The News Shopper has the decision on Queen Mary's: This will see Queen Mary's Hospital as the only major loser of the four hospitals involved. The Sidcup hospital will lose all its emergency services, including A&E, maternity and in-patient children's services, but will become one of two centres for planned surgery. The planned surgery unit at Orpington Hospital will close and patients from there 
I was saddened to see that Labour MP Tony Wright (the one from Cannock, not the useless one from Great Yarmouth) is to stand down at the next general election because of ill health. It is to be hoped his treatment for leukaemia is successful and that he recovers quickly. Tony Wright has always struck me as being a sound politician, in that he speaks sense, he can see beyond the colour of the rosette and looks at the arguments, not the party or the personality. The fact that early on in the New Labour years he chose to return ...
Sometimes my school experiences really do give me an insight in to another world which makes me wince at times. Take for example an and of term experience I observed. At the end of the final school day for one particular year six girl as she set off across the playground to go home for the very last time, I overheard her mother repeatedly goading her to 'Go back and tell your teacher what you really think of her'. The girl, to her great credit, refused and looked slightly embarrassed, but the mother continued to pressurise her daughter to tell ...
I am grateful to Stephen Tall over at Lib Dem Voice for alerting me to Ming Campbell's views on an independence referendum for Scotland. Now, there is no doubt that Ming's position is the correct constitutional one. If it came down to it, a party conference vote would not be binding on the MSPs, who could choose to ignore the expressed wishes of their own party and vote against a referendum if that's what their consciences demanded. But as a recipe for political success, it strikes me as utter folly and madness. I really don't see that creating a feeling ...
For all the arguments about rubbish collections, one thing that all Kingston councillors, across the parties, now agree on is that bins and recycling boxes should not have microchips attached to them. Now why on earth would anyone put a chip on a bin? Well, where a Council does want to keep a record of who had put materials in a recycling bin, or how much landfill rubbish...
I hope that tonight's news is true and that Radovan Karađić, the former leader of the Republika Srpska entity in Bosnia-Hercegovina has been captured. If this is true then this is fantastic news. Karađić has been indicted by the War Crimes Tribunal at The Hague and has been a fugitive for many years. Let us hope that he will soon be followed by General Ratko Mladić. The capture of both men can only help to speed Serbia's entry to the European Union. The scars of war are still visible in both Croatia and Bosnia and I hope that this will ...
Nick Clegg was the guest speaker at a meeting held at Abrar House in central London tonight, organised by the City Circle, a group of predominantly young Muslim professionals, delightfully described by former London Mayoral aspirant candidate Fiyaz Mughal as 'an open circle for open minds' — a label Nick threatened to co-opt for the Liberal Democrats, [...]
The controversy surrounding last year's Great Global Warming Swindle highlights a number of things for me. First of all, the OfCom ruling today appears to have caused more heat than light. The report states that: ...In dealing with these complaints therefore Ofcom had to ascertain - not whether the programme was accurate - but whether it materially misled the audience with the result that harm and/or offence was likely to be caused. There it is - in black and white. Why then does Brendan O'Neill at Spiked insist that "Ofcom rejected complaints that Durkin's film was factually inaccurate on the ...
The long slow process of BSF grinds on, with the next stage going before Stockton Council's Cabinet tonight. Residents of Eaglescliffe will know that I'm often critical of how the council consults residents, often seeming to treat consultation very superficially. This consultation has been different. Many changes have been made to the proposals after residents across the Borough voiced their
I was given the Ting Tings CD 'We Started Nothing' by Jes and Pip for my birthday in May. From the first second of having heard them my reaction was 'Tom Tom Club'. For those who haven't got the hint, Talking Heads are probably my favourite band of all time. Tom Tom Club are the Tina Weymouth/Chris Frantz spin off. Way back in the 80s I saw the Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club double bill live. My
Email newsletter now sent to constituents. I hit the send button with seconds to spare. Any later and I would have left the office too late to catch the train. And even then I had to make a wild dash up Victoria Street. I jumped onto the train seconds before the doors closed. So here I am on a train that has not been cancelled. I am still fuming about the serial incompetence of National Express.
Every so often there are events which give one a little hope. Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai shaking hands, having signed an agreement brokered by the SADC, the UN and African Union, is one such event. The fact that it comes on the day the Zimbabwe issued a new 100billion dollar banknote, perhaps might give a clue as to what motivated it. There must be a limit to the amount of time an
....nobody if Total Politics is to be believed. Inspired by a couple of Lib Dem bloggers crowing about their inclusion I looked wide-eyed and expectantly only to find nothing. Incidentally, I think it is quite a creditable stab at a magazine and personally like the brashness of the design and functionality of the website (not that I am angling for inclusion) but I did struggle to find a copy even in London (well Kings Cross station to be precise) so maybe wider distribution?? Anyways, I have submitted my blog and expect inclusion forthwith .... Yours, Disgusted in Peterborough
...well, perhaps not quite but this is interesting, if blindingly obvious in a sort of a "why didn't we think of that" way: HMV customers to exploit tax loophole at digital terminals - Telegraph Customers at HMV stores will be able to avoid paying VAT by ordering CDs and DVDs through digital terminals. The "HMV Delivers" kiosks are being installed across the chain's 240 UK branches over the next two years. Their initial role will be to allow customers to order products that are out of stock in their shops. The merchandise will then be sent from HMV's offshore site ...
The List i emailed to top ten Total Politics is: Liberal Burblings Lynne Featherstone Anders Hanson Liberal Voice Bridget's Blog Irfan Ahmed Jonathon Fryer Liberal England Alasdair's LibDem BlogSteve Webb Do you agree if you do then email the list to toptenblogs@totalpolitics.com If i am nominated in the top 10 i will continue my work as a blogger and will help my blog get more hits which would mean more posts!
I'm saddened to hear that Labour MP Tony Wright is to step down at the next election. I respect him for stepping down in the knowledge of his ill health. I always considered him one of Labour's untapped resources, that should have made it to the front bench for a time at least. I always suspected his sometimes monolithic but eternally monumental mission to improve scrutiny of the executive became a barrier to joining a Government which rapidly became a den of commensurate obfuscators. If so it would be a sad indictment of an administration which began by creating FOI ...
There's an interesting and pretty perceptive editorial in today's Guardian taking a thoughtful look at the Lib Dems' Make it Happen policy proposal paper, launched by Nick Clegg last week. (And, whether it was deliberate or not, let me take a moment to congratulate The Guardian on not rushing to judgment, but taking a reflective, [...]
Dear Peter, Let me say first of all that Liberal Democrats are supportive of schools being given the freedom and financial backing to innovate and succeed. However, I think you have overstepped the mark in respect of your editorial comments on Academies this week (18 July). I am sure that the County Council will be less than pleased [...]
The Yorkshire Ridings Society's (YRS) annual North Riding Duck Race takes place in Saltburn Beck, at 2.30 PM on Saturday 26th July 2008. Hundreds of yellow plastic ducks will be dropped from the first footbridge and the first duck back to the weir, just upstream of the road bridge will win the Colin Holt Cup. The entry fee is £1 per duck. There are prizes for the first three back and for the best named duck. Anyone wishing to enter can do so on the day or by contacting us on 01642 487557 or mailto: There is no charge for ...
Latest news I hear is that following his resignation as Conservative candidate for Watford, Ian Oakley has now also resigned from the Conservative group on Hillingdon Council and will sit as an independent. All this follows the news at the weekend that he had been arrested by the police as part of investigations in to [...]
My blog piece last week about cars illegally entering the Skinnergate pedestrian area during the day has produced a considerable amount of support from other nearby retailers. Both the Northern Echo and the D&S Times (as their page 1 lead story) reported on the matter last week. Since then a number of traders in Skinnergate have been to see me to ask whether anything can be done to
Oh dear Iris is at it again, the report in Hansard, verified by an official say she said: 'there can be no viler act, apart from homosexuality, than sexually abusing innocent children.' Now let me get this straight the viler act is the legal one between two consenting adults. Which is worse than child abuse. Clearly Iris has been taking lessons from or giving them to Kenny MacAskill in her
Whilst reading the Blog of Dave Smithson i come across the very interesting post linked above. It is following the launch of Nick Clegg's 'Make it Happened' Halewood Liberal Democrats want to take this vision set out by Nick Clegg MP forward by putting it to the people and asking them what they think about it. I think in Pendle the people would benefit from Nick Clegg's vision. What do you think?
On the Link above the BBC has pitches from all the Candidates in the Glasgow East By Election. The most interesting candidate to me is CHRIS CREIGHTON, INDEPENDENT the man who wants to abolish the monarchy. He is a mature candidate studying politics but i still don't believe he can get elected as an MP. Well i don't think he is going to get far as at the last election he was candidate he only got 59 votes. I don't think he believes him self that he is a serious candidate. 
How long will Brown Last as Prime Minister? It is a question that if a lot of people knew then they would be people betting a lot of money on it. The problem is that to be honest he hasn't actually done Blair proud. His predecessor Tony Blair was Prime Minister for 10 years but will Brown last 2. It is just over a year since Brown was given power and the opinion polls in his party and the public are against him yet he believes and so does Mr Blair believe that he is the right man to take ...
Fantastic piece in the Indie yesterday on the phenomenon of watered-down indie soundalike bands, which ends with this gem of a quote: 'If we end up with 20 years of Tory government, it'll be The Pigeon Detectives' fault.' Maybe they have a point - music reaches people, particularly young people, in a way any amount of stuffy discussion never will. And if the bands aren't making the kids angry about the things that matter, will the kids come around to realising there are important things to be angry about another way, or just become more and more apathetic? I can't ...
Oldfield Park Infants School, in Bath, has won the School Food Trust's School of the Month competition in recognition for their innovative work on improving their school meal service, which has seen meal take-up rise by an incredible 21%. The Trust has awarded Oldfield £5,000 to further the good work and improvements they have already made. Head Teacher Jo Claridge,...
silicon.com reports that the taxpayer has been landed with a £473,544 bill for the hunt for the missing HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) data discs. The Metropolitan Police Service mounted a months-long search for the data discs containing 25 million child benefit records after they went missing in October 2007.
CentreForum launched its latest pamphlet today - 'Earned amnesty: bringing illegal workers out of the shadows.'Unfortunately, this week's launch hasn't received as much coverage as did last week's launch of Academies and the future of state education (see previous blog entry).PA carries the story here. Whislt politics.co.uk has a useful summary on its site. The Daily Express also carries the story - though the web version is merely the PA story repeated.You can judge your own reaction by reading the whole piece from the CentreForum website.
Just back from the Safer Stronger Communities Partnership Working Group. There are five of these across the City. I chair the one for South Liverpool. The group pulls together a range of partners (like Housing Associations and the Fire Brigade), council officers and councillors. It looks at, and then takes forward, initiatives on crime and safety as well as environmental issues. Today we had a discussion on priorities which, as well as flagging up some broader thoughts, also brought a focus on some quite narrow, but troubling issues. The broader issues will come as no surprise - fear of crime, ...
BBC Online asked last week for advice for Gordon Brown as to what to do when he is on holiday in Southwold, Suffolk (above). You could actually do a fifties or sixties version of 'Life on Mars' or 'Ashes to Ashes' (the TV programmes with Gene Hunt, that is) in Southwold. Perhaps a series involving a flashback to 1967 called 'The Laughing Gnome'? It still had a haberdashery when I went there a
This is the wooden edging at Hampstead Heath Overground station (North London Line) and it's a charming reminder of the quality of work and the strength of the London railway tradition in quality. The effect of the railway upon Britain was dramatic and still the lines they cut across our landscape are deep and significant. And literally hundreds of us use them every day. Within that useage are a series of 'givens': we know where to stand on the platform in order to get off at the other end, we know our colour of line (orange, purple, yellow etc), we ...
The issue of Councillors interests and how they are published is a very important matter and I fully agree with the stance taken by my Lib Dem Colleague Roger Symonds on this matter. Up to now anyone wishing to check on Bath and North East Somerset Councillors' interests has been faced with a lonely trek to the Keynsham offices, where Councillors' declarations of ...
Along with Alix (who started it), Peter Black and Jo Anglezarke I have been rather taken with the Top 100 books meme. Update: Toby Philpott's is here! I have to admit, this is a bit of an indulgence for me as I have a tendency to be all hinterland and no front garden. Even the book on the American Civil War that I said I would be reading, on Lib Dem Voice's bloggers summer reading piece, was put to one side very quickly once I was given some fiction books for my birthday! So, I should have said I would ... 
The article in today's Guardian newspaper is very worrying and as a mobile phone user carrying out council business in the city worries me and I agree with our local Bath MP Don Foster who has made the following statement today. Commenting on today's revelation in The Guardian newspaper that for the last three years tens of thousands of people travelling through Bath have been...
Councillor David Dixon is working on a scheme for young people in Walcot to earn rewards such as trips away, go karting and paint balling. Cllr Dixon said, 'Last month we took a group of young people go karting, which was very successful and resulted in organisations across the area agreeing that a scheme should be set up to get young people to positively contribute to their local area and in reward we will organise free activities for them. It is hope to get support from the local police, council and other local organisations to get the scheme off the ...
I am seizing the marvellous opportunity afforded to me by a five-second break in the clouds, and taking a holiday from the blog for a couple of weeks. So forgive the lack of postings between now and my bronze-skinned, wind-swept return. I will be back at the PC as soon as I've shaken the sand from my swimming shorts. Rick
Darlington is hardly one of the wealthier towns in the country, yet each year the Government takes a proportion of our Council's income from Council house rents and redistributes it elsewhere in the country. Sometimes, and this year is a case in point, central Government just keeps a chunk of that money. Now, compared to some local authorities, who pay millions of pounds a year to the Government
Mike Rumbles wins the award for being quick off the mark in response to the questions I sent to the leadership candidates yesterday. Here's the reply I had from him: Dear Bernard, Thanks for your e-mail. If I can start to tackle the questions you raise in reverse order: 1. The answer to the real problems we face over alcohol is to enforce the laws we already have properly. Not one person has been prosecuted for selling alcohol to someone already under the influence of drink. There have been only 70 prosecutions for selling alcohol to under 18's. We need ...
My latest column - written a lot nearer the Stiperstones than usual - is up on the New Statesman website.
I have not seen it, but I trust this column was in last Friday's Liberal Democrat News. Westminster wisdom If you are looking for entertainment, I recommend a close reading of Hansard. Take this exchange from Westminster Hall: Sir Robert Smith (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): ... We visited the microfinance initiative in Kabul and saw women entrepreneurs. Women got the microfinance loans, because they could be trusted to repay them. The men were far too unreliable a business investment.Mr. Soames: Nonsense.Sir Robert Smith: The hon. Member for Mid-Sussex (Mr. Soames) says from a sedentary position, "Oh, balls," but that ...
Well the conservative Blogger http://www.iaindale.blogspot.com/ is meant to be one of the best political bloggers out there according to many people. From reading his blog i have noticed that the conservative does certainly get a lot of comments from people on his blog but that's about it. He doesn't have anything special on his blog that isn't available from any blog that contributes to Lib Dem Blogs. Actually i believe that most blogs on Lib Dem Blogs are better and more interesting to read compared to the Tory blog. Well this Iain Dale is like the Guru of Blogging as ...
http://www.totalpolitics.com/ I never knew that i was among the bloggers on total politics until today. Whilst looking at the total politics website i realised that i was linked on the website as a Liberal Democrats blogger. Well my blog is really starting to pick up and i do really find total politics to be a interesting magazine but the fact that i am on it is a bit of a surprise for me. Well thanks to all my reader's for promoting me so i can get to the current status in blogging and i hope that these people continue visiting ...
We are the Scottish Liberal Democrats. Following May last year we took a lambasting from the Nats because the party with the largest mandate at Holyrood backed a referendum and we refused to enter talks with them about issues we may have agreed on simply, seemingly because they did. Now it appears that Menzies Campbell is saying that no matter what the Scottish Conference of members may decide
... He's running a blog awards. And the usual crowds of sycophants are going to vote for Iain Dale and validate his enormous ego. So I reckon it would be rather good if we all went and voted for people who are better writers and less subsumed into the Westminster Bubble than Iain Dale. And you have to admit that it would be rather amusing if Prominent Tory Blogger's blog awards are stuffed full of non-Tory blogs... All in the name of inclusivity, of course. Here's who I have voted for:I'm assuming that voting for myself is bad form, and ...
Ian Oakley, the Conservative Candidate for Watford in the General Election has resigned after he was arrested over claims of harassment. The harassment was aimed at local Liberal Democrats and in particular Sal Brinton our candidate for the General Election.
I think with the summer break cöming up för all öf us, a 'bit' öf a reshuffle is needed nöw. If yöu get my drift?
{Nick and Armand call for a zebra crossing} {Loading bay notice} One whole year after winning their planning appeal, Tesco are still unable to open their shop on Bathwick Hill. The loading bay, for which Tesco were compelled to pay the council, has nto yet been painhted outside the shop. Design difficulties and continued staff shortage delayed the planning stages and the statutory consultation phase. As there were objections from the consultation, a report must be written for the conservative cabinet member. However, this still hasn't been presented for a decision, delayed by another week. When the cabinet member does ...
The Joint Committee of PCTs Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lewisham and West Kent is meeting today to decide the fate of local hospitals. I know the chairman, Michael Chuter, well and have discussed the plans with him in some detail. I knwo that Michael has the best intentions to get the best health care across the boroughs. But this is all agaisnt the backdrop of the huge amounts of funds that have
I had it pointed out to me this weekend that I get a very brief mention in the latest issue of Total Politics magazine. I wish I could say it was an analysis of star campaigners in the Liberal Democrats, but it isn't. In fact I don't even get mentioned by name, but I am [...]
If you are involved in a small voluntary group in Liverpool, you might be interested in this press release pasted below. LCVS are pleased to announce a new grants programme for small, grass-roots community and voluntary groups in Liverpool. Grassroots Grants of up to £5,000 over three years* can be used for anything that increases or develops the capacity of small voluntary and community groups, enabling them to continue or expand their work including advocacy, community voice and service provision for local people. Projects should aim to meet local priorities, in particular those that have been agreed on a ward ...
Mick Hume, who has joined the small but growing ranks of those who reject the notion of the 'broken society', charts the hysterias which have led to calls to 'fix' the broken society over the last 150 years. Each one thought they were unique. None were. At all. Give it a read.
An interesting article in yesterday's Times, with former national Lib Dem leader Ming Campbell wading into the current Scottish leadership debate, and in particular the controversy over whether Lib Dems should support a referendum on Scottish independence: Sir Menzies Campbell has warned the next leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats to oppose an independence referendum, even [...]
There's an interview with Nick Clegg gone up on the Wardman Wire this morning. Arty black and white shooting. Here's a copy.
Having poured out my anger about National Express in my last post, I have since experienced the on board staff and how they deal with customers. I feel sorry for the staff as they have to deal directly with the customers who have lost out because of the company's management decisions. Yet just as National Express can be a difficult company, some passengers too can be extremely difficult. I have
David dropped me off at Newcastle Central Station and joked that the train would be cancelled. I told him not to tempt fate. But it was too late. As I stepped into the station, there was the notice saying the 7.40am service to Kings Cross was cancelled. Regular readers of this blog will have read previous entries about this service. It is the fast train to London (when it is running) and gets in
As the dust starts to settle on the sacking of Rhodri Glyn Thomas as Heritage Minister all the speculation has turned to who will succeed him. The favourite appears to be Alun Ffred Jones, who is already being damned by faint praise as 'competent but not particularly charismatic'. The implication is that this is what is needed by the One Wales Government following the alleged roller-coaster ride under Rhodri Glyn. But hold on a minute, what roller-coaster ride? Yes, Rhodri made a few mistakes, he didn't deliver all that was expected of him, but he worked damned hard and was ...
Further to my blog entry yesterday, you can read the article about this subject in today's Courier, by clicking on the headline above.
It is Monday 21st July so it must be the Royal Welsh Show. I will be on the road heading for Llanelwedd shortly. It is also the fifth anniversary of the start of this blog which commenced on this day in 2003 with a post about the Royal Welsh and this picture. This is the 3,314th post. I think it is best to gloss over the antics of my staff who made badges out of the aforesaid photograph and distributed them at a Welsh Conference a few years ago. Needless to say most of the offending lapel pins ended up ...
Surely it is a given that we are all different? Size, shape, gender, colour, intelligence, personality, practical ability... So surely the human brain, and mind, are also infinitely variable. So why then do we have clothes, shoes, accessories, food, gadgets, literature, music, art, newspapers, all sorts of media, cars, houses, gardens, holidays, hobbies and pastimes of every conceivable colour, shape, size, sophistication, individuality to suit our needs and tastes and yet, when it comes to nurturing minds, especially young ones, in other words education, the state seems always to want a one size fits all, or nearly all solution we ...
Yes, for anyone who is reading this and knows me better as stephmog, some genius young lib dem lass with a penchant for crazy hairdye, a quirky superbright five year old daughter, and a lovely other half with long hair, who isn't me, has created a feed so I can appear on your LiveJournal friend-page once again. Go here, add feed, never miss a post by again! Thanks to that genius, who is one of my new favourite people in the whole world. And happy birthday to my mum, who obviously always has been one of my favourite people ... | < | July 2008 | > | ||||
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