Attended my second committee meeting with the Hands Off the Conquest team today. The weekend's task is to finish wading through the Shaping our Future consultation document. To be fair, the document itself is quite clearly written, but it is very lengthy. And the options that the Trust are outlining are far from desirable. We ...
Welcome to Broxtowe Enews, brought to you by the Liberal Democrats and edited by David Watts, the leader of the Lib-Dems on Broxtowe Borough Council 1. Broxtowe Core StrategyThe six week consultation period for people to comment on Broxtowe's draft core strategy closes on Monday at 5pm. If you haven't commented yet then please take the opportunity to do so this weekend. Comments received after the deadline will still be put before the independent inspector who will assess the strategy, but he is not obliged to take them into account. I attended a meeting on Tuesday this week at Kimberley ...
I'm planning to travel to Italy on Wednesday to see the Beach Boys, and will have no internet access for the few days I'm over there. But I say planning because one of the few things that could be more important has come up — my wife's grandfather, who has been seriously ill for years, ...
Photo: David Hallam-Jones A reader writes to tell me of a petition urging Leicester City Council to get on with restoring and finding a new use for Braunstone Hall. As he says: Leicester City Council has previous on this. It took donkey's years for LCC to come up with a plan for Aylestone Hall. This is an opportunity for Peter Soulsby to match his words about maintaining the heritage of Leicester.You can sign the petition if you live, work or study in Leicester.
Well, that was the very definition of a mixed bag. I've just been to see part of the world premiere of the BFI's new restoration of The Lodger. I say 'part of' because this was also the first night of a new co-operative venture between various arts centres around the country, including the Barbican, the ...
Twelve generations ago, civil wars were fought in England and Scotland over whether the king was above the law or governed by it. Military and political events combined to give the answer that monarchs were governed by the law. Police and all the other officials of the legal and government systems are governed by the law too. British policing rests on two fundamentals - that it depends on consent; and that the police are citizens subject to the law as other citizens are. They have some special powers, but the exercise of those powers is subject to challenge through the ...
I wonder what they make of Floella Benjamin in the House of Lords? I ask, because although I'm very much in favour of replacing the unelected second chamber with a democratically elected one and so would only criticise the current proposals because they don't really go far enough, I sincerely hope that whatever reforms eventually take place they don't mean that we lose the influence of people like her. I was privileged to attend my eldest daughter's graduation ceremony at Exeter University last Tuesday. As chancellor of Exeter, Baroness Benjamin was presiding – and with real style too. She spoke ...
Amanda Taylor welcomes the difference that social media is making to local government: "For example, last Monday's Cambridge South Area meeting, held in Cherry Hinton, was attended not only by the professional reporter Chris Havergal of the Cambridge News, but by three local bloggers apart from myself." "Being a junior coalition partner is far from a bed of roses and the next general election a tough challenge for the Liberal Democrats, there is really no historical evidence from either Britain or Ireland to justify a conclusion that 'coalitions are always disastrous for the smaller party'." Eaten by Missionaries suggests the ...
Posted in PoliticsWorld A Facebook status update shamlessly stolen from my US friend Ian Dickson:- Ok, I think I've had enough. I have to institute a zero-tolerance policy on any US political argument that has no obvious merit or serious intelligence behind it. Way too many are spouting vitriol and blaming the current administration for their own problems, when they are full-grown adults who made their own lives. Stop blaming other people for your problems, get off your arse and educate yourself on the democratic process. Stop pandering with emotion, and use your head. Then make something of yourself. You ...
I asked a group of LibDems recently what they would do to improve the party. Some great suggestions flowed which I won't reproduce here as I haven't got permission. But to use my own example - I think we need more work on strategy, and also for the membership to feel more engaged with this work. But what I do see is need for reform in a lot of places - and I would like LDs to step up and actually do their bit rather than moaning about it - so if you think there is a need for more ...
The county council are now telling us that works on the Redbourn roundabout will NOT commence on 23 July. No clue has so far been given on the correct date or why the date was wrong in the first place.
This afternoon I attended Lord Ronnie Fearn's Strawberries & Cakes Garden Party. Thankfully the weather was great and the event was very well attended as usual. What was unusual was a flypast by the Red Arrows. At first everyone believed that Ronnie had pulled a few strings in Parliament, but the truth was that a local nursing home asked for the flypast and as the Red Arrows were nearby they obliged.
Get Surrey reports: Woking Borough Council (WBC) will appear at the High Court later this month after an application was made to declare an election result invalid. Labour hopeful Mohammad Ali, who came second at the borough council election for the Maybury and Sheerwater ward in May, has submitted the claim, highlighting what he calls 'persistent electoral irregularities' including the number of postal votes in the area and rejected ballots. With the final vote standing at 1,088 to 1,072 in favour of Liberal Democrat incumbent Cllr Mohammed Bashir, Mr Ali, of Walton Road, Maybury, lost out by just 16 votes, ...
In the past week we have seen the planning report and today we had the site visit by Ealing Council's planning committee who will decide whether to convert St Albans Church into ten luxury flats. There were lots of residents who wanted to ask questions about why the site cannot be used for community purposes. Residents at the St Albans Church Planning Site Visit (21st June) Sadly the report about this matter contains a number of errors and it also not does contain a fair balance of viewpoints from those who have come up other community uses for the site. ...
Latest from me in the New Statesman: While many in my party are opposed to free schools in principle, I am reluctant to man the barricades on every occasion one is approved. I am sure many of the schools offer a fine education, with nuanced but important variations from the national curriculum that parents think important and children find stimulating and exciting. Nor do I think Michael Gove is the devil incarnate for introducing them - I suspect he is sincerely trying to improve educational standards in the way he thinks is best, even if I don't agree with all ...
One of the best ways we can become a stronger and more effective political party is through making training and education available to our members. We have a wealth of highly skilled people in the party and we can benefit by those skills being shared. Without exception, every single one our MPs, MEPs and their ...
Today's Financial Times reports an interview with Vince Cable in which the Lib Dem business secretary declines to exclude the possibility he might one day become party leader: Mr Cable stressed that the Lib Dem leadership was not on his radar screen, nor remotely up for grabs, insisting that Nick Clegg was "doing a good job and is standing up to the pressures". But in an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Cable was careful not to close down the prospect of a leadership bid when a vacancy arose. "I don't exclude it - who knows what might happen in ...
Australian politics has some rather similar themes to British politics...
Sat 21st
13:50
Winning / Swinging Here! Sensational Lib Dem victory in annual Parliamentary Staff Rounders tourname...
Here at Voice Towers we don't normally run press releases — but we're going to make an exception for the sensational Lib Dem victory in this week's annual Parliamentary Staff Rounders tournament... Liberal Democrat team 'winning here' in Parliamentary Staff Rounders Tournament Staff working for Liberal Democrat MPs braved the rain to take the trophy in this year's annual Inter-Parliamentary Staff Rounders Tournament. The competition, which was played in Hyde Park on 18th July, is now in its 9th year and was sponsored by communications and PR agency Fleishman-Hillard. The Lib Dem team took on Labour, as the Conservatives failed ...
Thanks to A view from Ham Common [IMG: Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post
...is where people tweet things like this: Big moment for Coalition with Vince flexing leadership muscles. I predict a deal where Clegg will stay DepPM but Cable will become LD leader — Tim Montgomerie (@TimMontgomerie) July 21, 2012 [IMG: Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post
2001 UK Census the Southwark population was 256,700. 2011 UK Census the Southwark population has exploded to 288,300. That's 31,600 more residents in just 10 year – an extra 12.3%. For years when in the Lib Dem Southwark Council we kept on harking on about how the funding Southwark received was knowhere enough to cope with a rapidly growing population. The then Labour central government effectively said tough. I'm hopeful that the coalition government will be more reasonable and relatively help Southwark out with its rocketing population. We wait and see.
If you're like me you might well have seen the pictures doing the rounds on social media about the plight of British dairy farmers. They look something like this: Source: the BBC And this prompted a discussion on a facebook group which I'm a member of and someone asked why it was that, given the high profit margin of a pint of milk, no one had increased the price paid to the farmers while cutting the retail price and therefore undercutting the supermarkets. Now, the thing is that this is a fair question. It's exactly what's meant to happen in ...
Local Lib Dem ward councillor Darren Fower, says he's been contact by residents living along the old Lincoln Road, north of the Cock Inn, about their concerns regarding a handful of cars parking on the verges, causing a reduction in visibility when they exit their own driveways. Commenting, Cllr Fower said: "The residents tell me the problem is only due to a couple of properties, and their thought is that as each home has a driveway e.g. space for parking, then it should be used, and cars should not be left for days at a time on the road. "The ...
How I Lost My Fear of Universal Health Care A conservative Republican is converted by experience of the Canadian system. (tags: ushealth ) Big Finish - Books Special Offers Big discounts this weekend only! (tags: books doctorwho ) Aurora: Nothing Wrong With Politicising A Tragedy Because sometimes politics is about real stuff. (tags: uspolitics ) Tougher Voter ID Laws How to stop people voting the wrong way - don't let them vote at all! (tags: uspolitics ) Lines in the Darkness: An Atlas for the Blind Amazing. (tags: disability maps ) Cutting a great road through the truth to get ...
Top work Piers, I take my hat off to you. (Here's a link if you are reading this blog on mobile)
[IMG: Laptop and mobile] The latest Ofcom survey shows that 94% of UK households use mobile phones. Now consider what proportion of UK households have a usable letterbox for delivery of campaign leaflets; i.e. exclude those rural homes without a letterbox, those urban blocks of flats with just a door to push leaflets under, the multiple occupancy houses with a communal hallway but no personal letterboxes and so on. And then there's that property on the electoral register which, despite you circling the block four times, taking a peak from the skies through a Google Map satellite view, stalking the ...
There are three meetings scheduled at Blyth Town Council this coming week Monday 23rd July, 6:30 , at Isabella Centre, Blyth. Policy Working Group Tuesday 24th July, 6:30 at Ebor House. Events Committee Thursday 26th July, 6:30 at Ebor House. Planning and Development Committee
Official prohibited items list for Olympic Venues (tags: ) Newest U.S. Counterterrorism Strategy: Trolling | Danger Room | Wired.com (tags: ) Olympics Leave British Complaining Even More Than Usual - NYTimes.com Makes you proud to be British :) (tags: ) Cecile Duflot and the floral dress: Just another day in the French Parliment What it would be like if Quentin Letts was an MP rather than a journo, one fears. (tags: ) Kenneth Clarke calls for return of free biscuits at Cabinet meetings - Telegraph Linked solely for the glorious picture of Ken Clarke, even if it IS the Torygraph ...
Three weeks ago, we were all focused on Liege and the prologue of this year's Tour. It seems odd that we're not coming to the finish, with just two stages left before everything's sorted, and this time next week we'll be watching the Olympic road race. And as if in practice for that, yesterday we saw Mark Cavendish at his best, reminding everybody just why he's the world champion. It was one of the bext wins of his career, and a good way to finally match Andre Darrigade's 22 wins as the Tour's leading sprinter. I think the best perspective ...
Saturday A letter arrives asking me what my favourite moment from the moving television is. That is easy to answer. Who could forget the Bird of Liberty attacking Michael Parkinson? I have not laughed so much since King Leopold of the Belgians died. Previously in Lord Bonkers' Diary When banks Go Too FarThe Reverend Hughes and the angelsNick Clegg's 'Hair Shirt' TourThe George Formby GrillIn praise of the Ken Higgs boson
The last of the run of Doctor Who novels set between The Power of the Daleks and The Highlanders takes the Doctor, Ben and Polly to San Francisco in 1967, where a flower child called Summer tells the story of an alien power trying to take over the world through bad acid. The first-person perspective is quite rare in Who books, but done well here, though the story has few surprises.
Viridor this week submitted a planning application for an Energy from Waste centre on the Beddington site. The application will need to be initially validated to ensure that it is in the correct form and all the required information has been supplied. This will take up to two weeks. Once it has been validated the ...
A memorable short novel about a Caribbean teenager who comes to the US to look after a white American family's children. Lucy is a little naïve, a little tactless, sometimes quite observant, and doing some rapid growing up in a strange country. Recommended.
Following on from my full cabinet reshuffle last week (still no thank you note from the PM) my mind turned to what, right now, would a full Lib Dem cabinet look like? I've taken official party positions, current cabinet and other ministerial posts in mind (and given this precedent over anything other then cabinet promotions), made one or two promotions, and brought in a couple of fresh faces. I have tried to reflect current influence in these areas of government, not subjective calls on who I think would be best in a role (see notes below cabinet). So - have ...
Sat 21st
08:45The graph which shows how many Tory, Labour and LibDem voters support House of Lords reform
The London Evening Standard reported this week a new poll under the headline Even Lib-Dems say Lords reform is not a priority. Buried two-thirds of the way down, however, was this interesting data: Today's poll found the idea of reforming the Lords, which still has 92 hereditary peers, is widely supported. Eight in 10 people back the idea of reform at some point in time. It is highest among Lib-Dems, at 87 per cent, and lowest among Conservatives at 75 per cent. Only 16 per cent of the public thought the chamber should be left as it is. Here's what ...
One of the first things Grant Shapps did when he became housing minister was shelve Labour's plans, developed out of the 2008 Rugg Review, to implement a system of registration for private landlords and letting agents. His view was that the sector faced enough regulation already. He has subsequently backpedalled somewhat on this position. Last year's housing strategy made some rather vague references to the need to deal with poor quality landlords. And the Localism Act's proposals to allow local authorities to discharge duty into the private rented sector have been followed by a recognition that local authorities should take ...
As I've been holidaying for much of the past week (see previous post) I haven't been able to keep a close eye on the news, but I did pick up that he government is, at last, about to instigate some Keynesian pump-priming. I hear that £9bn is to be spent on the improvement of the railway network, especially here in the north, and there is to be a boost in house building. Perhaps it is churlish to ask: "What took them so long?" as precisely these and similar measures have been advocated by umpteen distinguished economist, plus his blog, for ...
For almost three weeks of this Tour, since stage there has been one man whose name has been on the tip of cycling fans lips just waiting to get out. A sprinter. A world champion. A phenomenal force in the Tour de France. Here is a picture of him in action crossing the line well ahead of the rest of the field. The man's name is André Darrigade and he is an 83 year old, French, former sprint cyclist. He was born in Narrosse which is 355km from the end of yesterday's 235km stage finish and was the sort of ...
Thanks to "liarpolicians" for the youtube recording.
I have previously mentioned the excellent Food Train project that assists elderly Dundee residents with a quality shopping service. Another supermarket chain's goods are now part of the service, which is good news in terms of shopper choice. The project is now looking for new volunteers to help - details below:
As internal party crises go the will they, won't they saga around Dafydd Elis Thomas' membership of the Plaid Cymru group had the potential to be pretty big. Having decided to take action against the former Presiding Officer for absenting himself from a no confidence vote in the health minister and then being publicly ultra critical of Plaid's role in tabling that motion, Leanne Wood and her advisors set in train a series of events that may well have led to Dafydd Elis Thomas leaving the party altogether. There was even speculation that he would become a Minister in the ...
