Elected Mayors are, apparently, the answer for our big cities. The Coalition has decreed that on 3rd May the citizens of Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Coventry, Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham and Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Wakefield be invited to participate in a referendum. The choice is whether they stick with the current model of local government or switch to a Directly Elected Mayor. Liverpool and Leicester have already committed to the Elected Mayor model without a referendum, as has Salford. But if Elected Mayors are the solution, then what is the problem? Subnational government in England is a bit of a mess. Tensions ...
Looking like a larger version of the other early 20th century house in Cassiobury Park Avenue, this is Watford Station. One of the more distant outposts of the London Underground, it was opened in 1925. The Metropolitan Railway, who built this branch from Moor Park, envisaged extending the line further to Watford town centre (more of that in a later post), but that never happened. Though if you look back at the station building from beyond the ticket barriers you can see that it was built so there was room for the lines to continue underneath it. Now Watford Station ...
As you will appreciate, the news that Roger Helmer, one of the Conservative MEPs for the East Midlands, has joined UKIP is a bitter blow to me. It means there is now no chance of Rupert Matthews taking his place in Brussels. At a stroke, I have been robbed of a rich seam of comic post reporting Matthews' adventures in the European Parliament - they might even had made him Commissioner for Outer Space. Now that prospect has been swept away from me. Regular readers will recall (new ones should start here) that Helmer had intended to resign at the ...
[IMG: Raspberry Pi] So on Wednesday morning I was up at 6am, along with a large number of others trying to get their hands on one of the 10,000 Raspberry Pi which were currently finishing Quality Assurance in China. Unlike what had been answered several times, they weren't to be sold directly and we now being offered by third party companies RS and Farnells. Straight away browser tabs were open to both sites. Searching for "Raspberry" on RS loaded a "Register your interest" page, with no sign to buy I filled in my details and hit enter. However I ended ...
Reduced to watching music channels on Sky tonight as TV so rubbish - but this certainly isn't!
If you've been in Cheadle in the last few days you might have noticed people with flourescent jackets doing traffic counts. This is the first stage of ambitious Lib Dem plans to improve the village centre and make a real difference to Cheadle. Keith Holloway said "Cheadle village is a busy centre. how it can be further improved over the next few years, and we'll be working with local residents and businesses to find the right approach." The money will focus on improvements to roads and pavements. Suggestions already made include: • Using the improvements planned for the motorway slip ...
I found this, the last in my reading of the BSFA novel nominations, a fascinating read. Embassytown is an interface between humans and several different types of aliens; the human ambassadors who deal with them are identical twins, bred and conditioned to function as effectively a single personality with two bodies; this alone is a fantastic sfnal concept which has never quite been done like this. Lots of playing around with and about language, the meaning of humanity, and some sex as well; also we have the inevitable Miévillean revolution and subsequent battle against the forces of reaction (very weirdly ...
The new Community Service Volunteers, Retired & Senior Volunteer Programme Manchester (RSVP) over 50s friendship walking group called " RSVP Free Walkers" had an excellent first walk this week. The group has walks planned on the last Wednesday of the each month at 2pm for the next few months - 28th March, 25th April, 30th May, 27th June. Each walk will be between 3 and 3 and a half miles and will take about 2 hours. All start and finish points are planned near public transport and the group wishes to encourage people over 60 who have free travel passes ...
Sat 3rd
18:37
My Day in Sheffield at Valiant 3 featuring @sawboneshex , Jacqueline Pearce and Frazer Hines
Today I are mostly been at this with [IMG: [personal profile] ] matgb, [IMG: [personal profile] ] magister, [IMG: [personal profile] ] sir_guinglain (who is stopping at ours - yay visitors!) and [IMG: [personal profile] ] blazingskies and her fella who we met there. There were panels and signings and a brief visit to the Devonshire Cat for a pint, and Colin spotted me in my Six t-shirt and made me stand up and take a bow, and Frazer Hines (who was v witty throughout) told me I looked better in it than Colin ever did - with which Colin ...
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. 097355/FH/2011/S1 - ...
It's not often I manage such an uncontroversial week. From charabanc disaster in 1911 to Jubilee apathy in 1887 and a visit to my uncle's memorial service in which we celebrated the Zambian Independence movement it's been history all week. In the spirit of the times, therefore, I share a short item from "Leaves from the Consett Iron Company Letter Books 1887 – 1893". I promised to indicate to you what might be done with regard to the Leadgate Fund for tea for the children on the registers of the school books on the Jubilee Day, 21st June. I attended ...
Older people required! Do you live in Werrington and/or Gunthorpe? Are you retired and looking for something fun and different to do? Then this new club for "older people" is just what you need! The club meets weekly at Paston and Gunthorpe Community Centre each Wednesdays from 10.30am – 2.30pm. Each week you can enjoy various activities including quizzes, guest speakers, outings and much more, as well as a Two course home cooked meal each week!! Weekly Cost: £4.00 for lunch, tea/coffee, activities, etc. Interested in attending or helping? Then please contact:- Miriam Pullinger, Clubs Development Officer – Age UK ...
The news is awash with stories that the police are being privatised by Theresa May and the the Conservatives. In anticipation of lets of fake lefty Labour faux outrage, I want to set out the facts of this. They aren't as clear cut as Labour will have you believe. The Guardian has reported today that 'Private companies could take responsibility for investigating crimes, patrolling neighbourhoods and even detaining suspects under a radical privatisation plan being put forward by two of the largest police forces in the country.' It's ultimately very alarming and not something that has ever truly entered British ...
Liberal Democrat activists will defy Nick Clegg over the Government's controversial health reforms by seeking to "kill" them at a party policy-making conference next week. Rebel party members are not satisfied with the concession read more
Sat 3rd
16:45
LDV Caption Competition: David Cameron & Alex Salmond "Who'll take the Highland?" Edition
There's no prize at stake - just the opportunity to prove you're wittier than any other LDV reader... Here's Prime Minister David Cameron and Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond meeting recently to discuss the fate of the Untied [sic] Kingdom. What do you think might be being said or thought by or about them? And the winner of our last caption comp is... Some fantastic entries for our most recent caption competition, Steve Webb & IDS "Supermarket (Chimney-) Sweep" Edition. The winner, according to The Voice's judging panel of one, was this one by Simon Titley: Manager: "Does Mr Duncan ...
This morning I visited Gunnersbury Triangle which is a wonderful place near to Chiswick Park tube station. A green patch of land surrounded by roads and buildings. Once inside I saw a group of young ex-offenders making good the worn pathways. They appeared to be having fun whilst paying back for some crimes they had done previously. The weather was a tad rainy but being surrounded by wildlife and seeing the pond with the two Mallards swimming cheered me up. A developer has put in a planning application recently which will overlook the wildlife sanctuary. The buildings will also be ...
Yes. We have. But not for a long, long time and that's why I'm looking forward to receiving mine, once production can keep up with demand. At £21.60 + VAT for a "model B", you can't really argue about value, even though you have to provide your own keyboard, monitor, SD cards and a case. According to the charitable foundation behind the Raspberry Pi, it has come into being because: Eben [Upton, a Cambridge University lecturer] had noticed a distinct drop in the skills levels of the A Level students applying to read Computer Science in each academic year when ...
Sat 3rd
16:42
One year and counting: how long does it take Islington Council to remove some dumped tyres?
Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear tyres. Happy birthday to you. It is now one year and counting since I first reported these dumped tyres along Hornsey Road to Islington Council*. It's true there has been some difficulty establishing who is responsible for the tyres as it turns out that of the two possible people suggested by official records, one denies it and the other did not respond. A year, however, is time enough to overcome not only some difficult but an awful lot of difficulty. Moreover, it was at the start of October last ...
It's no real surprise that Roger Helmer MEP has defected to UKIP, the man becoming known as a right-wing fringe Conservative thanks to his views on, well, take your pick. I'd previously held a certain amount of sneaking respect for ... Continue reading →
Here's your starter for ten in our weekend slot where we throw up an idea or thought for debate... Borrowing from Lynne Featherstone's blog: It's International Women's Day on Thursday - and my local paper, The Journal, have asked me to name my top 5 influential women of all time. I know who mine are but who would be yours? * Mark Pack is Co-Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and writes a monthly newsletter about the Liberal Democrats.
So the somewhat unsurprising news from today is that Roger Helmer MEP has defected from the Conservatives to UKIP. This has call come in the wake of a failed chance to resign as Baroness Warsi wouldn't authorise his replacement. The question is not whether Helmer belongs in UKIP, it's why on earth they'd take him? David Cameron once famously called UKIP a party for "fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists" that as in image of UKIP is something I have a lot more experience off on the ground than one others would like to present. Indeed I was once compared to ...
Call me over sensitive if you like, but I found the news that 29 people in the US had been killed by tornadoes rather sad. Nadine Dorries however, saw it as an opportunity for a 'hysterical' joke. She should withdraw it immediately. And apologise. And yes. I know he is making a point about dyslexia. But its still disrespectful to everyone who lost family and friends in this disaster. what next? Puns about Tsunamis?
This morning I was training the Waltham Forest Liberal Democrat council group in the use of the internet. Just beforehand I had a look through the local newspaper, so I could use some local examples of how online and offline media often play off each other. That also means I came across this story, which rather made me chuckle... A BIKE shed just half a mile from the Olympic Velodrome cannot be used by any more cyclists because the council has no keys for it and no record of who has. The pristine electronic facility by Leyton Tube station was ...
Noisy, clanking manhole covers in the road can be pretty annoying – especially if you live next to one and have to put up with it day and night whenever anything drives over it. We've tackled a few of these – the latest outside The Hollies on Gatley Road (near the junction with Cambridge Road). Because most of the covers aren't Council property, the Council can't sort them out itself. Instead, it serves a legal notice on the relevant company (e.g. United Utilities or Virgin Media) and then chases them to sort it. It can take a little while, but ...
I don't believe that there should be an election for an elected mayor of Liverpool. I think that it is a poor system of governance and that it has been announced on the back of a deliberate deception on the ... Continue reading →
There's an excellent must-read post on the New Statesman site by Rafael Behr highlighting how Coalition politics is not only eclipsing the Labour party from the media spotlight, but also paralysing its leadership from engaging with internal debate. First, he notes how both the Lib Dems and Tories are being given the freedom to differentiate their party's policies from the Coalition's programme: The Conservative party does not like the 50p tax rate. That much is clear. It is just as clear that government policy is, for the time being, to retain the rate. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats support a "Mansion ...
I've always been interested in the topic of remote teaching & learning, from looking at the possibilities for online teaching of computer programming as a dissertation topic at college through to my studies in the 1980s and beyond with the Open University. And last week I noticed that MIT were planning to offer their first online course, and in a topic which interested me. So I've signed up and start this coming Monday! The course — offered through MITx — is called 6.002x (Circuits and Electronics) and looks really interesting and likely to reinforce the work I'm doing in the ...
In The Independent, Howard Jacobson writes with his usual insightful brilliance about Baroness Tonge's resignation from the Liberal Democrats. All I ask, colleagues, is that you read his column with an open mind, one sentence at a time, and give serious thought to what he is saying, even if it differs from what you might previously have thought about this issue. To anyone who now says "Well, Howard Jacobson would say that, wouldn't he, he's Jewish", I'd say that that is like saying, if a black or gay columnist commented on an issue to do with racism or homophobia, "Well, ...
This is the fourth and final update on my meeting with Jenny Willott MP. In this last post I want to focus on the communication (or lack of it) with the public and party members over the Welfare Reform Bill. To be fair, I think disability campaigners and myself may have misjudged Lib Dem MPs at times. For example, one thing that really annoyed me was that Jenny Willott has said publicly, on multiple occasions, that the choice facing Lib Dem MPS was a choice between two arbitrary time limits. I and other campaigners have said that this was a ...
Sat 3rd
12:41Tonge: Clegg acted "very hastily and ill-advisedly" in issuing apologise-or-resign ultimatum
Here's the Press Association report of Baroness (Jenny) Tonge's BBC interview following her resignation this week over controversial remarks about the future of Israel: Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Tonge has claimed her party leader Nick Clegg acted "hastily" in quickly disowning her after she said Israel "would not be there forever". She was forced to give up the party whip after the Deputy Prime Minister told her to apologise or resign hours after her comments to students at Middlesex University were revealed. During a talk at the university, she claimed Israel would "reap what it has sown" if the United ...
The European Union is the world's largest partnership of democratic countries committed to individual freedom and the defence of human rights. But what does it do when one of its members seems to be breaking these principles? The power exists ... Continue reading →
A great dis-service has been done to those in need by the ruling Conservative group in Medway council. Nelson Court The on going saga of Medway's elderly care homes is drawing to a close but not in the way campaigners, including myself, had hoped. Now I know that in politics as in warfare, you cannot win every battle and as much as you believe you are correct and your opponents are wrong there are occasions when it works out the other way. Sometimes the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few - other times the state ...
The Mayor of London has this week confirmed that he wants to shut the London Fire Brigade Museum 1 April 2012, despite the closure costing more than three times the annual running costs of the museum. Meanwhile it has emerged that visitor numbers have tripled in the last six years. Responding to a series of detailed questions from Lib Dem Mike Tuffrey, the Mayor has confirmed that the net cost of operating the London Fire Brigade Museum in 2010/11 was just £81,000, while the cost of closing the museum and storing the collection is estimated to be £276,700. Despite having ...
NT Blog: Provenance of Picture of Mark Fragment Picture is obviously a fake; but is this the fragment under discussion? (tags: bible ) Suzanne Moore at the House of Lords | Politics | The Guardian A sceptic is converted. (tags: houseoflords ) BBC News - Conservative MEP Roger Helmer joins UKIP He wanted his seat to go to a UFO expert. (tags: eu ukpolitics ) Roger Helmer MEP explains why he has defected from the Conservatives to UKIP Tory MPs In his own words. (tags: ukpolitics eu ) The pressure cooker makes a comeback. - Slate Magazine I was vaguely ...
[IMG: 20120303-105022.jpg] In case anyone wonders about what being a Town Councillor involves (after all, the elections are in May for Shipston Town Council) – this was a typical evening. The Town Council has received lots of complaints about street lights not working. Street lighting is the responsibility of the County Council – and there is a phone number and email address on their website to report faulty lights. Even so, at the last Town Council meeting we decided to survey every street light in Shipston to see how many weren't working and to report them. Now the Town Council ...
There is a lack of irony in senior members of the Church of England and others arguing that a redefinition of marriage now, to allow same-sex couples to marry, will lead to polygamy. It already did in 1533. As Matthew 19:6 says about marriage "So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." but this is precisely what Henry VIII had to do in order for him to make his mistress Anne Boleyn become his Queen. Ah, but say the Church of England, God did allow divorce in the bible. Well ...
The current "highest ever" cost of petrol and diesel is leading to the predictable calls to the government to delay the next planned increase in fuel duty. That is akin to asking the government to emulate St Augustine, who famously prayed for chastity, but "not yet." We all know that we must prepare for an economy and lifestyle less based on dependence on oil, and , rather than put off the evil day, a sensible government would seize every opportunity, of which the current high price is one, to encourage alternatives to car use. So the call should be for ...
Scottish Liberal Democrat Conference started yesterday in Inverness and runs until tomorrow (Sunday). Nick Clegg addressed Conference yesterday afternoon; here is his speech in full: Liberals from the Highlands and Islands have always been at the heart of our party. From the late great Jo Grimond and Russell Johnston, great leaders like Bob Maclennan, Charles Kennedy and Jim Wallace in Scotland, to our current team at Westminster, Highland and Island voices have shaped who the Liberal Democrats are. In Danny Alexander and Alistair Carmichael, I have Liberals from the Highlands and Islands with me right at the heart of British ...
Rupert Mathews - a former Conservative councillor in Surbiton - has had his hopes of becoming a Euro MP dashed with the announcement that Roger Helmer has left the Tories to join UKIP. Conservative Home has the story. Mathews has a colourful history in Kingston - but probably an even more colourful one in the East Midlands as Jonathan Calder reports.
I've been contacted by some very worried local residents who are concerned at the statement being made by Western Greyhound on their website about the 576 bus service between Launceston and Bude. The statement implies that the service could be ending. However I can reassure residents that the service will be continuing, but with a different operator. The full story (thanks to the council's top officer on the subject) is this: The Western Greyhound (WG) website is misleading for the 576 service, and this goes for a number of other services that WG have recently lost at tender. WG's service ...
Just brilliant! As a former DD307 student, I empathise completely. Particularly with the bit where Surf Teddy is hiding under his textbook. Oh, and his inability to spell Phenonominololology too [IMG: :)] (Hat tip to Dan at History of the OU for alerting me to its existence and thank you to Eddie at the finance academy for such a creative piece of procrastination!)
Last night at conference, the Scottish Women Liberal Democrats held a special fringe event on "Why Gender Balance Matters in Politics & the Liberal Democrats." It was an evening of mingling with aspiring candidates, elected members, cabinet ministers, Willie Rennie and Nick Clegg. Nick Clegg was late as always, once he arrived, the party started. ...
Most blogs don't make much or any money. I have been running this blog since 2008 and I literally have not made a penny from it. I did have Google Adsense on it for a while and built up a bit of a balance but there is a minimum threshold before they pay out and I never reached it. I also had MessageSpace on here (much to the annoyance of some of my fellow blogging Lib Dems) but again I never actually earned any money from it as I only had it on for a short time and never reached ...
The Council have announced that recycling rates have gone up 1% in the past 3 months. It means we're still sitting bottom of the local authority recycling league. If it seems along time ago that the Conservatives campaigned in local elections that they would boost recycling rates, it's because it was along time ago, 6 years ago. Apart from adding aerosols, apparently spending tens of thousands
Fantasy Shipping Forecast This is SO radio 4! I love it! (tags: funny ) Accurate representation of my relationship with my breasts (tags: boobies ) Apple censoring ebooks that contain links to other webstores (tags: books ) Lego Optical illusions - a set on Flickr (tags: ) Domestic violence blighted my home. That's why I support Refuge | Patrick Stewart | Comment is free | The Guardian Patrick Stewart: made of awesome (tags: feminism ) Torches of Freedom: Women and Smoking Propaganda » Sociological Images "Cigarettes were a symbol of the penis and of male sexual power...Women would smoke because ...
As far as I'm aware there is only one meeting at Blyth Town Council next week Planning and Development Committee, Thursday 8th March, 6pm, at Ebor House If I become aware of any further meetings I'll amend this post.
There is a strange spectre haunting the Liberal Democrat party: a shortage of policy. A few nights ago I was sat in a Liberal Democrat policy consultation meeting, where grassroots members had the chance to talk to senior party figures about what they would like to see the Liberal Democrats pushing for in government in the second half of this Parliament. It was grassroots democracy in action, save for one problem. For many members it was a case of "There's this problem I'd like someone to tackle..." rather than "There's this policy I'd like to see someone implement...". Even with ...
It's International Women's Day on Thursday – and my local paper, The Journal, have asked me to name my top 5 influential women of all time. I know who mine are but who would be yours?
Sat 3rd
08:25LibLink: Paddick - we are putting forward an innovative, radical Liberal Democrat agenda for Londone...
The Lib Dems' London mayoral candidate Brian Paddick was interviewed in The Guardian yesterday. It's a revealing and candid piece in which Brian makes his pitch for the post the paper describes "an office whose holder enjoys the largest personal mandate in Europe - bar the French president". Here are some highlights: On the Lib Dems' London campaign "It's quite obvious where I'm positioning myself and it's to the left of the coalition," he says in an interview with the Guardian. "What we are saying to Londoners is this has got nothing to do with national politics. We are putting ...
As the Welsh Liberal Demorat Conference gets underway in Cardiff, the significance of the date has not escaped anybody. it is of course one year since the referendum in which the people of Wales voted overwhelmingly to give full law-making powers to the Welsh Assembly. It is also the 25th anniversary of Fireman Sam, but that is by-the-by. One article in today's Western Mail caught my eye. It is the report of Ed Miliband's speech at the Scottish Labour Conference in which he called on Alex Salmond to follow the example of the Welsh First Minster in using the powers ...
Anyone passing the new St Joseph's Primary, Park Place Nursery and Park Place Primary schools site in Blackness Road/Glenagnes Road cannot fail to notice the significant progress with the building project. The one issue raised by constituents has been the extent of mud at the site entrance at the top of Glenagnes Road - tackled promptly by the contractor when I raised the concern. The contactor has now issued his fifth newsletter to adjacent residents and you can download this at http://tinyurl.com/schoolsnewsno5.
A few days ago it was the 25th anniversary of the 1987 Greenwich by-election, famously won by Rosie Barnes for the SDP. Not something that many people are commemorating I would think, least of all, you may be surprised to hear, local Lib Dems. The impact of what happened at that time and in the few ...
I started choosing a Sunday music video when I finally got broadband access in October 2007. You can find the choices for 2007 and 2008 here, for 2009 here and for 2010 here. I had intented to add this 2011 summary between Christmas and New Year, but I was not well. Some of these videos have disappeared since I posted them. Where possible, I have edited the post and add an alternative version of the same song. But the moral is clear: enjoy these videos while they are still hot. 2 January 2011 Squeeze: Up the Junction 9 January 2011 ...
