Bernie Jones, chairman of the Shrewsbury and Newport Canal Trust and Julie Harris, Trustee, talk about the prospects for restoring this abandoned canal. It ran originally from Shrewsbury to Trench, now in modern day Telford, to join up with the tub-boat canals of the Industrial Revolution. It was later extended via Newport to Norbury Junction in Staffordshire.
To be fair to the DWP, ex ante assessment of the impacts of policy change is difficult. Especially when the impacts rely upon behavioural effects that are unknown and unknowable in advance. So when it modelled the savings from the implementation of the so-called bedroom tax it was always going to represent a broad estimate. The DWP quite rightly conducted sensitivity analysis to see how robust its conclusions were to different assumptions on key variables. However, once the policy is in place real data will begin to emerge and ex ante assessments can be recalibrated. That is what Rebecca Tunstall ...
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 Jonathan Freedland 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 ...
"Did Nick Harvey turn down the job of Lib Dem chief whip?" asked Liberal Democrat Voice the other day. I have it on good authority that the answer is yes.
Don't just kill badgers: kill foxes too.
Yesterday I reported the welcome news that the Rutland blogger Martin Brookes had been cleared of all the charges against him. There is now a longer report on the verdict on the Rutland Times website, and it is worth reading for the robust good sense of Judge John Temperley: "Freedom of expression is an essential function of a democratic society. It is applicable also to those who offend and shock."And: "The defendant is right to confront if he thought she was not doing her job well. He questioned her relationship with the local police and press. "But as all the ...
Mary Webb was a Shropshire novelist, poet and essayist. She died in obscurity in 1927, but shortly afterwards the prime minister Stanley Baldwin described her as a neglected genius and her work enjoyed a tremendous vogue. Charabancs appeared in the Stiperstones with 'Mary Webb Country' on their destination blinds. As A.E. Housman studied the county's hills only from a distance, Mary Webb must count as Shropshire's greatest writer of modern times. So it is a shock to learn that the cottage she had built at Lyth Hill near Shrewsbury is threatened with demolition. Details of the planning application are on ...
Cambridgeshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Sir Graham Bright, has highlighted multi-agency action in Fenland as an example of how exploitation will not be tolerated in Cambridgeshire. Sir Graham has spoken ahead of Friday's Anti-Slavery Day to highlight the problem of human trafficking and exploitation in modern day Britain. The initiative in Fenland involved setting up a special taskforce to tackle the exploitation of migrants in the area by rogue landlords and unlicensed gangmasters. This culminated earlier today in nine arrests at properties in the area, involving around 300 police and partner agency officers and staff. To date, more than 80 ...
Would-be volunteers are invited along to an event at Cambridge Central Library tomorrow (Wednesday 16 October). The awareness and recruitment event is part of the Cambridgeshire Celebrates Age programme, this year the theme is Celebrating Volunteers. The event will take place between 10am-1pm. During the morning, there will be an opportunity to find out more about what's involved from people already volunteering for a wide range of local organisations as well as those volunteering for Cambridgeshire Libraries and Archives. Volunteer roles in libraries range from delivering books to housebound residents, teaching basic internet skills to the over-50s and providing story ...
The County Council is about to invest £900,000 improving bridges in Cambridge extensively used by cyclists and pedestrians. The steel structure of the four bridges at Sheep's Green, Jesus Green, Green Dragon and Fort St George, will be stripped back to bare metal repaired and repainted and any other necessary maintenance and repairs carried out at the same time. The work will be the first on the protective paint coatings and steel structures for more than 20 years and will repair and replace areas which have corroded and degraded over the last two decades. Each of the bridges will be ...
The County Council has geared up for gritting and winter maintenance operations to ensure the wheels keep turning across Cambridgeshire when the cold weather strikes. The council has more than 10,000 tonnes of salt stockpiled across the county with a further 6,000 tonnes in reserve. Arrangements to top up supplies as necessary are also in place. The fleet of 38 gritting lorries - two new for this season - have been serviced and prepared for action driven by the team of 80 drivers. The specialist multihog machine will again be used to treat the maintenance track alongside the Busway. In ...
Cambridgeshire Libraries are hosting a number of events this month as part of the Family Learning Festival. The festival is an annual awareness campaign organised by the Campaign for Learning and promotes and supports family learning events across the country. Events within Cambridgeshire Libraries include craft events with either children's book illustrator Marion Lindsay or local artist Marian Savill. Saturday 19 October, Cambridge Central Library, 11am - 1pm, "Fantastic Journeys" with Marion Lindsay Monday 28 October, Sawston Library, 10.30am - 12pm with Marion Lindsay Tuesday 29 October, March Library, 10.30am - 12pm with Marian Savill Wednesday 30 October, Sawtry Library, ...
A new exhibition at Cambridgeshire County Council's Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon is currently featuring the first map drawn of the town. The map was drawn in 1607 and it shows Huntingdon as Oliver Cromwell knew it. Town maps were an innovation in this country 400 years ago. At the time, John Speed was a pioneer map maker. The exact date on which he surveyed the town is known and the exhibition includes an image of his original drawing. A group of volunteers, part of the Heritage Lottery Funded Wide Skies programme, have investigated the map, looking at how it was ...
It has been officially confirmed that the Wallington Post Office branch is proposing to be run by WH Smith and to move into their unit in Woodcote Road. Information produced advises that the same range of services and products will be offered, but with increased opening hours aligning with WH Smith's hours of operation. The [...]
Earlier today, I had the pleasure of attending the latest meeting of the Pennycook and Sinderins Courts Residents' Association. We had a good discussion about local issues and ate some rather lovely scones - a trial run of scones production for the forthcoming residents' coffee morning. Details of the coffee morning below - don't miss it!
I was on both Radio Tay and Wave 102 News today, speaking about the disgraceful vandalism that took place in the Glamis Road, Hazel Drive and Elliot Road area at the weekend. Residents are rightly outraged at this latest spate of graffiti vandalism, coming so soon after previous vandalism in the area. I hope that any resident who may have seen anything over Saturday night/Sunday morning in the area can contact Police Scotland on 101 to help bring those responsible for this mindless vandalism to justice. You can hear my comments from Wave 102 News below by clicking 'play' below: ...
Nick Clegg has recorded a message for the festival of Eid-al-Adha, whch ends tonight, in which he says: The theme of sacrifice and generosity, which defines this festival, works to strengthen the ties between us. It reminds us all – both Muslims and non-Muslims alike – of the obligations we have to each other, especially those who are suffering. He adds that Muslims will be helping people in their own communities and across the world in "countless acts of kindness." He also takes the opportunity to talk about the £100 million extra humanitarian aid which the UK Government has sent ...
Raising the Threshold on Income Tax is a proud Lib Dem achievement, and one we rightly trumpet - especially given the fact that David Cameron said it wasn't possible. Now the Tories seems set to try and pinch it as a theme and Danny is going all out to stop them. I'm just having a ponder about whether that's the right thing to do or not. and wondering if there isn't a better option. You see, as this rather good article in the New Statesman points out, while raising the income tax threshold is good, it is not a panacea ...
[IMG: schoolsign] A quiet revolution happened last night that seems not to have made the front pages or even featured particularly prominently on Today. However, to me it represents one of the best examples of Lib Dems making a difference in education since being in government - and a genuine step in the right direction with regards to realising the potential in all students. There is to be a massive shake-up of GCSE league tables which is designed to stop the 'perverse incentive' for schools focusing on the students close to the C/D border to maximise the number of students ...
"The same legislation that applies today in Northern Ireland applies in the USA, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. I will pose a question. "The vast majority of countries apply that legislation. So are all those people prejudiced or is the question that is being posed by others that I am prejudiced just a stupid one?" Now that was a question posed by Edwin Poots, Northern Ireland's Health Minister, yesterday. However, if is possibly the wrong question. All of these nations brought in such legislation during the 1980s when it was ...
Every so often you come across a news story that you just can't understand. This afternoon that happened to me. An American teenager (Erin Cox) gets a call from her friend who is drinking underage. Bad girl. However the underage drinker was old enough to drive and had indeed driven to a party but knew better than to drive home, so she called her friend to come pick her up. Her friend came and picked her up to take her home. Good story, no? Well between the phone call and the girl picking up her drunk friend, the police raided ...
The LGiU's annual C'llr Awards are back and nominations are open! Last time, we only had four Lib Dem Cllrs shortlisted (our very own Tim Pickstone was one!), so it is essential we get more nominations in this time around. Here's the write-up from the LGiU's Josephine Suherman (with a hat-tip to the original article [...]
[IMG: nhs sign lrg] At the heart of the Liberal vision of a fairer society is the belief that people should be in control of their lives - the belief that the state does not always know best. For decades in the NHS and the social care sector, we have had a situation where the government will spend tens of thousands of pounds a year providing care for an individual, but giving that individual little or no control over the design and commissioning of their package of care. We need to achieve a big shift from what has traditionally been ...
As you may know I have many problems with the immigration bill put forward by Theresa May last week. Nick Cohen wrote an excellent analysis of why Theresa May thinks it's a good idea (or in politicians speak - 'a vote winner') - because, despite a lack of hard evidence (like the actual costs of health tourism), she 'feels' it's the right thing to do and 'feels' voters (especially no doubt those voters casting glances in the direction of UKIP) will agree with her. "Britain's home secretary announced that she was cracking down on the "health tourists" who were using ...
In article for Salon called "TED talks are lying to you" Thomas Frank parses and parodies the booming literature on creativity. It was to one of these last that our puzzled correspondent now decided to turn. He procured a copy of "Imagine: How Creativity Works," the 2012 bestseller by the ex-wunderkind Jonah Lehrer, whose résumé includes [...]
Here's something I've been pondering. Perhaps you could help me out. We clearly do not have enough women in the Westminster Party and especially The Commons - just 7 out of 57 MPs, with 2 of those set to step down in 2015. We have no women in the cabinet, nor does it look likely that we will before the next General Election. None of this is good, it's a problem for the party and needs addressing. I think we all agree with that. But then I read something like this from the LSE entitled 'Men only? The Parliamentary Liberal ...
Today's Telegraph reports that the BBC are to bring the Clangers back to our screens after 45 years in the wilderness. The paper also provides its list of the top 20 shows for children, all but a handful of which I remember watching as a child. Now I feel really old. The paper says that the the cult classic was made by the fabled founding fathers of UK animation, Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate, whose company Smallfilms also produced Bagpuss, Ivor The Engine and Noggin The Nog: In 1969, Firmin and Postgate were asked by the Beeb to make a ...
Very droll but making some rather sharp points along the way. Apple users will I'm sure particularly like the answer to battery life problems, and who isn't attracted by avoiding those annoying network signal blackholes? Via Flowing Data.
[IMG: 5th Oct Action Day 600x431] In the dim distant days of early Spring 1997, I wanted to travel to a key seat. But it was still outside the election period. Could I summon the nerve to ring as a total stranger, and would I get a warm response? I did, and it was a great experience. But maybe there are others like me. Wanting to offer help to their favourite MP, but unsure how an offer of help would be received. The short answer is, of course, go for it! However, perhaps those of us in strategic seats could ...
David Laws yesterday announced a little publicised but crucially important change to the way we're measuring school performance. For many years our secondary schools have been judged by the proportion of pupils that achieve 5 GCSE's at grade C or better, including English and Maths. Although this was a well-intentioned target, it's had a perverse ... Continue reading »
On Friday night at a constituency meeting, David Heath, my MP, my boss and my friend told Liberal Democrats that he won't be seeking re-election in 2015. I couldn't honestly write down all the things that I was feeling then – sometimes we're feeling too many things at the same time. I wanted to write now and talk about the man that I know, and how him standing down will be a great personal loss so many people in Somerton and Frome. To me, David Heath isn't a politician, he's the chap who knew instinctively to ask about my A-Level ...
I was actually pretty organised this year. Booked my travel and hotel accommodation for Lib Dem conference in June, more then 3 months early. But when I turned up at Gatwick to catch my BA flight to Glasgow on (appropriately enough) Friday 13th September, it turned out I didn't have a seat. I did have an email print-out of my booking confirmation. And I did have a text message sent by Opodo the previous day with my booking reference — it even helpfully gave me the weather forecast for Glasgow. But no seat. And on a flight that was fully-booked. ...
Here's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... Higher income tax thresholds won't benefit the lowest-paid | The Times On this I agree with @jamestplunkett > "a higher NI contributions threshold would be a better priority" http://thetim.es/1gGTLcO David Cameron can't count on the Tory truce over the EU lasting – Telegraph The Tory split is coming says @paulgoodmanCH (#moreorless) > Cameron can't count on Tory truce over the EU lasting http://bit.ly/1gGTJl5 Rustbelt Britain: The urban ghosts | The Economist And here's the Economist article which prompted it: "worst urban decay is found not in big cities but in small ones" ...
The Family I have interviewed below are one of many families to have left the UK to avoid the forced adoption industry. What is unusual about this particular family is that a Belgian family have offered to look after them as refugees because the Belgians are opposed to the way in which the English system works. I have interviewed both the mother and father and the mother and father with whom
Lord Wallace of Tankerness was today elected as the new leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords. The former Deputy First Minister of Scotland replaces Tom McNally, who stepped down earlier this month after nine years at the helm. Lord Wallace was the only candidate to have put his name forward when nominations for the leadership contest closed at 12pm today. Lord Wallace said: It is a great privilege as well as an exciting challenge to have been elected as Leader of the Liberal Democrat peers. As someone who has already led a parliamentary group in coalition ...
We urge everyone to join with Naomi Long MP, a cross-party group of MPs, and the nation's major groups helping those in debt to support this charter, which will help to restrain those who seek to prey upon the most ... Continue reading →
As part of their campaign for the introduction of free school meals in Wales, the Welsh Liberal Democrats are launching a petition calling on the Welsh Labour Government to examine the potential to introduce the policy for all infant school pupils. Liberal Democrats in Government in England have recently announced that all five-to-seven year-old pupils in state schools will receive free school meals. The policy was based on a report commissioned by the UK Government that recommended free school meals for all primary school pupils in order to raise attainment and ensure every child gets a hot, healthy meal at ...
... and the clock is already ticking, with just 13 days to go before I need to submit a 1,000 word early assignment. The topic for the assignment is on how different approaches to psychology contribute to an understanding of personality differences within a work setting. Hmm. On the face of it, the assignment seems relatively straightforward. There's also the opportunity – or rather the requirement – to contribute to a discussion within the course forums before I have to commit my ideas to paper. But (and there's always a but), it's obvious that considerable reading and independent research is ...
Hype about new technologies upsets many people, but can it help us think about the future? Stian Westlake
Robin Meltzer's campaign to win the Richmond Park constituency in south-west London back from the Conservatives in May 2015 recevied a boost last night when Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg spoke at a fundraising dinner at the Russell family's old home of Pembroke Lodge. Apart from singing the prospective parliamentary candidate's praises, Nick particularly emphasized [...]
Firstly, my apologies for the delay in updating my blog this week, I've just returned from a holiday and before sleep overtakes me ( I hate overnight flights ! ) I thought I'd better make a start. As far as I am aware there is only one meeting at Blyth Town Council this week Planning & Development Committee , Thursday 17th October, 6:30 pm at Arms Evertyne House If there are any amendments to this I'll add them later .... but first sleep !!
Environment secretary Owen Paterson has hit out at 'wicked' opponents of genetically modified crops, but forgets science's greatest assets are scepticism and democracy. Andy Stirling
Lately, in an attempt to make this blog a little less scattergun in it's selection of posts; I've been experimenting with writing a series of posts on particular themes. Next week, I'm hoping to do a series on the Balkans. However, I have a dilemma. I love the region: it contains some of the most [...]
[IMG: schoolsign] The Conservative Chair of the Education Select Committee today praised an "educational breakthrough". At the same time, his Labour predecessor welcomed what he said was the best announcement the coalition has made since coming to power in 2010. It's not often our political opponents come together to support a Liberal Democrat manifesto commitment, but that's exactly what happened in the House of Commons yesterday. Indeed, people across and outside the political spectrum have welcomed our radical shake up of school league tables, that will finally set teachers free to focus on every child rather than the few in ...
(Written by P. Herlihy.First displayed as part of the Rochester Literature Festival 2013'Other Worlds Other Voices' exhibition.All rights reserved.) Simultaneity (a sort of stereo dreaming) What happens if someone, somewhere, thinks exactly the same thing as you at exactly the same time? Does that thought, that little electrical impulse fired between your neurons, remain singular? Or is it a plurality, a connected event, a moment shared between to strangers? Can the exact same thought exist in two places at the same time? And then what happens if it is not a thought, not a moment but a whole dream that ...
Sandy Lane South is currently closed to traffic near the junction with Stafford Road due to a collision between two vehicles outside Bandon Hill Primary School this morning. Fortunately the school has its target setting day today so there would not have been the usual throngs of parents and pupils trying to get to school [...]
So the leader of the Lib Dems on Brent Council is planning to hold surgeries in a Tube Station. Cllr Paul Lorber will hold a monthly surgery for local residents in the volunteer library at Sudbury Town station on the Piccadilly Line. I see a challenge coming on. A few years ago it was extreme ironing which caught our imagination. Extreme councillor surgeries is now the one to trend. Examples below, please. * Mary Reid is the Tuesday Editor on Lib Dem Voice.
We cannot succeed when half of us are held back (tags: ) dogs are people too - neuroscientific proof (tags: ) posted The Blood is The Life 14-10-2013 http://t.co/LEecZbEupL on #dreamwidth (tags: (from twitter) dreamwidth ) I got to Level 3 on the Realistic Facebook Privacy Simulator! Can you do any better? http://t.co/JfqpxQ7vI0 (tags: (from twitter) ) Ask 10,000 Men About "Forced Sex," And Rape Statistics Start to Make Sense | Smart News (tags: ) Avegant Virtual Retinal Display - Wearable tech - CNET Reviews (tags: ) Unemployment is not a sign of bad character | Edinburgh Eye ...
We don't have anyone quite like Gar Alperovitz in the UK. He is both a Washington insider, a thinking journalist and a political academic. He is compelling and inspirational. I have watched him hold an audience in the palm of his hand, speaking without notes for over an hour, in a small rural town hall on a snowy night in Massachusetts. But he is another rare thing: he is a radical optimist in the great gridlock that is American politics, now apparently shut down for all eternity. His new book What Then Must We Do? sets out how a new ...
I have written to the council demanding that the Sainsbury planning application for their proposed take over of two restaurants in Birkdale village should brought before the full planning committee so that local people can have their say. To date the big supermarket has acted with a cavalier disregard for the views of local people. IBB said: "I have asked for this application to go to the full Planning Committee rather than being decided by Planning officers. That will mean that residents and traders will have the opportunity to petition and address the Planning Committee." I am well aware that ...
Notice from the County Council Temporary closing and temporary waiting restrictions in Albert Street, St Albans NOTICE is given that the Hertfordshire County Council intend to make an Order under Section 14[1] of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, to prohibit all traffic from using that length of Albert Street, St Albans from its junction with A5183 Holywell Hill south eastwards to its junction with Keyfield Terrace, a distance of approximately 338 metres. ADDITIONALLY all vehicles are prohibited from waiting at any time on both sides of this length of road whilst works are in progress. The purpose of the ...
Going into the 2010 General Election, the Lib Dems - particularly Vince Cable - had a reputation for economic competence. However, as a 3rd party that had been out of government for a century, the Lib Dems lacked a credibility or track record on managing the economy. For decades it has been the Conservative Party [...]
[IMG: immigration] As a liberal, I believe that we benefit from immigration. Overall, this country is a richer place, economically and culturally, because we have people from around the world coming here to work, study and play. I want to see an immigration system that works, is fair and allows us to benefit from the best and brightest as well as offering sanctuary and asylum for those fleeing the most desperate situations imaginable abroad. However, that case is not made often enough. We hear constant rhetoric from the Tories and the right wing press about how we must clamp down ...
[IMG: MP statisfaction graph] Edition #40 of Liberal Democrat Newswire came out last week, looking at how many seats the Liberal Democrats will win at the next general election. It's now also available online to read here. If you would like to receive the next edition of Liberal Democrat Newswire direct to your own inbox as soon as it is published, just sign up here. It's free! You can unsubscribe whenever you want using the link on the bottom of all the emails, and I won't pass your email address on to anyone else (except if required by law). And ...
Last Friday, I had the pleasure of chairing the latest West End Christmas Fortnight organising committee meeting. 2013's Christmas Fortnight is taking great shape and in the period leading up to the start of Christmas Fortnight on 23rd November, I'll be featuring some of the great activities taking place. I start with this great initiative by Friends of Magdalen Green:
Just returned from Wilko Johnson's farewell tour gig at Koko in Camden. He played for more than an hour and half, ably supported by former Blockhead bassist Norman Watt-Roy and drummer Dylan Howe. And a still angry Ruts provided the main warm up. I have some video which if I can work how to download it I will share...
Responding to Sir Menzies Campbell's announcement that he will not seek re-election in 2015, Nick Clegg said: "Sir Menzies has been a towering presence in British politics for the past three decades. He has served this country and our party with unparalleled distinction. "Most people would be satisfied with just one outstanding career but Menzies Campbell has had three - as an Olympic athlete, a renowned QC and a leading politician. "It has been a great honour to succeed Sir Menzies as the Leader of the Liberal Democrats. As well as being an outstanding leader, Sir Menzies is a brilliant ...
On Midnight. 90% done with these now...
