LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Saturday 21st June 2008

Sunday Telegraph alleges clash between Nick Clegg and Chris Rennard

For what it's worth - and with the Henley by-election about to take place, it may not be worth very much - the Portcullis column in the Sunday Telegraph has the following story: Has there been a big falling-out between Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems' chief strategist and legendary by-election guru, Lord Rennard?Westminster is awash with rumours that the pair have clashed damagingly about the future direction of the party.Furthermore, Clegg's deal with David Davis in which he pledged there would be no Lib Dem by-election challenger to the former shadow home secretary, seems to have been hastily taken ...

The Westminster Hour: Sunday 10pm

{Appearing on Radio 4's The Westminster Hour with Carolyn Quinn} I'm back on The Westminster Hour this Sunday: Radio 4, 10pm. If you miss the show you'll be able to listen again on their website. If you want to get advanced notice of my media appearances like this one, you can use the media events service at Flock Together. You've got three choices: Using this feed: or By email: register at FlockTogether and pick "Media appearances" as one of the categories of events you want to be emailed about. (If you are an existing Flock Together user you can ...

Did Unity Mitford bear Hilter's love child?

I have been busy watching the football, but I gather that Channel 4 repeated their documentary on Unity Mitford and her infatuation with Adolf Hitler this evening. As I recall, the answer to the question in my headline is 'almost certainly not'. But the programme does suggest that the Mitford family may have exaggerated how ill Unity was after her suicide attempt so that they could brush off awkward questions when she returned to England. But Martin Bright's New Statesman article on the story from last year is funny and informative: Val was a little nervous as she explained that ...

Henley - looking good for the Lib Dems

No, I haven't been to Henley - a bit too far away when your daughter doesn't let you stay away overnight yet, but the feedback I've had from people who have has been very positive. Even grumpy people who never believe we are going to do well have been astounded by the warmth of the reception we have had. Apparently the Henley people are exceptionally friendly and polite. The Tories seem to spend more time whinging about our literature and threatening to issue writs than actually promoting their candidate. What does that tell you? Seems like they know that things ...

What does an MP do when they are not in Parliament?

Sometimes people think that being in Parliament was the only part of being an MP. I wish - the job would be much easier if that was all there is to it! So as an example - this is what Friday was like for me. Started with a few hours of surgery (residents coming to meet me face-to-face to raise issues) - with at least four people bursting into tears. No - not 'cos I am mean to them - but because I am sympathetic - and so many of those who come to me at surgery have been through ...

Supporting Refuge

Two local women, both near neighbours of mine, are making headlines for the worst of reasons. Abiodun Ilumoka, who was pregnant, was murdered at home in Essex Road last week; the body of Rahmona Ahmedin, who lived in Peabody Square, three streets away, was found in Essex. Like the young victims of knife crime on [...]

OK - so I admit it - I too am a Dr Who addict

But wow - what an episode! Russell really has worked hard to create this - better than Blink...

Student Community Partnership

The following message has been sent to all councillors from Community Liaison Co-ordinator for the Council's Student Community Partnership. It has a very important message so I have reproduced it in full below. Dear all, I am writing to introduce myself, although some of you already know me and are familiar with my work as the Community Liaison Co-ordinator for the...

You Gov and the Party Presidency

There has been an unexpected development in the campaign for the Party Presidency in the shape of a poll seeking views on the contest and the contenders. Curious, because nominations don't close for three months, and more so because sources close to both camps have either denied involvement (me for Ros) or indicated how unlikely it would be (a former staffer for Lembit). Polling doesn't come

Winning Hampstead and Kilburn

A general election may be almost two years away, but in target parliamentary seats, preparations are underway in earnest. In London nowhere is that more the case than in the new seat of Hampstead and Kilburn, which is made up of most of the current seat of Hampstead and Highgate — held by the Brownite Labour MP, Glenda [...]

Help the Community of Whiteway

The Whiteway Community Respect Project is organising its first Community Car Boot Sale this Sunday 22nd June at Rosewarn Playing Fields Whiteway from 10.30am to 2.30pm. Why not go along and support your local community association if you want to sell and want to know how to get a pitch then Phone Julia on 07792 239502.

Time for a change?

Those of us who spend every spare hour (and some that aren't) flogging round elections might smile at this snippet from John Walsh in today's Independent. Do we take the exercise of democracy all too seriously; or do we take the vote for granted? Elections do enable us to choose who's in charge, and then [...]

A YouTube star

I'm envious.

Why was a Conservative activist apparently stalking me? - I complain to the election agent

Yesterday I wrote about the Conservative who apparently stalked me while I was out delivering leaflets for the Henley by-election. I have now sent a letter of complaint to the agent for the Conservative candidate. 21st June 2008 Kevin Thorpe Election agent for John Howell 8 Gorwell Watlington Oxfordshire OX49...

MEP arrested by police

It's Tom Wise, elected as a UKIP MEP, though chucked out last year.

Total Politics website launches...

... including a small contribution from myself. P.S. The editorial board is an interesting line-up.

MEP Gets Arrested

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7467318.stm A MEP from the East of the Country has been arrested on suspicion of obtaining money by deception. The 60 Year Old that was elected as a UKIP MEP but later became independent was later released on bail. The thing is that it's not about what crime they commit weather it be small or large. Many MEP's are going under investigation for Crimes related to money. Don't these people get paid enough for them to start scamming the system and tax payer? I hope people who voted this MEP start realising sooner then Later and Vote the Lib Dems ...

Opinion: The next steps for the EU

After months of parliamentary wrangling, the Lisbon Treaty was approved by the UK Parliament this week. This is despite Irish voters voting no by a margin of 53% to 47%. Ireland was the only country in Europe to have a referendum, despite a vigorous campaign here in Britain, which included a private referendum in ten [...]

Wallington not Springfield

According to the BBC - and Simpson's fans no doubt - there are 14 towns in the US called Springfield. That got me thinking. Do you know how many other Wallington's there are out there beyond our one here in Surrey - and have you visited any of them? Please leave a comment and a photo if you have one and I will post them.

The big sneeze!

My first chance to sit and have a rest after wrestling with a baby hat I'm knitting for a Save the Children campaign. I don't think I have to concentrate so much when I do anything else, apart from learning to drive! I've made the worst choice of (100%) wool possible for someone who suffers from sinusitis and hayfever and have now sneezed a total of 31* times since this morning. I feel so exhausted and thirsty I may as well have a cold! Hopefully the Tibetan newborn baby I'm determined to knit the hat for won't experience the same ...

FOCUS Special Edition - Lochee Road Post Office

Following the FOCUS Special Edition for the area served by the Nethergate Post Office, delivered last weekend, today the West End LibDem team was out delivering a similar special edition of FOCUS (Edition 64) covering the area served by the Lochee Road Post Office. Speaking with residents in the area, it is clear that they strongly oppose moves by Post Office Ltd to close the Post Office in Lochee Road. Closure would particularly hit the elderly people in the area and there is no easily accessible alternative Post Office. It is good to see the strong support of residents for ...

UKIP MEP arrested

Couldn't have happened to a more deserving fellow. Talk about crooks on the gravy train. Let's hope the electorate see UKIP for what it really is.

BBC bias towards Tories in Henley by-election

A couple of weeks ago the Conservatives issued a leaflet in the Henley by-election claiming the Lib Dem candidate was not local, despite them knowing full well that he lives in the constituency. the Lib Dems asked the Tories to retract the leaflet, and provided the proof that the Tories claims were wrong, but there was not Conservative apology. Did the BBC print this on their website or report it anywhere else ? Of course not. Strangely though, the Tories are now accusing the Lib Dems about things written in a Lib Dem leaflet, and the BBC are reporting are ...

From here to there, from there to somewhere else... life on and in the Royal Duchy

And so, Mr Valladares, what are you up to today? Life isn't just about a campaign for the Presidency - yes, yes, Ros is running, not me - but I have my own niche within Liberal Democracy. Accordingly, we found ourselves going our separate ways today. I had a hellishly early start to catch the 08:17 train from Plymouth to Penmere (change at Truro), whilst Ros had a more leisurely morning,

How bad does your character have to be in order for you not to be a good character ?

Supermodel Naomi Campbell escaped prison because Chairman of the magistrates' Peter Yiacoumi said he had given Campbell credit for her guilty pleas and previous good character. It's an odd state of affairs that someone who had very publicly been convicted of another assault in the USA should be described as being of 'previous good character'. Seemingly hurling abuse, calling people racists, assaulting police officers and spitting at them is not as serious an offence as I would have presumed it to be. Ms Campbell apparently accused the pilot of being a racist, claiming 'you wouldn't be doing this if I ...

A world's first in Falmouth!

Two weeks ago, English Candidates Committee formally voted to approve the new candidate approval system. We are rather proud of our new baby, and it was with some enthusiasm that I agreed to give a presentation to CONNECT, a fairly new 'ginger group' providing a stepping stone between Liberal Youth and the Liberty Network, outlining how the new process looks. Given the widely-held view that

Campaigning in Henley

{Lynne Featherstone and Stephen Kearney} Was campaigning in Henley with Stephen Kearney this week. Well impressed with our candidate - a wow on the doorstep! Love by-elections - especially seeing very different constituencies are from each other. Polling day is Thursday (June 26th), so if you're thinking of going to help Stephen's campaign (again) - time to get a move on!

Less tough talk and more delivery needed in justice system

Last Wednesday (18 June), Louise Casey (an adviser to former Prime Minister Tony Blair) delivered to the present PM a review of the criminal justice system. She also went public on it here. Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: 'Louise Casey's tough-talking policies on anti-social behaviour have failed, so why should we take her seriously again? 'If public humiliation worked, we would never have abolished the village stocks. 'We need fewer gimmicks and more delivery: the probation service is over-loaded and unable to properly supervise community sentences. 'Community courts, which would give local people control over punishments, and ...

Belated Rock investigation welcome - Cable

Commenting on Northern Rock's confirmation that its new management has launched an investigation into the possibility of taking legal action against the bank's former board, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: 'Though belated, this investigation is very welcome. The Liberal Democrats have long argued that the previous board must be held to account, particularly former chief executive Adam Applegarth. 'It is ridiculous that Mr Applegarth has been able to spend the last six months whiling away the hours on his £63,000 a month redundancy package, without any investigation into how he got Northern Rock into this mess. 'It is ...

Bookies' takings rocket to £800m from addictive gambling machines

An explosion in the number of high-stakes gambling machines, linked to problem gambling, is fuelling profits of over £15 million a week for 'high street' bookmakers, research by the Liberal Democrats has found. Key findings included: · High street bookies are now taking up to £830 million a year from Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) - with some bookies' profits having risen by 1217% in five years. · In 2000 there were only 14,500 gambling machines in UK bookies, but since the Government's reforms that number has increased to 24,500 in terms of FOBT's alone. · The proportion of GamCare ...

Me vs. David Cameron

It seems that David Cameron wasn't as impressed with our excellent Henley campaign magazine as I was. He was on Radio Berkshire yesterday describing it thus: 'I just think this sort of campaigning is absolutely appalling and as you say no mention on the newspaper that it's from the Liberal Democrats sort of pretending to be a community newspaper eh I mean they should be really ashamed of what they're trying to do' As I pointed out on BBC South Today yesterday evening his point would be stronger if the Conservatives hadn't themselves delivered their own campaign magazine 'People Talk' ...

ID Cards, Life on Mars, the BBC, and the perils of the FFW

Is anyone here surprised that you can crack an Oyster card very easily? And this is the system they want to use for our one-stop-shop biometric ID Cards. Making identity theft HARDER? My arse. For anyone who still harboured hopes that the American remake of Life on Mars wouldn't be complete bobbins, here's a shot by shot comparison of a pivotal scene. I have a fondness for Colm Meaney, but his Hunt is such a wussy next to Glenister... This makes me sad. After yesterday's Love-in with the BBC, I thought I'd balance it today with this piece on why ...

Town-Twinning Cycle ride to Mulheim: Day 1

Determined to cycle all the way from my front door, I negotiated the A66 to get to Sadberge just 10 minutes after our projected start time of 7am! This tardiness was to become the norm: always the last down for breakfast and generally taking up the rear on the cycle paths. Sandy Wallis also arrived by bike, the rest by car! The top photo shows the whole team, including our essential back-up

Hughes, Kennedy, Bruce, Ashdown, spy cameras,Fibber Magee and the ever flowing vodka

Phew, what a week! And here I am sat next to fellow blogger, Toryboy Andrew McConnell, in the city of Wloclawec on the Vista in Northern Poland, trying to catch up. On Monday evening I attended the celebrations for Simon Hughes, Charles Kennedy and Malcolm Bruce's 25 years as MPs. It was a really nice relaxed evening, sparkling speeches from all three (in Simon's case uncharacteristically short!) and a chance to catch up with fellow libdemmers normally passed as ships in the night. This meant I missed the last flight across to Belfast and I was horrified that it took ...

Hornsey Street postal services: 2nd class?

This morning, between showers, shopping, and a bit of blogging, I was out delivering letters on Hornsey Street, the new estate created as part of the regeneration of Holloway on the back of the new Arsenal stadium. It's a common problem that developers build new housing without the necessary infrastructure to make them viable communities. [...]

Obama's VP choice: Step forward Al Gore - the man of the hour!?

Thanks to On Liberty Now I have now, perhaps obsessively, topped up my betting on the Democratic Vice-Presidential choice. I had already bet, albeit modestly, on Sam Nunn and Bill Richardson. But On Liberty Now highlighted the possibility of Al Gore, which sent me running to Paddy Power, tenner in hand: The CNN Political ticker is reporting that a member of the Democratic Congressional Black

President Mugabe

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7466875.stm Politics is degrading in Zimbabwe. With Mugabe and his thugs going out and beating up opposition activists with clubs and sticks he is trying to scare people away from the Polling. Mugabe has been reading history books when Hitler got the SA to do the same and that was a way for Hitler to come into Power. With the Prime Minister speaking out and saying that it is wrong the UK and Europe need to send a clear message to Mr Mugabe that he needs to end his rain of terror and needs to hold an election that is ...

Lord Bonkers' Diary: Remembering Sugar Ray Michie

Wednesday Boxing News arrives and with it the sad news that Sugar Ray Michie has died. Anyone old enough to recall rising in the small hours to warm up the wireless and listen to one of her title fights live from Madison Square Gardens will be immensely moved. If, in all honesty, she took a couple more fights than was strictly good her, the 'boozer' she took over when she eventually retired was immaculately run and widely considered to serve the finest pint of Smithson & Greaves north of the Bonkers' Arms. Sugar Ray's greatest virtue is that she was ...

Jelly wrestling etc

The Guardian also reports: A notorious end-of-term Cambridge University garden party may be banned after a jelly-wrestling contest turned sour. One of the competitors, classics student Nadia Witkowski, 23, became violent after she was booed at the end of the Suicide Sunday party bout. Witnesses said she was involved in a row with another woman dressed as a butterfly and with stewards when they tried to restrain her. The police cautioned Witkowski, who was dressed in a bikini, for common assault. She refused to comment. A Cambridge University spokesman said the party may not be held next year. You could ...

The end of jargon?

The Guardian reports that the Local Government Association has ordered Councils to outlaw the use of 100 jargon words. They have circulated a list of 'non-words' that public bodies should try to avoid, including coterminosity, empowerment, multidisciplinary, place shaping and sustainable communities: The association, representing councils in England, said the words were particularly tiresome when combined into phrases such as 'predictors of beaconicity' - the title of a recent 38-page paper from the Department for Communities and Local Government. The association's chairman, Sir Simon Milton, said: 'The public sector cannot, must not and should not hide behind impenetrable jargon and ...

Kung Fu and Bisqwuits

Leaving the Wales premiere of 'Edge of Love' last night we were intriqued to see adverts for a new film called 'Kung Fu Panda'. Clearly, it will not have the literary merits of last night's offering but there may well be 'bisqwuits'.

Queen to Steer Clear of Hull and David By-Election

The Queen's political neutrality may be in jeopardy if a planned visit Hull close to Haltemprice and Howden goes ahead. Labour's refusal to pick up the jauntlet laid down by David Davis over their policy of 42 days detention without charge, means with all due respect to the Miss Great Britain Party, Generalist Party, various independents and The Mad Cow Girl of the Official Monster Raving Loony

End US HIV discrimination

Sarah Ludford, our Lib Dem MEP in London, has launched a petition about the USA's discrimination against people with HIV or AIDS in their visa waiver process. At a time when the headlines are full of Euro scepticism, this is a great example of how member states can work together on behalf of their citizens, [...]

Graham's blog Friday 20 June 2008

The main EU news in the UK this weekend will doubtless be 'EU pushes ahead with Lisbon Treaty despite Irish No'. I was at the summit and it was not like that at all. First, everybody accepts that the EU will have to proceed on the basis of the existing treaties. Some countries, like the UK, have decided to continue to ratify the Lisbon Treaty in the hope that it may one day enter into force: others have made no decision yet. Second, the Irish government asked for time and space to analyse the vote and see if they can ...

Henley legal threats - Tories chicken out

I notice that there have been some fascinating updates on the BBC story about the Tory panicky 'legal action' threats in Henley. Basically, they have dropped the one about Boris' photo in the magazine. Thames News.net confirms this. Perhaps someone in the Tory party retinue actually looked at the magazine in question! And they have chickened out of issuing a writ, which they said they would

Mysterious ways

So Robert Mugabe thinks only God can remove him? He doesn't appear to realise that the Almighty might use a democratic election to do it.

Council Appoint New Chief Executive

North East Lincolnshire Council has formally endorsed the appointment of its new chief executive, Tony Hunter. The meeting in the Town Hall on Wednesday evening welcomed Mr Hunter to the post. He will begin his new role in September. Mr Hunter has worked in senior local government roles for more than 13 years, including six years with Liverpool City Council and eight years at East Riding of Yorkshire Council as director of social services, housing and public protection. Before that, he worked as a management consultant at Price Waterhouse, specialising in local and central government. He also worked at child ...

Build paths, not barriers

From my professional life, here is a blog post about how libraries (bear with me) should approach the use of web 2.0 interactive technology. I'm sure there are some lessons here for my political friends too....

Saturday 21st June 2008

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