Or a review of the two Beach Boys gigs I was at in Italy. Before I start... the Beach Boys (in whatever configuration) tailor their sets to their audiences and venues, and so the sets I saw (in open-air venues in continental Europe, where they always play comparatively conservative sets) aren't a reflection either of ...
Everybody's doing a brand new dance now... So sang Little Eva in 1962 when my Mum was a child, and again in '72 when my Mum was planning her wedding. To people of my generation, though, The Locomotion only means one thing: Kylie. As part of the Kylie 25 celebrations, here's a video of Kylie singing it through the years. I think it's fair to say that not all the renditions feature the best vocals but they prove that Kylie has never been afraid to sing live - or to try something different: Enjoy! Andrew
Hello everyone! My name is Morgan Griffith-David and I'm the new Editor of the Libertine! I'm a 21 year-old student of MSci International Relations and Global Issues at the University of Nottingham, where I'm also President of Nottingham Liberal Youth. I'm a Liberal Democrat activist in Nottingham, the Nottinghamshire representative for the Social Liberal Forum, and ...
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. Many apologies that we're a couple of days late with this but I've been snowed under with work over the past few days. May I also thank those people who follow me on Twitter for the messages of sympathy for my older daughter after the death of her guinea pig during the week. As we get into August many events tail off and so we have less news than usual, and my next edition will ...
A couple of years ago I wrote about White Grit, a former lead mining settlement which is off the Shrewsbury to Bishop's Castle road and just over the Welsh border: There is a Methodist chapel in the village, and this was probably where most of the miners worshipped. So I suspect the Church presence here was in the nature of a mission - hence the economical iron church.Time moves on. The Tin Tabernacle was still holding services last time I was in White Grit (it is the same one you can glimpse at the start of the documentary about Ronnie ...
Nick and Miriam Clegg As the school holidays began last week, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg went to a school in Pimlico, London, to see one of the first summer schools in action. He went to find out how the scheme is supporting those pupils most at risk from falling behind in their transition from primary to secondary school. Nearly 2,000 new summer schools will open their classroom doors in July and August to help some of the most disadvantaged pupils in England, benefitting around 65,000 children. Many pupils find the move to a bigger school - and a more ...
Here's the evidence, taken just now: Facebook know there's been a long-running issue with numerous repeated fake Pippa Middleton accounts as their presence and Facebook's speed at removing them is something I've tracked in the past, having first become interested in the issue after helping out with a splurge of fake Nick Clegg accounts. In the Nick Clegg case, fake accounts remained long after Facebook had been told about them and it took repeated contacts with Facebook before the creation of new fake Clegg accounts was got under control. In the Pippa Middleton case, if for no other reason that ...
Some encouraging analysis for the Liberal Democrats comes from an unexpected quarter: Patrick O'Flynn in the Daily Express. First he argues - or "reveals" - that the next general election will be fought on the same boundaries as the last: although the last rites are yet to be performed, the boundary changes proposed by David Cameron to equalise the size of parliamentary constituencies are effectively dead. Following the debacle on Lords reform, not only will Lib Dem backbenchers vote with Labour against them but Lib Dem ministers will do so as well if that is what it takes to kill ...
I'll deal with the recommendation that never happened. The planning and infrastructure committee had asked full Council to support a speedier process that got the LDF back on track as soon as possible (this was basically the same as the Lib Dem motion in full Council in May that was defeated, but Labour support it now) Officers had prepared a response report saying that this approach could
When I heard I had gotten a ticket to see the archery at Lords I was well chuffed. In part because I love watching the cricket at Lords and the more obvious reason that I could see some international competition near to where I live. I had first seen archery when I was at university and didn't try it out then. If I was twenty years younger I would certainly have a go. Not sure my eyes are up for hitting the board never mind the bullseye! When I got to the ground and got through the airport-like security I ...
Photo: Julian Osley "Popular opinion is much more (small 'l') liberal than is commonly supposed. It turns out that most of us can relate to a multi-cultural vision of Britain. Most of us are no longer shocked by the Rolling Stones or the Sex Pistols - how can we be when Mick Jagger has a knighthood and Johnny Rotten advertises Country Life butter? Most of us cannot understand why the church is still getting its knickers in a twist about gay marriage. We've moved on, further than most politicians or the press realise." Writing on Liberal Democrat Voice, Simon Titley ...
From tomorrow (1st August) the new season ticket prices for the Cattle Market car park in Launceston come into effect. Instead of being charged £470 for a season ticket, the new price will be £200 for the year. Town centre workers and residents will have just three months to buy the tickets at this price as this is a trial only. The season ticket can be obtained by using the online request form on the Cornwall Council website www.cornwall.gov.uk/parking or by telephoning 0300 1234 222 and providing details. In both cases the permit team will contact the individual to take ...
It's always nice to get an explanation, especially when something is confusing. The Parables of Jesus are usually presented at face value with the responsibility for making sense of them resting with the hearer. In Matthew 13 it's the only example we have of anyone asking for an explanation, and here Jesus obliges. The ...
Lack of internet access means I will have to add some stats later. I hesitated a bit about categorisation of some of these. Leaves of Grass is clearly more non-fiction than fiction, but probably I should set up a special category for poetry. Sophocles's plays feature characters with the gift of prophecy, and Lovejoy has a similar uncanny ability to tell real antiques from fake, but I am counting them all as non-genre; it is not clearly established in my mind that the relevant characters' gifts are sfnal in nature. Finally, though I bought the Countdown Annual for its Doctor ...
The Resolution Foundation helped give birth to the phrase 'squeezed middle': that group of low-income individuals and families just above the threshold to qualify for most welfare help, but only just able to make ends meet, and always in danger of slipping back into poverty. Today they've published a report written by Paul Johnson, Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, identifying key reforms that could allow the tax and welfare system to redistribute more efficiently. Here's the summary-of-the-summary: Simply making the current system more generous to those on low incomes will not be sustainable in the long run. Reforms ...
London's 2012′s House of Hellenes (in normal life that bastion of the Conservative Party, the Carlton Club) this lunchtime hosted a panel on the state of the Olympic Truce. For those whose ancient history is a bit rusty or non-existent, this was the truce ordained in Ancient Greece at the time of the original Games ...
The South London Waste Partnership (SLWP) - a voluntary waste disposal partnership between Sutton, Croydon, Merton and Kingston Councils has been working together for a number of years to find cost effective and sustainable waste disposal solutions. The work started with reuse & recycling centres and waste transport in the early days and progressed on to finding ways to divert waste from landfill. In the last few months the SLWP has selected Viridor as the preferred bidder to provide an energy recovery facility (ERF) in Beddington Lane. In order to get permission to build the ERF plant, Viridor must apply ...
Over on the Biteback Publishing website, The Voice's Mark Pack has been penning some words of advice for those planning party leader conference speeches: Technological change has frequently altered the speaking styles of political orators. The exaggerated hand movements and booming voice projections of the pre-electrical era were essential for being seen and heard. As film footage spread, that approach increasingly came over as histrionic. The total distanced travelled by the hands and arms of politicians during their speeches therefore declined, thanks to the adoption of a more homely, direct style. Radio and TV both brought about their own changes, ...
Sand scupture in Copenhagen harbour A question sometimes arises among Britain's beleaguered Europhiles. Should the sceptics get their way, and the UK drop out of the EU (and no doubt losing Scotland with it), where do we emigrate to escape this sclerotic mean-minded land? There are some popular choices: Paris, perhaps, or the French Midi; Spain's Costa del Sol or Portugal's Algarve; and Italy's Tuscany for the chattering set. After a visit there last weekend I now know where I want to go: Copenhagen. A first attraction is anonymity (mine, that is). It's a place where people of my complexion ...
This judgment looks at the use of a voluntary agreement to put a child into care. At the time of "agreeing" to this the mother had been medicated with Morphine. She was also told it was temporary when it has given rise to a forced adoption. In the end, however, it has still given rise to a forced adoption. Parents are often bullied into accepting S20 agreements with the threat of court
The Observer this weekend reported on the Lib Dems' latest attempts to push for more equal treatment of citizens from different ethnic backgrounds: Ministers are seeking to introduce "blind marking" of pupils' schoolwork by teachers as part of a push to tackle a history of underachievement among black and ethnic minority groups, while banks will be required to carry out ethnic monitoring of people to whom they lend money. Under the proposals, the identities of pupils would not be a factor when teachers mark work, and banks could be held accountable for the racial profile of their customers. The controversial ...
The third of our 15 minutes with Christ services is at 6 pm today, at St George's Church, High Street, Belfast.
Tue 31st
13:05
In other news... Lib Dem police commissioner candidates, Lady Steel's pink jaguar tattoo, & othe...
Here's a round-up of stories we haven't had time to cover on the site this past few days... Nick O'Shea named as Lib Dem Surrey Crime Commissioner candidate (BBC News) Nick O'Shea is a businessman and former Mole Valley District Councillor. ... Commissioners, to be elected in England and Wales in November, will oversee the work of police, which ministers say will make forces more accountable. ... Police Crime Commissioners will replace police authorities in 41 areas in November. You can visit Nick's website here. Pete Levy is Lib Dem choice as Avon and Somerset police commissioner (BBC News) A ...
Herts County Council have published an Annual Report for last year, but opposition Liberal Democrat councillors have attacked it as "one-sided" and "biased," only reporting good news and omitting the bad. It is supposed to be impartial. Resources spokesman Cllr Malcolm Cowan (Handside and Peartree) said 'We have pointed out several errors and the failure to fully report all relevant news about the county council. But the ruling Conservatives have decided instead to ignore our comments and issue a "rose - tinted" and one-sided report at the taxpayers' expense. It is close to being an item of party propaganda and ...
Tue 31st
12:21
Lib Dem Councillor leaves the party for Labour saying he'll work even harder now he's a Labour counc...
You may have already read that a Brent councillor has switched his colours from yellow to red after believing that the Lib Dems have betrayed everyone. He has posted the following open letter across a plethora of Labour websites: It is with great sadness that after more than 10 years as a Liberal Democrat Councillor, this week I have resigned my membership of the party. I joined the Liberal Democrats because I wanted to help make Britain a fairer, greener and more equal country. I no longer believe that the Liberal Democrat Party can make this happen. They have betrayed ...
It's been great to see the transport system in our borough coping so well with the Olympic Games over the last few days and all credit to those who have organised the changes. A lot of the benefit has been due to the reduced use of the private motor car (perhaps helped by the travelcards ...
Some rather dry but nevertheless interesting statistics for you: According to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), as many as 1% of people may have gender "issues" of some description or another. The evidence comes in the form of a "technical note" on conducting surveys from the EHRC. (PDF Link) When asking just over 10,000 people various questions about their gender, 0.4% did not identify as binary (I.e. neither male nor female) and 1% had had thoughts about (Or taken actions towards) gender reassignment. Of course, this new evidence hasn't stopped the Daily Mail having a pop at previous, ...
Newspapers have been reporting for months that the Liberal Democrats were not prepared to sign up to Tory plans for £10 billion of welfare cuts in a spending review that would draw up plans for spending into the next Parliament. Today's Independent says that Nick Clegg himself will ensure that this Government only produces spending plans for 2015-16. The electorate will then decide in the 2015 election whether they want to pursue further cuts in welfare or a heavier burden of tax on the wealthy. The report says;The Liberal Democrats' opposition means the review will have to be watered down. ...
Newspapers have been reporting for months that the Liberal Democrats were not prepared to sign up to Tory plans for £10 billion of welfare cuts in a spending review that would draw up plans for spending into the next Parliament. Today's Independent says that Nick Clegg himself will ensure that this Government only produces spending plans for 2015-16. The electorate will then decide in the 2015 election whether they want to pursue further cuts in welfare or a heavier burden of tax on the wealthy. The report says; The Liberal Democrats' opposition means the review will have to be watered ...
[IMG: Twitter logo] Tweeting about politics, I've been on the receiving end of a fair few more than robust messages (and I dare say that, despite my attempts to keep civil, there's a tweet or two I've sent that didn't read right or were badly phrased). When it comes to messages appearing to threaten my physical safety, I've had two. How seriously they should have been taken, I still frankly don't know. One looked very serious – but was from someone who as far as I could tell was in a different country to me and not about to travel. ...
Women's Beach Volleyball should be compulsory viewing (tags: ) Porn Trial: This Time it's Extreme Oh give it a REST, CPS. (tags: ) Osbourne: up shit creek according to YouGov (tags: ) Police arrests of cyclists should not be taken at face value (tags: ) Government unveils plan for Muppet House of Lords "The traditional place for religious leaders in the Lords will be taken by those chickens that hang around with Gonzo, dressed in bishops' mitres and robes while squawking and flapping around in panic." (tags: ) Factcheck: Are half of 'sickness benefit' claimants found fit finding work? | ...
Danny Boyle's opening ceremony for the London Olympics has deservedly won widespread praise. He managed the difficult trick of presenting a vision of a Britain in which the British can feel proud, without resorting to any of the tired old clichés. There was not a bowler hat or a red double-decker bus in sight, and nobody mentioned the war. One measure of the ceremony's success is that the only high-profile critics - apart from the Iranian state media - were Peter Hitchens, Toby Young and Tory MP Aidan Burley, who tweeted that the ceremony was "leftie multi-cultural crap". The churlishness ...
This morning's Independent reports a 'revolt' by Liberal Democrat 'grassroots' over the potential outcome of the coming Comprehensive Spending Review: see for further details. For once, the Indy's reporting is not far off the mark, at least if the word 'potential' is added somewhere. As might be expected, the article makes several statements about what the Party's positioning at the 2015 General Election might be, without pointing out that the party is democratic and such decisions will be taken by the Federal Policy Committee and Conference. Either the journalist Grice and/or his source are particularly ignorant on this point. ...
A further update on the tickets situation - 31st July Royal Greenwich Council are working their way through the overwhelming requests for tickets – information here - and have suspended ticket sales while they call back people who requested tickets. A request did not guarantee success unfortunately. However LOCOG are selling some tickets (nightly?) following the ...
Just as a quick update, after negotiations with the Federal Conference Committee, here is the final version of the Equal Citizenship motion after being amended to meet FCC requirements: Equal Citizenship: Supporting independence for sick and disabled people Conference notes: A) The passage of the Welfare Reform Act, particularly: i. Changes to Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).ii. The introduction of Personal Independence Payments (PIPs) as areplacement for Disability Living Allowance (DLA), which is predicatedto reduce working age DLA expenditure by 20% by 2015/16, returningexpenditure to 2009/10 levels in real terms.iii. The feeling of exclusion from the welfare reform policy developmentprocess ...
Stuart and Margaret Graham are lovely people. They're also two of the most courageous and tenacious people I've ever come across. You wouldn't have thought, would you, that the first conclusion the Police would draw when a young man is stabbed in the chest was that he committed suicide? Incredibly, that's what the investigating officers from Fife Constabulary decided when their 23 year old son Colin Marr died suddenly after a row with his girlfriend at his home in Lochgelly. For a long time, the Police just refused to accept that there could be any other explanation. Willie Rennie has ...
This week's entry - OK, OK, this is last week's overdue entry, don't stress about it - is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Honestly - I'm offering a full money back guarantee here! Enjoy: Andrew
Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the latest committee meeting of the River Crescent Residents' Association. I updated the association on a number of West End local issues, including bus services, carriageway repairs, overgrown shrubbery and progress on the new primary/nursery schools project at the former Logie Secondary site.
One of the new features arising from the Olympics is a regular e-mail letter from the Deputy Chief Constable of South Wales Police to all Assembly Members, MPs, Police Authority Members and the Welsh Government updating us on issues that may arise in the policing of the games. Yesterday's letter outlined how the public appreciate the intervention of South Wales Police Officers in Cardiff and in local communities around London. It is well-deserved praise for a group of committed and dedicated officers: I would like to share with you some of the Social media comments we have received to date:- ...
Many of the competing nations at the London Olympics have hired prestigious venues as their 'House' for the length of the competition, as a base for nationals, supporters and guests, with all sorts of events taking place, as well as screenings of the sporting events themselves. This evening I was at Bayt Qatar, the House ...
