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Since the turn of the year (or, more accurately, since Cameron's Euro non-veto) there has been an increasingly clear Liberal Democratic voice emerging from within Government. The mechanics of a coalition budget have also helped the yellow side of the government in being able to lay out its stall. Differentiating us, our policies and our priorities from our Conservative partners. Not least, of course, our commitment to raising the Income Tax Personal Allowance to £10,000 (and beyond?) by the end of this parliament. Whilst the economic imperative for coalition government remains, there seems to be more willingness to put through ...
... or at least his Correspondence Assistant does. Dear Mr Falchikov, Thank you very much for contacting Nick Clegg about the Government's proposals on communications data. I am replying to letters and emails on his behalf. This is an issue that has clearly generated a lot of interest, and I would like to try to clarify the situation. Liberal Democrats have a long and proud record of fighting to protect our civil liberties. We firmly opposed Labour's illiberal legislation while in opposition, and can be proud of having repealed much of this while in Coalition. Since entering government in May ...
For those who live in Ealing you will know for the last ten days or so that some or all of your waste items have been left, uncollected in the street. This is a very sad affair and due to the very poor service that residents are suffering myself and fellow Councillors Andrew Steed, Harvey Rose and Nigel Bakhai, raised this issue at a meeting tonight with Ealing Council's Chief Executive. A number of things were highlighted during the meeting: Confirmation that 25 percent of roads in Southfield have not had their waste collected this week.Acceptance that their needs to ...
While sensible people are watching TV, drinking down the pub or just chilling out after a day at work there are groups of deranged individuals with clipboards, pens, leaflets and probably rosettes prowling about canvassing or leafletting at the moment. Tory, Labour, Lib Dem or given the number of votes why not all three? Insanity is ...
This post is part film review, part social critique.The two went together so they're getting blogged together. My daughter made me go to see Hunger Games with her, and I'm very glad she did. I knew it would be OK really, as Jennifer Lawrence is watchable in anything. But it has rapidly found its way into my flexible top 100. I was thoroughly absorbed from start to finish - a credible story, credible characters, credible special effects, and gripping music (bought the soundtrack, have it glued to my ears). It's best described as The Truman Show meets Winter's Bone. It's ...
I was disappointed with the difficulty I had in reading a short book in French last year, and my heart sank both last week and today when I realised that a business meeting I had expected would be in English was actually going to be in French. I can use French OK for chatting to Francophone neighbours, taxi driver and restaurant staff in Brussels, or for shopping in Wallonia (the nearest open supermarket on Sunday afternoons is in Hamme-Mille), but doing more significant stuff is a bit daunting. But in fact it was fine. It helped that neither interlocutor was ...
[IMG: 20120411-213326.jpg] All, Shipston Town Council has been creating a Design Statement for future development in Shipston. This is not about supporting or objecting to such development, but about giving suggestions on what the design features that we, as local residents, might like to see when such developments happen. Stratford District Council will give some weight to this when deciding on planning applications. The Public Consultation will begin on Tuesday 8th of May and last for two weeks. The exhibition will be based at Shipston Library and there will be a questionnaire to fill in. The questionnaire will also be ...
Won by The Sun for its: Women have been warned to beware of 'fake nudists' after several females were approached by naked men on a quiet beach.
I notice this morning that the Scottish government has had an advert banned which suggested that the two Pandas at Edinburgh Zoo were a gift to Scotland, when as a matter of fact they are being loaned at what has been described as a "substantial" sum. This embarrassment for the SNP reveals a deeper problem for Scottish independence. Regular reads of my blog will remember that I'm currently writing a dissertation for my Masters on Scotland's ability to project itself in the world pre and post independence. This topic fits straight into that mould, and shows a weakness of Scottish ...
Following complaints about blocked gullies, the Lib Dems have been working on a scheme to get them sorted on Hall Street and Ernest Street in Cheadle, and on some other roads with a similar problem. Because these roads are constantly parked up, gully cleaning is very difficult – the people come along with their machines but if the gully is under a parked car, they can't physically get to it. On most roads, that might happen from time to time, but on some it happens almost every time, with the result that the gullies never get cleared. The solution is ...
Well, I had a tremendous time at Eastercon. The unprecedented fact that it had sold all available memberships beforehand boded well; and the hard work put in by the team paid off in almost every way. I was on three panels and attended about half a dozen more. I enjoyed my three visits to the Green Room for panel participants. On one of those visits I found myself sitting at the same table as three of the Guests of Honour, Paul Cornell, Tricia Sullivan and George R.R. Martin. One of my co-panellists, awestruck, asked GRRM how on earth he manages ...
In my day job I work for the British Psychological Society. We have our Annual Conference in London next week and we are inviting bloggers and people from charities and pressure groups with a particular interest in the topic to three sessions. They are... A symposium on people with intellectual disabilities (also called learning disabilities and previously known as mental handicap) and sport. It will look both at how seeing athletes with intellectual disabilities taking part in elite sport may change the public perception of the public perception of people with intellectual disabilities in general and at how taking part ...
The good denizens of Unlock Democracy today unveiled their latest VoteMatch venture to aid Londoners to make up their minds which way to vote. To my relief, I should apparently vote for Brian based on his actual policies for London, and not just because he's a Lib Dem. My second preference should go to the independent candidate Siobhan Benita. Unfortunately for them both, I'll be voting in Oxford on 3rd May instead. Here's my voter profile. I'm troubled by how high up the BNP are in my list — especially as I agreed with the opening statement that a multicultural ...
Did you know - unlike those Councils run by Labour or the Conservatives, every single Liberal Democrat council in England has frozen it's council tax? Here in Bar Hill Conservative-controlled Cambridgeshire County Council has chosen to raise their share of Council Tax for everyone so even though some Parish and District Councils (including Liberal Democrat Controlled Cambridge City Council and your local Bar Hill Parish and District Council) have not opted to raise Council Tax the bills for every single household in Cambridgeshire will rise. Also, according to the Local Government Chronicle, Liberal Democrat councils are twice as likely to ...
I am currently reading The Invention of Murder: How the Victorians revelled in death and detection and invented modern crime by Judith Flanders. It is a book that chimes with my belief that the 19th-century Britons were far more more exciting and exotic than it has long been fashionable to believe. Matthew Sweet's Inventing the Victorians is devoted to just this thesis. On the train home this evening I came across a passage in Flanders' book that has an eerie contemporary resonance: Before 1829, changes to the parish and watch systems had been blocked by a coalition of right-wing 'county' ...
Read my local council blog about Sutton council leader Sean Brennan stepping down after ten successful years, by clicking here.
Apologies for the lack of updates - one way or another campaigning got in the way of blogging! [IMG: 6844455484_71373506a0_z] Anyway, with the local elections in Reading just a few weeks away we're all very excited to be backing hardworking local campaigner James Moore (centre of picture alongside Cllr Glenn Goodall and Cllr Daisy Benson) as the Lib Dem candidate for Redlands on May 3. [IMG: 7060030271_38e1125c53_z] About James James lives in central Reading and works for a major software company in South Reading. An experienced and energetic community activist, before moving to Reading a few years ago James volunteered as ...
Wed 11th
19:58
Labour's not-so-very-local election broadcast shows how unimportant local decision-making is to Ed M...
Tonight's Labour local election broadcast, starring telly's very own Lord (Robert) Winston, climaxes with the rallying cry: On Thursday May 3rd, vote NHS, vote Labour Exactly how voting Labour then will help the NHS isn't explored — not surprisingly, because it won't. There's a reason these elections are called local elections, after all. Before highlighting Labour's misleading tactics I thought I should first check out the Lib Dem record on fighting local elections. I have to say I was expecting to find comparable examples, times when the party leadership had called on citizens to cast their vote not in order ...
I may put this one up on Kindle/Smashwords tomorrow, but I'm too tired to post it to those sites now. Incidentally, DailySF turned this down because they'd just purchased another story that was quite similar, so if you see something along the same lines showing up there in a month or two, nobody ripped anybody ...
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Nick Clegg has been promoting his new deal with the six biggest energy companies which will mean that every consumer will receive a statement every year telling them if they'd be better off on a different tariff and how to change things. It's part of what seems to be a strategy to debunk the idea put about by George Osborne and the Tory right that you can't be green and have a growing economy at the same time. It makes sense that if we use our resources carefully, costs come down and that benefits everybody, business, consumer and the environment. ...
This afternoon I attended the 'pasty tax summit' organised by John Endacott of the accountants firm Francis Clark in Truro. He had brought together VAT and tax experts, pasty manufacturers and politicians to look for a way forward in the debate about the imposition of VAT on pasties. The manufacturers told us that they thought the imposition of the pasty tax would lead to a loss in sales of 15-20% and this would have a consequent knock-on effect on jobs and the amount of money in the Cornish economy. Firms which had been planning to open new shops said that ...
This is a reblogging of a note that is being shared on facebook. It's very sobering and well worth reading: By Julia Maddera, Georgetown University '13 To the first man, who I met by the Eiffel Tower my second week in Paris, when I didn't know better. Who took me out four times, who waved little red flags that I tried to ignore. Like asking me outright if I was a virgin on the first date, like calling me five different pet names when I'd asked him not to throughout the second, like saying he'd heard that feminists were not ...
We are hearing that the application for extended hours has been refused. We are just waiting to confirm
On board Eurostar, homeward bound after a Parisian Easter break, I am, as always, full of praise and affection for La France. In the area where we were staying, activity on behalf of the Socialist candidate, for the forthcoming Presidential election, was omni-present. I collected a sheaf of leaflets and lettters politely profferred in markets on his behalf. I have little knowledge of French politics, but I can safely say that the 12th arrondissement of Paris is securely in the bag for François Hollande. Yesterday's Figaro described the extraordinary global nature of the French elections, with voting taking place in ...
I have today thanked the prompt action by NHS Tayside to ensure a large graffiti eyesore in the grounds of Ninewells Hospital gets cleaned up. Following complaints from residents of Pasteur Lane in the Ninewells Hospital grounds about extensive unsightly graffiti on the large gas sub-station nearby, I contacted NHS Tayside about the concern. I am indebted to NHS Tayside for taking up the matter to get the very extensive graffiti removed. The Head of Site and Support Services at Ninewells Hospital has now advised me : "...that this is now being arranged to be repainted with approval from the ...
Last night at West End Community Council, Ian McKay, Scottish Affairs Manager at Royal Mail, spoke to a well-attended community council meeting on the continuing concerns that the Community Council and I have with mail collection, following the closure of the Crichton Street Collection Office. Although the Edward Street depot is handy for some West End residents in the Blackness/Milnbank area, for many West End residents it is not a convenient location. It is not an easy walk for an elderly person travelling by bus. From both the 17 and 22 services' routes, the walk is hilly in places. Significantly ...
By Lesbian, Gay, Bi & Trans 'sector' standards, Stonewall is a great big organisation with a turnover in the millions of pounds. It proclaims its mission as equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual people, and attracts flak from a number of directions: not least for being almost entirely focused on lesbians and gay men, and only remembering the existence of bisexuals now and then. Usually, they remember the bis when there is the prospect of money involved. This has been going on a long time; when I first dipped my toe into queer activist circles in the early 1990s, I ...
Hampshire County Council has launched a consultation on school places in Winchester – looking at three options: Option A: Primary provision as part of The Westgate School Create a 420 place primary provision on the Rotherly site adjacent to The Westgate School, and change the age range of the school so that it caters for pupils between the ages of 4-16. Option B: The expansion of existing primary schools Expand a number of existing schools in the Winchester area. Option C: Alternative proposals (sic) Hampshire County Council would welcome proposals for viable alternative options. There are basic criteria these would ...
Is it Leyton Marsh or Leyton Marshes? It seems to be known as both. So, I have no idea what stance, if any, has been taken by Liberal Democrats in Hackney regarding Olympic construction on Leyton Marsh(es) I write about this as myself and not as a Lib Dem. I am not a fan of anything that involves the Occupy movement. I understand that the Olympics will bring great pleasure to millions of people and will doubtless be a great success. Working in the past for a utility company, I often sought planning permission to do things on green ...
We're not so used to the Guardian saying nice things about Liberal Democrats these days, but Dave Hill is full of praise for the London Liberal Democrat Manifesto for the Mayoral and Assembly elections which was launched yesterday, calling it liberal, progressive and bold. This is what he has to say about policing and transport proposals:Mayor Paddick would give each London neighbourhood its own "plan for policing," with local residents and businesses having input into policing priorities in their areas. His "Paddick patrols" of community groups and residents associations would act as the "eyes and ears" of the police on ...
Having pointed out before the increasing popularity of ever shorter forms of writings (from lots of words to a few words to no words), it is worth taking a look at what is happening with the long(-ish) form of online writing – blogging. The latest global figures from Neilsen show the same picture as in previous years: a steady upwards march in the number of blogs, hitting 173 million in their latest blog survey - with over half the bloggers female. Bloggers are not just bloggers. As Neilsen reports, "Bloggers are active across social media: they're twice as likely to ...
Wednesday: It's all about tax returns, this week. Apparently, HM Revenue&Customs*+* have been SHOCKING Master Gideon with some of the ways that rich people run rings around the taxman. Plus, we've now gotten infected by the American habit of politicians releasing their tax affairs to prove what good citizens they've been. First it was the candidates for Mayor of London, sparked off by Mr Ken Newt saying that anyone who avoided tax didn't deserve a vote. Apparently overlooking that this included himself. Now the contagion seems to have spread to Mr Balloon, Master Gideon and the rest of the Cabinet. ...
We're not so used to the Guardian saying nice things about Liberal Democrats these days, but Dave Hill is full of praise for the London Liberal Democrat Manifesto for the Mayoral and Assembly elections which was launched yesterday, calling it liberal, progressive and bold. This is what he has to say about policing and transport proposals: Mayor Paddick would give each London neighbourhood its own "plan for policing," with local residents and businesses having input into policing priorities in their areas. His "Paddick patrols" of community groups and residents associations would act as the "eyes and ears" of the police ...
As regular readers of my site know, I tend to promote the best of the independent shops and businesses in and around Camborne. I've run this feature for a couple of years now, and have decided to widen the field to include "High Street Heroes". High Street Heroes are the people who don't just turn up to work and go through the motions. They're the shop assistants and business owners who really care about their customers and the impression created by their products and services. The very first High Street Hero is a lady I'm sure most Camborne residents are ...
The latest cash for access scandal may well have highlighted yet again the murky world of party financing and lobbying but overall the UK can pride itself on not being corrupt; Transparency International places it in the least 20 corrupt nations in the World. How does this tally with opinion polls showing that almost three quarters of the British public think corruption is a serious problem in the UK that many consider has got worse in recent years? Whether the public perception is wrong, there is a profound gap between public and expert definitions of corruption or if there really ...
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Did You Make That reports that the BBC are going to be making a sewing competition programme. Sadly this is slightly too early in my skill attainment cycle for me to even consider, but maybe some of you guys would be eligible and fancy it?This is what their press release says: Are you serious about sewing? Is your home full of your own creations? Do people admire your handmade clothes? We're looking for men and women who love sewing to take part in a brand new TV series. From skirts to shirts, blinds to bags; if you're at home behind ...
Chris has asked Herts Highways to look more closely at the pedestrian phases at the junction of Marlborough Road and Victoria Street and at the junction of Lattimore Road and Victoria Street. The results are so far inconclusive but there seem to be excessive waiting traffic times on Lattimore Road and Upper Lattimore Road because the lights have been set to favour the bus route: it is possible that this has been overdone. It also appears that there may be excessive 'red man' pedestrian phases at the Marlborough Road junction.
The Guardian reports today that lobbyists gave MPs and peers over £1.8m in 'perks' to all-party parliamentary groups last year[1]. With just 5% of lobbying activity aimed at Parliament likely to be covered by the government's proposals for a new lobbying register [2], we will still have very little idea how much in total is being spent to influence our politicians or for what purpose. We have just 48 hours to submit our responses to the government's official consultation on their proposals to clean up lobbying. Will you sign our joint letter? http://action.unlockdemocracy.org.uk/lobbying-letter Lobbying affects everything we do, from our ...
The Guardian reports today that lobbyists gave MPs and peers over £1.8m in 'perks' to all-party parliamentary groups last year[1]. With just 5% of lobbying activity aimed at Parliament likely to be covered by the government's proposals for a new lobbying register [2], we will still have very little idea how much in total is being spent to influence our politicians or for what purpose. We have just 48 hours to submit our responses to the government's official consultation on their proposals to clean up lobbying. Will you sign our joint letter? http://action.unlockdemocracy.org.uk/lobbying-letter Lobbying affects everything we do, from our ...
I'm delighted to be joining the advisory board of Liberal Left, a new grouping of Lib Dem members who oppose the coalition with the Tories and are campaigning for radical and socially just policies. Liberal Left was launched at the ... Continue reading →
On board Eurostar, homeward bound after a Parisian Easter break, I am, as always, full of praise and affection for La France. In the area where we were staying, activity on behalf of the Socialist candidate, for the forthcoming Presidential election, was omni-present. I collected a sheaf of leaflets and lettters politely profferred in markets on his behalf. I have little knowledge of French politics, but I can safely say that the 12th arrondissement of Paris is securely in the bag for François Hollande. Yesterday's Figaro described the extraordinary global nature of the French elections, with voting taking place in ...
As you will have seen round the village the replacement of the old Street Lights with the new, energy efficient, ones is well underway with the old lights on parts of the ring-road already having been turned off and removed. The old street lights were affixed with a plastic identify tag with a number for that light (which when combined with the street) was unique. This tag also had an 0800 number on which to report a fault. The new lights have a sticker instead (which is less likely to be broken off) and the contact number has changed to; ...
My recent trip to the UK reminded me just how difficult the economic situation remains for a large number of people. The simultaneous increase in taxes and cuts in services is coming at a time when it is clear that many, if not most, pension schemes need dramatic increases in savings in order to provide a financially secure retirement. Those on the left argue that this policy of austerity is counter-productive and that- if anything- government expenditure should be increased through the downturn. Yet the reality is that the global investment markets will not provide capital to fund this spending ...
It's been decided that the sentencing of Suzanne Pilley's murderer, David Gilroy, will be filmed and the footage released to the media in the interests of openness and transparency. This is something that's been welcomed by Willie Rennie, who said: "By televising this, people like Gilroy, who have been found guilty of such a shocking crime, will face a day of reckoning. The public will be able to see justice being done."I kind of see his point, but I also feel very uneasy about it and I'm not sure why. We would know what the Judge said to him, because ...
It is hard not to notice that it is nearly 100 years since RMS Titanic sank. Until this morning, I felt like I had no connection whatsoever with the ill-fated ship. However, when I was reading BBC News this morning, I found that there is a link, slightly tenuous, but a link anyway. For many ...
Friends of the Earth are starting a campaign about bees. There has been a fall off in the bee population and given we need bees to pollinate plants (including food!) this is a potential problem Anyway, the link to the first bit of the campaign is here
Erotic Choose-Your-Own-Adventure | @unfortunatalie Doesn't quite do what it says on the tin. (tags: sexandgenderandsexuality ) In orbit above the blue marble The fantastic video of film from the ISS shown at #Eastercon closing ceremony. (tags: space ) Brownian Motion observed in Milk Another cool science video from @protons4b via @Stephen_curry (tags: video ) The BSFA Awards Excellent commentary from the deputy program head of #Eastercon. (tags: bsfa sexandgenderandsexuality sf ) All Hail Azawad Excellent summary of the few facts known about the separatist movement. (tags: mali maps )
Recently a friend and Labour party member suggested to me that we might be at the end of personality politics. He pointed out that things runs in cycles. After Margaret Thatcher came John Major, after Ronald Reagan, George Bush. He wondered if the the public might have had enough of charismatic leaders like Tony Blair and David Cameron. Putting aside what Ed Miliband might make of this, it is an argument that has some logic. The reality though is that people generally like politicians to have some oomph. Even John Major in his ordinary way wowed the voters by standing ...
The Centre Forum paper Taxing Decisions discusses the pros and cons of tax credits and tax allowances. The report reviews tax options for tackling the income and wealth disparities which have become a feature of British society in recent decades. Reducing the level of inequality benefits everyone in society, rich and poor alike. I would argue that in an inclusive and more equal society, all citizens should pay tax on their income. Means tested benefits have not delivered for us. Child poverty, and unemployment are entrenched with the resulting societal breakdown. The way out of poverty is work. The best ...
'Healthy competition' in the NHS is a sick joke - Torygraph (tags: bloodytories NHS ) The Athlete by Howard Schartz and Beverly Ornstein | viz. The astonishing and beautiful diversity of body types among olympic athletes (tags: feminism ) Erotic Choose-Your-Own-Adventure Reviewed "NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO OH GOD NO MY EYES MY BRAIN THIS IS THE WORST THING I HAVE EVER READ." - this is an extract from the review. Consider yourselves warned. (tags: funny ) Sister Outsider Headbanger "If saying that I'm a metalhead and a feminist sounds like a contradiction, then saying that I'm ...
Liberal Democrat leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has just been on BBC Breakfast talking about the deal that the Government has reached with energy companies which will save many households £100 a year on their bills. Under the plan, consumers would be written to annually and told if a different tariff would save them money. Nick explained that seven out of ten households were paying too much because they were on the wrong tariff and this idea would save them money. He acknowledged that this alone would not solve all the problems in the energy market but he ...
I believe that party politics should work like this: people come together who share values and ideals. They formulate policy based on these values. These policies are implemented when in power. Compromises are always necessary and so these can be made providing they are based in the values of the members of the party. In ...
[IMG: Poll piechart] The latest quarterly update to my spreadsheet of opinion poll data from 1943 is now up at: http://www.markpack.org.uk/opinion-polls/ You can also sign up on that page to get email notifications about future updates. Aside from another three months of data, this update includes: Missing TNS-BMRB data for 2010 Parliament added. (Thank you to Nick Howat.) Missing Opinium data for May 2010 - March 2012 added. (Thank you to Adam Drummond.)
Remember all the stuff Liberal Democrats such as Vince Cable have been saying for years about how our tax system catches too much income and not enough wealth? You know what – I believe that, and I haven't suddenly forgotten it in the last few days. So the idea that somehow getting people to publish their tax returns really gives you a sense of how well-off they are is as flawed as the idea that the tax system those returns illustrate manages to catch how well-off you are. For the same reason that the tax system is out of kilter, ...
Iran has said it supports the UN special envoy Kofi Annan's Peace Plan for Syria, which is a welcome development and highlights the fact that any workable settlement may only be possible with Iran's active diplomatic engagement. Tehran has long been Bashar al-Assad's closest ally and one of the reasons it was able to endorse ...
Liberal Democrat leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has just been on BBC Breakfast talking about the deal that the Government has reached with energy companies which will save many households £100 a year on their bills. Under the plan, consumers would be written to annually and told if a different tariff would save them money. Nick explained that seven out of ten households were paying too much because they were on the wrong tariff and this idea would save them money. He acknowledged that this alone would not solve all the problems in the energy market but he ...
This week's tune had competition from Brian Cox in this D:Ream days, M People, Phil Collins, Tori Amos, The Beautiful South and Primal Scream... ...but the selected act are Ireland's finest band named after a type of fruit, The Cranberries. Here they are with Linger: Andrew
The Guardian reveals that businesses, overseas governments and lobby groups have given sponsorship, free gifts and funding worth at least £1.8m to MPs and Lords in the past year through all-party parliamentary groups. These groups are a key avenue for lobbyists and other interest groups to exercise influence on policy and legislation so this kind of transparency is important. However, because largesse is not linked to a particular MP or Lord, it is difficult to measure exactly how it operates to change things. The paper says that more than 300 all-party groups, which are semi-official groupings of MPs and Lords ...
