A Scottish Liberal dissects some myths about bisexuality. "The arrangement by which the debt - now £30bn, soon to be £50bn - was kept off the government's books was always one of those ridiculous artifices that plague the way that politics is conducted and make the functioning of the state so obscure and incomprehensible for the ordinary public." Christian Wolmar on the news that Network Rail's debt will simply be lumped in with the government's from September 2014. The Daily Beast remembers the British punk band that fooled Reagan, Thatcher and the CIA. IanVisits explores the remains of a strange ...
Welcome to Broxtowe Enews, brought to you by the Liberal Democrats and edited by David Watts, the leader of the Lib-Dems on Broxtowe Borough Council. May I give a special welcome to the new readers that we have this week and wish everyone a very happy new year. 1. Lydia BallMay I start this weeks newsletter by congratulating Awsworth Councillor Lydia Ball on being awarded the British Empire Medal in the New Years Honours list. Lydia has represented Awsworth for many years and this award is richly deserved. 2. Housing DebateAs regular readers will know there has been a significant ...
For the 5th January (LJ | DW) [IMG: [personal profile] ] swankyfunk asked about my favourite dinosaur. Everyone, of course, has a favourite dinosaur, I think it's compulsory for being a human being. As a child, my favourite dinosaur was Protoceratops, but now I always answer with the same answer: Animantarx. [IMG: animantarx] Animantarx is a nodosaur, one of the armoured dinosaurs related to Stegosaurus. I always feel nodosaurs and ankylosaurs get short shrift in the popular depiction of dinosaurs: they don't appear in Jurassic Park (Well, they appear briefly in the third movie), the Ankylosaurus in Fantasia is asleep, ...
As a bisexual person, I find that many people don't understand us. Recently, I saw a doctor who had reason to ask about my sexual activities. When I mentioned that I am attracted to men (as well as women) he asked when I had ceased to be "straight". He is a health professional, working in acute psychiatry; is it any surprise our NHS is in such a state? That, however, is merely the tip of the iceberg. Here are a few myths that need dispelling - not least because they diminish the humanity and identity of myself and others like ...
Our Headline of the Day comes from the Leicester Mercury. What is more, the story below is about Market Harborough.
Edmonton Alberta, -38°C with windchill. In Alberta the 'flu vaccine is offered to everyone. Each autumn vaccination centres are set up in shopping malls and at Public Health Centres (Public Health Centres are something we don't have in the UK; they deal with vaccinations, mother and baby health, and children's dental services). Take-up seems to [...]
This week I had a quite surreal but pretty damn good start to 2014. On Wednesday I did something I always wanted to do – call a Portsmouth Football Club match for radio. When I was growing up I didn't want to be a professional footballer but I did want to be around the game and in turn around my club. However there was one big caveat to that – I was calling it for radio in Southend and for presumptive Southend fans. Therefore my bias couldn't be towards the club of my youth. Well I say that, I should ...
Many thanks to the 12,700 visitors who dropped by Lib Dem Voice this week. Here's our 7 most-read posts... So we might have Ed Balls in a Labour/Liberal Democrat coalition Cabinet after all.. (86 comments) by Caron Lindsay NEW POLL: Who is your Liberal Voice of the year? (20 comments) by Stephen Tall LibLink: Richard Reeves: The Clegg Factor (50 comments) by Newshound New Year Reflections from Charles Kennedy: 2014 is not for the politically timid (17 comments) by Charles Kennedy Opinion: Putting the facts into Britain's fraudulent immigration debate (30 comments) by Giles Goodall Going it alone (54 comments) ...
You could argue that special interest magazines are so dependent on their advertising revenue that they will never challenge the stereotypes of their audience. But this story about the summary sacking of a respected Guns & Ammo columnist illustrates how damaging can be to public debate when pandering to an audience. Dick Metcalf, a self-described fundamentalist on gun rights, with a long career of writing about guns, and who always has a gun handy, was fired after writing this heresy: The fact is, all constitutional rights are regulated, always have been, and need to be. Any supporter of constitutions or ...
[IMG: Katherine and me in Finsbury Park] Katherine Reece and I have 'called in' the Labour Cabinet's decision to ignore the protests of local residents and park users and treble the maximum number of days of music concerts in Finsbury Park. This means there will be a special scrutiny committee meeting tomorrow at 6pm in the Civic Centre, giving local residents the opportunity to voice their concerns again. The cross-party scrutiny committee has the power to ask the Labour cabinet to think again about the changes. The proposals are controversial because they mean large parts of the park could be ...
The Telegraph has a story today that is rather perplexingly filed under "news" but seems like a summary of what we knew already. David Cameron and Nick Clegg spend a "disproportionate" amount of their time attempting to resolve rows in the Home Office and Department for Education, in particular, sources said. Disagreements have also affected policy-making inside the Department for Energy and Climate Change, while rows between Lib Dem and Tory ministers from different departments are a frequent feature of government life, sources said. The difference in tone between the two sources quoted is interesting. The Tory source is snarky ...
Nick Griffin, Leader of the British National Party and MEP for the North West of England, was declared bankrupt at his home town of Welshpool this week, but he announced that he will still be standing for re-election at the European elections on 22 May. He is legally entitled to do so, as bankruptcy is [...]
Many people know that our daughter Emma and her partner, John were expecting a baby on 24 December. We have been been getting so many requests for information that we wanted to tell everyone what is happening. Our grandson, Jonah ... Continue reading →
[IMG: Chained mouse. Photo courtesy of http://www.sxc.hu/photo/523496 - some rights reserved] The start of 2014 provided a good prompt to get round to doing something I'd long known was wise but hadn't quite sorted: switching to using two-factor authentication on as many of my online services as possible. (It's also goes under a variety of other names, such as two-step security.) Two-factor authentication's name has the opposite problem to that of cookies. For two-factor authentication, the problem is that a boring name hides a simple, important benefit. Call it 'turning on decent security' and it suddenly sounds rather more useful ...
[IMG: chesterfield500] East Midlands Euro candidate Issan Ghazni has said that without the peace that Europe has guaranteed Britain would lose the millions of jobs that depend on trade with the continent. Speaking to the Chesterfield local party, Ghazni said that the older generations valued peace in Europe because they remembered the two major wars but the Lib Dems had to work harder to persuade the younger generation, many of whom take this for granted. Answering questions, several local members agreed that the peace dividend was an issue that needed more attention. Ghazni said: "I have personal family experience of ...
The Sunday Times [£] reports: [IMG: Polling station sign. Photo courtesy of nilexuk on Flickr. Some rights reserved] VOTERS could have to show their passport or driving licence to prove their identity at polling stations, under a recommendation by the government's elections watchdog. The Electoral Commission's proposal follows evidence that an increasing number of people are being impersonated at polling stations and their votes being stolen. The change would lead to people who failed to produce ID — including anyone whose passport was being renewed — being denied a vote. Government sources said the recommendation, expected this week, would be ...
[IMG: ldv-ukip] Article first published on Lib Dem The recent expose of UKIP's Victoria Ayling, who wants to send all immigrants "back home" offers a glimpse at the nasty side of this party which Nigel Farage would rather keep hidden. Talk of 'repatriating' of immigrants sends a cold shudder up my spine as I remember the 1970s rhetoric of when that phrase applied exclusively to those from the Commonwealth. As a European candidate in the East Midlands, the same region Ayling is from, I want voters to be informed the true face of UKIP. For a party which many commentators ...
It's a new year, and so we have the first applications with a 14 at the start. 131463: New foot/cycle bridge, Castle Park. 132074: Listed building application to repair windows. 132799: Ground floor front extension, Causton Road. 135833: Listed building application for new wheelchair access, Head Street. 136189: New fire door, Culver Square. 136196: Garage extension and new boundary fence, Durham Square. 136228: Extension to form new garden room, Topfield, Popes Lane. 136240 and 136241: Change of use of first floor to drinking establishment (A1), High Street. 140003: Construction of fire escape, Red Lion Yard. You can make a statement ...
We wanted to honour those Liberal Democrats that our readers felt were true stars of 2013. Over the past few days, we have sought out nominations and now have a rather impressive list that we'll be publishing in instalments during this week. Here is the first part. Their names come with the comments made about the contribution they have made. Some are parliamentarians, some are councillors, most are grassroots activists. Let's celebrate them and the many others who are fighting for Liberal Democrat values and victory. These are our Liberal Democrat stars of 2013. Baroness Liz Barker For this speech ...
Happy New Year! I don't normally get excited about the beginning of a new year, but I'm very excited about the fresh start that this new year brings. Last year was quite difficult for me, much like the year before, and I plan to use this year to improve my life in various ways. SOURCE: Pinterest Like many bloggers, I have set myself a few January challenges. They're not too exciting, but I hope that they are achievable. I really want this to be the year that I save money, and become more financially stable, so my January goals reflect ...
Here's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... Error Page Elementary » 10 Reasons Why Mary From Sherlock Should Stick With The Lib Dems http://bzfd.it/JUiGwK (with good last line pay-off) Political parties must be reformed: they are the best way to deliver democracy | Chuka Umunna | Comment is free | The Observer Chuka writes: Don't you just hate it when other parties are tribal? Thankfully Labour will put an end to their games http://bit.ly/1a8LH2x Atticus: On yer bike, Clegg — Baker pedals to Lib Dem accolade | The Sunday Times Not a LibDemVoice headline (just to be clear) » ...
I recommend watching PQ 17: An Artic convoy disaster, which is available on BBC iPlayer for a further four days. It's a terrific programme. Jeremy Clarkson is at his finest and the BBC did a great job to pull together many accounts and how Clarkson at a wide variety of relevant locations, which brought the narrative alive. Most importantly, the documentary pays great tribute to the courage and heroism of those involved in the convoys. [IMG: Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post
I've started talking a lot more over VoIP. The microphone on my MacBook Air is basic, but serviceable - so I thought I'd treat myself to a new mic headset. I went with the HP Premium Digital Headset from Amazone. The headset is USB - and worked instantly with Ubuntu Linux: [IMG: HP Headset Ubuntu] It even has a dedicated "mute" button to cut off the microphone. Handy when on a conference call. The only problem was, the stereo was reversed! Testing the left speaker played a sound through the right, and vice versa. Not a huge problem for VoIP ...
I have received a number of complaints recently about the failure of street cleaning across Yardley (and a considerable number specifically from Acocks Green). My constituents have asked why Solihull MDC can keep the streets clean, but not Birmingham. The Labour Party would like to say "money". Well I have the estimated budgets for the next financial year (which starts on 1st April 2014). For
The next issue of Liberator will be out next week and eyebrows may be raised by the presence of an article by Paddy Ashdown on the upcoming Lib Dem general election campaign. Perhaps it's not that surprising - Ashdown was the party leader with whom Liberator and the best relationship since however critical we were (in particular after the 1997 election when he was still flirting with Blair) he recognised that dissidents in a party were a sign of life and strength rather than something to be ignored or suppressed, unlike his predecessors and successors. The article arose from a ...
I was very interested in Michael Gove's comments on the First World War over the weekend. History is very much subjective and interpretive but there in his description of the First World War he has missed some very glaring facts. Firstly, the Liberal paradise that every one was fighting to defend was deeply flawed and it took the War, and the preceding Liberal Government of Asquith, to bring in the reforms. Simple things like pensions for the elderly. The Rowntree commission had found that most urban areas were in need of sanitation and that the working poor were in an ...
The latest Ashcroft polling shows that the Conservatives have a long way to go to be within a shout of victory, with 37% of those who voted Tory saying at the moment that they would not do so if there were an election tomorrow. It's hardly surprising, then, that David Cameron kicks off the next stage in the 2015 election campaign, in an interview with today's Sunday Times (£), by pledging to stick to one of the Coalition's most successful policies through another Parliament. The Tories have previous for trying to claim the credit for a Liberal Democrat policy. Last ...
David Cameron was all ovee the media yesterday promising to continue until 2020 the Liberal Democrats policy of a triple lock on pensions which has seen the weekly pension go up by £15.45 since 2010 as of April this year. It seems fitting therefore that the architect of that policy, Liberal Democrats Minister, Steve Webb is in the Sunday Telegraph today, explaining how he proposes to reform the pension system even more so as drive out "murky" practices among insurance firms. Mr. Webb wants pensioners to be able to switch to better annuities regularly in the same way that home ...
I've determined once and for all to finish Shelby Foote's amazing "Civil War: A Narrative". Starting at the beginning again means I've already gotten to take in the magnificent language of Abraham Lincoln's inaugural address. Though said in much different circumstances I feel some parts reverberate strongly in the run up to this year's independence referendum in Scotland. "Physically speaking, we cannot separate. We cannot remove our respective sections from each other, nor build an impassable wall between them. A husband and wife may be divorced, and go out of the presence and beyond the reach of each other; but ...
Having reviewed the papers on Radio Wales this morning I have had a bit more time than usual to scan the news and also to look at publications I would not normally consider. Thus, I refer to the Cross Bencher column in the Sunday Express, which reveals that the Palace of Westminster is being put out to hire to raise funds for refurbishment. They say that companies will be able to hire the ornate Pugin Room or the Churchill Dining Room, take clients for a £4,000 day out at Portcullis House or for a £24 per head cream tea. Somehow ...
Yesterday on Twitter (today, if you don't do twitter but do read my linkspams) I linked to a post called Why Marketers Fear the Female Geek. If you read my blog for libdemmery or Doctor Who you might not have bothered clicking the link, but I urge you to do so. It's the clearest explanation of how marketing works I have ever read. Go ahead, do it now, I'll wait. The more astute among you will have already realised how this applies to British politics. Especially if you were listening to the news this morning. Both Labour and Tories have ...
MPs return to Westminster from their Christmas holidays next week. What does the parliamentary agenda have in store for them and when are Liberal Democrat ministers in action? On Monday, it's Education questions, followed by the completion of Commons stages for the Water Bill. I wonder how quickly the first Blackadder reference will creep in. On Tuesday, Nick Clegg's in action at Deputy Prime Minister's Questions. Then the Mesothelioma Bill completes its Commons stages. Wednesday sees the first PMQs of the year. I can't see any prospect of this weekly pantomime becoming any less depressing. It would be so nice ...
Over the festive period a controversy has emerged about how supermarkets deal with staff who for religious reasons won't handle certain goods. Marks & Spencer has apologised after a Muslim member of staff refused to sell a customer alcohol. The retailer said that where employees had religious beliefs that restricted what foods or drinks they [...]
posted The Blood is The Life 04-01-2014 http://t.co/etladM7LX6 on #dreamwidth (tags: dreamwidth (from twitter) ) http://www.theguardian.com/p/3ygb2/tw Renting, Britain's social scandal that is being ignored http://t.co/6JsEgj9rqe via @guardian (tags: (from twitter) ) Cambridge history professor hits back at Michael Gove's 'ignorant attack' http://t.co/5cRtmSbUiT (tags: (from twitter) ) http://open.spotify.com/track/3T1j1AGnkRzoBgzAPIYzWw #AppropriateOfficeMusic http://t.co/Cy2FfFVLUC (tags: appropriateofficemusic (from twitter) ) http://www.markpack.org.uk/libdem-infographic/ @ethicalgirl http://t.co/ABz8uV8W7T I'm not saying this govt has been awesome, I'm 1st to crit. BUT @binny_uk @lezwilki @A_C_McGregor (tags: (from twitter) ) http://miss-s-b.dreamwidth.org/1473841.html @KellyMarieLD my sweary reaction to that: http://t.co/XgQO4bCtMi (tags: (from twitter) ) This is my favourite moment of Wikipedia Vandalism ...
An optimistic choice for the new year. This cover of a Zombies song is taken from The Beautiful South's 2004 album Golddiggas, Headnodders and Pholk Songs.
