If it's too late at night for you for Shakespeare (see my last post) - here's Sinatra instead: As the man says, Love and Marriage: it's an institute you can't disparage. Andrew
Ugggh! Love Poetry... pass the boke bucket, puh-leeese... What? What's that you say? Parliament's voted for what? Equal Marriage? OK, the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill? Oh, why didn't you say? I know the perfect poem to mark the occasion... Sonnet 116 by William Shakespeare Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O, no, it is an ever-fixed mark, That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wandering bark, Whose worth's unknown, although ...
Stockton Council's planning committee today had the unenviable task of determining the planning application for the Free school for Ingleby Barwick. It's a very strange process, completely contradicting the principles of the Localism Act. Local people want more school places in Ingleby Barwick - fact. Many councillors across a range of parties agree with them. Ingleby started with a wonderful
A big thank you to Julian Huppert and Mike Crockart for everything they fought for today on Secret Courts. They're still in the thick of committee stage on the bill with important votes still to come, but this report from Lib Dem Voice highlights how hard they are fighting: Mike Crockart and I just called a vote to remove secret courts from the Justice and Security Bill, in line with Conference's motion. Despite highlighting in the debate that they supported closed proceedings in principle, Labour saw an opportunity to make mischief and eventually backed us. But due to DUP support ...
A civil partnership looks after a lot of the legal niceities, but some people suggest that allowing same sex couples to marry would somehow devalue family life in a heterosexual marriage where children are neing raised. I get that to a point. But that overlooks same sex couples adopting. But why does an older hetrosexual couple marry or re-marry? Let's assume they don't want children. What reason does this couple marry? Could it be love or companionship? Or perhaps it's to help sort out financial security? Maybe,a hetrosexual couple like this should not be allowed to marry or re-marry if ...
The following post is for a fyler advertising a community drop-in consultation. The event is being hosted by the Warley Community First Panel. What next for Warley Ward · Can we make it safer, cleaner and greener? · What should be the next steps for Sandhall Green? Money from the housing development could be reinvested in open space at Sandhall Green or other public spaces in Pellon. · How we can tackle local grot spots? And in what order of priority? · Could something like a Happy Hounds event encourage responsible dog ownership? · What priorities have people been setting ...
Yes. This is a blog about same-sex marriage and Rob Wilson, but before we get to the meat and two veg, some disclosure from me is probably apt. Being Muslim, I'm acutely aware of the common-or-garden opinion of people of a religious bent, and probably Muslims in particular. The prevailing view - and it might well be correct - is that religious nutters view homosexuals as, as one guy on Twitter put it, 'abomination'. I don't roll like that. Many religious commentators on this issue seem to be presenting a dichotomy in which those 'with religion' present and perceive themselves ...
Th systems thinker John Seddon has a talent for confronting ministers with unpalatable truths. His latest newsletter describes how he confronted Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt as he announced that all patients records would have to be digitised. Has anyone met a doctor or ambulance man who actually faced a problem that digital records would have solved, he asks? He suggests not. But the confrontation with Hunt ended with Seddon pointing him in the direction of an American report which explained that computerised records were intended to save the US health industry $81 billion, but now turn out not to have ...
Today was definitely a day to remember! Equal Marriage came to the Commons for 2nd Reading and passed with a majority of 400 to 175 – a huge leap forward on the journey to full equality. Equal Marriage will become a reality. A real hurrah for the happiness that this will bring to those who have been discriminated against and prevented from expressing their love for each other in the way that everyone else can. As the originator of this change to legislate for full equal marriage I have fought for its safe passage throughout. On this journey I have ...
Party lists from the Press Association via Guardian live blog: List of Conservative MPs who did not support the bill Here is the Press Association's list of Tory MPs who voted against the gay marriage bill at second reading. The list shows 134 Tories voted against the Bill's second reading, along with two tellers. That means 136 MPs opposed the bill Another five Conservative MPs voted both for the bill and against it, the tradition way of registering an abstention. (Technically this means you could say 139 Tories voted against the bill, or 141 opposed it, but that would be ...
I think a few eyebrows have been raised by the absence of 7 Liberal Democrat MPs from the voting lobbies this evening on same-sex marriage. However, looking through the names there's only 1 actual abstention amongst them – that of Greg Mulholland. Looking through the others, the explanations are: Norman Baker, Martin Horwood, John Thurso: absent on government / constituency business Charles Kennedy: caring for an ill family member David Ward: abroad on Parliamentary business Jenny Willott: just given birth (congratulations!) UPDATE: To confirm that the first three absences were all genuine absences and not 'conveniently timed visits', all three ...
Earlier today, along with two councillor colleagues, I took part in a meeting with representatives of Living Streets about the need to progress 20 mph safer speed limits in highly residential streets across the city, as part of the GO20 campaign. This is an issue I have highlighted on numerous occasions and it was agreed today that engagement and consultation should take place with Community Councils, residents' groups and other community organisations to gauge support for 20 mph zones in residential areas in Dundee.Earlier this evening, I attended the latest committee meeting of the West End Community and Sports Hub ...
Stephen Tall has posted the historic result of the Equal Marriage debate, the House of Commons voting by 400 votes to 175 to give the Marriage (Same sex couples) Bill a Second Reading. Most Liberal Democrats supported the Bill, in contrast to the Conservatives. It's been reported that more than half of them, 139 as against 132, voted against. Subsequently the Programme Motion was passed by 499 votes to 55. I've watched the majority of the 70 or so speeches from the six and a half hour debate. My 13 year old daughter joined me when she came in from ...
There is a belief knocking around somewhere in our cultural rhetoric, that "children have favorites," and by the time we're adults we have to have grown out of that silliness and show no ridiculous, unfounded partiality. Bollocks to that. My favorite color is purple, my favorite dinosaur is Euoplocephalus and my favorite butterfly is, without a doubt, the Blue Morpho. [IMG: The dorsal view of a large, iridescent blue Morpho butterfly] Morpho rhetenor – picture by Didier Descouens from Wikipedia And why? Well the short answer is BECAUSE PHYSICS. There's a long answer too. Blue Morpho is a common name ...
Last night's Channel 4 documentary Richard III: The King in the Car Park was a bit of a mess, though an enjoyable one. Part of me suspects the programme was originally intended to poke gentle fun at the proceedings and had to change direction suddenly when they found the old boy. Perhaps Philippa Langley from the Richard III Society was a bit much, but without her drive and obsession the dig would not have taken place. There are some more conventional videos about the dig on the University of Leicester website and I shall post these over the next few ...
And so the, not quite perfect, Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill has begun its progress through the legislative process with an impressive victory of 400 ayes to 175 nays in its 2nd reading in the House of Commons. I hope that it is amended as it moves through the process to be somewhat more inline with what I would want but there is no harm taking a moment to appreciate just how big that margin of victory was. If you'd watched the news or read a newspaper you would have had every right to think it would have been closer. ...
David Cameron deserves a lot of credit for the stance he's taken on equal marriage. But in addition to the principle, there was also calculation: he wanted to project an image of a modern Tory party, at ease with the the society it seeks to represent. Unfortunately for him he didn't quite reckon on his party's entrenched opposition to equality for minorities, with today's Commons vote splitting his party. In the end, more Tory MPs voted against equal marriage than voted in favour of it: Sky Sources: estimate of 132 Conservatives have voted for gay marriage, 139 against and 30 ...
The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill has just received its second reading in the Commons. Andrew Hickey celebrates the role of political activists in bringing about this landmark: "MPs will be taking the credit for this Bill, and the Act it will, with luck, become. They will be going on TV, doing interviews, and so on. But this would not be happening without the efforts of a fairly small number of people, most not in Parliament, who spent years of their life doing the groundwork that made this possible." Bristling Badger on an appalling scandal: "Undercover police officers infiltrating protest ...
What a busy two days it has been in politics! Chris Huhne, a great champion of the environmental cause, announced himself a liar and admitted to perverting the course of justice. He joins an all too long list of cheats and criminals that have sat on the benches of the Commons and Lords. Jonathan Aitken, ...
MP Julian Huppert has expressed his concerns that people being assessed for work are suffering because the wrong decisions are being made. He raised the issue today (Tuesday, February 5) in Parliament after a number of Cambridge residents had expressed their fears about the Work Capability Assessment programme. They were worried that the wrong decisions were being made which could force them to take their cases to appeal. Julian asked Justice Secretary, Chris Grayling, in the Commons if he would raise the issue with the Department of Work and Pensions "to try to make sure that the right decisions are ...
The BBC reports: MPs have voted overwhelmingly in favour of the government's legislation for same-sex marriage in England and Wales. At the conclusion of the Commons' first opportunity to debate the The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, MPs voted by 400 to 175, a majority of 225, in favour of the legislation. It's estimated some 140 Tory MPs voted to reject equal marriage. Here was my immediate reaction... Equal marriage passed by 400 votes to 175 – 225 majority in favour of the state treating everyone equally. That'll do. — Stephen Tall (@stephentall) February 5, 2013 * Stephen Tall is ...
10-9. By just 1 vote in committee, a move by Liberal Democrat MPs Julian Huppert and Mike Crockart to axe secret courts from the Justice and Security Bill was lost, beaten by a combination of Conservatives and DUP. Full credit to Julian for pushing the issue this far. He was part of the losing side when this issue was debated at party conference. He's clearly listened to the views expressed then, and done more than just listen – he's also been persuaded and acted, pushing to a vote what Lib Dem conference called for and losing by just the one ...
Continuing the New Who rewatch with the rest of Torchwood's first season and a couple of other Whoniverse stories first shown around the same time. With Random Shoes we somehow seem to change gear for a couple of stories which are not so much about Torchwood as about other people being affected by Torchwood. It is a little odd to have this story and Love and Monsters so close to each other, and perhaps the two could have been brought into closer dialogue - there's a feeling of trying to pull off the same trick again in terms of the ...
As the debate on #equalmarriage winds up to a hopefully successful result, let's not forget that a current high profile court case is going on in which the plea - not guilty on the grounds of marital coercion - is open to the defendent, only because she is straight. It is written into law that a gay woman could not make that plea, as confirmed to me today by the well know legal blogger If the #equalmarriage bill goes through - she can. Interestingly this is a defence only open to woman - no straight or ( after the bill ...
My favourite 4 minutes in all 8 series of The West Wing. Every opponent of the #equalmarriage bill should be made to watch it. (Plus it has an extra, unconnected dig that @DrEoinCl may find a tad uncomfortable....)
Gay bashing through the telling of rude jokes, light hearted teasing and really serious teasing and bullying is common among children in Britain. 'Gay' has become a common term of insult amongst young people. 'Gay' is used as an alternative to the insulting words of 'lame' or 'sad'. Boys in my school point at each other, call other boys 'gay' and then laugh. A positive vote for gay marriage today would send a message out to young people that being gay is not an abnormality. There is a generation of children growing up with many prejudices and institutional bigotry only ...
Do you want to feel more confident with cooking, use up left overs without the need for a recipe, make cooking easier, reduce the amount of food you throw away and save on your food bills and time? Fresh Vegetables by Muffet Lewisham Council is holding a FREE cooking workshop for Lewisham residents on the ground floor of Downham Library, 7-9 Moorside Road, Downham BR1 5EP on Thursday 14 February 2013 from 10am to 12pm. The class is a one off 2-hour session. This class is for anyone who buys and prepares their own or family's food and feels they ...
I have the lovely Kate to thank for alerting me to this. Author Neil Gaiman is writing what he describes as a Calendar of Tales. He's going to write a story for every month based on ideas sent by the likes of you and I. He's got some backing from BlackBerry from this and they have set up a dedicated website where you can take part. Be sure to read the small print - you need to follow BlackBerry on Twitter for your tweet to be eligible. Anyway, I had a go at answering the questions and I'm copying Kate ...
Saturday marked the beginning for Consett's new scout "hut". [IMG: Scouts on the warpath small] The old hut in Constance Street was pensioned off by British Steel in the 1960s when it was no longer fit for their purposes – use as the draughtsmen's office – and had been increasingly unsuitable for twenty first century scouting. Eventually it had to be condemned and 1st Consett Scout Group were homeless, currently making use of a local Church Hall. Meanwhile 1st Blackhill Scouts who had sold their former HQ some time ago, and had been unable to find a replacement home within ...
Most of the media attention regarding today's House of Commons debate on gay marriage has focused on the behaviour of the large number of Tory rebels. Relatively little attention has been paid to opponents in other parties. The Huffington Post is one of the few media to cover this angle. For the latest data, however, one must check the Coalition for Equal Marriage's list. 15 Labour MPs are currently known to be against gay marriage, while at least three Liberal Democrat MPs (Gordon Birtwistle, John Pugh and Sarah Teather) are also opposed. A further seven Liberal Democrat MPs have yet ...
[IMG: With Cllr Katherine Bird at TVBC Offices] Test Valley Borough Council has agreed to implement changes to council tax introduced by Lib Dem Communities Minister Andrew Stunnell. The changes allow councils to end the council tax discount on second homes which cost local taxpayers £55,000 a year. The new proposals also allow the council to charge an empty homes premium on any home left empty for more than two years. The extra income generated will go towards funding a local council tax support scheme which replaces council tax benefit this year. Welcoming the news Cllr Katherine Bird said "Ending ...
Last night, mum was talking about going to Yorkshire Sculpture Park over the Easter Bank Holiday in late March. I got very excited, because I've always wanted to visit it, if only for the amazing photo opportunities, but then she reminded me that I will have started my nursing course by then. So I called the university today, and spoke to the admissions tutor. I explained that I hold a conditional offer to start on March 18th, and that I'm wondering if I'll be free: "It is a Saturday and Sunday, but I know placements can involve working at weekends, ...
[IMG: chris davies] With all our attention today on Westminster (or Eastleigh) we can easily overlook important decisions being taken in Europe. Tomorrow the European Parliament will be voting on the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy. Now fish do not quite carry the same emotional appeal as equal marriage, but the management of fisheries is of significant environmental as well as economic significance. The reform, which will be led by scientists as well as fishermen, will set targets for the rebuilding of fish stocks, and to end the practice of discarding perfectly edible fish. Every fishery will be required ...
I am lucky enough to know roughly half the executive for LGBT+ Lib Dems, plus a few former exec members, at levels of friendship ranging from "occasionally talk on Twitter" through to "married to one of them". Because of this, I know some of the background to the bill that will (fingers crossed) pass today. ...
Britain still has a number of archaic laws on the statute book so it ill-beholds us to mock others for their own out-dated statutes. Still, I was not aware that it was until recently illegal for women in Paris to wear trousers and nor it seems did the many women who have been unwittingly disobeying this law for decades. The Independent says that after 213 years, it is now official, the most disobeyed law in the French capital, except stopping for red lights, has been declared null and void: Since 7 November 1800, it has been technically illegal for a ...
Tue 5th
14:10
Norman Lamb writes: Tackling gun and knife crime - hospitals and police working together
[IMG: nhs sign lrg] Trying to make different departments work effectively with each other is a challenge that all Governments face, and this one is no different. It could be all too easy for objectives that fall between two departments to end up falling through the cracks. That is why I am pleased to report on the efforts we are taking in the Department of Health to roll out the 'Cardiff model'. This is a very simple measure that can have a dramatic impact on knife crime in an area. The Liberal Democrat manifesto included a commitment to "make hospitals ...
Since being elected in 2006 East Dulwich councillors have been working hard to make our high street Lordship Lane safer. It's a particularly busy high street. We've been successful having two new crossing installed early last year, enhanced Goose Green roundabout with all arms having Zebra crossings, most side roads with raised entry treatments. These are the types of measures that the Mary Portas Review recommended "focus on making high streets accessible, attractive and safe". [IMG: 2223576497_3520d6c0af_m] The latest progress towards making Lordship Lane safer is to introduce a 20mph speed limit on Lordship Lane between Goose Green and the ...
There's a proposal to close off part of Taggart Avenue to create more of a campus feel for Hope University. My colleagues who represent that area are carrying out a short survey to get views on the scheme. But it occurs to me that people who regularly drive in the area, or take a bus in the area, may also have views even if not living there. If you want to fill in the very short survey please just click on this link. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/F8T86LX
Here's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... Not the Treasury view...: Prospects for the UK economy: NIESR's February 2013 forecast The UK econ will grow 0.7% in 2013, 1.5% in 2014 > Prospects for the UK economy: NIESR's February 2013 forecast http://buff.ly/VOVhyH Gay marriage threatens Tories Peter Kellner: an asbolute max of 1% of the public may change their vote at next election over issue of equal marriage http://buff.ly/WLzxoU Equal marriage: 2 Lib Dem MPs against and a further 9 (or 10) Missing In Action 105 comments and counting on my equal marriage post @libdemvoice post on how LDs ...
Mike Crockart and I just called a vote to remove secret courts from the Justice and Security Bill, in line with Conference's motion. Despite highlighting in the debate that they supported closed proceedings in principle, Labour saw an opportunity to make mischief and eventually backed us. But due to DUP support for the Tories, we lost 10-9. I'll give a fuller update to everyone concerned soon. Suffice to say there will be more crucial votes to come on the Committee, and the Government has to move or the Bill will not pass as is. * Julian Huppert is Liberal Democrat ...
During January there has been only 1 reported incident of crime in the ward. A pedal cycle was stolen from outside Churchill House. I would remind anyone with a bike to use a good quality lock and secure the bike properly when not being used. There were several reports of youths throwing snowballs at vehicles and properties. Follow up visits were made to youths and their parents regarding incidents at Highland Close, Golden Valley Shops and Lister Way. I have been working with the family liaison officer at Sandgate Primary School over reports of a suspicious person hanging around Coolinge ...
I don't do this often, I'm going to praise a Labour legacy... Today, there is going to be an historic vote in the House of Commons, which I'm certain will lead to an end to discrimination in marriage laws on the grounds of sexuality. I am more than confident that this will pass and which will be a great achievement for equality campaigners everywhere. I've blogged previously about how ridiculous I think that there's even a debate about it. It's worth remembering that same sex couples basically have the same legal rights under civil partnerships as they will under full ...
The party has moved swiftly to prepare for the by-election in Eastleigh, following Chris Huhne's resignation. Applications are being sought for potential candidates, with a closing date of 6pm on Wednesday 6th February. You are warned: "In order to be eligible to apply, applicants need to make sure they are on the Party's list of Approved Candidates at the closing date for applications." Approved candidates will have already received the necessary documents and application form. * Mary Reid is the Tuesday Editor on Lib Dem Voice.
Sometimes you wonder if anyone in the SNP actually does any work at all, or do they just sit around daydreaming about how wonderful life would be under independence? Today they announce their plans to get from a yes vote (which, with support for independence at 23% is not looking particularly likely to start with) to the day Scotland becomes an independent country. The referendum takes place in around October next year. By March 2016, just 17 months later, they think they're going to have the apparatus of a new state in place. For heavens sake, it took over 10 ...
I was thinking about this on my way into work, a lack of sleep and still mulling over the Richard III documentary from last night still blighting my mind, and started to draw up some parrallels of our time in Coalition and the short reign of the Shakespearen villian and the last ruling Plantagenet monarch. History is always written by the victors, and what is the best way to seal your claim to power? Demonise the other guy and their acts. Let's be honest, there is a very good chance Labour will be resurggent in 2015 and the Libdems could ...
So now we have the final recommendation from the Mayor about next year's budget and what does it actually reveal? Firstly let us look behind the headlines and get some facts. There have not been £32 million of cuts or ... Continue reading →
Tue 5th
11:25
A Brief History of Liberty: So the poor are getting poorer while the wealthy enjoy tax cuts, right?
A Brief History of Liberty: So the poor are getting poorer while the wealthy enjoy tax cuts, right?: abriefhistoryofliberty: The popular narrative at the moment is that the Coalition Government has been cutting the rates of tax for millionaires while making life harder and harder for those on low incomes. Well, Income Tax is just one part of the story, but regardless, I wanted to look at how much the richest have been...
We're having our first meeting of the Friends of Garston Library group later this month. It's on 16th February ( a Saturday) at 11 am. As it's a first meeting, it'll be up to us to decide what we want to do in future as a Friends Group and how we want to be set up. Obviously there is not an infinite number of chairs in the Library and we are meeting when people are in there trying to use it - so if you want to come along and haven't already let me know, please drop me an e ...
Following Stephen Tall's analysis of the support for equal marriage among Liberal Democrat MPs, it is worth noting the views held by some senior Conservatives. George Osborne, William Hague and Theresa May have jointly written a letter to the Telegraph: SIR - Today the Commons will vote on the Bill to allow same-sex marriage. Civil partnerships for gay couples were a great step forward, but the question now is whether it is any longer acceptable to exclude people from marriage simply because they love someone of the same sex. Marriage has evolved over time. We believe that opening it up ...
I can remember when Britain's Conservative Party was thought to be the country's natural party of government. This feeling reached a peak after John Major's shock win in 1992, when the party looked all but unelectable. The journalist Will Hutton wrote a best-seller "The State We're In" which explained why. The party was deeply embedded into the country's establishment. The discipline of its membership was legendary. Its hunger for power also made it adept at judicious compromise. It was a well oiled machine to keep an elite in power. The brief intervals of post-war Labour government in 1945, 1964 and ...
The Very Fluffy Diary of Millennium Dome, Elephant: Day 4418: Bones in Car Park Confirmed as Chris Huhne hilarious mash up of Huhne and royal news (tags: ) An easy way to get more women in parliament (tags: ) Dalek crossword (tags: ) [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
An update on the upcoming temporary closure of Acocks Green Library, which is to allow repairs to be made to its roof. The Library will now close on Saturday 23rd February, with the contractors starting on site on Monday 4th March. During the closure, which is likely to be around 3-4 months, South Yardley Library will have extended opening hours, which will be: 9am to 7pm Monday and Thursday 9am to 5pm Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Councillor Iain Bowen's Advice Bureau will remain in the Scout Hut on Spring Road (behind Scanlon's) until the Library is reopened. It runs ...
If you're a regular reader of this blog, there's a tiny chance you might have formed the impression that I'm totally in favour of allowing couples who love each other to get married. End of. The Bill on offer in the House of Commons today doesn't quite deliver that, but it's a huge step in the right direction. I have written to my MP, Graeme Morrice, to ask him to support the Bill. Here's what I said. I'll let you know what he says. To be honest, I'd be very surprised if he was voting against, but he still needs ...
Today is the big day – the vote on the Second Reading of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill. So like a good dutiful citizen, I emailed my local MP, James Arbuthnot, about Equal Marriage. I got the following reply: What utterly depresses me is the sheer arrogance – or maybe political calculation – that ...
[IMG: Credit ITN] The publication last week of the All-Party Parliamentary Select Committee's damning report into changes in qualifications at 16, signals a step-change in attitudes towards Michael Gove's so-called 'Education Revolution.' The report makes for unsettling reading from a Liberal Democrat point of view. And even Tory MP Graham Stuart, Chair of the Education Committee warns: We have serious concerns about the Government's proposed timetable for change. Ministers want to introduce a new qualification, require a step-change in standards, and alter the way exams are administered, all at the same time. We believe this is trying to do too ...
Bury CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) is the new body which will soon be taking over the 'commissioning' of health care for Bury. This body will be replacing the PCT (Primary Care Trust) which are being abolished. All CCGs have to have to work closely with other partners through a Health and Wellbeing Board, which is part of the Council – hopefully to ensure that local people's views are heard. Bury's Health and Wellbeing Board is currently consulting on its Health and Wellbeing Strategy and are asking local people if they have any comments. You can download the draft strategy here. ...
The local Police have issued advice on car number plate theft: "If your number plates are stolen contact the Police immediately. It may seem trivial at the time but if the plates are used to change the identity of another car you can expect to start receiving penalty charges for things like parking, speeding and congestion charging. You may even be suspected of committing crimes yourself." Free Anti-Tamper Screws: You can now go to Grimshaws at the roundabout at Junction 17 to have your number plates protected with anti tamper screws. This is a free service – all you have ...
Today is a pretty exciting day to be a member of the LGBT community. The second reading of the equal marriage legislation brings marriage for same sex couples ever closer. This legislation is about more than weddings though. In fact, I would argue the act of marriage is the least of it. Introducing equal marriage ...
Note from the county council Temporary Closing of Alma Cut, St Albans NOTICE is given that the Hertfordshire County Council intend to make an Order under Section 14[1] of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, to prohibit all traffic from using that length of Alma Cut, St Albans from its junction with Old London Road north eastwards to its junction with A1081 London Road, a distance of approximately 92 metres, except for access. The purpose of the Order is to enable carriageway resurfacing works to take place. The section of road will be closed for approximately 2 days during the ...
ATOS declare Richard III fit for work "The dead monarch, Richard Plantagenet, was called for a reassessment of his fitness for work by ATOS - which carries out disability assessments on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - after it was discovered the deposed King had spent years lying in a Leicester City Council car park doing absolutely nothing." (tags: ukpolitics death funny disability ) Peter Sellers: A Hard Day's Night ...in the style of Lawrence Olivier as Richard III. (tags: funny Shakespeare )
It is difficult to understand why David Cameron is pressing ahead with legalising same-sex marriages. I suppose he thinks that by introducing this piece of faux liberalism he will dispel some of the image of the Tories as the "nasty party." however, this is highly unlikely as he presides over the dismantling our welfare state and civic society and handing the pieces to private profiteers. In any case the scheme has backfired in that a huge amount of publicity is being generated by grass-roots Tory opposition to the move. The whole issue is essentially trivial in that same-sex partnerships already ...
When first I was put into prison some people advised me to try and forget who I was. It was ruinous advice. It is only by realising what I am that I have found comfort of any kind. Now I am advised by others to try on my release to forget that I have ever been in a prison at all. I know that would be equally fatal. It would mean that I would always be haunted by an intolerable sense of disgrace, and that those things that are meant for me as much as for anybody else - the ...
As I mentioned, this was the REAL start of marathon training, the first week that involves tempos and intervals. Day 1 - 12x400 (8 miles, total) On Monday night, I ran 12 x 400m with 400m rest intervals. With warm-up and cool-down, that's 8 miles. The goal for the 400s was 2:08. I never hit that, but I enjoyed trying. It's a good pace - I didn't feel like I had to go insane, but that the pace was well within my reach, I just had to work hard. I kept chanting in my head: "stay within yourself." I don't ...
I have already raised concerns about the City Council SNP administration's proposal to end weekly general waste bin collections and spoke on both Radio Tay news and Wave 102 news yesterday on the matter yesterday. You can hear my comments on Wave 102 news by clicking 'play' below:I have highlighted my concerns about the proposal to the City Council's Director of Environment, including the high level of flatted accommodation in Dundee that has limited storage space for two weeks' of refuse and the lack of household recycling for many households in the city. He has responded as follows: "I can ...
Yesterday the Health Minister announced that over 50s health checks that were in Labour's manifesto will now instead take place on-line. Welsh Labour were very proud of this much trumpeted policy, but today we have found out it is merely another Welsh Labour pledge that it can't deliver on. To say this policy has been watered-down would be putting it mildly. The Welsh Liberal Democrats have consistently raised concerns about whether the Welsh Labour Government would actually be able to achieve this policy. Time and time again we were assured everything was fine, yet now we are seeing this massive ...
January has traditionally been a dreadful month for me; don't particularly know why, except a generic "winter is depressing" truism. But it's never surprising when I get into a slump and do nothing productive for the entire month – or longer, usually until March. This year was no different: in fact, if you'd asked me how I was doing over the last few weeks, I would probably have answered with "I have a case of the Januaries," which is the only way I can think of to say "I don't want to do anything except sit on the couch and ...
Or what does this have to do with Promethea anyway? Crossposted at Mindlessones.com, for reasons that will become apparent. On March 7, 2007, I was at the Royal Festival Hall in London's South Bank Centre, which has been the scene of some of the most profound artistic experiences of my life — seeing Brian Wilson ...
A little publicised fact in the downfall of Chris Huhne. In the 2007 Lib Dem leadership vote - he was the preferred candidate Polly Toynbee (apparently also a guest at his champagne parties). In a gloriously patronising and ill-informed piece on the election, Toynbee wrote: "Huhne is most likely to seize the political opportunity on Brown's exposed left flank. Above all, he is toughest on proportional representation, the party's one historic purpose - to reform British politics."
