Chinese New Year, like Christmas, is an extendable feast, so there was still a vibrant celebratory spirit when Chinese Liberal Democrats (CLD) filled the whole of the large Tuli Chinese Restaurant by London Bridge station in Southwark this evening. There was a serious fundraising side to the affair, for the May London Mayoral and GLA elections, ...

Posted by jonathanfryer on Jonathan Fryer
Thu 2nd
23:40

Ashdown's Third Law

I recently linked to video of Paddy Ashdown talking at a Liberal Democrat History Group meeting, but you can never have too much Paddy. Here in this video he is on fine form giving a TED talk on "the global power shift": It is notable for his explanation of "Ashdown's Third Law" on the crucial value of the network for organisations. His argument is that in dealing with the consequences of the deep interconnectedness of the global world the most important element of an organisation's structure is its capacity to network with others. "In the modern age when everything is ...

Posted by Andy Strange on Strange Thoughts

It's a while since we have had trams or anything like that. So here are some Leytonstone street scenes shot in colour in 1938.

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England

[IMG: Jamaica Village plan] Ed, Katherine and I want to know what you think about Haringey Council's plans to allow a 10 day music festival in Finsbury Park this summer. The 'Jamaica Village' event will take place during the Olympics from 3rd-12th August and will be the longest ever event held in the Park. I'm emailing you to find out your views about Haringey Council's plans to allow a 10 day music festival in Finsbury Park this summer. The 'Jamaica Village' event will take place during the Olympics from x to x August and will be the longest event ever ...

Posted by Richard on Richard Wilson

If you went to to a social media training event a few years ago and mentioned "privacy", you would be laughed at. Young people, you would be told, simply don't understand the concept. They are perfectly happy to put their whole lives online. Well, those young people have grown up a bit and started applying for jobs. I suspect they appreciate the virtues of privacy a little better now. I have always associated Facebook with this careless attitude to privacy, which is one of the reasons I have never warmed to it or felt moved to do anything with the ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England

Thursday: The Crown Persecution Service have announced that they're to make an announcement about the case of Mr Huhney-Monster, and ALREADY the SPECULATION has started on who's going to succeed him assuming he has to do the walk of SHAME. We love Mr Ed. We love Mr David Outlaws. But if -I only say IF - this IS the end of the road for the Huhney-Monster, then couldn't we at least PRETEND to consider one of the EXCELLENT candidates of the LADY persuasion? Sparkling Ms Lynne Featherweight; lovely Sarah Teather; could it even be time for Ms Jo Winsome? (Yes, ...

Paul Waugh and Sam Macrory have interviewed Nick Clegg for the new issue of The House magazine. You can read the whole interview online, but here are some highlights: "It was absolutely right for David Cameron and I to really pull the stops out at the beginning to show that this was a positive, workable arrangement. In the run-up to the general election, you may remember, the tabloids were screaming, saying that if there was a hung Parliament locusts would descend from the sky and the sun would be blotted out.""Let's be blunt: I am asking, day in, day out, ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England

I fear it must be getting a bit dull for my regular reader when I keep on praising James Goss's Doctor Who and Torchwood writing. (Unless my regular reader is James Goss, of course, in which case I imagine he approves.) But this audiobook is another winner, with the excellent Raquel Cassidy (who played Matt Smith's boss in Party Animals and the leader of both the Gangers and their human antagonists in The Rebel Flesh / The Almost People) telling the story in first person: she is art gallery custodian Penelope, showing off the indescribable Paradox to the masses, and ...

Stand up and be slow hand clapped all the following Liberal Democrat MP's who voted FOR the governments shameful Welfare Reform Bill and ignored the proposed amendments sent back to them from the House of Lords. Steve Webb, Menzies Campbell, David Laws, Mark Williams, David Heath, Stephen Lloyd, Jeremy Browne, Norman Baker, Roger Williams, Jo Swinson, Don Foster, Gordon Birtwistle, John Thurso, Stephen Williams, Nick Harvey, Norman Lamb, John Pugh, Robert Smith, Tom Brake, Danny ...

Posted by Spidey on Spiderplantland

This afternoon, along with a representative of Dundee Heritage Trust, I had a tour of the parts of Verdant Works and the High Mill that have not, as yet, been restored and, left in their current state, are under threat. As the photos below indicate, these areas of the mill are a stunning representation of Dundee's industrial past. There has been interest shown by Historic Scotland and we discussed possible options. It will be a challenge to secure a positive solution but it is absolutely worth progressing. To see the neglect and decay of nearby Queen Victoria Works, it reminds ...

YouGov

Good to see Amnesty International putting pressure on the Russian government over its threats to block a meaningful UN Security Council resolution on Syria. Amnesty is calling on Russian to support a resolution that at the very least would: impose an arms embargo on Syria freeze the assets of President al-Assad and other individuals suspected of responsibility for crimes against humanity refer the situation to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court You too can lobby the Russian government via this Amnesty page.

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

This won my unread non-genre poll at the end of last year (on a tie-break with Hard Times). I do not find the Brontë sisters' works all that compelling in general - in particular, I can't work up much enthusiasm for Wuthering Heights - but I really liked The Tenant of Wildfell Hall; Helen is an early feminist heroine, rushing into what rapidly turns out to be an unsuitable marriage and then making the tough choices facing any woman attempting to navigate their own course in a small-minded, small-town society. It's interesting that New England is her preferred haven of ...

How on earth can she possibly link those two? I find half my readership asking themselves on this bloody freezing evening. Well its quite easy really. This evening on my journey home, I managed to get a seat on the train, something that is usually greeted by my twitter feed with sentiment akin to my winning ...

Posted by Spidey on Spiderplantland

It's been a hectic week, so I'm late with posting on three books I finished on Monday / Tuesday. Conrad's Fate won my unread sf poll at the end of last year, so I expected to enjoy it and indeed I did; typical Diana Wynne Jones setting of the Chrestomanci nested worlds (this time with the interesting wrinkle that the English Channel never happened) with peculiar family secrets, ancient stately homes that are not even slightly what they seem, and a central character who comes to realise that his place in the world is what he makes of it rather ...

I think you should be aware, before I start that no chocolate has been sent my way as an enticement to write this article. Unfortunately. I have been a bit maudlin' today after the passage of the Welfare Reform Bill with all its nasties still intact so I kind of needed something to cheer me up. And so I stumbled across the Chocoholic's Facebook page in which he's highlighting a Lib Dem achievement in Government every day. Today, he's talking about a huge increase in the number of new apprenticeships, 440,000 in 2010/11, initiated by Lib Dem ministers. It strikes ...

Posted by Caron on Caron's Musings

It's been five months now since DC's big reboot and the launch of what has now stuck as the DcnU. I actually picked up more comics with the #1s than I was buying at the time, and stuck with a few of them through the first five issues, determined to hold my judgment until I'd read the first arc or so. And now, I find the keep/drop decision is remarkably easy to make. So here are two comics I bought this week: one keeper, one dropper. (I'll probably be going through all of these one a weekly basis now. Be ...

Posted by Debi on Thagomizer.net

Well, I needed something to make me laugh today. Do the SNP not get how hypocritical it is to launch the Greener Scotland campaign, telling us all to get out our our cars and on our bikes, at the very same time that they are slashing investment in sustainable transport and failing miserably on their provisions for cyclists? MSP Jim Hume said recently: "Making low carbon transport initiatives and active travel a priority will reduce emissions in Scotland, helping us to achieve our internationally renowned climate change targets. We should also not underestimate the substantial contribution it can make to ...

Posted by Caron on Caron's Musings

Below are the current Planning Applications in Chorlton Ward. You can find out more information about any of the proposals on the City Council's Planning Portal at http://tinyurl.com/yv6lex or by contacting the South Area Planning Group Manager - Roger Hall; Tel: (0161) 234 4536; email: r.hall@manchester.gov.uk . You can also make a Planning representation (in support or opposition) to Mr Hall or the designated planning officer for each application. Please feel free to contact me on (07947383740; cllr.v.chamberlain@manchester.gov.uk) if you wish to discuss any application and please also send me a copy of any representation you make. 098087/FO/2011/S1 - 2 ...

Thu 2nd
18:07

Tesco in Consett

Rumour is rife in Consett regarding the new Tesco store. Rumour is not to be relied on. The new Store is a "developer led build", so works are run by Morris Muter and Project Genesis until completion and then the store is turned over to Tesco. After some initial groundworks late on last year the preparatory work and final decontamination works will be completed around spring. The development timetable will then kick in for the complex foundations leading to store construction starting late 2012. The county council is committed to keeping councillors and the AAP informed of progress with this ...

Posted by Owen Temple on Owen Temple

Over the past 21 months I have had many moments when I have felt close to despair about the behaviour of our parliamentarians. Sometimes, like voting in favour of tuition fees, they can rightly point to the Coalition Agreement - endorsed overwhelmingly - as Nick Clegg observed at the time - by a North Korean like Special Conference. Other times, like voting against party policy on Legal Aid and Welfare Reform - there is no such defence. Last night calls into question the fundamental values and principles of our party, not just in terms of flying in the face of ...

Posted by Linda Jack on Liberal Democrat Voice
eUKhost
Thu 2nd
17:48

Meme via various folks

1. Make a list of 5 things you can see without getting up. Roxy's eyebrows Vincent Price on the telly Also Jane Asher, looking shocked A Mathmos lava lamp A pair of Tardises 2. What color is your hair? Faded dyed red 3. What did you want to be as a child? A barrister. Or a rock star. 4. What's was the last movie you've watched in the cinema? Haywire. It was rather good. 5. What do you hear right now? Vincent Price saying "I shall lead you through the cruel light and into the velvet darkness". The clicking of ...

Yesterday I spoke to Tim Farron MP, the party president, on twitter and asked him why he had voted the way he did on the Welfare Reform Bill. He told me to email him as 140 characters was not enough to explain and so I did. Here is his email back and here is my reply to his email. I publish them only because they are the only explanation from the leadership so far that I have been able to find: Hi George, Thanks for sending your email and for giving me a chance to explain why I voted the ...

Posted by George W. Potter on The Potter Blogger

This evening at ten o'clock BBC4 is beginning a rerun of Dennis Potter's greatest television drama The Singing Detective. When it was first shown 25 years ago (the exact anniversary has been missed because of a disagreement over royalties) I had just started buying my own house, so I was watching it on a borrowed set with a not very good indoor aerial (whatever happened to indoor aerials?) Even under those circumstances I could see that it was a masterpiece. In fact is was so good in its interweaving of several different stories and time frames that it was intimidating: ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England

Well, I feel kind of hung over emotionally today. It was deeply unpleasant for me to watch the Welfare Reform Bill clear the Commons yesterday, especially as the Government had decided to re-classify it as a financial bill so that the Lords couldn't interfere with it any more. It was more in sadness than anger that I watched our MPs defy the clear will of the party set out at Conference in September, and vote for a one year time limit for contributory Employment and Support Allowance. These are good people and I can't imagine that they would have enthusiastically ...

Posted by Caron on Caron's Musings

last night i checked out the Met office website for the brecon beacons. no snow due but low temps. so off i trundle up the M4 up past merthyr tydfil. my aim was to do some hillwalking. yet when i got 2 miles from where i needed to be the road was icy and there was a few inches of snow. i pressed on for a mile and then realised that a guy up in front was reversing. he helped me get back round to exit and even offered to push if necessary. yet back along the route there was ...

Posted by Emma Bagley on Emma Bagley's Blog

When King David was still young and his knights had not sat down around the mahogany table, for an evil power possessed it, his rule was challenged by young Prince Nicholas, who ruled in the wild and barren mountains of Scotia, and in Devonia, and the wilderness of Cheshire, and the dank marshes of Somerset,and the far hills of Brecon and of Carshalton. The armies of King David and of Prince Nicholas fought bloody and desperate battles in Hereford, and in Wells, and Richmond, and in Somerton and even unto Frome, in the land of the people of the horn, ...

Posted by SibatheHat on Siba The Hat
Thu 2nd
17:05

Making ends meet

With timesas tough as they are I'm aware that a number of local organisations arestruggling to find the money to organise events. So I thought it might be agood idea to list some of the small grants that are available to Sutton groups.If you need more information please contact the person listed under "Questions". Imagine FestivalWhen does it open and close: Open now and closes on Wednesday 8 FebruaryWhat for: Groupsinterested in participating in the Imagine Arts Festival How doI apply: Contact Eirini.kotzaki@sutton.gov.ukQuestions: Eirini.kotzaki@sutton.gov.uk or 020 8770 6986 Community FundWhen does it open and close: Open now and closes on ...

Posted by Colin Hall on Colin Hall's Blogspot
Thu 2nd
16:50

my arms ache today...

So last night, I was at the gym again... nothing surprising in that really. But today I am definitely feeling the pain. Instead of Andrew coming with me as before, on this occasion I went with him. This meant that we both benefited from the experience of his trainer, Gordy. Now, Gordy has been through ...

Posted by Michael Carchrie Campbell on Gyronny Herald

The government that promised less micromanaging from the centre has once again, in the form of Michael Gove's edict that schools may no longer count a long list of vocational qualifications in the calculation of their "league table" status, poked its nose in and caused further damage. What is needed is not the downgrading of vocational qualifications but the abolition of the league tables. For years the second class if not third class status of vocational qualifications has been one of the major weaknesses of British education. We used to have perfectly good and highly respected qualifications, obtained mainly through ...

Posted by Peter Wrigley on Keynesian Liberal

Feels like Twitter storm is brewing over Ann Widdecombe's latest comments on homosexuality. In the Express (better bedfellows you could not find!) she has voiced support for allowing "unhappy gays" to seek ex-gay therapy following the Patrick Strudwick's (one of my least favourite left-wingers) entrapment of a therapist offering this service upon request. You know what? I agree with her. First a few provisos: 1) I don't think ex-gay therapy works. 2) I think it can be very damaging especially to the self-esteem of young LGB people (as can it's anti-trans equivalent) 3) I can't for the life of me ...

Posted on Neue Politik

Humankind is on a relentless voyage towards its ultimate destination-civilisation. Doubtless along the way there will be setbacks. Wars and catastrophes, natural or man-made, will always dog the journey, and our inventive natures will design for good and bad in equal measure, but so long as the general direction of progress remains forward we have reason to be optimistic. Each of us can make a contribution to that progress. Mahatma Gandhi once said," Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it." Yesterday, in Manchester City Council, another small, but not insignificant step was ...

Posted by Matt Gallagher on Matt Gallagher

120 clergy from the London diocese of the Church of England are calling on individual parishes to have the option of taking the decision whether or not they can carry out Civil Partnerships on their premises. The number of signatories is significant as it is over a quarter of the paid clergy in the London area, and within a week of the Archbishop of York's comments to the contrary are significant. Their letter to The Times reads: "We, the undersigned, believe that on the issue of holding civil partnership ceremonies in Church of England churches incumbents/priests in charge should be ...

Posted by Stephen Glenn on Stephen's Liberal Journal

I've had a little break from blogging and apart from yesterdays post on Turner, a few things have rattling around the fairly insignificant Flaig brain as subjects fit for discussion, honesty or lack of it has been mooted by acedemics and rather cheekily in my opinion by David Harnett boss of HMRC complaining about tax evasion when as I understand he allowed Vodafone and Goldman Sachs to side step billions in tax payments, another worry is continued British involvement in Afganistan supporting a corrupt government, fighting a barbaric opposition and with all this going on a country where primitive pea ...

Posted by tony flaig bignews on BIGNEWS MARGATE

It seems that Bob Bayford is a tad, upset, (see press release below) as well he might be, on claims made be the Leader of Thanet Council,Cllr Clive Hart, that he created " monster of a process " referring to consultation over Manston night time flying policy, for myself despite, an apparent cross party agreement on helping Manston expand at the time it was suggest BA world Cargo might use the airport, it has become a political football, sadly with Labour milking the nimby vote for all its worth, with little consideration for those of us, who work for a ...

Posted by tony flaig bignews on BIGNEWS MARGATE

Yesterday saw the publication by the Institute for Fiscal Studies of its annual 'Green Budget', which looks generally at the global and UK economic picture as well providing a detailed analysis of the UK fiscal position. The document is fascinating in many respects, but one of the parts that particularly caught my eye was its devastating take on Labour's position on the deficit. Since the Autumn Statement, when figures for the estimated size of the budget deficit in future years were revised upwards, one of Labour's main arguments has been that by cutting "too far, too fast" the government has ...

Posted by Nick Thornsby on Liberal Democrat Voice
Thu 2nd
15:53

Brotherly love

So, just who is running the Labour Party really? I only ask because now that Ed Miliband's brother, David has decided to speak out and question the direction of the party any authority the leader once had appears to be dissipating. The Independent reports that the former Foreign Secretary is more than a bit disconcerted at the way his brother is doing his job. David has called on Labour to admit "loud and clear" what it got wrong while it was in power and urged the party to embrace radical public- service reform. It is an attempt to arrest the ...

Posted by Peter Black on Peter Black

and the letter is 'h'.

What is it about the UK political establishment that they believe taking away Sir Fred Goodwin's kinighthood is doing anything to fix our staggeringly dysfunctional and corrosive banking system?

Posted by Davidboyle on The Real Blog

I know I have written on the subject of traffic lights as recently as the 19th November 2011 and concluded that we could manage without them. Last night I was driving home around 7.30pm in Lancaster and I was keeping near to the speed limit as there were not that many cars on the road. However I was stopped by a Pelican crossing and nobody was there to cross. I don't blame the pedestrians for crossing or walking away, as long as it was safe to do so, but it did meant that I stopped for nothing. Zebra crossings are ...

Posted by Michael Gradwell on Politics for Novices

Tobacco has a rival for being the baddest guy in town. Not alcohol. Not chocolate. Not Fat. It's sugar ! A report over on the BBC website tells us that Prof Robert Lustig, from California Universitry (obviously), argues in the journal Nature that sugar is the new demon. Sugar he says is as damaging and addictive as alcohol or tobacco and new policies such as taxes are needed to control soaring consumption of sugar and sweeteners. According to the professor "It [sugar] meets all the criteria for societal intervention that alcohol and tobacco meet." The BBC report goes on to ...

Posted by Angela Harbutt on Liberal Vision

In the New York Times, Michael D Shear reports that the influence of Sarah Palin and the Tea Party has waned during the US Republican Presidential primaries: In October, Sarah Palin announced that she would not run for president in 2012, ending the media frenzy around her potential candidacy even as she vowed to remain politically active and influential. "I will continue driving the discussion for freedom and free markets," she wrote in an e-mail to her supporters. Just over three months later her attempts to wield influence in the presidential campaign the way she did during the 2010 midterm ...

Posted by Paul Walter on Liberal Democrat Voice

Mark Pack has made a brilliantly brave commitment to upload a piece of Lib Dem Good News every single day. This is where you can find it . Hats off I say and do take a daily gander. It makes you feel better about all sorts of things...

Posted by Richard Morris on A VIEW FROM HAM COMMON

Full marks to Ed Miliband. He had a good Prime Minister's Questions this week. One of the reasons he did so well is that he took a leaf out of Margaret Thatcher's book. He lowered the tone of his voice. Gone was the shrill shouting of recent weeks. Instead we had a calm, firm low tone. And he slowed down his delivery, making it very de-li-ber-ate. As a result he sounded a lot more effective. First on executive pay, and then on the NHS, Miliband did well against the PM. For me, his line of the week was this one ...

Posted by Paul Walter on Liberal Democrat Voice

Present: Committee Cllr Crabtree (Chair) Cllr Dodd Cllr Mountney Cllr Brighouse Cllr John Salter deputising for Cllr Ron Abbey Cllr Irene Williams Cllr Jeff Green Officers Mark Delap (Committee Clerk) Deputy Director of Finance Chief Internal Auditor Bill Norman (Legal Adviser/Head of Law, HR and Asset Management Department) Tom Sault Audit Commission Mike Thomas (District ...

So an independent Scotland would not have got itself into the current financial mess caused by the Labour government kowtowing to bankers for 13 years, right? Er, no, as this admission by Pandora Salmond makes clear. Independent Scotland: richer, happier, wiser? Not with this bunch in charge it wouldn't be.

Posted by WIT AND WISDOM on Andy Crick

The Liberal Democrats have an away day today – and two years into Coalition their eyes must be firmly now on where they need to go for the remainder of this parliament if they are to have any chance of lifting themselves of the sticky 10% they are currently hitting in the opinion polls. I think the world and their aunt now concur that being seen as a "brake" on the excesses of the Conservatives is not going to work. It is too negative, and, frankly just too lame. So we need something more positive. Mark Littlewood (Director General of ...

Posted by Angela Harbutt on Liberal Vision

This is something I wrote this morning for a Lib Dem facebook group and which should be published here later today automatically: Okay, so I've taken several deep breaths and am going to do my best to stay calm and rational. I want to explain what happened with our MPs and the welfare reform bill last night and why I think it was wrong. I've been campaigning on this for well over six months so it's easy for me to forget that not everyone knows as much about this as I do or feels about it as strongly as I ...

Posted by George W. Potter on The Potter Blogger

I have no regrets about rebelled on plans to reduce benefits for people in homes that are under-occupied. Most debate on these reforms have centred around the Cap. I support a cap in principle, as unlimited benefits makes finding work ... Continue reading →

Posted by John Leech MP on John Leech MP

To summarise the current UK position, 'demand management' is out (no money left and anyway it didn't work), so growth must come from supply-side measures (excluding subsidies or protectionism), and from 'natural' private sector growth (born of financial stability and debt reduction). With the peculiar separation in the UK which has evolved between the 'real economy' and the civil service, media & political elites, this has left the political system scratching its head over how to achieve 'fiscally sustainable quality growth'. The result has been a series of ad-hoc programmes – some designed to substitute for an ailing banking sector ...

Posted by Paul Reynolds on Liberal Democrat Voice

On Death, Without ExaggerationIt can't take a joke, find a star, make a bridge. It knows nothing about weaving, mining, farming, building ships, or baking cakes.In our planning for tomorrow, it has the final word, which is always beside the point.It can't even get the things done that are part of its trade: dig a grave, make a coffin, clean up after itself.Preoccupied with killing, it does the job awkwardly, without system or skill. As though each of us were its first kill.Oh, it has its triumphs, but look at its countless defeats, missed blows, and repeat attempts!Sometimes it isn't ...

Posted by Cicero on Cicero's Songs

You know when an ostrich is so scared that it digs a hole and buries its head in it? Well that's the LibDems right now. The party of so-called 'Freedom, Fairness and Responsibility' is hiding its head in the sand desperately hoping that the firestorm raging around it will go away. Yesterday David Cameron and his ...

Posted by Spidey on Spiderplantland

Over a third of all would-be mentors who applied to help black youth at risk of falling into a life of crime are not black, according to figures released by Boris Johnson. Responding to questions by assembly member Caroline Pidgeon, ... Continue reading →

Posted by Lester Holloway on cllrlesterholloway

Launceston College has announced that it is to seek to change its designation from a local authority maintained school to a Foundation School with an associated Trust. Shortly after this change, it proposes to convert to Academy status from September 2012. This is potentially a significant change in the nature of our town's local school. As an academy, the college would take control of its own admission arrangements and, as a foundation school, it would own its own land. One idea that has been floated is that the college and local primary schools all work more closely together as a ...

Posted by Alex Folkes on A Lanson Boy

It has been a while since I have had a real bee in my bonnet on something political. My blog has been filled up with other interests including the 'lighty lighty' show as some people call it but no more (well at least until the next blog) as Damian Green is proposing some new rules for immigrants and they are shall we call it flat out repugnant. Yes I like that word. Let's call it that. The immigration minister utters these words, "We need to know not just that the right numbers of people are coming here but that the ...

Posted by neilmonnery on The Rambles of Neil Monnery

Children who fancying making animated films should read on .....

Posted by Owen Temple on Owen Temple
Thu 2nd
11:32

No post today

As I am breaking into power stations with my sister. What's going on in the world?

Posted by Aosher on Brontides

The main subject under discussion at today's education scrutiny committee was how to pay for new schools and how much contribution should developers be expected to make. The issue is a complex one but, put simply, if a developer builds lots of new houses then there is likely to be additional pressure on local schools in the form of new pupils and the need for more space to teach them in. In extreme cases there might be the need for an entire new school. At the moment, Cornwall Council takes an education contribution of £1825 per qualifying dwelling. (In simple ...

Posted by Alex Folkes on A Lanson Boy

Liberal England's advert for a meeting with Bill Newton Dunn reminds me of the late Sir John Betjeman's great poem about the MEP:A Prodigal's Love SongIt's Bill Newton Dunn, it's Bill Newton DunnBanished and vanished from Lincolnshire sun,What marvellous motions put in committee,He in the Parliament, our MEP.First Tory, then Liberal, oh weakness of joy,Crossing the floor with the grace of a boy,

Posted by David on Disgruntled Radical

As some of you may know from my previous postings, one of my responsibilities in Government is the Building Regulations. So far, so dull, right? On the face of it, you might be forgiven for thinking so, but the building regulations offer a number of key tools and levers to tackle the carbon emissions produced from our buildings. Yesterday, I announced a Government Consultation on the latest proposals for upgrading the building regulations, and they contain a number of key proposals to significantly improve the sustainability of our built environment. The upgrading of the building regulations happens once every three ...

Posted by Andrew Stunell MP on Liberal Democrat Voice

"The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth" is what we swear to do when we testify in court and perhaps our world would be a better place if society encouraged that approach in public life. Sadl y society doesn't so it seems to be increasingly acceptable to tell half truths and even clever lies if they are "on message" or "advance the cause" and as a result our lives are increasingly governed by partial truths and spin. Notable recent examples are activist's persistent claims that social problems with alcohol are caused mainly by the "real price being ...

Posted by Guest on Liberal Vision

I've blogged a few times this week about the post-£9k tuition fees university application figures — here are a further three quick thoughts: Mature students Largely missing from the media's coverage of the headline-grabbing drop in overall applications, is the stark gap between applications from teenagers, broadly flat, and the plummet among mature students (those aged 19+). This shouldn't suprise us: similar drops occurred when Labour itnroduced fees in '98 and tripled them in '03. But we need to understand better what lies behind the figures. Are fees deterring those who missed out on university first time and now feel ...

Posted by Stephen Tall on stephentall.org

A debate has started up on Liberal Democrat Voice on what Lib Dem policy should now be on tuition fees. Personally I would prefer a return to genuinely progressive taxation where all higher earners, not just graduates but footballers, models, rock stars, foreign exchange dealers, anyone with a higher income makes a greater contribution. However, I see that no political party is going to

Posted by David on Disgruntled Radical
Thu 2nd
10:00

Carbon Neutral council

I'm delighted to be able to say the Southwark Lib Dems have committed to Southwark becoming a carbon neutral council. Exactly the sort of policy that makes me very proud to be a Lib Dem. What would this mean? Southwark Council produces 14.5% of all the emissions in the borough. Within this 94% comes from council housing, 3% from schools, 1.5% from leisure centres and 1.5% from council offices and depots. To become Carbon Neutral you first need to slash energy usage. All council homes don't yet have loft and cavity wall insulation. Southwark Schools have embraced Eco-Schools concept but ...

Posted by James Barber on James Barber

Even a candidate for the most lowly local public role would know not to say things like "I like firing people". When you're candidate to be President of the United States you'd expect such words not to leave your lips. Except Mitt Romney has an uncanny habit of saying things – like the firing quote above – which awkwardly fit the picture his opponents want to paint of him. This week he said "I'm not concerned about the very poor". This from a candidate fighting the image of someone who made money out of firing people and lives a life ...

Posted by Paul on Liberal Burblings

BBC News - Is it acceptable to call someone 'babe'? I call customers at work babe/love/darling all the time... I don't think it's sexist in Yorkshire, because everyone uses these sorts of terms to refer to everyone else - men to men, women to women, etc. If it were solely men using those terms to refer to women then I might see an issue, but it isn't. (tags: ) Asperger Syndrome: What is it like to be in a relationship with someone who has Asperger's? - Quora Most of the people reading the first answer seem to empathise with the ...

Over at LibDemVoice, Mark Pack and I debate how Lib Dem party higher education policy can move forward now £9k tuition fees are a reality. You can find the original piece, with comments thread, here. Below is the blatantly copy 'n pasted version... In the week of the publication of university application figures, LibDemVoice co-editors Mark Pack and Stephen Tall debate what it means for the Lib Dems' future policy... Stephen Tall: The publication of the University application figures for 2012 — the first year of the new £9k maximum fees regime — has something for everyone. Those who have ...

Posted by Stephen Tall on stephentall.org
Thu 2nd
08:51

Cycling covenant

I'm delighted to see that The Times newspaper has today launched a campaign for a new Cycling Covenant. But saddened to see that one of their colleagues and friends grave cycle injuries were requried to inspire them. They propose: 1. Trucks entering cities by law must have sensors, audibles alarms, extra mirrors and side bars/guards to stop cycling being thrown under them. 2. The 500 most dangerous junctions must be identified, redesigned or fitted with priority traffic lights for cyclists and Trixi mirrors allowing lorry drivers to see cyclists. 3. A national audit of cyclists to keep track of making ...

Posted by James Barber on James Barber

The proposals for improving Gatley Green have been through a second consultation, and I think are greatly improved as a result. The main improvements are Blocking off the cut-through section to bring the whole Green together. This has been supported by around 80% of local residents around the Green and we believe it will enhance Gatley Green for everyone, without losing car parking spaces. The Tesco end of Gatley Green is being remodelled. It should reduce traffic dangerously going the wrong way along the road and provide proper short-stay parking for the shops. The paving in front of the Co-op ...

Posted by Iain Roberts on Keith Holloway, Iain Roberts & Pam King

Iam very unhappy with the number of female Lib Dem MPs. 7 out of 57 is not goodenough and we need to improve. The leadership programme which assists those fromunderrepresented groups to become candidates will hopefully help. 7/57 = 12.3%. So less than an eighth of our MPs are women. TheConservatives have 48/307 = 15.6%. Labour have 81/258 = 31.4%. Activists from the two other parties have pointed this out to meon numerous occasions. They are right to. It is embarrassing. We definitely need more female candidates. In 2010 we only had134 (21.3%). The Conservatives had 149 (23.7%), Labour 191 ...

Posted by Mark Thompson on Mark Thompson

Four years on, I'm still a Daily Mail reader (even if they think I'm a foreigner). Here's an updated explanation. I once rang the Daily Mail to mildly complain about a story I had a connection with. The journalist I spoke to put me on hold while he conferred with a colleague. At least, he thought he put me on hold. But courtesy of him hitting the wrong button, I got to hear what they were saying. And it wasn't exactly a master class in concern for accuracy. Yet I still read the newspaper regularly. Why? Because it would be ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Liberal Democrat Voice

On Friday 10 February Mid Derbyshire Liberal Democrats are hosting a meeting with the East Midlands Lib Dem MEP Bill Newton Dunn. The meeting is titled 'The European Challenge' and we have asked Bill to give an insider's view on: whether Britain's position has been weakened or not by David Cameron's recent actions;how we can have more influence as a partythe future of the European economywhether the culture of the EU and its organisations can ever be brought into harmony with British identitywould we currently lose an EU in/out referendum?! So there's plenty to discuss - and you may have ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England

"Obesity is the elephant in the room"Thanks to Clare in the Community, Radio 4 Extra

Posted by David on Disgruntled Radical

Working closely in partnership with volunteers, parish councils, farmers, land owners, and outdoor enthusiasts, has enabled the County Council to keep the Cambridgeshire countryside open. The results of a condition survey show that the Council's Rights of Way and Access Team has been able to ensure nearly 80% of the path network in the county is easy to use, clearly signposted, free from obstructions and has well maintained bridges and gates. The survey outcome is one of the best results in the country and work is ongoing within the available resources to further improve the network and to steadily increase ...

Posted by Andy Pellew on Focus on Bar Hill

Trading Standards Officers from Cambridgeshire County Council are being supported by the England Illegal Money Lending Team to bring illegal money lenders to justice in the County. This specialist joint team will be launching a crackdown on illegal money lending by spearheading investigations and prosecuting offenders through the courts. In the past the Team have secured convictions for drugs offences, blackmail, violence, rape and other offences linked to illegal money lending. They have already secured more than 190 prosecutions which have led to 117 years worth of prison sentences, written off almost £40million worth of illegal debt and helped over ...

Posted by Andy Pellew on Focus on King's Hedges

Sixty years ago George VI died of his lung cancer at Sandringham Palace out in Kenya the young Princess didn't know for some hours. She returned by plane a week after he had seen her off. To mark that Diamond Jubilee here is how, the event was reported. The woman who replaced him of course was only heiress presumptive at the time she was born. Her Uncle was next in line to the throne and even when he didn't and her father became King if she were to have a brother he would have overtaken her in the line of ...

Posted by Stephen Glenn on Stephen's Liberal Journal

Following my recent article about pedestrian safety on Riverside Drive and proposals to improve the walkway between Tesco Riverside and the Rail Station, I spoke about the matter on Wave 102 news yesterday.