With Chelsea playing Spurs in an FA Cup semi final tomorrow, here is a reminder of how they won at the same stage in 1970. And I was there. The game was played on the neutral ground of White Hart Lane. It's a bit tough on Watford that there goal is not here - it equalised Chelsea's first goal, if I read correctly. Note how poor the pitch was, though the one at Wembley for the final was even worse. I was there too, but didn't go to the replay at Old Trafford. There Chelsea finally overcame Leeds United. If ...
Today, I made a commitment after one or two tweets with fellow twit (it's an endearing term alright!) @SpinelessLib and getting him to commit to pestering me to carry it out. The commitment being to blog/write an article every single day of the next year or as I tweeted: #oneposteveryday. Either way, this risks making ... Read more
Fri 13th
22:50
On THAT insulting Economist front cover which disgracefully pokes fun at a proud country for its fin...
I mean how DARE they? How very dare they: The Economist, 27 Jan 2011 Elsewhere, the magazine-which-calls-itself-a-newspaper has analysed the prospects of Scotland if it decides to declare UDI from the United Kingdom. It has produced a terrifically balanced assessment accompanied by this typically provocative — and funny — front cover, which (among other satirical name-changes) coins 'Edinborrow (Twinned with Athens)', and its leader article concludes: If Scots really want independence for political or cultural reasons, they should go for it. National pride is impossible to price. But if they vote for independence they should do so in the knowledge ...
It is now over two weeks since I asked Herts Highways to turn back on the street lights illuminating 13 sets of steps on the Silk Mill Estate in Tring. Despite the fact that I told them that one unfortunate woman who works late in a restaurant fell down a set of steps in Kingsley Walk when she came home after midnight, they haven't exactly rushed to put right their mistake. The lamps are still going off at midnight. However, after chasing Herts Highways again this morning, I got a phone call back this afternoon to say that the lamps ...
An articles in the North Devon Journal notes that it is 20 years since Nick Harvey won back Jeremy Thorpe's old seat for the Liberal Democrats. Nick talks about the way the constituency has changed over the years - and also the way his career has changed: Since becoming a minister Mr Harvey said he still splits his time between London and North Devon in largely the same way but his time in London is, "spent vastly differently." "As a minister I'm able to make representations behind the scenes and meet other ministers as an equal," he said. "Although it's ...
Lib Dems in Southport have been in the forefront of the campaign for a fairer deal on public transport locally. At the 28 March meeting of the Southport Area Committee, Cambridge Ward's Pat Keith raised the issue of the 40% increase in Arriva Child Bus Fares. She successfully persuaded the councillors to unanimously back a motion calling for Arriva to rethink the massive increase. Now my Birkdale Ward colleague Councillor Shaw has carried out an investigation which reveals that Arriva charge higher bus fares in Southport and Formby than they do in Liverpool. "I think it's absolutely disgraceful. Our local ...
Sir Olly C – The facts as they are presented in the cold light of day m'lud Some people have raised the issue of why there is no real uproar on social media sites about the conviction today of Sir_Olly_C, the tweeter who has been jailed for using the 'C' word at councillors on Bexley Council. ...
The toddlers play area at Bruntwood Park should be open again soon. Work to improve the drainage problems has been undertaken, with further work scheduled soon. This will include re-laying of grass mat tile, re-seeding etc. It's a real shame that the drainage problems have occured – we raised the issue with Council officers as soon as we became aware of it. Fingers crossed it is properly sorted now and we get the great new toddler play area we should have in Bruntwood Park.
The Lib Dems have pointed out that the local Tories have been pressing for the Council to look into dimming and turning off streetlights (we campaigned against the Tory plan – thank you to everyone who supported us). We've also exposed the Tory proposal to take money away from Cheadle and Gatley and spend it all in Heaton Moor – something our local Conservative councillor voted for in February. The Conservatives, in their latest leaflet, want to persuade you that we're lying. Unfortunately for them, we're telling the truth and we can prove it! Turning off and dimming streetlights Twice ...
Just a quickie today. Also, I've not been receiving email notifications for some of the comments that have been being posted here, recently — I only noticed Jennie's comment on the story the other day because I was doing some blog admin stuff and it was at the top of the list. If I've not ...
Some rules are made to be broken! You won't be able to read the small yellow sign on this stile which stands all alone in the middle of a local field. It simply instructs you, "Keep to the path". It was one of my early sights in a four day Easter trek which enabled me to enjoy the local countryside and rejoice in the area we live in. It was a walk which also introduced me to some tourists who expressed delight at the variety available to them on their short break – walking the coast at Craster one day, ...
Plans to name a road after Garston hero Harold Newgass are now all sorted. In about six months time we should have a ceremony to mark the naming of Harold Newgass Drive. I'll blog again when I have all the details but this is great news and a result of an initiative originally suggested by a local man and pursued by myself and colleagues in Council.
I blogged earlier about a group of parents in Cressington who'd got together to set up in their own premises. Well Crafty Corner, their initiative on Garston Old Road has an official opening ceremony later this month. Its at the end of a parade of shops (hence corner) and its going to include art and pottery (hence crafty). The whole thing sounds great and I'm really looking forward to seeing it get going
Now frankly, I don't smoke, never have, never will. I can't though see any mileage on blank cigarette packets, what would that achieve? Do people really smoke because of coloured writing on a packet? Would a white packet stop teenagers ... Continue reading →
I'll undoubtedly be accused of wearing yellow-tinted spectacles but I honestly thought Brian Paddick won last nights' London mayor hustings before a 500-strong mainly black audience, with Ken Livingstone coming a close second. The event began with barnstorming bursts of ... Continue reading →
Yesterday a rather impressive Twitter storm raged after it was discovered Anglican Mainstream and the Core Issues Trust were going to mount a counter bus ad campaign to Stonewall's famous "Some people are gay. Get over it" ads. These have recently reappeared on buses thanks to Stonewall's new marriage equality campaign.
Yet another of the sff books with an Irish setting which I've had hanging around the shelves for a while, the second of a three-part YA series about a sassy American girl from Seattle who is in training to become a fairy godmother, and is sent to a mid-1990s Ireland for a learning experience involving legendary figures plucked both from the more respectable sources of lore and from Yeats and placed in the gritty tail end of the twntieth century. Scarborough's handling of Northern Ireland is not terribly adept and her geography elsewhere but she is clearly trying hard with ...
I'm not sure sure that I support the backlash against George Osborne's proposals to cap the amount an individual can give tax free to charity at £50 000 or 25% of income. "Charity" in the UK covers a very wide range and includes public (ie private fee-paying) schools, including Eton et al, posh opera at Glyndebourne, as well as the Oxfam, Save the Children and other more obviously worthy causes (although, incidentally, Oxfam's campaigning arm is not regarded as being charitable.) It is a government's duty to spend money on what economists call public (eg street lighting, defence, public order) ...
A story in the Standard alerted me to what the paper calls a "ban" on alcohol at a London university. The story suggests that London Metropolitan University (LMU) plans to "ban" alcohol from part of its campus, in deference to the sensibilities of those Muslim students who don't drink alcohol. It goes on to explain that LMU's vice-chancellor, Professor Malcolm Gillies, is "considering replacing one of the bars on campus with a coffee shop", in line with what students (including some Muslims) might want. So nothing is being "banned", least of all alcohol, and least of all at the ...
The Economist is a serious magazine, but it is also known for a sense of humour. The latest edition carries a pretty well balanced article on the costs of a separate Scotland. There are obvious pros and cons about the idea of independence. I myself, on balance, am against a totally separate Scottish state, but I will admit that there are some positive aspects. It is just that on balance I don't think the potential benefits of independence stack up against the potential costs. Many of my SNP friends obviously think differently- and we have many good natured debates about ...
1. Next week Chris heads to Strasbourg for the plenary session. This means packing a trunk of everything you might need – pens and paper included – today (Friday) ready to be taken and shipped down in advance. Along ... Continue reading →
FROM: Kenneth Spotlessnob TO; All TESV I'm just updating you on our progress to responsive excellence via the TESV reorganisation. With the support of all of you, for which I'm really grateful, we're making excellent progress and three senior appointments have been made. Congratulations to Neil Balderson who is our new Senior Deputy Director of Transformational Excellence and Strategic Vision; Dale Brashcon as Strategic Deputy Director of Transformational Excellence and Strategic Vision; and Danni Worrall who is our new Head of Strategic Vision Commissioning. I'm sure you'll all be looking forward to working with them. I'm also pleased to say ...
It's Friday. It's five o'clock. Here's a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week: 5 most-read stories on LDV this week Reading Labour Party leaflet's "born and bred" racist innuendo: will Labour now apologise and withdraw it? (68 comments) by Stephen Tall Tim Farron replies to Lib Dem members' letter: "Britain must be more liberal and free as a result of Liberal Democrats in power, not less" (32 comments) by The Voice An open letter to Lib Dem party president, Tim Farron: Concerns over our liberal identity and mission in government (48 comments) by The Voice Mary Ann ...
Main poster for the XVI Games The main competition for the 1956 Games came from Buenos Aires, Argentina and was decided by a single vote on the 4th Round for voting at the 43rd IOC Session in Rome, Italy. Eliminated after the first round were Chicago, Minneapolis, Philadelphia and San Francisco all in the USA. Mexico City after losing 6 of its nine first round votes was eliminated after round two and Los Angeles and Detroit were eliminated after the third round. All six USA cities totalled 10 votes in the first round which would have been more than Buenos ...
When you are down it is easy to think of how horrible and unfair the world is. Yet in reality the sanitised world that the vast majority of those who ever stumble across this post live in is nothing compared to what it really out there. I haven't travelled the world and my spectrum is rather narrow but I know that I'm incredibly lucky compared to the majority of people on the planet. This afternoon I was going through videos on YouTube – mostly The Voice auditions but then I came across an audition by Sung-bong Choi on Korea's Got ...
Details of this planning application can be found by following this link: The case officer is Geoff Whitington - please email comments and objections to him at geoff.whitington@lewisham.gov.uk, and don't forget to copy us in at foresthill@lewishamlibdems.org.uk
Fri 13th
16:53
#ForestHill planning consultation: 9 - 13 THE FACADE, DEVONSHIRE ROAD, LONDON, #SE23 3HA
Details of this planning application can be found by following this link: The case officer is Tabitha Lythe - please email comments and objections to her at tabitha.lythe@lewisham.gov.uk, and don't forget to copy us in at foresthill@lewisham.gov.uk
Details of this planning application can be found by following this link: The case officer is Tabitha Lythe - please email comments and objections to her at tabitha.lythe@lewisham.gov.uk, and don't forget to copy us in at foresthill@lewishamlibdems.org.uk
...as we make an entry into the @MyBlogworld 'Poetry Daily' with this blog post. Thank you, I'm very touched.
The teams for the 2012 Tour de France have been announced. As always the top 18 pro teams in the world are systematically selected to take part so that means: AG2R Le Mondial (Fra)Astana Pro Team (Kaz)BMC Racing Team (USA)Euskaltel - Euskadi (Spa)FDJ - Big Mat (Fra)Garmin - Barracuda (USA)Greenedge Cycle Racing (Aus)Katusha Team (Rus)Lampre - ISD (Ita)Liquidas - Cannondale (Ita)Lotto Belisol Team (Bel)Movistar Team (Spa)Omega Pharma - Quickstep (Bel)Rabobank Cycling Team (Hol)Radioshack - Nissan (Lux)Sky Procycling (GB)Team Saxobank (Den)Vanconsoliel - DCM Pro Cycling Team (Hol)There are also four invites from the organisers.Argos - Shimano (Hol)Cofidis, le crédit en ligne ...
This month marks a clutch of anniversaries ranging from the sinking of the Titanic 100 years ago to John Major's astonishing election victory in 1992. More tumultuous events were taking place in Europe that same year, notably the escalation of war in Yugoslavia. While a 6-week conflict had marred Slovenia's break-away from Belgrade the previous year, Croatia's bid for independence quickly became ugly. It was, arguably, the announcement of independence by Bosnia-Herzegovina in March 1992 which triggered the most vicious and intractable conflict since World War II. At its heart, was the cruel siege of Sarajevo which lasted almost four ...
Free speech is something we all hold dear in this country and (nearly) all of us in would fight to the bitter end for it. Today that free speech was well and truly kicked up the backside by the judiciary. Tweeter @Sir_Olly_C was today found guilty of section 127 offence under the Communications Act of 2003 ...
Frank Field MP addressed Wirral Council's Cabinet asking for all-party support for his proposal. He wanted to set up a free school in Birkenhead, providing a service from the twelfth week of pregnancy. Frank Field hoped that the free school proposal would also attract extra money from other sources. Mr. Field talked about his visits ...
If you are going to publish your tax returns, it is a good idea not to leave out £41,800 of earnings. But that's what Ken Livingstone has done. Or to put it another way, for every £1 that Ken Livingstone originally said he earned in 2008, he now says he earned £3. And the explanation from his accountant who we were told had verified the previous figures? The answer from the Livingstone campaign on that one is slightly plaintive: the accountant wasn't aware of the money. Doesn't make the accountant's verification of Ken Livingstone's published figures sound that meaningful, does ...
There's a battle on across the country, to elect people who will respond to the needs of their local communities, who will fight to protect vital services for vulnerable people. Liberal Democrats without local elections don't have to be spectators. If you do travel to campaign in another area, your help is especially valuable. It's not just the help you'll be giving: knocking on doors and delivering leaflets. Morale is important in a campaign. If you offer help from outside, you'll give them a real boost. Just by coming and helping, you will make things happen that otherwise wouldn't have ...
It was confirmed at last night's Highways Joint Members' Panel, effectively the highways committee covering St Albans District, that under Conservative Party plans the public will lose their right to present petitions to members and officers. In future, it is likely that petitions will be handed to the local county councillor – probably by e-mail. Objections to traffic orders will similarly be dealt with behind closed doors or on-line. Chris White strongly objected to the move: 'Transparency is a vital part of democracy and this is to be removed. Local residents who want action or wish to object to something ...
With only three weeks left until polling day, and possibly no more than six until the postal votes begin winging their way to voters, April 12th was a good day to get a shot-in-the-arm election win. With four by-elections over the course of the week, the Lib Dem defence up in in Darlington leapt out as a prospect. The circumstances surrounding the election in Hurworth ward were complex, Group Leader Martin Swainston was controversially disqualified for non-attendance due to a compelling family issue. Martin was re-selected to stand again, and began the campaign with visits to local town councils and ...
Fri 13th
13:54
Cameron: Telegenic. Intelligent. Cool under fire. Magisterial in the House of Commons.
Interesting article from Conservative Home's TimMontgomerie. In The Guardian today, one sentence leapt out to me though:"He's telegenic. Intelligent. Cool under fire.Magisterial in the House of Commons.1) Telegenic - if you think a flat faced, smooth skinnedpointy nosed man telegenic well, each to their own. Jenson Button, Matt Smith,David Beckham to name but a few are telegenic. Cameron is not. That is not anargument for or against leadership of a political party. Ming Campbell was agood leader for us Lib Dems and stabbed in the back by the Orange Bookers -look where that got us.2) Intelligent - mmmm. What intelligence ...
How do you define abroad? For some, as we are an island state, the term is often interchangeable with overseas. But seeing as we are the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland those of us in the Northern Ireland branch of the Liberal Democrats didn't think the term applied to us. Yesterday myself ...
Chris is pressing for improved zig-zag prohibitions outside Loreto College to make it safer for pupils to cross the road when coming to and from school. Apparently it could take as long as six months for county and district to get round to dealing with the legal and practical side of installing these.
Northstowe Proposed Development The Northstowe Parish Forum has just received an update on the Frequently Asked Questions relating to the new development. I've extracted the list and duplicated it below; Why do we need Northstowe now? The Council has a duty to deliver housing to meet an identified need. A percentage of these new homes will be 'affordable' and will accommodate some of the large number of people on the Council's housing lists. In planning policy terms the principle of Northstowe has been established for a number of years and this latest application seeks to comply with the policy requirements ...
Here is the Liberal Democrats' 2012 English local election broadcast, first shown earlier this week. * Caron Lindsay is Wednesday editor at Lib Dem Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
One of my favourite singers, Miss Amy Lee of Evanescence, once wrote a song with the lyrics "This is the last song I shall waste on you." In a similar vain this is the last post I'm going to waste on Councillor Jarrett's comments on City status. Firstly I should say that the failed bid increasing Medway's status Nationwide is a good thing and I'm pleased this has had the happy bi product/However there has been a lot of negative press generated by the Council during the procedure. Dare I bring up the Trading standards ruling (how much did that ...
[IMG: The Pod Delusion] Aldes Committee member Dr Jenny Woods appeared on the latest episode of the Pod Delusion speaking about her opposition to the proposed plans to increase the scope of state interception of communications. In a discussion in which she argues that solutions to the social and human problems of crime and terrorism lie 'more fearless, more open communication' she explains: We are familiar with the chilling effect that libel laws have on debate. This could have a chilling effect on communication and web use. What about the isolated gay teenager who wants to post for support on ...
I have a lot of friends standing for the Liberal Democrats in the Council elections across the whole country. I just thought it might be a good idea to write a bit about some of them from a personal, rather than a political point of view, just to give you a snapshot of what they're like as people. So, every week day from now until May 3rd, I'll tell you something about how I know them and why I like them. So, let's kick of with Kris Chapman, not least because it was his birthday yesterday and he'll still be ...
Here is the original wording of the letter I wrote to the Medway Messenger concerning the overspend on the Stoke Crossing and appeared on the 13th April 2012. Sturdee Avenue, Gillingham KentDear Editor,I am writing with regards the Council's overspend of approximately £1.2m on the Stoke Crossing. (Featured in Monday's Paper "A Bridge to nowhere or money well (over)spent.") How can the Council continue to overspend on projects like this? This is yet another example (The bus station, Medway park, photocopiers, Woodlands school to name a few) of the Council being reckless with our Council taxes and what makes it ...
Lilla, the Countess of Chichester, died on 7 December 1911 at the age of 74 at Enbrook in Sandgate. Her support and generosity to the village prompted the residents to raise the necessary money to have the Chichester Hall built to celebrate her life and act as a lasting memorial. The Sandgate Men's Club was founded in February 1895 and called St Paul's Working Menʼs Club with the Reverent E V Eustace Bryan as President. In 1914 the club moved to the Chichester Memorial Hall under the auspice of C H Master a lavish contributor to the Hall's building fund. ...
Talk about having it good. Write an article that is going to be controversial and blow-up, get your 15 minutes of fame and get paid dollar bills y'all for writing follow up articles and going on daytime TV to defend yourself. That my friends is how to do it. So most women are jealous of her because of her looks. Interesting. She has come out and defended herself today by saying that her father installed it into her that she was/is beautiful. That is fine. Most fathers tell their daughters that they are beautiful. We can all agree with that. ...
RealClimate: Evaluating a 1981 temperature projection a projection from 1981 for rising temperatures in a major science journal, at a time that the temperature rise was not yet obvious in the observations, has been found to agree well with the observations since then, underestimating the observed trend by about 30% (tags: climatechange ) Doomsayers predict end of the euro. Again. "The euro is a long way from both collapse and recovery. But no nearer one than the other." (tags: eu ) The Inconvenient Astrologer Of MI5 | The Awl Horoscopes as black propaganda in the Second World War. (tags: war ...
I guess there always has to be some humility when you see that an opposition candidate has had a bit of a proof-reading failure. After all, it could just as easily happen to you. That said, Labour candidate for the Spotland and Falinge ward of Rochdale Council Shefali Begum will no doubt be very embarrassed after reading her pitch on the Rochdale Online website in which she says: I believe to make a prosperous thieving borough we need united and strong communities which are dedicated and passionate about where they live and their future generations will reside. Whether her campaign ...
Whitney Houston's 'Greatest Love of All'. Part of the series of posts of P's favourite tracks. Keep checking the blog to see what's next, and feel free to share with your friends.
Lord Lundy, who was freely moved to tears and thus ruined his political career. Lord Lundy from his earliest years Was far too freely moved to Tears. For instance if his Mother said, "Lundy! It's time to go to Bed!" He bellowed like a Little Turk. Or if his father Lord Dunquerque Said "Hi!" in a Commanding Tone, "Hi, Lundy! Leave the Cat alone!" Lord Lundy, letting go its tail, Would raise so terrible a wail As moved His Grandpapa the Duke To utter the severe rebuke: "When I, Sir! was a little Boy, An Animal was not a Toy!" ...
A Highly Intelligent Woman Speaks Out « The Practical Free Spirit (tags: ) BBC News - Wind farms 'not major bird mincers' (tags: ) I can no longer remain silent I have the biggest amount of love for this post (tags: trek ) Wollstonecraft by Airship Ambassador — Kickstarter This? This is fabulous. (tags: ) [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Ah, the British media at its best: It is necessary to pick through the reports carefully to determine what actually happened, as opposed to what was hearsay, speculation or blatant invention to increase circulation. In a further complication, most newspapers ... [indulged in] lifting original reports from the previous day's papers, summarizing them and then republishing them as their own material with a slight time lag. They are not producing new information at all: the stories are often garbled or repeating the same inaccuracies. Oh, but not the 21st century or the 20th century. This is the 19th century and ...
Home Office minister Lynne Featherstone writes a monthly column for one of her local newspapers. Here is the latest one, looking at the legal action over people wearing crosses at work. I was walking down Crescent Road in my constituency the other day when a woman came up to me and said something to the effect of, 'I think you are a fantastic MP - but I am so upset that you are banning people from wearing the cross'. So - from the mischievous misinformation from the pages of our print media to my home beat - I am fed ...
Now, I usually take a close interest in politics, but this has come as something of a bolt out of the blue. Apparently, here in Leeds, and in several other large English cities, we will be asked to vote in a referendum on having a directly-elected mayor on 3rd May. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17687751 I must confess I'm at a bit of a loss on this one. I'm initially suspicious of devolving a lot of power to one individual, but then our current system of pretty much invisible councilors electing a largely powerless leader doesn't seem like the paragon of democracy either. The ...
This is article number 1000 on the Localfocus blog, which has been running for a bit over five years. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our regular visitors, and to welcome those who only drop in occasionally. Our most popular pages over the last year have been about local elections, the new Tesco, bus services, the Armadillo youth cafe, recycling and local events. Don't forget that you can use "Search this Blog" in the right hand column to look at past articles, or you can click on a link in the "Find articles for your area ...
THIS (mostly) > RT @emmafreud: Just incase you thought you were unique, the 46 Stages Of Twitter http://t.co/HWzCZMWF # RT @andynairn: First we hailed Him as our saviour, then we crucified Him and now He suffers for others' sins. #easterclegg # @tonybrett Ah, had just emailed you some text and photo. Thx fr best wishes! in reply to tonybrett # @tonybrett I'm so much more man-of-the-people than that tho [IMG: :)] Enjoy the allotment. in reply to tonybrett # @steven_barber Any chance @libdemvoice wd be able to use yr Prince Charles / Tim Farron photo for our next caption comp ...
An article in today's Guardian illustrates how London Mayor Boris Johnson holds all the cards within the Conservative Party when it comes to political judgement. The paper reports that Boris intervened to prevent a Christian advertising campaign from promoting the idea that gay people can be converted to heterosexuality: Just days before the posters were due to appear on buses in the capital, Johnson ordered his transport chiefs to pull the adverts booked by two conservative Anglican groups following outrage among gay campaigners and politicians saying that they were homophobic. The adverts were booked on behalf of the Core Issues ...
Fri 13th
08:05
A question for the Coalition: Would Lib Dems and Tories support the Charity Tax if Labour had propos...
One of the aspects of the furore over the Coalition's Charity Tax that has struck me is that charity is a more divisive issue than I'd realised. Those of us who work in the charity sector probably take for granted that our organisations provide a public good, that the aggregated generosity of donors and the endeavours of staff make for a better society. That's probably a majority view among the wider public, but it clearly isn't a universal attitude. Look at the reader comments on major news websites — for example, the BBC here or the Telegraph here — and ...
Cambridge MP Julian Huppert The government has today announced an extra £12.5 million to fund extra school places across Cambridgeshire. This is part of a £600 million fund to ensure that all children have access to a school place. Julian Huppert, Member of Parliament for Cambridge, said "this new money represents a massive win for schools across Cambridgeshire. For too long central government has ignored the need for new places in growing regions such as ours. Today's announcement, along with the Liberal Democrat pupil premium, will give schools the funding they so desperately need to make sure that every child ...
Cambridge MP Julian Huppert The government has today announced an extra £12.5 million to fund extra school places across Cambridgeshire. This is part of a £600 million fund to ensure that all children have access to a school place. Julian Huppert, Member of Parliament for Cambridge, said "this new money represents a massive win for schools across Cambridgeshire. For too long central government has ignored the need for new places in growing regions such as ours. Today's announcement, along with the Liberal Democrat pupil premium, will give schools the funding they so desperately need to make sure that every child ...
There is something of a head of steam, predictably, to stop the proposals heralded as a 'tycoon tax'. From Vince Cable to David Davis, the university sector to the Arts Council and even UNICEF, the policy announced on the hoof is looking even less well thought through than when it was announced. Almost as credible as the UEFA code by which turning up one minute late on the pitch attracts a bigger fine than condoning racist chants, in fact. And the trouble, of course, is that it was not thought through precisely because it was policy on the hoof. No ...
At the request of residents, I recently raised issues with the City Council about road safety at the Tullideph Road/Ancrum Road junction. As one resident put it: "I drive to work every morning and turn right at the end of Tullideph Road into Ancrum Road (heading towards the traffic lights). It is difficult to see traffic coming down Ancrum Road from my left as there are usually 2 or 3 cars parked just around the corner of the junction. Often you have to pull out 'blind' and hope that nothing is coming towards you." The City Council's Head of Transportation ...
So Sinn Féin are welcoming the decision by the Assembly Commission to consider whether the Irish Tricolour should fly alongside the Union Flag at Stormont. I take it by that they mean on the same flag days, the only days that the Union Flag flies over the building. So what are the 16 days that the Union Flag flies from all Government buildings in Northern Ireland? Well there is one Saturday in June that will mark HM the Queen's official birthday, along with the 10th to mark HRH the Duke of Edinburgh's birthday and the 21st April for her actual ...
The Tories suffered their largest rebellion over Europe... and now Tim Montgomerie claims that at least 2 MPs are seriously considering jumping ship. The Spineless Liberal looks at the usual suspects... and has some interesting conclusions.
