[IMG: 30 minutes free parking campaign] We are very lucky in our area that we have a number of excellent high streets with their own character, like Crouch End, Muswell Hill and Green Lanes. These shopping areas are what make our neighbourhoods such special places to live – bringing together the local community, and creating vital jobs. However, the current tough economic times and the unstoppable growth of internet shopping are making life very tough for local shopkeepers. We are very lucky in our area that we have a number of excellent high streets with their own character, like Crouch ...
Caption competition: What's Pope Tony saying ? Here's a suggestion. "Look, you can trust me. I'm an honest kind of guy. Kiss my ring."
It seems that at least some good is coming of the horsemeat scandal. Shoppers are returning to buying meat from independent butchers: Independent butchers are... reporting a boost in demand - particularly for processed meat such as mince and burgers.The Q Guild - which represents 110 of the "highest quality butchers in the UK" said freshly made beefburger sales have increased by up to 30%.And Roger Kelsey - chief executive of the 13,000 member National Federation of Meat & Food Traders (NFMFT), said there was "definite evidence" consumers were looking for alternative supplies.He estimated his members had enjoyed a 10-15% ...
Our resident historian writes: I have been looking at a cutting from the Southport Journal dated May 8th 1953. There is report of a Southport Town Council meeting which had taken place three days earlier. There was a discussion concerning later opening hours and the drop in borrowings which the Libraries and Art committee claimed that their figures proved conclusively was due to the restricted hours of opening at the branch libraries In those days there were branches at Crossens and Wennington Road as well as Churchtown, Weld Road Birkdale, and Ainsdale. The report went on say ;- "There is ...
Here's a round-up of news from the past 24 hours in the Eastleigh by-election... Mike Thornton's campaign in full swing [IMG: mike thornton david chidgey] The Lib Dems' Mike Thornton — pictured here (by Jon Aylwin) with 1994 by-election victor David Chidgey — has been focusing on how the pupil premium, the party's flagship education policy, has been helping Eastleigh schools: Lib Dems boost Pupil Premium (Southern Daily Echo) The policy introduced by the Liberal Democrats has invested £1.7m in Eastleigh schools, and is aimed at ensuring every child has a fair start in life. Just one of the reasons ...
This afternoon, I took part in the City Council Scrutiny Committee meeting at which I asked questions about an internal audit report about the systems surrounding the licensing of houses in multiple occupation. I also queried with the external auditor areas of the external audit process concerning valuation of property, plant and equipment and the timeline used by external auditors in reporting findings to the Scrutiny Committee.
"I am not a number: I am a free dog." In the face of a renewed attempt by the government (whoever you vote, for they get in) to introduce a doggie database, Martin Tod revisits a speech he made to the Liberal Democrat Conference a decade ago "If ID cards are going to be complicated, bureaucratic and expensive for people - why are they not going to be complicated, bureaucratic and expensive for dogs?" Liberal Democrats against Secret Courts presents more evidence of British complicity in torture. " I've applied for countless jobs since November, and had no interviews. Most ...
Wed 13th
20:37
'You be hanged by the neck until you are dead' - The Tragic Story of My Ancestor Mary Prout
My family research has taken on a life of its own since I finally made the long-delayed leap into researching my own history a few weeks ago. As I mentioned in my last blog post, I made a start on the 'Cole' side of my family - my father's paternal and maternal side (my grandparents were both unrelated Cole's on marriage!) from south Pembrokeshire before making a start in the past week on my maternal family in the north of the county around Nevern and Eglwyswrw. Both of course are on-going but firm foundations have now been set on both ...
On one of my rare journeys out to the west of Houghton Regis today I noticed that Morrisons fly-post signs had come downA new dual purpose recycling/ordinary rubbish bin has replaced a rusty bin at the bottom of Mill Road A dumped bus stop post lying in an alleyway had been removedThere's probably a few more things improved, but I think I'll chalk my earlier post up as having a successful outcome! Now all I, and all other motorists want, is those wretched temporary road humps removed, and the rest of the road works in the town centre over and ...
[IMG: Featured on Liberal Democrat Voice] It is always good to talk. This week there has been a lot of talking about marriage. Most of it has been done honestly and respectfully. Overwhelmingly Lib Dems have welcomed the proposals for equal marriage and a higher proportion of our MPs supported the Bill than in other parties. Lauren Keith (pictured on the left below taking part in the 'Breakthrough Breast Cancer' charity Crocus walk in Hesketh Park) has written a guest posting on the issue. I'm proud to be a Liberal Democrat this week. Our action in Government, led by Lynne ...
It occurs in a Guardian Media Monkey items that tells us the BBC is considering closing down the online message board devoted to The Archers. Some suspect this move is being mulled because recent storylines have not gone down well with those who post there.
Library Campaigners from Southport are hoping that a demonstration and presentation of petitions tomorrow (Thursday 14th Feb) will help prevent a 'St Valentine's Day Massacre' of Southport's branch library service. The last chance to lobby the Sefton Council Cabinet concerning their plans to close Southport's three branch Libraries (Churchtown, Ainsdale and Birkdale) takes place tomorrow morning when the Council's ruling Cabinet meet at Southport Town Hall to decide what to present to the Council in their budget plans. The Cabinet meeting itself takes place in the Birkdale Room at the Town Hall and is open to the public to listen ...
AINSDALE BEACH DOUBLE IMPROVEMENT NEEDED NOW AINSDALE BEACH ENHANCEMENTS DEMANDED Ainsdale Councillor Haydn Preece is demanding action now and a double improvement at the entrance to Ainsdale beach on Shore Road before Spring. Councillor Preece has been inundated by local residents concerned about the December closing of the motor vehicle entrance to Ainsdale beach. " We need to build a portable pontoon to prevent future problems" says Cllr Preece " Yes, the water table has been incredibly high and, because of the repeated calling out of the coastguard due to beached vehicles, I supported the temporary closure. But we need ...
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 312th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere ... Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (3-9 February, 2013), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed. Don't forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox — just click here — ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging. As ever, let's start with the most popular post, and work our way down: 1. Eastleigh: more on ...
Wed 13th
19:00
Met's new 20 percent arrest quota for stop and search threatens to further undermine police-communit...
The number of Black youth arrested in London is set to shoot up following a pledge by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner to quadruple the proportion of arrests resulting from stop and search. Black youth are ...
[IMG: Craggy Island - some rights reserved by fattybacon] Yes, Paddy Power has a sense of humour. And I like that "666/1" – must have been a particularly joyous hour at Power Towers! At 1000/1 is Bono and also Father Dougal MaGuire of Craggy Island. The latter, Father Dougal, was also 1000/1 in 2007 for the last Papal election, and the Washington Post reported those odds with all solemnity, as I noted at the time after watching a hilarious stand-up routine from Father Dougal's alter ego, Ardal O'Hanlon. [IMG: Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post
Dyma rhestr o ddyddiadau ar gyfer Cyfarfodydd Cyhoeddus yr Heddlu ym Mangor. Here is a list of dates for Police Public Meetings in Bangor. 22/02/2013: 15:00 – 16:00 – Maes Glas, Ffordd Ffriddoedd 18/03/2013: 15:00 – 16:00 – Maes Glas, Ffordd Ffriddoedd 22/04/2013: 15:00 – 16:00 – Maes Glas, Ffordd Ffriddoedd 22/05/2013: 15:00 – 16:00 – Maes Glas, ... Keep reading →
Before I begin this brief rant, I want to make it clear that I'm actually a fan of Ian Birrell's writing: it's passionate, informed, provocative. He's not afraid to slam his colleagues in the media for their group-think on issues like Africa (negative stereotyping) or the NHS (ignoring its serious flaws). Which is why when I saw his piece in the Daily Mail today – Why does no one ever take the blame any more? – I was so irritated by its pathetic opening: When Nick Clegg dropped into Hampshire to boost his party's campaign in the crucial Eastleigh by-election, ...
I joined Tom Brake MP in Wallington to check out the railway bridge now it has been repainted thanks to a successful campaign by Tom and ourselves. Neglected for years it's shabby appearance was more noticeable since the public realm improvements in Wallington high street. Whilst we were posing for a picture, local resident Gregory ...
View as slideshow Once again, most of the Eastleigh by-election news seems to be dominated by candidates saying things that hand a political gift to their opponents. First up, the Labour Party. [IMG: mrjohnofarrell] John O'Farrell@mrjohnofarrell Proud to have been selected as the Labour candidate for #Eastleigh. Thank you so much for all your messages of support. Tue, Feb 12 2013 12:44:14 · Original link ReplyRetweetFavorite [IMG: markpack] Mark Pack@markpack Should Labour supporters vote tactically to beat the Tories? "Go for it" said John O'Farrell bit.ly/VTRyOA Wed, Feb 13 2013 00:18:00 · Original link ReplyRetweetFavorite [IMG: robindbrant] Robin Brant@robindbrant In ...
[IMG: leveson] Hacked Off have issued an analysis of how the Tories' proposed Royal Charter matches up to Lord Leveson's recommendations. They find the Charter meets just five of Leveson's proposals, does not meet 23, and is unclear on two of them. You can read the analysis here. [IMG: Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post
Congratulations and good luck to Mark Pack, my co-editor here for another fortnight, who's in the virtual hot-seat as this week's @BBCExtraGuest, tweeting opinions and answering questions before and during this week's edition of BBC1′s Question Time (Thursday, 10.35 pm): Full panel this week – Maria Miller, @marycreagh_mp, @susankramer, @georgegalloway, @frasernelson and @bbcextraguest @markpack. #bbcqt — BBC Question Time (@bbcquestiontime) February 13, 2013 You'll be able to follow Mark's tweets as @BBCExtraGuest here. Congratulations, too, to Lib Dem blogger Richard Morris, whose open letter maybe reminded the BBC that Lib Dems do exist on Twitter. And with Baroness (Susan) Kramer ...
The longer-serving of my blog readers will recall a posting last year that I had met some 'nice men in the city'. Well I can now reveal that they are not only nice but clever! CCLA is an investment company ... Continue reading →
Just seen this tweet from @BBCextraguest As regular readers of this blog will know there has been a bit of a campaign to get a Lib Dem in that chair - Mark will be the first in, I think, 12 weeks. So it's great that it's happened Well done to Nick Thornsby, who I know did a lot of lobbying And thank you to BBC Question time for taking feedback and responding - much appreciated. Good luck tomorrow Mark!
[IMG: Spring 2013 Federal Conference agenda] It's just over three weeks until Liberal Democrats gather in Brighton for our annual Federal Spring Conference. This morning the agenda landed on my doorstep and I thought I'd share my highlights with you. If you can, it's worth trying to get there for 3 pm on Friday 8th March for the consultation sessions. This is an important part of the policy making process, where ordinary party members can have their say as policy documents are being written. Most of them are on issues which apply to the whole UK this time: Defence, tax, ...
Jo Swinson MP writes to Liberal Youth about our body confidence campaign. Everybody knows somebody - eating disorders are more common than you think. This is the message that eating disorder charity B-eat wants to spread this week. It's important to raise awareness of eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, which are the most fatal ...
I've finally discovered what the Labour Party's policy on everything is !
This is my blog on Lib Dem Voice on the NHS after the Mid Staffs Inquiry. I am frustrated that there has been so little comment on the implications for NHS policy. [IMG: Share]
A number of amendments for trans people have been submitted formally in parliament, but unless you're a legal whiz with some spare time to hand it's not immediately obvious what they are. So, here's a quick guide to what the relevant ones do... Amendment 4 – Prevent voiding of marriages with a trans person At the moment, a spouse can have a marriage voided (As if it had never happened) by claiming they did not know that their partner had a gender recognition certificate at the time they married, and this amendment removes this. There is no similar provision covering, ...
Power lines down between Radlett and St Albans. No trains for next two peaks. For more information phone:
Man behind scheme spins false promises of confidentiality Tim Kelsey is the NHS' National Director for Patients and Information. He is the one of the main driving forces behind this data-grab of our health records. After pushing to get the Sunday Times to change their article Kelsey has taken to twitter to try and claim confidential information won't be passed on without consent. [IMG: Kelsey] Caught out - Emails from the Department of Heath prove Kelsey's claim is false. I've contacted the Department of Health with my concerns about this scheme. Correspondence from the department categorically states that the NHS ...
A new NHS database is threatening medical confidentiality, and risks damaging people's trust in their doctors. GPs in Calderdale are being asked to supply sensitive information stored on patient's medical records as part of the 'Everyone Count's' programme. The intention of this programme is to open up access to patient's information for researchers, and private organisations. Information that will be supplied includes drinking habits, NHS numbers, postcodes, illnesses and reasons for treatment. This information will be available to purchase from the NHS and Health and Social Care Information Center. [IMG: The largest raid of our data ever? NHS confidentiality is ...
Here's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... Select Committees are becoming the ugly face of Parliament: it's time to rein them in | British Politics and Policy at LSE .@AdamJLent has a point » 'Select Committees are becoming the ugly face of Parliament' http://buff.ly/14Q0zxX Not everyone is anti-EU: young people and the Eurosceptic vote | Ballots & Bullets Euroscepticism: just old people being faddish? » 'Not everyone is anti-EU: young people and the Eurosceptic vote' http://buff.ly/14QZnKF Why David Cameron isn't proposing a cut in the EU budget » Spectator Blogs I read this 2day @IsabelHardman & thought of you ...
Initially I was concerned about the proposals to use a Royal Charter for the recognition of a press regulator. However, the proposal in detail puts some control on the changes to the charter (essentially so that contentious changes would not go through). Hence, it does seem to have merits as a process. It introduces a new constitutional process which is like statute, but with a super majority.
Yesterday's Guardian carries a feature on three people who have worked way beyond the age when they can collect their State Pension. One of those is Liberal Democrat Peer Eric Avebury, who has written several articles for Liberal Democrat Voice. At 84, he's still attending the House of Lords 4 days a week. He talks of the driving force that keeps him going: As I have got older I have become more and more keen on the idea of equality. The evidence shows that most of the ills of society - such as crime, mental illness and so on - ...
We've just come back from a lovely holiday in the USA. I'm a fairly seasoned traveller - yet I always find the USA the strangest country to visit. Perhaps its because it all seems so familiar - from the movies and TV shows, and the fact the speak the same language - that the differences seem really bizarre. [IMG: President Obama riding a Velociraptor] Here are the Top 5 Weird Things about the USA: Credit Cards During our holiday, we mostly paid with credit card. In the UK, we use the Chip & Pin system. It's far from fool proof, ...
Queueing for a burger I saw this heading in one of the tabloids yesterday and couldn't believe the absurdity of it. Indeed therer were many questions at PMQs today on the subject which makes me wonder - aren't there more important things to worry about? The BSE scare in the 90s was the result of poor standards, and (if I remember the Tomorrow's world report properly) caused by the Sheep disease scrapie which was potentially past to cows. I freely admit my science on that is almost two decades old though! There were cases of humans catching and dying from ...
I just wanted to let people know of three changes that look set to be happening in Warley ward. Roils Head Road The first changes relates to part of Roils Head Road, up from the Workhouse Lane junction into Norton Tower. Currently this stretch of road is national speed limit. However as Norton Tower will be part of the new 20 mph zone, there is a proposal to reduce the speed limit to 30 mph. National guidelines do not recommend that you go from a 60 mph limit down to a 20 mph limit, so reducing the speed of traffic ...
Labour's candidate in Eastleigh endorsed voting Lib Dem in a Con/Lib marginals...like the seat he is fighting. Labour's Candidate in Eastleigh, the satirist and author John O'Farrell once recommended voting Liberal Democrat to stop Conservatives being elected. According to Rowena Mason in the Telegraph: [O'Farrell] would need to steal votes off the Liberal Democrats ...
I'm agog but sadly not surprised by the farce that is the huge budget being spent on 'improving' Greendale cycle and pedestrian route. I use this route most days walking or cycling. From the following pictures you can see demonstrate this section didn't need any maintenance -Champion Hill to Wanley Road It is deeply disappointing to see cycle investment money solely being used for what has turned into a maintenance project. No attempt has been made to improve the utility of this section for cyclists or pedestrians – which fails to meet London Cycle Network guidance. In fact the kerb ...
A worker earning the median gross salary of £26,500 p.a. will contribute to the EU in 2012/13. Surely it's time to end this madness... Andrew Sources: ONS and HMRC App
Last week the European Council agreed a new European budget that will, for the first time, see a cut in the amount of money that the EU spends. Liberal Democrats at Westminster and in the European Parliament have made clear that the EU needs to live within its means. We are in favour of a sensible and realistic deal that reflects the tough economic times that ordinary people are facing. Some MEPs see things differently and oppose the idea of a degree of fiscal restraint in Europe. People who oppose the cuts in the EU budget that have been put ...
Yesterday, the Tories produced their plans for a "Royal Charter" as a response to the Leveson proposals. I did a Press Conference on behalf of the Lib Dems with Hacked Off, and my comments got picked up today by The ... Continue reading →
Now that Huhne has gone, and the seat has become vacant I thought I'd take a look at the candidates on offer in the Eastleigh By-Election... Profiling of the Eastleigh By-Election Candidates Conservative Party [ Image from huffingtonpost.co.uk ] Candidate: Maria Hutchings Previous Experience with the Party: - Local Campaigner - part of a social ...
One of the most amazing people I met during the Barriers to Choice Review, which is where I have been for the past seven months, was an extraordinary and articulate lady in Dorset - who deserves to be listened to for her stories about Atos assessments and other inhuman treatment by the social care system. She is an a wheelchair, and I especially remember her description of her morning visit by a care worker arriving to get her out of bed and into the shower. It is nearly always somebody new as she buzzes them in through the front door. ...
[IMG: nhs sign lrg] It is a week since Robert Francis's report on the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust exposed massive failures in the NHS, from top to bottom. The silence from the political left is deafening. Of course there has been the usual horror and condemnation, and calls for heads to roll. But this wasn't just a case of lax professional standards, which can be sorted out with a bit of culture training, it was complete system failure from cleaner up to Prime Minister. Furthermore the report produced a dense fog of recommendations, which badly needs a clear sense ...
I have written previously about how Labour in Manchester is making the wrong choices for Manchester. Unlike nearby Labour Salford, they have turned down £1.5m in grant to freeze the Council Tax, and raised it by a whopping 3,7%. They ... Continue reading →
Library Campaigners from Southport are hoping that a demonstration and presentation of petitions tomorrow (Thursday 14th Feb) will help prevent a 'St Valentine's Day Massacre' of Southport's branch library service. The last chance to lobby the Sefton Council Cabinet concerning their plans to close Southport's three branch Libraries (Churchtown, Ainsdale and Birkdale) takes place tomorrow morning when the Council's ruling Cabinet meet at Southport Town Hall to decide what to present to the Council in their budget plans. The Cabinet meeting itself takes place in the Birkdale Room at the Town Hall and is open to the public to listen ...
After 12,500 Southport people signed petitions to keep their Libraries Birkdale Councillor and Lib Dem Leader Iain Brodie Browne has urged the Labour leader to listen to the people and do a 'U-turn ' ' Southport resident are angry that the Bootle led council has produced plans to leave the Southport constituency with only one library whilst keeping three open in Bootle constituency. I hope the pressure of public opinion will cause the Labour Leader to climb down. It would be outrageous if he 'produced a rabbit out of his hat' at the last moment. If he is going to ...
Lib Dem candidate for Eastleigh Mike Thornton responded yesterday to the question of whether he supports equal marriage. @Beauchamp74 asked Mike, and the Tory and UKIP candidates, for their position: @mike4eastleigh @mariahutchings @dianeukip none of you have tweeted your position on #equalmarriage. Who'll be first? @c4equalmarriage — Thomas (@Beauchamp74) February 12, 2013
Tory candidate's local knowledge gleaned from wikipedia Oops. (tags: ) Hurrah! Workfare is illegal! ok so that is a bit of an exaggeration, but we're on the way (tags: ) is UKIP a party of bigots? (tags: ) Study Debunks Differences Between Men and Women | The Mary Sue (tags: ) Eastleigh - Why There's No Farage (tags: ) Against Save Our Thing | The Yorkshire Ranter I'm not sure about the conclusions given that Labour have as much form on PFI and all that bollocks as anyone else, but the premise is interesting. (tags: ) Common decency fail at ...
Every week, Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore MP, writes a column for newspapers in his Borders Constituency. Here is the latest edition. Fisheries vote Last week was crunch time in the European Parliament as MEPs voted in favour of ambitious proposals to reform the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). There has been much concern among local fishermen in Berwickshire about the reform of the CFP because the current system has damaged many local businesses. The measures passed last week are certainly a welcome step in the right direction because they will help end the terrible practice of ...
Here's what the President had to say on the matter in his state of the union address last night: And tonight, I'm announcing that we will launch talks on a comprehensive Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership with the European Union ... Continue reading →
Wed 13th
08:17
Should Labour supporters vote tactically to beat the Tories? "Go for it" said John O'Farrell
[IMG: John O'Farrell - Things Can Only Get Better] In Things Can Only Get Better, John O'Farrell – now Labour candidate in the Eastleigh by-election – records how his brother asked him if he should vote tactically for the Liberal Democrats in order to defeat the Conservatives in Richmond Park. John O'Farrell's answer? "I told him to go for it".
Channel 4 news on Friday contained a report by Kevin Toolis about Abdul-Hakim Belhaj. Belhaj is the Libyan man, now a member of the post-Gadaffi government, who was kidnapped and returned to Libya in 2004 with the complicity of British security services personnel. He is now suing Jack Straw and the British government for damages for the torture he sustained on his return. There has been an unseemly rush to complete the progress of the Justice and Security Bill through parliament. The main reason is the claims brought by Belhaj and others. If the Bill passes in its current ...
Azerbaijan: Stop Harassing Writer Writing the wrong sort of novel gets you in trouble. (tags: Azerbaijan ) The girls are not alright Maria on the Magdalenes. (tags: genderandsexandsexuality Ireland )
Interested in science? Then you may be interested in the politics of science, too. You've come to the right place About a year ago, a colleague and I unsuccessfully pitched a feature article to a well known science-focused magazine. They agreed the topic was interesting and had even been following it themselves. They also liked our writing but, with regret, had to turn down the idea because they knew their readers "weren't interested in the politics of science". I printed out that rejection and stuck it on my desk as a reminder that, no matter how many books and reports ...
There were some fantastic options for this week's NOW! That's What I Call A Tune! but there was one really standout track. Not necessarily for it's musical brilliance, but more for it's sheer comedy value. Written by Gary Barlow and borrowing heavily from winner's songs on various reality shows past and present, it was the winning artiste from Britain's got the Pop Factor... and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice, Ladies and Gentlemen, it's Ireland's answer to Enya, Geraldine McQueen: And as a bonus, here's the saintly Cat Deeley "losing it" on "live" TV: Andrew ...
Over at the Telegraph Lottie Dexter argues that a court ruling that calls on the government to scrap its controversial back-to-work scheme risks undermining the Coalition's entire programme of welfare reform. She says that the victory in the Court of Appeal by University graduate Cait Reilly on Tuesday over her claim that requiring her to work for free at a Poundland discount store was unlawful marks the latest kick in the teeth for Department of Work and Pensions: This controversial ruling throws the Work Programme, a central plank of Iain Duncan Smith's initiatives, into question. Similar to the scheme that ...
Yesterday, I attended the latest meeting of the Jericho House Support Group, the team that help support fundraising and other initiatives for Jericho House that does vital work to assist people with alcohol dependency problems. We had an extremely positive meeting, with an update from Claire Bee who is leading the group of Jericho House service users, staff and others including young people, who are to be presenting their play "Broken Puzzle" at the Steps Theatre on Saturday 27th April. We also discussed other possible fundraising events for 2013. Thereafter, I had a useful discussion with trades union representatives about ...
The BBC report that complaints to the public services ombudsman about the Welsh NHS have more than tripled in six years. Complaints have increased from 191 in 2006/7, when his office took responsibility for NHS complaints, to an estimated 680 for 2012/3. Public services ombudsman Peter Tyndall is quoted as saying some of the rise is due to unhappiness over the quality of care, and he warns that services will become less safe without change. The BBC say that cases that have been reported to Mr Tyndall's office in the past year range from issues with ambulances and GP practices ...
Over on Lib Dem Voice, Nick Clegg has been writing about his visit to Mozambique with Lynne Featherstone, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for International Development (DFID). He talks of his pride in delivering on the Liberal Democrat's manifesto commitment to meet our international commitments to fund Overseas Development to the tune of 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI). He mentions how it is political controversial (amongst some at least; particularly when there is so much austerity at home), but believes it is right. And he is to do so. All three major parties committed to the target ...
County admit crossover backlog Note from the county council In preparation for the transition to the new highways contracts, we stopped processing new VXO applications between May and October 2012. As a result of this, we now have a backlog of 500 applications. The applications that are pending are at various stages of the process. For new applications, it is estimated that initial assessment will take up to eight weeks. For those pending, construction is likely to take up to 12 weeks from receipt of payment. These revised timescales are necessary to deal with the backlog and we are working ...
