LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Sunday 22nd June 2008

Power and race; not much to learn from BB

Chris Dillow has posted a truly dreadful article on Liberal Conspiracy. When an article starts with the premise that; 'This week's events have corroborated my belief that we can learn more about society and politics from Big Brother than from Today in Parliament,' it's a fair bet you are in for a bumpy ride. His argument that the expulsion of one of the contestants, Alexandra, for 'intimidating' behaviour; 'demonstrates our ruling class's terror of anything remotely resembling a physical threat; violence is something done to foreigners, not "respectable" white people,' shows a level of paranoia beyond belief. Alexandra was no ...

And finally ....

.... for tonight at least, a visit to Bergen County, New Jersey. Thank you Louise for your posting. According to Wikipedia Wallington was created as a borough on January 2, 1895 (based on a referendum held on December 31, 1894), at the height of the Boroughitis fever then sweeping through Bergen County. The borough was formed from area taken from Bergen Township and Saddle River Township. Sections of Wallington were ceded to Garfield in 1898. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallington%2C_New_Jersey

Wallington in Victoria

Thanks for this one from Australia too. Wallingon near Geelong in Victoria. It was almost as sunny here in the UK today!

Just when I'd made up my mind to put a bid in on Ebay, this suddenly turned up

I was all set to bid for THIS on ebay, but then I saw that could have been bidding for THIS instead. Now I've got a dilemma. Can I afford both ? Perhaps I need to get elected as a UKIP MEP or a Tory MP then I might be able to bid for them on expenses.

Henley: come on in, the campaigning's lovely

I'm back from another day helping with the by-election in Henley. As I wrote in my Guardian blog last week, it's unlike Islington in many ways. Lots of countryside. Lots of walking. Big houses with bigger gardens. Our party is campaigning to protect back gardens: I think the jury may be out on front ones. [...]

Something for the Weekend: Here is the news

Good evening and welcome to this week's Something for the Weekend. Allons-y... There'll be bluebirds over... Tory MEP Den Dover has been back in the news again amid claims that he bought two BMWs using parliamentary expenses. He'd already been accused of channelling public money into a company run by his wife and daughter. Fellow Conservative MEP [...]

Truly, Madly, Cheaply

Blognor Regis chides me for not having watched Matthew Sweet's documentary on the British B movie last night. I don't have any of these new-fangled digital channels, but I have now watched it thanks to the BBC iPlayer and I can recommend it too. If you are sceptical of the virtues of these films, read an earlier posting of mine which will direct you to an article by Sweet. And, if nothing else, you have to admit it's a great title.

Friday 13th June 10am-2.30pm

A Healthy Tea at the Carers Centre To continue the Carers Health & Wellbeing theme to Carers Week the Carers Centre put on a drop in session with fruit teas and healthy nibbles. A practice nurse settled in for the day to offer blood pressure and other basic health checks whilst I offered a Councillors Surgery [...]

Joni Mitchell: Carey

I don't know what it is about Canadian singers of the 1960s, but it was when I found I had bought CDs by both Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell that I decided I must be a grown up.In particular it was when I had bought Mitchell's masterpiece, the album Blue, from which this song comes.And if you are a real Joni Mitchell fan you will also want to see this clip of her singing as Joni Anderson on TV in 1965.

A real result

You do sometimes wonder if donations to organisations really make a difference. Do news stories about breakthroughs in treatments for cancer ever come to reality ? Well now I know they do. I was at a luncheon (splendid!) for Cancer Research, and met the man who developed carboplatin, the chemotherapy drug that I was given over 10 years ago when I had ovarian cancer. How can words express what...

Hillfield Park 2008 Olympics

Well - it's the Hillfield Park 2008 Olympics! Hillfield Park's annual street party is the daddy of street parties. I've been going there for - I don't even know how many years. Such a lot of organisation goes into this event with three teams (red, white and blue) representing the three streets or part streets involved. Loads and loads of events - from skipping, to a dog obstacle course, to a bike race up Hillfield (and that's one hell of a hill) to a major tug of war. The children adore it and everyone gets to know their neighbours. In ...

'And this is why people prefer to drive'

I don't drive but there are often days I wish I did; today was one of those days. I was travelling from Peterborough to York and I have to say that the experience left my totally angry at the standards of public transport, yet again. Firstly, I left my house at 08.40 because my train was at 09.46 - no bus for 40 minuets so I had to get a taxi. Now, Peterborough isn't Glasgow or London but it is a city and thus it is disgraceful that this should be the case even on a Sunday. The train journey ...

Alternate Reality TV

I'm trying hard not to turn this into a Doctor Who fansite, but last night's episode - 'Turn Left' - make me think hard. I think it's the first programme I've seen on the BBC since 'Threads' that includes a nuclear explosion in Britain. And without the obvious horror of Threads, it still illustrated how our country's civilisation could barely survive one nuclear bomb. I wonder if we are

Top of the Blogs: The Golden Dozen #70

Welcome to the 70th of our weekly round-ups from the Lib Dem blogosphere, featuring the seven most popular stories according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (15th-21st June), together with a hand-picked quintet you might otherwise have missed. Let's get straight down to it, in descending order of popularity: 1. 'Powerful message' to hit Henley tomorrow on [...]

The A-Z of Politics - J is for Journalism

Sam Coates, on his Red Box Blog, has blogged about the frustration of a long distance journalist. Reflecting on his trip to Jeddah to follow Gordon Brown, he miserably moans that 'over the next 18 hours we will be spending 13 hours travelling so he can make a 10 minute speech - the bulk of which was released to the Sunday newspapers...' Gladly I was put off journalism as a career quite early on. I went for work experience at a local paper (which shall remain nameless) at the age of 14 or 15 and met such a sarcastic pissed ...

Henley campaign - full steam ahead

...Just back from my tenth visit to the campaign in Henley constituency. I am pleased to say that I received a very warm reception from residents as I went round. We are now going full steam ahead with a new tabloid. Thanks to everyone who has helped. Please help between now and polling day. Details are here.

Joint working saves £1m!

CHANNEL 4 newscaster Jon Snow will reveal if North East and North Lincolnshire councils have won a prestigious MJ Achievement Award at London's Park Lane Hilton on June 26. Almost 450 entries were submitted to this year's MJ Achievement Awards. And the two councils have made it to the final six entrants in the Best Use of Resources category for their joint strategic procurement unit entry. North East and North Lincolnshire councils formed a joint strategic procurement unit in April 2006. Within the first 18 months of the ground-breaking shared services structure the new unit achieved around £1m in savings.By ...

Gordon Ramsay Nude - How did you get here ?

In this week's pick of the most unusual way someone has got to my blog by using a search engine, I bring you 'Gordon Ramsay Nude', which was the search which got to THIS story on my blog. The interesting thing was, looking back at the story, that Gordon Ramsay made a TV programme which was supposed to get everyone cooking, but sadly all it involved doing was making chips and grilling a steak (really rather basic stuff) yet in recent weeks he's had the nerve to have a go at Delia Smith for using pre-prepared ingredients in her new ...

Consultation on Guide to Developer Contributions - Cllr Trevor Snaith -June 2008

Consultation on Guide to Developer Contributions A consultation will take place to the Developer's Guide to WDC's Developer Contributions Supplementary Planning Document. This is important as it ensures that wards and areas of the town that bear the pain from new building get their fair share of the benefits in terms of spend on schools/transport/community provision/ect. The Town to date has been the main recipient of the pain from new building . The question is has the Town received the full benefit in terms of developer contributions. Have we seen the resulting spend being directed to the areas that have ...

A good turnout for Civic Sunday

I was delighted to see such a good turnout for the Civic Parade and Church Service this morning. The wind was blowing a gale but the rain stayed away, thank goodness. Councillor Mark Green, our new Town Mayor, led the Parade from Stonefield Park through town to St. Michaels Church where he read one of the lessons. It was only later that I discovered that he' d forgotten his reading glasses and had recited the reading mostly from memory! Well done, Mr. Mayor! Our Deputy Mayor, Cllr. Jill Hood, had also managed to be in two places at once! Deputising ...

Total Politics

The new Iain Dale venture, Total Politics, is launching. Dale, a prolific blogger, one time bookshop owner, parliamentary candidate, current commentator is now a magazine publisher. The magazine's website went up in the last few days. The site is very colourful and packed with political information. Sarah Mackinlay, the editor, managed to secure an exclusive interview with Gordon Brown for the first edition. If you are an elected representative you will get sent a free copy, the rest of us have to read it online or buy it at the newstands. It's well worth a read, online or in print. ...

SNP drinking age plans are absurd

The SNP government's proposals on alcohol issues were outlined last week in its publication "Changing Scotland's relationship with alcohol: a discussion paper on our strategic approach" The report highlighted a number of measures for tackling Scotland's drinking culture including raising the legal age for buying from off-sales to 21, a minimum price for alcoholic drinks and the introduction of separate checkouts for alcohol sales. The headline in the 'Press and Journal' (click on headline to view) called the off-sales age ban 'absurd'; I totally agree. It will contribute the square root of nothing to solving the alcohol problem. Liberal Democrat ...

"You must walk miles each day"

A few days ago, I was talking to someone in the town who made a comment that I always seeemed to be dashing around the town and wondered how far I walked each day. I'd never thought much about but mentioned it to Janet. Mistake! She went to Hanley yesterday and whilst shopping bought me a pedometer! So I can tell you that yesterday I walked seven and a half miles! Impressed? Well I have to admit it was not a typical day - a litter pick in the morning, a crown green bowling competition in the evening and a ...

Walk with the mayor

Some time helping John prepare for his sponsored walk event along the River Tees in our Borough, and please think of having a go. It can be done in one or more stages if you want, and the final stage, along the riverside in Stockton can be done by anyone in wheelchair, pushchair, mobility scooter or anyone wanting an easy stroll. If you cannot go along at all please do think of sponsoring him. ...

60% Labour Want Brown Out

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/2306_brown.shtml Many Labour Party Supporters want Mr Brown to quit his job as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party before the Next General Election. The Poll results from the link above shows that 60% of Labour Supporters want Brown to give up his seat before the next General Election. Brown was always number two in the Labour party and everyone was happy and jolly until he became number one in the Labour Party never mind the Labour Party the Country has been destroyed with him coming into power and it hasn't even been a full year. Bush has ...

Why I cried yesterday

Yesterday went to launch the sports day for the Hornsey Trust for Children with Cerebral Palsy. This is one of the only places in the whole of London where from the age of six months parents can take their child to a conductive education school. This is the method that started in the Petto Institute - at the time highly controversial, but which delivers results. And you know - can you imagine what it is like? You give birth - with all the hope in your heart that nothing is wrong - and then you are told that your child ...

Total Politics for Anoraks

MPs and councillors will find a new publication landing on their desks soon: a magazine called 'Total Politics', which is being launched by the Tory blogger Iain Dale. The enterprise is backed by (Lord) Michael Ashcroft, which is a bit disconcerting, as he is the man who has been pouring tens of thousands of pounds [...]

When auld acquaintances are brought to mind

Mark and I had a busy weekend in the West Country, arriving in Plymouth on Friday evening in the pouring rain, in the right place for Mark's outing to Falmouth to talk to prospective Parliamentary candidates and for me, the short drive to Tavistock to talk to Torridge and West Devon Liberal Democrats. The event was hosted by Cllr. Alison Clish-Green and new PPC Adam Symons. Alison and I go back a while. When the Local Government Association (LGA) was formed in 1997, we took on leading roles, Alison on the Rural Commission and I on the Transport Committee. Standing ...

Aw bless, doesn't anyone want to talk John Howell?

There aren't exactly a lot of comments on this site are there?

Not To Be Read Until After Thursday

Seen lying around in a corner of the Henley Campaign Centre on Friday - a much thumbed copy of 'The Origin Of Wealth' by Eric Beinhocker. I am reading that too - though like the unknown owner of that copy currently no time to enjoy during waking hours. After Thursday perhaps survivors of the Big ByElection Push could share some notes - for example on Beinhocker's dismantling of the arguments of Milton Friedman using positions drawn from von Hayek...

Today's Conservative troubles round-up (UPDATED)

In brief: read the Daily Mail. It has stories on Jacqui Lait (claiming £100,000 in second home expenses although her constituency is only 35 minutes drive from Westminster), the Wintertons (claiming costs for expensive alarm system that security experts say they don't need) and Peter Oborne has more on Alan Duncan and whether he has properly [...]

MDC pulls out of Zimbabwe elections

The BBC has the story: Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has decided to pull out of the presidential run-off on 27 June, party officials have told the BBC. The decision, taken at a meeting of the leadership of the Movement for Democratic Change in Harare, means Robert Mugabe will remain as president. The MDC says the decision comes [...]

What, more money?

A report in Friday's Guardian reveals that yet more public money may be needed to bail out the London Olympics, on top of the £9.3 billion already pledged. Apparently, the impact of the credit crunch and the sliding domestic housing market has left the Olympic village short of cash to the tune of tens of millions of pounds: The chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority, John Armitt told the Guardian: 'The government at the end of the day will have to come in and support the village [financially] - that is understood. But negotiations are going on at the moment ...

How to waste time in an election campaign - BIG TIME

How to waste time in an election campaign, brought to us by your ever-resourceful Conservative party: 1. Spend an awful lot of time huffing and puffing, phoning round, sending letters, getting lawyers involved and generally getting out of your tree about opposition leaflets. Get your leader to go on the radio in the neighbouring county (why bother with the actual radio station which covers the

Was David Cameron my mystery stalker?

Curiouser and curiouser.... It seems David Cameron was canvassing in Sonning Common at around the same time that I was being secretly photographed by a rosette-wearing Tory.

Consumerism in Universities

Mike Baker has written yet another excellent piece. I'm all for independent scrutiny of university procedures, and if we really must insist on charging people for education at the point of delivery, I supppose we have to ensure that they get 'value for money' in a broad sense. But the pressure that has been brought to bear on academics to compromise on their scholarly values simply demonstrates the problems of principle with allowing education to be bought.

Day 2728: Seven Songs for Simon

Friday: Ooh, meme time; Mr Simon has tagged me! 'List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now, shaping your spring. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they're listening to.' That is EASY. I will pick seven JAMES BOND songs, because I am very excited about Mr Daniel's "Quantum of Solero" plus I have read the new James Bond Book, "Devil My Car". ...

Another Tory scamming the System!

Another Tory is under investigation for breaking party funding Laws. Don't these people get paid enough for them to break funding Laws. Why is it that recently the Tories are under a lot of Investigation for funding and money related crimes? The Sunday Times reports that 'Fox becomes the latest member of David Cameron's shadow cabinet to face allegations of breaching party funding rules.' People shouldn't vote the Tories as they are all making a habit committing money related crimes

Cameron can stick this!

Yesterday I pointed out that David Cameron had been a little hypocritical when he said this about one of our campaign magazines: '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' I pointed out on the regional BBC News that the Conservatives had delivered a magazine of their own earlier in the campaign. Well guess what we've picked up today? That's right ...

A new film from Henley

Featuring a host of stars including Paddy "I never predict the outcome of elections, but this one feels good" Ashdown, Ming Campbell, Julia Goldsworthy, Nick Clegg, Brian Paddick, lots of balloons and several printing machines: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPC1R9×95c0 Details of how to help in the Henley by-election at are www.henleylibdems.org.uk

Press Pack Hunts Fox

Donations to the private office of Conservative Shadow Minister Liam Fox MP are being examined by the Electoral Commission over claims that he had failed to register large sums from City figures. The ...

Brown in Jeddah

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7467151.stm The Prime Minister is in Jeddah Saudi Arabia today to try to make a deal and to reduce the price of oil and to get a deal with the Saudi's to invest in his plans to start using more renewable energies. The Prime Minister if he can pull this off will not only be making a difference to the oil prices but it will help him get a boom in the opinion polls. The Labour Party has been going through a rough time and their politics is decreasing if the Government don't sort them self out they will not ...

Lord Bonkers' Diary: The First Lady Bonkers' tits

Thursday Each spring, birdwatchers assemble on the shores of Rutland Water. As a whimbrel remarked to me the other day, it is remarkable how they find their way back to the same spot every year. Closer to the Hall, I have always done my bit with bird tables, nesting boxes and the like to encourage our feathered friends. The first Lady Bonkers always took a particular interest in this side of things. Someone as fair-minded as she can hardly be said to have had a favourite species, but it is fair to say that she always prided herself on her ...

Centralised education system is failing pupils - Clegg

The Government's 'one size fits all' approach to schools will today be accused of failing thousands of pupils by not providing a personalised education by Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg. In a recent speech , Nick Clegg set out plans to give schools greater freedoms, allowing them to tailor education to the needs of their pupils. He proposed. Scrapping mandatory national...

Conservative candidate names Ian Smith as his hero

Echoes of Nigel Hastilow from the Sunday Herald: DAVID CAMERON has been called on to condemn a Scottish Conservative candidate who praised the racist former leader of Rhodesia and defended Enoch Powell. Philip Lardner, the party's Westminster candidate in North Ayrshire and Arran, named Ian Smith, who was regarded a white supremacist, as his political hero. He also said that Powell's far-right

The Battle That Never Was

In 1992 after the General Election, the Sun told us it was the Sun "Wot Won It" . This week as nominations for David Davies' seat close it will be the Sun "wot didn't try to win it." I must admit to a slight sense of disappointment that Kelvin McKenzie will not stand as the Sun Newspaper candidate for David Davies' seat as I have long held the belief that the media if not actually running the country, would like to - and it would be good to make that transparent to all. Many journalists become MPs but Davies-(politician) versus ...

Sunday papers: 1-2-3-4 - yes, four sleaze allegations for the Tories and Aunty Val isn't a lesbian

The Sunday Telegraph reports more sleaze allegations for the Tories, this time centred around Liam Fox: David Cameron has become embroiled in a new funding row after the Conservatives admitted they had failed to register large donations properly. The admission came after the Electoral Commission confirmed that for the second time this year it was investigating the failure of the party to

Lazy journalism

It never ceases to amaze me how lazy some journalists can be when they have a column to fill and a deadline looming. There is a good example in this morning's Wales on Sunday in which the Spin Doctor column refers directly to a blog entry from Miserable Old Fart. Alwyn ap Huw referred to a near-faux pas by Eleanor Burnham during First Minister's Question Time last Tuesday. During this session Eleanor got carried away on her pet subject of Wales' transport system and very nearly demanded that Rhodri Morgan get his 'arse in gear'. The point is though, that ...

Mormons on Yahoo! Mail

I've just seen a religious advert. I don't think I've ever seen one before. Usually the internet banners above my yahoo inbox tell me to get faster broadband or protect my possessions, but just a moment ago one of them told me I could find out the purpose of my life. I thought maybe I was here to try and make people laugh or just generally irritate people by writing, but it turns out there could be a deeper meaning to it all. It was an advert by the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or the ...

Labour heads for financial meltdown

Its finances that is, not the country's: Loyalists including the venture capitalist Sir Ronnie Cohen and the millionaire former science minister Lord Sainsbury are understood to have bailed the party out temporarily in the past few weeks - its accountants had been threatening not to sign off the accounts at the end of this month, which [...]

This week's guest quango is...

The Potato Council... A quango on which taxpayers money is NOT being wasted. No, it's up to potato growers and seed merchants to fund it via a levy of around £4.54m annually, whether they want to or not. Including money from other sources, the Potato Council spends £6.3m per year. The Potato Council came to my attention due to this story in the Guardian. All kudos to these quangoids for spinning

Alright, I admit it

In my last posting I used the word 'alright' in a letter that I quoted. It isn't - alright, that is. Many a time have I winced when a student used this mangled shortening of 'all right', misled, no doubt, by 'already' and 'altogether'. So how did 'alright' make its way into a letter that I wrote myself, every word? Am I losing the plot? Or has its ubiquity convinced me...

Sunday 22nd June 2008

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