Tonight, after my ward surgery at Blackness Primary School, I attended the latest West End Local Community Planning Partnership (LCPP) meeting at Blackness Library. The LCPP meeting is a good opportunity for representatives from different council departments, councillors and representatives from other organisations like police, fire and rescue and the NHS to discuss local issues and matters of concern and, tonight, we had a presentation on alcohol availability and over-provision. We also had a good discussion on West End issues, with updates from the various organisations' representatives attending.
Lab seat. Resignation. Prospective Candidate: Christine Mary Iredale.
LD seat. Resignation.
Lab seat. Resignation.
LD seat. Resignation.
Con seat. Resignation.
Conservative. Resignation Returning officer; Herefordshire
"The deeply shocking reality is that over one-third of MPs, half of senior doctors and over two-thirds of High Court judges come from private school backgrounds despite these schools educating less than 10% of the population." Jack Smith considers the aftermath to John Major's intervention on social mobility for the Tory Reform Group's Egremont blog. "The dangers of such an unholy alliance between the highly customized advertising excesses of modern capitalism and the data-gathering excesses of the modern surveillance state are obvious: Internet companies are licensed to collect and analyze as much information as possible precisely because the state may ...
That is what Tom Watson asks in the Daily Mirror today. Watson writes that a "retired insider" has told him he recalls raising his concern that the Volunteer Services Unit of the Home Office was directly funding the work of Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE). The insider's recollection is that he raised his fears with superiors but was left in no doubt that he should drop the matter. Watson says he has written to the Home Secretary asking her to initiate an inquiry. It may sound incredible now, but I would not be at all surprised if this turns out to ...
My Headline of the Day yesterday was the Daily Mirror's Tory peer calls for clampdown on mooning after 40 schoolkids expose their backsides at him and wifeThe peer in question was the Conservative Lord James of Blackheath. The rest of his speech was even more bizarre. He told his peers: In its wisdom, the Times ... is pursuing, to a ludicrous degree, the cause of cyclists to the point where they are creating a new and separate society in London, in which cyclists think they have a superior law and control over everybody in a motor car. This is going ...
Last week's four by-elections proved pretty dismal for the party - with it polling just 191 votes and 16% in Winton East ward in Bournemouth - a ward the party used to hold. In the other three contest the party polled 88 votes - in total - with shares ranging from 1.2% to 2.6%. Labour had a good night gaining both of the Cumbria contests. This week there are five contests with two Lib Dem seats up for grabs one of which - Eastfield ward in Scarborough - the party is guaranteed to lose after the withdrawal for personal reasons ...
Interesting times. The news that Greenwich is so poorly served by hybrid buses emerged at the same time as the Lib Dems at the GLA were garnering support for more electric buses across London. A few of us in Greenwich Lib Dems had been getting very concerned about this and one of our members had gathered a [...]
This week is National Road Safety Week, and today Greater Manchester Police have launched their annual drink drive clampdown. As road charity Brake's MP of the year for 2008 road [...]
[IMG: 8342359426_fffae92260_k] Climate Change is the defining issue of our age. Previous generations had to deal with the rise of Nazism or communism. This is the issue on which my generation of politicians will be judged. This is our Dunkirk. - Richard Benyon, Conservative MP for Newbury, November 2006 Cut the green crap -Reported private view of Prime Minister David Cameron seven years later Photo: Some rights reserved by Stop Climate Chaos Coalition [IMG: Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post
Many congrats to Alisdair Calder Mcgregor and the good folk of Calderdale who have selected him as their PPC for 2015. But I was taken aback by the release on their website, which says... Calderdale Liberal Democrats have selected their candidate for Calder Valley for the 2015 general election, Alisdair Calder McGregor, at a packed hustings at the Shay stadium. It did make me wonder - with a capacity at the Shay Stadium of 2330, just how many members does the party have there? Hats off all round...
Of course he hasn't said this publicly, but the Telegraph reports that David Cameron has stated privately that he wants to "get rid of all the green crap" from Coalition policies. Nick Clegg and Tim Farron are both quoted as robustly defending green measures and the jobs they create. Nick says that he doesn't think the headlines portray David Cameron's views. On Call Clegg, Nick said: Well, if I may use the word, it isn't all crap, of course. It is worth remembering that a lot of the policies that we've got support tens of thousands of people who work ...
we are experiencing issues with the restaurant site at the moment – hopefully our hosting company will figure out where they have inserted their heads and pull them out of the relevant part of their body and sort this out asap
...so if you're Nick Clegg, David Laws or indeed Ed Miliband, you've not long left to have your say on what should be the main 4 pillars of the Lib Dem 2015 manifesto. Why not fill in the poll on the top right of this blog right now; takes 2 minutes....
Here's my latest Muswell Flyer article on housing in Haringey. You can read this article and previous articles online here. Many years ago, I got a mortgage for my first flat (off the Archway Road) - which enabled me to get a first foot on the property ladder. Social housing for those in need was also relatively easy to come by. The same certainly cannot be said in Haringey today. Unfortunately, housing here is a huge problem - particularly for those on the Council waiting list, those already in social housing, and young professionals and families struggling to save a ...
Lib Dem Voice today publishes an article by Roger Williams MP backing a ban on smoking in cars where children are present. This proposal is about as well thought out as that of Lib Dem MSP Jim Muir of whose bill I wrote back in April: On first glance it may seem an attractive extension of tough anti-smoking laws to further dissuade the recalcitrant minority of smokers to give up and to protect children from second hand smoke. Until you think about it that is. There are a number of fundamental problems with this bizarre idea - notwithstanding its fundamental ...
[IMG: press gallery quiz conquering heroes cropped] The Liberal Democrat team took first prize at the annual Press Gallery quiz in Westminster last night. Our five triumphant heroes are David Heath MP, LDHQ head of policy Christian Moon and special advisers Emily Walch, Sean Kemp (who was also team captain) and James McGrory. The clever quintet answered questions on all the usual pub quiz type subjects, specialising in sport (how on earth do any of them have the time to know anything about sport?) and netting double points from the Also Known As round. They had gone into the event ...
I declare an interest in Hornsey High Street. My constituency office is based there, above the Three Compasses pub! As such, I spend a lot of time on the High Street - popping into the shops and cafes and talking to local residents. The old Depot site on the High Street (almost opposite the pub) has been a point of contention for many years. Parts of the site have been derelict since 1998 and the land is desperately underused, as Labour-run Haringey Council has continuously failed to strike a suitable deal with a developer. Now, a new developer is on ...
[IMG: cropped EMLD logo] This Saturday, 23rd November, Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats (EMLD) will hold their Annual General Meeting. Speakers include Simon Woolley from Operation Black Vote and Tim Snowball, the Party's director of communications. Discussion will address how Lib Dems can better appeal to BAME communities. It promises to be a great debate, come along! All are welcome. You don't have to be an EMLD member to attend but please bring your party membership card. Refreshments will be provided. The event will be at 11.30am at Lib Dem HQ, 8-10 Great George Street, Westminster, SW1P 3AE. We have just ...
The hunt is on to find the people who make the most difference to their communities in Sutton. Sutton Council's 2013 Community Awards are now open and nominations are being encouraged and invited. The awards, which are run annually, are designed to make sure that local "heroes" get the recognition they deserve for what they [...]
'Whoever you vote for the political class gets in' blogs Liberal England's Jonathan Calder. It is, as ever from Jonathan, well worth reading. The first half holds up to deserved ridicule Nick Boles' suggestion that the Tories set up a National Liberal 'holding bay' for liberal conservatives who can't bear to identify with the Tories. But it's the second half I want to focus on because it's the bit where Jonathan responds to my argument about the policy overlap between Orange Bookers, Cameroons and Blairites. Here's the bit of my argument Jonathan quotes criticising Nick Boles: It's a shame because ...
Here's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... bitly | Page Not Found | 404 Myers-Briggs: horoscopes for intellectuals says @CllrMMills (rightly) http://bit.ly/1h4ySdcby Liberal England: Whoever you vote for the political class gets in A party of Orange Bookers, Blairites + Cameroons is a non-starter. Thankfully, says @lordbonkers » http://bit.ly/1eiNcLv
Thu 21st
13:01
Day 4708 BONUS: Millennium's Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Top Trunks #35: K-9 (Mark I through IV)
Another Thursday: Age: 5000 A.D. Stories: 84 Awesomeness: Dr Woo's second best friend! Cuddles: Cuddles are unnecessary, mistress [hug me!] AKA: Dugeen (The Power of Kroll); it's the irrepressible John Leeson
Thu 21st
13:00Day 4708: Millennium's Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Top Trunks #34: LEELA of the SEVATEEM
Thursday: Age: the Wisdom of the Elders Stories: 64 Awesomeness: That's Silly! More Crowning Moments of Awesome than an entire European Monarchy. Cuddles: Marry In Haste, Repent When He Regenerates; BFF's with Romana; K-9 (Mark I) AKA: Blanche Simmons in Tenko; Susan Young in Bergerac; Rosa di Marco in Eastenders; the beyond multi-talented Janice Thorn, er, I mean Louise Jameson (please forgive us, Lou!)
Too many children in the UK are still being regularly exposed to high concentrations of second-hand smoke in cars. This exposure can have detrimental effects on children's health due to their smaller lungs and less developed immune systems. The Royal College of Physicians published a report collating all available evidence on second-hand smoke to show how it affects children's health. They found that there were 300,000 GP visits by children every year, there were 165,000 new episodes of disease and 9,500 admissions to hospital every year in the UK because of passive smoke. In 2007, legislation to ban smoking in ...
Thu 21st
12:01
Jo Swinson MP writes...I want to stamp out homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in schools
Regardless of sexuality, all pupils should feel safe and accepted at school, but for far too many young people, bullying is a sad reality of their daily lives. In particular, a survey conducted by Stonewall in 2012 found that more than half of young lesbian, gay and bisexual people said they experienced homophobic bullying at school, while over two-thirds reported that they heard homophobic language often or frequently. Only three in ten said their school responds quickly to homophobic bullying when it occurs. These statistics reveal the scale of the problem and that, while some are doing a fantastic job, ...
Ah! Valkee! For the last few years I've been blogging about this "miracle cure" for depression - in 2011 I called Valkee a technology scam and last year Valkee's website was found to be misleading the public. They claim that by sticking a light in your ear, you can cure both depression and cancer. These are dangerous quacks who need to be stopped. Earlier this year, the Finnish TV show "MOT" did a rather detailed exposé of Valkee: Valkee won the "Hoax Prize" from the Finnish Sceptics' Society. The Finnish health watchdog has already severely chastised Valkee and forced them ...
[IMG: Council tax image] An email arrives from Shepway District Council: "From 1 April 2013, under planned welfare reform, the government abolished Council Tax Benefit. Shepway, like other councils, replaced it with its own scheme called Council Tax Reduction. At the time we proposed a scheme that meant that all working age customers would pay a minimum of 18.5% of their Council Tax liability. However, at the end of 2012 the Government offered all councils some additional funding which meant that we could reduce this to 8.5% for the first year. "The Government have said that there will no further ...
There was pressure on Labour yesterday over there relationship with the Co-Op after the former Chairman of the bank was found taking drugs. Ed Miliband and Ed Balls are having to explain their relationship with the Reverend Paul Flowers, who was Chairman of the Co-operative bank and who is now facing a variety of accusations [...]
International Development minister Lynne Featherstone writes a monthly column for one of her local newspapers. Here is the latest one..... I declare an interest in Hornsey High Street. My constituency office is based there, above the Three Compasses pub! As such, I spend a lot of time on the High Street - popping into the shops and cafes and talking to local residents. The old Depot site on the High Street (almost opposite the pub) has been a point of contention for many years. Parts of the site have been derelict since 1998 and the land is desperately underused, as ...
While rummaging around collecting research on the Naval Intelligence Division (NID) I stumbled upon an intriguing article on a website called FutureIntelligence.co.uk. Maybe I am just out of the loop but it was news to me even though the contents were over three years old. Traditionally Room 39 was the euphemisim for NID when it was located at the room of that number at Admiralty House on Whitehall. Not unsurprisingly the government didn't want to trumpet the development as it was a de facto recognition that an action taken as long ago as 1965 had seriously compromised the Royal Navy's ...
Southwark Labour have decided to centralise day care from two sites into one in North Peckham. This means the Fred Francis Centre on Lordship Lane will close disrupting the lives of a number of very elderly people who go there each day. It seems short-sighted when we have an ageing population. But whatever our views it's a fait accompli. So we need to ensure this site isn't left idle. In East Dulwich we have huge demand for nursery provision. Two recent plans for nursery provision have failed to be built - 41-43 East Dulwich Road and 116A Lordship Lane. As ...
Thu 21st
09:49
If Ruth Davidson's speech on equal marriage doesn't win some sort of award, I'll be upset
It's not like me to hand out praise to a Tory, let's be honest. I don't have much choice, though. Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson's speech in Holyrood's equal.marriage debate last night had me blubbing actual, proper tears. It was magnificent; well constructed, persuasive and heartfelt. In a week when the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address has got us thinking about our favourite political speeches, this one has certainly got under my skin. Watch it here. The bit that had me blubbing was this one: Last year, the University of Cambridge conducted a huge body of research called "The ...
I blogged some time ago about the plans from Plus Dane Housing for some building on the patch of land roughly behind the row of houses at 11 onwards Beechwood Gardens. It's a rectangular bit of grass at the moment. The plan was for shared equity housing. The Council approved the plans although it wasn't at all clear when anything would start. Plus Dane have been in touch to say that the land transfer is about to go through. This means the site will be fenced off, although no building will start until next year. Plus Dane have written to ...
First, a bit of transparency is required. I'm a customer of the Co-operative Bank, and I've been irritated with them for ages - long before they imploded - mainly because (silly, I know) of their habit of sending me bank statements with one or two transactions on. The reason I stay with them, despite the recent revelations, is because the Save Our Bank campaign has told me to wait and see - and I see the logic in that - and also because of their excellent, friendly and effective call centre, which is no small thing. I promised I would ...
When we moved to Rochdale in 1999, we could hardly fail to take pride that the town was not only the birthplace of Gracie Fields, but of the Co-operative Movement. Moving our banking to the Co-op seemed the right thing to do, and national events a few years ago reaffirmed our commitment to being part of a movement that did things differently. It is only in the last few years – well before the latest scandal – that I have become disillusioned with the business that purports to have inherited the values and practices of the 19th century movement. As ...
Today's Guardian reports on documents provided by whistleblower Edward Snowden, which show that phone, internet and email records of UK citizens not suspected of any wrongdoing have been analysed and stored by America's National Security Agency under a secret deal that was approved by British intelligence officials: In the first explicit confirmation that UK citizens have been caught up in US mass surveillance programs, an NSA memo describes how in 2007 an agreement was reached that allowed the agency to "unmask" and hold on to personal data about Britons that had previously been off limits. The memo, published in a ...
posted The Blood is The Life 20-11-2013 http://t.co/ECCw2Yrqq7 on #dreamwidth (tags: dreamwidth (from twitter) ) http://ldv.org.uk/37253 Liberal Youth seek Communications Officer and Membership Officer - apply by 5 pm tomorrow http://t.co/swzaPSXnFc by @caronmlindsay (tags: (from twitter) ) http://open.spotify.com/track/4cCmF44Wf7A8og7E8Vc9s7 "I wanna live, I wanna love, but it's a long hard road out of Hull..." http://t.co/EcY4bZFk53 (tags: (from twitter) ) http://thetim.es/1are5MO Oh you are SHITTING ME? RT @LibDemPress: Parental leave plans put on hold http://t.co/yUEsKxVN0q (via @thetimes) (tags: (from twitter) ) Calderdale best in Yorkshire for recycling commiserations kirklees. This is what you get for not having Hebden Bridge in your ...
Ooops: [IMG: Twitter logo] Prime Minister David Cameron appeared to accidentally follow a high-class escort agency on Twitter. Number 10 told the BBC the account had been followed due to an automated system they had in place in 2009. It said it was in the process of unfollowing "inappropriate" accounts. Carltons of London's website said it offered the "finest London escorts to gentlemen of distinction"... Number 10 told the BBC the following was unintentional. "Prior to 2010, an auto-follow process was used, meaning that @Number10gov automatically followed anyone who followed the account. "This was common practice at the time for ...
Myers-Briggs personality tests are widely used, produce appealing results and seem rigorous. There's just one problem: they have little grounding in theory or practice. The Force is strong with this test The Myers-Briggs typology is probably the most popular form of personality testing ever devised. It is widely used in the corporate and educational worlds. [...]
[IMG: Finance and Markets] Discussion of the need for the reform of economics in the post-crash world continues to gather momentum and prominence in parts of the econosphere. Wendy Carlin set out a case for change at the FT (£) on Sunday, while a group of post-Keynesian economists stuck their head above the parapet in a letter to the Guardian on Monday. The thrust of the post-crash economics argument is not that mainstream economic approaches should be rejected in favour of an alternative. Rather it is the more modest plea that economics should be taught more pluralistically and contextually. Mainstream ...
Last night, I was minute-taker at the latest Friends of Magdalen Green committee meeting. We had a useful discussion on a number of matters including: * A very positive update on progress with the Roseangle Playpark Campaign. * The launch of our latest newsletter - you can download this here. * Finalised planning for our Soup and Pudding Lunch, taking place at Dundee West Church on Saturday 7th December as part of West End Christmas Fortnight. All residents welcome - don't miss it!
Thu 21st
05:32
Revelation that cost of Tuition Fee Grant has increased by 24% is deeply embarrassing for Welsh Gove...
The Wales Audit Office report on 'Higher education finances' is "deeply embarrassing" for the Welsh Government after it revealed that the estimated cost of the Tuition Fee Grant has increased by 24%, from £653 million to £809 million. This report highlights some of the huge failings in the Welsh Labour Government's current higher education funding system. Earlier this week both the Education Minister and his predecessor were lecturing the Assembly chamber on how the current system is costing less than first estimated. Yet this report lays out in full how wrong they actually were in 2010 and still are now. ...
So much for my early night. What I wanted was to have a bit of a read, and a kip, but then I made the mistake of checking Facebook, and being drawn to a link showing yet another UKIP attack on the gender equality programme, thinly veiled as some kind of rant about the EU. So much so typical, but the basis of this attack is so thin and misaligned it really needs answering, and now I'm all fired up and awake. Great. The article in question is It claims: "An amendment that would allow governments to dissolve companies ...
