Never in the field of human politics has one political speech been leaked so often by so few. Or so you might think about Ed Miliband's economics speech, due for delivery on Friday. Yesterday, it was about the middle classes - which just happened to coincide with the publication of my new improved, updated and 'affordable' book Broke: How to Survive the Middle Class Crisis. Today, it was competition in the banking sector where they flagged the idea of a market cap, an important idea - if it can get over the horror of that kind of thing in the ...
Wed 15th
22:50
Lord Rennard: What could have happened if the membership disciplinary process had gone ahead
I think some people are looking at the Webster conclusion (on the Lord Rennard issue) with somewhat rose-tinted glasses. 'Oh', they seem to be saying, 'the party doesn't believe the women complainants and decided not to take the matter to a disciplinary hearing. They could have easily taken disciplinary action.' That is what seems to be a strand of thought out there. Well, let's just entertain that notion and look at what could have happened if the disciplinary route had been taken (with the usual caveat that I don't really know what I am talking about). There would have been ...
It takes a lot these days to rouse me from my blogging slumber, but this evening was one such time. I was on my way to Eastleigh last year when a friend called to alert me to the fact that the Rennard story was about to break. She had called me because while I hadn't directly witnessed what happened to her, I witnessed the impact it had had on her the following morning. I had given what advice I could, most importantly that she should report what had happened, but she was clearly shaken and upset. After the story broke ...
If you enjoyed this you may also enjoy part 1 and part 2.
The new Liberator is out - or so Liberator's blog tells us - so it is time to spend another week with Rutland's most celebrated fictional peer. Lord Bonkers' Diary appears in each issue of the magazine, as it has done since 1990. Looking at the subject of today's diary entry, I am struck once again by his ability to identify the most important issue of the day. Monday A busy day in my new capacity as Pastoral Care Officer of the Liberal Democrats. Reading from my early volume Frank Chats for Young Canvassers, I say: "Now that you are ...
The European Parliament has endorsed a deal to reduce CO2 emissions from new light commercial vehicles (Vans). The report by Euro Lib Dem MEP Holger Krahmer also aims to make vans more fuel-efficient. The report confirms the 147g target for 2020 as defined in legislation adopted in 2011 and defines the system for reaching this target and includes key issues such as emission limit values, phasing-in requirements, method for calculating a carmaker's average emissions, long-term targets, eco-innovations and implementation. Andrew Duff Lib Dem MEP for the East of England said 'I welcome these new targets that set stringent targets for ...
Julian teams up with Claire Connon to highlight the state of Cambridge's pavements A campaign launched by Paralympic hopeful, Claire Connon and Cambridge MP Julian Huppert urging residents to report broken pavements across the city has drawn numerous examples. People have been visiting the website www.fixourpavements.co.uk to log their complaints saying some pavements are so dangerous they are unusable. Rower Claire, who is tipped for a place in the 2016 Rio Paralympics, took Julian and councillors on a wheelchair tour of the city last year to give them first-hand experience of how difficult it is to navigate cracked and broken ...
Parents in Cambridgeshire who have a child born between 1 September 2009 and 31 August 2010 must submit an application by 15 January 2014. The process, which opened on 18 November 2013, can be completed online at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/admissions or by returning a paper form, which can be obtained from any Cambridgeshire primary school and returned to the Admissions Team at Cambridgeshire County Council. The completed applications must be received by the Admissions Team by 5pm on the national closing date, 15 January 2014. If parents submit their applications late - or do not make an application - there is a ...
Wed 15th
20:00
Vince Cable nails Labour's crass and inaccurate attacks on Lib Dems' support for the minimum wage
Sometimes you'll hear Labour folk claim, with absolute certainty, that the Lib Dems opposed the introduction of the minimum wage in 1998. They're wrong, as a glance at the voting record shows not a single Lib Dem MP voted against and 26 voted in favour. Today Labour's shadow secretary of state for Work and Pensions, Rachel Reeves, upped the ante, demanding to know: where was the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable)? He was nowhere to be seen in the debates. He was nowhere to be seen on the voting ...
Julian Huppert, MP for Cambridge, has been given a prestigious national award for his successful campaign for widespread 20mph limits in his Cambridge constituency, to make roads safer and encourage more people to walk and cycle. Julian received the 'Parliamentarian of the Year: Community Campaigner' award at road safety charity Brake's annual reception at the Houses of Parliament last night, sponsored by Direct Line Group (photo attached). His campaigning for safer roads for walking and cycling spans back to 2006, when as leader of the Liberal Democrats in Cambridgeshire County Council, he demanded the council reconsider its negative position on ...
I can see that a number of my fellow student bloggers have been thinking about and making New Year's Resolutions for 2014. I made a very public one this year – I'm taking part in the Dryathlon for Cancer Research UK- and I'm pleased to report that it's so far, so good! As well as helping to raise some money for a good cause, according to research carried out by New Scientist, it should also help me to reduce my liver fat by around 15-20%. More space for chocolate, I suppose. Yesterday, someone I follow on twitter sent out a ...
Northumberland County Council have introduced a range of alternate telephone numbers for customer service. Each is specific for a local area , and for the South East Northumberland area, including Blyth the new number is 01670 627000 This number will be in use as well as the existing 0845 number. Residents will have the choice of which number to use depending on the cost of the call. There will still be central The single 0845 number has received some criticism because of the charges levied by some mobile phone companies, but it hasn't been replaced , just users given the ...
WOMEN AGAINST RAPE We are increasingly concerned about social services removing children from their mothers, especially after the mothers faced domestic violence. Mothers have come to us who, instead of getting support, were blamed for the situation and had their children taken into care or even adopted. In some cases, the children were given to the father without a thorough and independent
Wed 15th
16:48LibLink: Tim Farron: European Arrest Warrant is a vital weapon in the fight against crime
Farron the Ubiquitous (he is, but that's not a complaint) has been writing for the Huffington Post again, this time, as befits the man in charge of the European Election campaign, on the European Arrest Warrant. First, he reminds us of the high profile cases where the warrant has brought British criminals back to justice. Hussain Osman fled to Italy after the failed 21 July 2005 London bombings, during which he placed an explosive at Shepherd's Bush tube station. Just one week later, he was tracked down and arrested by Italian police on a euro-warrant issued by a British court ...
I heard something on the radio today about a woman who paid several hundred pounds for a cat "off the Internet", but on inspection she had decided it wasn't really for her. The supplier had gone to a lot of trouble to get the cat, and had refused to give the lady her money back. Well, I was amazed. Why pay for a cat? I grew up with kittens crawling all over our house. The wild cats nearby were always procreating. Mum had some of them caught and put down, with help from the RSCPCA and like-minded neighbours, and some ...
Liberal Democrat Women is whole heartedly against sexual harassment and unwanted indecent or sexually inappropriate advances of any kind. This includes within the workplace and throughout our Party at every level. We believe strongly that positions of power should never be abused. We need to trust that there was a thorough and impartial investigation. Whilst our Party has made mistakes in the past we need to look to the future and ensure that the culture in the Party continues to change following the suite of measures implemented following the Morrissey Review and those measures are remain under constant review. We ...
(This is the Commentary from Liberator 363, now out) There are two certainties and one conundrum coming in 2014. Barring some utter cataclysm, there will not be a general election, and the fevered speculation about "will the prime minister go early", usually heard at this stage of previous parliaments, will be absent. In May, there will be the European and local government elections. In the former, the Liberal Democrats have finally, and rightly, decided to fight an explicitly pro-European campaign (Liberator 362). The realisation has been a long time coming that a pro-European vote exists and that hardly anyone disposed ...
Wed 15th
14:30
As UCAS applications close, apprenticeships are still an option for school and college leavers
Today we see applications to the UK's universities close for another year. Whilst many young people will feel that university is the obvious next step, others may find that an apprenticeship could open a whole range of jobs and opportunities which they might otherwise miss. Going to university can be a hugely rewarding experience, but an apprenticeship can be just as, if not more rewarding. I believe that we could do more to encourage young people to consider apprenticeships as a passport to the career of their choice. While well-established widening access schemes and a single application process help make ...
I am pleased that this brings to an end all investigations concerning allegations made against me on Channel 4 News last February. The Metropolitan Police also investigated the allegations thoroughly and over several months and found that there was no case to proceed. My wife Ann and I are very grateful to our families and many friends both inside and outside the Liberal Democrats who have shown unwavering support throughout. We are particularly grateful to Alex Carlile QC, who helped us to ensure that justice was eventually done, and to Richard Cannon of Janes Solicitors who guided us through the ...
According to the BBC Labour have renewed their attack on bankers by urging Chancellor George Osborne to block any attempt by Royal Bank of Scotland to pay bonuses of up to double its bankers' annual salary. They have tabled a Commons motion calling on the government, which owns 80% of RBS, to reject any such move. They are also calling for more competition in banking. Both of those issues are being addressed by the Government though not quite in th way the Labour Leader wants. The BBC's political editor, Nick Robinson, said the move by Labour was part of its ...
Today Face the Facts went into more detail about the various networks across Europe that are helping refugees from the English and Welsh Family Courts. It is a good programme and worth listening to. This and Panorama from Monday are, however, only one side of the argument. The key objective of the Child Protection System is to protect children. One way of measuring how well the system is
Statement of Alistair Webster QC's conclusions Following allegations made in a Channel 4 documentary early in 2013 I was appointed under Rule 7.6 of the English Party's membership rules to investigate and determine whether or not it was appropriate to charge Lord Rennard with acting in a way that had brought the party into disrepute. The charge, if proved, might warrant his expulsion from the Liberal Democrats or other sanction under the Party's rules. Let me be clear from the outset that the evidence suggests that Lord Rennard's behaviour has caused distress to a number of women, so much so ...
Here's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... Why are charitable resources not targeted where they are most needed? | John Mohan | Society | The Guardian "Why are charitable resources not targeted where most needed?" > http://bit.ly/1cnUZny (Always the problem with random acts of kindness) The transformation of Tower Hamlets: how they did it | IOE London blog "The transformation of Tower Hamlets" by @Director_IOE: how some of England's worst schools were turned around http://bit.ly/1drCFi8 The Lobbying Bill is bad for liberty » Spectator Blogs Interesting from @RobinAsheem > "The Lobbying Bill is bad for liberty" by tilting playing ...
We've known for some time that the Coalition has been intending to raise the penalty on rogue employers who don't pay the National Minimum Wage. What we didn't know is that Vince Cable is actually making the proposed £20,000 fine payable for every single worker who doesn't receive the legal amount. Vince is quoted in today's Guardian: Anyone entitled to the national minimum wage should receive it. Paying anything less than this is unacceptable, illegal and will be punished by law. So we are bringing in tougher financial penalties to crack down on those who do not play by the ...
... I'm sure you all know which news I'm referring to. I DO NOT WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT. But I am expressing solidarity here (sorry for the loaded term) with those affected. [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Former MP for Edinburgh West John Barrett has made a surprise intervention in the debate on Scottish independence. Writing in the Scotsman last Saturday, he became the only senior figure so far to say that he doesn't yet know how he's going to vote in the referendum on 18th September. He said that the debate so far has become polarised and is switching people off: There are good people on both sides, who genuinely believe in what they are arguing for. Unfortunately, as they are entrenched in their own positions, they are often unable to view many important issues in ...
With the European election controlled period approaching (23 Jan) many of us are madly getting our pre-Euro Election literature out before the deadline! Calendars and Focuses are flying out of the door. What that also means is that many of us are artworking the next tranche! So we thought it was wise to reiterate the [...]
Localism a word said very easily but Government, just like a loving parent, can find it hard to let go. Many will be alarmed, that as their local representative, I voted in favour of 47,500 homes for Cornwall in the period 2010 to 2030. As that period has already started and some homes are already built or have planning consent, it means just over 1,200 each year from now until 2030. The process I would prefer is that the people of St Just and Pendeen worked with me and the local Town Council and decided what our housing needs are ...
I am having one. Work was horrific yesterday, and there were various dramas outside of work as well, and work today looks as though it's not going to be any better. So I'm not tweeting, I'm not reading blogs, I'm only checking emails from people on my important list, and my phone is on block mode*. Cut down and shut down. It's Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Holiday, Nina Simone and various other bluesy jazzy type people on the playlist today. Still, I did manage to nip into Waterstones and pick up a payday book** on my way into work today, so ...
There brewing controversy over a group of Satanists bid to have a statue of 7ft statue of Satan erected alongside the 10 commandments in front of the Oklahoma Statehouse. This has inspired the Economist to provide a guide to one of most distinctive religious movements in the world: You will be unsurprised to hear that [...]
[IMG: liberal-voice] It's a fortnight since we launched our search for the Liberal Voice of the Year with the aim of finding the individual or group which has had the biggest liberal impact in the past 12 months. This is LibDemVoice's seventh such annual award, and as is our tradition, we looked beyond the ranks of the Lib Dems to find the liberal who's most impressed our readers and is NOT a member of our party. We unveiled the shortlist here on New Year's Day. In total, 363 readers cast a vote in the past two weeks using a preferential ...
This is the first in a weekly series of posts to highlight key templates from our template File Library. This can be accessed by clicking on Members icon on the top bar, once you've logged into the website. This gives you four options 1. Advice 2. File Library 3. My councillor 4. Manage Membership Select [...]
If I say, "Europe gives us a wider horizon" you might think this was a general observation that uniting as a continent, doing things together, helps us see and reach further in the world. It certainly does but I have in mind a specific horizon: the Horizon 2020 fund. This is €80 billion that the European Union has voted to allocate to scientific research in 2014-20. A European fund like this means a big opportunity for the UK. We have some of the best universities and other research institutions. They are well placed to apply for grants under this fund. ...
Sir Graham Watson, the South West Liberal Democrat MEP, has continued his battle to secure EU solidarity funding for the recent floods to the European Parliament chamber and in the process introduced an old English word originating from Wiltshire into the European lexicon. Speaking in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Monday evening, Sir Graham accused the Environment Agency of '
With Christmas out of the way, Lib Dems round the country are stepping up a gear as May's elections approach and realizing that there is a heck of a lot to do. And for many of us there is a natural tendency to start putting all our time into doing things, rather than into finding [...]
Nick Clegg has asked former Secretary of State for Scotland Michael Moore to be his Adviser on European business affairs. The unpaid role will see Michael working with businesses across the UK to understand the key trade, investment and regulatory issue affecting their dealings in the European Union. He will carry out a review of the issues and report to Nick Clegg by the Summer. Michael Moore said: Britain's engagement with the rest of Europe is fundamental to our future economic well-being. At this crucial moment in the development of the UK's relationship with the EU, I am delighted to ...
The Food Lab: A New Way to Cook Pasta? | Serious Eats (tags: ) Latest ICM poll shows Lib Dems at 14%. I'd call that "mildly encouraging" (tags: ) Life on a flood plain - home and dry (might be of interest to various Calder Valley types) (tags: ) Sex, politics and François Hollande: how France plays by its own rules This is SORT of right - the French do expect extramarital in a way that our more uptight press don't - but I would think that this applies very differently depending on which party you are from. And how ...
Felicity Mellor: Collaboration, openness and communication may be key to modern science, but we must remember the role of solitude, secrets and silence too.
Europe is blessed with myriad iconic historic sites, from the Parthenon in Athens to the leaning tower of Pisa, all instantly recognisable even to people who have never been there. But perhaps because they are so well known and so frequently photographed we tend to take them for granted. However, the US-born Greek artist Philip [...]
The Financial Times reports: [IMG: Theresa May. Licensed under Open Government Licence v1.0] David Cameron shelved a government report on EU migration, after Theresa May, home secretary, failed to provide evidence to support her case for imposing tighter curbs on immigrants... The government's discomfort on the issue was compounded on Tuesday when Robert Chote, head of the Office for Budget Responsibility, told MPs that the country's fiscal position would be worse if net migration was lower because immigrants were more likely to be of working age... officials close to the process say Ms May was inundated with evidence from academics ...
The Metro wins our Headline of the Day Award. I have no wish to prejudice Dave Lee Travis's trial, but I do like the idea of the Chuckle Brothers as a crime-fighting force. There must be a television series in it.
Councillors from Cheadle and Gatley, Cheadle Hulme North and Heald Green met yesterday to consider the planning application for the A6 to Manchester Airport Relief Road. Not a single Stockport resident came to oppose the application – the only opponent was someone from Poynton. After a debate in which Cllr Burns (Independent Ratepayers, Heald Green) spoke about the importance of the new road in taking traffic away from Heald Green, especially roads like Finney Lane, Cross Road and Bolshaw Road, the councillors recommended unanimously that the application be granted. The application is also being considered at three other area committees ...
Liberal Democrats recognise there is a problem with Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs) which needs to be cleared up. FOBTs were introduced after the then Labour Government relaxed the gambling regulations. Liberal Democrats in Government are clearing up a situation put in place by the Labour Government. A Government backed review has been commissioned and is currently under way and will report in Spring of this year. It is important to wait for the conclusion of this review before making changes. Background Liberal Democrats believe local councils should have increased powers to tackle the growing problem of clusters of Betting ...
This Photopolis photograph shows Perth Road at St Peter Street. It shows the north side of Perth Road running eastwards to the right towards the city centre, with St Peter Street leading north to the left. Alexander Sutton, The West End Supply Stores, was at No. 121 Perth Street. Notice the peculiar barrow in St Peter Street. Sutton lived at No. 4 Gowrie Street. The confectioner at No. 199 was David Kermack. No. 117 was George Pickles' West End Hosiery. Alexander Thompson Watt at No. 115 was a butcher, with other shops at No. 4 Wellgate, No. 30 Victoria Road, ...
2014 must be the year when Wales stops expecting to find itself languishing at the bottom of the league tables and aims higher to reach its potential. Last year it was revealed that Wales is under performing compared to the rest of the UK with regards to education, health and the economy. My concern is that such poor performance has started to simply be accepted by some and considered inevitable. The Welsh Government needs to be more ambitious. The last few months of 2013 highlighted all that is wrong with the Welsh Labour Government. Wales was making much of the ...
From today (Wednesday 15 January) Cambridgeshire Library members can now enjoy digital magazines and newspapers free of charge. This new service allows members to read and download 40 top magazine titles and a number of daily national newspapers straight to their computer, smartphone or tablet. Cambridgeshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Education and Learning, Councillor David Harty said "This is a fantastic new addition to our growing collection of electronic services and sits alongside the free eBook and eAudio book provision. Our customers can now access a whole range of books, magazines, online reference resources and audiobooks free of charge." ...
A brave man who pulled a casualty from a burning car and a dedicated charity fundraiser who lost his son in a road collision have been shortlisted for a national award. The two Cambridgeshire residents were nominated by Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) for The Spirit of Fire Awards, which are held annually to honour members of fire and rescue services and the public, by recognising bravery within the fire community and dedication to The Fire Fighters Charity. Station Commander Martin Ockenden, CFRS representative for The Fire Fighters Charity, said: "We are thrilled to have two of our outstanding ...
