The Northampton Chronicle reports that Brian Binley, the Tory MP for Northampton South, has "launched an extraordinary verbal volley at his own party and described Prime Minister David Cameron and his government as a 'shady, back-street second-hand car dealership'." Go to Brian Binley's blog and all you will find for today is a post attacking the appointment of Professor Les Ebdon as the new head of Offa. Judging by the text the Chronicle gives, that post was heavily edited a little earlier this evening:"I was incensed that the Government treated Parliament with such utter disdain in failing even to give ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England

On Wednesday the House of Commons will see an Opposition Day debate on the potential impact of Andrew Lansley's Health & Social Care Bill. The Government has thus far refused to make an internal risk assessment report available to the public. Nick Perry, the Lib Dem parliamentary spokesman for Hastings & Rye, who also works ...

Posted by nickperrylibdem on Nick Perry For Hastings & Rye
Mon 20th
22:53

Six of the Best 228

The Snow In The Summer or So-So gives Liberal Left's "statement of values" a thorough going over. "It appears that one of the previous, hated, Labour government schemes for even more, very expensive, snooping on millions of innocent people's internet and phone activities, is being resurrected by the Coalition government with the misleading title of the Communications Capabilities Development Programme." Spy Blog briefs us on a worrying development. Craig Dearden-Phillips says the Tories are half-right about making it easier to sack mediocre people. On The World, John Freeman recommends some reading from the Arab world that will help us understand ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England

For many people today, the idea of belonging to a Club (previously known as a Gentleman's Club) is a mirth-inducing anachronism, but as someone who belongs to two — one political, one thespian — I know that they can play an important role in one's social life, as well as being oases of calm in ...

Posted by jonathanfryer on Jonathan Fryer

I'm excited I'll be honest with you! A good friend of mine Robin Whitmore called me this evening to tell me that Queen are to headline the Saturday at the 3-day Sonisphere in early July - at KNEBWORTH! Queen's final live gig with Freddie Mercury was at Knebworth in front of some 120,000 fans on August 9th 1986 - Robin was there! I wasn't even 4 at the time so the chance to see Freddie live passed me by but an opportunity to see Brian May and Roger Taylor live at that holy grail of a Queen venue is one ...

Mon 20th
21:54

Monday activities

Following my weekly ward surgeries at the Mitchell Street Centre and at Harris Academy, I attended tonight's meeting of the City Council's Development Management Committee at which a planning application for office accommodation at the digital media park in Greenmarket - aimed at the digital media/creative industries sector - was considered. The application was rightly strongly backed - by 21 votes to 2 - but I did seek - and obtained - assurances about visual appearance and the quality of design. Supporting our digital media sector is vital if we are to secure economic growth for our city and it ...

Apparently, I'm a cosmopoltian social democrat (you see there was me thinking I was a Scottish liberal - I was wrong all the time). This is based on the following analysis of my political understandings: I would have thought I was a little more ecological than that - perhaps it's how the questions were worded. Have a go yourself at http://www.politicaltest.net. Now, I'm off to join the continuing SDP (or should that be the continuing continuing SDP?).

Posted by Andrew on A Scottish Liberal

We last came across Sundip Meghani as one of two Labour councillors from Leicester who backed the return of the death penalty: "It's a complicated issue but I'm in favour of capital punishment in some circumstances. I think it may be wrong to restrict the death penalty solely to the murderers of children and police, because that gives some lives more value than others. But multiple killers should be eligible for execution."Now comes news from the Leicester Mercury that he fancies being the county's first elected police and crime commissioner: "It's such a big and important job, I'm giving it ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England

Myself and some other leading Scottish Lib Dem bloggers are heading over to Edinburgh on Wednesday to interview party leader Willie Rennie. The other bloggers are the effervescent Caron Lindsay, the intelligent and deep Nicola Prigg, the sagacious Gavin Hamilton and the perceptive Douglas McLellan (sounds like an edition of QI, doesn't it?). I must admit to not being Jeremy Paxman, but then again Willie isn't Winston Churchill so hopefully I'll get a word in and perhaps even ask the odd tough question. We've been having some interesting discussions between us about what we should ask him and there appears ...

Posted by Andrew on A Scottish Liberal

The row over the appointment of Professor Les Ebdon as the new head of the Office for Fair Access (Offa) - Vince Cable was called to the Commons today over it and by all accounts acquitted himself well - has its roots in the huge expansion of higher education. Back in the 1970s, as a comprehensive pupil who was eligible for free school meals and armed only with a rather ropey set of O level results, I applied to five good universities. I was interviewed by four of the five (the fifth made me a generous offer without interview), and ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England
YouGov

Last Friday Manchester Lib Dem Leader and City Centre Councillor Marc Ramsbottom took to the streets as a Big Issue in the North seller to find out what life is like for vendors of the magazine. Cllr Ramsbottom sold alongside Big Issue in the North vendor Colin, who sells the magazine outside Manchester's Cornerhouse on Oxford Road. Marc picked up tips of the trade from Colin as he sold the magazine to members of the public and met customers who regularly support vendors. Before starting his work as a Big Issue in the North vendor, Cllr Ramsbottom visited The Big ...

Mon 20th
20:01

Birch Bay Half Marathon

Short story: Awesome race. Fast, uncrowded course with one monster hill and beautiful views. Nice medal and a shiny PR that tells me I'm RIGHT on track with my marathon training! Note: my official result is 2:16:00, because I started near the back of the pack after it took us longer to get across the US border than expected. Facebook friends have given me the consensus that I can claim my Garmin's time. My friend Dana picked me up in downtown Seattle at mid-day on Saturday so we could drive up to Birch Bay, Washington (just a few minutes south ...

Posted by Joyce on Joyce Goes for a Run
Mon 20th
19:51

Ed Davey "Bashing"

I'd like to make something clear, before any more cariacaturing of my position on Ed Davey goes on. My problem with him is not that he has a penis. My problem with him is that in his previous job, and despite lots of lobbying from people like Greg Mullholland and Gareth Epps, he decided that he was going to do his level best to contribute to fucking up the industry I work in, and have a great degree of fondness for. I dislike Ed being promoted, not because he is male, but because he FUCKED WITH MY LIFE. His maleness ...

Below are recently submitted Planning Applications in the Chorlton area. 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. 098423/FH/2012/S1 - ...

Mon 20th
19:46

E-Cops - We need you...

...to tell us what you think about eCops. How can we make it better? eCops is undergoing a well deserved review with the aim of improving the service we provide and we need to know what you think. Your views are important to us and we'll be using the results of this survey to enhance and develop how we communicate with you. Your suggestions are greatly appreciated, so please take the time to complete this short survey and help us improve our eCops service. Kind regards, The eCops Development Team NB. Survey closes Sunday, February 26 http://www.cambs-police.co.uk/survey/ecops/web/ecops.htm - eCops survey ...

Posted by Andy Pellew on Focus on Bar Hill
Mon 20th
19:46

E-Cops - We need you...

...to tell us what you think about eCops. How can we make it better? eCops is undergoing a well deserved review with the aim of improving the service we provide and we need to know what you think. Your views are important to us and we'll be using the results of this survey to enhance and develop how we communicate with you. Your suggestions are greatly appreciated, so please take the time to complete this short survey and help us improve our eCops service. Kind regards, The eCops Development Team NB. Survey closes Sunday, February 26 http://www.cambs-police.co.uk/survey/ecops/web/ecops.htm - eCops survey ...

Posted by Andy Pellew on Focus on King's Hedges

I am getting worried. A few weeks ago I was sure that Mitt Romney would win the US Republican Presidential nomination. He'd be nicely battered and bruised and the Democrats would have a fat file of YouTube and news clips to use against him ("I like firing people"/"I am not concerned about the very poor"/"Let Detroit go bankrupt" etc). But he would win. However, it is now becoming possible that he might not win the nomination. Oh dear. Rick Santorum has been ahead in a string of national polls and is fourish points ahead in Michigan. Yes, Michigan, where Romney's ...

Posted by Paul on Liberal Burblings

I am getting worried. A few weeks ago I was sure that Mitt Romney would win the US Republican Presidential nomination. He'd be nicely battered and bruised and the Democrats would have a fat file of YouTube and news clips to use against him ("I like firing people"/"I am not concerned about the very poor"/"Let Detroit go bankrupt" etc). But he would win. However, it is now becoming possible that he might not win the nomination. Oh dear. Rick Santorum has been ahead in a string of national polls and is fourish points ahead in Michigan. Yes, Michigan, where Romney's ...

Posted by Paul Walter on Liberal Democrat Voice

Local Lib Dem councillors remain concerned about a number ofcuts included in council budget proposals from the controlling Sefton LabourGroup. Three main areas where Labour's cuts will particularly hitSouthport are tourism, the fernery and aviary at Botanic Gardens, and chargesto sports clubs. Although the Tourist Information Centre itself looks safe fornow, Labour's proposals still call for a cut of £27,000 in the tourismmarketing budget. The Lib Dems are calling for that cut to be over-turned. On Botanic Gardens, John Dodd said "I share thewidespread concern about the impact closure of the Botanic Gardens fernery andaviary would have. With my colleagues, ...

Posted by Nigel Ashton on Meols Lib Dems

I'm on a steady upward track with the BSFA nominees. Though presented as a gazetteer of islands in the Dream Archipelago, where time swirls and nomenclature is unstable, there is actually a story, or several stories, here, dotted across the spots of land separated by the ocean. I found it very satisfying: the artist who sculpts tunnels into the islands to make them sing in the wind, the mime artist killed by a mysteriously dropped pane of glass, the writer who somehow writes the preface to a work which describes his own demise and funeral, the venomous scorpion-like creatures which ...

eUKhost
Mon 20th
17:08

Depleted Uranium

The richest veins of uranium ore occurring naturally can contain up to 3% of uranium by weight. In the pure form it contains about 99.3% of U-238, 0.7% of U-235, and a trace of U-234. U-238 is so called because each atom contains 92 protons and 146 neutrons which, added together, give an atomic weight 238. U-235 and U-234 are 'isotopes' or variations of uranium. They contain 3 and 4 fewer neutrons respectively, are more radioactive, and more easily destabilised. Depleted uranium (DU) is uranium depleted of its isotopes: almost pure U-238. It is obtained from spent nuclear fuel and, ...

Posted by Richard Balmer on aldes.org.uk

Back when they were Mr Brown's Boys Ed Balls has jumped on the bandwagon that Nick Clegg started in calling for George Osborne to cut taxes. It is good to see the opposition at least attempting to set out an alternative, however they still seem to think we can borrow our way out of our debt problem. However one line struck me: "The shadow chancellor said he favoured a cut in VAT - which is a sales tax rather than a tax on income - because it would be the "fastest and fairest" way of boosting the economy." Now, I ...

Posted by Radar on iRadar

Yesterday's Independent on Sunday carried the news that Lib Dem MPs will this week step up the pressure on the chancellor, George Osborne, to move more quickly to raise the income tax personal allowance to £10,000. This follows Nick Clegg's speech last month in which he called publicly for the upcoming budget to go faster than previously anticipated in implementing the policy. As the Indy reports: This week the Lib Dems will mount a major campaign to persuade Mr Osborne to agree to a sharp increase in the allowance. Simon Hughes, the party's deputy leader, has urged all members and ...

Posted by Nick Thornsby on Liberal Democrat Voice

Residents of Warren Avenue, Cheadle have been asking for double yellow lines to replace the existing restrictions near the junction with Gatley Road. The Council has now completed the consultation with residents and businesses near the north end of Warren Avenue. Thirteen letters were sent out, and ten replied with nine being in favour. The Lib Dems will now be pressing for the work to be approved and the lines painted promptly.

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

Yeah apparently I am now a cultural vandal. It has nothing to do with the poetry I write. The music that I write, play or perform. The plays I have been in, though I suspect the one I am writing would have had Mary Whitehouse in a tizzy. No apparently my cultural vandalism stems from love. Lord Carey says so. He says the Government has no mandate to define marriage, but what mandate does he, or the Church of England, or Coalition for Marriage have to not allow faith and non-faith groups that want to allow equal marriage. Apparently the ...

Posted by Stephen Glenn on Stephen's Liberal Journal

On 1st August 2011 there were 440 commercial nuclear reactors operating in 29 countries in the world with a total capacity of 376,511 MW supplying 14% of total global electricity. 62 more reactors were under construction in 14 different countries with 154 more planned. 75% of France's, and almost 30% of the EU's electricity comes from nuclear. Reactor design and operating performance continues to improve and "4th generation" designs based on thorium are being researched which could have several advantages ... Download PDF

Posted by Richard Balmer on aldes.org.uk

Last week I attended Thursday's Cabinet and Full Council Meetings. The main business on the agenda was the draft budget proposals put forward by the Labour Leader of Sefton, Councillor Peter Dowd. To be fair, Labour have clearly worked very hard to find ways to save the necessary £20 million of reductions in spending. However in a number of areas the Labour leadership has proposed cuts that my party find totally unacceptable. In the first of a series of 4 posts I intend to highlight some of the areas that the Liberal Democrats have severe reservations about: We feel that ...

Posted by Councillor Mike Booth on kew focus

I note with interest that the Labour Party is delivering a tabloid with a picture of me all over Liverpool at the moment. Whilst, like any politician, I welcome the publicity I really regret that they intend to mislead the ... Continue reading →

Posted by richardkemp on But what does Richard Kemp think?

In the news today is former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey (I won't refer to him as Lord Carey, as he doesn't merit that particular title). Like most retired clergy, he appears to have little to concern himself with other than an obsession with same-sex marriage - which probably tells you all you need to know about the motivations of his ilk. Speaking to the Daily Mail (obviously the ideal forum for the supposedly politically neutral crossbencher), Carey addresses the issue of same-sex marriage; in particular he refers to proposals to change the status of marriage to make it inclusive ...

Posted by Andrew on A Scottish Liberal

Late last year, UKIP MEP Paul Nuttall made some small waves (eg here) with a press release about an "outrageous" EU directive that requires small businesses to pay €25,000 to set up. The problem is that it is complete and utter ... Continue reading →

Posted by Nick Thornsby on Nick Thornsby's Blog
Mon 20th
15:56

Occupational Elf

Wrote this one a day or two ago, but I've either already got stories in submission to all the paying fantasy markets I know of or they don't accept stories with swearing, so I've put it up for 99 cents on Smashwords and it'll be available for Kindle (US) and Kindle (UK) later today. I ...

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

The Campaign Corner series looks to give three tips about commonly asked campaign issues. Do get in touch if you have any questions you would like to suggest. Today's Campaign Corner question: I work in marketing for the day job, where measuring impact and altering our plans as a result is the norm. In the evenings when I become a Lib Dem campaigner however, measuring seems to go out the window and we just do what we always did. Surely we can do better than that? A very good question! The short answer is 'yes'. I've talked before about some ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Liberal Democrat Voice

From the Telegraph: Prof Les Ebdon will take up the key role as director of the Office for Fair Access later this year, charged with ensuring that working-class students are not deterred by tuition fees of up to £9,000, the Business Secretary announced. Leading Tories, including Michael Gove, the Education Secretary, were said to be unhappy at Prof Ebdon's appointment after he threatened universities with "nuclear" penalties if they missed targets for widening their student intake. He has also criticised the "patchy" record of leading Russell Group institutions at increasing the number of students they take from state schools and ...

Posted by NewsHound on Liberal Democrat Voice

Been busy this week on the campaign. Did a photo with Will Jones at the Turing statue in Sackville Park. Will's petition now has 30,400 signatures. Comedian and presenter Sue Perkins urged people to sign on Twitter. Please add ... Continue reading →

Posted by John Leech MP on John Leech MP

This came up in conversation over the weekend and needs to be shared: [YouTube Link] What did you do this weekend?

Posted by Debi on Thagomizer.net
Mon 20th
15:03

Wind Energy

Wind energy has come a long way since interest was renewed in the '70s following the oil price rises. Installed capacity reached over 121,188 Megawatts* (MW) worldwide by the end of 2008, up 29% over 2007 which was itself 27% up over 2006. Average new turbine size has increased to around 2 MW with some 5 MW turbines being installed and 10 MW ones under consideration. Early small turbines have been replaced by larger, more efficient ones. Turbines are being installed successfully off shore and in more countries. Download PDF

Posted by Richard Balmer on aldes.org.uk
Mon 20th
15:00

Black markets

Following on from last week's post on Zomia, I came across the following: Seen from the state centre, this enclosure movement is, in part, an effort to monetise the people, lands, and resources of the periphery so that they become, to use the French term, rentable... The objective has been less to make them productive than to ensure that their economic activity was legible, taxable, assessable, and confiscatable or, failing that, to replace it with forms of production that were. This strikes me as being fundamentally true, and gets to the heart of why empire lead to modern capitalism. But ...

Posted by Aosher on Brontides

Those of you who've visited LibDemVoice in the last day will have seen it's got a new, fresh look, courtesy of the hard work and design inspiration of our in-house site editor, Ryan Cullen. Ryan has not only been immensely creative; he's also been extremely patient as Mark Pack (and occasionally me, or another member of the LDV team) would ask for yet another gizmo or tweak to be incorporated. There is one part of the site, though, for which I will claim sole credit: the new strapline. LibDemVoice used to carry a disclaimer along the lines, 'Liberal Democrat Voice ...

Posted by Stephen Tall on stephentall.org

As the moon circles the earth and the earth circles the sun, the gravitational attractions pull the earth's water across oceans where it is funnelled, raised and accelerated around headlands, narrows and up estuaries such as the Severn. We refer to this movement as tidal, and we know that any moving water contains energy. The interaction of fixed land and moving water causes the tide to move faster and contain more energy at some points than others. The energy is a multiple of the quantity moving and the speed squared. Download PDF

Posted by Richard Balmer on aldes.org.uk
Mon 20th
14:56

Electricity from the Sun

The available solar energy is vast. The total fossil fuel reserves in the world represent barely 3 days of the solar energy received by the earth. Solar energy warms the earth, powers the growth of vegetation and re-cycles desalinated water from the oceans. It is being focussed by mirrors to raise steam in power stations and, by heating roof panels, produce hot water in homes. Solar 'thermal' as it is called provides more renewable energy worldwide than wind. This note however explains how electricity is produced directly from the sun using 'solar' cells, and the progress made so far... Download ...

Posted by Richard Balmer on aldes.org.uk

There is nothing new in capturing tidal power. Tide mills pre-date windmills and many were recorded in the Domesday Book. Banks were built across tidal inlets and some form of gate installed in them. Water flooded into the enclosed area or 'pound' behind the bank at high tide. It was held until the tide dropped and then allowed out through a mill race driving a waterwheel in a similar way to watermills on rivers. Records have been found of tide mills at over 200 sites. Many operated for at least 6 centuries. Download PDF

Posted by Richard Balmer on aldes.org.uk

Campaigning alongside a Lib Dem councillor recently, I mentioned the several recent high profile defections of Blairites to the Conservatives. I was a little disappointed they'd felt that the obvious choice was to go to the Blues. People that liked Tony Blair more than they liked the Labour brand in general are precisely the kind of people that handed the party thirteen years of office. Their exodus from Labour, a backlash fuelled by the anti-New Labour revolution that put Ed Miliband in power, was a sign that the party was letting an election victory slip out of its sights. To ...

Posted by Richard Clare on Liberal Democrat Voice
Mon 20th
14:50

Global Warming

Until about 2 billion years ago the Earth's atmosphere was rich in carbon dioxide (CO2). Then, as the Earth cooled, the CO2 began to combine with nutrients in the oceans to produce organic material. Oxygen was released. Dead material sank to the ocean floor and, over the passage of millions of years, was trapped, heated, pressed and converted to the oil and gas we use today. Land based vegetation later was converted to coal. When we burn these 'fossil' fuels we are reversing millions of years of geological process. Download PDF

Posted by Richard Balmer on aldes.org.uk
Mon 20th
14:42

How Clean is Clean Coal?

The Government's energy review, the volatility of fuel prices, vulnerability of oil platforms and pipelines, shortage of refining capacity, and worries about the free flow of oil from the Middle East and gas from Russia, have all focussed attention on the UK's dependence on imported gas and oil. In 2007 Government conceded that safety concerns were insufficient to preclude new nuclear stations, but thoughts are returning to 'clean coal' technologies – coal being abundant in the UK. Can coal be used without accelerating global warming? Download PDF

Posted by Richard Balmer on aldes.org.uk

We'd like to welcome Mrs. Julia Davidson, local resident (Fulbridge Road) to the South Werrington and North Gunthorpe FOCUS Team and wish her well in her new role as the FOCUS Editor! The South Werrington and North Gunthorpe FOCUS newsletter is delivered to nearly 3,000 homes and is a free and reliable newsletter, delivered by local residents and volunteers since 2002! Julia who has lived on Fulbridge Road for over 19 years, originates from London and has been married for 25 years this year! Julia's son is in the army air corp and her daughter is a beauty hair stylist. ...

Posted by admin on Darren Fower

The past two years have been brutal for the Liberal Democrat brand. It is understandable. Liberalism is rooted in a clear set of principles, and yet as the coalition has become established we have discovered that we have either been forced to abandon key elements of our agenda- such as the tuition fees fiasco- or have discovered that we have not sold our ideas well enough to the electorate- the fiasco of the AV referendum. The result is that we have lost about half of the voters who supported the party in 2010. The party has assumed a grimly determined ...

Posted by Cicero on Cicero's Songs

Private competition is fine if you're a private industry, but the NHS isn't a private company it is a public service.

Posted by mathewhulbert on A Liberal Helping

Yesterday I wrote a blog post over at LGBT+ Lib Dems Northern Ireland about betting company Paddy Power and the advert it showed a game of spot the CIS woman from the transgendered woman, only of course they didn't put it in quite such political correct terms. Here's how I started the post. They say that the Cheltenham Festival of racing is one of Ireland's finest hours every year. Even if the Irish are losing money hand over fist at the trackside bookies.However, Ireland's largest and most successful bookmakers Paddy Power have brought shame on themselves with their current advert ...

Posted by Stephen Glenn on Stephen's Liberal Journal

PoliticsHome reports: An elderly protester clashed angrily with Andrew Lansley today as he attended a Number 10 summit on his NHS reforms. Mr Lansley was also confronted with fresh signs of dissent over the controversial reforms from within the Coalition as a Liberal Democrat ministerial aide broke ranks to call for ministers to reveal the true risks of the new legislation. Duncan Hames, who is Parliamentary Private Secretary to Energy Secretary Ed Davey, signed an early day motion calling for the publication of a "risk register", which outlines the costs and risks of the Health and Social Care Bill. He ...

Posted by NewsHound on Liberal Democrat Voice

Nick Clegg writes in the Independent today on international standards in the arms trade: As always with international norms, the first, crucial step is laying global ground rules that can be built on over time. What is needed is leadership. The UK has spearheaded this agenda within the UN, for which former Foreign Secretary David Miliband deserves considerable credit. The baton has now passed to the coalition and we understand that credibility abroad rests on leading by example at home. Ours is one of the most rigorous regulatory regimes in the world, but there's always room to do better. We ...

Posted by Paul Walter on Liberal Democrat Voice

All, You may have heard about the Transition Shipston (I'm on the steering group) organised 'Stop the Supermarket' meeting on March 6th. If you haven't, here is the Press Release: SAVE OUR TOWN CENTRE – STOP THE SUPERMARKET Townsend Hall, Sheep St, 7.30pm on Tuesday March 6th A campaign to fight developers' plans to build a superstore in the Campden Road, will be launched at a public meeting in March. The meeting, arranged by environmental group Transition Shipston, will be held in the Townsend Hall, Sheep St at 7.30pm on Tuesday March 6th. Helen Winnifrith of Transition Shipston said: "Lancashire ...

Posted by Philip Vial on Philip Vial
Mon 20th
13:06

Energy efficient cars

There has rarely been a time when interest in fuel efficient cars was so keen. This note covers what is being done, the problems and opportunities. Download PDF

Posted by Richard Balmer on aldes.org.uk

No that title isn't over the top – and yes they could both beat me up with two arms tied behind their backs. The behaviour of the two of them in Germany at the weekend was about as classless as you can get. Chisora never deserved a fight with a Klitschko as he's done nothing in the sport in all honesty. Looking at his résumé his best wins have come over Sam Sexton twice. Not exactly world level now is it? However he got the fight at proceeded to act like a bum throughout. From slapping his opponent at the ...

Posted by neilmonnery on The Rambles of Neil Monnery

In a previous blog I suggested that Boxing can help create wider problems in society, in that violence can be seen as a readily acceptable tool to aid in resolving disputes (or to act as the first response). The recent scuffle (bordering on potentially criminal) between the boxers Chisora and Haye this weekend cause a media storm. A dear friend of mine argued that boxing is better to be a sport, as it can be regulated and thus cause less issues (especially less injuries or deaths) than if the sport was banned, and thus went underground. This, of course, is ...

Posted by Lee on Lee Dargue

Someone left me this comment that I haven't approved. Now I used to be a linkbuilder. I used to be that guy that spammed you with e-mails but I would at least make it personal and if I didn't know their name I would say Sir/Madam but calling me Rocky gets my relationship with off to shall we say a bit of a 'rocky' start. Oh I'm so funny. So anyway on with her sales pitch... Hi Rocky, I was reading some of your content and really found them interesting and informative and attracting. So I was just wondering if ...

Posted by neilmonnery on The Rambles of Neil Monnery
Mon 20th
12:18

Complaint to the BBC

Here's a complaint I sent to the BBC last night (not that I expect it to do much good): Complaint title: Biased coverage of tax allowance increase Complaint description: I am astounded by this article on the BBC news website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17087726 - 22:57,19/02/2012 In it you discuss Ed Balls and his decision to support a range of measures including increasing the income tax threshold to £10,000. In it you use the word "conservatives" four times and "labour" six times. The Lib Dems are mentioned precisely once in the context of: 'As well as Mr Balls' proposed VAT cut, "in an ...

Posted by George W. Potter on The Potter Blogger

Today's outing has been to the Arctic Circle. Naturally, as this is Finland, Ros and I went by public transport, on Rovaniemi's bus route number 8 (as you can see in the picture). Despite the fact that the roads are covered with snow, life goes on as usual here, with snowploughs deployed to clear the roads somewhat, and grit put on the pavements to make walking a bit easier. They don't salt the roads here, as salt is ineffectual at temperatures below minus 8 degrees centigrade, but with the aid of special studded or all weather tyres, even cyclists can ...

Posted by Mark Valladares on The view from Creeting St Peter

I welcome Julian Huppert's important contribution towards updating our party's science policy and, along with others, efforts in making the case for science in politics. In his 30th January article on LDV, Julian, quite rightly, made the point that UK science and research is definitely world class, and it's in all our interests not to be complacent about that. As a Party, we can come up with lots of ideas and innovative policies to boost UK science, and to campaign tirelessly to get them implemented. However, the key barrier to better utilising science to drive forward the economy is our ...

Posted by Issan Ghazni on Liberal Democrat Voice

I was recently interviewed by My Muswell about local issues as the local MP. Given Muswell Hill was where I started my political journey it was a walk down memory lane. You can read the interview here.

Posted by Lynne Featherstone on Lynne Featherstone » Blog

Towards a win-win situation - Cyprus Mail Former foreign minister Nicos Rolandis (as usual) speaks sense; (as usual) nobody will listen. (tags: cyprus ) jemck: On piracy and copyright and file sharing and free speech "How is the current situation when amoral third parties can profit so massively from wholly illegal behaviour in any way acceptable? Answer me that and I'll give you a free book." (tags: copyright ) Article in Foundation magazine by Diana Wynne Jones DWJ on her own life and writing. Includes reminiscences of Tolkien. (tags: sf writing )

Mon 20th
10:45

Answers needed on AWEMA

The BBC report on the initiative by the Welsh Liberal Democrats in using our opposition time to stage a debate on the All Wales Ethnic Minority Association on Wednesday. On Friday we had an e-mail from the Business Minister saying that the Government is to issue a statement this morning on the organisation. It has not arrived yet. Although there are investigations under way, so far Ministers have avoided answering questions as to what they did following warnings in 2004 and 2007 about the organisation. The Welsh Liberal Democrat debate will be focussing on this aspect but whether we will ...

Posted by Peter Black on Peter Black

Following the boundary review, the current seat of Carshalton and Wallington will cease to exist, and will be replaced by two separate constituencies, Croydon Central & St Helier and Purley & Carshalton. Last year we celebrated 25 years of political control of Sutton Council and these changes provide us with an opportunity to work with Croydon Lib Dems to spread the Lib Dem message into their borough. It is vital that we start to build up our presence and activity early in these new areas if we're to win these seats in 2015. The run up to this year's London ...

Posted by Tom Brake MP on Liberal Democrat Voice

Last Friday's Guardian-hosted #HElivechat on the role of the philanthropy in universities, on which I was one of the virtual panellists, covered a range of issues. Inevitably at one stage the question turned to the difference in cultural attitudes between fundraising the UK and US. In general, I'm quite sceptical of the focus on this area: too often it's used as a British excuse for laziness and/or failure in fundraising. However, there's no escaping there are attitudinal, behavioural and societal distinctions which mean the UK lags the US in fundraising. Here's a by-no-means-exhaustive list I scribbled during the live-chat on ...

Posted by Stephen Tall on stephentall.org

In Lib Dem circles, much has been made of the new factions developing within the party with many giving their opinion of them. Stephen Tall has a good overview of the groupings here. Now that Social Liberal Forum, Liberal Left, and Liberal Reform are here it is worth having a look at what this might mean ...

Posted by Matthew Gibson on Solution Focused Politics

Liberal Democrat voters are most keen to want the Government to publish the Department of Health Risk Register. A new YouGov poll commissioned by Progressive Polling and Unite shows that two thirds of voters (68%) believe the Government should honour the ruling of the Information Commissioner. Liberal Democrat voters are the most keen to see this act of transparency, with 80% backing such a move. 73% of Labour supporters want to see its publication as do 62% of Conservative voters. All ages, social grades and regions support its release. The Information Commissioner's ruling in November for publication was followed by ...

Posted by Neil Foster on Liberal Democrat Voice

Cllr McGovern A pay freeze for Cambridge City Councillors is on the cards after Lib Dems stepped in to halt an increase in their allowances. The move would save taxpayers £26,000 this year. Cambridge City Executive Councillor for Customer Services and Resources, Neil McGovern said: "It was agreed last year our allowance scheme should be carried over for a further year while allowing for an inflationary increase. "But clearly a great deal has changed in the last year and this is the wrong time for councillors to take even an inflation linked pay rise. People are losing their jobs and ...

Posted by Andy Pellew on Focus on Bar Hill

MP Julian Huppert is celebrating victory after Cambridge people living in residential care have been told they will still be able to keep the benefits that allow them to get out and about. Julian has fought to save the Mobility Allowance, a component of the Disabled Living Allowance, which allows disabled people to pay for taxis and other transport. He called on Minister for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith and Minister for Disabled People, Maria Miller to rethink moves by the government to take away the benefits in 2014/15. Julian had been contacted by a number of constituents who ...

Posted by Andy Pellew on Focus on King's Hedges

Young people looking for education, training or employment would be entitled to free transport under an £80,000 scheme proposed by Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats. The scheme would be run by Cambridgeshire County Council Locality Teams and would cover all forms of public transport. Cllr van de Ven Liberal Democrat Shadow Cabinet Member for Transport, Susan van de Ven said, "Young people face unprecedented pressures, and the prohibitive cost of transport can be a blockade to opportunity. "It is unfortunate that the county council not only fails to provide supported transport for young people in this situation, but is actually planning to ...

Posted by Andy Pellew on Focus on King's Hedges

Meet the Russells If there is a family to rival the Attenboroughs (who have always struck me as a talented version of the Dimblebys) for fame, it is the Russells. I think first, of course, of my old friend Bertrand, author (with Norman Whiteside) of Principia Mathematica; if I were to be asked to sum up his character in a phrase, I should say that he was "Terribly Clever". Then I think of dear Conrad: Liberal theorist, historian of the Civil War and leader of his celebrated Big Band. There were, however, other Russell brothers who were remarkable men in ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England

Lib Dem Voice has polled our members-only forum to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 570 party members responded, and we've been publishing the full results. 84% of Lib Dem members support the Coalition Do you support or oppose the Lib Dems being in the Coalition Government with the Conservatives? (Comparison with December 2011′s figures) 84% (81%) – Support 13% (13%) – Oppose 3% (5%) – Don't know / No opinion Support for the Coalition remains as high as it has ever been, with 84% of ...

Posted by Stephen Tall on Liberal Democrat Voice

I have just noticed that I did not post a Lolcat on or about 31 January. Please add your own caption to this one. [IMG: Untitled]

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England
Mon 20th
07:00

Ads on You Tube...

...dontcha just hate 'em? Well, yes, normally (some of them can be rather intrusive) but not when they're the feature of the video themselves. And, of course, benefit from the passage of time to numb the banality of some of them. Here's a collection I found from 1992 which feature a young (or younger) Paul Merton: and here are some from 1988: I could be here all day - but I shall leave them at that for now! Andrew

Posted by oneexwidow on the widow's world

It was very good news for Dundee that it has been assessed as one of the European Cities of the Future 2012/13 by fDi Magazine. I spoke about this vote of confidence in the city on Wave 102's news yesterday - click 'play' below to listen:

Welcome to... well, your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that I'm on the 12.38 train from Oulu to Rovaniemi, somewhere south of Kemi, with Ros. All there is to see out of the window is snow and trees.Despite the cold, and the snow, we've managed to keep ourselves pretty busy. On Friday evening we went for an evening stroll before finding a lovely little restaurant for dinner. The reindeer tenderloin was delicious.Yesterday, we explored the city centre, walking to the railway station, before heading down to the kauppatori (market square), where they were having some ...

Posted by Mark Valladares on The view from Creeting St Peter

My post on Spearhead From Space. This is one of the shorter, factual ones rather than the longer, more discursive style than the last two – there'll be more of both styles as we get through the series.I'm actually building up an argument about the programme, and some stories add more to that argument than ...

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

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Posted by chriswhite on Chris White