Norman Davies magnificent Vanished Kingdoms: The History of Half-Forgotten Europe explains the street names around the venue for the Candidates chess tournament in London: Thanks to a common rivalry with France, however, Sabaudia developed a special relationship with England and in 1236, Count Pierre II travelled to London with his niece Eleanor of Provence, for her marriage to King Henry III. Known in England as the earl of Richmond, the count became one of the king's favourites and leader of an influential court faction. In 1246 Henry III granted the Savoyards a manor on the bank of the Thames, halfway ...
*This is a spoof news report Speaking today on the Stephen Nolan Show Jeffrey Donaldson said he was taking a stand for the things that are Christian. Saying that he is a Christian and a politician he would say that there are certain things that are morally for the good of the people of Northern Ireland even if they are not Christians**. He said he and the Theocratic Unionist Party would take a stand on such things that are clearly laid out in the bible on moral issues. Staring today he and his party will rid the canteen in the ...
So Sam Said... says: "The Miliband Problem, for me, is the fact that our politics has been professionalised and has become a game. Are David and Ed really agitators for their own constituents, or are they just pawns in a wider party political powerplay? The fact that David could resign half way through his time as MP to go and work abroad suggests a real disconnect." Awale Olad from the Migrants' Rights Network asks if Liberal Democrat members are losing their grip on defining the party's policy. "My God. I have never seen anything like it." Wartime Housewife attended the ...
I was recently lucky enough to be sent to India by my employer, and whilst it was definitely work, it was also an experience. What follows is a bit of a stream of consciousness so apologies if I jump from topic to topic, but hey, that's all part of the Indian experience. Having been to Kenya with friends in the past I have to say it immediately felt like being in Kenya. It's a strange mental transition to go from being a white male in the majority in the UK, to becoming a most conspicuous minority in India. It occasionally ...
Recent contacts about the proposed anaerobic digester on the edge of Thomas Swan's plant resulted in a visit to County Hall for Margaret and me. We wanted to get to the bottom of the proposal, and Chris Shields (the planning officer in charge of the case) was extremely helpful in talking us through the proposal. We're confident he'd do the same for you if you asked. The first thing to be said is that some of the more lurid claims being made about this scheme are simply not true. The plant will NOT be licensed to use animal waste or ...
I'm not sure how IDS is going to handle this one. One of his his lunch bill's probably costs him more than £53, before he's treated his guests. Reporter JVS on BBC3CR says he's going to try living on £53 a week, next week. It's probably doable, but not long term without incurring a major depressive breakdown.
I think its a great shame that Shared Space was put in, in Court Drive, as the need for it was never clear. It didn't seem to be broke, so why fix it? I have noticed that for some lucky people living in Dunstable, the bus services can scoot through and undertake the traffic queue. But many other motorists cut across the hatched area into the bus lane to turn into Asda. The scheme is installed, however, so what steps can we think of to improve it at minimal cost? Dogs for the blind can't distinguish tactile foot surfaces, so ...
There is no doubt that Iain Duncan Smith, or anyone else for that matter, could survive on £53 per week. There are calls for him to prove it after he made the claim that he could survive on the equivalent of £7.57 per day if he had to. I am sure that he could calculate his budget for one week or maybe two or three or more. I don't know his personal circumstances but it may well be that he pays a gardener more than £53 per week. He could cancel the gardener. He may pay more than £53 for ...
This is how modern HR rolls. Never mind that it's HR. It could be anywhere in this country. Took this image and reported for clearing up two days ago.. So sad. There's even a dumped carpet behind the bush, centre.You could walk down that path all the way into Luton and it is strewn with litter. Had a call from Amey this morning. They were going to take a look. Thanks guys. But really, I was brought up to treat outdoors like I treat my house; I guess some folks houses leave a lot to be desired.
Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems have made a flying start to "Project 6000" – knocking on the 6,000+ doors in the ward over the coming months to speak to residents and find out your issues, concerns, problems and suggestions. [IMG: Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems kick off project 6000] Cheadle and Gatley Lib Dems kick off project 6000 We started off on the South Park Road Estate and, crossing over Kingsway, Marchbank Drive, Whitby Close and Ingleton Close. If you live in those areas and you were out when we called, we'll have left you a copy of our residents ...
This week I will write to Schools in my constituency urging them to continue the teaching of Climate Change to children. According to new draft guidelines from ...
Very sad article about two buses a day on average crahsing with pedestrians and cyclists. During the last six years 145,533 bus crashes. With 3,591 pedestrians and 1,219 cyclists injured or killed during that period. Injuries such as little Pollyanna Hope tragically losing a leg while on a pavement. With London having 8,500 buses that means every year on average each London bus will have nearly 3 crashes (2.85). Even with their very high bus mileage it still seems an outrageous number. But what I find shocking is that late in 2005 TfL with the First bus group deployed a ...
Tory Euro MP Sajjad Karim has resurrected old claims against UKIP leader Nigel Farage. It is alleged by UKIP founder Alan Sked that Farage used the n-word in a private conversation with him. In a ...
At the end of February, Dr Mark Pack, who was a part of this site from the very start, stepped down as co-editor. His first post was on 27 August 2006. We miss him but are glad he's still writing for us. Don't forget: you can sign up to receive the weekly Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox — just click here — ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging. I hope you enjoy the varied, eclectic selection of posts which shows off the man's many talents and interests. 1. Six tips for getting ...
From the Liberal Democrat History Group's spring conference meeting: Also on YouTube here.
[Trigger warning for graphic violence] Today I saw something horrible. It's a video, uploaded to facebook, in which an adult male is physically abusing a young boy - slapping him, hitting him, forcing him to stand in stress positions. It's child abuse. And it's there for the world to see in a video on facebook. The video itself is below because words cannot describe how sickening it is. I couldn't watch all of it and I didn't want to. As I said, the video's below but I'd strongly warn you that you will find it very difficult and upsetting to ...
[IMG: Featured on Liberal Democrat Voice] Arriving in December 1970 (on foolscap paper) the call for evidence from the Terrell Commission on relations between the Party and the Young Liberal Movement. It takes you back. A colleague of mine was moving office and found the letter behind a bookcase. I'm not sure who wrote the wikipedia entry on NLYL ( I shall refrain from guessing who wrote it, but I would note that in parts it gives undue prominence to a few obscure people) but the bit about the Terrell Commission if fairly accurate: The party leadership were very unhappy ...
Coalition government is likely to become the norm in Britain because of the long-term decline in the combined vote of the Conservative and Labour parties (it peaked at 97% in 1951 and slowly fell to a postwar low of 65% in 2010). But coalitions, now routine in local government, are still regarded as a novelty in national government. John Kampfner argues today on the Guardian's Comment is free blog that, because coalition government is more likely, we need to learn to do coalitions better. He also suggests, paradoxically, that coalition could enable the parties to abandon "the Blairite straitjacket of ...
[IMG: LYS 2013] At their AGM in Dundee recently, Liberal Youth Scotland gave me the gift of eternal youth. Seriously. They actually changed their constitution to make me their first honorary life member. I always said they were a lovely bunch of people. I was also their Returning Officer in their annual elections, which ended yesterday. Their team for the year ahead, taking office next month, are as follows: President: Jenny Marr and David Green VP Communications: Daniel O'Malley VP Campaigns: Joe Setch Membership Secretary: Eilidh Dickson, she of the famous Puppet Show Incident Executive Members: Bobbi White and Emma ...
...well it has about as much to do with the story as Mick Philpott being a benefit cheat and on welfare. The Daily Mail went to town on Philpott today – and justifyingly (apparently that isn't a word but I think I'll stick with it) so. However did they concentrate on the fact he masterminded the deaths of six of his own flesh and blood whilst trying to fit someone else up for the crime? No. Did they go after his past and the fact he had been found guilty and served time for attempted murder in his past? No ...
I've been thinking of ways to boost the sales of my book of short stories, because I'm hoping to get a lot more fiction out over the next couple of years and that book's not selling in huge numbers. One thing I thought of doing is doing readings of the stories and putting them online, ...
I'd been meaning to post for a while about how much I was looking forward to the publication of Iain Banks' new book, The Quarry. Originally due out in October, the publication was recently brought forward to June. The Quarry will now not just be his next novel, but his last. Regardless of what I think of it in itself, it will be added to a volume of work by one of this nation's best authors - too often under-rated and under-recognised. Whilst I've been disappointed with most of Banks' recent offerings, his earlier works (and, I understand, his Science ...
On Monday, I wrote about the good things Liberal Democrats are doing in Government and also expressed concern that nobody was out there giving the Liberal Democrat perspective in a way that would resonate with and encourage members and activists. I know that some of them felt a bit exposed. They were out there on a day when we were under media pressure, and nobody was giving them any air cover. It's a balance, of course. There have been times when we've complained that our ministers are out there defending things we feel uncomfortable with. These things can be reconciled, ...
Send to KindleHere's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... Britain's welfare debate 'not working' Daily Mash right (tho too kind to left's wonky contribution to 'debate') > "Britain's welfare debate 'not working'" http://bit.ly/16vy7Ca Managing Editor, British Politics and Policy at LSE blog jobs, London (City of), £26,846 per annum inclusive | Guardian Jobs Good opportunity > Managing Editor, British Politics and Policy at LSE blog jobs, London £26,846pa http://bit.ly/XL9wYS BBC News – The Great British class calculator: What class are you? Shd I be pleased/ashamed/indifferent that I'm elite? > BBC – The Great British class calculator: What class are ...
As Sir Mark Walport starts work as the UK's chief scientist, we launch a series on the priorities and dilemmas of scientific advice It's all change at the top of UK science policy. Yesterday, Sir Mark Walport took the reins as the government's chief scientific adviser, the eleventh scientist (all of them men) to occupy that post since it was created by Harold Wilson in 1964. In a seamless Doctor Who-style transition (another early-60s institution which has survived through eleven incarnations) those who follow @uksciencechief on Twitter saw Sir John Beddington's trademark beard shimmer and then vanish, to be replaced ...
In the fallout of the terrible Mick Philpott case, everyone is piling into the welfare debate. On Telegraph blogs, Dan Hodge's tears them apart. Headlines like the Mail's, and lazy characterisations of those on welfare as "scroungers" "chavs" or the "shameless generation" add nothing to our understanding of this complex issue. But nor does the ...
Lib Dem Voice polled our members-only forum recently to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 650 party members have responded, and we're publishing the full results. [IMG: Vince Cable smiling - Some rights reserved by Liberal Democrats] The Lib Dems are committed to levying a new household tax (known as the Mansion Tax) of 1% on the value of properties over £2m. Which of these statements best represents your own view? 69% – I support the policy and think it will be a vote-winner 9% – ...
By now, you've probably seen the Daily Mail headline sensationalising the horrific Philpott murders as a 'Product of Welfare UK'. The headline has understandably caused some consternation. Owen Jones rightly pointed out that trying to blame the welfare state for these murders kind of lets Philpott off the hook. What really winds me up is the sheer absurdity of trying to claim that it was benefit payments that caused this tragic incident. Think, for a moment, what would happen if the government permanently ended all welfare to parents. Do you think incidences of violence against children would go down, or ...
Following the discovery of legionella bacteria at Launceston Hospital, it's good news that the facility will re-open next week. Although the hospital will only re-open some of its beds, it does mean that outpatient and minor injury facilities will be available once again. Tweet
This headline in the Independent is a bit misleading because the vast majority of the officials who have left employment subject to gagging orders are local government officers and therefore not civil servants. Nevertheless it is a disturbing trend and the idea that pay-offs amounting to £14 million of public money have been made to 200 staff in Whitehall and 4,562 in local authorities on the condition that they do not talk publicly about problems with their previous employer does not instill confidence in the system. For once I agree with Eric Pickles when he says that "For too long, ...
A new poll from YouGov today comparing the two Miliband brothers makes unhappy reading for Ed. Despite the coalition having a torrid time over the last 18 months, including that budget, and Ed having some success over issues such as Leveson, a greater number of people now believe that Labour would have been better off with David ...
Wed 3rd
10:25
Reminder: Just 2 days left to respond to Independent Inquiry into culture, processes and complaints
If you wish to submit evidence to Helena Morrissey's Independent Inquiry into the culture, processes and complaints within the Party, you have just two days left to do so. Do not miss your chance for your voice to be heard. Evidence must be submitted to contact@independentinquiry.org.uk by Friday 5th April. Helena explained what she was looking for in an article on this site last week: With a week to go before the deadline for written submissions, I'd like to make a further call for any evidence that may be relevant to my independent inquiry. As previously indicated, the review covers ...
BBC News - April Fools Day: 10 stories that look like pranks but aren't (tags: ) BBC - Blogs - College of Journalism - Searching social media? Don't miss what's hiding in plain sight Useful google-fu for everyone here. I knew most of this (especially that doing a site search via google is often vastly more useful than searching a site directly) but I don't think everybody does. (tags: ) Islington councillor resigns from Lib Dems over 'secret court' legislation - News - Islington Gazette (tags: ) 'Doctor Who' 50th special to feature classic monsters the Zygons - Doctor Who ...
[IMG: Stephen Williams MP] Liberal Democrat MP for Bristol West Stephen Williams is Total Politics magazine's MP of the month for April persuading the Commons to pass his motion calling on the Government to make progress towards lowering the voting age to 16. We brought you the story earlier this year. Total Politics wrote about Stephen's work: The MP's care for young people's representation is self-evident, as he has also served on the children, schools and families committee and education and skills committee. In 2006, he organised the latter committee's first inquiry into bullying in schools, following up with a ...
Michael Gove has had rather a battering over Easter, mainly thanks to the impassioned speeches at the National Union of Teachers conference. I don't share their rage at his curriculum changes. Speech after speech by a series of teachers covered most of the news broadcasts - little else was happening except for various Easter messages - and you couldn't fault the logic. Nobody wants a return to Victorian rote-learning. Nobody wants a Gradgrindian regress to the idea that "facts alone are wanted". In fact, it was the prospect of escaping the Gradgrindian direction of New Labour's education that made me ...
Labour since taking office has indulged itself, so far, in all manner of politically correct, gestures, the latest and perhaps most senseless indulgence is TDC's Equality Policy, basically Thanet Council are consult us, comrade's on our views as to the council complying with not just the law but also the spirit of the law as it effects equality. I realise that to our Labour friends, this might all sound like a novelty, particularly given Labour's class ridden structure but here's my view, as a resident I expect Thanet Council to accept and comply with law, without wasting officer time, or ...
[IMG: Katherine and me in front of the dodgy canopy] It is now exactly one year since the Council first sent an enforcement notice to owners of the carwash on Upper Tollington Park asking them to take down the shoddy wooden canopy they had built without planning permission. Unbelievably the Council have failed to secure any action in the last year and the structure remains in place (apart from bits at the front which looks like it may have fallen down). I first got complaints from local residents about the ugly and dangerous structure back in January 2012, and first ...
France and Germany have decided to have nothing to do with David Cameron's review of the powers of the European Union. And they are quite right. They consider that the UK government's 'review of the balance of competencies', launched at the insistence of the Conservative half of the coalition, is a "domestic political exercise", which it plainly is. If several EU member states had agreed that a comprehensive review were necessary, this project would have some legitimacy, but they haven't, so it doesn't. The sole purpose of this review is to enable the British Conservative Party to mollify its eurosceptic ...
Max Atkinson writes: Regular readers of this blog know that I've been getting exasperated by the growing obsession of leading British politicians with making important speeches at strange times and at peculiar venues. David Cameron's much heralded speech on Europe was given at 8.30 a.m. in the morning at the London headquarters of an American news agency and was, in effect, a press release thinly disguised as a 'speech' ... A week or so later, George Osborne turned up to read another press release at the offices of JP Morgan in Bournemouth ... Today, Mr Osborne's aides excelled themselves with ...
Last night, I attended the latest committee meeting of the West End Community and Sports Hub (formerly WESHA). We had a very productive night discussing a "walk, jog and run" initiative that will be based at the Riverside Pavilion and heard about the latest news from Balgay Bowling Club. The improvements at the Riverside Pavilion are nearing completion and we discussed finishing touches such as signage, entrance mats and a brick fundraising idea. We are making really good progress with sporting improvements for the West End and a official opening of the refurbished pavilion later in the spring.
Wed 3rd
06:22
Ministerial Derogation on Fallen Stock welcome - but Minister must hear the concerns of farmers at t...
I know at first hand the difficulties that livestock farmers are facing in this crisis. The lambing season is demanding enough in good times - but the crisis that we have seen in parts of Wales has been heart rending. The Farmers' Union of Wales and NFU Cymru have rightly called for a derogation to deal with the immediate crisis - and although it has been an agonizing wait for farmers in the front line of this welfare crisis, the news that the Minister has granted it will be welcome. I share the unions' severe disappointment, however, that there is ...
Last year, around this time, I reported the good news that several West End roads were being resurfaced during the 2012/13 financial year. All of these have since been tackled, with the exception of Westgrove Avenue. Here, the work was postponed because Scottish Gas announced that a main in the street was to be replaced during 2012. It made no sense to resurface the road, only to see it thereafter being dug up by a utility company. I recently asked the City Engineer for an assurance that Westgrove Avenue will get its much-needed resurfacing this year and am pleased to ...
I'm going to call it 'The Miliband Problem' rather than 'The David Miliband Problem', because actually, I think it applies to them both. I'm actually not a massive hater of either Miliband. All of the jeering and booing to one side, and deep down, I think you probably have two people here who are nice enough at the heart of it. Yes, we disagree about charging social tenants for spare bedrooms, and yes we disagree about whether a 10p tax rate is better than paying no tax at all, but when it comes down to it, the brothers (do you ...
Rather than actually writing a full post here, I should probably just put 'insert awkward first post here' and call it a day. My intention at this point, is for this blog to consist of my thoughts on current affairs, on my work as a Councillor, and some of my thoughts about our party. Of course, it will probably turn out to be a collection of political ramblings, pictures of things I'm knitting and borderline offensive things that LibDemVoice have rightly refused - but let's keep it above board to start with. There will be times where I probably overstep ...
