Many in the party hoped the issue of the Portsmouth shipyard closing would go away but I haven't forgotten it and nobody else should either. Maintain your rage! It doesn't help that our party while claiming to be a "party of government" and with pretensions to lead rather than just be a junior player does not have a defence policy (let alone a foreign policy). To refresh those that have already swept it under the doormat of their memory, BAE announced last year that it was cutting 1,775 jobs nationally, including 940 at Portsmouth where it would no longer build ...
First Bus have announced proposals for a direct bus service from Yate to Southmead Hospital from 13 April, together with changes to other services. While the direct link will very welcome, it falls short of the desire for a service from Chipping Sodbury as well. Other consequences appear to be that certain services will be lost from parts of North Yate, and Chipping Sodbury and South Yate look likely to lose their existing direct service to Cribbs Causeway. So all in all, a mixed bag. One upside is that most of these services will be run on a commercial basis, ...
I've not been well today, but why go further?
It looks like Network Rail have listened to councillors and users of the path over the footbridge to Wapley Bushes. They have put in an application to divert the path via a temporary footbridge while they raise the bridge to get clearance for the overhead cables for electrifying the line. Clearance work has recently started on site and we are now waiting for Network Rail to sort out the details of the paths to make sure that the slope isn't too steep.
Fri 28th
19:26
The real reason why David Cameron is saying 'no' to a second coalition? I'd say 'Money"
My latest in the New Statesman.... The official line of why we went into coalition with the Tories is of course that is was the democratic will of the people. Our combined share of the vote of 59 per cent remains the only occasion since the Second World War that the UK government has been formed with a majority share of the popular vote. But there is another side to the story as well, often debated within the Lib Dems, which explains the real reasoning why David Cameron is debating putting a "no coalitions clause" into the next Conservative manifesto. ...
US intel agencies insist Russia is bluffing in Ukraine, reports @elilake. http://t.co/eEag0QR2hw — davidfrum (@davidfrum) February 28, 2014
Today's news that, apparently, American Airlines have decided to withdraw the arrangement whereby those unexpectedly bereaved could fly home without breaking the bank to do so, perhaps doesn't come as a huge surprise, given the curious lack of correlation between customer service and flying in the US. The reason given is linked to the recent merger between American and US Airways (probably my least favourite airline) as, it seems, US Airways didn't offer such a deal - not a huge surprise, frankly. And so, reaching for the lowest common denominator, American have withdrawn it. Now I do see the scope ...
Forget spaceships, washing machines and fridges are where stories of the revolutionary possibilities of innovation lie. Alice Bell
Now the blog's lttle video of the Land Song has topped 4,500 hits on youtube it is due another outing here. The best place for information is here http://www.historyworkshop.org.uk/the-land-song/
More comedy genius from Australia's Clarke and Dawe: You can also watch this on YouTube.
Fri 28th
15:13
Never a man to let a fundraising idea go to waste, @A_C_McGregor wants me to wear a dress. Again.
So, Spring Conference is coming up. One of the events thereat is an exclusive invite-only candidates' reception with Our Glorious Leader Cleggy and party president Tim Farron. My lovely PPC has wangled me an invite as his plus-one*. But there's a catch. He wants me to wear a dress. I pointed out that the last time I wore a dress it raised £75 for his campaign fund, and if he wants me to do that again he'd better be damn sure to beat that amount by a long way. I gave him a target of £250. Sadly, people have already ...
I watched the film Lincoln recently, only a year after everybody else. Apart from wondering why we can't make such intelligent films about political history in the UK, I was fascinated by the portrayal of Lincoln himself - his endless supply of homely tales which infuriated his colleagues but played such a role in defusing tension. By coincidence, I've just been reading the absolutely compelling autobiography of Peter Drucker, Adventures of a Bystander. Drucker really invented the art of management writing, and died recently (well, in 2005) just short of his 96th birthday - carrying on writing and consulting almost ...
Tim Farron has said that he expects that Liberal Democrats will oppose the so-called "Bedroom Tax" in 2015. In an interview with Inside Housing, he has said that in its current form it was causing hardship and depriving housing associations of the money to build much needed new homes. While he praised the Liberal Democrats who had secured more money for discretionary housing payments to mitigate its effects, he acknowledged that reforms were needed. He said: I would be disappointed if we did support it in its current form. I do not expect our party to support this policy unreformed, ...
Here's a copy of a recent post by me – also available on Lib Dem Voice. Uganda's new anti-homosexuality legislation is abhorrent. It imposes draconian penalties for repeat offences of homosexuality, so-called 'aggravated' homosexuality, same-sex marriage, attempting to commit homosexuality and for the loosely defined 'promotion' of homosexuality. This is nothing short of a great leap backward - not just for Uganda but for gay rights across Africa. I believe it marks a growing state-backed homophobic trend across the continent, one we cannot and should not ignore. From Day 1 in my role as Africa minister at the Department for ...
Cllr Iain Roberts has been selected to stand as the Cheadle & Gatley Liberal Democrat candidate in the local elections on May 22nd. Iain was first elected in a by-election in 2009, then held his seat in 2010. "It's been a privilege to serve Cheadle and Gatley," said Iain. "Over that time I've been able to help hundreds of residents with problems and the Lib Dem team have made real progress improving our area. There are still a lot of challenges to come, though – Council budgets are set to shrink further, we need to get our roads and pavements ...
'All is Lost' and not 'Gravity' should be in contention for Oscar glory They are in many respects very similar films. Gravity and All is Lost both largely consist of solo performances from their leads: Sandra Bullock and Robert Redford respectively. They are about people who find themselves alone and adrift in a hostile environment [...]
Shirley will be at Southport tonight to speak at our fundraising dinner. The tickets have sold like the proverbial hot cakes, thanks in no small part to Pat Keith's hard work. Recently Robert Milligan popped into the office in Shakespeare Street. Robert volunteered on day one of the 1983 General Election. He was brilliant. He ran 'front of house' meeting and greeting all comers and sorting out deliveries. Robert had been tidying up and come across a file from 1983 including a batch of photographs. The first photo is of a previous visit to Southport by Shirley. We are stood ...
Uganda's new anti-homosexuality legislation is abhorrent. It imposes draconian penalties for repeat offences of homosexuality, so-called 'aggravated' homosexuality, same-sex marriage, attempting to commit homosexuality and for the loosely defined 'promotion' of homosexuality. This is nothing short of a great leap backward - not just for Uganda but for gay rights across Africa. I believe it marks a growing state-backed homophobic trend across the continent, one we cannot and should not ignore. From Day 1 in my role as Africa minister at the Department for International Development (DFID), strengthening the department's LGBT rights strategy has been one of my top priorities. ...
Just one principal by-election yesterday. In Scotter ward of West Lindsey District Council, the Conservatives held on in a two way contest with the Liberal Democrats. Keith Panter more than doubled the Liberal Democrat vote achieving 34.3%. Surprisingly UKIP who came second in the County Council elections last May didn't stand a candidate after coming [...]
In this crowded but scenic country mining of any resource attracts suspicion if not opposition, especially where new technology is to be employed. Experience in the USA has identified potential problems but also ways to minimise them. The note rehearses the risks, indicates the potential for the UK and argues for exploration provided that the highest standards of regulation and monitoring are adhered to. ALDShaleGas214(3)
[IMG: LY campaigning in Weston] Yesterday Nick Clegg made an announcement on Further Education. This is a response from members of Liberal Youth's working group on Further Education. Nick Clegg's announcement yesterday was largely focussed on improving careers advice, severely damaged as a result of the scrapping of Connexions, and giving those who haven't gone to Higher Education an equal chance to those who have. Nick talked about creating a 'one stop shop' website for 16 year olds to help them plan their next move, similar to UCAS but will include information about apprenticeships, college courses and the like. This ...
Digital art has been around for over 50 years, arts patronage much longer. But when Google excitedly launches its new code art, do we loose a space for critique? Georgina Voss
In November, Taylor Wimpey hosted a workshop and public consultation to give local people the chance to view and feedback on their proposals for a new residential development at the MOD Shorncliffe Garrison site. There will now be another opportunity for the public to view the proposals in more detail. There are two sessions: TODAY (28 February) 2pm - 7pm and TOMORROW (1 March) 10am - 1pm. The venue: Army Cadet Force Hut, Church Road, Shorncliffe. Published and promoted by Tim Prater, 98a Sandgate High Street, Folkestone, CT20 3BYPrinted (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 ...
A couple of weeks ago I held a meeting (packed) for residents of the Noel Park estate where they could tell Homes for Haringey and Haringey Council face to face about the appalling failure on repairs. Tale after tale of real suffering due to repairs not being done or done so badly they needn't have bothered. Today the Tottenham and Wood Green Journal highlights – with a brilliant example – a level of incompetence by Homes for Haringey that is beyond belief. 'Haringey's council housing arm has come under fire after sending a bricklayer to fix a woman's mould-covered window ...
Please note there is no Faith, Pride, and Chat meeting this evening, due to personal reasons.
[IMG: Child's blanket] As a precaution Asda are recalling the Little Tikes Cuddly Blanket with the code number 07C.08.13.075 on the sewing label. The fabric rings at each corner may detach and cause a choking hazard for small children. If you have purchased one of these items with the specific code you can return it to your nearest Asda store for a full refund. No receipt is required. If you have any questions or concerns about this recall you can contact Asda Customer Relations on 0800 952 0101 or visit their website at www.asda.com. You can sign up and receive ...
The Lib Dem proposals to invest £100 million in repairing our roads and pavements – the biggest investment ever seen in Stockport – and to freeze Council Tax for next year were both approved when the Stockport budget was passed last night. Neither the Conservatives nor Labour had any amendments to the Lib Dem budget. Labour spent most of the evening telling us where they'd spend more money, but had no ideas at all about where else they could save money to balance a budget so they ended up abstaining. Other investments approved include a boost for primary school places ...
The Voice is only a success because of the interest and support from our readers. For many people just lurking and reading the site is all they want to do – and that's fine, we're grateful for people taking the time to read the site. You can though help us continue to produce interesting content for a growing audience. Here are four simple ways: 1. Let us have your tips for stories. Perhaps there's something outrageous going on in your local council? Or you're an expert in a particular area and have spotted a story other people have missed? Or ...
The 2013/14 winter and 2007 summer floods both caused widespread disruption and dismay. The UK has remarkably low but reliable annual rainfall which is a huge unrecognised benefit to farmers, but some flooding is inevitable. This briefing note explains why and what mitigation measures have and can be put in place.ALDFloods214
Here's some of the articles that have caught my attention in the past couple of days... Honey I Shrunk the Country! « The Peters Projection Map controversy collides with Scotland and the weather forecast > "Honey I Shrunk the Country!" http://bit.ly/OISMj1 Yahoo webcam images from millions of users intercepted by GCHQ | World news | theguardian.com Genuinely shocked at reminder that Yahoo once had millions of users http://bit.ly/1hEib5v Patricia Hewitt takes responsibility for mistakes over paedophile campaign | Politics | The Guardian "Patricia Hewitt takes responsibility for mistakes over paedophile campaign" http://bit.ly/1kpCzJo The only possible right response. Merkel's visit has ...
On a day so gorgeous that it could only be a harbinger of spring, I sped to London on a late afternoon train for a rather special dinner, one intended to celebrate the reign as Leader of the Parliamentary Party in the Lords of Tom McNally, who stood down recently. On Wednesday, the sun shone as my train skirted the Stour estuary, putting me in as good a mood as one could hope for, and Greater Anglia co-operated to the extent that the train ran on time, always a bonus, before I took the Circle Line to a secret location ...
The frustrations of being in government with the Tories are no greater than when they are concerned with issues of poverty and vulnerability. Many Liberal Democrats have ongoing concerns about welfare reforms which remove support from people who need it. However much we might try to console ourselves with the fact that we are making a difference with things like free school meals, the raising of the tax threshold, extra childcare for the poorest, an early start to education for the poorest 2 year olds and making sure that the whole country enjoys the benefits of the economic recovery and ...
Unsurprisingly, the Welsh Affairs Committee report on the draft Wales Bill fails to achieve a consensus on key issues such as the lockstep linking together income tax levels in any devolution of income tax-varying powers and the voting system. What it does do though is highlight the importance of reforming the Barnett formula so that the money going to the Welsh Government is distributed on the basis of need rather than an arbitrary population based percentage of UK spending set in the 1970s. Fair funding is crucial before the Welsh Assembly takes on tax-varying powers, otherwise the calculation of the ...
Lower Valley Safer Cleaner Greener Team Day of Action | West Yorkshire Police (tags: ) [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
I very much welcome the extra £12 million given to the National Assembly from the Westminster Government for broadband, an above Barnet share of the overall sum, which was announced by the Government earlier this week. This money is for the roll out of Superfast Cymru, and programme which is set to give 96% of homes in Wales access to broadband by 2016. The additional £12 million announced this week by the Westminster Government, will raise the total investment into the roll out of broadband in Wales to £69 million by this Government. I am pleased Wales received an above ...
It was very pleasing, earlier this week, to be advised of the excellent inspection report for Balgay Hill Nursery School, undertaken by Education Scotland. The evaluations and key strengths outlined in the report highlight the very positive experience children receive at Balgay Hill Nursery School: Key strengths of the schoolChildren are actively engaged and motivated in their learning.Staff provide a nurturing, caring and welcoming learning environment.Inclusive ethos in supporting children and their families.Transition arrangements for children transferring to P1.Effective leadership of the headteacher.More detail of the inspection report can be read here. Congratulations go to Mrs Cowan, Head Teacher, and ...
I think that there is only one meeting at BTC next week Thursday 6th March , 6:30 pm, at Arms Evertyne House: Allotments Committee
[IMG: Brick laying] Two quick questions to see if you are up to running housing in Haringey. a. A mouldy window needs fixing. Do you send (a) a bricklayer, or (b) someone else? b. A collapsed stair needs fixing. Do you send (a) a gardener, or (b) someone else? If you answered two straight (a)s, congratulations, you've got what it takes, for as the local newspaper has reported: Teresa Martin, 68, regularly called HfH [Homes for Haringey] to chase up progress on repairs to the maisonette she has lived in for 32 years in Lordship Lane, Wood Green. But a ...
A year ago today, Mike Thornton was declared the new Lib Dem MP for Eastleigh. [IMG: Clegg Thornton Eastleigh] I've just been re-reading my first reflections on the result, written minutes after Mike's narrow victory over Ukip was confirmed. As I pointed out then, despite the horrendous circumstances surrounding the by-election – Chris Huhne's resignation, the allegations against Chris Rennard – Eastleigh was a good seat for the Lib Dems to contest owing to our long-standing, entrenched local strength there. The other night's victors, I noted, were Ukip: "There must also now be the very real possibility that Ukip could ...
