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I have a lot to write about right now, including recaps from the Disneyland/Dumbo Double Dare Expo/10K/Half and the Lake Chelan Half and two much more serious posts on Syria and political heroes. I'm hoping I can get to at least one of those tonight. They're just draining topics, ya know? In the mean time, I will use this very short post to mark the end of the first week of half marathon training. I mean, I know exactly which half marathon I'm hypothetically training for, but I haven't actually signed up for it yet. In large part, that's because ...
I remember reading an article some years ago by Christopher Hitchens about airport security, a subject he returned to many times, and its fatuous stupidity. He had made some facial expression interpreted by security personnel as mildly disrespectful, and was hauled out of the queue and given the first degree. The last people you should put in charge of security, I remember him writing (but can't actually find the article now), are the security fraternity. There is an important point here. It is the bizarre way that the security systems tend to work. They begin to categorise among their biggest ...
Fifty years ago it was Jo Grimond's speech: which contained the immortal 'Sound of Gunfire' text. I wonder whether this year's offering will offer that much inspiration or motivation to the activists in Glasgow? socialise this: [IMG: add 'The Leader's Speech' a Del.icio.us] [IMG: add 'The Leader's Speech' a digg] [IMG: add 'The Leader's Speech' a Stumble Upon] [IMG: add 'The Leader's Speech' a FaceBook] [IMG: add 'The Leader's Speech' a Twitter]
Job creation in the UK is one of my local key priorities, and a national priority for the Coalition. Already over 1m extra jobs have been created since the Coalition [...]
Chris Huhne has an article in tomorrow's Guardian: My endgame began when Neville Thurlbeck, the chief reporter of the now defunct News of the World, heard gossip that I was having an affair. Rather than cheapskating on the proposed investigation by hacking my phone, the News of the World put me under extensive surveillance by a retired policeman, a more expensive exercise.He goes on to ask why News International prepared to invest so much to tail an opposition Liberal Democrat back in 2009: Maybe it was coincidence, but that summer I was the only frontbencher who, with Nick Clegg's brave ...
Have you heard the Doctor Who adventure with the future Time Lord from The Thick of It? Not that one - the other one. Alex MacQueen stars in UNIT: Dominion as the Other Doctor, alongside Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor and Tracey Childs as fabulous antihero Elizabeth Klein - sometime companion, sometime scientist from an alternate Nazi future. Available in boxed set or download from Big Finish, this is an epic audio drama, not unlike a movie remake of Doctor Who (but which?), and the threat of total dimensional chaos has been cheering me up today. "Ahhh, the giddy joy."I ...
Here are clips of two (of the five!) interviews I've done today about Sarah Teather's decision to stand down as an MP. The first, from Sky, is particularly worth watching for the comments from Toby Helm, expanding on his interview in The Observer with Sarah Teather. The second lets you play spot the books on my bookshelf.
Sun 8th
20:21
A few thoughts on Sarah Teather - who, lest we forget, we were told left government to spend more ti...
People have asked a lot in the last 24 hours why so many party members are so hard on Sarah Teather. And she does seem to be getting it in the neck an awful lot. Of course, announcing you're not standing again in protest against your party leader a week before conference, is never going to make you popular. Claiming you're resigning over issues of social justice when you've just voted against Same Sex Marriage is also likely to cause some considerable complaint. And deciding you're happy to continue earning your full salary and taking the whip of a party ...
So, asks Will Straw, newly selected Labour PPC for Rossendale and Darwen... "if the Lib Dems are so keen to reinstate the 50p tax, why did they stand by and let Osborne cut it?" Oh dear. It seems to have eluded Mr Straw that we are in a coalition. That cutting the band from 50p to 45p was the quid pro quo we demanded for taking 2.7m people out of tax altogether, and reducing taxes for a further 24m. That Labour could have done the same but in fact chose to abolish the 10p tax band, thus increasing the tax ...
The UK political twittersphere has been in overdrive over the past 24 hours regarding the announced departure from the House of Commons of the Brent Central MP Sarah Teather (LibDem) at the next General Election. I waited until I had the opportunity to read and ponder upon the interview-based article that was the lead story [...]
A secret campaign has been launched against the Lobbying Bill. They have created a website www.stopthegaggingbill.com. They are encouraging people to send out emails against the bill (in which the website itself is misspelt). However, they don't say who they are. A whois search gives no information as they have decided to hid their identities (see below). In a sense the issue is being sorted
When Sarah Teather announced that she wouldn't stand in 2015 – I doubt anyone expected the level of furore that has arisen out of the announcement. I certainly wouldn't have. When it was announced I have to say I felt ... Continue reading →
So Sarah Teather announced, via an article in the Observer, that she will not be standing again for her seat in Brent. Various people expressed various emotions on receipt of this news. The Lib Dem Voice comment thread, at time of typing, is approaching 200 comments. Despite the attempts of various people to inject notes of sanity there has been a massive proliferation of straw men in that comment thread, which can basically be divided into two camps: the Sarah Is a Great Loss and the Sarah is Not Such a Great Loss camps. I fall into the latter camp. ...
A couple of Saturdays ago I saw Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings at Market Harborough Leisure Centre. The opening act was Steve Gibbons, a legend of the Birmingham music scene. Back in 1977, when the Steve Gibbons Band had a hit with Tulane, he was a leather-jacketed rocker - a sort of Brummie Fonz. Today he looks like a Southern gentleman, albeit one you would be wise not to play cards with for money. Reading about his career, I discovered the Birmingham Music Heritage site. This has a four part video interview with Steve Gibbons. One of the stories he tells ...
By Rebecca Tidy It's under a week until the Lib Dem Autumn conference, which incidentally, features a number of Liberal Youth organized events, including, the LY Welcome Reception, Rounders in the Park, and Is Teenage Depression being Ignored? This is the first in a series of short blog posts where Liberal Youth members have been [...]
The official conference countdown has begun. Next week this time we will be 2 days into that glorious event. With that in mind, I decided to put together a conference guide... Not the rather yawn-some one on the party website, not the ones that you will see on most other blogs either... Instead, I've written a real, honest guide to conference. Part 1 details some of the people to watch out for. And avoid. Well, it's more of a thought than a question really.... The chair of the fringe event, or policy consultation is finally drawing the session to a ...
Note from the district council St Albans City and District Council is carrying out resurfacing work to the Alban Way path during September and October 2013. The work begins on Monday 16 September and will take place from Cottonmill Lane to Smallford. It is part of the Council's strategy to promote active travel in the District by improving existing facilities for cycling and walking. Once upgraded, parts of the path will form sections of a green ring around St Albans. This will enable cyclists and pedestrians to travel around the City with minimal use of roads. The work will involve ...
[IMG: European Parliament] As you may already know, I am standing for the Liberal Democrats to be one of London's Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in next year's European Election. Nevertheless, so infrequent is mainstream media's coverage of the goings-on in Brussels & Strasbourg (the two seats of the European Parliament) that even otherwise rather well-informed readers could be forgiven for not really getting what it is that MEPs actually do. Whilst the Liberal Democrats and other parties tend to hail their respective MEPs achievements and/or priorities in the Parliament, rarely does anyone other than MEPs themselves actually take ...
Sun 8th
15:45
Nick Clegg's Letter from the Leader: And now for something else... Childcare, Lobbying and HS2
Last week, Syria dominated. This week Nick Clegg uses his Leader's letter to promote a just-announced initiative – 15 hours' free nursery care to children from the poorest families – and defend another two currently under attack: the Transparency and Lobbying bill and HS2. On lobbying, he dismisses as 'nonsense' the idea the Government was ever wanting to gag charities and says the Coalition will accept amendments that make this crystal clear. While on HS2 he argues it is vital to increase capacity, and adds it's just one of many improvements planned to the railways. [IMG: libdem letter from nick ...
As you probably now know Sarah Teather MP has announced that she will not be seeking re-election. She announced this via an article in the Observer. However, as Jonathan Calder observes the paper misses a salient point: there is a reason that Teather faces difficulty's above and beyond those of other parliamentarians uncomfortable with the [...]
Following a request from a resident we have contacted the council about the state of Oolite Road's pavements, and when they are due to be resurfaced
There is an event 22nd September at the BMX track on the tumps. In memory of Mark Coppin
[IMG: Tumbleweed] Double standards? photo by: jezarnold [IMG: Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post
Many thanks to the 18,000+ visitors who dropped by Lib Dem Voice this week. Here's our 7 most-read posts... Tom Brake on 38 Degrees and the Transparency and Lobbying Bill (79 comments) by Tom Brake MP +++ Sarah Teather won't fight 2015 election (140) by Caron Lindsay The Independent View: It's not alarmist to raise concerns about government plans for non-party campaigning (11) by Alexandra Runswick Opinion: The Syria Milishambles (82) by Westminster Insider Syria debate: how Lib Dem MPs voted (39) by Andy Boddington The Independent View: Concerns about lobbying bill are not alarmist (2) by Ros Baston Frankly, ...
I've just finished watching this BBC documentary. It had me in tears. It's available on iPlayer for another four days. [IMG: MLK Memorial] photo by: Lane 4 Imaging [IMG: Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post
Here's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... New poll blow for Ed Miliband – Telegraph I'm still not sure what to make of ICM's Wisdom poll. But it shows Tories/Lab tied and LDs on 16% so I'll take it. http://bit.ly/17gJX4j Liberal England: The Observer tells only half the story on Sarah Teather Jonathan Calder points out (accurately) that the Observer tells only half the story on Sarah Teather http://bit.ly/1e3qie8 Tim Harford — Article — Low pay and the rise of the machines "Low pay and the rise of the machines" (Or In Praise of... a flexible labour market) http://bit.ly/158oNWt ...
There has been an application for change of use from Labour Club (D2) to Office (B1) planning reference:13/03555/FUL This looks like a good plan, keeping local businesses and staff. Let us know what you think ?
A bit of a guilty pleasure this. Simon Mayo said that, when he first heard it, he thought it was a Pet Shop Boys spoof, until he found out it was actually the Pet Shop Boys. But I like it. I can imagine it going down very well in France (for some reason). [IMG: Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post
[IMG: App] The new Lib Dem conference app for Glasgow is out on Tuesday when it will be available here. It will also be available on GooglePlay and App Store. Developed with InsightMobile, it includes all sorts of new features this time. It's suitable for Android and Apple. It saves you lugging around wadges of paperwork. (I've already been reading my conference papers via iPad using the pdfs). This time the app will allow the embedding of a personal briefcase so that you can create your own agenda of debates and meetings. Fantastic! No more having to print things off ...
The Liberal Democrat Voice Awards are but six days away. At 10 pm on Saturday 14 September, in Castle 2 of the Crowne Plaza, with cash bar on hand, and an imaginative dress code, the best in blogging, campaigning, social media and politics in general will be feted in a ceremony filled with razzmatazz, glitz and glamour. In the next few days, our Members' Forum will be e-mailed with the chance to vote for the majority of the awards. They will have first sight of those shortlists and will be able to pick their winner. If you are a party ...
Sarah Teather, while never likely to win any awards for stand-up comedy or LGBT equality, is a loss to the Liberal Democrats and the House of Commons. There can be no dispute, either, that the news is a serious blow to the party's leadership which has so few female role models, at a time when it has taken a confrontational stance towards activists, and on the eve of what will be a challenging Conference. Joining the party's Conference Committee has never been the preferred route to power of shallow, vain, ambitious types: and it says a lot of Sarah that ...
Like many Liberal Democrats activists I am starting to get things ready so I can head up to Glasgow on Friday for five days of politicking at the Federal Conference. I know that this could be one of the more controversial conferences for years, with crucial decisions waiting to be taken on nuclear power and tuition fees that could challenge previous orthodoxies within the party. Like it or not the party has changed because it is in government. That does not mean that we have to make unacceptable compromises in a dash for the bland middle ground, but it does ...
I penned this Piece yesterday on the SLF's amendments to the economy motion proposed by the party leadership next week at Glasgow. I'm pleased to say that, after shenanigans at previous Conferences to prevent social Liberal economic policies being debated, both will be debated. Meanwhile, my colleagues at Liberator have had a bit of fun looking at who may introduce the motion summated by Nick Clegg himself"......... socialise this: [IMG: add 'Social Liberal Forum and the Lib Dems' Economy Debate' a Del.icio.us] [IMG: add 'Social Liberal Forum and the Lib Dems' Economy Debate' a digg] [IMG: add 'Social Liberal Forum ...
This is the text released to her constituents by the Brent (Greater London) constituency office: In just over a week's time, I shall reach the tenth anniversary of my election to Parliament in the Brent East by-election. I took some time off this summer and found myself reflecting a great deal on the last ten years.It has been an enormous privilege to serve as an MP in Brent. Indeed, for me personally, so much of the last decade has been both rich and surprising. I am not sure that I would ever have expected to be elected so young, and ...
Today's Wales on Sunday catalogues the downside of the Welsh Assembly's attempt to engage with the general public, namely the petitions that, for one reason or another, were rejected. They say that knowledge of what the Assembly has powers over might be an issue, with dozens of petitions thrown out by Assembly Members because they're the responsibility of Westminster, local councils, and in several sad cases, weren't able to garner the minimum 10 signatures: A notable petition that failed to make its way through to the highest levels of government was a campaign to get the National Assembly to "bring ...
Oyster: A Gorgeous New App Offering Unlimited Books for $9.95 a Month | Wired Design | Wired.com Spotify for books! (tags: ) Voting is compulsory in Australia so everyone votes validly, right? - Wrong | Liberal Burblings (tags: ) posted The Blood is The Life 07-09-2013 http://t.co/pNbXtIaJtA on #dreamwidth (tags: (from twitter) dreamwidth ) If It Was You... (tags: ) Pornography reinforces sexist attitudes among a subgroup of heterosexuals (tags: ) New drug mimics the beneficial effects of exercise (tags: ) On language use in Harry Potter (tags: ) http://ldv.org.uk/36054 @timfarron LDV Award for elected person on social media ...
My latest in the New Statesman. On Secret Courts. We are - once again - against. Come home Jo Shaw! One of the best things about being a member of the Lib Dems is that twice a year you get to have a blazing row with your leadership about why they don't know their arse from their elbow and that time is shortly upon us once again. Yes folks, conference season starts next week. And as per normal there's no shortage of rows on the horizon as the leadership suggests the party faithful back Osbornomics, ask us to agree that ...
This post by Rico Sorda goes into some further details on how the power of the state is being used in Jersey to stop the truth being told. This should really worry people, but I don't think it will get much attention.
Today's Independent editorial has some heartening words about the approach of Liberal Democrats within the Government and our ongoing policy making process. The background to the motion on childcare is explored: Hence the party's plan to extend free childcare to all one- and two-year-olds, which we report on today, is no well-meaning wishlist, but a battle-hardened piece of legislation-ready policy. The plan emerges from the struggle between the coalition partners over the last spending round, which was announced by George Osborne, the Chancellor, in June. Nick Clegg pushed for a better childcare deal, but eventually had to concede that NHS, ...
Well this was quite different to my usual Scientology reading material. I wasn't really looking forward to this memoir mainly because Marty Rathbun has been the "villain" in many other memoirs I've read. He has been accused of some nasty stuff. He was, according to Lawrence Wright's "Going Clear ", involved in the recapture of Annie Broeker who was fleeing the Church to be with her husband. After her recapture her husband never saw her again (she died in 2011). When I first read that my heart broke a little. He was also involved in a "gang-bang sec-check" of Jeff ...
[IMG: Reclining Figure at Yorkshire Sculpture Park - geograph.org.uk - 519117] I was wandering round The Henry Moore Foundation last Friday - thanks to the delightful wedding of my good friends Mike and Nikki. Looking at the abstract statues and carvings, I was struck not only by their beauty, but by how easy they would be to reproduce with a 3D printer. Ok - ok! I'm a little obsessed since building a RepRapPro for work - but hear me out. Wikipedia has been collecting high-resolution scans of famous works of art - although not without controversy - and providing them ...
[IMG: Arctic Trucks - Top Gear Magnetic North Pole Expedition] "Liberal Burblings on politics and other passing fancies" – has long been the strap line here. Using the superb Google Analytics, I see that the most popular posts on this blog are firmly in the "other passing fancies" camp. The piano music on the "This week on the BBC". Paddy McGuiness's catch phrases. The new Doctor Who. The new Inspector Barnaby. The promise to pay the bearer on demand. These posts bring people in their droves to Liberal Burblings, albeit for 2.24 seconds. Some political posts feature in the top ...
[IMG: speech sarah teather 1] I still love my party, but I am frustrated and disappointed. It is time to close this chapter. - So says Sarah Teather, quoted at the end of an account of an interview with Toby Helm. I can identify with much of what she says. 'More in sorrow than anger' seems to sum it up. I can remember watching Sarah Teather speak as a student at Lib Dem conferences in the early 1990s. Tim Farron was one of her compadres. They were different days. As a party we've lost something, and I'm grateful to Sarah ...
This shows Dundee's Perth Road, leading to the west, with the north side to the right hand side. The church of Ryehill Church (designed by George Shaw Aitken in 1878) is in the distant left (west) and the foot of Springfield (a set of villas now largely in the ownership of Dundee University) at the right. No. 37 Perth Road was John Fisher. Mrs W. Kinmond, the tobacconist, was at No. 41, with Robertson's West End Livery Stables at Nos. 43 and 45. The Dundee Directory lists Mrs J. M. Robertson as 'coach proprietor and hotelkeeper', with stables at No. ...
I haven't done a linkblog for a while, mostly because I've not been spending as much time online as usual, but I thought I'd do a quick roundup today. Gavin Robinson has a great basic primer on liberalism here. Lawrence Burton on Simon Bucher-Jones' Bernice Summerfield novel Ghost Devices Bruce Schneier tells you how to [...]
David Cameron's riposte to Russia's "small island" jibe against Britain has been described as his 'Love Actually moment' but apart from the Prime Minister's jingoistic and entirely false claim that Britons had "invented most of the [...]
