Liberal Democrat MSP Jim Hume wins our Concept of the Day Award for "the long-running mackerel saga".
((Something I wrote for a discussion elsewhere on the merits of HS2 - with a few edits to make it flow as an article rather than the response to a thread that it was originally)) I am very much in support of HS2, although oddly my reasons are almost identical to many people who oppose the project. I suspect there are certain realities of rail infrastructure that don't impact on public perceptions. Firstly, let's tackle the name, and the speed issue. High Speed Two (phase one) is not being build to provide a 20 minute travel time reduction for people ...
BBC Newsnight last night ran a feature on female genital mutilation (FGM), which is still a huge problem in Africa and some parts of the Arab world. It was clear from Sue Lloyd-Roberts' interviews in the field that there is still great cultural resistance to ending the practice in traditional societies, and not only among [...]
Flashing around images of smiling labcoats is all very well, but what about concrete policies? The official event might be Saturday, but the Australian Federal Election 2013 is pretty much over save the slightly burnt sausages and giant nanna-sized lamingtons we buy while lining up to vote. So, how did science fair in this great sausage sizzle of democracy? Science got off to a gangbuster start this year, with both the Labor and Liberal parties flashing images of smiling happy lab coat wearers in their first campaign advertisements. The ALP's A New Way spoke about the jobs of the future ...
It was disappointing, but not surprising to see Alan Clifford's ill-judged, ungracious and in-tolerant attack on the Norwich Pride Parade held in July (EDP 29/8). The offensive language and aggressive tone says more about him than it does the organisers of such a popular and powerful annual event, and, not for the first time, leading to police intervention. Pride is about tolerance, inclusion and respect, about celebrating difference and creating safe space and common ground. It brings communities together and provides an opportunity to stand in solidarity and for Christians to fulfil our calling to stand up for the oppressed ...
Lately I've been seeing a lot of cheering that the Government was narrowly defeated in its bid to invade Syria. "Yet another illegal war" is a phrase I read today, as though we have just narrowly avoided a repeat of the Iraq war. Well, that's not true. It's a commonly believed myth that Parliament was recalled to vote on military action in Syria. Neither the Government nor the Opposition motion supported any kind of armed conflict. Perhaps David Cameron was intending to take such a motion to Parliament, we'll never know for sure. But the final motion, as put to ...
Wed 4th
17:36
Watch out! Jobless, drunk and aggressive wasps are out to get us - so get your credit card out
This story comes from the slightly improbably combination of the Red Cross and The Independent who perhaps are on a 'write like you're the Daily Mail for a day' jaunt: [IMG: Wasp. Photo courtesy of mistereels. Some rights reserved http://www.sxc.hu/photo/137327] Record numbers of "jobless" wasps are more likely to attack us because they are drunk and aggressive, the British Red Cross has warned. With their queens fully supplied with all the nectar they need, worker wasps now have nothing to do but laze around getting drunk on fermenting fruit, according to environmental authorities... Joe Mulligan, head of first aid at ...
The Government's handling of the Syria crisis continues to raise more questions than it answered. I'm not sure if this is a response to the media coverage of the issue or a general surprise that the process of sanctioning military action would necessarily have to differ from that used ten years ago when invading Iraq. Focussing on the domestic political situation, it is clear that MPs in general supported a robust response to the use of chemical weapons despite the understandable concerns of the public. The motions failed solely due to Ed Miliband's rather devious pragmatism; something one doesn't expect ...
Also available on You Tube here. * Caron Lindsay is Co-Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
I am worried about the continuing pedestrian accidents on the Coventry Road. I will be working with constituents to highlight this in a petition, but in the mean time I have written to both the head of transportation and the coroner. Here is one of the letters
So on Saturday, Willie Rennie, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats made a speech in Glasgow talking about the need to develop a new blueprint for a new constitutional settlement for a stronger Scotland within the United Kingdom. Willie is right that a new constitutional settlement is needed but he is wrong as to who [...]
[IMG: Michael Moore MP with apprentices Cameron Collins and Mark Tully at Mainetti 30 08 13] Liberal Democrat Secretary of State for Scotland, Michael Moore MP, writes a regular column for newspapers in his Borders Constituency. Here is the latest edition. Jobs campaign I recently launched a local jobs initiative as part of the Liberal Democrats' 'A Million Jobs' campaign. Apprenticeships are a really effective way of tackling youth unemployment because they enable young people to develop the training, skills and experience they need to enter fulltime paid employment. They also benefit businesses who gain value from the skilled staff ...
I was impressed by my Lib Dem MP's actions over the Syria vote. John asked for local people to write to him before the vote both by email and via the media. He has now explained on his website the course he followed. How millions of people wish that the Labour Party had behaved this way over Iraq. I am told that the Labour party has 'learned the lessons from Iraq'. Personally I remain to be persuaded. Not one Labour councillor in Sefton vote for the motion on the war in the Council and none to my knowledge have apologised ...
[IMG: Eric Pickles MP (Communities and Local Government Office)] Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. Amongst other titles. The Department for Communities and Local Government (crazy name, crazy guys) are consulting on proposals "intended to support the Government's priorities for making better use of existing buildings, supporting the high street and rural communities, providing new housing, developing more free schools and contributing to the provision of child care for working families". The consultation seeks views on 5 proposals for permitted development rights to allow: shops and financial and professional services to change use to a dwelling ...
Research, development and innovation are intrinsically linked to economic growth. In the UK we have a shocking history of underinvestment in science and research funding however this has been mitigated by the investment the EU has made into UK sciences, research institutions and innovative start ups. With the new EU funding programme Horizon 2020 coming into effect from next year there are high hopes for a new burst of innovation and the economic activity that brings with it. The more innovation we have in the UK, the more people make things, the more our manufacturing sector increases and the more ...
By 10:30 pm last night, I thought the most shocking thing I was going to hear that evening was that the Blessed Mary Berry uses tinned, yes, that's tinned, peaches and pears in her trifle recipe.Sadly this was not to be the case. Yesterday was Scotland's the equivalent of the Queen's Speech, when the Government unveils its legislative programme, except we get Alex Salmond instead of the Queen. To mark the occasion, he was interviewed for Scotland Tonight. More of the interview than necessary was taken up with a discussion on which pro UK politician he would debate against in ...
Recent science policy work by the Australian government has the potential to improve the links between public investment and desired impacts It would be fair to say that science policy has not had a particularly prominent role in the Australian Federal election campaign, which comes to its conclusion here on Saturday. But despite the lack of attention, the Australian government has been quietly doing significant science policy work over the past few years which, if further developed, has the potential to improve how we think about the relationships between public investments and desired outcomes in society. Following on from its ...
Members visiting our aldc.org from today will see some significant changes, as we launch our latest website. We have rebuilt the front end of our website, which has enabled us to resolve some long-running technical issues and improve our service to members. This new site also makes it easier than ever to access, search and browse [...]
According to this article in the New Scientist at least: A 1996 review of 12 blinded studies, where no one at the time knew which kids had received sugar and which a placebo, found no evidence to support this notion. This is true even for children with ADHD or whose parents consider them to be [...]
This week the National Housing Federation is running a Yes to Homes week to encourage councillors to allow more homes to be built within their areas. From their website: Just a small handful of people can block the new homes that are a lifeline for many. When they are the only people putting pressure on local politicians their views are heard loud and clear. All too often the people who actually need homes are missing from local debates. That's why we have launched the Yes to Homes campaign. We want to make sure people who do support more housing are ...
I had a fascinating conversation yesterday with my friend Sonia about government cock-ups. Anthony King and Ivor Crewe's new book asks whether the coalition is the most cock-up prone in history, and certainly the failure of the government whips to stir themselves to win the vote on Syria does suggest something of the kind. Micheal Gove's repeated announcements and retractions suggest a difficulty thinking through new ideas. I'm not sure this government is really any worse than any other, but - if it is - I have a theory about it. Three interlocking forces are involved. 1. Complexity. The sheer ...
A couple of deadlines are coming up for local groups or organisations who want to apply for grants for projects. The Cressington Community First fund, which gives grants for activities in Cressington or benefiting people from Cressington has a deadline of 20 September. Cressington ward includes quite a bit of L19 and a smaller bit of L18. There's a website which has application forms and guidance which you can find at http://www.cressingtoncommunityfirst.org.uk/ The website also has some articles on projects given money in the past, which might help you see if your idea is likely to get funded. (Ignore the ...
http://ind.pn/1cB633f over 60% of people surveyed by the Indy say we shouldn't intervene in ANY mideast conflict for the foreseeable future http://t.co/0vsDwaoc6l (tags: (from twitter) ) posted The Blood is The Life 03-09-2013 http://t.co/REAe3o64x3 on #dreamwidth (tags: (from twitter) dreamwidth ) http://pinterest.com/pin/214906213442249540/ Sweet set of six/Peri publicity shots http://t.co/QBwN79ao8X (tags: (from twitter) ) http://pinterest.com/pin/164803667587201144/ How season 3 of Sherlock begins (not really) http://t.co/bBDNqhihcR (tags: (from twitter) ) Microsoft and Nokia: The Deal That Makes No Sense http://t.co/oYN9uPmP1O (tags: (from twitter) ) posted Final @Armpits4August results - with a picture http://t.co/I2aHcWjRj5 on #dreamwidth (tags: (from twitter) dreamwidth ) ...
Wed 4th
09:44
Willie Rennie talks about domestic abuse and Bill Walker, Yes Scotland supporter tweets he has a "fa...
Willie Rennie went on Channel 4 News to talk about why he wants to see convicted violent abuser Bill Walker MSP (TM Better Nation) out of the Parliament. He talked about how he wanted to see a recall law to enable people like him to be forced out if they won't do the decent thing and resign. Walker, you may remember, was recently convicted of 23 counts of violent assaults against 3 ex wives and a stepdaughter over a 28 year period. In a quiet corner of Twitter, some independence supporters were talking about him. Here's how the conversation goes: ...
Breaking news this morning is that the GMB union has decided to slash its funding to the Labour Party in the light of Ed Miliband's decision to rethink the party's relationship with the unions in the wake of the Falkirk scandal. The Telegraph says that within months the union is to cut its affiliation funds to Labour from £1.2 million to £150,000 in the wake of the row over party reforms. The GMB has also said that there will be further reductions in spending on Labour Party campaigns and initiatives. All in all it has been estimated that Miliband's reforms ...
By 10:30 pm last night, I thought the most shocking thing I was going to hear that evening was that the Blessed Mary Berry uses tinned, yes, that's tinned, peaches and pears in her trifle recipe. Sadly this was not to be the case. Yesterday was Scotland's the equivalent of the Queen's Speech, when the Government unveils its legislative programme, except we get Alex Salmond instead of the Queen. To mark the occasion, he was interviewed for Scotland Tonight. More of the interview than necessary was taken up with a discussion on which pro UK politician he would debate against ...
On Friday 28th September, Liberal Democrats across the country will be taking part in a national Day of Action to celebrate our success in helping add over one million new jobs to the economy since 2010 and calling for a million more. Alongside the positive job creation figures, Liberal Democrats can also be proud of [...]
The government have announced additional funding for early years education for two year olds, with 130,000 children from Britain's poorest homes now eligible for 15 hours free childcare per week. Click here to download the party's spreadsheet detailing the numbers of eligible children in each local authority area. Template Press Release: Liberal Democrats Contact: [...]
Many of you may have received an email from Unlock Democracy who are currently encouraging Councillors to pass motions that help protect their local pubs. The suggested wording of the motion is as follows: Sample Motion [Name] Council notes the possibility of submitting the following proposal to the government under the Sustainable Communities Act: 'That the Secretary [...]
... and one small demonstration of this is Nigel Kennedy's alleged remarks to a Guardian journalist. The current scheme to introduce individual electoral registration would have been a good time to address the flaws in the system, but as far as I understand it, the underlying issues of voter verification have been ducked as being too difficult to resolve. This is a shame, as the electoral system we have for parliamentary elections means that there is the potential to materially affect the outcome of an election by manipulating a very small proportion of the total votes cast. Declining voter turnout ...
If you want to advise policymakers about science, learn from Kingsley Amis and Alan Clark Wouldn't it be good if policymakers paid more attention to research and evidence? From drug regulation to macroeconomics to education, politicians seem to love basing their policies on woo, pseudoscience and guesswork. But consider for a moment the difficult position of a politician who decides to make policy based on robust evidence. One problem is that they might encounter unpalatable truths: "don't ask a question you don't want to hear the answer to", as an old cynic once said. But there's also a more practical ...
The Dundee Financial Inclusion Strategy Group has recently published an excellent directory of advice services across the city that assist with debt, money and benefit issues. You can download the guide here.
Wed 4th
05:50
Pupil Deprivation Grant beginning to make a difference to children from poorer backgrounds
A survey of primary and secondary schools in Wales by the Welsh Liberal Democrats has revealed how students from poorer backgrounds are starting to benefit from the pupil deprivation grant. The Welsh Liberal Democrats surveyed 1,630 schools in Wales to seek their views and experiences so far in implementing the grant that was introduced last year. All schools in Wales now receive £450 per child, aged 5-15, on free school meals. 33% of schools responded to the survey. Many of the comments received in response to the survey highlighted the positive impact that the pupil deprivation grant is having. Some ...
