Today's Wigan Evening Post - Click on image to enlarge
The revelations about Jimmy Savile reminded me of a blog post I wrote four years ago. It was inspired by the events that were unfolding then in the former children's home in Jersey, and it has now emerged that Savile himself was also implicated there. Although my post concentrated on other forms of physical abuse, the general argument is just as relevant today for sexual abuse. I will repeat it in full, as my old blog is not easily accessible. Saturday, 01 March 2008 Contexts of abuse The revelations about child abuse in Jersey have been very disturbing, and will ...
Thanks to Living on Words Alone and the Radio 4 Today programme this morning.
Adopting Derwentside's twin bin scheme county-wide has boosted County Durham's recycling rates. Figures show that, following the introduction of twin-bins, between April and July householders in County Durham recycled 3,965 extra tonnes - the equivalent of 793 extra lorry-loads - compared to same period last year. That's an increase of 34 per cent. The expectation is that by the end of the year people will be recycling more than 48 per cent of their waste. That's good news for us all in terms of reducing bills for landfill tax, and it's good news for the planet. "We told you so" ...
I have always had a slight problem with the Beatles. I can see they are good, but I can't see why they are better than quite a few other groups that were around at the time. It is very like the problem I have with Mozart in the classical world. Saturday's screening of Magical Mystery Tour was never going to solve my Beatles problem. I wanted to like it, and in many ways it was likeable (helped by the presence of the Bonzos), but it was also a mess. It wasn't helpful that the preceding documentary chose to mirror the ...
Today has, for me, been distinctly divided into two. The first was a work-related panic, with a deadline for a problem sheet coinciding with that of a deadline for an essay. This was rather avoidable if I had taken notes the first time I was reading, but such was not the case, meaning I had
Following his underwhelming debate performance Barack Obama has hit back with this fabulous attack ad on Romney's priorities: It appears to have ruffled sufficient feathers for the (non-partizan) Sesame Workshop to ask for it to be taken down.
We have been asked why certain parts of Kingsway have not been resurfaced. Below is the reply from the council. Marsden Road was taken out of the programme due to the impending utilities works (gas I think). When Marsden is surfaced, probably next year's programme, the material will be laid into the bell mouths of the adjacent roads to match up with the surface laid this time.
With the denaming of several Savile memorials, the questions arises... When I was in Australia I was intrigued by a plaque at Rex Lookout in Queensland. It is made of brass. Someone has taken an oxyacetylene torch to the name of the person who unveiled the plaque and actually melted their name, so you can't read who it is. It did say that the person was the Member of the local parliament for Barron River in 1982. A quick Wikipedia search showed this to be one Martin Tenni. Further quick searches revealed that his "sin" was to have been investigated ...
Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Willie Rennie writes for local newspapers in his Mid Scotland and Fife constituency: The excitement surrounding Team Europe's victory in the Ryder Cup should bring the opportunity that comes our way at Gleneagles in two years time into sharp focus. 250,000 people poured onto the course between the first strike of the ball during the practice rounds and the last putt of the final pairings. This obviously presents us with a great opportunity to boost business and trade, not just for local businesses in and around Gleneagles but across Scotland as a whole. In Chicago, media ...
[IMG: image] And here's why: How to De-Spin a Party Conference 11th Oct 2012; 13:00 RSA Thursday What does 'spin' look like in an age of transparency? In an age of online democracy and people power, politicians hold down-to-earth press conferences in tractor factories and broadcast their fondness for the humble pasty. But award-winning journalist and author Eliane Glaser argues that this 'call me Dave' sincerity is actually spin's modern mutation: deception disguised as openness and 'engagement'. Speaker: Eliane Glaser, writer, radio producer, and honorary research fellow at Birkbeck, University of London. Chair: Stephen Tall, editor of the Liberal Democrat ...
Sign up to the Dispatch Box, the new weekly political e-magzine from digitalpolitico.net Stella Creasey is an excellent modern MP. Highly intelligent, community and issue orientated, and a natural (never mind very effective) user of social media. This week her ... Continue reading →
Wed 10th
18:50
LibLink: Alistair Carmichael: "The difference between justice and revenge can't be ignored"
So, I was all prepared to write an article on the International Day against the Death Penalty, as it's something that I feel very strongly about. Then I discovered that Alistair Carmichael, who is by day Deputy Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats and by night lurks in the shadows of the Palace of Westminster as the Liberal Democrats' chief whip, had got there first, in today's Scotsman. And let's face it, his will be better than anything I can produce. Alistair has campaigned against the death penalty for many years after visiting Kenny Richey on Death Row. He met ...
The organisers of the Greater Manchester 'Get me Toasty' scheme are putting out a special reminder to people in Prestwich. The grants scheme is expected to finish at the end of December 2012, because of the start of the Government's bigger 'Green Deal' programme next year. Get me Toasty can give grants to local residents who own or privately rent their property to get cavity wall and loft insulation for free. Such insulation, which usually costs up to £350 each, is the most cost effective way of saving energy in the home, and could cut energy bills by up to ...
Sign up to the Dispatch Box, the new weekly political e-magzine from digitalpolitico.net We can all relax again. Conference season is finally over. David Cameron has addressed the faithful, assorted lobbyists, and the few MPs who bothered to turn up. ... Continue reading →
I mentioned the other day about Jennie Rigg's plan to gather questions together for candidates in the Liberal Democrats' internal elections. Unlike when I come up with a grand plan and then neglect to follow through, Jennie's a woman of action, and not only has she collected together a list of eleven questions for candidates for both Federal Policy Committee and Federal Executive Committee, she's managed to send it out to most of the candidates. So, if you're a candidate and you haven't received any questions yet, now you can go and find them, and if you're a party member ...
So on Saturday 22nd September I traveled down to Brighton with Trudy Dean (Liberal Democrat County Councillor for Malling Central). We were travelling down to the Liberal Democrat conference and it was my first conference too (I was very excited). So we arrived in sunny Brighton and checked into our hotels and then we met up to have a coffee. Well with this being my first visit to Brighton I had no clue that along the promenade that there were cycle paths, so a couple of times I was nearly taken down by a couple of cyclists. The entire conference ...
Richard's answers are ( below the cut ) You can find links to all the other candidates' answers here [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
David Cameron gave his keynote speech at the Conservative party conference today. There's a transcript here. It wasn't a bad speech – not his best, but reasonable. But some of it annoyed me... Cameron showed a strong belief in standing together against globalization, and then expected plaudits when he shouted down such an approach in ...
On the face of it 16 year-olds should have a vote. They pay income tax and National Insurance, can claim welfare benefits and tax credits, enter marriage or civil partnership, become a company director or even choose a career in the armed forces. So many things they can do. They can have sex without the fear of prosecution for having under-age sex. They can start a family with no stigma or legal issues attached. However does all this make them an adult that deserves the right to have a vote? These people can't buy alcohol or tobacco. So we deem ...
After a break while I was holidaying up the East coast of England and (just) Sctotland from Flamborough Head to St Abb's Head, here's another reposted Odanglesex adventure, this time on government pronouncements on equality law. FROM: Edelbertha Spengler, Chief Executive TO: Kenneth Spotlessnob, Director Of Transformational Excellence and Strategic Vision Kenneth: Could your people cast an eye over this excerpt from a speech by the Secretary of State and see if there's anything we need to do? "...and another thing. It's about time we stopped poncing around burbling on about equality and human rights. People in the Isle of ...
Zoe's answers are ( below the cut ) You can find links to all the other candidates' answers here [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Sign up to the Dispatch Box, the new weekly political e-magzine from digitalpolitico.net [<a target="_blank">View the story "Cameron addresses Conservative Conference" on Storify</a>] Sign up to the Dispatch Box, the new weekly political e-magzine from digitalpolitico.net
Here's a question which tends to get lost amid the heat and noise generated around the issue of Lords reform - what do the members of the second chamber actually do? Or at least, what are the Liberal Democrat peers doing on a daily basis? And this isn't meant in a facetious way. Unless you're in the gainful employment of the party's peers, or a broken leg has left you with far too much time in front of BBC Parliament, chances are you might not know how the Lords are working to ensure that every piece of legislation which crosses ...
Jon's answers are ( below the cut ) You can find links to all the other candidates' answers here [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
The building is at the rear of the car park You may be aware that Councillors McCoy, Coleman and I have been working on behalf of residents to have an illegal building removed from Hawthorn Road. Astonishingly the matter has been going on for six years and a number of residents have been frustrated by the slow speed of progress - hampered at every possible stage by determination to ignore the court ruling and legal challenges. Now, at last, the Crown Court has unequivocally concluded that the Council was right and that the building must come down as had been ...
One of my Constituents has brought to my attention the issue of a lack of hard of hearing and lip-reading classes in the Greater Manchester area. She is a member of a lip-reading class which was on Mauldeth Road, but ... Continue reading →
We sometimes hear of the 'democratic deficit' with reference to the European Union - and how the EU is insufficiently accountable to the voters within the 27 states. Indeed, in the UK, the only chance we get to make an EU-vote is every five years for our MEPs, and even that result is usually based on national rather than European factors. Increasing democracy would be a revolution to the European Union, and may even improve its image within this country, so here are three suggestions to make a start. The European President This is an item I originally blogged about ...
We know that the Tories went on and on before the election about how they were going to reward marriage in the tax system. We know that Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats don't think much of this idea. We know that since the Coalition Government was formed that no such marriage tax break has been introduced. It was therefore not unreasonable to conclude that the Liberal Democrats have stopped the Tories from implementing their prized policy. But now we have confirmation of that from Tim Loughton who until the reshuffle was Children and Families Minister. In today's Telegraph, he ...
Being in government has many benefits but I am not so sure that the increased attention of lobbyists is one of them. It is little wonder therefore that Tory party activists are complaining at the way that these particular professionals are dominating events at their conference. The Guardian reports that senior Conservatives fear that members are being put off by the vast numbers of political consultants and pressure groups at fringe events and stalls. They say that lobbyists have paid more than £10,000 to hire permanent venues at this year's conference in Birmingham where their clients are able to mix ...
Last night BBC Northern Ireland apparently only turned off the signal to BBC2 Analogue. While there was some fear about what would happen to RTE services as part of the switch over it appears the matter is a little closer to home. Is it BBC1 or not? Well trying to find anything on the BBC here today you will be hard pressed. I can only get a signal on one station (apparently BBC1) although it appears to be CBeebies and is currently scrambled. Heaven help all those mothers who are having to reconcile toddlers that their favourite programme just isn't ...
Paul's answers are ( below the cut ) You can find links to all the other candidates' answers here [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Hatttp Dangerous Minds
Last week I posted 5 quick thoughts on Ed Miliband's speech. Here, fresh off the Twitter, are my 5 initial thoughts on David Cameron's speech to the Tory party conference... [View the story "Cameron's speech in 5 tweets #cpc12" on Storify] Cameron's speech in 5 tweets #cpc12 Storified by Stephen Tall · Wed, Oct 10 2012 05:06:06 Cameron speech (1/5): The theme 'Aspiration Nation' may be cannier than Miliband's 'One Nation': carefully, specifically targets key voters.Stephen Tall Came speech (2/5): the personal bits were moving (Ivan's wheelchair, father's disability) – reminder that disadvantage takes many forms.Stephen Tall Cam speech (3/5): ...
Just some ragged thoughts, some on the specifics, some general ones on political speeches. I was speaking to someone who told me that they're sick of unsourced anecdotes being used to make points. Cameron's infamous for this, of course – 'I met a black man' – but it seems everyone has always recently met someone who'll back up the point they want to make. In some cases, it's not even someone they claim to have met, just an unsourced straw-man view of what 'they' think. [citation needed] Following on from that, how hard would it be for a clued-up party ...
There was no talk this year of banning champagne at the Conservative Party Conference. Perhaps there was no danger of exuberance among delegates. As recalcitrant Tories sought one-in-the-eye against Nick Clegg by erasing Lords Reform from the Coalition Agreement, their party's treasured redrawing of the UK electoral map was duly jettisoned too. Without a stronger second chamber to challenge the executive, it would have been wrong to reduce the size of the House of Commons, thereby increasing the proportionate dominance of the government's 'payroll' within it. Clearly, the failure of the most comprehensive attempt to reform the composition of the ...
Leaders speeches at conference tend to be fairly vacuous affairs quite often - how many can we really recall? Kinnock vs Militant, the lady's not for turning, Go back to your Constituencies and prepare for government, Never underestimate the Quiet Man? That's about it. So here's a word cloud of each of the three main party leaders speeches this year. Can you name the leader that gave each speech? And who had the strongest narrative? It's interesting...
Ed Davey, the Lib Dem Energy Minister gave a speech today saying that the EU should make it more expensive for firms that produce carbon dioxide. Currently businesses buy and trade permits to produce carbon under the EU's emission trading scheme. But the number of permits that were written is too high. This means that ...
Party conference seasons are rarely memorable. Apart from Cameron's "call that election - we will fight, Britain will win" bluff, which prompted Gordon Brown to call off the "election that never was" in 2007. Apart from a few leadership shocks - Ed Miliband's pipping of his brother to the line on the shoulders of the trade unions in 2010 and the foundering of David Davis' leaden leadership bid in 2005. It may be premature to pass judgment on this conference season just yet. But it is a season that will be remembered for three things. Nick Clegg was sorry. Ed ...
Last Wednesday, Ed Miliband delivered the speech of his life. Whether we agree with the content or not, this was potentially a defining moment in his leadership of the Labour Party. Within the speech, Miliband, without notes, set out a narrative similar to Cameron's speech to the Conservative Party conference in 2007, which will likely ...
Yesterday, in the Swat region of Pakistan, a 14 year old girl was shot. Her name is Malala Yousafzai, and she was walking home from school with her friend when she was shot in the side of the head. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the shooting. The question on all our minds is 'Why would anyone try and kill a 14 year old girl?'. Because Malala Yousafzai stood up for something that scares and horrifies the Taliban – she dared to speak out for girls' right to an education. Malala was 11 years old when she started writing about ...
Prateek's ( answers are below the cut ) You can find links to all the other candidates' answers here [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
For some time, Liberal Democrats have been arguing that, by being in coalition with the Conservatives, we've acted as a restraint against some of their more unpleasant tendencies. That isn't an argument that has convinced everyone, of course, with the less open to reason Labour supporters sticking to their own version of reality. However, the Conservatives do seem utterly determined to demonstrate that we might have a point. On abortion, on welfare reform, on Europe and on taxation, the rather more unacceptable face of their party has been on show this week. And they really don't like us, do they? ...
Cute but if I catch him in my house... First we had David Cameron's "Hug a hoodie" now we've moved up to Deathcon 3 with "bash a burglar." Personally I couldn't agree more and I'm sure many home owners do. After all your home is your castle and once the drawbridge is up that's it. Everyone's priority is the defence of their family and then property. In all honesty who has woken in the middle of the night to a strange noise and gone for a patrol around the house armed with a hairbrush, hand mirror or baseball bat? (I've ...
Wed 10th
10:25
County council investigating right of way between Gainsborough Avenue and Jennings Road
There has been an application to turn this unadopted stretch of road into a right of way. The key documents are available here and we would welcome your comments. Ltr HCC Modification Order Gainsborough Ave to Jennings Road 2.10.12 How do we make a decision 2.10.12
The Sun's benefit fraud figures need context and clarification | Full Fact (tags: ) 'Slut dropping' and 'Pimps and Hoes' - the sexual politics of freshers' week (tags: ) Funny tube signs (tags: ) FREEDOM FROM POVERTY - A Real Alternative to Welfare (tags: ) UK: Christian Labour MP changes his mind and backs equal marriage - PinkNews.co.uk Behold the Widdecombe effect (tags: ) Fool me once ... | Alex's Archives "The pattern is clear. Conservatives get the Liberal Democrats to sign up to something unpalatable and in return promise to deliver something favoured by the Liberal Democrats at a ...
The former defence minister, Nick Harvey, has reignited the debate about the replacement of Trident or, more specifically, the ballistic missile-carrying nuclear submarines which convey it. Ironically, the Conservative Chancellor George Osborne has greatly helped the case for not renewing Trident, by placing the £25 Billion cost of the successor submarine in the main Defence budget, to compete with conventional arms for money. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the chiefs of the three services are reported to be going cold on the idea of a like-for-like replacement. Traditionally the west had two types of nuclear submarines - attack submarines, called SSNs, whose role ...
Prior to his ascent to the throne, the Roman Emperor Claudius was continually underestimated. He had a club foot, a stammer, was prone to nervous fits and was frequently ill; many of his contemporaries dismissed him as a buffoon, maligned and deformed by nature. The causes of his indisposition are unclear: historians have suggested that ...
[IMG: Wedding rings] A follow-up to yesterday's Conservatives confirm Liberal Democrat influence over human rights: Small but significant nib on p5 of Telegraph. Former Tory minister Tim Loughton moaning that @libdems blocked tax breaks for married couples — Phil Reilly (@phil_reilly) October 10, 2012
Gareth's answers for FCC are ( below the cut ) Gareth's answers for FPC are ( coming soon ) You can find links to all the other candidates' answers here [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
There is a real danger that the European Union will slide into irrelevance, like the Venice Republic. That was the grim warning from Professor Richard Whitman from the University of Kent at a Federal Trust seminar on Europe in the World, held at Westminster yesterday, and his gloomy prognosis was shared by other panel members. ...
Later today Mark Thompson will attempt to solve a tricky database problem. He will urge colleagues to "stick with him" whilst he tackles the issue which is expected to take most of the morning and perhaps some of the afternoon. Thompson will urge the tables within the database to "unite" probably through linking key fields or even aides say using stored procedures. The software developer stressed that whilst the problems he faces are difficult it is important to "stay the course". He is expected to reject calls for a different approach utilising a big spreadsheet and will insist "there is ...
This is long (15 minutes) but well worth persevering through. This ABC News video, available here on You Tube, shows Australian Prime Minister verbally eviscerate the Leader of the Opposition, calling him out on sexism, misogyny and hypocrisy. There are occasions when a politician approaches a tricky situation with a good argument, the evidence to back it up and is able to deliver both in a devastatingly brilliant manner. The Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, had proposed a motion of no confidence in the Parliament's Speaker over inappropriate and sexist text messages. Gillard's critique of Abbott's past sexist remarks ...
Genius:
Last night, I attended the October meeting of West End Community Council. Although there was no speaker at yesterday's meeting, there was opportunity for discussion about a number of West End issues and I had the opportunity to update the Community Council about the plans for this year's West End Christmas Fortnight. The next meeting of the Christmas Fortnight Committee takes place tomorrow at 3.30pm at the Vine in Magdalen Yard Road - all welcome!
Jim Currie's sensational resignation last night proves, among other things, that Alec Robertson's problems are not – as he may have tried to portray them – the result of party political manoeuvring by those outside his Tory/Indie coalition. Quite the reverse – they demonstrate the rot that has taken over the heart of his administration. ...
I have again highlighted the continued poor transport provision for West End pupils who attend St John's High School and am continuing to campaign to have the City Council recognise the need to provide a mini-bus service as a long-term solution to the problem. The issue was initially highlighted last year when National Express Dundee withdrew the 4S school bus that took St John's pupils from the West End to the school and back every school day. At the time there was some movement on the situation but the travel to school arrangements for West End pupils attending St John's ...
Cllr Allan Knox has succeded in getting Ribble Valley BC to review the operation of its Events Safety Advisory Group (ESAG) after ESAG was castigated by many for the cancellation of this year's Clitheroe Community Bonfire. A motion to the council in Cllr Knox's name was passed unanimously. Speaking at the council meeting Cllr Allan Knox said: Mr Mayor, May I start off with a confession - I don't like bonfires! However I must admit that I do like fireworks... So every year when Clitheroe has its bonfire the other Cllr Knox will trek up to the Castle Field, while ...
Robert's answers for FCC are ( below the cut ) Robert's answers for FPC are ( below THIS cut ) You can find links to all the other candidates' answers here [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Liberal Democrats in Redcar & Cleveland are asking why the Labour council gives away the cardboard and plastic it collects whilst other councils manage to sell it.Liberal Democrat Councillor Chris Abbott asked a question about this in July's council meeting. He was told that the Council gets no money for the plastic and cardboard collected from households in the borough.It costs the Council £245,950 a year to collect these items. It is then handed over free to a firm in Hartlepool who process and sell it, with no income at all coming back to the Council.However, the Council has today ...
Linda's answers for FCC are ( below the cut ) Linda's answers for FPC are ( coming soon ) You can find links to all the other candidates' answers here [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
George's answers are ( below the cut ) You can find links to all the other candidates' answers here [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
