There's been a lot said recently about Nick Clegg's "failure", in the light of Chris Huhne's resignation, to appoint another woman to a cabinet or ministerial position. While we have female Lib Dems on the Government payroll, we don't have many, and arguably we don't have enough. However, it's pretty obvious to me that this ...

Posted by JHSB on Jazz Hands, Serious Business
Sun 5th
22:43

Six of the Best 222

Caron's Musings tells Nick Clegg that he can't go on about diversity and continue to pass over women. "But what if the Lib Dems should do unexpectedly well in the 2015 election, maintaining or even increasing their representation? This would certainly give the party a new moral authority after all they have been through. But the toxicity of the Tories remains; they are simply on the wrong side of history. With an increased representation, the party may well have the choice of partners, and if so, it should try to strike a deal with Labour, and one that gives the ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England

'The City of London needs a new airport like I need a mushroom risotto covered in fried egg' – Neil Monnery 5th Feb 2012. Yes that is right folks the time is now (or indeed a few days ago but it was embargoed for a few days) for the people of Southend to raise their voices and start campaigning against the proposed Thames Estuary Airport which is set to be an issue throughout South East England over the coming months. Boris Johnson thinks it is a great idea. The PM is ready to have a public consultation on the issue ...

Posted by neilmonnery on The Rambles of Neil Monnery
Sun 5th
22:00

The Kardashians

When I first heard about a television series called The Kardashians I thought that it must be a spin off from Star Trek. As a child I watched the adventures of Captain James T. Kirk and his crew but couldn't remember all the villains that featured. As it turns out there is a family that goes by the name of Kardashian and the TV show is a 'reality-based' documentary about their lives. Reality TV can never replicate reality. The fact that television cameras are following you about and a producer is asking you to narrate your life means that this ...

Posted by Simon Goldie on Simon Goldie

If you would like to add your name please email harry [@] harrylangford.co.uk or direct message @HarryLangford. We the undersigned believe that it is time for the international community to take action in Syria to stop a preventable genocide of fellow human beings. More than 2,000 people have died since Russia and China vetoed the ...

Posted by danielfurr on Too lib·er·al [adj.]

I have become increasingly addicted to the reruns of 25-year-old editions on Top of the Pops. In early 1977 the charts were in an odd state: glam rock, which had dominated the earlier years of the decade was over, and nothing had really taken its place. There is some disco, but there are also a lot of near-novelty records. The current no. 1 from 25 years ago is Don't Give Up On Us by David Soul, whose popularity rested almost entirely as a fame as an actor in Starsky and Hutch. Last week's edition had some pretty obscure songs, but ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England

Who could have predicted that few inches of snow could interrupt travel and business to the extent that it has today. How is it that South Eastern Trains in the days of Twitter Facebook and all those other internet resources, could not communicate, the fact that trains leaving from Minster were basically stuffed, checking on the internet South Eastern were optimistically and with no apparent reference to reality was suggesting that trains were "on time", which according to Mrs Me was certainly not the case. Eventually Mrs Me got a train from Faversham, and missed the kick off at Chelsea, ...

Posted by tony flaig bignews on BIGNEWS MARGATE

This evening at 9 BBC Four is broadcasting Peter Capaldi's, if you will, mockumentary Cricklewood Greats. A Daily Telegraph interview looking forward to the programme promises us: a loving homage to the early cheap-as-chips British film industry, while simultaneously administering a sharp kick in the shins to the pleased-as-punch BBC Four arts documentary.Which makes it sound very like Harry Enfield's Norbert Smith: A Life from 1989. I can't show you a clip from this because those on Youtube are blocked in the UK at Channel four's request. As a reader pointed out to me, this is a bit of a ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England

Benefits are not an easy subject to get your head around: we have a benefits system with enough acronyms, assessments, taper rates and tax credits to make your head spin. That's why this Government is finally undertaking a hugely important and long-overdue reform of benefits. Universal Credit will replace the complicated mix of tax credits, JSA, ESA, Housing Benefit and so on with one simple benefit. And the Universal Credit is why the Welfare Reform Bill is so crucial. It will revolutionise the way we support those who are unemployed, disabled, sick or caring for a loved one and is ...

Posted by Jenny Willott MP on Liberal Democrat Voice
Sun 5th
19:55

The Rise Of The Filch

Quite a few commonly used words started off in Science Fiction. "Robot" is a good example. With all the debste over bankers salaries recently - and the extremely wealthy in general - I wonder if the word "Filch" will catch on.... It's found in a 2003 novel by the author L.E. Modessitt Jr. The novel is called "Archform:Beauty" and is set a few hundred years into the future. Earth has suffered an

Posted by Chris Black on Moonlight Over Essex
YouGov

Some Tories are talking up the idea that the Coalition between their party and the Lib Dems should continue for a second term. This doesn't sound realistic. And I think it would be a bad idea too. Some pundits have claimed that Britain's major parties (aside – I am thinking particularly of the three UK parties here, but there are similar dynamics with the SNP too) have become more alike and simply compete on competence (I often tread this in the Economist, for example). This may be true so far as they way that they each reach out to a ...

Posted by Matthew on thinking liberal

Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 259th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere ... Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (29 January – 4 February, 2012), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed. Don't forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox — just click here — ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging. As ever, let's start with the most popular post, and work our way down: 1. ...

Posted by Helen Duffett on Liberal Democrat Voice
Sun 5th
17:32

Pregnancy and Privacy

This week's experience in terms of the media and Emily's pregnancy is a good example to look at from the perspective of privacy legislation.On Monday I went to the Birmingham's Womens Hospital (previously known as the Maternity Hospital) with Emily to look at the 12 week scans of her pregnancy.The day afterwards I had a tweet sent to me offering congratulations. On Saturday a journalist from the

Posted by john on John Hemming's Web Log

Here's a round-up of stories we haven't had time to cover on the site this past week... John Leech tables Commons motion calling for Alan Turing pardon (BBC) Manchester Withington's John Leech submitted the Early Day Motion and said people should sign an online petition protesting against Turing's conviction. The gay computer pioneer was convicted for gross indecency in 1952, when homosexual acts were illegal in the UK. Mr Leech said his persecution "by the state for being gay is a scandal that shouldn't be allowed to stand". Alan Turing worked as part of the team which cracked the Enigma ...

Posted by Stephen Tall on Liberal Democrat Voice

Dear Spar Supermarket, You have me confused. It's this advert of yours for Red Bull which is the cause: It's that "Only 8 calories" thing, you see. Calories are, of course, a measure of energy. So the advert really says "No sugar. Just energy" followed by "Look how little energy!" Should I be impressed by it only being energy or by it not having very much energy? Boasting about its energy and also saying how little energy it has, aside from confusing me, also rather runs into problems with the Advertising Standards Authority's Code of Conduct and its provisions on ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

Tory MP sparks fury by calling northerners hard-drinking smokers who 'jump into bed with each other at the drop of a hat.' so screams the Daily Mail She says that as if it's a bad thing! :-) I was planning a longer post regarding the views of healthists the other week but life took over.The short version is I think their underlying philosophy is just plain wrong. I just don't see life as some sort of glorified endurance test where you cling onto it as long as possible before you die. It's actually too important for that. Each and everyone ...

Posted by Carl Minns on Carl Minns - Thoughts from Hull

Redcar Athletic FC have opened an appeal to raise money to finalise the installation of the Club's Floodlights, the lights are required as part of the criteria for entry into the Northern League coupled with a top of the League finish. The club through grants and donations have secured £27,000 towards the cost of the lights but need to address a shortfall to complete the development. The team are currently sat top of the Wearside League and the push to ensure that the floodlights are ready for the deadline date of 31st March 2012 has started in earnest. Redcar has ...

Posted by Chris Abbott on Chris Abbott

0. Introduction I am pleased to have an opportunity to respond to and critique the submissions to the Boundary Commission so far. The submission below should be read with and as a supplement to my previous submission to the Commission of 20 September 2011. While I stand by most of my original 20 September submission to the Commission, I have been persuaded of the merits of other proposals on the boundaries of Foyle (which has consequences for the boundaries of Glenshane and Mid Tyrone), and also of certain changes to the proposed boundaries of North Antrim, the two southern Belfast ...

Outside the Pentagon yesterday Yesterday the Trade Union Against the Cuts (socialist Workers party) organised a march to protest against the Closure of the elderly Care homes in Medway and attracted support from the Save Nelson Court group, the Liberal Democrats, Labour, the Greens, and the most important - the public in what Councillor Maple (lab) described as;A true Coalition, a Coalition against the cuts.I'm not saying that in this period of Austerity and shrinking economy that National and Local government has to make tough decisions, economise and try and save money tragically wielding the axe - I'm not question ...

Posted by Chris Sams on The Ginger Liberal from Medway

On Wednesday I attended the residents' police meeting at Lakey Lane School, which brought more good news on crime numbers for Acocks Green. Our new Neigbourhood Policing Sergeant, Sgt Mark Fellows attended and gave the latest monthly crime figures, which show the following year on year changes at the end of January: Total Recorded Crime: Down 16.9% (or 289 fewer crimes per year) Robbery: Down 13.7% Burglary from Homes: Down 38.5% Vehicle Crime: Down 14.3% With the current cold weather the police repeated their warning not to leave your car to warm up while you get ready to go out ...

Posted by rogerharmer on Roger Harmer
eUKhost

It is hard to believe but we are shortly to approach the half-way point in this Parliament. It seems a very long time ago that the Coalition Agreement was negotiated and voted on at the Special Conference at the NEC in Birmingham. That document articulated several goals including deficit reduction and being the greenest government ever. Having been in government for a little under two years, the time has come to take stock and consider what has been achieved thus far and what more there is to be done. At Federal Conference in Birmingham, Norman Lamb MP ran a consultation ...

Posted by Geoff Payne on Liberal Democrat Voice

Liberal Democrat ward councillor for South Werrington and North Gunthorpe, Darren Fower tells us he was disappointed to see no apparent effort at all had been made by the City Council, to make some local bus stop accessible to pedestrians, despite seemingly focussing on gritting all the main bus routes? Commenting, Darren explained: "Its was good to see that those roads used by the number 1 and 2 buses in this area had been gritted enabling the buses to continue, however, not one single bus stop that I trudged past had received any apparent effort to remove the snow and ...

Posted by admin on Darren Fower

I didn't know much about this book before I started it, though I vaguely know one of the author's brothers, an expert on the South Caucasus, and know of another, who is an expert on Sudan. It's quite a remarkable story, tracking the history of the Ephrussi family through the fate of a collection of netsuke, including the hare of the title, from France to Austria and back to Japan. The two particularly impressive sections are on the life of the collection's first owner, Charles Ephrussi, who turns up in Renoir paintings and was one of the people that Proust's ...

The next time Lib Dems are incorrectly attacked for allowing capital investment to be ended in the NHS by the Labour movement, they may want to consider the following demand from Unison, the Labour supporting trade union. Here in Gateshead Unison are actually demanding the end to investment in new buildings and state of the art technology at one of our local hospitals.Gateshead NHS Foundation

Posted by Jonathan Wallace on Jonathan Wallace

Cllr Mike O'Brien vs Col Tim Collins The Police Commissioner race in Kent has taken an unexpected turn today with the announcement in the Medway Messenger (3rd February 2012) in an article by Dan Bloom (entitled Tory Eyes Police Commissioner Role) of local Councillor Mike O'Brien expressing an interest in running for the post of Kent Police Commissioner. Mike O'Brien is one of the Medway Town's senior Councillors who has served on the Community Safety Partnership and has experience working with the Police and community groups, was born in Chatham and knows the area really would be an excellent choice ...

Posted by Chris Sams on The Ginger Liberal from Medway

First of the BSFA nominees for me to read. Lots of intense description of the Circus inmates and their enemies, and some very sensual sex, but I found it quite difficult to follow what was actually going on. I actually found Black Sunday, the companion novella set in Dustbowl Texas, much more approachable and liked it more. I will certainly look out for more from Lakin-Smith in future, though I will be surprised if I rank this top of my BSFA ballot.

In which I look at The Mind Robber. Tagged: Doctor Who, links, me elsewhere

Posted by Andrew Hickey on Sci-Ence! Justice Leak!

There was a storm in a pint glass this week in Westminster over a beer spotted in the Strangers' Bar called "Top Totty" featuring a cartoon of a scantily clad woman wearing bunny ears. There had been a furore after Labour MP Kate Green highlighted the nomenclature and styling of the beverage in the House of Commons. It has now been withdrawn from sale. This spat reminded me of something that I have always been aware of but had sort of crept to the back of my consciousness for the last few years. Part of the story was quoting how ...

Posted by Mark Thompson on Mark Thompson

TweetCoeliac disease can be a very debilitating condition where the person cannot consume wheat gluten, items which can be found in the majority of Western food substances. As a result, the NHS in the UK has provided free prescriptions for those suffering from coeliac disease to get their food. However, in the age of austerity, ...

Posted by Curious on Political Parry

I was going to write a blog about The Big Questions, the Sunday morning television programme with Nicky Campbell as there are always points of contention - my main inspiration for blogs. However I was sent an email about the possibility of losing the ferry services from Heysham and this has taken priority. You can see the article yourself, not on a website related to Lancashire, but one that is concerned with the city where the business looks set to go - Liverpool. The article is here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-16885732 If I were in the ferry business it would make sense for ...

Posted by Michael Gradwell on Politics for Novices

Inspired by beccaelizabeth's question about women writing for Doctor Who on TV, I have spent the weekend looking at the snow outside and assembling this definitive (though no doubt incomplete and imperfect) list. The TV Whoniverse Doctor Who 1963-89 Lesley Scott - The Ark (1966) with Paul Erickson - though received wisdom is that she did not in fact write any of it. Barbara Clegg - Enlightenment (1983) - one of two sole and undisputed credits for women writers in Old Who Paula Moore - Attack of the Cybermen (1985) - extent of Moore's authorship hotly disputed (her real name ...

Release from district council Help keep St Albans City and District clean and tidy by letting us know if you have seen anyone fly-tipping in your area. Fly-tipping is the dumping of waste on land illegally. It is a criminal activity that can pollute the environment and may be a risk to human health. It can also harm wildlife and farm animals. Only last week, St Albans City and District Council's waste management contractors, Enterprise, were forced to clear up piles of leaflets strewn along the Harpenden Road next to Woollam playing fields. The Council treats fly-tipping seriously and will ...

Posted by chriswhite on Chris White

Having written before about how Vince Cable and the Liberal Democrats could be leading a campaign to get people to move their bank accounts, you might expect me to be welcoming the (independent) Move Your Money site which has just launched. It is always good to see more people campaigning and more people offering up solutions and yet... I'm distinctly unmoved by it. Why? Three reasons. First, the site is heavy on education and light on getting people actually to move their account. Just count the number of clicks it takes you to get to the point where you are ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

On a purely abstract level, there could almost be something funny about people killing each other at a peace meeting. Like the old joke about being late to deliver a speech at an efficiency conference. But what has happened in South Sudan (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-africa-16873273) is simply tragic: "At least 37 people have been killed in South Sudan during a shoot-out at a peace meeting aimed at ending recent violence, officials said." I don't know what to say. It's as if nationalist and loyalist terrorists had massacred each other at peace talks in Northern Ireland in the 1990s. Why does this not ...

Posted by Matthew Harris on Matthew Harris

Ed Miliband has recently been telling the press that he was the one who invented "responsible capitalism" in his conference speech last September. Today Labour's Stephen Twigg said that it was a testament to Ed's leadership that he started talking about Labours version of "responsible capitalism" about predatory and producer businesses and now, the other ...

Posted by Nicola Prigg on Nic Prigg's Blog

Opposition to the county council's proposed overdevelopment of the old Shepherd Spring school playing fields is growing and residents have taken their campaign to the local press and radio. On Thursday town councillor Barbara Carpenter was interviewed on Andover Sound (Andover Sound News) about the plans and on Friday the Andover Advertiser featured the objerctions. The photo below (courtesy of Andover Advertiser) shows local residents opposed to the plans. There is another meeting of the Roman Way Forum next Saturday (11th February) where the application will be on the agenda and the next steps of the campaign to persuade the ...

Posted by lengates on Len Gates

So Chris Huhne had to go. Well he didn't have to go but he did have to go. You know what I mean. The next big question was who would replace him as the fifth Liberal Democrat in the cabinet. Nick Clegg, Vince Cable, Michael Moore and Danny Alexander are already in. All white men. The clamour was clear amongst the grass roots. They wanted a woman. We are the party of diversity or so we proclaim. How can we live with the situation of not having a woman in the cabinet if we are allowed five members under the ...

Posted by neilmonnery on The Rambles of Neil Monnery
Sun 5th
11:23

"Losers and no-hopers"

I recently got involved in an argument on a LinkedIn writers' group. Nothing unusual about that - social media do not encourage nuance or sympathy - but I thought the subject worth exploring a bit. A man who I assume to be American (because, in the whole wide world, only some Americans, as far as I can see, use these terms freely to indicate contempt) started by saying he could not stand "losers and no-hopers" and could not understand why so many writers wrote about them. Before proceeding with a fairly nuanced discussion of this, I said he must dislike ...

Posted by SibatheHat on Siba The Hat

It seems that cabinet reshuffles are the flavour of the week. Bedford's Liberal Democrat elected Mayor Dave Hodgson has had to sack the Conservative member of his cabinet and reshuffle portfolios. This follows an extraordinary act of cowardice by the Conservative group in Bedford. They chose to withdraw their support from this year's budget that had been negotiated with all political groups by the Mayor. Despite being members of Dave's all-party cabinet and being fully involved in developing the budget proposals they chose not to vote for them at the budget Council meeting on Wednesday (1 February 2012). Although, apparently ...

Posted by Andy Strange on Strange Thoughts

The business dealings of former Conservative Party Deputy Chairman and one of its biggest donors, Lord Ashcroft, are back in the news again. As The Observer reports: Fresh revelations have raised a series of questions about the links between the former Conservative deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft and a company responsible for luxury projects across a string of islands... Who controlled Johnston International, which won building contracts across the Caribbean worth tens of millions of pounds, has triggered awkward questions for the Tories, and above all for their major donor, Lord Ashcroft. The Tory peer, who has given the party more ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Liberal Democrat Voice

If there are any fans of the ITV1 show Take Me Out who haven't seen the moment male contestant Damion shot himself in the foot and repeatedly did so then you've got to see this. You have to feel for poor Chelsea who eventually 'won' a date with him. [IMG: Share on Tumblr] [IMG: Submit to StumbleUpon] [IMG: Save on Delicious] [IMG: Digg This] [IMG: Submit to reddit] [IMG: Share on Myspace] [IMG: Share via email] Tweet

Posted by neilmonnery on The Rambles of Neil Monnery

I link to the opinion section in the Sunday Express. This was a vitamin D deficiency case (of which I am aware of two more cases which are similar) where the court of appeal refused to hear the case because the child's life had "moved on". This is the story.So, let us fast forward say 16 years. The child finds that the court would not hear any suggestion that she was the victim of a miscarriage

Posted by john on John Hemming's Web Log
Sun 5th
10:04

Unlikely parody

To be honest the comparison between Ed Miliband and Gromit's friend, Wallace had passed me by, but now I look at the photographs in today's Independent and consider the mannerism and general haphazard approach to life, I wonder why I had not seen it before. Still, kudos to the Labour leader, he is not the one to complain publicly about the parody, instead that honour goes to senior figures at Aardman Animations, who are concerned at the reputational damage to their iconic plasticine puppet. The paper says that things came to a head when yet another cartoon appeared in the ...

Posted by Peter Black on Peter Black

When the great British public look at their leaders, what do they think? In the unlikely event it's anything other than 'what have we done?', it's probably indifference or, occasionally, murder. The current crop of Lib Dem Cabinet Ministers do nothing to dispel these opinions. Chris Huhne's sadly justified resignation provided an opportunity to change our public image for the better. This opportunity was not taken. As has been pointed out, Ed Davey's appointment as Huhne's replacement has removed a 'big beast' from Cabinet: someone who can stand up for a broader range of party opinion. However, his appointment reveals ...

Posted by Robin McGhee on Liberal Democrat Voice

The Potter Blogger: Tim Farron's reply to my questions on the #WRB I am somewhat unimpressed with Our President's mealy-mouthed excuses, er, I mean, justifications for voting the way he did. (tags: libdemmery ) Tory MP Anne Milton sparks fury by calling northerners hard-drinking smokers who 'jump into bed with each other at the drop of a hat' - WARNING! Contains Daily Fail I'm afraid this lady has it wrong. I jump into bed with Southerners too... * lights a fag, cracks open the brandy, grins * (tags: bloodytories ) People who suppress anger are more likely to become violent ...

Companies are being given a massive boost and the opportunity for millions of pounds of business thanks to a new website launched by the County Council. Source Cambridgeshire is a new website that acts as a central point for businesses to see and bid for contract opportunities being advertised by public services in the county. Local businesses are being urged to sign up for the site which not only helps companies bid for contracts but will provide savings for Cambridgeshire's councils and public services. This means that no matter what size the business is they have easy access to new ...

Posted by Andy Pellew on Focus on Bar Hill

As many commentators have pointed out, if de-knighting and de-nobling are to become the order of the day than many people in addition to Fred Goodwin need to be considered for having their "honours" taken away. Whatever the pros and cons of that I believe it would change our culture in a helpful direction if we were far more selective in to whom honours are given in the first place. My exclusion list would include: + anyone who kept wealth offshore to avoid taxation, or whose company avoided or evaded tax in a similar way: + anyone who was paid ...

Posted by Peter Wrigley on Keynesian Liberal

Sometimes I sit here (or in other places – mostly other places like at the beach or on the loo – why do so many man think on the loo – I digress) and think about my place in the universe or more reasonably my place in my little world. There are two schools of thought that people should conform to the norm or be individual and I sit squarely in the latter. It is a choice I make because I'm more comfortable that way. However I note that it at times has made me feel left out and that ...

Posted by neilmonnery on The Rambles of Neil Monnery

Two years ago when the Tesco Express opened at Hawkhill, at its east end, residents expressed concern about parking right outside the store on the busy by-pass. The police were also been in touch with me about the concerns.The police's suggestion was for an extension to the barriers across the store entrance - a very sensible suggestion in my view. So I asked the council for this and - through the Road Construction Consent process - the developer of the adjacent site (including the Tesco store and the Casino) was asked to provide the necessary safety barrier. Protracted negotiations over ...

These phones are standard in Castle, Bones, NCIS and Rizzoli and Isles, amongst other shows. If someone calls you on one of these phones, and you use the correct code phrase, they act as a teleporter, and I want one. What usually happens is something like this:Brennan and Booth are talking about whatever case they are investigating.Brennan's phone rings. It's Hodgins, who has found something interesting.Brennan asks him what it is.INSTANTLY Brennan and Booth are in the lab, and Hodgins is telling them whatever a normal person would have just said over the phone.I wonder if you get to set ...