Or you can read the transcript of another Whitaker interview, which the Guardian bills thus: A humiliating week for English cricket hit a new low on Thursday lunchtime as James Whitaker, the new national selector, gave a toe-curling interview to Sky Sports News.
Time for another Look at Life. This one from June 1963 shows how it was possible to travel aboard in your car via train, plane or boat. Now read more about flying your car abroad in the sixties: Malcolm Saville and Lydd Airport.
Con Seat. Death
Independent seat. Resignation. There is no LD Candidate.
Conservative seat. Death Contact: Agent, Councillor Gary Scott 01206 820769 garyscott1822@hotmail.com Clacton Lib Dem Office 01255 434158 Colchester Lib Dem Office 01206 506611 Help is needed with this election, from door knocking, delivering leaflets and polling day activity. This ward is a Lib Dem and Tory battle ground seat. We came behind the Tories by 48 votes in 2011, so we need help to squeeze the Labour vote and to get to vote out.
Conservative seat. Resignation There is not a Lib Dem candidate standing in this ward but please help for Peter Bruff Ward.
LD Richard Shrimpton gained a seat from Independent unopposed. The Election should have been on February 6th 2014. Thank you to Mark Waudby for letting us know about this.
I have been really impressed by the moving personal contributions on Lib Dem Voice today setting people's own experience of mental health. It reminded me powerfully why I am a Liberal Democrat. As Holly Matthies wrote, tackling mental health stigma is fundamentally about freedom - freedom from poverty, ignorance, and conformity. [IMG: Time to talk day] Mental health isn't something that happens to other people. 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem at some point during their life – and everyone will know someone close to them who is affected. And we know that there is often ...
Yesterday I wrote about the dispute between David Laws and Michael Gove over whether Ofsted should inspect chains of free schools as well as individual free schools. It should, of course. And I say that as a supporter of free schools. A little of the philosophical basis of my views was given in a review of the social liberal collection Reinventing the State that I wrote for the Guardian website when the book came out in 2007. There I wrote: Chris Huhne offers a more promising approach, arguing that the British state fails to deliver because it is so centralised. ...
I have followed today's discussion of mental health issues on Liberal Democrat Voice with mixed emotions. Partly because I have been pretty fortunate in many ways to have made it to nearly fifty without having experienced serious depression or any other mental health issue, but partly because I know that there are those close to me who have been less fortunate. And, when you hear the stories of those who have battled their demons, or who live each day with their symptoms, it is a reminder that life is not always as simple as one might hope. It is also ...
Thu 6th
21:00
It's Laws v Gove again as Lib Dem schools minister says academy chains should be accountable to Ofst...
'It's civil war in the Coalition classroom' – that's how the Independent bills the latest row between those two very civil politicians running the education department, Conservative secretary of state Michael Gove and Lib Dem schools minister David Laws. I wrote at the weekend about the first spat, which erupted after Michael Gove's decision to sack Baroness (Sally) Morgan as chair of Ofsted for doing too good a job – at least, that seemed to be the gist of his argument, as he praised her to the skies for her "superlative" work before saying it was time for a change. ...
The judges liked this gentle effort from the Shropshire Star and gave it their Headline of the Day Award.
Thu 6th
20:43
The country is screaming out for an economically responsible, socially liberal party...as luck would...
I was this article, it contains much I can agree with and concludes; The country is ready for an economically responsible, socially liberal party. Whether we call this libertarianism or not, this balance makes most sense for 21st Century Britain. There is often confusion between libertarianism and liberalism and definitions probably vary. My view is that while both have similarities in terms
[IMG: ALDC christmas pressie] Those lovely people at ALDC have done us a by-election round-up for last week. Last Thursday saw the Liberal Democrats gain Chadsmead ward on Lichfield DC. Councillor Marion Bland took 36% of the vote and returned Liberal Democrats to Lichfield Council for the first time since 2011. The Lib Dems first gained a seat in the two member ward in 2007 but the Tories took both in 2011. The by-election saw the Conservatives drop 22% of their vote and slump into last place after their councillor was disqualified for not attending meetings. UKIP stood for the ...
[IMG: Time to talk day] I have a severe social anxiety disorder. There. I've said it. In seven words I have broken one of our last taboos: I've spoken of mental illness. Today across England people are coming together to talk about mental illness and help overcome the stigma that many people still face in the twenty-first century. Time to Change are hoping to inspire one million conversations about mental health within 24 hours. I've written and re-written this post three times because I'm not sure what to talk about. Because there is so much to talk about! Do I ...
Thinking Liberal discusses the remarkable political success of Michael Gove: "Another good thing, though largely unremarked, is that Mr Gove's Academy programme is putting private schools under real pressure. Many private schools outside the South East are now signing up to be state schools, run as academies." "A tweet and an innocuous cartoon have exposed a battle that has been waging in Britain Muslim communities for the past six years and is set to continue for many more." Harry's Place gives its take on Maajid Nawaz's recent difficulties. Racial inequality is a key factor in structural youth unemployment for some ...
Anyone who knows me knows that I have a fascination with communism and former communist countries. It's not that I have ever favoured the far left, but it's the subject matter and the practice of communism that has always intrigued me. I have visited a number of former communist countries, seen their historic sites and [...]
Thu 6th
19:34
Nothing on the wonderful new dashboard drop down list actually works ! If they don't fix this, I'll ...
Lottie Dexter, the director of Year of Code, has come in for some criticism after a poor performance on Newsnight, but just because she can't code doesn't mean she can't
Thu 6th
19:26Must be part of their wonderful " completely new, streamlined blogging experience" ! Trying to solve...
Nestling quietly on p.29 of the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference booklet is this: The Federal Executive are proposing that all members at conference should have a vote on policy motions, and that everyone should have a say on the committees that run our party. Come and share your opinions on our plans for One Member, One Vote. Saturday 8th March 13.00-14.00 York Barbican, Auditorium [IMG: Voting at Liberal Democrat conference. Photo courtesy of the Liberal Democrats. Some rights reserved Currently anyone from a local party (who can afford the cost and time) can attend the party's federal conferences, but ...
Meols Ward Lib Dem Councillors John Dodd, David Rimmer and Nigel Ashton, together with FOCUS Editor Jo Barton, are holding their next advice centre on Saturday 8th February, from 11 am to 12 noon at St John's Primary School, Rufford Road, Crossens. We will be there to meet you and discuss any Council problems you may have. No appointment necessary. Just pop in. We hold our advice centre at St John's School, Rufford Road, Crossens every month (except August) on the second Saturday of the month. We also hold a monthly advice centre in Churchtown, at Cafe Moo Moo on ...
[IMG: Time to talk day] After hearing/reading a lot of negative things about people with mental health issues recently first I got angry, then I got writing. This is what I came up with: My name is Eleanor and I am Bi-Polar/Manic Depressive/crazy. Choose whichever of these you wish, everyone comes to their own conclusion eventually but they all amount to pretty much the same thing, it just depends on how negative a spin you want to put on things I suppose. I also have a phobia of tinsel and used dishcloths. This is completely unrelated to the Bi-polar of ...
Years of campaigning have finally paid off for local residents who want to recycle cardboard and plastic. The Council have announced that kerbside collection for cardboard and plastics will be introduced in April this year. A survey carried out by pupils at Larkfield Primary School last year found that well over 90% of local parents were in favour of this additional recycling. Jo Barton has been campaigning for better recycling for years Local Liberal Democrat campaigner Jo Barton is delighted. She said: "For ages, Sefton Council refused to consider collecting cardboard and plastic for recycling. Their refusal meant many residents ...
On Tuesday I went and did something that I have been meaning to do for years- I went and restarted my dormant Lodge Lane Credit Union account and put a few (a very few!) bob in it. I did ... Continue reading →
Only the Liberal Democrats can be trusted to anchor Britain in the centre ground by building a stronger economy and a fairer society, enabling every person to get on in life. That's why in Government we have: 1. Fixed the mess left by Labour. We have: a. reduced the deficit by a third b. kept interest rates down c. helped business create over a million jobs Eased the squeeze on household budgets by: cutting income tax by £700 for 24m peoplegiving every 5, 6 and 7 year old a free school meal dailygiving 15 hours free child care to all ...
Thu 6th
15:25Opinion: Liberal Democrats must let our values define our approach to mental health #timetotalk
[IMG: Time to talk day] "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist," Kevin Spacey tells us, and it's a bit like that with depression too. It's so insidious precisely because it tries to convince you it isn't really there, that these black thoughts and difficult days are all there is for you, and that this entirely your own fault. This is why feeling about to talk about it at all, to be open, has such power: it lessens the isolation, fights your negative thoughts about yourself with positive ones from people who love ...
As part of this year's Charles Causley Festival there will be a food and drink event in the town square on Saturday 14th June from 10am until 10pm. And organisers are on the look out for stalls and sellers. One part of the day will be a beer festival, repeating the excellent event organised last summer by Joe and his team from Penpont Brewery. But if you are a food or drink producer and want to get involved, you can take part too. There will be seating in the square and lots of entertainment. So the organisers are especially keen ...
As the tube strikes in London goes into its second day, here is the full data of donations to Labour from the striking RMT Union. Yesterday I looked at which
Local MP Dan Rogerson has welcomed today's decision to conduct a comprehensive review into rail links between Cornwall, Devon and London which will look at re-introducing train services to Okehampton and Tavistock. Following the collapse of the sea wall at Dawlish this week, the Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, announced that the Government are working to restore and protect the main line at Dawlish as soon as possible. At the same time he said that the Government will conduct a "rigourous review" of other options for linking the Great Western rail line south of Exeter and into Cornwall. ...
I was chatting to my friend and colleague Fred Weavers on Sunday night at the Bothy Folk Club, a club that is well worth a visit if you haven't already done so. We talked about this year's elections and I was reminded that my current term of office ends in 2015. During my first 7 years as a councillor I have sat on many committees and been to many interesting events. Within a relatively short time I also began to chair many of these meetings. I have concluded that there must be something in my genes which attracts me to ...
South Glos Council is planning to change the waiting restrictions on the roads on and around the trading estates on the edge of Yate. This includes a residents parking permit scheme outside the rank of cottages on North Road. You can find out more and comment on the South Glos website - the deadline for comments is 20th February.
Thu 6th
14:26Quilliam Foundation to sue after Maajid Nawaz's and other staff members' personal information went u...
[IMG: maajid-navaz] The Times reports (£) that in the week when Liberal Democrat candidate Maajid Nawaz was subject to death threats after tweeting a cartoon of Mohammed, the Department of Communities and Local Government erroneously published his personal mobile number as part of a response to a Freedom of Information request: It has now been revealed that in the week following the tweet — as Mr Nawaz received daily death threats and a bounty was declared on his head in Pakistan — the Department of Local Government and Communities (DCLG) posted his personal mobile number on their website. The details ...
Cornwall Council is proposing a radical shake up of its management structure as part of plans re-shape the authority to deliver services in different ways in the future. Under the changes the current structure of six directorates will be reduced to three covering: Economy and the environmentLocalism, business management, organisational development, community safety and protectionEducation, social care and healthThe restructuring is supported by the Council's Cabinet and will see the number of corporate directors reduced from six to three, delivering initial savings of around £400,000. Once the new corporate directors have been appointed the shape and structure of all the ...
[IMG: Blue bird sitting on rope] Yesterday I took part in an event introducing social media to members of academic staff. I was asked to come along and act as one of two live case studies. I was there to share my experiences. The aim was to illustrate the possibilities and highlight some of the issues. The organizers suggested we each address the same set of questions. We offered very different perspectives. I only had 10 minutes or so to talk and it felt a bit rushed. So I decided to elaborate on the presentation I gave on the day ...
In today's Times, Ross Clark, under the heading, "Expats who don't pay taxes have no right to an MP", demonstrates how not to 'get it', responding to the Liberal Democrat proposal to create constituencies for non-resident voters. As he puts it, "what right do they have to their own representatives?... Why should the MP for Madrid Este have a say in what goes on in London?". It is a not unreasonable question in itself, but appears to ignore completely the problems caused by having large numbers of, say, Spanish-resident voters, casting their votes in, say, Ipswich. His argument that, without ...
Having commented on the divisions within the Conservative Party over the Wales Bill, it is only fair to mention that Labour are having their own difficulties as well. Although the Welsh Labour Government have reservations about income tax powers being devolved to Wales, they still seem inclined to welcome the move if it is done correctly. The Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, Owen Smith on the other hand has sided with the dinosaurs within the Welsh Parliamentary Party and has come out against the idea altogether. The BBC report Mr. Smith as saying that the power for Welsh ministers ...
[IMG: Time to talk day] I am writing this as I read the post on Time to Talk day by Caron . These are just my personal opinions and personal experiences and should be taken only as so. I have suffered from Hypomania for what has been the best part of my adult life; I am 25 now. I probably had it when I was a child but my mother just put it down to being "full of energy". Friends have also told me that I probably have ADHD and maybe some form of Autistic spectrum disorder, but neither has ...
Hertfordshire County Council has approved a new Speed Management Strategy at the Highways Panel on Tuesday 4th February that will now allow for the easier implementation of 20mph limits and zones. Liberal Democrat Group Leader and Highways spokesperson, Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst, (Central Watford and Oxhey) welcomed the decision that followed public consultation on the draft strategy: "Liberal Democrats in Government had pushed for changes in the transport policy that made bringing in 20mph limits and zones easier and cheaper. I am glad that at last Hertfordshire County Council has caught up with public opinion and government policy. "Even so the ...
Labour seat. Death Prospective candidate: Sue Ross
Dear resident, I can never believe how quickly the time for writing the monthly bulletin comes around. This January has been one of positive signs for our local economy which has been a welcome way to start 2014. The month began however with the desperately sad passing of Paul Goggins, Labour MP for Wythenshawe and Sale East. Paul was a parliamentarian who rose above day-to-day political squabbling and he will be sorely missed by his friends from all parties. Local business leaders predicted a strong 2014 for the Greater Manchester Economy, looking especially to the inward foreign investment and the ...
Here are the Liberal Democrat entries in the top 100 political blogs as ranked by EBuzzing (Wikio as was). It's farewell to Richard Davis this month, but hello again to Haringey Liberal Democrats and also to Ming Campbell. 1 (4) Liberal Democrat Voice No change 2 (24) Mark Pack No change 3 (26) Stephen Tall Up 7 4 (35) Jennie Rigg Up 8 5 (46) Lynne Featherstone MP Up 11 6 (50) Nick Thornsby Up 10 7 (57) Paul Walter (Liberal Burblings) Up 13 8 (58) Zoe O'Connell (Complicity) Down 9 9 (59) Mark Valladares (Liberal Bureaucracy) Up 13 10 ...
It's been a big week for the Scottish Parliament. On Tuesday, Holyrood passed a much stronger equal marriage bill than we have south of the border. Yesterday it passed a budget which, with different ideas incorporated from Labour and the Liberal Democrats, will make a huge difference to many people in Scotland. The Holyrood budget process is very different. You'd never find George Osborne publishing his budget 3 months in advance, letting all parties contribute to the process and then putting an amended budget through Parliament incorporating new ideas. It's to Finance Secretary John Swinney's great credit that he adopts ...
Ever heard of Mydex? Here's how they describe themselves: Mydex provides the individual with a hyper-secure storage area to enable them to manage their personal data, including text, numbers, images, video, certificates and sound. No-one but the individual can access or see the data. Not just secure, but hyper-secure! They've been signed up by the UK Government to provide Identity Assurance. Pretty impressive, eh? Let's ignore the fact that their website doesn't use SSL and concentrate on the XSS flaw on the site. Cross-Site-Scripting (XSS) is, in simple terms, a way to force a web page to run some malicious ...
We don't need no education, we don't need no thought control. Hey Olympians, leave the kids alone! Seems to be the cry that is repeated today by Russia's deputy prime minister. However, with the anti-propagation law to minors in Russia and therefore actually leaving kids alone to come to terms with their own sexuality is a dangerous thing. Despite what Putin would have you believe kids under the age of consent are quite capable of coming to their own conclusions about who they are attracted to. Indeed I don't hear Russian authorities crying out about underage sex between people of ...
I very much approve of yesterday's Liberal Democrat PPB for the European Elections. A simple message well delivered. Looks like we might be having a European Election campaign that is actually about Europe. [IMG: :-)]
The European elections are only a few short months away and Lib Dem HQ have now circulated our key messages for the campaign. This needs to be integrated into your local messaging. A good tool for doing this is using messaging grids that can be found here. The campaign is an unashamedly pro-jobs message to [...]
[IMG: ClosingtheGap] One in four of us will suffer from a mental health problem in our lifetime. It is a stark figure, made worse because there is still a stigma attached to psychological conditions. To address this, Nick Clegg and the Lib Dem Care Minister, Norman Lamb, recently launched the Coalition Government's new action plan for mental health. The plan outlines 25 priorities for improving the support and care provided to those with mental health issues. These include integrating mental and physical health provision, promoting psychological wellbeing for children, and increasing access to care. Priorities have been distorted for years. ...
[IMG: Time to talk day] Liberal Democrat Voice is always "Our place to talk" but today, we are talking about mental health. Time to Change is having a national #timetotalk day. Why? Thursday 6 February is the first ever Time to Talk Day: 24 hours in which to start conversations about mental health, raise awareness and share the message that mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, neither is talking about it. Sometimes it's the little things we do that make a big difference - like having a chat over a cuppa, sending a text or inviting someone out. ...
[IMG: A planet, not Earth. Photo courtesy of benipop http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=948575 - some rights reserved] You're on the doorstep. You're asked someone which party they're going to support and don't get an answer. You've tried all the usual who did you vote for last time / is there any party you'd never vote for questions without joy. What do you try next? Ask them if the like Isaac Asmiov.* Why? Because as Mary Reid writes over on Lib Dem Voice: YouGov has the hard evidence for something that a lot of us have suspected for a long time - that "There ...
I am happy for my old publishers Constable and Robinson that they have agreed to sell themselves to Little, Brown, part of the vast Hachette empire. Yes, I'm happy. But put on my other glasses and I can't help seeing another example of the notorious Squeezed Middle emerging. The news that Quercus is also looking for a buyer, and dark rumours of other difficulties, just go to prove the point. We don't really need the emergence of Penguin Random House to realise something scary is going on. These publishing houses retain their old identities. Constable is even keeping its old ...
Why Mom's Time Is Different From Dad's Time - WSJ.com (tags: ) LOL and/or Lol! The Internet Has a Style Guide Now - Megan Garber - The Atlantic (tags: ) Liberal Democrats debate Devolution for Yorkshire The apostrophe being in the wrong place is NOT my fault (tags: ) [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Liberal Democrat MEPs have spent years at the forefront of plans to cut the cost of using your mobile phone while travelling in the EU. There is a crucial vote coming up on 27 February where a plan to abolish fees for incoming calls this year and data roaming fees by 2016 is being discussed. This isn't quite fast enough for Liberal Democrat MEPs who have put down an amendment bringing it forward to the start of the Summer holidays in 2015: With effect from 1 July 2015, roaming providers shall not levy any surcharge in comparison to the charges ...
In a recent interview, Sherlock supremo Steven Moffat was asked about rumours that series four of Sherlock might be shown at Christmas. His answer seems to imply it's unlikely: We have no idea what we're going to do. I'm starting the third week of the new [season] of Doctor Who, so I've got quite a [...]
Last night's Liberal Democrat party political broadcast.
A number of constituents have contacted me about how difficult they find it to get across the road in the area around Glamis Road/Drive/Blackness Road roundabout. As one constituent put it:"I am an elderly woman who frequently visits friends in Hillside Road off Glamis Drive and am finding it increasing difficult to safely cross the road at the Glamis Drive circle when coming to and from the bus stops in Blackness Road and I'm sure I am not the only one who finds this to be the case. The traffic can come very fast from different directions around the circle."She ...
I was on Wave 102 News yesterday about the road safety measures outside Harris Academy the City Council has agreed to. You can hear the interview by clicking 'play' below:
Liberal Democrats are building a stronger economy and a fairer society, enabling everyone to get on in life. Under Nick Clegg's leadership, the party have focused on the old liberal principle of favouring taxation on unearned wealth over hard work. This has culminated in the introduction in Government of the key Lib Dem policy of cutting taxes by £700 for more than 20m people. The manifesto has not been written yet, so any reports of what will be in it are just speculation. However, we passed a motion on tax policy at our Autumn Conference last year in Glasgow. Our ...
Thu 6th
00:30
SPEP Thermal Imaging Camera - Your Chance To Check Your Property For Heat Loss! ** ONE WEEK TO GO **
Thermal Imaging Camera (Image Courtesy Wikipedia) South Cambridgeshire District Councils' Energy Projects team have made available to Bar Hill residents their Thermal Imaging camera. The main use for this will be to spot area of your house, like roof spaces, windows, doors, etc where you're losing the most heat. There will be a short training session on the 13th February between 7 and 8pm at the Parish Council Offices. If you'd like to attend please contact Bunty Waters via email.
