The Ripon Canal runs for a little over two miles from its basin near the centre of the city, past the racecourse to the River Ure. I walked the towpath and when I arrived at the far end of canal I found the Ure was very high - this was the summer of 2012, after all. The Ure has come from Wensleydale and flows down to York, by which time it has changed its name to become the Ouse. Then a boat obligingly appeared. The photograph above shows it coming off the Ure and entering the canal. I helped with ...
....and I'll post there from time to time as a member of the Collective that produces what is now Britain's longest-running Liberal magazine. Go to http://liberator-magazine.blogspot.co.uk/ for more. socialise this: [IMG: add 'Liberator has a new blog......' a Del.icio.us] [IMG: add 'Liberator has a new blog......' a digg] [IMG: add 'Liberator has a new blog......' a Stumble Upon] [IMG: add 'Liberator has a new blog......' a FaceBook] [IMG: add 'Liberator has a new blog......' a Twitter]
When the Haute de la Garenne children's home failed to yield up any bodies, the newspapers lost interest. Even though, as Nick Davies has showed, the more lurid stories about the home were largely generated by those newspapers themselves. And even though there clearly was a serious problem with child abuse on Jersey. (Incidentally, a great deal of forensic evidence was retrieved and no one seems sure what became of it or whether it was even tested. Perhaps the papers should be asking about that?) The newspapers may have lost interest, but what has happened there since is simply extraordinary. ...
This morning, I participated in the final meeting of the West End Schools' Project Board - the working party that has overseen the new schools' building project on the former Logie Secondary site that is now the superb new home to St Joseph's Primary School, Victoria Park (previously Park Place) Primary School and Balgay Hill (previously Park Place) Nursery School. I gave my views on a number of issues including safe drop-off/pick-up near the schools and the future of the former Park Place schools' site - the latter is to be utilised by the Education Department for Head Teacher meetings ...
Many readers of this blog will be familiar with Liberator, the magazine where Lord Bonkers' Diary appears. Now the magazine has its own blog. You can find it at Liberator's blog. I may post there myself from time to time - and Lord Bonkers thinks it would be a Terribly Good Idea if he did too.
There's a lively debate on the ConservativeHome website about the Tories lack of traction with Black and Asian voters with much agonising about the party's reputation of hostility towards 'ethnic minorities.' But if they want ...
The BBC report that the first bill passed by the Welsh assembly since last year's referendum on its powers became law today at a ceremony in Cardiff. They say that First Minister Carwyn Jones fixed an official seal to documents signed by the Queen giving Royal Assent to the Official Languages Bill. It is the first time the ceremony has happened since the Assembly acquired direct law-making powers in March 2011. It has taken 18 months to get this far and yet this bill was not even one put forward by the Government, it was an Assembly Commission bill. The ...
I read today of the Ipsos Mori survey commissioned by the Evening Standard detailing that a majoity of both the Labour party and the Conservatives support expansion of Heathrow. Crazy. The facts show that there is no no need to expand Heathrow as it is not running at full capacity. The arguments that the country is in a bad finanial situation is totally disingenuous, as an expansion can hardly be done overnight anyhow. Me at an anti-Heathrow expansion rally Quite rightly it points out that the Liberal Democrats are vehemently opposed to expanding Heathrow. Check out the Evening Standard article ...
On Friday I reported that Robert Wann, the former Lord Mayor of Leicester, faced disqualification from the city council for not attending a meeting in six months if he failed to find one to attend before 17 November. Guess what happened next? This evening the Leicester Mercury website tells us: The Labour group's whip Councillor Barbara Potter arranged for him to sit in on tonight's Economic Development, Culture and Tourism Scrutiny Commission. Coun Wann is not a regular member of that committee but stood in for another member who was unwell.
1. Introduction 2. The Three Refuges 3. The Four Noble Truths The Eightfold Path: 4. Right Understanding 5. Right Intent 6. Right Speech 7. Right Livelihood 8. Right Effort 9. Right Mindfulness 10. Right Concentration So this was a long time coming, right? Honestly, the reason that I took so long before completing this series was because I'm still caught up in my reaction to one specific precept, and the way I perceive social reactions to it. It's one thing to decide to live one's life a certain way, it's another to work out the reasoning and justify it when ...
Mon 12th
20:10
How the Obama campaign used randomised control trials to micro-target its way to victory
Identifying and targeting the undecideds: that's the key to winning elections, isn't it? Find the people who sit bang-in-the-middle of the political spectrum and bombard them with messages that persuade them to back your side, yes? Those are two underpinning assumptions of modern political campaigning which have been challenged by the Obama campaign's use of randomised control trials, as revealed in Sasha Issenberg's book The Victory Lab. A couple of weeks ago, Sasha wrote an in-depth article for Slate profiling the profound impact of RCTs on the ways in which potential voters were categorised and communicated with: Obama's Secret Weapon: ...
Bath & North East Somerset Council is consulting on the appropriate priorities for Bus Revenue Support funding for the 2013/14 financial year. The Council currently spends around £1 million per annum on supported bus services, but faces competing pressures for this funding if services are to be maintained or improved. In 2013/14 additional costs would be incurred if the Council continues to
Paul Goodman has been taking a look at the implausible maths behind the slim hopes some in the Conservative Party still have about getting the new Parliamentary boundaries through Parliament. As he concludes, even on the most optimistic of assumptions, it requires every single Conservative MP to back the proposals. Even one who, say, isn't keen on Cameron, is happy to rebel and whose own seat faces abolition. Yup, even Nadine Dorries. It ain't going to happen.
Pete Levy is the Lib Dem candidate for the Police and Crime Commissioner role The whole of our area has an election on Thursday for the new post of Police and Crime Commissioner. The new Commissioner will cover the whole of the Avon and Somerset police area, so it's going to be an important job. A lot of people are asking what the PCC will do, so here are a few key points: What are the objectives for the new Commissioner? The PCC is supposed to bring a public voice to policing and hold our police force to account for ...
We have received this from the council The consultation on additional licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) is well underway and all the drop-in consultation events have been carried out. So far we have received around 160 responses to the online consultation which is a good start - but we need to try and encourage more engagement and more people to respond. The 3 main Wards
The next Cheadle Area Committee is at Bolshaw Primary School, 6pm on Tuesday 20th November 2012. Issues for consideration include: Dedicating a new footpath from The Paddock, Cheadle New double yellow lines on Albert Road, Cheadle Hulme to stop parked cars causing traffic jams A proposal to extend double lines on Back Massie Street – a tricky one to get the balance right between the needs of delivery vehicles to maneuver in and out, and having some additional free parking for shoppers. Removal of a disabled parking bay outside 11 New Hey Road, Cheadle – the new resident has no ...
"Fortunately the Scottish Lib Dems have done their homework and produced an admirable document spelling out how it would work, including its possible and wholly positive implications for the rest of the UK. It's a huge pity that this blueprint for devo max, the completion of devolution, was not produced first by the Labour Party; but its Lib Dem parentage offers an excellent opportunity for Labour and the Lib Dems to join forces in defence of the survival of the United Kingdom." BrianBarder on LabourList is impressed by our contribution to the debate on Scottish independence and devolution. Hoping for ...
I will wander home past the front door of the BBC shortly. It's a shortcut to the tube. The area outside will be thronged with camera crews and press, as it has been all day. There was even a helicopter hovering over it this morning, presumably expecting someone like Tim Davie to abseil from the roof as he slipped out for a power brunch... But check out the most read stories on today (at 6.20 on 12/11) on The Guardian & The Telegraph Nary a mention of the BBC. Makes you think, doesn't it....
[Originally posted at Liberal Democrat Voice, 12/11/12] Friday 9th November 2012 could well come to be seen as a landmark date in the history of English housing policy. A key change introduced by the Localism Act 2011 came into effect. The Liberal Democrats are part of the Government presiding over the change. Is it a change we can be proud of? Local authorities can now discharge their statutory homelessness duty by allocating households a tenancy in the private rented sector rather than in social housing. This has been an option for years. But until now to pursue this route the ...
One of Europe's top environmentalists has today welcomed the EU's success in securing the agreement in principle of nations across the world to reduce aircraft CO2 emissions. Chris Davies, the Liberal Democrat leader on the European Parliament's Environment committee was ... Continue reading →
The priorities of the British establishment and media are baffling in the extreme. The reputation of a Tory lord has been impugned, which is bad but not life-threatening, and no-one has died as a result, but the Director General of the BBC has been pressured into resigning, the BBC is said to be in one of the worst crises in its history.,and both the BBC and other media media seem to have talked and written of little else else for days. I am all in favour of those responsible for serious debacles being held to account, but the Director General's ...
Being a Liberal in Russia is a risky vocation, as putting one's head above the parapet politically is an invitation to harrassment, arrest, criminal proceedings and heafty fines or imprisonment. High profile anti-establishment activists such as Pussy Riot get lots of foreign media attention and noises of sympathy from the outside world, of course, but even ...
Thanks to Keris for posting this short video about how the way women are portrayed in advertising is harmful. I thought it deserved sharing with a wider audience. I like the quote from Cindy Crawford who said "I wish I looked like Cindy Crawford." If you ever wondered why Jo Swinson has spent so much time taking cosmetics companies to the Advertising Standards Authority and winning her case, this is a good summary of the arguments.
The current edition of The House magazine features our very own Don Foster in full colour on its front page. There's an interesting article on the legend that is "The Don", but this little passage, about his job in government, caught my eye: "One of the fantastic things I did for the first two-and-a-half years of this Government was to represent the Liberal Democrats at film premieres, at football matches, at rugby matches, at plays, at the BAFTA awards, and so on. It was hardly a big sacrifice to lose out first time round. I loved representing the Liberal Democrats ...
In just a couple of weeks ALDC's Candidate Support service for the 2013 elections starts in earnest. We'll be providing written and email briefings to all Liberal Democrat candidates right through to polling day and beyond. We'll be giving practical advice on campaign plans, telling you where to download artwork templates and keeping you up to date on election law and campaign themes. Nearer the time we'll be guiding you through the nomination forms and the election expense returns. All candidates in 2013 will also be receiving a free Candidate's Handbook, our series of Election Briefing emails, and access to ...
The British political and media establishment hunts in a pack. They pick one issue, everybody attacks it at once...and then they swiftly move on to the next. There is no time for proper critical analysis, or maintenance of aim over any period longer than a few days, sometimes just hours. This has been evident over the recent media scrum over the BBC and child abuse. First it emerged that celebrity DJ the late Jimmy Savile was up to no good in the course of his work, some years ago, at the BBC. This raised some deeper issues about the management ...
Just a quick one here — I used this term in my previous post and was surprised to see Xian question it — it's a term that is the standard term for that game in the UK, but is apparently not in use in the US. Another friend has since told me that she believes ...
Mitt Romney may have lost to President Obama, but that doesn't mean his campaign didn't have a lasting effect on some people. Take Eric Hartsburg, who had a the R logo of the Romney/Ryan campaign tattooed to his face. Apparently he has been getting some grief from neighbours post result, but is hoping to get ...
Mon 12th
15:01
The People's Review of the Work Capability Assessment - a catalogue of incompetence, inaccuracy and ...
You will know that I have been pretty critical of the Work Capability Assessment. This is the tool by which sick and disabled claimants are assessed for entitlement to Employment and Support Allowance (the new name for Incapacity Benefit). The Government will tell you that it has reviewed the WCA and implemented all the suggestions made by Professor Harrington. However, a new report, The People's Review of the Work Capability Assessment has some very worrying indications of some harsh treatment at the assessment, bureaucratic incompetence and very poor decisions. On top of that, there seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding ...
Friday 9th November 2012 could well come to be seen as a landmark date in the history of English housing policy. A key change introduced by the Localism Act 2011 came into effect. The Liberal Democrats are part of the Government presiding over the change. Is it a change we can be proud of? Local authorities can now discharge their statutory homelessness duty by allocating households a tenancy in the private rented sector rather than in social housing. This has been an option for years. But until now to pursue this route the local authority has had to secure agreement ...
"No Mr MacKinlay that's the line to Krispy kreme not Batman." I like the idea of an elected representative as a Police Commissioner. Sometimes it feels that the Police don't always listen to the electorate and some Chief Constables like Sir Iain Blair play politics with National Government. Others have had national statistics forced upon them by Whitehall and get more concerned by that and reaching targets rather than the needs of locals. Then again there is a concern of over politicising the Police Force, a service that like the NHS, Fire brigade and military should be free ...
Mon 12th
14:10Yes, the BBC licence fee is doomed. The interesting question is what happens when it's gone?
I first outed myself as opposed to the BBC licence fee six years ago. I still am. But the debate interests me less these days because it's inevitable the licence fee's days are numbered: a regressive poll tax to subsidise the viewing pleasure of the middle-classes will not last forever. What interests me more is what will happen when it goes. It's a question I started thinking about in 2009: The argument about the BBC licence fee is fast becoming a sterile one. It's doomed, the only real question being: how much longer will it last? Far more important, I ...
At 7.53pm Martin Horwood 5th November (Lib Dem Cheltenham) spoke in the Government's Growth and Infrastructure Bill Column 663. Below is his thoughts on Osborne's daft suggestion on employees being asked to swap their employment rights for the illusion of ownership Then we come to the extraordinary clause 23. I proposed a policy on employee ownership and workplace democracy to this year's Liberal Democrat conference. I would strongly commend the contents of that and its many recommendations to Government, including the option to bid for employee ownership at the time of transfer of an undertaking, which we believe could result ...
Mihir Magudia is Head of Strategy & Public Affairs for St Andrew's Healthcare, the UK's largest mental health charity that provides more services to the NHS than any other charity. On his blog, Spotlight, he praises Norman Lamb for signalling "parity of esteem" between mental health and physical health treatment at a recent conference: ...Norman Lamb went further than his predecessors. After rightly pointing out that people with mental health problems suffer from an institutional disadvantage in the health system (mentioning how they have been ignored by the reforms on waiting times, choice and payment by results) he went on ...
Mon 12th
13:16
Will Lord McAlpine sue Sally Bercow and others who named him? If he does it might teach them a lesso...
I was so frustrated last week. No not just the fact my first date of the year had been a failure but in the Lord McAlpine story and also the ambushing of the Prime Minister by Phillip Schofield. Now it has been a fair few years since I sat my Journalism Law exam but I remember one or two things and trusty McNae's isn't too far away. Namely what I remember is naming someone potentially involved in a criminal investigation when in fact they were not is not really a good thing. In fact it is a really bad thing. ...
With just four days to go until Bristol elects its first Mayor and the rest of England & Wales elect Police Commissioners it seems many people are undecided. The Bristol Post reported that more than half of people are undecided about who they want to win. It's also fairly clear from a variety of articles ...
Some time ago I reported that the the City Council had finally agreed to compulsorily purchase the eyesore buildings on the corner of James Street and St Mary's Road. Since then nothing seems to have happened and the buildings have continued to make the road look bad (particularly when you consider tht they are opposite the Co op) Anyway, my colleague Richard has been pressing the Council for action and updates on this. Here is a link to the latest Question and Answer from the most recent Town Hall meeting.
Well, there's a surprise. Errant Conservative MP Nadine Dorries was voted by the great British public - including what seemed to be fairly sizable proportion of political types on Twitter. Tonight, for our entertainment, she will be buried for 10 minutes with a not very delightful abundance of antipodean beasties - you know, rats, maggots, cockroaches, spiders. Occasionally they put water in as well which must be really terrifying. I wrote yesterday that these programmes can bring out some fairly unpleasant impulses in us. Taking pleasure in someone being very distressed isn't an attractive character trait. We're not there yet ...
I get really, really annoyed at the Chinese whispers of the so-called 'progressive' internet sometimes. You've probably seen a huge number of shared image macros calling for a boycott of Papa John's Pizza, because they're cutting people's hours so they don't have to pay health insurance because of the Affordable Care Act. Awful, right? You ...
The plans to turn the big empty eyesore building on Island Road into housing has been approved by Council Officers. I know that residents will be delighted that finally something is going to be done to this blot on the landscape. The building I am talking about is the one by the park at number 24. You can see details of the decision at this link. The bulk of the information is in the related documents section which has plans plus the case officers report and decision letter with any conditions.
One of the practices that has risen up the news agenda in recent years has been vote fraud. The level of ballot manipulation has risen - partly due to changes to make it easier to vote by post - and politicians and commentators have also started to take more notice of the problem that has always existed. For all that some people would have you believe that we live in a perfect system, there has always been electoral fraud in the UK and the law is frequently changed to try to stamp it out. We have adopted the secret ballot ...
(I wrote this blog post in 2010. Given that I presented about this idea earlier this year, I thought it was time to publish it.) So, here's a good story. Having just finished my contract with Touchnote, I was looking for work. A friend of mine tweeted... know any good mobile product manager? We're looking for a contractor role :) let me know and pls rt ;) - you'll become an expert at being "lucky".
The usual post-electoral defeat search for explanations and people to blame has an added edge for the Republicans after Mitt Romney's defeat earlier this month. Not only did Romney lose, he lost in all the states that were picked as being in serious contention, the Republicans actually lost ground in the Senate (when they had hopes of making gains) and the initial voting analysis shows the Republicans with a big problem: the parts of the electorate that are growing are the parts which vote against them the most heavily. Add to all that the number of Republicans who seemed to ...
If you have had any direct knowledge of a news report and then seen those reports then I would guess that you already know that reporters don't always get things right. Partly they get things wrong because they are human, partly because they are told the wrong information and partly because they have to sensationalise the story. So if reporters had to resign for getting things wrong then, to paraphrase a Sun headline, the last one resigning would have to switch the light off. Sometimes human error may be so great that a resignation is justified, and maybe that is ...
The winner of the first Launceston Loyalty Card prize draw is..... (drum roll) Jan Broom of Launceston. Congratulations to Jan who picked up her prize - a surround sound stereo system kindly donated by Hockridge and Stacey - this morning. In the photo are Karl Hockridge and Jan Broom with myself and Jeremy Loft of the Love Launceston Loyalty Card scheme. The next prize draw is for a year's worth of free hair cuts, courtesy of Diamond Cutz. Tweet
Southwark Council is about to make further changes to council traveller site rules: Amazingly it has a stated presumption that pitch prices will never change by more than inflation (RPI). The unlimited right of succession to pitches for family members. Allowing for very extended periods for traveller site tenants to leave the site and the pitch be reserved for them. This appears unfair. Council Housing tenants have a right of succession of one generation. Providing for unlimited succession appears very odd. Am I missing something? What do you think?
When Tim Gordon sent out an email announcing the results of the Federal Committee Elections he said: The Liberal Democrats are a democratic party to the core, and your voting representatives have returned a set of committees which will ensure that members' voices are heard at all levels of the party. However, I look at the results as someone who is a member of Liberal Democrats for Electoral Reform, a democracy activist who is actively working with the Electoral Reform Society and Unlock Democracy to bring about democratic reform in the nation and generally as someone who takes the word ...
I get so much email spam that I hardly read it anymore - just hit delete. However, the below email arrived over the weekend, and was such a pleasure to read, I thought I'd share. Key reason for doing so was the very strong message that I absolutely shouldn't tell anyone about this email! Please note: unless George emails me to say otherwise, I am sure this is NOT real, and I'm reasonably unlikely to having my personal accounts examined by the Chancellor of the Exchequer (if he is, then he really, really needs a better use of his weekends). ...
Back to reposting slightly improved - or worsened - Odanglesex County Council adventures - this one on Agile Working! FROM: Simeon Lascelles, Director of Spatial Exploration and Direction Management TO: All Directors cc: Edelbertha Spengler, Chief Executive Colleagues: AGILE WORKING A recent study by Gomez Pertwee Associates shows that the seat/head ratio in local government can be reduced to 1:2.93 recurring without impacting in a negative direction of travel on service delivery standard attainment levels. We currently stand at 1:1.41. Ed has asked me to task you all with producing business plans by the month end to reduce your head/seat ...
[IMG: Disgraced former Labour MP for Luton South Margaret Moran] One of the things that I have regularly featured on this blog over the years is the disgrace of former Luton South MP Margaret Moran whose political career went up in flames when she was accused of a wholesale fiddling of her expenses. That accusation finally went to trail last week at Southwark Crown Court. Although it is a pretty unusual trail. Moran cannot be found guilty as she has been declared 'unfit to plead' due to mental illness. The jury will still have to decide whether or not the ...
The application for Planning Permission to build an ALDI superstore on the site currently occupied by HPL Motors on Bury New Road comes to Planning Committee this Tuesday 13 November 2012. The recommendation from the Council's Planning Officers is to 'Approve', but the final decision will be up to the councillors who sit on the Planning Committee. I know many people have said they would welcome an Aldi – particularly from a price point of view, but personally I remain to be convinced that this is the right thing for Prestwich, and remain worried what this would mean to both ...
The Telegraph's assistant comment editor, Tom Chivers, has written a thought-provoking article about moderating comments on web sites. In it he tackles the apparent mismatch between a website advocating free speech while disallowing some comments under its articles: It's a funny thing. You write a piece saying that the state shouldn't outlaw rudeness and insults, and about one comment in three underneath it says: "Aha! But Telegraph Blogs sometimes moderates/disallows comments! How about THAT, eh, hypocrites?" But Chivers goes on to justify comment moderation: The fact that our blogs are widely read does not mean that everyone has a right ...
I was interested by a profile in yesterday's Sunday Mail (that's the Scottish sister paper to the Daily Record, not the Fail on Sunday) of Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore. The picture in the online article is a bit scary - Mike does look a bit as if he's about to pounce out of the paper, but never mind. The actual paper version has an amazing photographic treat with Mike's head photoshopped onto an old Roger Moore James Bond picture. Very classy indeed. The Mail has been pretty unpleasant about Mike in the past. Last year ...
My most recent Muswell Flyer article... In September, I started my new ministerial job as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for International Development. The days prior to reshuffles are always tense - so I was not only very relieved when Nick Clegg informed me that I would be staying in Government - but thrilled to bits to have this particular portfolio. Though I absolutely loved doing equalities work in the Home Office, I was very happy to return to International Development, which I used to shadow in opposition. The Coalition commitment to 0.7% is a standout commitment - not only ...
Cowardice on public transport James muses on bystander syndrome (tags: ) Doing politics in plain sight | Shifting Grounds "When I talk to my sister and her friends about why they have no interest in politics they tell me "it's because they don't talk like me Em". They think we're separate and self obsessed, talking to each other in a code designed to stop them understanding or getting involved." (tags: ) Thoughts on internal elections Nick has a great suggestion for the running of Lib Dem internal elections (tags: ) Burn them! Burn the funny-looking, the strange, the loners! They ...
Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 550 party members have responded, and we're publishing the full results. 56% support reform of party's internal democracy This weekend saw the publication of the Lib Dems' biennial internal elections to the party's federal committees. Here's what our survey of party members says about opening up the electorate to the whole membership, and/or allowing all members to vote at the party's federal conferences. LDV asked: Currently Lib Dem local parties elect ...
Local residents in Pilgrims Way have expressed their delight at the work being done in the area to improve the environment. Lib Dem councillors Katherine Bird and Nigel Long are working with Aster Housing, Test Valley Borough Council and Hampshire County Council to get action for Pilgrims Way. Many road signs have already been replaced, and the remainder will be changed in the next few years. All the trees on the estate will be surveyed and overgrown trees will be cut back or removed. Safety has been improved around the electricity substation and the surrounds tidied. Katherine and Nigel are ...
Michael Portillo was on ITV Daybreak this morning talking about a "disaster" and, even, a "catastrophe" at the BBC. I think it's time for us all to lie down in a darkened room for a few hours with some smelling salts. Newsnight made a mistake. It seems to have occurred because the replacement management structure (pending the Jimmy Savile enquiry) was rather weak. This mistake was in a similar league to the newspapers hounding the entirely innocent Chris Jeffries in Bristol, for which I don't remember any resignations. Making inferences about the BBC management structure from the Newsnight/North Wales story ...
Today sees the launch of the brochure promoting this year's Dundee West End Christmas Fortnight, with the Fortnight's events starting next Saturday 17th November. This year sees the largest-ever series of activities and events across the West End and it's the first time that the "Christmas Week" as it has been known for the past twelve years, is expanding to become West End Christmas Fortnight. The West End Christmas Committee is really grateful to all local residents, organisations and businesses who have made this programme of events possible and we hope the whole community will take part. The Fortnight will ...
Don't forget that Thursday is polling day for the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Commissioner election. This is to choose a person who will be in charge of our police services, so it is an important election. Polling stations are open 7am to 10pm and there are no changes to where we vote. Depending where you live this will be: - mobile van Baguley Crescent - Lady Wilton Hall Simister - St Margaret's Community Centre, St Margaret's Road - Heaton Park Sports and Social Club, Bury Old Road, - Prestwich Arts College - Heaton Park Primary School, Cuckoo Lane. If ...
The county council has admitted to Chris White that there is to be yet another delay on resurfacing Salisbury Avenue, which was untidily patched many months ago. Chris commented: 'This is beginning to try everyone's patience. I know that officials appear to be doing what they can, but local residents are rather tired of excuses. 'This work was scheduled to take place in April. It's now November and we are being told that there will be further delays and that they are hoping that something might happen by March 2013. 'Yet again, can't the county council just get on with ...
As a political junkie I have been closely following the US election these last few months. A key part of my regular reading has been Nate Silver's Fivethirtyeight blog attached to the New York Times.. Nate Silver is a statistician and a geek, I'm sure his alter ego has a starring role on Big Bang Theory. He made a bit of a name for him by building a statistical model for predicting baseball results. Following success with that he turned to politics and predicted the US election incredibly accurately in 2008. I discovered him towards the end of that campaign. ...
With the news that the BBC's DG has quit - with an unneccessarily large pay-off - the focus of attention is on how the corporation continues to report the fall out of the Savile case. But the risk is if the focus is solely on child protection the underlying weakness of some of the BBC's day-to-day journalism will escape the attention it deserves. Attention that so far none of the 124 senior managers who are paid well over £100k each has spotted. The BBC newsroom is the political wing of the Labour Party. It has a metropolitan elitist bias that ...
Cllr Nick Hollinghurst, Tring Town Mayor, reflects at the War Memorial on the losses of war. He is 67 years old and is grateful that his generation, unlike those that had gone before, was not required to participate in a major European war. It would be sad if we were now to weaken the politico-economic structures that have contributed so much to peace, prosperity and stability in the greater part of Europe for so long. And it would be ironic if it this were to happen, after all we now know about the origins of conflict, because of a resurgence ...
