Information and advice on how to cut energy and other bills is on offer later this month at an event in Garston. The Energy Saving Advice Day takes place on 21 November at the Urban Village Hall on Banks Road. Running from 11 to 3,the free event includes advice stalls, tea and coffee and a free prize draw. It's organised by housing associations SLH and LHT but you don't have to be a tenant to come along. Info is available from 01928 796 000
Earlier tonight, I attended the latest West End Community Council meeting, which also was the Community Council's AGM. Andrew McBride was re-elected as Chair, as was David Webster as Secretary and Laurie Edmond as Treasurer. I had the opportunity to update the Community Council about the West End Christmas Fortnight activities taking place soon.
Today in Stormont the Health Minister was taking questions, this one came from the Alliance's Trevor Lunn MLA for Lagan Valley. Mr Lunn asked the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, given his responsibilities, whether he still holds the view, expressed by him and by members of his party, that homosexuality is an illness treatable by medical or psychiatric means. Mr Poots: I do not think that I ever said that. Maybe his comments back in 2005 that is was unnatural in the first instance and abominable in the second instance are the comment that sprung to mind. ...
Today in the Scottish Parliament, a debate took place on the UK City of Culture and Dundee's bid and it was great to see the support for our city across the political spectrum. Below, I reproduce the comments made in the chamber today by my Liberal Democrat colleague Alison McInnes, MSP for North East Scotland, who made the point that Dundee would make an outstanding City of Culture. Alison is pictured below (front, third from the right) in a picture of parliamentarians showing that cross-party support at the parliament today:"As a regional member for the north east it is a ...
Photo of Jumbo by David Hawgood We must pay more attention to the mental health needs of children, says Paul Burstow on Liberal Democrat Voice. "Here was its former leadership sitting at a table with exactly the kind of moderate Muslims we are always being told fundamentalists and jihadis do not represent: democrats; secularists; universalists - defenders of what, for convenience, are often referred to as 'Western' values. But the reaction on much of the left has not been one of delight, but one of scorn and cynicism." Jacobinism writes about the recantation of the leaders of the English Defence ...
From a press release issued by the OU today: The Open University (OU) is to withdraw from the PGCE qualification that is available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the associated PGDE qualification in Scotland. The decision will come into effect following the January and March 2014 intake dates. ... Instead the OU will focus on sustaining and building on the strengths of its education and schools-targeted curriculum. The University will continue to offer undergraduate degrees in Early Years and Primary Teaching and Learning and a Masters in Education. Further developments in the Education curriculum will be investigated as ...
The Government has defeated Labour in a debate over the so called "bedroom tax". The government has held its majority after Labour used one of the days on which it can set the parliamentary agenda to debate the spare room subsidy. The so "called bedroom tax" has been controversial, but the government asserts it will [...]
Are you from Hull, live in Hull, work / study in Hull or a friend of Hull? Even if you are none of these take a gander at this and help us say #hullyes for the 2017 UK city of culture
As well as Lord Bonkers' fireside chat, the new Liberator contains my review of this book from the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum. Somehow I suspect it will annoy infidels like me as much as believers. Orange Skies Liberal Democrats Do God Edited by Jo Latham and Claire Mathys Liberal Democrat Christian Forum, 2013, £6.99 (available from the LDCF website) This book gained some notoriety on its publication when the press alleged that Steve Webb's introduction claimed that God was a Liberal Democrat. My first reaction to this was to be impressed that He had managed to find a coherent philosophy ...
Advice to ambitious young Liberal Democrats Here is a letter typical of those I receive from ambitious young Liberal Democrats; it asks me which book the writer should read to maximise her chances of becoming a Member of Parliament. My answer is always the same. In order to be selected for a half-promising seat you need a roadworthy bicycle and a copy of Wainwright's West Country Marginals. Once you have been adopted, however, there is only one volume that will do: A Fortunate Life: The Autobiography of Paddy Ashdown (which is by Paddy Ashdown, incidentally). I know of no book ...
Thanks to a reader for drawing this Computer Weekly story to my attention: The Conservative Party has attempted to erase a 10-year backlog of speeches from the internet, including pledges for a new kind of transparent politics the Prime Minister and chancellor made when they were campaigning for election. Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne campaigned on a promise to democratise information held by those in power, so people could hold them to account. They wanted to use the internet transform politics. But the Conservative Party has removed the archive from its public facing website, erasing records of ...
Tue 12th
17:40
Paul Burstow writes ... we must pay greater attention to the mental health needs of children
The recent report from the Chief Medical Officer, Prof Dame Sally Davies, on children's health makes for sobering reading. Together with warnings about a lack of physical activity, and vitamin deficiencies, the need to pay greater attention to the mental health of our children and young people came out painfully clearly. Current estimates put the annual costs of mental health problems among children aged 5-15 at around £2.35 billion across the UK. Yet only around one in four children are receiving help from specialist services within 3 years, and, as the report's atlas of variation reveals, access may be most ...
Lib Dem Voice need money. I need beard porn. What would people say to a beardy Lib Dems calendar? It'd be like Calendar Girls only beardier* This idea has been being chucked around by several lovely people on twitter this afternoon and I think it's a good one. Would my fellow beardthusiasts pay for such a thing? And how do we narrow down the pool of hot beardy Lib Dems to actually put on the thing? I mean there's LOADS of them. I live with two! * and almost certainly less naked. There's a limit to what you can persuade ...
Tue 12th
16:24Tim Farron "set to vote against the "Bedroom Tax" while Swales, Mulholland, R Williams and Sanders t...
From the Guardian's live politics blog (3:15) Tim Farron, the Lib Dem president, is set to vote against the government on the bedroom tax tonight, I'm told. A friend of Farron's tells me: "Party conference in Glasgow expressed its will very strongly against the bedroom tax and so Tim is listening to party members and will probably be voting against the government tonight. Tim is the voice of the party members, they have expressed their view and Tim wants to make sure that their voice is heard." Here's the motion on the bedroom tax that the Lib Dems passed at ...
Today's Western Mail reports on the shocking statistic that Wales has a higher proportion of working age adults with no qualifications than England or Scotland. They say that new figures from the Welsh Government show that up to 15% of people in parts of South Wales have no qualifications. Nearly one in six in Rhondda Cynon Taf and Neath Port Talbot have no recognised qualifications, leaving them far more likely to be unemployed and facing a life a blighted by poverty. Overall 11% of people in Wales have no qualifications, which is higher than in both England and Scotland. They ...
[IMG: Stephen Lloyd with Matt Hancock MP, the Minister for Skills & Unemployment] Stephen Lloyd with Matt Hancock MP, the Minister for Skills & Unemployment The "jobs agenda" is one of the top priorities for all Liberal Democrats; whether you're an activist on the doorstep, someone who is concerned for the future of our young people – or indeed a parliamentarian. I happen to be all three! In Government, our party has actively pursued policies that are enabling many people to benefit from work and to a greater extent, they are working! Almost one and a half million new private ...
Still More Tuesday: Age: Ask the Fendahl Stories: 6... and 51 episodes of Blake's Seven to be taken into consideration, yer honour Awesomeness: I'd tell you... but then I'd have to shoot you! Cuddles: Strictly business. AKA: a nameless fugitive from the Federation, absolutely definitely not Kerr Avon, oh no indeedy. If asked about Maylin Tekker, deny everything. The immortal Paul Darrow.
More Tuesday: Age: Blake's 7 Stories: 15 Awesomeness: Knight of Valyshaa Cuddles: Mental contact only AKA: Lord Tamworth (Storm Warning), Ed Morgan (Torchwood), Owen Edwards (Knights of God), Workman (Quatermass and the Pit), some bloke in a space opera... tis the other grand hero of seventies sci-fi Gareth Thomas
Tue 12th
15:00
Day 4699: Millennium's Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Top Trunks #19: CHESSENE OF THE FRANZINE GRIG
Tuesday: Age: Ageless Stories: 1 Awesomeness: Defeated the Sontarans. In bacofoil. Cuddles: Embraces gourmand experience. And Dastari when necessary. AKA: Supreme Commander Servalan, President of the Terran Federation, Ruler of the High Council, Lord of the Inner and Outer Worlds, High Admiral of the Galactic Fleets, Lord General of the Six Armies, and Defender of the Earth. Every fanboy's fantasy - and proud of it - Jacqueline Pearce
Not enough is being done to help the economic recovery in rural Wales, the Welsh Liberal Democrats will claim in their Assembly debate on Wednesday. The Shadow Economy Minister, Eluned Parrott and Shadow Minister for Rural Affairs, William Powell, will lead a debate calling on the Welsh Government to implement a three point plant to get the rural economy back on track. The Welsh Liberal Democrats are calling on the Welsh Government to: • examine a community bank structure to sustain the presence of local banks in rural communities, and to work with credit unions to increase lending to businesses; • work ...
Suffolk is surprisingly well provided for in terms of trains. With the exception of Haverhill, the towns are connected to Ipswich by hourly train services which, given car ownership and population levels, is about as good as you could reasonably ask for. The quirky exception is Sudbury, which sits at the end of the single track Gainsborough Line, and is served by two-carriage Diesel Multiple Units from Marks Tey on the main East Anglian Main Line. There are no through trains to London, as the branch joins the main line on a curve, pointing towards Colchester and Ipswich, and the ...
I am sure you will have seen the shocking footage from the Philippines over the last few days. Typhoon Haiyan has claimed the lives of over 10,000 people. A further [...]
Tue 12th
13:55
Changing the World is the Only Fit Work for a Grown Man: Steve Harrison's study of Howard Gossage
[IMG: Changing the World is the Only Fit Work for a Grown Man by Steve Harrison - book cover] American West Coast advertising man Howard Luck Gossage was decades ahead of his time, pioneering interactive advertising, environmental campaigning, PR-stunts and much else in the 1960s, well before they became mainstream aspects of his industry. Steve Harrison's book does justice to Gossage's innovation and superb copywriting skills with its own highly readable and easy to enjoy account of the man and his work. Harrison isn't starry-eyed about it, leaving the reader with reasonable doubts about whether, for example, the Grand Canyon ...
Here's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... Google criticised for 'demaning' tribute to Britain's war dead – Telegraph An MP actually said this. "Around Remembrance Day it is demeaning not to have something that is spectacular." http://bit.ly/17P2ngt Bill de Blasio's victory doesn't spell success for a 'Red' Ed Miliband | Peter Kellner | Comment is free | theguardian.com Peter Kellner's paradox of populism: "ideas we say we like, can jar when proclaimed by politicians we don't respect." http://bit.ly/17P22KN
Tue 12th
13:16
Could (and should) a strong commercial shipbuilding industry save Portsmouth dockyard?
For years there was obviously a Portsmouth fan working on South West Trains who ran the electronic timetable displays. Everytime you'd get on a train to Portsmouth you'd see that Portsmouth was home of the premier football club on the south coast. For a handful of years Portsmouth was the best football club south of the capital. However sadly that has ended but those few years pale into insignificance compared with how long the city has been home to the Royal Navy. If you ask non Portsmouth people about what they know about the city, then it would be all ...
[IMG: Ed Davey - Some rights reserved by Liberal Democrats] Ed Davey's speech to Energy UK today has been well trailed in the media. The headline features a much quoted soundbite: "Customers are not just cash cows to be squeezed in the pursuit of a higher return for shareholders". It was one of those occasions when the whole discussion took place ahead of the actual event, with Energy UK (which represents the energy industry) posting a ripost before the speech had been delivered. Here is an extract from Ed's speech: We need our energy companies to be profitable so they ...
Muswell Hill's Exposure Organisation is holding a screening of their short film 'Fed Up' as part of Parliament Week. The film explores the pros and cons of the Stop and Search procedure, using humour to bring to light many of the common concerns raised by those affected. Exposure's film aims to bridge the gap between young people and the police by showing how both sides feel about stop and search, and by giving advice on how to avoid conflict. The film will be shown on 21st November from 1.15pm at the West Green Learning Centre, N15. Seats are limited, so ...
The number of women being diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK is at an all-time high. It is the most common form of cancer in the country and claims [...]
It is that time of year that internal party elections kick in from local party, through regional parties to the various organisations that party members are part of. So amongst the various ballot papers I have received was the one that my name actually appeared on. This morning LGBT+ Lib Dems have officially announced the results of the election of their new committee for 2014. I'm glad to say that along with Wales' Rodney Berman, I have been elected unto a committee that truly covers the whole of the UK. New chair Ed on left with outgoing chair Adrian The ...
I've started listening to a lot of podcasts recently. My commute has got a bit longer, which means that I have much more time to spend sitting in traffic listening to interesting things. I'd like to review some of the pocasts which fill my commute with joy and wonder! Today's episode: Mobile Industry Shennanigans! I'm in the mobile industry and - while my personal opinions are obviously the best - it's nice to hear from other people working in the same space. The Voicemail [IMG: Voicemail Podcast Icon] I think I've been listening to The Voicemail since it started. I ...
Last week, the outreach programme of the Parliamentary Party in the Lords moved into its next phase. There is, unfortunately, a catch, in that, through no fault of their own, the earlier phases haven't reached quiteas far as they might have hoped. The campaign for Liberal Democrat Peers to make one thousand constituency visits before the 2015 General Election continues – Suffolk Coastal were very hospitable – but too many Local Parties seem oblivious to the possibilities that nearly one hundred (very occasionally) ermine-clad Parliamentarians, with four thousand years of service to the Party between them*, can offer. I do ...
Readers of this blog will appreciate that I do like to travel, and that marriage to Ros hasn't really changed that. Naturally, the sort of travel that I do has changed a bit, as Ros isn't quite as adventurous as I am, but nonetheless, we do travel a fair bit. One of things that really helps is loyalty schemes. I join them as a matter of course, even though it is usually best to stick to just one or two for maximum effect. All of them offer free stuff, although the free stuff does vary in quality and quantity. For ...
David Cameron delivers the Lord Mayor's Banquet speech. On austerity. Next to a gold throne. Not quite the imagery John Major had in mind...
[IMG: Status Quo Cardiff December 2010] BBC 2 showed the Alan Parker documentary Hello Quo on Saturday night. I was totally engrossed in it. One little tale was quite hilarious. Rick Parfitt was telling of the recording of "Pictures of Matchstick men". He said that the engineer asked him "Do you want some phasing?". Upon getting a positive answer, the engineer went to a large wheel fixed on the wall of the studio and, with both hands, turned it to achieve the phasing (the whooshing sound liberally sprinkled throughout the record). It's a long way from today's clicking of mice ...
The killing of a Taliban insurgent by a British Troop is not an entirely rare occurance. Years after we invaded, our servicemen and women still fight in Afghanistan, attempting to enforce some kind of lasting peace. What doesn't happen every day, is that a wounded Taliban insurgent is killed at point blank range by a British servicemen, aided by colleagues. The Telegraph is, today, running a petition begging leniency for Marine A - suggesting that the events were 'manslaughter' at best and that these things shouldn't be a surprise in the 'pressure cooker' of war. I have to admit, that ...
It is with some surprise that I have discovered in the pages of today's Herald that SNP MSP Derek Mackay has announced he is gay and has separated from his wife. Mr Mackay was my SNP opponent in the 2011 Scottish parliamentary elections, taking the seat of Renfrewshire North and West from Labour with a 1,564 majority. He is currently serving as local government and planning minister and prior to his election to Holyrood was a capable leader of Renfrewshire Council, where he worked in coalition with the local Liberal Democrat group. Mr Mackay has only now spoken publicly about ...
A Freedom of Information request to Haringey Council reveals: Two currently serving Councillors have received a court summons for non payment of Council Tax. Haringey Council won't release the names of the councillors, but neither are from the Liberal Democrats.
posted The Blood is The Life 11-11-2013 http://t.co/1LWPbZ0epB on #dreamwidth (tags: (from twitter) dreamwidth ) http://bitly.com/1bjBluj .@TheNewsQuiz is offering an exclusive VIP experience with Sandi and the team for the #R4CiN auction: http://t.co/I390voQTX2 #CiN (tags: (from twitter) r4cin ) How much coverage does UKIP get? (tags: ) Affordable homes facing demolition because of bedroom tax Housing associations say change to benefit rules means tenants cannot afford to rent three-bed maisonettes (tags: ) 75 Years In The Making: Harvard Just Released Its Epic Study On What Men Need To Live A Happy Life The study followed 268 men over 75 ...
We kick off Conservative week with a post exploring what it divergences free market doctrines tell us about the party. "If a Tory does not believe that private property is one of the main bulwarks of individual freedom, then he had better become a socialist and have done with it." Margaret Thatcher The Conservative Party [...]
[IMG: meeting] Nearly all the debates about Liberal Democrat federal committees and democracy hinge on who the electorate for committee elections should be – conference reps or all party members? However these debates miss a big problem, which is simply that the electorate, whoever it is, knows very little about the performance of incumbents. Democracy isn't just about the right people having the vote, it's about them being able to cast their votes in a meaningful way. If you don't know what people have done, it is hard to hold them to account. Currently there is a strong culture of ...
I've not found many events in Southwark I wanted to or could attend. One exhibition that did catch my eye was at the RAF Museum in Hendon - 'Pilots of the Caribbean: Volunteers of African Heritage in the Royal Air Force'. I had imagined more great storys related to WWII. But what really caught my imagination was WWI pilot William Robinson Clarke. But the curators were clear that they're looking for more material about black RAF personnel and their families. If you have any such material or know someone who may contact them at rsearch@rafmuseum.org or call them on 020 ...
Choosing Wines for Christmas A wine tasting at Aitken's Warehouse Unit 7, Annfield Row, Dundee. Friday 15th November7.15pm - 9.15pm Cost £15 per person. Booking essential Cheques made payable to "Friends of the University of Dundee Botanic Garden" should be sent to Frances Tait c/o University Botanic Garden, Riverside Drive, Dundee DD2 1QH or telephone 665719
