Last night I was at a Lib Dem fundraiser at Wadsworth Community centre which was superbly organised and the food was terrific. Thanks to Mavis and the rest. I supplied a quiz which was keenly contested. One of my questions was which was the first country to give women the vote in national elections, and when? The answer? New Zealand, in 1893, fully a quarter of a century before Britain. Coincidentally, today is the tenth anniversary of The (NZ) Labour Party defeating the governing National Party in their general election, making their leader Helen Clark the first woman to win ...
The Times carries an 'exclusive' that The UK Independence Party offered to disband if David Cameron agreed to hold a referendum on the ratified Lisbon treaty. UKIP's new leader, Lord Pearson of Rannoch, told The Times that he offered the deal soon after today the party's strong showing in the European elections. He reveals that he approached ...
Hello internets. I have had much port and brandy, which is ever such a good cold cure. This is b3cause I have a cole. I think I told Sensei Puddin I blogged about him. Ooops. Oh well. It'll be nearly a week till I see him again and he'll have forgotten bey then, riht? Msiter Mt did make pizzza and it is in the oven cooking. Mmmmmmm pizza., Anyway, YAY@! And other general exclamarions of ahppiness.
Politics Home says in one of its 'insider pieces' that 'three party politics is here to stay'. Of course, this begs the question of what our role should be within a three party system as; realistically, we are not a party of protest nor are we one of potential government. Our role can only be ...
On November 17, @JeffPulver came to town with his 140 Characters Conference show, following in the footsteps of past 140conf events in New York and Los Angeles. Selecting the Indigo at the O2 as the venue was an interesting decision, given that the conference supplied no coffee nor meals (which must have annoyed those paying the full fee of £425 though it seems few, if any, did so) and none of the coffee shops at the O2 opened until shortly before 9am, so that with registration from 8am there were lots of people wandering around looking for their caffeine fix. ...
My elder brother Andrew has just graduated from Leicester University with a PhD in personal carbon budgets and global climate change. So that's 2 of us now in the family with the "Dr" in front of our name! (My PhD is in early twentieth century British political history with a fair whack about foreign policy in the run up to both WW1 and WW2 - as you can see the intellectual interests of Andrew
Reader Dan commented on our recent post about the new bus stops: "Thousands of pounds are being spent on these new shelters and raised kerbs but no restriction is placed on car parking near (or even on) them. In Barnwood Road and St. Briavels Drive especially, buses cannot get anywhere near the raised kerb due to parked vehicles. Buses have to stop in the middle of the road, defeating the point of installing the things in the first place. How about the council invest in some yellow paint as well!" We raised this at the Yate Safer Stronger Community Group ...
It's become a seasonal cliché of British journalism. In the run-up to Christmas there is a flurry of stories about political correctness gone mad as the word Christmas is left to one side by local councils in particular as festive lights get switched on, celebrations run and greetings cards sent out. Following hard on the heels of the flurry of stories is a series of much less noticed debunking of many of them. But why let the facts get in the way of the annual season of such stories? This year, in fairness to the media (and perhaps partly a ...
"If God had not intended for us to eat animals, how come He made them out of meat?"
The project officer in the Housing Department's Improvement Unit has updated me as follows : Logie - Kitchen & Bathroom Replacement 2009/10 I am sure you are aware that we have lots of containers on Logie Avenue. I would like to reassure you that any damage to grassed area will be made good when containers are removed. All going well I anticipate that 7 containers will be removed in January with the remaining removed by April 2010. The contract is progressing well. I will be updating the residents' group at their next meeting on 1st December 2009. Blackness Road - ...
I've been in Dumfries the past couple of days with the 'day job' - including the annual (and now infamous) Chinese Karaoke evening. A good night was, as always, had by all!
What could be simpler: five categories, each with five links. And it's Friday. 5 most-read stories on LDV this week 1. Lib Dem HQ: read what Nick said, not what the press reported! (67) by Stephen Tall 2. Lib Dem Voice publishes exclusive general election prediction (54) by Mark Pack 3. +++ OFFICIAL: Lib Dems cleared by Electoral Commission over Michael Brown's £2.4m donation (33) by Stephen Tall 4. Clegg asserts Lib Dems' 'hung parliament' equidistance. (The headline you won't read in today's papers). (28) by Stephen Tall 5. Prime Minister removes all Christmas imagery from official Christmas cards (9) ...
The NHS is currently having a consultation in the inclusion of two new rights into the NHS Constitution. These are a new right in respect of waiting times and whether this right should include the current standard for treatment (within 18 weeks), and/or the current standard for urgent referrals for suspected cancer (2 weeks). Also should GP's provide specified information to patients on their rights around a two-week referral? And finally do people agree that a right to a NHS Health Check every five years for those aged 40-74 should be established. If you have a view you can submit ...
With the news that Baron Rannoch of Pearson has become the leader of UKIP, it is important to consider the lack of accountability this party now has. As a peer, Rannoch has not been elected by the public and actually went into the upper chamber as a Tory peer, selected by Thatcher. Only in 2007 did ...
My column in today's Liberal Democrat News is largely a cut-and-paste job from this blog. I have added some hyperlinks here that do not appear in the printed version. Gems from Hansard House Points is nothing if not loyal. Nick Clegg called for the Queen's Speech to be abandoned, so we are ignoring this week's proceedings and looking at political history instead. A valuable new resource has appeared on the net. Thanks to a company called Millbank Systems (as with all the sites mentioned here, it is easy to find them with Google), you can search Hansard right back to ...
This is a straightforward plug for a tuneful Christmas performance. In two weeks time, on Saturday 12th December, I'll be joining my friends at Kingston Choral Society to sing Rutter's Magnificat and Britten's St Nicholas. It will begin at 7.30pm in Kingston Parish Church. Last Saturday the choir hosted a day of musical inspiration, when John Rutter himself ran a workshop as part of the Kingston Festival of the Voice. We spent the day singing many of his works, including a rehearsal of the Magnificat, and he also introduced us to some beautiful pieces that were new to us. The ...
The Chipping Sodbury Victorian Day Committee has again organised the event with the intention of improving on the fantastic success of last year. The committee is drawn from the Sodbury and Dodington Councils, Chipping Sodbury Lions and Rotary Clubs, the Festival Society and representatives from local schools and traders. The event starts at 2:00pm when school choirs will perform in the street along with other entertainers from two stages. Snow machines will produce the winter atmosphere and Father Christmas in his sleigh will parade through the town at 6:45pm. The streets will be lined with stalls from local charities and ...
I'd like to wish all my Muslim readers happy Eid al-Adha. Anyone who'd like to find out more about Eid al-Adha, what it celebrates and what happens over the three days could take a look here. Since we're taking 1st Gatley Cubs to the mosque on Monday, I'm sure we'll find out all about it then.
Via the LibDem website, here's the text of Nick Clegg's Eid message: Eid Al-Adha is preceded by the day of `Arafah and is one of the important days of Hajj. Eid Al-Adha is a joyous time and reminds us of all of the importance of hard work, togetherness and family. I send my warmest wishes at this very special time.
I think the Government speaks with forked tongue! Here is the parliamentary question that I put down for written answer last week - and the answer itself. Lynne Featherstone (Hornsey & Wood Green, Liberal Democrat) To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether all of the proposals made to the North Central London Service and Organisation Review include the Whittington Hospital, Islington, having a (a) 24 hour accident and emergency unit and (b) full intensive care unit; and if he will make a statement. Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 23 November 2009, c26W) Phil Hope (Minister of State (the ...
My post about Reading's 'all-day' Christmas lights has caused a bit of a stir making the front page of getreading and national party website Lib Dem Voice. I wasn't surprised to be nick-named 'scrooge' in the local press. Pretty ironic title though given we are supposed to be seriously looking at ways of saving money in the middle of a recession. Most people I've spoken to about it have been puzzled as to why we need Christmas lights on during the day. It makes no environmental or financial sense to me or them. I've now had a fuller response from Cllr Gittings (based on a ...
You couldn't make this stuff up
Liberal Bureaucracy has received, in a brown paper package, a copy of a document purported to have been sent to Lord Adonis, the Secretary of State for Transport, following his announcement that National Express will have their current franchise for East Anglia truncated so that it ends in 2011. The covering letter is signed by the Chief Executive Officer of Deutsche Bahn. Having read through it, here are the key proposals; Frequency Trains will run at least hourly on all routes. We have ways of making them run on time. New services and special arrangements It is our intention to ...
In hot Dubai Did the ruling Sheikh Some mighty pleasure domes decree Where water pumped from deep below Was turned into artificial snow, And surrounded by a deep blue sea. But alas, The greedy men Who put up the cash Had forgotten Ozymandias
[IMG: Cllr Coombes, 40 protesters, zebra and dog] A zebra crossing on Bathwick Hill is now being officially promoted by the council. A 'traffic regulation order' is now being advertised by the council to show the new crossing. If there are no objections, then the order will be confirmed and the crossing painted. Bathwick's Lib Dem councillors have been campaigning for a zebra crossing here for several years, including petitions to council, questions to the Conservative cabinet and organising a demonstration with Ziggy, the zebra.
091182/FH/2009/S1 Mr Hassan Ahmed 1 The Grove Shaw Oldham OL2 7BH 242 Manley Road Chorlton Manchester M21 0RD Retrospective application for the erection of a single storey building to form granny flat 091272/FH/2009/S1 Lynn Winstanley 25 Hewlett Road Chorlton Manchester M21 9WB 25 Hewlett Road Chorlton Manchester M21 9WB Erection of single storey rear extension to form additional living accommodation. 091700/LP/2009/S1 Mr David Winterton 32 Higson Avenue Chorlton Manchester M21 9FW 32 Higson Avenue Chorlton Manchester M21 9FW CERTIFICATE OF LAWFUL DEVELOPMENT for the erection of a single storey rear extension 091743/FH/2009/S1 Shamim Akhtar 162 Oswald Road Chorlton-cum-Hardy Manchester M21 ...
It was the Kings Tavern licence review hearing this morning. This review - the second this year - was triggered by Thames Vallley Police. I attended the first bit of the hearing as an observer. It wasn't a very edifying site: barristers for Admiral Taverns and the Designated Premises Supervisor, Mrs Sama attempted to shift the blame on to each other for the recent licence breaches and problems at the pub. It felt like a bit like an episode of Eastenders or another soap opera - except that the decision could have a real impact on the community. All credit to Cllrs ...
There will be an advice session 11 - 12 at the Garratt Way Office (Belle Vue House) on Saturday 28th. Also on Saturday, there will be lantern-making at Gorton Market in preparation for the lantern parade on 6th December to mark the final event of the Gorton 100 this year. So do come along and make a lamp.
Homeopathy exploits gullibility in a way no less dishonourable than financial mis-selling.
It has long been a source of confusion to me that Boots stock homeopathic "remedies". There is no evidence that homeopathy has any effect beyond placebo and it has been tested many, many times. On the always excellent Pod Delusion podcast this week (declaration of interest, I sometimes contribute to it myself) Andy Wilson of the Merseyside Skeptics Society read out in full an open letter that the society has drafted directed to Alliance Boots. The letter makes a strong argument for why in their view Boots really should not be stocking homeopathic products. I have reproduced the letter in ...
The talk with Vince about the State and the Market is now online. Has been for a month . . .
I am led to understand that Lord Pearson of Rannoch is the new leader of UKIP (I'm cocooned on an East Coast train somewhere near Newcastle, on my way to Edinburgh...). In fairness, Malcolm Pearson is probably ideal for the job, in that he is of the view that between them, Islam and the European Union are determined to destroy the country that we love. Indeed, there are enough people out there who agree with that view to attract a rather more than infinitesimal share of the vote. His big problem at the moment is the issue regarding a very ...
With the Thanksgiving earlier this week, I'm sure mine and other West Wing fans went back to certain episodes for Thanksgiving so thanks to the West Wing wikiquote page I serve up the following First up from Shibboleth we have the dilemma that apparently Press secretaries have to C.J. Cregg: They sent me two turkeys. The most photo-friendly of the two gets a Presidential pardon and a full life at a children's zoo. The runner-up gets eaten. President Josiah 'Jed' Bartlet: If the Oscars were like that, I'd watch. Of course you can watch the fictional White House Press Secretary ...
Last night I attended the Seedley and Langworthy Trusy (S.A.L.T.) Annual General Meeting. S.A.L.T. supports the regeneration of Langworthy and Seedley and helps residents and businesses by offering resources including training & equipment and develops alliances with outside agencies, all for the benefit of our ward. I was expecting a rather dry affair (having never been to one before), but what a pleasant surprise! Whilst there was still important business to take care of (this was an AGM after all) such as approving the trust's accounts and voting on new or re-elected board members – there was some interesting additions ...
Earlier this week I went on a fascinating trip to Islington to see two developments that were like chalk and cheese. The first was an eco refurbishment of a small ground floor flat in a Victorian conversion done by United House who do a lot of the Decent Homes work in Islington and Camden. It was a brave stab at creating low energy home, to be applauded because nobody asked them to do it or paid tem. But it was also a typical British low energy building - no route map, a fascination with gadgets and lots of trial and ...
Fri 27th
16:40
A dull description of the forthcoming weekend reminds me why I'm grateful for the structure that wor...
Happy Eid Al-Adha to everyone celebrating this weekend. My own weekend will be spent catching up on various bits of casework that have fluttered gently into my inbox these past few days. I will also do some leafleting, if the rain ever decides to hold off for just a second. As if tramping the streets delivering leaflets wasn't punishment enough, I am also attending a Manchester City game over the weekend, against the global footballing powerhouse that is Hull City. We may win, we may lose, I just hope we don't draw again! Rick
Dubai: a financial crisis and an environmentally mad model - but at least they were trying to build a sustainable, non-oil dependent future.
I've just recieved an email from Westmorland's MP Tim Farron which I am going to share with you all. This is what the weather's been like in my constituency in Cumbria this last week: I'm sure you've heard about the floods which have forced hundreds of families out of their homes. A life has been lost and repairs could cost hundreds of millions of pounds. Sadly, as the climate changes over the coming years, events like those of the last week will grow more and more frequent. The cost to society, both here and all over the world, will continue ...
RU Lib Dems are delighted with the victory in yesterdays by-election in Radstock ward in Earley. There were only 18 votes between the Lib Dems and Tories. After RU Lib Dems knocked on every door in Sibly Hall, the student vote really swung this election in our favour. So a big thanks to all Sibly students who rightfully voted Lib Dem [IMG: :)]
Fri 27th
15:54
'It might be quite embarrassing to be stuck in a lift with me!' said Miss Whiplash as I stood there ...
Cleo Rocos is well known for her portrayal of Miss Whiplash in the Kenny Everett Show in the 1980s and early 1990s, so you can probably guess I was surprised to find myself in a Leeds hotel lift with her in my dressing gown. People who know me will know that I quite a keen cricket ...
Cornwall UA, St Austell BayLD John Oxenham 690 (48.2; +14.7)Con 675 (47.2; -12.3)Lab 66 (4.6; -2.4)Majority 15Turnout 41.04%LD gain from ConPercentage change is since June 2009.Flintshire UA, Northop Other (Ind) 343 / 227 (46.2; -23.1)Con 280 (22.7; +22.7)Lab 197 (16.0; -14.7)LD Rob Mackey 187 (15.2; +15.2)Majority 63Turnout 48.99%Other holdPercentage change is since May 2008.Fylde BC, CliftonCon
I was interested to hear this week that the BFI is marking 75 years of party political broadcasts (PPBs). I don't think any of the parties has ever come up with a depth charge like the "Willie Horton" advert that helped destroy the 1988 Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis or the New Zealand National Party's infamous "dancing cossacks" in 1975. Yet a few British PPBs are great case studies in political storytelling. One such is "John Major - the movie", produced by the Conservatives for the 1992 general election. The Tories were the underdogs, after three hard terms in office, ...
The year is 1938, and you're looking for a suitably seasonal picture for the front of your Christmas cards. A festive image which will convey seasonal goodwill to all humanity. What could better symbolise those eternal truths than an international peace treaty signed by the two major European powers which had once been at war? And so it came to pass that this Christmas card was produced and exchanged some seven decades ago: [IMG: Chamberlain & Hitler] And here's what it said inside: [IMG: Chamberlain & Hitler inside] Even reproducing that infamous piece of paper which proclaimed 'peace in our ...
Lord Pearson of Rannoch. Anyone heard of him? He has just been elected as leader of UKIP. I'm watching him now. Inspiring is not the word to describe him. His favourite hate words are "political class" which appears to be a nebulous group of people who staff the political institutions of the UK (I wonder whether that includes the House of Lords!?) With someone so inconsequential and uninspiring,
If this week has been remarkable politically for the near-break up of the One Wales Government over the referendum date, then it has been doubly so for the extraordinary lapse in judgement shown by the Health Minister in her attacks on Swansea Social Services. On Wednesday Edwina Hart issued a press statement in her capacity as the AM for Gower which made untrue allegations about Swansea Council and, in my view compromised her future dealings with that City's social services department. In this statement she expressed her 'serious concern' about proposals to consult on the closure of two children's homes ...
I note that at least one Plaid blogger has repeated the claim by the Deputy First Minister on Tuesday that the One Wales Governmentis halfway towards its target of 6,500 new affordable houses in Wales. It is an interesting claim, largely because it carefully rewrites what was actually promised and is therefore untrue. The One Wales agreement is quite clear that the government would not just build 6,500 homes, but would increase the supply of affordable homes by this amount. Only counting what has been built but ignoring what has been lost isn't therefore a measure of their success in ...
So National Express is to lose its franchise for train services in the eastern region. The company's foray into train services has been a disaster and has turned a leading UK company into something of a joke. What is interesting about the loss of this second franchise is that it is not immediate. The company will continue to hold onto it for two years? If they are seen as incapable of running the
Happy Eid to all our Muslim readers.
Apparently I have some American readers so I'd just like to wish you guys a belated happy Thanksgiving ...
Can this list be true? According to Popbitch, yes: 1. Will Young (Evergreen) 2. Gareth Gates (Unchained Melody) 3. Shaggy (Wasn't Me) 4. Tony Christie/Peter Kay (Amarillo) 5. Band Aid 20 6. Hear'Say (Pure & Simple) 7. Shayne Ward 8. Kylie (Can't Get You Out Of My Head) 9. Bob the Builder (Can We Fix It) 10. Atomic Kitten (Whole Again) So that's four reality TV star manufactured hits*, two charity singles, and one children's TV novelty cash-in – leaving Shaggy, Kylie and Atomic Kitten in the top 10 on, erm, merit. Yay for the Noughties. * actually, I'm a ...
I've been having discussion with a friend who is a school governor and volunteer at a local school about my 25 November post on schools (problems concerning the teaching of Personal and Social Development). Here is his well thought out ...
Where else, before you've even got out of bed in the morning can you: discover that the Lib Dems have won a by election in St Austell and Newquay, where Tory PPC Caroline Righton recently smeared Liberal Democrat candidate Stephen Gilbert; give Nadine Dorries some advice on how to tweet pictures from her Blackberry (not in the same league as my friend Sarah (@soggous) who recently helped Jenson Button's girlfriend fix her Mac, mind you); engage in intelligent discourse about the relative merits and demerits of Google Wave which included the phrase, from Charlotte Gore, "It's collaborative, rich media, non-linear ...
Updates over last week are shown in italics BROKEN PROMISE 1: Lemsford Road: resurfacing was repeatedly promised and I even checked the text of a letter I sent to local residents confirming that it would be done two years ago. Last year I was given further reassurances but am now told that it is on hold awaiting the end of building works. There is now a tentative date of February next year but they have added in new reasons why they won't be willing or able to do it. BROKEN PROMISE 2: I was assured that there would be additional ...
[IMG: chain_poster.gif] Last night I attended the first campaign meeting of the Save Our Suite Campaign group formed to fight Bury Councils proposals that threaten the future of the Longfield Suite. At last nights meeting we essentially agreed what needs to be done to take the campaign forward and volunteers agreed to carry out certain tasks on behalf of the group. The first key event is the LINK event to form a humain chain around the Longfield Suite to let Bury Council know exactly how local people feel about the Longfield Suite. The Link is on sunday, December 6th at ...
Some things just simply take your breath away; despite all the umming and arrring Alan Johnson has decided he cannot stop the extradition of Gary McKinnon. He has decided that the extradition does not breach McKinnon's human rights; "The secretary of state is of the firm view that McKinnon's extradition would not be incompatible with his ...
On Wednesday night I went with some friends to see Skunk Anansie at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall on their Smashes and Trashes Greatest Hits tour.
Nick Griffin's disastrous appearance on Question Time landed taxpayers with a £143,000 security bill. That's how much police spent dealing with protesters outside BBC Television Centre, closing roads, and using a helicopter to keep the nutty neo-Nazi ...
This is the list of news topics from their website. Meanwhile commuters struggle on with worse journeys, delays and additional cancellations. It is time the Government took their franchise away and swept away the current management team. What's New FCC fares will remain the same or reduce next year Using Oyster on National Rail Our new timetable starts on 13 December Line2line bus service linking Hatfield and St Albans stations New King's Cross Underground ticket hall Premier Parking: you can choose your bay when you buy online Travel tools help you get travel information on the move Certain morning peak ...
Ever since I was elected we have been lobbying the Highways Department for effective action to be taken to solve the problem of rat-running and frequent congestion down Leyburn Road in North Road ward by drivers trying to shave a few seconds off their journey time down North Road. The situation was improved but not resolved by altering the timing on the traffic lights at the junction of North
Fri 27th
12:54GPS Tracking of MPs - The perfect answer to all the problems that a Chief Whip might face...
I read today that the new 'Oasis of the Seas' cruise liner, the biggest of its type, has created a new system of making sure that parents can keep track of their children. They are urging parents to use the system on the vast liner as it can track them on any of the decks of ...
I say "singing". I say "grace". I lie on both counts. The drummer ain't bad though. (Also on YouTube here.) Hat tip: Love and Garbage
Does the Conservative candidate for North East Somerset think we are all idiots in this part of the world? In a letter to Newton St Loe residents he gives the false impression that the Conservatives are doing all they can to defend the greenbelt and how deeply they're opposed to the proposal of 2,000 houses being built next to the village. Mr Rees-Mogg needs to be reminded that it was HIS party that voted in favour of the Core Strategy Spatial Options Consultation document in October. In the document there are two main options. Both of them conclude that building ...
The frontrunner for most of this season's Strictly Come Dancing Ricky Whittle, star of Hollyoaks, found himself behind bars last night on suspicion of assault. It is an unusual case of fact imitating fiction as Ricky's character is Calvin Valentine the cop who has been led to the other side of the law by resident bad guy Warren Fox. The incident which occurred in the small hours of this morning involved a collision between a motorist and a male Pedestrian in Liverpool's Duke Street. It is not clear how his arrest will affect his appearance on Saturday nights show, even ...
First, congratulations to the Conservative candidate Steve Williams who last night was elected as Councillor for the Moreton West & Saughall Massie ward. The 28% turnout for this election was down 10% from the 37.9% of the May 2008 election, nearly 1,000 less people voting than just over 18 months ago. It can only be described ...
This week, the web site Music Radar have released their Top 50 Guitar Riffson their web site. It's probably not a surprise to hear that the top 5 consists of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Guns 'N' Roses, Led Zeppelin & Deep Purple. Maybe more surprisingly, the list includes four Beatles' numbers: Ticket to Ride, I Feel ...
A new survey out from the British Computer Society / Chartered Institute for IT says that "Only 53% of Britons can name their MP". Whilst it's not a number to make democrats cheer to the rafters, the use of "only" is rather misleading as this figure is in fact a substantial increase on previous research. For example, an Electoral Commission / Hansard Society report in 2004 found that 42% could name their MP. Other previous research has also found figures under 50%. If anything, the 53% finding is cautious (because of issues around details of research and margins of error) ...
Boscombe News! Please send me your news and events. If you are forwarded this email and wish to subscribe direct, Please go to http://www.boscalicious.co.uk Editor: Lisa Northover After a bargain? Check out Cafe Boscanova's "Early Bird" Breakfast Deal. Until 9.30 everyday, buy two dishes from their amazing breakfast menu and get the cheapest one free, or get a free drink with your breakfast.
I submitted this Blog to LibDem Voice, but they ignored it. They thought a spat about the Tory Christmas card was more important! I stuck to their rules as well by not putting it here first. So here it is now:- A group of talented people calling themselves Team Stupid have produced a film called 'The Age of Stupid' where someone living in a future world devasted by climate change looks back at the stupidity of today's politicians. The film was direct by Franny Armstrong and starred Pete Postlethwaite. In March this year the film was shown to an audience ...
Although work commitments meant I wasn't able to stay for the debate, I'm delighted to hear that the TRAC plan for a multi-use trail alongside the Launceston Steam Railway track at New Mills got the go ahead at Planning last night. This trail will be great as a stand alone project, but will have massive value for the people of Launceston if it can be extended as part of the strategic network of trails across Devon and Cornwall. The Camel Trail is already in place and runs between Wadebridge, Bodmin and Padstow. It brings many thousands of visitors to the ...
If you hack the i-phone planting a worm that causes lots of trouble for millions of users, you get offered a job. If you hack into the US looking for evidence of extra-terrestrials, you get deported.
I sat through the whole of last Full Council meeting last Wednesday and frankly, it was one of the worst meetings I ever saw. Due to the absence of a couple of opposition Councillors Labour had the majority and used it to vote to re-write the order of business, so that the first motion ...
'I would like to complain about Question Time, 26 November, as once again the Liberal Democrats were omitted from the panel. The programme was in Scotland (where the Liberal Democrats have recently shared power) and the first question was on the Iraq war (where Liberal Democrat opposition to the war has been proved right). Despite this, the decision was made to ignore the right of the Lib Dems to be represented - a common trait amongst the media but one should expect better from the BBC. In Scotland, there are four major parties - and it is clearly wrong to ...
As we covered earlier this week, the Liberal Democrats now have a new social network – ACT. Unsurprisingly one of the most common comments made since its launch has been, "how does this fit with Facebook?". The party's previous decision to have a heavy emphasis on using Facebook, both for its centrally inspired social networking activities and also as the tool recommended and supported for widespread use at the local level, was one largely made by myself when working there, so it's a question that interests me too. I'm glad to say that the move to set up ACT using ...
A poll for yesterdays Yorkshire Evening Post found that 15% thought that Leeds City Council came out as the 'winning' side in the bin strike compared to 23% who thought the bin men had and 64% who thought neither had. Meanwhile, the letters page was full of correspondence supporting 'squatters' at Royal Park School which is located ...
I made it to St Austell Bay yesterday after all. I had to work in Launceston until 6.45 and made it down there for quarter to eight for the last bit of knocking up and the count. And boy am I glad I did. John Oxenham's victory - on a huge 13% swing - was a great triumph for him and for the St Austell and Newquay team. But it will also have wider implications for the Conservatives in Cornwall. Seeing the ballot papers come out of the boxes and the tally sheets, I thought we were close but no ...
Once upon a time, you might have justifiably thought that a Labour Government, whatever faults it might have, would at least protect those most in need in our society. Not any more, though. Alan Johnson has decided that he is powerless to stop the extradition of Gary McKinnon. What nonsense. What he really means is that he considers the request of the United States to be more important than the health and well being of a vulnerable member of our society. I argued earlier this year that the extradition of Gary McKinnon amounted to cruel and unusual punishment in terms ...
Yes, I did it. With 4 days to spare, I managed to get over the NaNoWriMo finish line, and hit 50,000 words a little after midnight last night. For those of you who care about such things, the 50,000th word was 'people'. If you're interested in what I've written, then the work-in-progress can be read here, ...
Fri 27th
10:54The last ever election in the Scottish Combined Universities had a galaxy of stars on offer to the e...
One of the lesser-known aspects of British democracy was the status of the 'University seats', which ceased to exist in 1950. Arguably an electoral anachronism the University seats were abolished by the Attlee government, so that they ceased to exist, on mainland Britain, at the 1950 General Election. So, the by-election for the Combined Scottish Universities, ...
Sue Rowe, local Methodist minister, talking about the desecration of Muslim graves in Southern Cemetery. There is a vigil at 2pm in the cemetery on Sunday. I will be there, along with Unire Against Fascism, local people and probably one or two other politiciians
Jonathan Fryer has been selected as PPC for the new seat of Poplar and Limehouse. Jonathan is an experienced candidate, having fought three General Elections (Chelsea 1983, Orpington 1987 and Leyton 1992) as well as several European Parliamentary elections. He was number 2 in the Liberal Democrat London list this year, but narrowly missed being elected. Jonathan writes about Poplar and Limehouse on his blog: It's an extraodinary seat, illustrating both the huge diversity of London and also the yawning gap between rich and poor. It also looks like being a right royal battleground at the forthcoming general election, not ...
2 Must-Read Blog Posts What are other Liberal Democrat bloggers saying? Here are two posts that have caught the eye from the Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator: Do fathers have to be at the birth to bond? Sara Bedford underlines the importance of personal choice, especially for an event as personal as birth. Deep breath... Tarquin Fintim-Limbim-Whimbim-Lim Bus Stop-F'Tang-F'Tang-Olé-Biscuit-Barrel - 238 votes, but Shirley Williams (SDP/Liberal Alliance) 28,118... John Ault remembers Shirley Williams' victory for the SDP in the Crosby by-election, 28 years ago yesterday. Spotted any other great posts in the last day from blogs that aren't on the aggregator? ...
So its been a while since i have posted on my beloved little blog and i have some serious catching up to do. Thankfully this weekend poses an opportunity for some quiet time so I intend to make a concerted effort this weekend to get some decent content up. Lord knows there has been enough ...
Fri 27th
10:15
Huhne slams "shameful" Johnson over McKinnon extradition: "stop being an American poodle and start b...
Lib Dem shadow home secretary Chris Huhne has slammed the decision of Labour's Alan Johnson to refuse to block the extradition of Gary McKinnon – the self-confessed computer hacker with Asperger's – to the US on medical grounds. It is appalling that this Government places a higher value on a deeply unfair extradition agreement than it does on the welfare of a British citizen. Alan Johnson has shamefully turned down the opportunity to demonstrate his faith in British justice and save a vulnerable man from a lifetime in prison or worse. "The Home Secretary must now step in and ensure ...
Offensive jokes are a lot less frequent than they used to be in my youth when open racist and homophobia stories were the norm. They still exits. I've written before how Ann and Nicholas Winterton, the disgraced Cheshire MP's, have behaved. You will recall that Michael Howard felt compelled to dismiss Mrs Winterton from the shadow cabinet for telling a very sick racist joke. When I was PPC for Congelton in the 87/91 General elections I dealt with their offensive behavior at civic events by not joining in any laughter and not hiding my obvious discomfort. This usually brought forth ...
A few weeks ago, I wrote: When the facts change... we need our politicians to be flexible enough to respond The event that caused me to get all hot under the collar was the sacking of Professor David Nutt, because of his excitable views on the dangers of cannabis relative to its classification. It turned into a rant ...
[IMG: Stockport Town Hall] Last night I tweeted from Full Council, to give anyone who's interested a flavour of what was going on in the meeting. Here are those tweets #stockportmbc Full Council Starting shortly. Lamb curry was nice. #stockportmbc Full Council Shouty mayoral entrance & prayer. #stockportmbc Full Council Mayor kindly welcomes me to the council. #stockportmbc Full Council Half the councillors seem to be declaring an interest. #stockportmbc Full Council some confusion about questions over questions. #stockportmbc Full Council Leader explaining English Heritage propose protected sites, not smbc, in response to public question. #stockportmbc Full Council Powerpoint presentation ...
Fri 27th
09:47
Information about providing benches in our community. ( and why we shouldn't jump to take them away ...
http://www.dft.gov.uk/adobepdf/259428/inclusivemobility 2.4 Walking distances Walking distances were researched in some detail in the late 1980s and, based on the findings from these studies, the following are recommended: Impaired group Recommended distance limit without a rest Wheelchair users 150m Visually impaired 150m Mobility impaired using stick 50m Mobility impaired without
A lot of people have blogged about the decision to drop Jo Swinson from Question Time. Interestingly, I had a similar reaction to when Nick Griffin was on, "At least we won't be the ones to be patronised and rudely cut off and not allowed comeback by a smug establishment-biased Dimbleby" (It has been pointed out elsewhere of course that we were still maligned with no comeback by at least one panelist - this time Nicola Sturgeon, usually Caroline Lucas can relied upon to fulfill this role) It has been suggested that we all complain more. I completely agree (although ...
Fri 27th
09:07Please help urgently: seeing the Sustainable Communities Act Amendment Bill introduced into Parliame...
The initial take up of the Sustainable Communities Act has been fantastic. 100 council areas have submitted a total of 300 proposals for government action to promote and protect local sustainability. However the process is in danger of being a one off! It must be ongoing so that councils can continue to use it if they wish. Also the Local Spending Reports, required under the Act, need to be
Parliament met in Strasbourg this week. Our main debate was about the position to be adopted by the EU at the Copenhagen climate change summit. Obama's commitment to making some emissions cuts has helped; and in a resolution we called on the EU to go even further than previously envisaged. An agreement is still possible at Copenhagen; even though it now looks unlikely we will get a legally binding text at this stage, our environment ministers, led by Swedish Liberal Andreas Carlgren, resolved nonetheless to try. I hosted a meeting for MEPs (many of whom are new) interested in renewable ...
For those of you who wonder what a bureaucrat does in his spare time, I can confirm that one of the things I don't do is sticking pins into wax effigies of National Express East Anglia management. I can't speak for Andrew Adonis though, but if he does, he's pretty good at this voodoo stuff. Less than forty-eight hours after I complained to and about NXEA, it was announced that their franchise will be terminated three years earlier than scheduled, in 2011. There has been, for some time, a sense that National Express were doing just enough to meet the ...
If you're a bit stuck with your Christmas shopping, then take a look at the Save Fortis Green Allotments website - they are selling calendars featuring some beautiful photos of the allotments through the seasons. Money raised from the sale of the calendars goes to the fighting fund to save the allotments - under threat but fortunately this group of residents are fighting to save them. (I have blogged about the campaign to save the Fortis Green allotments before, but for some reason it's gone missing - presumably as I've accidentally deleted it at some point. Oh well.)
Last night's Full Council Meeting was the most bad-tempered I can remember, though more about this later. The one ray of sunshine was Cllr Nick Wallis announcing, two months after he had rejected my call for the Council to sign up to the 10:10 climate change agreement, that he had in fact just signed the Council up to 10:10. This was a remarkable about-face and Nick is to be congratulated for
Today is Eid al-Adha or the "Festival of Sacrifice" which is a holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac as an act of love for/obedience to God. In Iran it is known as the Eid-e ...
Wednesday An early start finds me enjoying breakfast at a transport café on the Great North Road. They do the finest bacon sandwich in Rutland here, and the tea is strong enough to go 15 rounds with Marciano. I spot a familiar face in the corner: we exchange smiles, but I do not compromise her privacy by speaking to her. My readers will recall that the Queen - for it is she - was a driver with the ATS during the War; what is less well known is that she has kept her hand in ever since. Indeed, she is ...
The Gatley United Reformed Church in Elm Road is holding its Christmas Fayre tomorrow, on Saturday 28th November. Visit Father Christmas in his Never Never Land Grotto games face painting tombola toys cafe cakes home produce gifts plants and more... Admission only 50p, children free
I had to say that when I opened the Times today I was impressed by their spider diagram (this is a link to a PDF) showing the interconnectiveness of businesses to the Dubai World difficulties. Unlike the previous map of islands that they showed, when reporting on the venture at the start up, there is less enthusiasm about the state of some of these islands.
Over the following few months the West Neighbourhood Policing Team will be running the above operation to target domestic burglaries and robberies at this time of year. We are deploying high visibility patrols in conjunction with other areas of the police service including the mounted section and air support with a view to targeting offenders for these offences. Please can you review your own security and ensure that valuables are not left on view and your home is properly locked. We are looking to increase the number of Neighbourhood Watch Schemes in the Gatley area - If you would like ...
The BCS (The Chartered Institute for IT) has published some research today as part of their "Savvy Citizens" campaign which aims to help people get more from Information Technology. They conducted a survey which asks various questions. The one that they clearly think is the most headline grabbing is the fact that: Shockingly, just 53% of Britons can name their MP Of course I wish it were higher but is that really so shocking? We know that the turnout at the last general election was only just over 60% and that in each seat usually less than 50% of those ...
Earlier this week Jo Swinson tweeted that she had been dropped from the BBC Question Time panel in Edinburgh less than 48 hours before it was scheduled. What we ended up getting was the Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, up against Blair's good mate Derry Falconer, David Davis of the Tories, comedian Marcus Brigstocke and Daily Fail columnist Melanie Philips. Apart from part of Lord Falconer's education being in Scotland none of the others has much Scottish experience. The questions were largely predictable. The Iraq Inquiry - but the one party that wasn't fooled by Blair's dossier weren't on the ...
Hello Scotland. Castles here we come, map reading permitting # The world's longest cycle lane, Prestonpans http://flic.kr/p/7gXXYP # It's not a castle but it's scenic http://flic.kr/p/7gXZYg # RT @libdemvoice: New post: +++ OFFICIAL: Lib Dems cleared by Electoral Commission over Michael Brown donation http://ldv.org.uk/16882 # Informative museum sign, Dirleton Castle http://flic.kr/p/7h3CtQ # The inspiration for Treasure Island, Firth of Forth http://flic.kr/p/7h3XwE # Firth of Forth http://flic.kr/p/7gZ2jK # End of the train line, North Berwick http://flic.kr/p/7gZdFn # Tantallon Castle http://flic.kr/p/7h13TT # East Lothian coast http://flic.kr/p/7h534N # @jackofkent Ta; very interesting post in reply to jackofkent # @RosalynPalmer Good point in your ...
Hello Scotland. Castles here we come, map reading permitting # The world's longest cycle lane, Prestonpans http://flic.kr/p/7gXXYP # It's not a castle but it's scenic http://flic.kr/p/7gXZYg # RT @libdemvoice: New post: +++ OFFICIAL: Lib Dems cleared by Electoral Commission over Michael Brown donation http://ldv.org.uk/16882 # Informative museum sign, Dirleton Castle http://flic.kr/p/7h3CtQ # The inspiration for Treasure Island, Firth of Forth http://flic.kr/p/7h3XwE # Firth of Forth http://flic.kr/p/7gZ2jK # End of the train line, North Berwick http://flic.kr/p/7gZdFn # Tantallon Castle http://flic.kr/p/7h13TT # East Lothian coast http://flic.kr/p/7h534N # @jackofkent Ta; very interesting post in reply to jackofkent # @RosalynPalmer Good point in your ...
Mr Clegg's recent straight-talking analysis of the Afghanistan situation combined with his commentary so far of the Iraq inquiry suggest that he will be a very formidable force in the General Election campaign. "The opening of the inquiry into the Iraq war reminded me that one of the greatest tragedies of Labour's foreign policy is that they focused on Iraq, not Afghanistan. They focused on winning the argument for an unjustified war, instead of winning a justified war." - Nick Clegg MP, Telegraph.co.uk 25/11/09
Congratulations to John Oxenham, sorry, Councillor John Oxenham, Steve Gilbert, Hamish and the hardworking team in St Austell & Newquay who have tonight taken this seat of St Austell Bay from the Conservatives with a 13% swing. This result is on the back of a by-election victory in Newquay South just two weeks ago when Lib Dem Councillor Sandy Carter was victorious over the Conservatives. This really is a slap on the back for the team there, especially the Liberal Democrats Westminster PPC, Steve Gilbert and a slap in the face for the Conservative candidate Caroline Righton who many of ...
[IMG: John Oxenham after the St Austell Bay by-election count] Lib Dems in St Austell and Newquay are celebrating another win: John Oxenham has been elected Liberal Democrat councillor for St Austell Bay in the first ever Cornwall Council by-election. This comes two weeks after their victory in the Newquay South by-election. The result this time – with an estimated swing of 13% from the Conservatives to the Liberal Democrats: Liberal Democrats: 690 Conservatives: 675 Labour: 66 Stephen Gilbert, PPC for the new constituency of St Austell and Newquay said: This is a fantastic result in a Conservative stronghold. I'm ...
Did the House of Commons know perfectly well about the arguments for going to war? On Question Time yesterday Lord Falconer said that this was the case. My problem with this (among many) is that my Labour MP supported Tony Blair and then wrote in The Guardian that she was misled into war. Even now there is spin going on. We are told that we were not misled. We are also told that Saddam had terrible plans and he deserved what he got. I do remember the reluctance of Saddam to allow inspections for weapons of mass destruction. I remember ...
Funworld an indoor funfair will be at The NEC in Birmingham this December for the first time.
Fri 27th
00:00
Day 3249 (Part Two): DOCTOR WHO: The Doctor Dances: Everybody Lives, terms and conditions apply, the...
Monday: Are you ready to get fully sonic-ed up? The World may not END when "The Doctor Dances", but I'm not so sure about letting Daddy Richard SING! Still, no rest for the wicked and no pauses for sticky buns as we carried straight on with our celebration of Doctor Who's anniversary, with the Grand Moff giving it both barrels in part two... Is it just me or is there some kind of subtext going on here? Oh all right, the text is hardly that sub: dancing is sex, and the key to this episode is admitting that you "dance". ...
