Today's winner is the Huffington Post: MP Slams 'Incompetent' Police Over Abusive 'Racist Arsehead' Man
[IMG: Nick Clegg. Photo: Dave Radcliffe. Some rights reserved by Liberal Democrats Tomorrow at 9am it is the next of Nick Clegg's regular phone-in shows with Nick Ferrari on LBC Radio. Although LBC is a London radio station, the show features many callers from outside London and you don't have to be in London to listen to it. Digital radio: LBC is included on digital radio in large parts of England and also part of Wales. For details, see the map on LBC's website. Digital TV: Both Sky and Virgin include LBC in their channel offerings. Listen online: You ...
The current edition of the New Statesman features a cover with Angela Merkel, Adolf Hitler, and why Europe fears the Germans. Now, I rather like the New Statesman. It has good people working for it, and its blog and print output is always well written, interesting and thought provoking. However, I do think the ...
... with thanks to the Poke.
Mark Thompson exposes Nick Clegg's faulty logic in supporting secret courts. One recent episode of Moscow's see-through machinations involved a London-based lobby group Conservative Friends of Russia (CFoR). Launched in August 2012 - in the garden of the Russian ambassador to Britain, no less - and shut down in December." World Affairs dissects Vladimir Putin's strategy of influencing and infiltrating European political establishments. Despite the urging of Laurie Penny, Normblog refuses to care that the SWP is on the verge of collapse. Ron Finley plants vegetable gardens in South Central LA - in abandoned lots, traffic medians, along the curbs. ...
We all want something to happen to the old Nat West bank in Gatley, but surely not another fast food takeaway. But that's what's being proposed and planning application has been applied for change of use (Appliction 51651). If you agree with me that we don't need another hot food takeaway in Gatley, please register your objection to the application now. My view is simple – we already have a lot of takeaways in Gatley and we should not have any more.
I sat in the wrong place in the hall on Saturday for Nick Clegg's Q&A. I was about 2/3rds of the way back and despite thrusting my hand up every time he went back to the audience I didn't get picked for a question. Indeed he only really seemed to pick from about the first 6 rows which was all I think he could see. But if he had have picked me I was going to highlight a particular bit of faulty logic in one of his comments about secret courts. In fact that's being generous. Sophistry would be a ...
If you live in the Duncombe Road South area, don't forget that the third time (and final for the time being) the community skip will be available for any clean ups is this coming Friday (15th). The skip will be on Duncombe Road South at one of the juntions.
The award this week goes to Tory MP David Burrowes, who... ...has written to the attorney general, Dominic Grieve QC, asking him to review the eight-month sentences imposed on Chris Huhne and Vicky Pryce on the grounds that they are "unduly lenient".Whatever you think of the conduct of Huhne and Pryce, or the sentences handed down, it is quite obvious that Burrowes's request is spurious. To exploit this case for self-publicity is pretty dismal conduct, but presumably Burrowes imagines this odious behaviour will somehow counter his deserved obscurity. Meanwhile, in today's Guardian, Simon Jenkins gets to the heart of the ...
From the Hansard record of today's Prime Minister's Question time: Q15.[147466] Mr Russell Brown (Dumfries and Galloway) (Lab): Prime Minister, you gave a promise to protect the defence budget in its entirety, but you did not. The Defence Secretary, who has left the Chamber, promised to balance the budget, but the National Audit Office said he failed. Prime Minister, will you now guarantee that there will be no— Mr Speaker: Order. The hon. Gentleman has been here 16 years. He should not use the word "you" in the Chamber. I am sorry, but he knows the rules. Come on, quickly, ...
The rather flawed Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill has been sent back to the House without a single successful amendment. Whilst some have crowed about how all the "wrecking amendments" failed (yes, I'm looking in Stonewall's direction as always) I'm deeply disappointed that not one of the issues I have with the bill has been resolved. I felt the House of Commons committee stage was the most likely place amendments could be successfully made to make this same sex marriage bill into an equal marriage one. It is not the end of the battle for a better bill but it ...
The Friends of Riverside Nature Park are hosting a native flowers planting event at the park on Sunday 24th March - poster below - you can download a higher quality PDF version here. With thanks to a grant from Sustain Dundee, the group has purchased a number of native species, including bluebell, snowdrops, wood anemone and primroses and they would welcome a hand to plant them. All welcome but please wear suitable clothing and footwear.
Derwentside Citizens Advice Bureau suspended With great regret we are posting this news which our area can ill afford. At a time of great need it is a tragedy that Citizens Advice Bureau advice will be much harder to get for people in Consett and Stanley. It is vital that everyone with any influence works together to bring back face-to-face advice for people in need. Owen & Margaret Derwentside Citizens Advice Bureau has been suspended from Citizens Advice membership and has been told to close its doors to clients, national Citizens Advice announced today (Wednesday 13 March). Citizens Advice has ...
With the inclement weather over the past few days, I have had numerous winter maintenance queries from constituents. The City Council's Roads Maintenance Partnership has updated me regarding resources deployed and I reproduce this below. The reference to West Park Road is in relation to a specific concern I raised about the road surface there on Monday - there was a minor traffic accident there at the junction with Beechwood Terrace on Monday morning: "In response to your enquiry relating to the winter service delivered over the last few days I can confirm that all available resources were deployed in ...
Liberal Democrats have further highlighted their concerns over the Luton Expansion plans and called for the county to speak out against the proposals. Councillor Nick Hollinghurst (Tring and the Villages) said, "We raised real concerns about how this will be monitored going forward as it is already an issue for residents. In particular there seemed to be a lack of clarity as to what would actually count towards 'night flights' and the changes being proposed as to the times governed by this. For example do freight and empty flights to position aircraft count, and what is the impact of private ...
Today's Independent reports that the three leading political parties are close to signing up to a historic Royal Charter to implement the recommendations of Lord Justice Leveson on reforming regulation of the press. They say that it is expected that the Royal Charter will be supported by statutory underpinning, with a clause inserted into existing government legislation in order to prevent future changes to the document without the authority of a substantial majority in Parliament. Given where we where when the report first came out, with Clegg and Miliband ganging up on Cameron, that is quite a turn-around. It shows ...
Believe it or not, an American author called Joseph P. Kamp wrote a book called Hitler Was A Liberal, published in 1949 as part of an ultraconservative propaganda campaign organised and financed by the Texan oil billionaire and multiple bigamist H.L. Hunt. The astonishing story of Hunt's ultraconservative activities is part of a fascinating blog by TV documentary maker Adam Curtis, which explores the idea that the abuse of language deprives us of much of the freedom and independence we imagine we have. Curtis credits Hunt with starting the current trend towards corrosion of objectivity and truth in the media. ...
Hertfordshire County Council has re-launched the online highways fault reporting system ) to improve customer experience, reliability and greater functionality. The new system, developed with Serco, was designed in response to feedback about the old system. It has an improved look and feel and is more responsive and intuitive to give customers a better experience. New features include smartphone compatibility and the ability to see, and receive updates on faults that other people have reported. Comments or feedback welcomed via the GovMetric system built into the website.
The UK has no coherent innovation policy, so maybe we have to think more about where our pensions and savings are invested It's official - the UK has no coherent innovation policy, according to the cross-party House of Commons science and technology committee, in the latest report to describe the UK's lacklustre relationship with cash-hungry hi-tech ventures. This is bad news as technological innovation generates significant social benefits, and ultimately (but often quite slowly) economic growth. From carbon fibre, to monoclonal antibodies, to graphene, the story of valuable ideas born in the UK but developed faster abroad is all too ...
Douglass Carswell MP and Ben Duckworth mulled over the future of digital democracy, in a session chaired by journalist Heather Brooke at the University of East Anglia in London. Online politics is not just for young people, 83% of 38 degrees users are over 40. Carswell believes that "we are on the verge of some ...
One of the many good things, as I wrote last year, that Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore delivered in the Edinburgh Agreement was a provision to allow 16 and 17 year olds to vote in the referendum on independence. He was pleased to be able to persuade the Coalition Government to agree something which had long been Liberal Democrat policy. To be fair, it had also been SNP policy. Yesterday, the SNP Government, whose responsibility it is to legislate for the referendum, introduced their Bill to extend the franchise to include 16 and 17 year olds. ...
We've been working with Roisin Lavery of the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland on the new LGB web resource So Me. So Me stands for Sexual Orientation. More Equality. In the Commission's most recent 'Do You Mean Me?' survey, 53% of LGB people were likely to consider they had been subject to some form of unfair ...
Back in January, Cornwall Council decided to impose a huge tax increase on 26,000 of the poorest working age families in Cornwall. As a way of mitigating the worst effects, the Conservatives announced that there would be an exceptional relief fund to help those who could not afford to pay. But nobody could have anticipated that the Tories would put a cap on the amount that any individual could claim. When this poor tax was first imposed, the Leader of the Conservatives said she knew nothing about those affected. It's clear that none of her colleagues have bothered to find ...
Interesting to see former National Union of Students president Kat Fletcher pop up as a Labour candidate in a council byelection. Not because she's running for Labour - most ex-NUS presidents do. I took note because ...
What a first conference! From Friday evening through to Sunday afternoon it did not stop. Sleep seemed to be one luxury too many. The organisation was far better than I expected. Every event started on time and there were stewards everywhere to help direct you and answer your questions. It was very smooth and professional throughout and everyone I met seemed friendly. Friday was International Women's Day and the first event I attended was the Conference rally. Nick Clegg came on and delivered a very good speech addressing the problems of recent weeks. The following speakers (Shirley Williams, Jo Swinson, ...
Impressive:
The first in an occasional series. Thanks to a reader and La Treizième Étoile.
As of the 24th March the 14a will stop as First moves to a completely commercial service unsubsidised by the Council. We know that lots of residents in Bloomfield Road use this service, and will be unhappy with it going , as well as forcing more buses down Bloomfield Drive when there are more cars present. We are trying to find out what can be done to review this decision.
In the post Eastleigh celebratory glow, Shetland MSP used his Scotsman column to issue a sharp challenge on the economy and welfare reform to Liberal Democrat MPs. First, he praised the party for the way we had come together to win against the odds. A personal party scandal was badly handled from beginning to end. The Tory press scented blood and threw themselves at the Lib Dems. But the Lib Dem by-election machine still has a kick. A win was needed and secured. Morale is on the up and belief returns. This will grow if Lib Dem Westminster MPs now ...
I'm expecting readership to surge today on the revelation that I spent three and a half hours yesterday in the cold basement at county hall in which Derwentside District Council's minute books are stored. That's because some people think I have a one track mind, but in fact I was looking for the history of Citizens House and how it came to move into its current home – the former office at Consett's railway station. What the minutes of 1983-85 show is the building they used to occupy on Front Street showing increasing signs of dilapidation and the council casting ...
Here's my latest Muswell Flyer article on Independent Shops: I've launched a competition to find our best local independent shops - and I'd like to invite everyone to take part via my website - www.LynneFeatherstone.org/Independent-Shops [IMG: Lynne Featherstone MP on Hornsey High Street, outside Brand New Start independent shop and gallery] There's nothing I like more than taking a wander around my constituency and popping into some of our local independent retailers. From Highgate to Bounds Green - via Muswell Hill, Crouch End and Wood Green (to name but a few!) - we have independent antique shops, art galleries, bakeries, ...
Wed 13th
11:57
Willie Rennie on Newsnight Scotland: You have to be cautious when you predict oil revenues
There's been a bit of a stooshie over future North Sea oil revenues in the last week or so. First, as the BBC tells us, a leaked draft of a Scottish Government report said that volatility in projecting revenues created uncertainty and could lead to spending cuts. Now, Alex Salmond tells us that it'll all be fine and there'll be a great big oil boom just as Scotland becomes independent. The SNP projections for the first year of independence are pretty much double what the OBR predicts. Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie went on Newsnight Scotland on Monday night ...
As though I have regressed to a version of myself more than two decades in the past, a question I often get asked these days is "why did you do it?" People are interested to discover that despite having a well paid and relatively secure job with the Liberal Democrats in Scotland at a crucial time in our country's history, and having just bought my first home, I decided to leave it all behind and move to Africa to work for Volunteer Uganda, a charity which strives to alleviate poverty through education. As a mischievous child, impulsive, some would say ...
We are asking this question at the Council's cabinet meeting Coach parking at Odd Down playing fields has cause a number of issues for those that live locally with traffic not following the correct routes through narrow streets, with the new cycle facility and potentially a 4G pitch, please could there be an assurance that the car park will not be used for parking this year
I'm not really a beach person, despite the evidence of this blog - Mauritius, Fiji, Vanuatu, Goa and Jamaica are all chronicled in the archives. However, as I get older, the notion of sitting quietly on the beach, watching the waves lap against the shore as I sip something with alcohol in it and reread my Montalbano books on the faithful Kindle becomes more alluring.And, it must be said, Varadero is rather good for such things. The sea is a beautiful azure, the sky is blue, the sand is white, and nice people come along from time to time, offering ...
Some successful people really annoy me. Quite a lot of them don't, but a sizeable majority... Take Ricky Gervais. He is a man of some (but not massive) talent, who because the stars were right and there was a gap in the market briefly became a massive success and is now riding the long tail of that. He fully believes that his talent and work are the only factors in his success. He also believes the corollary of this - that anyone who is NOT as successful as him is not as successful as him either because they are not ...
Dyma'r cais ar gyfer camera CCTV ar Allt Glanrafon, rhan o'r broses o wneud Glanrafon yn fwy diogel a creu awyrgylch saff i drigolion a myfyrywr. // Here's the application for CCTV camera on Glanrafon Hill, a part of the process to make Glanrafon safer and create the feeling of a safe community. ... Keep reading →
I stood in the gallery at the Brighton Metropole during the Lib Dem conference last weekend, while my eight-year-old read a Beastquest book at my feet, and listened to Nick Clegg doing his Q&A on the economy. I missed the kerfuffle about secret courts which came later, and I wrote yesterday how impressive I thought he was. He has enough problems without me offering him advice, but his support for the Funding for Lending scheme was profoundly wrong, and I need to say why. Politicians in power tend to think their efforts are somehow in proportion to the amount of ...
[IMG: Screen Shot 2013-03-13 at 09.55.24] Bury Council are actively looking for more foster carers in and around Bury. We are always keen to hear from new people who are interested in becoming Foster Carers. Bury children need Bury homes, and that is why we offer our carers training and ongoing support with access to many different specialised services. As a valued Foster Carer we will give practical support and a weekly allowance in recognition of your work. There are also a range of family friendly benefits available to Bury foster carers! Foster Carers are valuable members of our team, ...
The Coalition Government has just announced £400M of support for electric car charging points between now and April 2015. For East Dulwich it means that any resident who orders an electric car 75% of the installation cost of providing a public charging point will be paid for by the government. The remaining 25% by the council. The cost per charging point is typically £2,400. In East Dulwich ward we, as ward councillors, would look to find this money from somewhere. Either Cleaner, Greener, Safer capital or revenue funding streams. So let us know if you order an electric vehicle and ...
Just to update residents on some issues that have been happening with the gulleys on Carver Avenue: Apparently the gulleys have bene blocked causing a build up of waer that overlaps onto the pavement outside No 6. The Council have inspected the site and a works order has been issued. Please let me know if there continues to be issues. Tim
Cardinal Roger Mahoney is at the moment in Rome helping to choose the new Pope. His diocese today has come to a settlement worth nearly £10 million with victims of a priest who abused them. The priest, Michael Baker, was shielded by Mahoney, and permitted to abuse again after his first offences came to light. Documentary evidence has made clear that Mahoney shielded many people and covered up many instances of child abuse during his 25 years as archbishop. The Catholic church claims to be repentant, claims to feel genuine remorse over the misery suffered by victims of the many ...
Wed 13th
09:28Jo Swinson MP writes...Consumers need to be protected from the predatory behaviour of payday lenders
Every MP has seen tragic cases of constituents struggling with debt problems. Like Mrs S, whose daughter was granted hundreds of pounds of loans, despite not being in employment and suffering from mental health problems. That young woman is now in arrears with 2 different payday lenders. She is being charged high default fees and her situation is getting worse each day. The Coalition Government is determined to make sure that consumers are properly protected and that payday lenders stop taking advantage of vulnerable people. The evidence of the scale of unscrupulous behaviour by payday lenders and the impact on ...
LibDems leave over support for secret trials; I resign from the party - Boing Boing and another resignation over secret courts (tags: ) Meet the men who spy on women through their webcams | Ars Technica Your daily dose of terrifying internet stuff (tags: ) Finally, a tablet simple enough for a woman to use | Ars Technica (tags: ) Mark Thompson: I'm backing the no all-male Panel Pledge - are you? Come on boys, sign up. (tags: ) Below the line, below the belt? | openDemocracy Interesting article on internet comments. (tags: ) Labour admit it would keep the ...
Coalicious has made it into the urban dictionary. If this wasn't enough, it's description references the education dream team of Michael Gove and David Laws:
Stockport Council's "Meet the Buyer" event has been running for several years now, connecting small local businesses with larger companies keen to find Stockport suppliers. The 2013 event was on Tuesday 13th in the Ballroom at the Town Hall (the day after the Ballroom was packed for a 16+ options event). Here's a short video from the folks at Bellyflop TV to give you a flavour of the day.
Full Council Budget Meeting The Full Council budget meeting took place on the 14th of February.. As I have mentioned in the past, the administration submitted their budget aiming to cut £24.9m for this financial year. This included £7m from Adult and Community Services, and £2.5m from remodelling Children's services. The council's reserves currently stand at £152m, which is just under one third of its total budget . The Liberal Democrat Group submitted an amendment to the budget aiming to improve services in a number of different areas. This would have been funded from the contingency reserve. £650,000 to School ...
A leader in the latest Economist offers the UK a growth plan that involves structural reforms, infrastructure spending and monetary policy changes while maintaining fiscal discipline. Particular highlights include a more welcoming attitude to talented immigrants, and Land Value Taxation. The tax system could also be changed to promote growth. One reason why companies sit on development land is because they do not pay taxes until the offices and warehouses are built. It would be much better to tax the land value: that would make hoarding expensive and force owners to sell to someone who can use the site. Once ...
The longer the conclave lasts, the bigger the surprise is likely to be | CatholicHer But I'd bet on Scola myself. (tags: Pope ) The Papal Conclave May Be the Most Hack-Proof Election on the Planet Limited electorate, deliberately low-tech voting... (tags: Pope ) The US Senate: Where Democracy Goes to Die Excellent piece, as is the NYT article it links to. (tags: Uspolitics ) What are the best body hacks that people should know about? Not sure if I believe all of these! (tags: Lifehacking ) NI Conservatives face humiliation (tags: Northernireland )
Cllr Jean Swanson Last year Jean visited the University of Cambridge, Sidgwick Site Car Park,Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge CB3 9DD. To see how much electronic material was being recycled. Now for the second year running, businesses, residents, schools and colleges in Cambridge are again being urged to recycle their broken or unwanted electronics at a two-day event at the same site. The recycling event takes place on Thursday 14 March, from 7.30 am to 5 pm, and on Friday 15 March, from 7.30 am to 3.30 pm. All types of business and household electronic waste will be accepted with no charge ...
143 of the 174 English and Welsh Highway Authorities have signed up to an initiative t0 make all roadworks details available online through one website: www.roadworks.org You can set-up email alerts to warn of roadworks. View online road works Southwark plans. What the main utilities are working on. So if you see roadworks you can zero in on the location on a map and see who's doing it and why. Try it out.
Okay, okay, I've overlooked Florence + The Machine, Biffy Clyro and even Alicia Keys in my considerations for this entry but, well, I am unrepentant. I may not have followed Glee into a third and fourth series (although may well still get these on DVD in due course) but there is still something infectious about Don't Stop Believin'. Altogether now: "Just a smalltown girl..." ...and here's a version by the original artists, Journey - the studio recording of this also featured on NOW! 75. Andrew
Steps between Pentland Avenue and Scott Street On behalf of residents, I recently raised the need for lighting improvements in the Scott Street and Logie areas - particularly replacing the old 'orange' lighting in Scott Street and lighting the steps down from Pentland Avenue to Scott Street. The City Council's Street Lighting Partnership has now advised me as follows: "Re Logie - most is converted to white light but we did discuss converting Scott Street to white light ... and hope to do this either before the end of March or early in the new financial year. Re the Path/steps ...
The Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Housing Minister, Peter Black has expressed his concern that house building in Wales is failing to keep pace with the demand for new homes. Mr. Black was speaking in the light of new statistics which show that up until the end of December 2012 the total number of completions recorded during 2012-13, for both the private sector and Registered Social Landlords, were lower than during the first three quarters of 2011-12. During 2011-12, the number of house building starts decreased for the first time since 2008-09, bringing the figure back down to a similar level ...
Our realtor decided to advise me himself on how to "stage" our property, since he had been unable to find a professional designer in the time available. I'm being awkward deciding to put the house on the market a fortnight before I go to Europe for six weeks; in Canada marketing a property is something ...
