As most of my Lib Dem friends know, I am that rare thing: a Lib Dem who isn't into Doctor Who. Sharing a house with someone who is, though, means you learn a huge amount by osmosis - only to find your knowledge shot down in flames when you try and impress someone... ...an example: Doctor Who is the name of the programme, not the Doctor. Right? I thought so... but apparently in some series the character is actually credited as Doctor Who. Quite by accident, I found I had stumbled into the middle of one of (many) debates between ...
A short video by the wonderful Professor Carl Chinn from the University of Birmingham. Thanks to @joannalayton on Twitter.
So runs a headline on the Guardian website's report on Nick Clegg's LBC phone in this morning. What we want now is for Nick to lead the liberal side in that debate.
Recently, in several unconnected incidents, I've heard people discussing what it means to be English. Footballer Jack Wilshere has upset more than a few people by declaring that only English players should play for England. That sentence sounds like perfect sense at first, but the context that he used it in was in the case of a British (English) citizen who moved to this country as an adult. In the eyes of the law, Britishness and Englishness are something that any human can attain. Not everybody sees it that way, though. Some people claim that you have to be born ...
Thu 10th
20:40
Journalism in a digital age (and the curious case of The Guardian disliking paywalls but liking the ...
Two fascinating articles published this week about the future of journalism in a digital age. First, the FT editor Lionel Barber explains the paper's move not simply to a digital-first strategy, but in fact a digital-mainly strategy: ... the 1970s-style newspaper publishing process - making incremental changes to multiple editions through the night - is dead. In future, our print product will derive from the web offering - not vice versa. The new FT will be produced by a small print-focused team working alongside a larger integrated web/day production team. Secondly, Katharine Viner, deputy editor of the Guardian and editor-in-chief ...
A celebration event was held in Houghton Regis on Tuesday this week to mark the first season of a new growing project for people with a learning disability. The gardening project has been running since March 2013. Customers at the Townsend Day Centre have been involved in a weekly horticultural and therapeutic gardening session. Additionally the group improved their communication, socialisation and independent living skills. Over the last 30 weeks, 15 customers from the Day Centre have each learnt about different aspects of gardening; maintaining soil, the importance of watering, sowing seeds, nurturing plants and harvesting crops. The project received ...
I was pleased to see Norman Baker moved to the Home Office in the recent Lib Dem reshuffle. And I note that many of those poking fun at his book on the death of Dr David Kelly - step forward David Aaronovitch and John Rentoul - are Blairite armchair warriors seeking to refight the invasion of Iraq. But I do feel sorry for Jeremy Browne, who was sacked to make way for Norman Baker. Because in the previous reshuffle, which took place in September 2012, he was moved from the Foreign Office. And he had given every appearance of being ...
Thu 10th
20:07
Clegg: Guardian's leaked Snowden secrets of "immense interest to people who want to do us harm"
[IMG: Clegg Head] MI5 chief Andrew Parker spoke out yesterday against the leaking of intelligence secrets by Edward Snowden to The Guardian, claiming it seriously endangered national security and had given terrorist groups like al-Qa'ida "the gift they need to evade us and strike at will". Nick Clegg was asked if he agreed on his LBC radio phone-in show, Call Clegg. Here's what he said: Nick Ferrari: Deputy Prime Minister, do you agree with the Prime Minister, who says that Andrew Parker, the Security Chief's warning to the Guardian's publication of those files handed the advantage to Britain's enemies, it ...
Julian takes part in the MP Capability Assessment in Westminster MP Julian Huppert has backed a campaign by the national charity Rethink Mental Illness to make the Government's fit-for-work test fair for people with mental illness. He also joined Rethink Mental Illness, MIND and Time to Change to celebrate today's (Thursday, October 10) World Mental Health Day. Julian pledged his support for the campaign after being invited to take part in a mock "fit-for-work" test, organised by Rethink Mental Illness to give MPs a deeper insight into the flaws in the Government's fit-for-work benefits tests. Around 20,000 people are going ...
Julian And Amanda With The Armadillo Designed To Separate Traffic Cambridgeshire County Councillor, Amanda Taylor is taking an "armadillo" along to her advice surgery this Saturday (October 12) to give people more information about new Dutch-style cycle lanes being proposed in certain Cambridge roads. Cllr Taylor will show off the so-called "armadillo" which will separate cyclists from other traffic on the road as part of the project funded with £8.2 million of government money. She said: "I hope people will take the opportunity to come and find out more about this exciting scheme and how these armadillo traffic separators will ...
The Leader of the House of Commons has backed Julian in his attack on the Competition Commission's ruling on Cambridge's Arts Picturehouse. When Julian raised this issue in the House of Commons, Andrew Lansley, responding for the government, told Julian that he agreed with him that the Commission had no place in intervening over the ownership of the cinema. He said in the Commons today (Thursday, October 10) that he did not "for one minute" think that the Arts Picturehouse was in the same market as other multiplexes in the centre of Cambridge. "The Competition Commission's job is to identify ...
Cambridge MP Julian Huppert faced a tough challenge on the tennis court after joining a game with blind players. Julian met members of VI Tennis Cambridge at the city's Hills Road Tennis Centre and soon discovered that, despite their sight loss, they were an impressive force. But the club, which has seen demand grow for the sport, is struggling to survive as its grant funding has run out. It only has enough money to stay afloat for the next few weeks "These players were an inspiration," said Julian. "They had developed amazing skills on the court and really put me ...
The campaign helps support people with mental health conditions through two reading schemes: Books on Prescription and Mood-boosting Books. Books on Prescription helps people suffering from conditions such as depression and anxiety and was launched nationally earlier this year. The scheme enables GPs and other health professionals to recommend 30 self-help titles available to borrow from your local library. Mood-boosting Books is a national promotion of uplifting novels, non-fiction and poetry. Readers and reading groups around the country have recommended 20 new mood-boosting books for others to enjoy. The Reading Agency has also worked with Macmillan Cancer Support to produce ...
Contractors working on behalf of the County Council are about to carry out improvement and maintenance work on the Railway Jetty cycleway 51, at Stourbridge Common in Cambridge. The work will be carried out overnight between 8.00 pm-5.00 am and is expected to take around two weeks to complete. The cycleway will be closed during working hours with a diversion for cyclists and pedestrians via Newmarket Road. Timber decking will be replaced and overhanging vegetation cut back at a cost of around £3,000.
A project to research and revive some of the best traditions of Cambridgeshire is to be helped by over £60,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Enid Porter's Folk project will use the author's collection of writings owned by the Museum of Cambridge as the inspiration and starting point to investigate some of Cambridgeshire's historic past. The lottery funding will help Cambridgeshire County Council's Supporting Businesses and Communities Service, who bid for the funding, deliver a year long project with five places in Cambridgeshire. Working with communities in Littleport, Swaffham Prior, Wisbech, Whittlesford and Haddenham, the project will use Enid ...
Cambridgeshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Sir Graham Bright, has welcomed the spotlight of World Mental Health Day, saying that more must be done to prevent those suffering mental ill health ending up in police care. Sir Graham said: "I am quite clear that police cells are not an appropriate place for those with mental health problems and I want to see partner agencies working much more closely together to ensure these people receive the right care, at the right time and in the right place. Too much of our officers' time is taken up dealing with people they are ill ...
Last week provided that rare thing in current local by-elections - a good night for the Lib Dems with the party winning two out of the four contests. Labour rather surprisingly picked up an independent seat in East Lindsey, with the Tories easily holding off a Green challenge in St Edmundsbury. This week's eight contests highlight the weakness of the Lib Dems in much of the country with the party only standing three candidates and failing to find a candidate in Salford'sWeaste and Seedley ward - a ward the party held all three seats until 2010 (although it polled just ...
Thu 10th
17:58
Whitstable Times Has A Timely Reminder For Us Homosexual Sinners To "Take Heed". Yes, Really.
You know local newspaper letter pages. Filled with witty/godawful attempts at poetry, insightful local comment and completely moronic witterings (yes, I've had the occasional letter published). And sometimes, just sometimes, you have some letter that is so offensive as to leave you a little speechless. Well in this case I'd class the following letter in the Whitstable Times as in the "completely moronic" category. Hey, it criticises Stonewall so I'm almost sympathetic! .@thisiskent curious to know how you feel about one of your group @TimesWhitstable printing this letter? pic.twitter.com/ujzfnCoDZT — Jo Frazer-Wise (@jofwise) October 10, 2013 It isn't as offensive ...
The controversial Lobbying Bill got a clear majority on its third reading has now moved to the Lords. The current text of the bill was robustly defended by Tom Brake in the Commons but many MPs expressed their dissatisfaction with the current drafting, especially Part 2 which constrains the freedom of charities to campaign in election periods. Forty Lib Dem MPs voted for the bill. Seven voted against: Greg Mulholland, John Pugh, Alan Reid, Adrian Sanders, David Ward, Mark Williams and Roger Williams. Here is our team voted on the third reading: Greg Mulholland Leeds North West Against John Pugh ...
Ok screw this being an adult nonsense. Cookie Monster's coming back to British TV!!!! To celebrate his arrival on the BBC here are a collection of some of his best moments: Trying to unravel the mystery of Kermit's box: Spoofing Carly Rae Jepson: Being taught about self restraint by Loki: Singing about the letter C: [...]
You could do worse than pop over to see George Eaton's excellent critique of the Immigration bills flaws, but if you can't be bothered, here's a bit of a rant of my own. I'm concentrating (for now) on the NHS bits 1. Health Tourism on the NHS is estimated to cost around £12m a year or 0.01% of the total NHS budget. The costs of administering charging folk not qualified for NHS treatment is estimated at around £500m a year. In other words, Theresa May is costing the taxpayer a lot of money to do this. So don't do it. ...
My friend Padráig Ó Tuama also was upset about the story in the Belfast Telegraph about the removal of Paul Walls The Kiss from their exhibition. He said: "Having heard about this, I wrote immediately to RUA. Colin Davidson, the president of RUA, wrote back to me within minutes. He is aghast at how his words have been misrepresented in the media. He said that the painting in question is of an adult nature, and that the decision has nothing to do with the gender of the individuals kissing. Given that school aged children come to the exhibition, they decided, ...
[IMG: Malala Yousafzai at Ministerial meeting with Afghanistan in New York] Malala is known to all as the Pakistani girl shot through the head and neck after protesting against the Taliban's closure of girls schools in her region of the Swat valley. Now fully recovered she has been awarded the 2013 European Parliament Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought, human rights and democracy. Liberal Democrat MEP Sir Graham Watson was the first to put Malala Yousafzai forward as a nominee and led the campaign for her nomination and award in the European Parliament. In a press release, he said: This ...
[IMG: time to change] Those of you who have read previous contributions from me to Lib Dem Voice will know that at the very top of my list of priorities as a health minister is to transform the care and support for people with mental health problems. Every year, the Mental Health Foundation - one of Britain's leading mental health research and policy charities - holds World Mental Health day, to raise awareness of different mental health conditions. Mental health has always struggled to attract the same attention as physical health conditions, and initiatives like this have played a valuable ...
Meols Ward Lib Dem Councillors John Dodd, David Rimmer and Nigel Ashton, together with FOCUS Editor Jo Barton, are holding their next advice centre on Saturday 12th October, from 11 am to 12 noon at St John's Primary School, Rufford Road, Crossens. We will be there to meet you and discuss any Council problems you may have. No appointment necessary. Just pop in. We hold our advice centre at St John's School, Rufford Road, Crossens every month (except August) on the second Saturday of the month. We also hold a monthly advice centre in Churchtown, at Cafe Moo Moo on ...
Here's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... BBC News – Public service cuts - did we notice? > "people who use a particular service are more likely to say it has got better than the general population" http://bbc.in/1cwPHvn BBC News – Public service cuts - did we notice? Striking that ratings higher among service users than gen public > "BBC: Public service cuts - did we notice?" http://bbc.in/1cwPAjn Ed Miliband has yet to convince voters he can be PM, poll of polls reveals – UK Politics – UK – The Independent 3 weeks of party conferences. Polls shift... not ...
I am deeply saddened and shocked at news of another failure to protect a child in Haringey. A serious case review published this morning has identified multiple failings by local authorities - including social services - to protect a child, known only as 'Child T.' The report 'evidences serious failures of management and professional practice at that time within and between the three key child protection agencies – police, health and social care services.' Child T is alive, having been removed from the care of their parents more than a year after the first incident of abuse came to the ...
I was very interested to read in today's Metro, that suggestions have been made to cut cost in the NHS by copying ideas from poorer nations like India or Ghana such as people sending picture texts of injuries to Doctors/Nurses for a response, Mexican telephone calls to a nurse with symptoms and cutting about 30 non necessary surgical procedures that are of no medical (or cosmetic) benefit. The point is the NHS is spending, on average £2,264 PA per person in the UK and the NHS is looking at a £30bn shortfall! Take the NHS back to brass tacks. It ...
Con seat. Resignation. Prospective Candidate : Nancy Norman Contacts for helpers: Nancy Norman, 01721 721699 or 07801 058404 nancy.norman1@googlemail.com and Catriona Bhatia – cbhatia@scotborders.gov.uk Please help if you can on Saturday 28th September 2013. this will be a SUPER SATURDAY for the distribution to every household of Nancy`s Election Address. We are in a with [...]
Dear Nick, Along with many others, I didn't find at all convincing your comments supporting criticisms of the The Guardian for publishing leaked information about surveillance techniques. You claimed that some of the details published will help terrorists (though thank you at least for not adding "paedophiles" to the list). Why not? Simple: my own direct experience of asking the Home Office for information about costs of implementing the current rules for intercepting communications. The Home Office's initial responses were so wide-ranging in their claims about what would endanger national security, assist terrorists and make life easier for criminals that ...
Yesterday after the body of a man was found in a lake in Alexandra Park in North Belfast. He was reported missing on Tuesday. But although he body was found in the lake it was not a drowning, the Police Service of Northern Ireland have reported that the victim was shot. The group that calls itself 'the IRA' a new dissident group formed in 2012 have claimed responsibility for this murder. This morning there was another fatal shooting this time in the heart of Northern Ireland's second city in the Shipquay Street area of Londonderry. Shipquay Street is one of ...
I was delighted to visit Bristol yesterday, to see for myself the excellent initiatives taking place in this city to tackle Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and violence against girls and women. My first stop was St Werburgh's Primary School. Under the inspiring leadership of the school's headteacher and her team, plus the outreach work of Bristol's nurse for safeguarding children, the school has developed an excellent relationship with the local community. This enables them to have honest conversations with pupils and parents about a range of sensitive issues, including FGM. I am convinced that this kind of school leadership and ...
[IMG: Menzies Campbell] Alistair Carmichael, the newly promoted Secretary of State for Scotland, added his thoughts about the retirement of his colleague Sir Menzies Campbell to those posted yesterday. I first met Menzies Campbell as a student in 1983 when he was a candidate for the post of Rector of Glasgow University and I was his election agent. I became an instant fan and have been an admirer ever since. His contribution to Scottish public life has been immense and I have been proud to have him as a friend and colleague. He'll be greatly missed by his constituency in ...
Do you remember those emails that EARS used to send to various Liberal Democrats? As data officer for a local party I was one of the 'select few' recipients of their highly secretive communication. My privileged eyes never had to look at the sender column to know that the email was from EARS because it'd always be marked with, "Highly Confidential," "Top secret," or some other ridiculous phrase. The email almost never contained anything of that nature. It usually told us that the cost of subscribing was going up, or asked if we'd like to send me some feedback. This ...
Thu 10th
10:45Badgers moving goalposts? It's the government that's playing football with badger cull policy
[IMG: Dead badger probably roadkill] The badger cull has always been controversial. It has set wildlife groups and animal lovers against farmers. Many argue that it is being pursued against scientific opinion. And now the cull is struggling to meet its targets. The shooters in Somerset should have delivered 1,015 cadavers but so far they have piled up just 600. What is going wrong? Defra chief Owen Paterson told the BBC: "the badgers have moved the goalposts." Shame on badgers for not cooperating with a scheme to kill them! This trial is not about increasing our scientific knowledge of bovine ...
I've blogged previously about the Labour City Council's persistent desire to sell off this piece of land at Sefton Park and the campaign to stop that happening. Tomorrow (11th October) sees the next stage with the Council's Cabinet meeting to make a decision in the light of the more than 1,200 objections sent in and the Regeneration Committee's support for the sale. However the campaign to Save Sefton Park Meadows has also moved on with an attempt to get the piece of land given Grade 1 listed status. This could put a spoke in the wheel of the rush to ...
When Egypt was conquered first by Alexander the Great and then by the Romans, an extraordinary fusion of classical and Egyptian traditions. Like many subsequent empires they hoped to reduce indigenous population's resistance to their rule by co-opting their culture. This produced unique art forms reflecting these twin influences. The Greek ruling family known as the [...]
posted The Blood is The Life 09-10-2013 http://t.co/2QE80cFcCq on #dreamwidth (tags: (from twitter) dreamwidth ) Poppy's pawlitical perspective: Working for Tessa Munt MP and entering Westminster Dog of the Year Vote Poppy! You know it makes sense.(vote for her here: if you can't be bothered clicking through to the article) (tags: ) BBC News - How much can an extra hour's sleep change you? (tags: ) I was beaten by goalpost-moving badgers in 'Owen Paterson's Badger Penalty Shootout'! How about you? http://t.co/BLwv3LZK1H (tags: (from twitter) ) http://twitpic.com/dgoiqh I'd suggest "a bird". Anyone else more helpful? RT @exitthelemming: ...
As the news breaks of Ming's decision to step down from The Commons at the next election, many folk will rightly be writing tributes to the great man, and his important contribution on so many issues, most notably perhaps foreign affairs. So I hope he will forgive me if I write about a more personal Ming experience that I think demonstrate so many of his finest qualities. I had volunteered to help at HQ in the 2005 General Election, and so one evening found myself in the 'war room' at Cowley Street, for a session of 'media monitoring' - checking ...
Thu 10th
09:35Oxford admissions, those misleading Department for Education stats, and the real challenge for socia...
You can tell it's the start of autumn. Forget the chill in the air, Oxbridge admissions are in the headlines again. Last night, Newsnight editor Ian Katz tweeted a familiar-sounding figure: 'Only 40 students who received free school meals got into Oxford and Cambridge in last year for which figures available.' The figure is produced and published by the Department for Education. And it is, let's be clear, misleading to the point of uselessness. Eligibility for free school meals is commonly used, by politicians and the media, as a proxy for the income status of students. And we know exactly ...
Some years ago (2005, in fact), I was asked by the Environment Agency to review their new indicators, as we used to put it in those days. They all seemed very sensible but one, in particular stood out. It was the indicator which specified the number of centimetres the sea levels have risen. There was a true outcome measure, at last. I knew I would recognise one if I ever saw one. Yet it was also a measure they had almost no power to affect. It was as if King Canute had set it as a priority indicator for his ...
[IMG: Nissan Leaf] The Journal, which publishes in the North East, quotes Nissan's chief operating officer, Toshiyuki Shiga, who says that, as a foreign investor, he hopes that the UK will remain as an EU member. He claims that if the UK decided to leave the EU, the company could potentially experience two 'obstacles', namely, UK-specific regulations and standards, and EU imposed import duty. Nissan's UK manufacturing plant, which employs over 6000 people, is based in Sunderland. Fiona Hall, MEP for North East England, is quoted as saying: As it looks more and more likely that we are heading toward ...
Thu 10th
08:13
If you could ask the Business Secretary one (and only one!) question, what would it be?
This evening, at the Annual Dinner of Haringey Liberal Democrats I and other guests have the chance to put questions to the esteemed Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, and Skills - Dr Vince Cable MP. Throughout his time in Government Vince has been one of the most outspoken ministers (sometimes controversially so) and has a formidable record of achievement for his time at the helm of the Business Department. His ministry has led the rebalancing of the British economy away from the South East and financial services sector in the way detailed in the Liberal Democrat manifesto of 2010 ...
Stockport Council is the LOWEST spending authority in Greater Manchester! We currently spend £1,514 per resident. For every person in the Borough, Labour-controlled Oldham (the highest spending authority) spends £505 more than we do. [IMG: lowest spending in gm] Lib Dem Stockport achieves more with less – the other authorities get far more money from the Government than we do, so we know that every penny counts.
Con seat. Death.
Lab seat. Resignation. Prospective candidate: John Bridges Result in 2012: Lab 1862, Green 215, Con 173, LD Claude-Diele Nsumbu 100, Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts 82, Pirate Party UK 75.
Con seat. Resignation.
Lab seat. Resignation.
The Council's going through the process to decide whether two schools in L19 - Gilmour Infants and Gilmour Juniors - should expand. Gilmour Infants is very popular and there are always disappointed parents every year. On the other hand some argue that it's popular because it's small! Anyway the first official thing has happened with the publication of this notice. There'll be consultations with staff, governors and parents etc and the Council's Cabinet will discuss in January 2014. I'll blog again when more details area available, but I know there is keen local interest in these schools
Thu 10th
05:48
The ability to live a long and healthy life should not be dictated by your social background or wher...
The Chief Medical Officer's annual report states that there is still a large gap between the health of the most and least deprived communities in Wales. The report rightly brings to the fore the health inequalities that exist in Wales. Welsh Labour has neglected our poorest communities for over a decade and we are seeing the results of this neglect in differing life expectancies across the communities of Wales. Schemes such as Communities First have not made much of a difference to our poorest areas and the Welsh Labour government has run out of ideas as to how to tackle ...
As if the UK Government was not on dodgy ground already in pursuing its shoot-to-kill pilot badger cull in west Somerset, remarks by Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson yesterday has turned the whole misadventure into a farce. According to the BBC, Mr. Paterson claimed that the "badgers moved the goalposts" when asked why marksmen had failed to reach their cull target. As a result he plans to extend the pilot by up to three weeks in an effort to make up the shortfall: Mr Paterson explained difficulties lay in the fact the operation was dealing with a feral animal. "The badgers ...
