Since moving away from university in Winchester, it's fair to say I haven't been as happy in the Liberal Democrats as I once was. Winchester enthused me, it taught me, I owe it everything. To this end, It's fair to say I've had two wobbles about whether I belong in the party. The more I've thought about it, there just isn't another party for me. I ain't leaving yet. People who follow me on twitter will know after a combination of things, including the tired aftermath of Lib Dem Conference, I really questioned my political beliefs, and whether there was ...

Posted by Andrew Emmerson on

Back in September 2010, I attended a Civic Reception hosted by the Lord Provost of Dundee, in support of the bid by Perth for City status. It was great to learn yesterday that this bid was successful and that, in the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Year, Perth will indeed be the Fair City. Earlier today, I met with Cllr Willie Wilson, the Depute Provost of Perth and Kinross, to pass on my congratulations - see right.

Thu 15th
22:29

Those bins again

Three questions I would like answers to. 1 How come the green waste wheelie bins cost £60 EVERY YEAR, when the council only has to supply them once? 2 How is the recycling incentive scheme being financed? 3 Does anyone else think the blue bags are, well.... a bit smaller than a normal black sack?

Posted by pruebray on Prue Bray

Here follows the official press release from Medway Libdems concerning the failed City Status bid by the Medway towns. It's late and I've been out all day so I'll write a commentary to it tomorrow with response to the inevitable News reports in tomorrows Medway Messenger. PRESS RELEASE 14/03/2012 Already, Medway Conservative Councillors are blaming the LibDems for having snookered their bid for Medway City-Status. But with all the time; money; re-branding and propaganda the Conservative Council have invested in their efforts, and all the hours of involving highly paid council employees, it is difficult to believe that one brief ...

Posted by Chris Sams on The Ginger Liberal from Medway
Thu 15th
22:12

City Chambers tour

Today, I took part in a tour of the City Chambers with a group of University of Dundee students. See right. The Council Officer gave them a really entertaining and informative talk about the city's civic history. It was a very enjoyable afternoon and great to see the interest in Dundee's civic history from the students.

...at least without adequate help for the lowest earners. When the Lib Dems took on the Chief Secretary of the Treasury role in the coalition we knew that when it came to budgets we would have someone at the very heart of making sure that the taxes and benefits would maintain a Liberal Democrat fairness. Rumours have been circulating for a while and coming to a height today that George Osborne is considering dropping the 50p tax rate next week in the budget. If that is true what on earth has happened to we are all in this together? What ...

Posted by Stephen Glenn on Stephen's Liberal Journal

Watch out: Mr Micawber, Scrooge and maybe Oliver Twist could be in town next week. The Friends of Rock Road Library are celebrating the bicentenary of Charles Dickens with a one-man show at the library by local actor Geoff Hales. Mr Hales will be performing dramatised readings from Dickens' works - in Dickensian costume. The show starts at 8 p.m. after a welcome drink. There is no fixed charge but the Friends invite the audience to donate towards their funds, which go back into events such as this. Geoff Hales read English at Cambridge, went away and came back! He ...

Posted by Amanda Taylor on Amanda Taylor

For years my colleagues at The Sutton Trust have been noting how the failure of the British educational/class/economic* system is nowhere more apparent than in the dwindling access to top professions for state school students. Now the satirical gossip website Popbitch is highlighting the increasing social mobility gap in this country between the haves and unlikely-ever-to-haves. Here's a snippet from this week's Popbitch email: How times have changed for England In 1986-87, the England cricket touring party had one player who was privately educated. In the current England squad, two-thirds are privately educated. Being state educated means you are statistically ...

Posted by Stephen Tall on stephentall.org

I went along to the pilot of a new road safety event held at the Armoury on Greek Street, Stockport today. Students from Cheadle & Marple College came to find out about the realities of road safety – as driver and pedestrian. Highlights of the day included the Fire Service turning on en masse to cut up a car – the doors and roof all came off as the students watched, whilst one of the firemen explained what was happening, along with lots of information about how people end up trapped in crashed cars in the first place. Another highlight ...

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

I really should stop reading the Daily Mail as my blood pressure goes up a notch or two every time I read the sensationalist drivel that they publish. Their latest story paints a third of those on Incapacity Benefit as ... Continue reading →

YouGov

I lived without a television for some years. For months after I made this decision I would go to the pub to watch all the big rugby and football games. Yet at the end of it I would often be left thinking what a waste it had been of an evening or a Saturday afternoon. So after a while I gave up doing this. Just occasionally, however, a game provides such drama and excitement that you will always remember it. Such a game was Chelsea's victory over Napoli last night. To get the maximum from a game you have to ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England

Lord help me, quoting Simon Carr twice in two days. What is to become of me? Nevertheless, the Independent's somewhat fuzzy commentator reports on PMQs with Nick Clegg yesterday and notes the following: 'The most revealing exchange suggested that Labour may be losing the argument on the Health Bill. Clegg gave her three bite-sized facts to chew on: 1) Labour was wanting to spend less on the NHS than the Coalition. 2) Sweetheart deals with the private sector were now illegal. 3) There was a new statutory duty to reduce health inequalities.' Absolutely, Simon. Labour is utterly exposed on the ...

Posted by WIT AND WISDOM on Andy Crick

A terrific piece of good news popped into my email inbox today from the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford — and it's good news whether you're an Oxford graduate, or simply wish higher education more generally well: It is with great pleasure that I am writing to inform you that the Oxford Thinking Campaign has now passed its minimum target of £1.25 billion raised for the collegiate University. In fact, recent successes take our running total to almost £1.3 billion. It's a phenomenal outcome to the first phase of the Campaign — which, full disclosure, I worked on until ...

Posted by Stephen Tall on stephentall.org

You can hear the ranks close with a resounding clang. David Laws and Tim Farron have co-written a Guardian article on the party's priorities for next week's Budget: Two tests should apply. First, there is at present no case for a net tax giveaway to those at the top - indeed, the super-rich should contribute more. Now is not the time for a repeat of Nigel Lawson's 1988 budget, which gave away billions to the richest. If this was controversial in the boom of 1988, when the budget was in balance, it would indefensible in the austerity of 2012. The ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England
Thu 15th
21:27

No Oil-Sri Lanka

There's no oil in Sri Lanka. Ah! That could explain why the world's governments aren't doing anything. There is one more chance though. The UN is about to vote on whether to support America in pushing for an investigation into war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan government. Let's hope for justice.

Posted by Maelo Manning on libdemchild, aged 11

A major project comes to fruition this weekend with the reopening of the Kennedy Way pond (opposite the petrol station). The Wildlife Trust, working with South Glos Council, secured a large grant from Viridor the waste recycling company to totally refurbish this pond as a valauble wildlife resource. The pond will be opened at 10 am on Saturday, and the event will be followed by a Spring Clean litter collection along the River Frome, organised by Yate Town Council and Chipping Sodbury Baptist Church. South Glos are providing bags, litter pickers, gloves etc., but feel free to bring your own ...

Posted by Paul Hulbert on Focus on Sodbury, Yate and Dodington

I'm spring cleaning this week, which is a cue for me to have a moan about the dated kitchen appliance design in N.Am. It is as if the industry went into stasis sometime in the nineteen- seventies, around the time the Women's Movement started. I have a fantasy that kitchen white goods are a field ...

Posted by Mira on Mira's Picture

Today's Guardian wisely nominates The Jonathan Meades Collection as "your next box set". So far so good. But when you read the piece, you have to wonder if Laura Barnett is the right person to be reviewing it: I remember, back in 2009, watching my first Meades - a programme about Aberdeen, part of his Off Kilter series of journeys around Scotland - and staring goggle-eyed as he strode glumly about. I felt he told me almost nothing about the silver city, but a great deal about his passion for obscure vocabulary. I switched off halfway through.Still, she does link ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England

Video also available on YouTube. On Sunday night, I joined Lord Avebury in a Westminster Hour programme in the week that marks the 50th anniversary of his dramatic victory in the Orpington by-election of March 15th 1962. We discussed the huge importance of the Orpington by-election in reviving the fortunes of Jo Grimond's Liberal Party after decades in which am almost fatally divided party had come close to disappearing. The Liberal win also caused panic in the Tory ranks and Macmillan sacked 7 cabinet ministers in what became known as "the night of the long knives." Jeremy Thorpe famously quipped, ...

Posted by Chris Rennard on Liberal Democrat Voice

A report on the Guardian website carries the remarkable news that Alan Garner's next book, Boneland, will conclude the trilogy he began with The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (1960) and the Moon of Gomrath (1963): Nicholas Lake, Garner's editor at HarperCollins, called the new book "a masterpiece. It's his crowning achievement, and in the manner of crowning achievements, it makes you reappraise is previous work. So there's a direct line to Weirdstone, but there's also a direct line to Thursbitch," Garner's 2003 novel for adults, "which means that it unites the strands of his writing in one brilliant capstone. I think ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England
eUKhost

A few residents in Launceston have complained that their new recycling bags are nowhere near large enough for all that they want to put out. I'm asking questions of the council to find a solution. As I've blogged before, there is a new waste contractor for the whole of Cornwall. They have changed various things including bringing in a new system of bags and plastic boxes for recycling in place of the old disposable plastic sacks. But many households, particularly larger families, produce far more recyclable material than these bags hold. In the past the plastic sacks held about double ...

Posted by Alex Folkes on A Lanson Boy

Edward McMillan-Scott, is one of our Liberal Democrat MEPs for Yorkshire and the Humber and a Vice President of the European Parliament with special responsibility for Human Rights and Democracy. I caught up with him for a quick chat at Conference in Gateshead. Elected in 1984 to the European Parliament, he recently celebrated his second anniversary of joining the Liberal Democrats at the weekend. He came to us because of the way the Conservative Party had "abandoned its relationships with mainstream parties in the European Parliament. Rather than follow Conservative MEPs to a group with parties he describes as "vile", ...

Posted by Caron Lindsay on Liberal Democrat Voice

One question that the Labour party is probably asking is, just how long does a LotO need to be in place in order to give a General Election a decent effort? When does it become too late to replace Ed Miliband? Here's a graph of all elections in the last eighty years or so fought by a Leader of the Opposition that has never fought an election before and has never been Prime Minister before. Attlee and Heath both went on to become the Prime Minister after fighting a further election. As both Attlee and Heath were only LotO for ...

Thu 15th
18:59

Headline of the Day

The Shropshire Star wins with: Shropshire judo ace in Japan earthquake scare

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England

A North West England MEP today won a key vote in the European Parliament that will help shape Britain's economic future Liberal Democrat Chris Davies secured cross party support for controversial plans to develop a low carbon economy. By a ... Continue reading →

Posted by Richard Marbrow on Chris Davies MEP

Storylines: - I've loved the "What if...?"s in recent issues, especially the Anderson one, and am sad they've been replaced by Flesh, which I've always found a bit dull. - Dredd is coming along quite nicely; I like the characters in the current storyline, especially Beeny, but they seem to be dragging it out a fair bit. - I am really LOVING Age of the Wolf and its kick-ass female lead, and gender-balanced cast in both protagonists and antagonists - Granny is fabulous. - Nicolai Dante appears to be what he was when first introduced: an excuse for issue-length fight ...

The Times [£] reports on a welcome early success for Norman Lamb in his new role: A fresh row over Britain's employment laws has erupted within the Government after a Liberal Democrat backlash against attempts to make it easier to hire and fire employees... Lib Dem ministers believe that they have killed off an attempt to allow companies to dismiss employees without explanation. Ministers will ask business groups, companies and unions to submit their thoughts on altering unfair dismissal rules but after Lib-Dem intervention the consultation will make clear that the Government has no plans to weaken workers' rights... The ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

The European Parliament will today debate and vote on its report on the Commission's Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy by 2050. The report establishes a policy framework for the EU to achieve a 80-95% reduction in its CO2 emissions by 2050, and it is expected that MEPs will endorse it by a large majority. Sir Graham Watson MEP, who is the Chairman of a global network of MPs and MEPs from all mainstream political parties campaigning to increase government investment in renewable energy and electricity supergrids called the Climate Parliament, as well as a Liberal Democrat ...

Posted by Mark Valladares on Liberal Democrat Voice
Thu 15th
17:45

Community Orchards

If you have been out and about around Ashville Garden you may have noticed some trees have been springing up! I've been out joining up with Halifax in Bloom to lend a hand planting some community orchards. Warley Ward Councillor Keith Hutson is chair of Halifax in Bloom, and he invited me along to the day. He didn't warn me however we would be out in sleet and snow. Once the trees have developed the fruit will be available for everyone to enjoy. It should also add to the biodiversity of the area, and provide some fantastic blossom in the ...

Posted by James on James Baker for Warley Ward

The switch back ride of being a Lib Dem continues. After the sharp downturn in fortunes post the election aided by the tuition fees fiasco and the AV boom and bust, the party seemed to be clawing back some ground and popularity this year until the NHS Bill arrived to send it back down the electoral snake. Now along comes ...

Posted by Greenwich Liberal on Greenwich Liberal

[IMG: Versus logo] Google+ assembled a high-profile panel this week, for a debate on the motion 'It's time to end the war on drugs'. The debate, co-hosted by Intelligence Squared and chaired by Jemima Khan, Associate Editor at the New Statesman, was moved by journalist and author Misha Glenny and human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC. The motion was opposed by the former Executive Director of the UNODC, Antonio Maria Costa, and former Governer of New York Eliot Spitzer. Additional participants took part both in person and via Google+'s hangouts service and included Julian Assange, Ian Blair, Russell Brand and ...

Posted by Ed Long on aldes.org.uk

Kent County Council is due to carry out essential maintenance work on Enbrook Valley, Enbrook Road, Fremantle Road and Romney Avenue (their entire lengths) in preparation for future surfacing. Only one road will be closed at a time. The work will be undertaken on 21st and 22nd March 2012. Work will commence after 7.30 am and be completed before 5 pm. Due to the width of the carriageway it will be necessary to close the roads to all vehicular traffic with a diversion route being in place for the duration of the works, where possible operating under long delay boards. ...

Posted on Tim Prater

The link is to the detailed study on the University of Central Lancashire website.It is important research because it looks at the details of the psychological reports in 126 out of 180 cases in three courts.Obviously this does not read through to the national position precisely, but it gives a good guide.Many of the things revealed about the reports would indicate that the expert involved would

Posted by john on John Hemming's Web Log

It is a tribute to Paddy Ashdown's varied and fascinating careers that even hardened politicos reading his autobiography, A Fortunate Life, do not express regret at how relatively briefly his British political career features in it. Around two-thirds of the book document his times as a Royal Marine, in the Special Boat Service, then as a spy and finally, after time as an MP and leader of the Liberal Democrats, international peacemaker in the former Yugoslavia. Even if his time as leader of the Liberal Democrats had ended quickly in ignominious failure, Ashdown would have multiple impressive legacies to outweigh ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Liberal Democrat Voice

kileyrae: It's not even 5 o'clock. I have no excuses for this. I'm not sure the Irish or Alaskans would be too pleased about this...

I am involved with many Cancer groups and campaigns. Above is my most recent dodgy Movember photo, http://uk.movember.com/about/ My view has always been the same. Everyone deserves the best cancer treatment, free, paid for by the NHS. I know that there ... Continue reading →

Posted by John Leech MP on John Leech MP

The Falkirk Herald who have in the last two general elections been generous in their coverage to all candidates from all parties have, following the trial of Eric Joyce one of the local MPs, finally made their feelings know on the MP who pleaded guilty to assault charges. Publish an open letter from themselves in today's edition they say: "Dear Eric,"In more than 10 years as MP for Falkirk, you have consistently hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons."You retained enough support to be re-elected two years ago but the latest disgraceful episode in a House of Commons bar ...

Posted by Stephen Glenn on Stephen's Liberal Journal

Yesterday, I set out the indictment of our current land-use planning system, which has created a housing crisis, is stifling our economy and leading to damaging environmental outcomes. That's fairly widely acknowledged. It is far less simple to propose an alternative, but below I hope to outline some possible principles as mechanisms for a better planning system that empowers individuals and communities rather than bureaucrats and politicians. The first thing we need to do is to restore the principle that those who suffer the secondary effects of development are compensated. The original Town and Country Planning Act (1947) did contain ...

Posted by Tom Papworth on Liberal Democrat Voice

Rubbish and recycling collection days for much of Launceston are changing in two weeks time. As part of the new waste contract, the new service providers have been given the chance to review all of their rounds and change the collection days if they wished. In Launceston they have done so and some areas which were previously collected on a Tuesday will now be collected on a Wednesday - both for black bag waste and recycling. In order to check what is happening for your property, you should check online by going to the Cornwall Council website here and entering ...

Posted by Alex Folkes on A Lanson Boy

Now we are in Lent and approaching Good Friday when folk on allotments traditionally plat their potatoes my mind has been turning more and more to the need to prepare the plot. I was pleased to notice that David Boyle has published a short book on the origin and traditions of allotments, as he says: ......I wanted to bring the story alive, from Jesse Collings and 'Three Acres and a Cow' to Dig for Victory, and the campaign of direct action that led to the same thing in the First World War - and some very strange byways of twentieth ...

Posted on birkdale focus

As Creeting St Peter Parish Council's Vice Chair and Portfolio Holder for Finance (a much less prestigious job than it sounds), my role is to think the unthinkable, tell people that things are far too expensive or, occasionally, reassure that all is well and that we can do something. Naturally, finding ways to save money without risking the public good is important, so when Suffolk County Council started turning most street lights off, I was keen to bring this to the attention of Council. Unfortunately, they weren't convinced that the investment in meters, which would only become profitable in year ...

Posted by Mark Valladares on The view from Creeting St Peter

For the third Party conference in a row, Liberal Democrats voted for a policy motion covering legal aid and access to justice directly contrary to the Government's legal aid reforms – in the Legal Aid, Sentencing Punishment of Offenders Bill (LASPO) – reaching their final stages in Parliament. Gateshead conference voted to ensure that "the scope of civil legal aid covers appropriate legal help and assistance in categories of law where the issues raised are of substantial importance.. and which cannot be settled by alternative dispute resolution" but night after night I see our Peers voting to remove category after ...

Posted by James Sandbach on Liberal Democrat Voice

There was overwhelming support for Southport MP John Pugh from local Lib Dems after his 'rebellion' on the Health and Social Care Bill (although it seem odd that he should be branded a rebel given he was championing the position taken by the Party as recently as at their conference last weekend) The Liverpool Echo reported Dr Pugh, a fierce critic of the shake-up, said: "This is a risky piece of legislation. "It's a huge centralised risky piece of legislation and people are concerned. "What they're concerned about is implementation, what's going to happen over the next year, because this ...

Posted on birkdale focus

Fascinating to read online about a new poll showing that 68% of British people support the EU's tough economic sanctions against the Iranian nuclear programme. Some Guardian/Independent readers doubtless move in circles in which 'nobody' thinks that Iran's nuclear programme is a threat. This poll shows that most people think that it is. I write here in a personal capacity.

Posted by Matthew Harris on Matthew Harris

Following concerns raised by local people, Keith Holloway consulted residents in Lorna Grove and Dingle Grove on having a 20mph zone for the roads. Keith's survey suggested residents were strongly in favour so we asked the Council to kick off the formal process. In the Council consultation, more than 90% of residents who expressed a view said that they favoured a 20mph zone on the two roads. The evidence we have is that 20mph zones do work in reducing the average speed of drivers by a few miles per hour. That might not sound like a lot but, if there's ...

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

One of our fundamental values as a party is our firm belief in equality. This is why I am member of our party and why I am so proud to be your President. We have always stood for individual liberty and the right to choose how we lead our lives. That's why we came into being in the 19th century to protect the rights of religious minorities, it's why we led the support for equality for women and why we decided before any other major party that civil marriage should be open to same-sex couples equally. The Liberal Democrats in ...

Posted by Tim Farron MP on Liberal Democrat Voice

I've blogged over at LGBT+ Lib Dems Northern Ireland With the Westminster Government announcing its consultation into equal marriage, and the Scottish Parliament currently considering the responses to its similar consultation, once again two speed UK leaves those of us who are LGBT behind in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom where gay couples cannot adopt. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom where men who have had sex with men cannot give blood after 12 months of no MSM sex but ever. And now Northern Ireland is the only part ...

Posted by Stephen Glenn on Stephen's Liberal Journal

Everywhere I look at the moment good Lib Dems are leaving the Party. They feel as though the Lib Dems aren't what they once were. Once we were a peaceful tribe living off the land but giving back to the land. We'd plant seeds and nurture our seedlings until they blossomed into vegetation and then we'd eat it and we'd go again. We'd frolic gayly through the meadows wearing only leaves over our private parts and make love to fellow Lib Dems we'd meet. It was a beautiful time and we were happy. Then suddenly everything changed. We left our ...

Posted by neilmonnery on The Rambles of Neil Monnery

Today Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury strip gets even more cutting on the issue of Texas Abortion Law. To be fair the use if the word rape is inaccurate. As rape has to be the penetration without consent of a penis. However, the emotion scarring may well be the same. The fact that the largely Male republicans in Texas were the ones who passed this law means that the emotional consequences of such an intrusion have probably not been given the weight they deserve. If you are not getting you're regularly scheduled Doonesbury in your paper in the USA. I hope you ...

Posted by Stephen Glenn on Stephen's Liberal Journal

A press release brings the news: The amount of unpaid Congestion Charge and penalty charge notices owed by embassies and diplomatic missions that evade paying the Congestion Charge is now more than £60 million, according to new figures obtained by Caroline Pidgeon, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly Group. Every single Londoner is owed more than £8 by non paying embassies and diplomatic missions... Commenting on the escalating bill owed by embassies and diplomatic missions Caroline Pidgeon said: "Too many overseas embassies are insulting Londoners by evading a charge which everyone else – including the Queen – has to ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack
Thu 15th
12:28

Missiles on Blackheath

Sitting in a cafe by the heath yesterday an agitated customer rushed in and enquired whether the fences that have just gone up on Blackheath were the start of the ICBM installations and whether we would all be safe. One could imagine rumour and counter rumour inflating this story to comical proportions by the time the ...

Posted by Greenwich Liberal on Greenwich Liberal

In the polarised and often exaggeratedUKdebate on the EU, the Lib Dems have often been caricaturised by much of the press and Tory MPs as being unreservedly in favour of greater EU integration or even an 'EU super state'. The truth is of course far more nuanced. That's why a new YouGov/Cambridge cross-country poll out today is so interesting. It shows that a majority of UK voters (53%) support either no further EU integration or a looser arrangement. Only 14% said they wanted more integration. These attitudes span the political divide, with 50% of Lib Dem voters saying they wanted ...

Posted by Pawel Swidlicki on Liberal Democrat Voice
Thu 15th
11:44

Orpington - 50 years on

That's Eric Lubbock winning the Orpington by-election 50 years ago today when the Liberals had just 7 MPs. His win, like other great Liberal and Liberal Democrat by-election, caused shock waves. And what became of the victor? He's now Baron Avebury, fighting for human rights in the House of Lords. Eric has been fantastically helpful over the years to women detained in Yarl's Wood who have been prevented or obstructed from breastfeeding their babies. For that, he's definitely one of my heroes.He blogs, too, about political and personal stuff here. 15th March seems to be a very propitious kind of ...

Posted by Caron on Caron's Musings

The equal marriage consultation is finally out – you can find details on the Home Office web site. For information on how to respond, it's worth reading About Time. You'll find much on there that's Trans-related, as Sarah Brown and myself contributed heavily, but I shall try to get my own draft response up in 24 hours or so for people to look at too. Thiree points I'd like to make about responses: First is do please respond. I'll no doubt be posting repeatedly on the topic so you'll not likely forget and it's running for 12 weeks, but volume ...

Posted by Zoe O'Connell on Complicity

After a week of mournfu resignations - another fine person left this morning, what a depressing week its been - some good news at last. Pauline Pearce, the Hero of Hackney in last years riots, is to stand as a councillor for the Lib Dems. Thank you Pauline. That's cheered me no end. Here's her moment of glory once again

Posted by Richard Morris on A VIEW FROM HAM COMMON

Blog chronicles joy of Belgian kids before crash Heartrending. #fb (tags: death belgium ) Interviews: James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel) Spike reminisces! (tags: buffy buff ) 7 Things You Don't Know About A Special Needs Parent 1. I am tired.... (tags: disability )

Thu 15th
11:00

12 points and not out

Amazingly over 2,800 drivers in London have more than 12 points on their driving licenses and are still being allowed to drive. 12 points 1,596 drivers still driving 15 points 225 drivers still driving 20 points 23 drivers still driving 25+ points 2 drivers still driving – 1 with 25 points and 1 with 30 points! With a Loughborough University showing a clear link between number of points a driver has and their propensity to commit crime it seem beyond bizarre that so many London drivers are not barred from driving when they commit offences. What makes these people so ...

Posted by James Barber on James Barber

Boosting the local economy and local high streets, cutting carbon and making our transport system greener, more reliable and affordable are surely key aims of Liberal Democrats across theUK. Between 2007 and 2010 I worked for the party in Bath. During that time I helped to lead a campaign against increased evening parking charges that the then Conservative-run council was bringing in. I also helped to put together an 8-point plan to boost the local economy during the recession. Included in it was a call for free parking on one day a week to encourage shoppers into Bath. Unfortunately, I ...

Posted by Matt Hemsley on Liberal Democrat Voice

The European Future: The Next Leader of the Free World How a future Europe can become a beacon for liberty and freedom in a post-American world. The Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, described Europe as the "true leader of the free world" when addressing the European Parliament. He spoke eloquently and rather ...

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

Season tickets sales have slumped since price risesPrices up again today despite promised freezeCheap rate for low paid workers delayedParking meters threatened for some town centres Cornwall Council has sold just five annual season tickets in Launceston since prices more than doubled in May last year - and prices have risen yet again today. Season tickets across Cornwall used to be sold pretty haphazardly - with only 13 being sold in the form Carrick at one point. But in North Cornwall in general (and Launceston in particular) the scheme has always been pretty well publicised and well used. That is ...

Posted by Alex Folkes on A Lanson Boy

This Saturday 17th March 2012 at The Chichester Memorial Hall, Sandgate from 10.00am until 12.30pm MOTHERS' DAY Wonderful plants, flowers, chocolates and delicious produce with Mum in mind Stalls include: The Sandgate Bakery - freshly baked bread, pies and biscuits, smoked salmon Juicy Fruits - fresh fruit and vegetables Izzy's Deli - homemade lasagna, soups, meat and vegetarian pies, pizzas and home cooked ham freshly sliced, English cheese Catherine Jordan Cakes - large and small cakes, seasonal fruit pies and tarts, scones and biscuits Old Hall Farm, Brookland - traditionally reared meat & sausages, rare breed lamb & pork and ...

Posted on Tim Prater

It appears the Tories are attempting a sneaky re-write of some very recent, and well-documented, history. What prompts me to say this? Let's look at the FT's Kiran Stacey's report of Nick Clegg's feisty performance at yesterday's Prime Minister's Questions: [Peter Lilley] asked why he was so focused on House of Lords reform when there were so many other more important issues to tackle. Clegg's response was very telling: There are other issues like changing the boundaries which I know are close to his party's heart... The Tories will absolutely hate that. They say the original agreement between the two ...

Posted by Stephen Tall on Liberal Democrat Voice

Since last May, the Liberal Democrats have not had a lot of speaking time at Holyrood. We usually get at most one or two slots in a 3 hour debate. Today is the first time we've actually had the chance to set the agenda in the place. And what issue have we chosen? One which affects lots of ordinary families - affordable childcare. Scots parents pay proportionately more than other parts of the country. It would be wrong to view that only in the context of cuts the UK Government are making to tax credits or child benefit. I suspect ...

Posted by Caron on Caron's Musings
Thu 15th
09:20

Labour in chaos

Amidst all the press reports about chaos and low morale at Labour Party Ed Miliband's new Chief of Staff has now waded in with claims that the party has 'no strategic election'. The Telegraph says that Mr. Livesey made the charge during an angry meeting at the party's Westminster headquarters, when simmering frustration from senior workers erupted into an open row: Sources at the meeting on Monday described it as "carnage" and "a disaster" for Mr Miliband. The catalyst for the outburst was understood to have been the party's sweeping internal reorganisation. Mr Miliband last week announced a new "executive ...

Posted by Peter Black on Peter Black

Womanthology: Heroic: now available on Amazon uk. ... for Twentyfive quid. Looks like it's time to start saving, or scrimping something from another bit of the budget... (tags: comics ) BBC News - Project Barcelona to see BBC open archive for downloads To all the other broadcasters bitcfhing about this: make better programmes and then maybe repeats of BBC stuff wuldn't be more attractive? (tags: telly ) An A from Eton is worth less than an A from Scumbag Comprehensive, and Oxbridge admissions tutors know it WARNING! Contains Torygraph (tags: education ) HUD secretary says a homeless person costs taxpayers ...

To keep the cost down, the increase of £1,000 in the personal allowance this year excluded higher rate taxpayers and over 65's. Also, the higher rate threshold was reduced to bring more people and income into the 40% tax band. The 2011 budget announced an increase in the personal allowance for under 65's by £630 in April 2012, with the higher rate threshold unchanged. The freezing of the higher rate threshold brings more people and a greater proportion of existing earnings into the higher rate band - so-called fiscal drag. This process seems consistent with the aim of increasing the ...

Posted by Joe Bourke on Liberal Democrat Voice

Earlier this week I attended a conference on boosting cycling. Though we don't currently have the sort of money central London is able to put into it, we've been working hard in Stockport Borough and across Greater Manchester on getting more people on their bikes. Cycling isn't for everyone, but if we could get one-in-ten local journeys to be made by bicycle, it would make a big difference to everyone. There was an interesting survey looking at how much people spend depending on their mode of transport. It turns out that – over the course of a month – those ...

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

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. Over 500 party members responded, and we're publishing the full results. Party members give Lib Dems 7 out of 10 for influence within the Coalition How would you rate the extent of the Liberal Democrat influence within the Coalition Government, where 10 is highly influential, and 1 indicates no influence. 1: 0% 2: 3% 3: 11% 4: 8% 5: 9% Lacking influence = 31% 6: 18% 7: 26% 8: 17% 9: 4% ...

Posted by Stephen Tall on Liberal Democrat Voice

Pauline Pearce shot to YouTube fame last summer when she verbally confronted rioters near her home in Hackney. She is now standing for the Liberal Democrats in the Hackney Central by-election. A press release from Hackney Liberal Democrats says, Pauline Pearce is 46 years old. She is a mother and grandmother who has lived in Hackney for 7 years . She is a long time campaigner against gang and knife crime and has started the organisation DS4L - "Do Something for Life". As "Lady P" she hosts a chat show on "Conscious radio" community radio station. She has had a ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

We are witnessing a spate of exits from the Liberal Democrats announced online. While these have been happening intermittently for a while, we've had several in the last week or so. James Graham announced that he was leaving the party, and elaborated that the issue was party politics generally, rather than the Liberal Democrats specifically. Yesterday we had blog posts by Chris Ward and Daniel Furr announcing that they were resigning. No doubt there are many others deciding to leave the party less publicly. From the left and the right there is discontent, but for different reasons. A focus for ...

Posted by admin on Alex's Archives

Cllr Rosenstiel Accepts The Award From Nick Clegg MP Cambridge Liberal Democrats have been recognised nationally with accolades for their contribution to the local economy and work in the city. The group won the Local Government Association's award for Outstanding Contribution to the Local Economy and was declared runner up in the Council Group of the Year award which it won last year. Cambridge City Council Leader, Sian Reid said: "We are delighted to have won these awards. Our long-term attitude to our economy and growth is really paying off for us. This is not a reaction to the recession ...

Posted by Andy Pellew on Focus on Bar Hill

Cllr Rosenstiel Accepts The Award From Nick Clegg MP Cambridge Liberal Democrats have been recognised nationally with accolades for their contribution to the local economy and work in the city. The group won the Local Government Association's award for Outstanding Contribution to the Local Economy and was declared runner up in the Council Group of the Year award which it won last year. Cambridge City Council Leader, Sian Reid said: "We are delighted to have won these awards. Our long-term attitude to our economy and growth is really paying off for us. This is not a reaction to the recession ...

Posted by Andy Pellew on Focus on King's Hedges
Thu 15th
06:02

Lochee Park - good news!

I recently received residents' complaints about the state of the Lochee Park playpark and in particular the loss of the roundabout. I raised this with the City Council's Environment Department and have been advised : "There is a new roundabout that will be going into the play area at Lochee Park in the very near future together with safety surfacing."

The latest unemployment figures show Birmingham outperforming the UK as the only core city to experience a decrease in unadjusted unemployment. The number of claimants decreased by 203 or 0.1% taking the total to 52,135 or 12.9% of the workforce. Acocks Green did proportionately better with a fall of 33 or 0.3% bringing the total down to 1,234 or 10.9% in February. Over the three months to January, seasonally adjusted UK unemployment rose by 28,000 to 2.67m. At the same time employment also rose, by 9,000 as private sector job growth of 45,000 exceeded the fall in public sector jobs ...

Posted by rogerharmer on Roger Harmer