parties are all trying to outdo each other in cutting taxes at the expense of public services, simply isn't true. Certainly both Clegg and Cameron have recently made speeches about cutting waste, but that is hardly new. Four ...

When Will It Stop?

The endless trickle of MP and MEP expenses 'scandals' is fast acquiring the demeanour of a witch hunt, as the media gets more and more hysterical about a practice that has been going on, dare I say it, not just for the last few years. Like the sale of peerages, it's quite probably been a fact of life for decades past, but has only really been seized upon now because of the immense power that the media wields and the sudden lack of proper sleaze scandals - let's face it, most of Brown's cabinet is too boring to have 'moments ...

Government's medical madness

The Government's top-down forced move to polyclinics is already disrupting healthcare in neighbouring boroughs and will soon be heading Islington's way. In Haringey, 37 GP surgeries are to be closed, in City and Hackney, 18 surgeries will be reduced to four, and a number of Camden GPs will be moved into University College hospital. So [...]

Northern Ireland Health chairman: 'Gays can be 'turned' by psychiatry'

Oh dear me. Iris Robinson is rapidly turning into my bête noire. I blogged the other day about her arguably bigotted, and certainly angry, intervention in the Commons debate on lesbians applying for IVF treatment. She's only chair of Stormount's Health committee and now she says that gay people can be 'turned' from 'what they are engaged in' towards hetrosexuality, through seeing a nice

Post haste...

Ian has just been down to the Post Office in the Hook Parade. It seems that the post has been collected early today, so his letter won't now go until Monday. And the reason? - it's Derby Day!

A challenge to our Euro MEPs and candidates

With Europe in the news, sadly not for good reasons, surely this is a time for our MEPs and next year's candidates to pull their socks up, split the local papers in their region between them and contact them, write to them, send a barrage of press releases to help explain how the Lib Dems are campaigning to change the nature of the European Parliament's gravy train.

Mark Oaten's three-point test for 'scandal' resignations

Former Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Mark Oaten writes in today's Guardian about the ever-present question: when does 'scandal' in an individual's private life prevent them from undertaking public duties? Describing privacy as "a fluid concept", Mark suggests we can apply a simple three-point test. 1) Has the person broken the law? If this has happened, [...]

Who can help?

I haven't commented on the Mugabe/Zimbabwe situation this week, mainly because words failed me. But reading this morning's newspaper I just felt so sick, physically ill, at what's going on there. I'm not qualified to say whether Mugabe is mentally ill or something else but what he and his henchmen are causing to happen in that country should be cause for shame to all around who might be able to

Bendy buses: Boris is back-tracking...

I'm concerned that London Mayor Boris Johnson is already back-tracking on his election pledge to replace the hated bendy buses. Quizzed by my fellow Lib Dem Caroline Pidgeon, Boris has admitted that bringing in a new generation of routemasters is now an aspiration not a commitment. It's barely a month since the election, but Boris is [...]

It's The Same Old Tory

Tory MP Derek Conway could not satisfy his peers that eligible parliamentary work in support of his duties had been undertaken in exchange for payments claimed on behalf of his sons.  This was se...

Dundee Corporation - Vintage Buses

If you click on the headine above, there's a link to a very interesting website about Dundee Corporation buses of old. The photo (above) was pictured in Blackness Avenue in 1957.

Oh dear...

Many apologies for this in advance. I woke up a couple of hours ago in a very silly mood and just can't seem to take anything seriously. If you ever see me with a camera I really would run very quickly if you're an MP. I find it hilarious when things go wrong in photography...

Yippee! The great Nick Clegg roadshow comes to town

Paul Maloney, Nick Clegg's Tour Co-ordinator, recently sent me an email to say that Nick Clegg would be visiting Taunton to "highlight the good work the Liberal Democrats were doing in the Taunton constituency". Great I thought, finally some recognition for all the hard work and effort grassroot members had put in to help ensure that both the District and County councils, and the the sonstituency MP, were all Lib Dem. Sadly, my delight was short lived. It seems the visit wasn't about highlighting the work of local members after all. The visit is just another photo opportunity to raise ...

Henley: Another idyllic delivery in glorious Oxfordshire

My sixth visit six to help with the by-election campaign yesterday and another glorious delivery round in the wonderful village of South Stoke (above). It's a great weekend to go to help - see details here.

Is it really choice?

I had set aside yesterday and most of today to get stuff done. You know what it's like, that long list of things which, whilst not exactly urgent, need to be dealt with at some point. As it has now been raining relentlessly for 30 hours, I haven't been distracted by the garden or the Focus round I promised to deliver in Ipswich. Once again I am struck by just how complicated life is today. Its one aspect of the growth of 'choice' in all areas from banking to shopping to coffee, and whilst assuredly is ' a good thing' ...

Fete worse than death?

For a vicar, my brother Phil has always had a wicked sense of humour. Let's face it, when we were kids, making me speechless with laughter was probably the only way he could get a word in edgeways. His church website currently has the heading "St Agnes Summer Fete", followed by the question "Why [...]

The scandal of the Olympic Stadium

The Olympic Delivery Authority yesterday published its proposal for the Olympic Stadium. The plan is to build an 80,000 stadium for the two weeks of the Games and to scale it back to just 25,000 seats afterwards. They claim they are doing this so the stadium doesn't become a "white elephant", but this is absurd, paying for 65,000 seats that will be used for just two weeks! The cost of the stadium has now spiralled to an estimated £500 million (and will probably rise further given the ODA's record to date). So the legacy will be a 25,000 seat stadium ...

Church's verdict on Labour: Moral, but no compass

They say that good manners means not discussing religion or politics, which would leave my family very short of conversation... Brother Phil is a vicar, mum Pat is a lay minister, while my dad Ken spent many years as a church warden and pastoral assistant, and still helps run various church groups. That's in the [...]

A Tory sleaze hat-trick - now even the party Chairman is under scrutiny

First, we had Giles Chichester having to resign as the Tory MEP's leader - then Den Dover, the party's Chief Whip in Strasbourg is replaced for paying a fortune to his wife and daughter's company for secretarial services. Now, Tory party chairman Caroline Spelman is under scrutiny after apparently paying public money to the woman who she employed as a nanny. Oh dear, dear, dear....

Boris finds the drinks cabinet

Well, I suppose if anyone was going to sniff out a hidden cache of fine wine in City Hall, it had to be Boris. But, be warned. The whole thing is a bit of an advance plug for his new column in the Telegraph, for which he is being paid £250,000 a year.

Since when was your child's nanny the best person to employ as a secretary to an MP ?

Caroline Spelman, the senior Tory appointed by David Cameron to clean up the Tory Party, has been found out this morning for paying her nanny from parliamentary expenses. Now Caroline Spelman's response has been to claim that her nanny did six hours work a day for her on constituency business, and that she was paid 'in kind' for her duties as a nanny. This raises three questions. 1) If the nanny was employed in working hours to be a secretary, who was looking after the child during these hours ? It suggests, if Ms Spelman is right, that the nanny ...

How many more hands in the till

Well I supose it had to happen another Tory has been forced to resign over expenses claims. This time it is the European Union, and with Boris resigning his Henley seat, it is time to see how much the great British Public trust the Conservative Party. It seems that the Conservatives have not changed they are still the Party of greed and self interest.

West End is here in NW6 - not theatreland

Back to the joys of West End - and more specifically the Green at West End on the junction of West End Lane, Fortune Green Road and Mill Lane. It's one of the best spaces and increasingly complemented by coffee bars and outdoor seating to appreciate - all we need now is pedestrianisation (a pipe dream in this instance!). The plaque reads: Borough of HampsteadThis tree was planted by the MayorMr Alderman G E Pritchard20th December 1902In commemoration of the Coronation ofHis Majesty King Edward VII On this patch of space it's also got the fountain, thousands of pidgeons and ...

Day 2713: Quis Custodiet Whoops-a-Daisy

Thursday: The Conservatories are in trouble over MPs and MEPs expenses. Again. It seems to me that the CULTURE of SECRECY is where the problem begins. Without OPENNESS, not only do we not know how our money is being spent, the people who are spending it find themselves without any real LIMITS. The Conservatories REAL problem, then, is that the people in charge are themselves dancing along a thin line of what is right and what is wrong. These are the people who OUGHT to be breaking down the walls of secrecy, but in fact are RESPONSIBLE for MAINTAINING them. ...

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