This afternoon the House of Commons had an ill tempered start to its debate on setting up an inquiry into standards in the banking industry. For the first two hours of a three and a half hour debate the opposition and government front benches knocked lumps off each other. From the backbenches several MPs behaved ...
Andrew Neil's tweet reminds me of Auberon Waugh's comment on the late Robert Maxwell: I do not understand why he was ever considered a good businessman. His saintly wife, Elizabeth, whom he married in 1945, brought with her a dowry of £150,000, say £2,400,000 at today's values ... In a lifetime of business activity he managed to convert this modest fortune of £2,400,000 into a debt of $2 billion. Is this the sign of a good businessman? When I ask why the beautiful and blameless Elizabeth stayed with such a ruffian for so long, my ever-practical wife suggests that she ...
This is the old British Legion premises in Market Harborough. I photographed it on the very damp day that the town was visited by the Olympic torch - perhaps you need sunshine to bring out its full beauty. The hall may not be there for much longer, reports the Harborough Mail: Msquare Architects, based in a rented property in Abbey Street, Harborough, is in the process of buying the former hall site, in Talbot Yard at the back of the town's High Street, to build its own purpose-designed premises. A detailed planning application has been submitted to the council for ...
......which is up for election in the autumn. The incumbent, Tim Farron, is up for re-election, and is restanding according to Liberal Democrat Voice (see I strongly think he should face a contest. Now, I've known Tim for a good 15 years and have a huge amount of time for him, apart from being his occasional guitarist. An excellent campaigner, having served his time before taking on and winning Westmorland & Lonsdale, he is also a strong communicator, a good rabble-rouser when the mood takes him, and also an instinctive social liberal who can talk about it from first ...
The Newcastle University Biomedicine pages report on a new study of the physical activity levels of 500 8- to 10-year-olds. It is widely thought that children are not getting enough exercise today, and this study - which saw the children wearing activity monitors, provides some objective evidence of that. The researchers found: Children spent only 4% of awake time in moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity, this is about 20 minutes per day while the recommended amount for health is 60 minutes per day. At age 8, girls were already less active than boys - something known to occur at ...
As you are (hopefully!) aware this Saturday the Olympic Torch comes to Cambridge. The complete schedule is available on the Cambridge City website; This includes a map of the route and specific timings which are (for Saturday); Midday: The Big Weekend starts on Parker's Piece5pm: The evening celebration starts6.08pm: The Torch arrives at Ditton Lane and transfers to a torchbearer6.29pm: The Torch arrives at Mill Road6.48pm: The Torch arrives at Parker's Piece to light the cauldron7.30pm: The evening celebration ends and A Field for Dreams starts10pm: The Big Weekend ends The timetable for Sunday is; 6.30am: The Torch arrives ...
There have been two significant changes to Liberal Democrat Conference since I started attending them when the Liberal Party and the SDP merged. The changes are even more pronounced when I think of the Liberal Party Assemblies I used to att... Come to think of it, there has been another important change. These days Liberal Democrat Conference is patrolled by police officer with guns and you have to get the nod from the police before you are allowed to attend. Apparently it is all designed to 'send a message'. Oh, and if you use the party's democratic machinery to object ...
A decision by major airlines to headline their debit card surcharges has been welcomed by Cambridge MP Julian Huppert who pushed the government to act on the issue. The move by 12 airlines, including Easyjet and Ryanair, to include the charges up front, came after enforcement action by the Office of Fair Trading. Julian secured a House of Commons debate on the issue in December calling on the government to change the law to prevent companies adding hidden surcharges to their prices. He warned that the surcharges had become a business model in their own right seriously undermining legitimate economic ...
Still with the sun shining, for the later part of the morning over the hump and into early afternoon things have turned dark indeed, I was planning, first to post the good news that Cllr Ken Gregory could put the past behind him, particularly in the context of Cllr Mike Harrisons Labour reaching agreement to be nice or whatever! to Cllr Ian Driver although troubled as most of us are, since the much publicised kerfuffle of Cllr Mike Harrison receiving a warning from Kent Police under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, required him according to press reports not to ...
Tragic to read that historic Muslim shrines in Timbuktu, in Mali, are being destroyed by Islamists. Yes, Islamists destroying Islamic shrines. Yet more proof that being a political Islamist and being a pious Muslim are not one and the same thing. As one British former Islamist, Maajid Nawaz, put it recently (following his recent trip to the Middle East on a Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel fact-finding trip): I became an Islamist without ever having read the Koran...People may not know but Islamists often come from educated, liberal backgrounds, in fact many of them are irreligious. Disillusionment with what they ...
Well. It seems that there are more twists in the tale of the financial crisis than in a Quentin Tarantino movie. Euro-woes and the RBS IT meltdown have been knocked off the front pages by the latest gut-wrenching plot twist. Barclays Bank involvement in fixing the LIBOR rate, with the likelihood that other banks were also involved. Every news report will tell you that the LIBOR rate 'underpins trillions of pounds worth of loans' and contracts. I've heard of LIBOR before, and I already knew that it was critical to financial markets in the UK and globally, but, silly old ...
If your not sure what a PFI (Private Finance Initiative) is, it works something like this; Minister wants a new thing, but has no money to pay for it. Wealthy fund/person/business agrees to pay for it and lease it back to the Government with strings attached. Result - Minister gets new thing, knowing that if it all goes wrong a few years down the line he'll be a long way from it and can blame
Readers of this Blog with a long memory might recall that way back last December when Nick Clegg first announced the 'City Deal' programme I said how proud I was to be a Lib Dem. I did so with my ... Continue reading →
Transport for Greater Manchester are going to be sending out the following letter to warn residents (living int eh affected area shaded on the above map) of planned overnight work taking place on the Chorlton Metrolink Line. Please get in touch with me if you have any concerns or require more information. I am writing to advise you that we will shortly be carrying out some overnight works on the South Manchester Line. The work will take place from Mauldeth Road West to the junction with the Altrincham Line at Trafford Bar for a 27 hour possession starting on Sunday ...
Thu 5th
17:54
Norman Lamb: "I am incredibly excited by the prospect of establishing a mutual Post Office"
Following a consultation, the government has announced its intention to press ahead with proposals to mutualise Post Offices. Here's what Norman Lamb – who has previously set out his vision for the future of Post Offices here on the Voice – had to say, as reported by the Independent: Post Office branches are relied upon by communities the length and breadth of the country. That is why we have committed £1.34 billion of funding to the business and why there will be no closure programme under this Government. I want to make sure that the Post Office becomes a successful ...
The Telegraph reports remarks by David Cameron in which he says that too many top British athletes went to public school. Now that may be true but it is also true that too many of the current Cabinet went to public school as well, however was the Prime Minister really wise to draw attention to that fact, given the rather brazen and crude class-based politics being practised by the Labour Party and others? It would be good if more opportunities can be created for poorer kids and thanks to the Liberal Democrats in Government, some progress is being made on ...
In the last few weeks, my books have finally started selling on Amazon UK in something like the numbers they've been selling in the US. Which means they've started getting reviews (normally people only review them on Amazon US). And in the last month I've received a one-star review and a two-star review for the ...
It would be remiss of me not to mention the compliment paid to the Welsh Liberal Democrats Assembly Group on the blog of BBC Welsh Affairs Editor, Vaughan Roderick yesterday. He talks about how this Tory group is not as effective as the former Tory group. And then he says, "With Plaid Cymru having spent a year navel gazing, at times it has appeared that the Lib Dems, with their 5 AMs are the most effective of the three opposition parties. Some Tories are of the opinion that this cannot continue." Naturally, I agree with him and such comments far ...
The Voice is only a success because of the interest and support from our readers. For many people just lurking and reading the site is all they want to do – and that's fine, we're grateful for people taking the time to read the site. You can though help us continue to produce interesting content for a growing audience. Here are four simple ways: 1. Let us have your tips for stories. Perhaps there's something outrageous going on in your local council? Or you're an expert in a particular area and have spotted a story other people have missed? Or ...
Ian Swales MP has expressed his dismay at the decision to scrap the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment (Green Howards) that was announced this morning. The Green Howards have a historic link to the area and are very important to the generations of families whose lives are intertwined with the name. The unit can trace its beginnings back to the 17th Century, and retaining historic links is vital for the local community to feel a sense of belonging and purpose. Ian Swales MP commented: "Sadly the Green Howards regiment was scrapped in 2006 under the previous Government but I was ...
The environment agency has announced another flood alert for Clitheroe and the surrounding area at 15.27 on Thursday 5th July. The alert is for the Upper River Ribble, River Hodder and River Calder. It says: Flooding is possible for the Rivers Ribble and Hodder and other watercourses between Settle and Samlesbury, including at Clitheroe, Gisburn, Sawley, Waddington and Ribchester. Flooding is also possible for the River Calder at Whalley. Low-lying land and roads will be affected first. Heavy rainfall with intense bursts is expected from this evening to tomorrow evening. Constantly updated information can be found on the Environment Agency ...
A couple of days ago, I blogged about the need for Barclay's Chief Bob Diamond to resign in the wake of the interest rate fixing scandal. Here is how the Daily Mirror reported my comments. In about an ... Continue reading →
Up for a Green Flag Award, that is. Tuesday morning saw a group of councillors, council officers and two Green Flag Judges strolling round the Tring Memorial Gardens. They were not just admiring the gardens but assessing whether they qualify for one of the prestigious Green Flag Awards. It seemed to me the judges were pretty impressed with what they saw – and so they should be. After expenditure of upwards of £60,000 by the Borough Council (thanks, Dacorum!) and work by the newly formed Friends of Tring Memorial Gardens it's really looking good. The inspection team included the Mayor ...
Thu 5th
14:50
5 things you shouldn't miss: viral content, future of books, Facebook's all-seeing eye, alarm clocks...
Welcome to the latest of my monthly collections for the Engine Group of five links that you shouldn't miss. What makes online content go viral? http://bit.ly/LwYfBY A detailed study of how stories on the New York Times website perform - and why anger is better than saddness. Unbound: a Kickstarter for books http://bit.ly/MTpIAL Would-be authors offer up their book ideas; would-be readers offer up their money; the future of publishing ensues. What Facebook knows http://bit.ly/LraFix Quite a lot, really. Including the great stat that 93 percent of American Facebook friends have met in person. Have problems getting up in the ...
On Thursday 28th June, activists from all over the country and beyond helped secure two vital by-election wins in Chelmsford. Stephen Robinson was elected to the Chelmsford North division of Essex County Council, and Paul Bentham for the Patching Hall ward on Chelmsford City Council. In both elections, the Conservatives were well beaten into second place. Stephen said: I am extremely grateful to everyone who helped us make this victory possible. Having so many activists available helped us secure the legacy of long-serving Lib Dem incumbent Cllr. Tom Smith-Hughes, who sadly died earlier in the year. Saffron Walden Constituency Chairman ...
In the last couple of weeks three major UK political figures have spoken about drugs and drug policy for a variety of reasons. It will not come as a surprise that they have demonstrated hypocrisy, ignorance and an irresponsibly casual disregard for evidence and expertise. What has been disappointing is the complete lack of any Liberal Democrat voices presenting the counter-arguments, highlighting the hypocrisy, and stressing the importance of evidence in policy-making. The first to speak was Theresa May, responding to the advice of Les Iversen, the chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. Professor Iversen was ...
This should be a big day for Liberals. For generation we have promoted a vision of an an economy where businesses are owned by those who work in them, where as Richard Wainwright used to say 'labour hires capital'. Today we made a big stride in that direction, so why is it that Lib dem bloggers tell so little about the Nuttall report? In his new role Norman Lamb commissioned Graeme Nuttall to produce a review of employee ownership. Today Nick Clegg and Norman Lamb launched the report. Clegg's speech can be found in full here he told his audience ...
Back in April we told you about the proposals for a new care home behind Abney Hall in Cheadle – to be run by Care UK. We just wanted to update you – as we all start wondering what's going on when things go quiet. As of this week, no planning application has been received by the Council relating to this site, and as far as we can tell, no discussions have taken place with the Council about it. The Lib Dem councillors in Cheadle Hulme North (the ward that Abney Hall is in) and Cheadle & Gatley will be ...
Lord Ashcroft, the gentleman who owns the Conservative Party, has commissioned a poll on the attitudes of people who read newspapers towards those newspapers. He looked to find out whether people were able to identify the political allegiance of their favoured newspaper. The results are fascinating, and I repeat them below: Here is proof, if ...
This year, an actual majority of the entries in the Hugo Awards have made their Hugo Packet submissions PDF-only. See Charles Stross' blog post about this from two years ago for why this is a bad thing. Last year, for those books which were PDF-only, I was able to reflow them in the ereader I ...
Amidst the unexpected chaos that arises when you are given a last minute vital job, I haven't had time to report on my Christmas present from Ros, which I took up on Saturday.Ros drove us to Castle Hedingham, in North Essex, in increasingly poor conditions, for my 'Steam Train Experience' on the Colne Valley Railway and, I have to admit that, as the rain beat down ever more insistently, I was rather nervous at the prospect of attempting to drive a large metal mechanical object, especially given my lack of experience driving anything.Luckily, we weren't alone, and I left Ros ...
My Fourth of July was not spent imbibing American patriotism; there were no barbeques or fireworks, no Star Spangled Banner hanging from my window, all of which would have stood in stark contrast to what turned out to be a grey, rainy Yorkshire day. Rather, I experienced two ends of a spectrum of English life. ...
Phil Cowley is to writers of political books what Simon Cowell is to singers of songs,* so huurah for: Am enjoying @markpack's book on winning elections. Although much of it could be called 101 Ways To Achieve Anything Without Much Money. — Philip Cowley (@philipjcowley) July 5, 2012 You too can get your guide to being a spendthrift here. * No, I don't know either what that makes Dennis Kavanagh.
Given the proportion of public sector spending it accounts for, in austere times welfare spending has come under the spotlight, with sizeable cuts having already being made. Looking at who is accessing benefits to ensure those in receipt of them should be is to be welcomed. A blind eye should not, however, be turned to wealthier individuals in receipt of things like winter fuel allowance whilst cuts are made to some of the poorest in our society. It is right that Liberal Democrats have distanced ourselves from Cameron's musings that everyone under 25 should not be able to rely on ...
Last Saturday evening I learnt that there was an iPod attached to the ATM outside the Unicorn on Manchester Road filming people's Pin codes. I immediately alerted the Police and this is the reply I have recieved about how they plan to tackle this problem in Chorlton: "To date there has been a couple of reports relating to devices attached to ATM's on the Chorlton and Chorlton Park Wards. These reports are connected with the type of ATM's used by the Co-Op Bank, specifically the one situated at the junction of Barlowmoor Road and hardy Lane and Unicorn Groceries, Manchester ...
Yesterday I blogged about a 10 Minute Rule Bill being propposed by a Lib Dem MP to prevent the demolition or change of use of a pub or local independent shop without planning permission. Planning permission would also be needed before the premises or land could be used for a supermarket. If this bill is successful it would prevent future developments like Tesco's conversion of the former Feather's Pub without Planning Permission. I am pleased to learn that Chorlton's Liberal Democrat MP John Leech is fully supportive of this Bill and will be a Sponsor of the Bill when it ...
Predictably enough the Barclays Libor scandal is generating rampant theatrics amongst both journalists and politicians. It is not easy to keep grip on what actually matters. And yet this is vital when it comes to deciding what the next steps should be. One piece of theatre is a sort of whodunnit, amongst Barclays senior managers, and government and regulatory officials. How much did they know? What did they authorise? One line of attack concentrates on Bob Diamond, the former Barclays Chief Executive, whose evasions at a parliamentary select committee yesterday created predictable anger. The real point behind this is the ...
This is quite a long and technical post for which I apologise in advance. It is boring – but it matters. It is about a long and technical consultation process, which is also boring – but also matters. Now read on....... Between 27th June and 22nd August, Wokingham Borough Council is consulting on its proposed planning policies, including which sites can be used for housing. One of the suggested sites is off Arbor Lane, a field which is reached down an access at the side of 40 Arbor Lane. The other – which is being held in reserve – is ...
Installing cavity wall insulation is a real problem for tower blocks. Scaffolding costs are enormous, lots of disruption and security risks. So three years ago I contacted Southwark Council officers suggesting they use rope access. I'd read about an company called Avalon (Avalon Sustainable Energy Services Ltd) doing this for Camden Council – people abseiling down the sides of blocks. I used to climb and could instantly see how efficient abseiling would be. Avoiding scaffolding dramatically reduces the cost and time it takes to undertake the works. Southwark Council has just decided to follow this technology for a number of ...
The Coalition pledge to put human rights at the heart of our foreign policy is bearing fruit. Thanks especially to pressure from the European Parliament – where as Vice-President for democracy and human rights I have lobbied hard – and the Foreign Office, civil society, the EU's 27 governments recently adopted a comprehensive new approach. Jeremy Browne, our excellent minister for human rights, and I co-authored a recent article published by the Independent explaining the background of the ambitious new EU Human Rights package. Although the EU's foreign ministers gave the green light to a new Strategy with an associated ...
What did the US Supreme Court think was worthy of a dozen mentions in its recent ruling on Barack Obama's health care reforms? (Clue: my headline which was rather a spoiler.) Chief Justice Roberts jumps right into what Justice Ginsburg calls "the broccoli horrible," meaning the invocation of broccoli as the sickening consequence of unrestrained big government. Opposing the idea that the Commerce Clause allows Congress to regulate a consumer's inactivity, he repeats what is by now the familiar taunting query of the right: What would stop a government that can make you buy health insurance from also making you ...
Last night was the regular meeting of Bury's 'full' Council – the 5 or 6 times a year where all 51 councillors meet together. Yesterday we also met for a Special meeting of Council – to bestow on three people the honour of 'Freedom of the Borough'. This was bestowed on former Whitefield councillor Derek Boden, following his 40 years service as a member Bury Council (and the former Whitefield Urban District Councillor), East Bury community campaigner Harry Reid, and the General Manager of Bury FC – Jill Neville. (The latter meant that I got to sit in right behind ...
That Would Be an Ecumenical Matter (4) Church and State see marriage in different ways; and Church and State are hopelessly tangled up. (tags: religion ukpolitics sexandgenderandsexuality )
The Together Trust have submitted a planning application for a new building on their site off Schools Hill, Cheadle. Single storey new building to provide new school hall, kitchen, parents room, reception and office, staffroom, meeting room and head teachers office. Alterations to site layout to create access road to new building with drop-off. Extension of car parking and re-organisation of car parking in two positions within the Together Trust Campus. You can see all the details of the application, including site maps, here.
Two seismic events occurred yesterday. First, the Higgs boson 'God particle' has probably been discovered by scientists at CERN. Then, even more extraordinarily, Andrew Neil had a good word to say for a Lib Dem MP, as Julian Huppert offered a succinct summary of why it matters... (Available on the BBC website here.) * Stephen Tall is Co-Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice, and also writes at his own site, The Collected Stephen Tall.
Hidden away in the detail of the new higher education bursary scheme is an announcement from Cornwall Council that they plan to create 200 new apprenticeships and encourage others to create more. About bloody time! Quite frankly, the council's record on apprenticeships is pretty embarrassing. When I asked about the number a few months ago I was told it was just 12. For one of the largest employers in Cornwall, that's just pathetic. The 200 is very good news, but pales compared with the announcement made by Sheffield City Council today that it will be creating 4000 apprenticeships. If Sheffield ...
Cornwall Council has this morning announced a proposal to give bursaries to students from Cornwall who get a place at university. We'll wait to see the details, but it looks like a good news day for young people in Cornwall. In brief, every student who has lived in Cornwall for three years before going to university will get support to help them study. At the minimum, this will be £30. For those from families earning less than £42,600 a year, there will be £1800 over the three years of study for some courses and for those from the same households ...
I guess that's Lib Dem action for you!
On the difference between English and British (tags: ) Louis C.K. Beats Back Scalpers (tags: ) BBC - Newsbeat - Musicians missing royalties over copy-cat chart songs Or, in other words, idiot record companies let cover artists beat their artists to the money by doing the stupid, outdated radio-before-release strategy (tags: ) Exposure to Dogs Could Protect Kids From Asthma | Wired Science | Wired.com (tags: ) BBC News - Hidden Doggerland underworld uncovered in North Sea (tags: ) Matthew Norman: How often does Vince Cable have to be right before they make him Chancellor? - Matthew Norman - Commentators ...
Ben Colburn, pictured above (credit to Norman Fraser) was a Research Fellow at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and Affiliated Lecturer, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Cambridge until September 2010 when he became a lecturer in philosophy at the University of Glasgow. He recently gave a lecture to the Social Liberal Forum (Scotland) on the subject of Social Liberal Values. From Monday to Wednesday, you've seen the main body of the lecture. This is his appendix in which he reports on the questions he took from the floor of the event. Enjoy - and as I'm away on my holidays, play ...
Michael suggests that is time for the LibDems to restart the campaign against the gay blood ban - but this time in relation to Northern Ireland where the ban is well and truly still in force and supported by the DUP's Health Minister, Edwin Poots MLA.
I think David Cameron broke his own record this week: (To Nicolas Soames) My right honourable Friend makes an important point. (To Julian Brazier) My honourable Friend makes two very important points. (To Duncan Hames) My honourable Friend raises an important point. (To Margot James) My honourable Friend makes a very important point. (To Andrew Stephenson) My honourable Friend makes an important point. Five! Count them. For once, at least a large part of Prime Minister's Questions this week was reasonably sensible. Yaboo and/or Punch and Judy politics took a back seat. There was a relatively sober and respectful exchange ...
The final day dawns before the advert goes live, and we are still to agree a Regional Profile. As Chair, my role is to produce a draft, incorporate the proposed additions and corrections, and reissue it in time to get everyone's agreement. Well, I say everyone but, at this stage, getting a majority of the Selection Committee onboard may be the best I can hope for. I have discovered some things that I had previously been unaware of. For example, did you know that Norfolk has the only milking herd completely run by a robot? No, I didn't either. I ...
If you are interested in the idea of a town council for Consett you may wish to contact Corinne Walton of Derwent Valley Prtnership. A sub-group of the AAP has been set up to consider this issue, and if you want to be part of it you should let her know. Joining the Derwent Valley Partnership as a member costs nothing and commits you to nothing, but is a gateway to a wide range of opportunities to participate in community issues. You can make contact through the Derwent Valley Life Website and while you're there why not have a look ...
So what happens when you get a dozen cyclists all attempting to occupy the same piece of road? A crash, of course, and they're always common in the first week of the Tour de France. That's when every rider is packed full of nervous energy, there are a lot of new riders trying to make their mark in the race and the sprinters are at their peak, trying to pick up a stage win before the race gets to the mountains. Which is why we have finishes like yesterday's, when a huge chunk of the field went down on the ...
Julian joins 10 of the region's MPs to push for rail investment in the eastern region MP Julian Huppert joined Parliamentarians from across the eastern region yesterday (Wednesday, July 4) to take their rail improvement plans directly to the government. The 10 MPs presented their East Anglian Rail Prospectus to Transport Secretary, Justine Greening and pressed the case for long term investment to improve the region's rail network. They told Ms Greening that the region's rail services had suffered from years of underfunding, and representatives from each county outlined specific problems in their areas. Julian told her about the need ...
Chorlton MP John Leech has called on Manchester City Council to use government money to build South Manchester a much needed new Primary School. John Leech said, "Every year I have been inundated with constituents who the council have let down and told them there is no primary school place for their child. I have consistently called for the council to open a new School; the council should be using this share of the government money to solve the problem once and for all". The Government has allocated an additional £600m for pupil places this year to authorities that have ...
Dear Richard, At the last election, I proudly led the Liberal Democrat campaign against a third runway at Heathrow. A new runway would be damaging to the environment and would cause huge disruption for the thousands of people in South West London. The Conservatives were against a third runway at the last election too, but now it appears George Osborne has changed his tune. As the Financial Times reports: "The Conservative leadership has decided to make a decisive switch away from the party's outright hostility to a third runway at the west London airport". The Tories must not be allowed ...
When you are hurtling along at 70km/h on a wide straight piece of road in the bunch of sprinters the last thing you need is come across a water bottle. Yet apparently this is what led to the domino affect that brought Robbie Hunter down in the South African champion's jersey and just behind him as circled the rainbow jersey of Mark Cavendish had nowhere to go. He hit the ground and emerged covered in dirt but with a shattered helmet and ripped left shoulder on this jersey and skin. The ensuing chaos meant that a group of only 12 ...
!. According to Tuesday's Guardian (03/07/12) "the Queen costs every man, woman and child in the UK 52p over the year..." (page 4 of the main section, article by Caroline Davies). In the same edition (G2, pp6 to 9) Aditya Chakraborrty tells us: "Each man, woman and child in Britain has already handed over £19,271 (to bail out the banks)." That last figure, by the way, is not French style nineteen virgule 271 pounds, but nineteen thousand, two hundred and seventy-one pounds, or £84, 792 per family, hard-working or not, if the "average" is still two adults and 2.4 children. ...
Residents have complained to me about the unsightly gap site on the corner of Brown Street and Hawkhill, between the Doghouse and the new casino/Tesco Express building. See below:I have brought this to the attention of the City Council asking that the owners be asked to have it tidied. It would clearly be good to see the site have a positive and productive use in the future.
MP Julian Huppert told Parliament yesterday (Wednesday, July 4) that there was no need for new runways at any of London's three major airports, Stansted, Gatwick and Heathrow. He highlighted the benefits of aviation, as well as the environmental harms, including noise pollution and carbon emissions. He said the carbon emissions cap for the aviation industry, set by the Independent Committee on Climate Change, should be the basis of policy development. "Based on increased plane loads, new technology and fuel improvements, this would allow for about a 60 per cent increase on current passenger numbers to around 368 million passengers ...
Somewhere back in the archive there is a copy of a Southport Liberal newspaper circa 1962 which mercilessly sends up the the Tory MP Sir Ian Percival. My memory is that Jack Smith Hughes was involved. There were very few Liberal Associations who reached that level of campaigning -Chris Renard was scarcely in short trousers. It was certainly more vicious than anything we would put out today. The editors pet name for Percival was Percy Vole. This came to mind when David. Tattersall drew to my attention a passage in Chris Mullins book: Another Mullin nugget from his political diaries ...
