I have just been informed that my grandmother (on my mothers' side), someone I knew as my Nan Hughes, passed away this morning. For the third time in a few short months I find myself once again confronted with the fleeting nature of life and the brutal reality of our own mortality. I cannot say any more without fear of inappropriately disclosing the private details of family relationships, so I will simply repeat what I said at the passing of my Aunty Pat in October and my Uncle Ken in December: 'I now want to take the opportunity... to remind ...
Today at full council I voted against a rise in allowances. By my calculation that is the seventh or eighth time I have done so during my (almost) four years as a Cornwall councillor. And, yet again, the reason for this vote was a motion in the name of former Council Leader Alec Robertson. But this time (for the first time), Cllr Robertson was advocating a freeze in allowances rather than a rise. Back in October, the council debated a report of the independent remuneration panel which recommended a rise to more than £16,000 a year. I voted against that ...
The application for a wind turbine south of the B4465 between Codrington and Westerleigh has been resubmitted. You can view the application and make comments on the South Glos website.
Here's a round-up of news from the past 24 hours in the Eastleigh by-election... [IMG: mike thornton eastleigh jon aylwin] Nick Clegg offered Lib Dem candidate Mike Thornton his full backing on a visit to Eastleigh on Monday. Here's the Guardian report: "I am confident we will keep hold of this seat but not because I say so but because the people of Eastleigh are telling us that," said Clegg. Focusing on the party's local dominance - it is the only place in the country where every councillor at district and county level is a Liberal Democrat - he said ...
Sorry, we're police officers. Decisions about the future of mankind don't really feature in our job description. [IMG: Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post
A geology graduate has gone to the Appeal Court because she was taken away from her voluntary work in a museum in order to work in Poundland. The court ruled that it was illegal to force her to work without pay and she thinks it is forced labour and of course it is. The door may now be open for other claimants to bring cases against the Job Centre but the principle is fine. Get people to work because it is good for them to work and may help them get paid employment - but this person was working already. ...
View as slideshow Lots of news about the Eastleigh by-election again today, so here's my round-up of the latest and the best. Cameron Faced by Must-Win Dilemma in Unparalleled Vote Britain's two governing parties have taken to the streets of Eastleigh campaigning for a special election that has no parallel since Worl... 00Share Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Google+ Share on Linkedin Share by email [IMG: Miss_Wayman] Alice Wayman@Miss_Wayman It's impossible to walk through Eastleigh and manage to avoid all of the camera's. It's getting really annoying now. Tue, Feb 12 2013 03:02:14 · Original link ReplyRetweetFavorite ...
There's a headline you won't read in many other places today. But in the pieces you do read on the Court of Appeal's ruling on the government's back-to-work programmes, a good test of the author's approach to journalism is to ... Continue reading →
[IMG: Edward VI grants Royal Charter - some rights reserved by lisby1] The Tories appear to be bending over backwards to keep the media barons happy. What on earth is the point of a 17th Century-style Royal Charter? It isn't a law, so they can just ignore it. Or is the theory that the Queen will get properly cross with the press if they ignore a Royal Charter? [IMG: Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post
Who are the 100 most powerful women in Britain? This morning, BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour finally unveiled it's 'Power List', defined as "the 100 most powerful women in the UK at the start of 2013". Like any good Liberal Democrat, I studied the list to see whether there were any party members included. There is one person with a particularly good claim, Sharon Bowles MEP. She chairs the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, the parliament's most powerful committee. That makes her arguably the second most powerful woman in European politics after Angela Merkel. Sharon Bowles is not ...
Following concern from local residents about the safety of the junction, Keith Holloway has succeeded in getting the yellow box junction on Gatley Road outside Gatley Station repainted. Failed lighting on the passageway from Belmont Road to South Park Road in Gatley has also been fixed: Electricity Northwest had to repair an electricity supply issue before the Council could replace bulbs in the lamps. The pavements on Kingsway are to be resurfaced from Broadway up to Gatley Road on both sides, as part of the Council's ongoing Spend2Save project.
[IMG: nigel farage] Last week I drew attention to the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, which amongst other improvements ends the practice of discards. Chris Davies MEP has been a leading advocate for reform, and had garnered cross-party support. Even Nigel Farage had said: First let me stress that the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) has been a complete environmental, economic and social disaster and UKIP uses what say it has in the EU "Parliament" to vote against discards and protect British fishing. So it is rather intriguing to learn that in the historic vote last week to end discards ...
Whether mapping genomes or climates, scientists aim for accuracy and precision. But as with the London Underground, maybe the important thing is how useful our maps are, not how correct they are There aren't many short stories short enough to repeat in full within a blog post. Here goes: On exactitude in science ... In that empire, the art of cartography attained such perfection that the map of a single province occupied the entirety of a city, and the map of the empire, the entirety of a province. In time, those unconscionable maps no longer satisfied, and the cartographers guilds ...
[IMG: herts-county-council] Road users will be subject to some inconvenience for about two weeks during March. Highway maintenance is due to be carried out on: The A414 from Maylands Roundabout all the way to the Magic Roundabout (2 miles) The A41 from the Bourne End/Berkhamsted roundabout to the Wigginton/Tring roundabout (9 miles) 10 Sliproads onto/off A41 Part of Bourne End Lane near the service area off the A41 (150 yards) I understand the A41 will be repaired lane by lane with a 40mph speed limit in force rather than the whole road being closed.
An independent Scotland would set its own science policy, but the costs of going it alone should not be underestimated Let's face it: few people on either side of the Scottish independence debate are likely to be swayed by arguments about the impacts independence might have on scientific research. Yet science is a policy area where major changes would follow from a "Yes" vote for an independent Scotland. Nonetheless, the commentator Colin Macilwain passionately argued that Scottish science is ready to go it alone in a recent Nature opinion column. He's right, of course, it can. There are small European ...
[IMG: European Parliament chamber, Strasbourg] It probably came as a surprise to most Lib Dems to hear that it is possible to have a secret vote in the European Parliament at all, let alone when as few as 20% of MEPs call for one. Press reports that some members want a secret vote so they can safely vote against the EU Budget are shocking, because knowing how elected representatives vote is surely the most basic piece of information required to hold them accountable. If the EU Budget is rejected, after a secret vote, there is not the slightest doubt that ...
[IMG: Innergie TACC-FMD70 Magic Trio 3-In-1] Their engineers call it the Innergie TACC-FMD70, their press people call it 3 in 1 Magic Cable Trio, and I'm just happy to call it a very useful cable. It's the latest device from Innergie, makers too of the mCube Slim 95 universal power adapter which has become an essential piece of travelling kit for me. As with that adapter, the Innergie TACC-FMD70 is designed to reduce the clutter and improve the convenience for people travelling with gadgets. It is a USB cable, with three different attachments all built-in so you can use it ...
Bangor Students / Myfyrwyr Bangor. Student housing is an issue we all face, and we shouldn't have to settle for poor living standards simply because our choice is limited and we need somewhere to live. Please take the time to fill in this short survey and share it among other people so a case for ... Keep reading →
I am knocking on doors asking if there is anything I can do for local residents. If nobody is at home then I am leaving this card which has a reference to my blog but there was no space for my email address. So here it is... mike.gradwell@gmail.com Change the world
In a further delay to Haringey Council's bodged regeneration of Hornsey, the developer of Hornsey Depot has pulled out of the development deal with the council. Haringey Lib Dems have slammed the Labour council after more than a decade of bad choices, bad management and the wrong priorities has kept Hornsey High Street blighted by a massive derelict site since it was first appropriated by the council in 1998. The withdrawal of the latest preferred developer and their replacement is due to be discussed behind closed doors, without the public present, at the Cabinet meeting this evening (12th February). Plans ...
[IMG: Terraced housing] I thought it was about time that I report back on the work I've been doing on planning since we debated it at Conference in September last year. I'm pleased to be able to say that we've made some real progress. Particularly on the Section 106 'holiday' announcement made in the September 6 growth and housing announcement, I've been able to deliver everything my local government colleagues asked: Firstly, where a developer wants to renegotiate the affordable housing element of a Section 106 agreement to unblock a development, we wanted to make sure that there's an objective ...
Here's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... Briefing: What is the government doing to inheritance tax? » Spectator Blogs 'Death tax' in perspective: 560,000 people died in 2009-10; just 14,600 (2.6%) of their estates paid inheritance tax http://buff.ly/X1xhKo BBC News – UK banking reforms: What's new? Coalition's UK banking reforms "largely a cosmetic change" suggests @BBCStephanie Flanders http://buff.ly/YnAUHx Barwell wins bill battle against mental health discrimination » Spectator Blogs .@IsabelHardman with some well-deserved praise for @GavinBarwellMP & his battle against mental health discrimination http://buff.ly/X1umRL Factcheck: "Dilnot-lite"? What are the Coalition's plans for the reform of social care? | Full ...
Former Tory MP Louise Mensch wants to show a different side with new blog. The former MP for Corby has announced that she is starting a fashion blog. Mensch was always considered a parliamentary glamour-puss, but says was "forced to confront my hideous lack of [style] shown by pictures when I was in politics". With that ...
Tue 12th
13:25
OUTRAGE and FURY as Daily Mail labels over ONE MILLION British housewives, pensioners and disabled p...
Here's the Daily Mail slamming 4 million feckless shirkers "languishing on benefits" courtesy of my hard-earned taxes: [IMG: mail lazy britain] What the Mail's Emily Davies didn't report, however, was that of those four million, 514,000 are 'looking after family or home'. A further 213,000 are retired, many of them doubtless from having looked after 'family or home' throughout their lives. Since when did the Mail have a problem with home-makers and the retired? Sounds like their core readership. Oh, and of the four million almost half (1,976,000) are students. A further 332,000 are the long-term sick and disabled. The ...
So Pope Benedict XVI has announced his resignation from the Papacy. He has said he is too old to continue in the role and wishes to step down on health grounds. It is a surprising move, not least because it is several hundred years since the last time a Pope resigned. For centuries the only way they have left office is when their God has taken them. The story first broke on Twitter and it is there where I discussed the issue with a number of people. I was surprised at the reaction of some saying they were "disappointed" with ...
[IMG: Lynne Featherstone in Zambia. Photo: some rights reserved by DFID http://www.flickr.com/photos/dfid/8220719712/] Lynne Featherstone and I are travelling to Mozambique and Ethiopia this week, which will be my first trip to sub-Saharan Africa as Deputy Prime Minister. We will see the changing nature of our relationship with these African countries, as well as the UK's international development programmes in action. By working with Mozambique, Ethiopia and other developing countries, we are helping to create a world that is fairer, more prosperous and more secure. This year the Coalition Government will meet our commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of Gross ...
"Tesco says some of its value spaghetti bolognese contains 60% horsemeat" says today's Guardian. It is scandalous that Tesco should include the wrong ingredient. As anyone familiar with Italian cuisine knows, Bolognese sauce should be eaten with tagliatelle, not spaghetti.
[IMG: Vince Cable - Some rights reserved by Liberal Democrats] In the Telegraph, Vince Cable writes: Britain is open for business. What we say to the emerging economies of the world is that, more than other Western countries, we welcome their investment, ideas, talent and visitors. We are not economic nationalists. We are not inward looking. That is a powerful message in São Paulo, Moscow, Mumbai and Shanghai. In the article he concentrates on our trading relationship with China. China is the new economic superpower and we must treat its re-emergence with respect: as an opportunity rather than a threat. ...
I am currently working on a couple of issues for local residents. If you have suffered similar issues I would like to hear from you, to try and sort the issue out. 495 Bus – Simister to Prestwich I have had a number of reports of this service not running well to the timetable. I have had real problems engaging with the operator about this, but would be interested to hear from other bus users who have had the same problem. Hopefully together we can help solve the issue. Access to Community Health Services when GP is not in Bury ...
Work has now sadly started on the access road for the Commercial Soccer centre in the St Margaret's Corner of Heaton Park. Many thanks to one local resident who took this short video on their phone showing the amount of the damage being done over the weekend. As people will know, GOALS Soccer Centres were given planning permission three years ago to build the Soccer Centre (17 floodlit artificial soccer pitches and a clubhouse) in the park. This was despite massive opposition. GOALS have issued statements to the stock market two years running stating that they are NOT building any ...
The Conservative candidate for Eastleigh, Maria Hutchings seems determined to make her mark. The problem is that the impact she is making is not one that her minders are particularly keen on. Mark Pack has set out the sage of Ms. Hutchings playing hide and seek with the media here, however a new embarrassment has now emerged over her website. The Independent reports that despite stressing her local links Ms. Hutchings has resorted to a description of the town on her campaign website that has been copied verbatim from the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia. The Liberal Democrats candidate, Mike Thornton, has ...
At meetings of Bury Council each councillor is allowed to ask up to two 'written questions'. We try to use the opportunity to find out what is going on with different issues at the Council, and in particular how it affects us here in Prestwich. At the last meeting I asked about the amount of complaints of potholes the council had received: How many requests for road/pavement repairs (including 'pot holes') were received in 2012, how does this compare to 2011 and 2010? (I would be grateful if this information could be provided in writing to members on a Township ...
Is encapsulated by Sir Philip Hampton, the chairman of RBS, who thinks that Stephen Hester should still get his bonus, despite presiding over the criminal activity involved in Libor fixing. Stephen Hester thinks so too. He should be thinking he is lucky he is still in a job. But, despite the RBS being one of the banks that put us in the economic position we are now, despite it having to be rescued by the taxpayer - that's you and me - despite it still, four years on, being 81% owned by the taxpayer, bankers haven't changed a bit. The ...
On Friday, myself and other Liberal Democrat Group Leaders from across Greater Manchester were able to meet with Local Government Minister Don Foster MP. Don is the Lib Dem minister in the Communities and Local Government Team. We had asked to meet with the Minister to discuss a couple of issues that as Greater Manchester councillors we wanted to raise with Government. Local Government Finance Over the next couple of weeks (Bury is a week on Wednesday) all councils will be setting their 'budget' for next financial year (2013-14). This includes setting the increase in Council Tax (if any) that ...
Common decency fail at the Huff Post – Jim Jepps on why posting pictures of David Miliband with his flies undone helps to drive politicians further away from the public. Eastleigh – Why There's No Farage – Because, explains Tim Fenton, despite his talk of the importance of Westminster, he's no desire to actually be an MP. Hurricane Sandy Aftermath: Storm Damage Vehicles – An illustration of the amount of damage done by the storm, that also prompts questions about why they're all being disposed of. Against Save Our Thing – Alex Harrowell explains why campaigning to save social hardware ...
SFX EXCLUSIVE - Official! (Old Monster) Return To Doctor Who This Year | SFX Spoilerphobes click at your own risk. (tags: ) Mad Art Lab | Slave Leo Male version of the Slave Leia costume. I won't lie. My first thought on seeing this was OH CTHULHU NOOOO. I haven't mellowed. (tags: ) Dogs understand human perspective, say researchers More scientists catching up to what dog owners have known for years. Anthropomorphising my arse. (tags: ) Dame Helen Mirren joins prequel to Monsters Inc. Also has awesome pink hair now. (tags: ) Fans call for boycott of DC Comics for ...
You remember the G4S Olympics shambles. Private company contracted to do security, fails to understand the scale of the job required, fails to budget sufficiently, fails to find enough staff with the minimum qualifications to meet even their own minimal standards, has to be rescued by the army at public expense. That one. A deal is done today whereby G4S can walk away having "reduced" the cost to the taxpayer. No wonder Nick Buckles is pleased. He is G4S's boss, remember. He was boss at the time of the cock up, and he is still the boss. He shouldn't be ...
Today's Western Mail reports that serious concerns have been voiced about the lack of urgency in dealing with chronic staffing shortages in Wales' embattled maternity units. They say that in a report published today into maternity services, the National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee accused the Welsh Government of failing to act quickly enough to deal with poor staffing levels in Welsh hospitals. The report also warned that the quality of care available to expectant mothers in Wales may not be sustainable because of the severe pressures on resources. Experts have called for more midwives to be recruited as a matter ...
[IMG: Abingdon South Action Day] There was a fantastic turnout for our Fairer Taxes Action Day in Abingdon South on Saturday, reflecting the success of the day nationwide. Led by our new Parliamentary Candidate Layla Moran, we did a mix of surveying, collecting petition signatures, delivering target mailings and distributing flyers about a key local development issue. As well as local members and councillors we were delighted to welcome helpers from as far away as Reading, Milton Keynes and Wallingford. The reception on the doorstep was very positive. Quite a few people already knew about how we are making the ...
There's an old joke in which a beggar asks a distinguished gentleman for money in the street, and the distinguished gentleman pompously replies: "'Neither a borrower nor a lender be' - William Shakespeare." To which the beggar responds: "'F**k you' - David Mamet." I am reminded of this joke by the fact that, while David Ward has called in aid a quotation in his defence from Noam Chomsky Mr Ward has inadvertently omitted to also inform his readers that Elie Wiesel, whom Mr Ward had previously also quoted in his own defence has said: "Although he (Mr Ward) ...
[IMG: George and Dragon Pub, Cheadle] Although Cheadle's George and Dragon pub remains unsold, Stockport Council's conservation team have been working hard to force the owners to make improvements to the appearance of the building, one of the first you see when coming in Cheadle from Manchester Road. The conservation team have forced the owners to replace the plain wooden boards with smarter looking black boards, and ensured the building is aired out to prevent damp becoming more of a problem inside. Whilst we'd all dearly love the George and Dragon to be put to good use and not sitting ...
A survey has found Stockport and Trafford are joint top for business in Greater Manchester, and 14th in the whole country. [IMG: Stockport Business Awards 2012] The research by Santander ranked the country's 76 largest conurbations (excluding London) and looked at what makes an area a good place to set up a business. Cambridge came top nationwide, with Manchester 36th and Salford 30th. Santander looked at a range of measures which they grouped into five main headings: enterprise, talent, connectivity, costs and wellbeing. The Lib Dem Council works hard to make Stockport a great place to do business – with ...
As reported in today's Courier and on Wave 102 news, I have expressed concern at another closure of the Riverside Civic Amenity and Recycling site due to flooding. I have pointed out that this was an all-too frequent problem, given another recent closure over the festive period. See photographs of the flooding yesterday - right and below. You can listen to the Wave 102 interview with me on this subject at the bottom of this article. A constituent contacted me yesterday to indicate: "I went to dispose of some rubbish this morning to riverside recycling centre only to find yet ...
Stockport Homes – the Council's social housing provider – came to the Town Hall last week to tell councillors how it's improving the lives of tenants through an innovative scheme that comes from collecting water rates. When United Utilities had problems collecting water rates from tenants, Stockport Homes stepped in and offered to do the job for them. Tenants' bills stay the same (or in some cases reduce, as Stockport Homes advises on whether having a water meter would save money). Stockport Homes takes a percentage, and spends that money on a wide range of social schemes. [IMG: Volunteers from ...
This is a reminder that I welcome guest posts on Liberal England. So far 31 have appeared. And as you can see from the list of the 10 most recent guest posts below, I am happy to consider a wide range of subjects. If you would like to write a guest post for Liberal England yourself, please send me an email so we can discuss your idea. Blogging for happiness - Ellen ArnisonAn economic liberal case for a consumer-driven economy - Matt BurrowsJohn Locke and Wrington - Lisa HardingSpelling out the reason to vote Liberal Democrat - Andrew BrownTommie Smith ...
At various online locations I am referred to as a 'philosopher' in addition to being a politician Nonetheless, in recent months philosophy has very much taken a back seat to my political work. Whilst this is to be expected with the realities of the European campaign being what they are; having been reminded of the joys of philosophical inquiry in a late night (and not all-together sober) conversation recently, I thought I would take the time to share a little snippet of philosophical reasoning with you: a follow-up to my previous post on the paradox of the ravens... A central ...
Lobbyists feeding amendments to MEPs - I'm surprised that this is even news (but we need to know) | Jon Worth Indeed. (tags: eu ) Notes from an unemployable person More reports from the front line of the war between the UK govt and the disabled. (tags: ukpolitics disability ) Undecided Scot decides Prediction that SNP failure to back equal marriage means they think they'll lose the referendum (tags: scotland ukpolitics sexandgenderandsexuality ) Kein Nazi-Preis mehr Swiss journalist forces renaming of prize which commemorated Nazi propagandist. (tags: nazis Balkans )
Episode 46 of the House of Comments podcast "The Future of the NHS" was recorded on Sunday and is out today. This week myself and Emma Burnell were joined by Guardian writer Ellie Mae O'Hagan to discuss Chris Huhne's resignation and the ensuing Eastleigh by-election, the future of the NHS in the light of the Francis Inquiry into the failings at Stafford Hospital and the reduction in benefits based on rooms in houses that I refuse to call the "bedroom tax"! You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes here (note - this is a new feed so if you ...
Cheadle Town FC, who play at Park Road, Cheadle, are looking to improve onsite facilities. [IMG: Cheadle Town FC, Park Road, Cheadle] Cheadle Town FC The club has already invested in a 3G artificial pitch for 5-a-side football (available for hire for £30 an hour, or £250 for a ten hour block booking – call Gary on 07754 465912 to book). Now they plan to replace the existing elderly mobile cabins with a permanent clubhouse. The hope is that the new clubhouse will have space for a nursery and small sports hall. Cheadle Town FC is 52 years old. Originally ...
Yesterday's post was about one Pope (Benedict XVI), today's is by another (Alexander). I speculated in yesterday's peace that a potential consideration that Benedict had in deciding to stand down was that of the media circus that attends a frail or dying Pope in his last days. Far better to escape such a furore and seek the company of other retirees, monks or even of oneself. This week's poem is a reflection on solitude, which may well be part of the Pope's plans. Those that know me may not be entirely unsurprised that it is last verse in particular that ...
[IMG: Coalitionlandfp] The formation of a coalition between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats was probably the only viable outcome of the General Election in May 2010. A coalition between two unnatural bedfellows in the public interest looked like the only plausible way forward. Coalition was always going to be a journey that carried risks. It is rarely kind to the junior partner. The history of Tory-Liberal coalitions in Westminster is not an entirely happy one, especially for the Liberals. The nature of the Coalition's political agenda became apparent fairly soon after it was formed. Criticism and protest swiftly developed ...
...I'm off to East Africa for three weeks (for work) - conveniently missing the by election campaigns in Berrylands and Eastleigh (and no doubt some interesting revelations about the Papal succession). I'm sure these will be covered by other esteemed Lib Dem bloggers. But please bear with me if blogging is even less frequent than usual (although the content might be more interesting!).
I have today launched my February 2013 Update to West End Community Council. Subjects covered include: • Safety equipment and seating on Riverside Drive • Road condition - various locations• Glamis Road - bus shelter needed• Road safety The Community Council meets this evening at Logie St John's (Cross) Church Hall at 7pm - all residents welcome. You can download my Update here.
Last October and November Liberal Democrats campaigned strongly against the G4S outsourcing planned by the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner. He has finally listened and scrapped the unpopular and inappropriate plan. This is great news for the public and the many local workers affected by the plan, but the question now remains how will the Conservatives now balance the police budget? The G4S plan was the "silver bullet" that was devised to deliver the budgetary savings that are needed to make the books balance. Liberal Democrat County Councillor, Chris White (St Albans Central) said, "The Liberal Democrat team are watching ...
