I understand, from reading some of the work of my fellow bloggers, that providing some indication that I have a life beyond politics is a good thing. You know, hobbies, favourite movies, that sort of thing. And indeed, I do have a hinterland, whatever that is. My taste in music is, like my religion, catholic, ranging from Mahler at one end, to Madison Avenue at the other (what do you mean, you don't remember Madison Avenue?). And whilst we're on 'M', what about this from, and I know that it's hard to believe, 1998...
Amid a heap of bluster, the UKIP Roger Helmer MEP admits in the Leicester Mercury that he has indeed been obliged to move his office out of the Harborough Innovation Centre because he had no right to be there in the first place: "I have to admit I'm not a start-up tech company and a senior person from Oxford Innovations, which manages the centre, came to see me, apologised, but said I would have to leave."Helmer's attempt to blame my old colleague Simon Galton neglects the fact that Harborough District Council is run by the Conservatives. The Mercury found that, ...
Tue 11th
21:53
Extra post for Jo Swinson, new post for Lorely Burt as final pieces of reshuffle put into place
Alongside the sorting out of new PPS appointments following the ministerial changes, there's been one surprise addition – the inclusion of a new Liberal Democrat Equalities Minister to take over from Lynne Featherstone because the new Lib Dem Home Office minister, Jeremy Browne, did not take over Lynne's equalities brief when she moved over to International Development. The sensitivity in the party and more widely over the fate of Lynne's equalities work is illustrated by it being Jo's appointment that headlines Nick Clegg's first email to party members about the reshuffle: Tonight I've been hosting a reception to celebrate the ...
BBC broadcaster Dotun Adebayo has challenged Norman Tebbit to revoke his infamous "cricket test" aimed at measuring the loyalty of black Brits towards the Mother Country in the wake of a successful multicultural Olympics. I'm a bit bemused by this ... Continue reading →
Tue 11th
21:02
The rise of Jo Swinson continues as she now gets one of the jobs Lib Dems on the ground worry most a...
Do you remember the scary days of last week? When the sky was closing in on Lib Dems? Equal Marriage was toast and any hopes for women doing anything successful for the next generation was scuppered because Nick Clegg (yes a privileged white man) basically traded all his assets to the Tories to get David Laws (yes another privileged white man – and also Clegg's key right-hand man) back into the cabinet? I remember those days. I remember them well but I have a good memory so that isn't a huge surprise. It was a turbulent era though. The Lib ...
Several years ago the Dulwich Medical Centre on Crystal Palace Road proposed much to its neighbour horror adding a 100 hour pharmacy to its business. This daft idea was roundly rejected. Many were even more alarmed by the needle exchange in this residential area than 100/168 hours per week pharmacy. Sadly this business has decided to ignore its alarmed neighbours and applied again. To say this shows antagonism to its existing customers and neighbours would be putting it mildly. I'm not so clear that Labour led council will fight this proposal. It's changes to how they want planning decided hinder ...
In an email to party members this evening, Nick Clegg delivered the following news: Tonight I've been hosting a reception to celebrate the Coalition's commitment to equal marriage, an issue I'm very proud that Liberal Democrats are delivering on in Government. I was delighted to be joined at the reception by Jo Swinson MP – who I'm pleased to announce is our new Equalities Minister, in addition to her role as Minister for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs. This news, I suspect, will be greeted with a very deep sigh of relief by many Lib Dems, not only because it ...
Fair play to Nick, this e mail has just gone out to members announcing that Lib Dems will indeed keep the Equalities brief, which will now rest in the hands of Jo Swinson Losing this brief has been one of the biggest gripes of the reshuffle so it's very good news. I guess there will be debate again about whether once again this has only happened thanks to grass roots pressure or if it was always planned (in which case why wait a week to announce it?) But for now let's be happy at the news. Bigots everywhere beware Here's ...
Remember the almighty wailing and gnashing of teeth on here a week ago when it appeared that Nick Clegg had given our treasured equalities work to the Tories? Well, now it transpires that we are going to have a Liberal Democrat Equalities Minister after all. And the best one possible. Step forward Jo Swinson. And it looks like she'll be handling equal marriage and not Helen Grant. Here's what landed in my inbox a few minutes ago from Nick Clegg: Dear Caron, Tonight I've been hosting a reception to celebrate the Coalition's commitment to equal marriage, an issue I'm very ...
This is a speech by Andrew Macfarlane in which there are elements with which I agree. (not all of it). These are two other speeches from the same event. Naomi Angell (someone who doesn't know the stats because she talks about a big increase in the numbers of adoptions from care.) and Martin Narey (I haven't watched his video as I expect the usual nonsense that he speaks).
Back in July I blogged about the American journalist Leah McGrath Goodman, who had apparently been banned from the United Kingdom for seeking to investigate the treatment of children in public care on Jersey. Here she is interviewed about her experience on The Keiser Report. The item begins at around 12:35, though the whole programme is interesting. The financial and political set up on Jersey is made to sound extremely odd. Leah McGrath Goodman has written more about Jersey on her own website today.
Tue 11th
18:44
Liberal Democrat Andrew Duff MEP Opposes Conservative Moves to Restrict Medical Stem Cell Research
Andrew Duff MEP Liberal Democrat MEP Andrew Duff has voted against proposals in the European Parliament to restrict stem cell research. The proposals, in a report drawn up by a British Conservative, Marina Yannakoudakis MEP, call for restrictions on voluntary and unpaid donations of tissues and cells for medical research. Duff said: "The report swings the debate on stem cell research in the wrong direction, and it could allow individual EU member states to stop important medical science in its tracks. "It is unhelpful to call for further restrictions on the donation of tissues and cells in the EU at ...
W.B. Yeats served as a member of the Seanad Éireann, the upper house of Ireland's parliament, from 1922 until 1928. The extract below is taken from a contribution he made to a debate on the introduction of film censorship in Ireland, which took place in June 1923. A terrible responsibility has been thrust upon me. ...
I am not and never have been all that interested in sport so haven't taken much notice of the Olympics. That doesn't mean that I don't admire the skill and dedication of those who have taken part (not just those who have won medals), and especially the way the Paralympians have overcome handicaps far greater than anything most of us have to face. But I don't find it all that interesting, just as I admire, say, the dedication of those who collect an classify butterflies, or the courage of those who sky dive, but I don;t want to watch either ...
News reaches me from Westminster about the appointment new Liberal Democrat parliamentary private secretaries. Duncan Hames, MP for Chippenham, has been appointed as PPS to Lib Dem Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg. Lorely Burt, MP for Solihull, has been appointed as PPS to Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander. Stephen Gilbert, MP for St Austell and Newquay, has been appointed as PPS to Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Davey. Tessa Munt, MP for Wells, has been appointed as PPS to Business Secretary, Vince Cable. Simon Wright, MP for Norwich South, has been appointed as PPS to ...
Officers from St.Albans St.Peters Ward Neighbourhood Team are holding a meet & greet session at St.Albans Police Station on 17th September 2012 between 1600 -1900 hrs. This is an opportunity for local residents to pop Into the Police Station to express their concerns / issues they have in Town Centre or Clarence Ward . Should you wish to attend there will be an officer at the front desk to escort you into the meeting room. Please could you also confirm your attendance by contacting PC1850 WOODS or PCSO 6594 LAW at St. Albans Police Station by dialling the Police Non- ...
Austerity policy continues to be embraced by the UK coalition government as well as by governments across the world. This is causing predictable political unrest with large demonstrations and riots in Spain and Greece. The pain to UK households is substantial and set to increase. This is clearly socially undesirable, but more importantly is based on a technically incorrect analysis of the current economic crisis. It is fashionable and great sport to blame bankers for the crisis, to say that the developed world has 'lived beyond its means' and that we 'cannot afford' economic growth and therefore must cut our ...
Spreading fear is something religious organisations are good at. Right now they are scaremongering over the consequences of marriage equality and their leading with the possibility of teachers being sacked for expressing anti-marriage equality views. So I wondered about how people expressing their personal beliefs are treated at religious schools, obviously I expect they are given the space to hold views contrary to the organisation that runs the school? A Seventh Day Adventist Church school in Melbourne, Australia sacked a teacher because he expressed support for marriage equality on Facebook. A Catholic school in St. Louis, Missouri, USA sacked a ...
What is it with Domino's Pizza and politicians? Last night I watched the Channel 4′s Dispatches documentary 'School Dinner Scandal' featuring claims that the largest Domino's shareholder, Moonpal Singh Grewal, handsomely funded education secretary Michael Gove's office and that Gove also ... Continue reading →
There are signs of a new realism permeating the ranks of Labour today as the Independent reports that Ed Balls, the shadow chancellor, was booed and heckled by public sector union delegates when he refused to promise that a Labour government would give them the pay rises they have been demanding. This will clearly go down well in middle England, but where does it leave Ed Miliband, who was elected on the back of a union block vote? And if there is a renewed campaign of industrial action over job cuts pay and pension in the coming months, in direct ...
The nights are getting shorter, the football has started and the first few "x days to Christmas" signs are appearing in shops. Yes, it all means that the local party AGM season is approaching. To help local parties get the most out of them, here then is a reminder of the simple factsheet giving 10 tips to lift an AGM from being a boring, business meeting that no-one comes to into an interesting and successful event. Though written in conjunction with London Liberal Democrats, the tips are applicable across the country. Hope you find it useful – and of course ...
A couple of years ago geo-tagging was all the rage in tech – the battle was between Foursquare and Gowalla. While Gowalla has been eaten up by Facebook, Foursquare is still very much around, and should be a part ... Continue reading →
Tue 11th
14:41
This headline is in Today's Telegraph, but should have been in The Mail. Or Private Eye...
Education is a cornerstone of Liberal Democrat policy and principle. As Lib Dems we subscribe to the view that education is a crucial means by which individuals can realise their full potential. It was only fitting, therefore, that one of our key 2010 election pledges was the implementation of a policy which could address the inequalities in our education system - the Pupil Premium. It was a clear and straightforward manifesto pledge, easy to campaign on and one of the major Lib Dem policy accomplishments for England when Lib Dems went into Coalition Government. Accompanied by the Sutton Trust Toolkit ...
Last week edition #24 of my monthly email newsletter about the Liberal Democrats came out, including stories such as: Who will chair Lib Dem general election campaign? Which non-MPs best promote the party? Duncan Hames set to chair party's policy committee The reshuffle secret: there are now MORE Lib Dem ministers £300 million secured for extra affordable housing Local Liberal Heroes: Flick Rea If you would like to receive the next edition of the newsletter direct to your own inbox, just sign up here. It's free! You can unsubscribe whenever you want using the link on the bottom of all ...
The main domestic political news of the day today is the launch of a Lib Dem led Industrial Strategy, launched by Vince today - here's the key part of his speech... "I think there is a read across to the way we approach our economic future. We need to take the same approach: a clear, ambitious vision; the courage to take decisions that bear fruit decades later; openness to new opportunities as they develop; focus on the things we do best; and an enduring commitment far beyond the normal parliamentary timescale. For example: how do we respond to the long-term ...
Way back in the mists of time, one of the first debates I ever attended at university was on the subject "This House would ban page 3." Clare Short came all the way to Aberdeen to speak in favour of the motion that eventually won the support of the majority in the audience. I can't, however, still believe that after all this time, a whole quarter of a century, we are still discussing the existence of Page 3. Why in this day and age is it still there? In those days I would have supported a ban. These days, I ...
I have just returned to my duties at Lib Dem Voice after spending an extraordinary two weeks as a volunteer Games Maker at the Paralympics. My final event was the Athletes Parade today when we were thanked over and over again by Coe, Cameron, and Johnson, and by athletes and members of the public. I have never felt so appreciated in my life! So how did LOCOG persuade me and 70,000 other people to travel to London from all over the country on six separate occasions for training and collecting uniforms, then to stay for anything between eight and thirty ...
Where the USA treads the UK often follows. But this is one trend I'm not convinced by. The USA has seen a 30% increase in online schooling for children. Last year 250,000 children were fully taught online. Some states have reduced education budgets so much classes above 30 have become common and parents are choosing online schooling to avoid this. But what are children missing. A generation not socialised. Without Physical Education. Counter intuitively the better of are making this choice. Not so rich for private education but sufficient family income to have some one at home supervising the online ...
Saturday: On the shiny new DVD of "Vengeance on Varos" there's an (unbroadcast) French and Saunders sketch, using the "Trial of a Time Lord" set, in which the duo appear in costume as aliens from Planet Siluria. Oh, how fans laughed at the ignorance of the Not-We not getting that the Silurians come, not from "Siluria", but the alien planet... Earth! So, the Doctor's postcard from "Siluria" at the end of "Dinosaur Writes a Space Script" is a gag about another gag, itself a gag about "Trial" which, in turn, makes Mr Chibnall gag. And the wheel turns full circle... ...
The tiny volcanic island of Ventotene, off the west coast of Italy, is better known to classical scholars as Pandateria, to which the Roman Emperor Augustus banished his daughter Julia as punishment for sleeping around too much. But in more modern times, Ventotene's tiny dependency of Santo Stefano took on an entirely different celebrity as ...
All sorts of link-based goodness for you. Atos: A Privatised Service Provider In A Post-Satire World – Chris Coltrane on what is actually happening behind the mask of cutting DLA 'fraud'. Doctor Who Bechdel test – Some very interesting results here, though I'm sure most people won't be surprised to learn that the number of episodes passing has dropped dramatically since 2010. The Political Awakening of a Republican: 'I Had Viewed Whole Swaths of the Country and the World as Second-Class People' – Fascinating account of one person's awakening to what American political culture conceals, though there's an irony in ...
I joined with MPs, fellow Lib Dem councillors, hospital staff, local mums' groups, the St Helier League of Friends, Sutton council staff, members of the Sutton Youth Parliament and lots and lots of local groups and residents at the picnic on the green in front of St Helier to show our support for the hospital ...
Unlike many of my friends, I didn't sit up all night watching Andy Murray's match. For him, this was probably a good thing because all the evidence points to me jinxing him when I do. The most recent example was during his Wimbledon semi final this year. The only game I watched live - he lost. Then he won the match when I nipped out to get something for dinner. I've found that if his matches are on in the background and I don't actually watch them, he doesn't lose so I might have got away with having the radio ...
This is the first in a series of articles about the work of party committees, written by current members. Each will provide insight into how a specific committee functions. We hope these articles will encourage party members to consider putting themselves forward for election. The Party's Federal Executive is responsible for directing, co-ordinating and implementing the work of the Federal Party. Right now, that makes it a pretty big job so if you have ideas on how we should be doing that, think about standing. The committee has certain constitutional obligations from reports to conference to overseeing our accounts, you ...
Last May the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Housing Market Taskforce produced a major report which touched on a wide range of housing market issues, with the main concern being how to reduce the substantial and dysfunctional volatility that plagues the market. Four issues were identified: increasing housing supply in the long run, implementing policy instruments to deal with short run price volatility, developing innovative and effective mechanisms for protecting consumers from the consequences of market volatility, and fostering alternatives to home ownership that will provide households with long term secure accommodation. Two of the academics involved in the work of the ...
Yesterday I had the opportunity to question Richard Branson and Tim O'Toole, Chief Executive of First Group, over the much disputed awarding of the West Coast Main Line franchise to FirstGroup, taking it away from Branson's Virgin Group. As a ... Continue reading →
BBC News - Magdalen Oxford gets rejection letter from student (tags: ) Supporters of the NHS should fear Jeremy Hunt (tags: ) but suicides have a special language... (tags: ) Vince Cable repeats his opposition to 'fire at will' employment laws - Freedom Central (tags: ) BBC News - Universal credit: Fortnightly benefits to stay for some I get paid weekly at my job. I get my tax credits weekly. Nobody seems to have factored me into this anywhere... (tags: ) Euromyths » Press reports on EC proposals on MOT tests are incorrect (tags: ) Hannah set to become a ...
The on-line petition calling for enhanced road safet measures along Gunthorpe Road has rceived a update in its functionatlity! Visitors can now share the campaign with a mere click on all of the leading social networks, the petition form has also been revamped, to make it easier for supporters to fill out and a street view map to help grasp the road settings has been embedded. Commenting, local LIB DEM ward councillor, Darren Fower said: "In 2005 the Tory controlled City Council informed the South Werrington and North Gunthorpe FOCUS Team that a "Speed Management Strategy" along Gunthorpe Road would ...
Autumn usually sneaks in via the back door. Its shadows lengthen on the staircase, and they take ever longer to be dispersed by the dawn. Summer's glories fade away: the blooms on the clematis fade and die, the trees begin to change colour, shifting subtly from green to green accentuated with a touch of yellow. ...
Did you hear that scream? That was the producer of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show running from the building as Andy Murray became the first British man to win a grand slam since forever. And with that win he established himself firmly among the top rank of the SPOTY candidates. What's it going to take to win the award this year? It seems it's definitely a matter of 'Gold Medal +..." According to the bookies, the favourite is still Bradley Wiggins - Gold Medal + Tour de France winner. But then there are also: Andy Murray - ...
International Development minister Lynne Featherstone writes a monthly column for one of her local newspapers. Here is the latest one, her last whilst at the Home Office..... Wow! I have screamed, shouted, cheered, laughed and cried through the Olympics and Paralympics. And like everyone, I am just so proud of what we have achieved - and the friendly, cheerful way we have achieved it. With my work on equalities issue, it is the increasing parity between male and female sports and sports stars and between the Olympics and Paralympics which has particular caught my eye. I would simply call the ...
Is the fact that the party was advertised on Facebook relevant? - A terrible tragedy but I'm failing to see how the Facebook part of it is relevant. When parties were organised using Royal Mail and someone was stabbed outside one the Post Office wasn't an integral part of the investigation. C4′s Gary Gibbon: Tory plots against Cameron continue - Heard it all before. Brown was always given "a few more months" Can Labour *do* pluralist politics? - I've been wondering this too How Upsetting : Maria Miller and the political internet meme - It's scary how easily blatant lies ...
There's something that's been bothering me when it comes to discussions about welfare reform. Time and time again people talk about (mythical) massive welfare dependency and benefit fraud and use this to argue that we must be ruthless in targeting fraudsters as if that's the same thing as welfare dependency and as if benefit fraud (which already has several benefit fraud task forces and a hotline to report incidences of it) wasn't costing us ten times less than tax evasion. And I think a major issue here is the way that people conflate people being trapped on benefits, or forced ...
In 1816, as part of the celebrations of the final defeat of Napoleon, a state visit to the Britain was arranged for Tsar Alexander of Russia. He was accompanied by his 20-year-old younger brother the Grand Duke Nicholas - the future Nicholas I. According to North-East History Tour, Nicholas expressed a wish to visit a coal mine: Arriving at Wallsend on 16th December 1816, he was given a prolonged tour of the colliery site, before being invited to change out of his glittering finery and into a deputy-overman's outfit, prior to being escorted to the gaping hole that was the ...
A number of residents have been in touch about litter on Heys Road, particularly between the school and the village. I have spoken to the Council about the provision of litter bins on the street, but apparently the current bins are nowhere near full when emptied, so it isn't seen as appropriate or a priority to install extra bins. I have also spoken to the school, who have confirmed that they have signed up to the 'Bury Street Care Pledge', and that this is re-enfored with pupils though School Council and the school's Eco Club. The school does do litter ...
I was kindly invited by the University of the Third Age (U3A) to give a talk on the history of Gatley. Aware that there are local historians far more accomplished than me, I didn't try to cover every detail, but aimed to give a flavour of the people of Gatley and what it might have been like to live here over the last thousand years. A history of Gatley In 1818 Gatley weavers joined the Luddite riots. They drilled in Gatley Carrs, which in those days was fields and meadows stretching up to the Mersey and along to Northenden. One ...
I have received complaints that McGonagall's Walk on Riverside Drive needs tidied, some new signs and perhaps having the words on the pathway picked out in gilt. Having raised this matter with Dundee City Council, the Director of City Development has responded: "It would not be advisable to infill the lettering, as this would be unlikely to last due to frost and direct wear. However, it maybe possible to clean the stone and I have asked my officers to investigate this further."
Further to my post a couple of weeks ago about the consultation on Rochdale's Core Strategy document – the links on that Council's website now seem to work! The consultation on the strategy, which may be of interest to Bury residents in Rhodes and Bowlee are here. As previously outlined the proposal DOES NOT now include a proposal to release greenbelt land in south Heywood for economic development – which I suspect will make local residents happy!
It's 3am and I stayed up to watch it. Andy Murray gave us tension and anxiety in the bucket load as has become his way but it was worth it. In fact, it has all been worth it. The long journey to watch that prodigious young talent from Dunblane in Scotland make his way to Olympic glory and now to this, the first British man to win a Grand Slam since Fred Perry himself lifted the US Open title back in 1936, is over. Andy Murray - 2012 US Open Champion It's been a rollercoaster ride but Andy Murray can ...
On the 10th September in New York a British number three seed won his first Grand Slam title in five sets. His name was Fred Perry, three years later at the same venue he was also to be the last British man to do so, until a tornado on Saturday evening caused a delay in the second semi-final 79 years later. By a quirk of nature the final 79 years later was to feature another number three seed from Britain who had never won a Grand Slam title. But found himself in a final on that same iconic date. Although ...
It was worth the wait...
