[IMG: issan] Issan Ghazni, Euro candidate in the East Midlands, has said that a new report warning that the Midlands would be hit hardest if Britain quit the EU showed why voters should support the pro-European Liberal Democrat in May's election. A study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) found that between 2009 - 2011 the East Midlands were the region with the highest reliance on EU exports with almost one in six jobs associated with demand from the EU. The Cebr report calculated that 4.2 million jobs across Britain were tied to trade with Europe. Ghazni ...
Terrible news that at Planning Sub-Committee B the planning application that will drive green grocer Pretty Traditional out of North Cross Road was granted planning permission. As Lib Dem East Dulwich ward councillors Cllr Jonathan Mitchell, Rosie Shimell and myself insisted this planning permission was called-in. I argued that the plans were an overdevelopment of the site, would cause noise for neighbours with a first floor terrace, and have access problems. Sadly the committee discounted these issues and granted planning permission. This allows the site owner to terminate the lease kicking out Pretty Traditional. So we now need to find ...
Alex Kane has written a very good article in The Newsletter, analysing in the starkest manner I have seen yet the complete failure of Northern Ireland's unionist parties to pass the Ronseal test: they don't do what it says on the tin. Not the Progressive Unionist Party. And we're not just talking about the additional adjectives here; I think most people realised a long time ago that they appear to be there just for comedy value: the Democratic Unionist Party seems to be run on Leninist lines of authority; the Ulster Unionist Party have problems with geography; the Progressive Unionist ...
Forty years ago this week the Heath government inflicted a reform of local government upon us. To commemorate this anniversary BBC Sunday Politics NW did a piece including contributions from our MP John Pugh and me. Jim Hancock, the NW's premiere political commentator, has written arguing that there is still unfinished business for the NW following on from a previous posting calling for a more co-ordinated Regional approach which I covered in an earlier posting. Southport got a rotten deal out of local government reorganisation in the 1970's. In truth none of the options on offer back then were 'Southport ...
Frank Little writes: What should have been a controlled response to a possible attack by the larch fungus seems to have turned into wholesale clearance in Craig Gwladus. There is a report by Cadoxton photographer Mike Davies on the Neath Guardian website. We should be interested to learn what action councillors Annette Wingrave (Cadoxton) and Doreen Jones (Aberdulais) are taking.
I think it might be.
[IMG: Vincent Cable] The publication of a report today by the National Audit Office criticising the "deep caution" of Vince Cable's department in setting the sale price of shares in Royal Mail has, inevitably, been leapt on by opponents of the policy. Critics who would, of course, have been equally happy crowing if the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills had set the price too high causing the flotation flop. Vince Cable went to the despatch box of the Commons today to defend his department's actions, making headlines for unambiguously stating, "The last thing I intend to do is apologise". ...
In my blog post yesterday, I encouraged readers to read Ta-Nehisi Coates' essay, 'Other People's Pathologies, in The Atlantic. As I normally do, I tweeted a few times with a link to my blog post: Without slavery there is no democracy; without slavery there is no American dream; without slavery there's no America http://t.co/s5ghnITEgG — Chris Connolly (@Cripipper) April 1, 2014 What's been fascinating to observe is the reaction to it, and by that I mean the relative lack of reaction or interest. Normally when I tweet a blog post, no matter how banal, it registers about 5 or 6 ...
Huge congrats to Jo Baker – researcher for Mark Williams, Lib Dem MP for Ceredigion – for winning The House Magazine and PoliticsHome.com's Liberal Democrat Researcher of the Year! Congratulations to @bakess_j, who works for me in London, for winning Liberal Democrat Researcher of the Year! pic.twitter.com/hQgG8Svz6D — Mark Williams (@mark4ceredigion) April 1, 2014
[IMG: West Buckland School] West Buckland School Last week was an extraordinary week for me. This was mainly due to what happened on Wednesday and Thursday. On Thursday I ran in the Exmoor Run at my old school, West Buckland School in North Devon. The day before I had a "Back to school day" courtesy of the West Buckland School Foundation and Old West Buckland Association. I really felt very spoilt. Lucy and Val from the Foundation made me feel very special and organised a superb day. I was guided around by two fellows who I remember arriving at West ...
From tomorrow's Guardian: Nick Clegg will go into the second of his two televised debates with Nigel Farage on Europe on Wednesday night presenting himself as the head of a movement to stop the Ukip leader. He left the first debate last week determined to show a more emotional side, admitting to his staff that he had become bogged down in statistical disputes with Farage that probably left viewers disengaged. The debate was punctuated with disputes over the number of Bulgarian migrants, the dependency of the UK labour force on Europe and the proportion of UK laws drawn up by ...
Hopi Sen remarked on Twitter today that April Fools' Day is: "The day we learn why professional comedians and comedy scriptwriters exist." But there were a couple of spoofs today that are worth repeating. First a tweet from Matthew Ward (a must-follow for anyone intersted in British history): Archaeologists from @uniofleicester have found #RichardIII's horse near @BosworthLCC #archaeology pic.twitter.com/wntLZlhMxd — Matthew Ward (@HistoryNeedsYou) April 1, 2014 And then there was this video from King's College, Cambridge, explaining that regulations mean that they can no longer use boy trebles and showing what they are going to do instead...
Do pop over to The Staggers to see what all the fuss is about
Cheadle High Street will be one-way over Easter as United Utilities dig down to repair a collapsed sewer near Mary Street. The sewer is about 5 meters below ground and, if left, could see sewage leaking into cellars or even a road collapse, so it has to be done. Whilst it's being done, the Council is taking the opportunity to relay pavements near St Mary's Church – the narrowest section of the High Street that would cause more disruption if done at another time. The restrictions will start on Friday 4th April 2014, after rush hour is finished. The hope ...
This Saturday Afghans will go to the polls to elect a new President to replace Hamid Karzai. As NATO troops are also being wound down it's an opportune moment to examine whether Western intervention in Afghanistan has achieved its intentions. As was made clear at an excellent seminar put on by the Global Strategy Forum [...]
Apparently the picture on the right from last month's Attitude is too racy for customers of Sainsbury's customers to view as they browse their magazine stands. Bear this in mind next time you walk in past a poster advertising Tu's swimwear collection as you walk through the door, or maybe a biography of Tom Daley being advertised right at the entrance (like the last one was). In both those occasions in recent years Sainsbury's has a bare chested man on display prominently as you entered the store not tucked away in the magazine racks. In the case of Tom Daley ...
[IMG: unemployment] In 1929, Lloyd George launched We Can Conquer Unemployment, the policy document that was to form the basis of the Liberals' election campaign. This week, George Osborne said "I am committed to securing the "fullest" possible level of employment by helping business to create new jobs and cutting taxes." Nick Clegg has said "... many people had accepted real terms pay cuts in recent years to safeguard their jobs and the government must continue to support them as well as creating the climate for new jobs. All I want is the maximum number of people to be employed ...
[IMG: Julian Huppert, Lib Dem PPC for Cambridge] "To ban, or not to ban, khat is the question", tweeted Julian Huppert on Monday morning. Unfortunately, Labour MPs later in the day joined their Tory (and DUP) counterparts in a statutory instrument committee to vote in favour of a ban. The two Lib Dem MPs, Huppert and Greg Mulholland, were defeated 16-2 and the khat trade now looks set to be criminalised. On The Guardian website, Julian writes: [khat is] a mild stimulant - roughly on a par with a strong cup of coffee. It is not considered particularly addictive, and ...
Speaking in The Newsletter today the public policy officer of the Evangelical Alliance Northern Ireland (EANI) David Smyth said: "While Saturday was a day of celebration for some, it was a concerning day for many. "Christian opposition to same-sex marriage was never just about protecting churches. It's always been about the wellbeing and welfare of family and communities for generations to come. "The whole idea of "equal" marriage comes from a premise that many outrightly reject, that marriage is an inequality to be corrected. "This change in marriage law was argued on the grounds of equality and love. "What about ...
It wasn't the Mini Cooper that runs on tea, or the marmite doughnuts (yuck), the wonderful corkscrew construction that would have ease you in to driving on the right in an independent Scotland. Nor was it the idea of having ... Continue reading →
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The Independent View: Improving the lives of disabled people is essential for a stronger economy and...
The role that Liberal Democrats play in drafting their party's manifesto is unique in British politics. So is the party's approach to disability. At the 2010 General Election the Liberal Democrats were the only party to produce a manifesto for disabled people. This pledged better employment support and improved recording of disability hate crime. And in Government, the two Coalition Ministers responsible for social care reform are from Lib Dem benches - Paul Burstow and Norman Lamb. Their commitment to improving social care support for disabled people has been clear. As the 2015 manifesto is drafted, there is an opportunity ...
I'd normally be delighted if someone makes a random mash up of two of my favourite films. However, this picture of a minion as the Joker is probably going to give me nightmares: Photo credit: http://imgur.com/9oUV0qxFiled under: Uncategorized Tagged: Cinema, Dark Knight, Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2, Film, Heath Ledger, Joker, Minions
The Times reports that the police are investigating claims of "financial irregularities" at Ukip. They say that the Metropolitan Police hve confimed that they are looking into a series of allegations made against Nigel Farage's party by Jasna Badzak, a former Ukip press officer and parliamentary candidate: David Manning, an acting detective superintendent at Scotland Yard, outlined five claims that he intends to investigate in an e-mail sent to Ms Badzak last week. They include financial irregularities "regarding the funding of the party" as well as a number of other allegations made against individuals associated with Ukip. It is understood ...
With 7 weeks to go till polling day, nominations for the 2014 local elections will open on Monday 14th April and close on Thursday 24th at 4pm. We should be aiming at the fullest slates we can but the targeting should be within that slate should be strict If you leave it too late [...]
No, the title of this blog post is not an April Fools – just a bit tongue in cheek. One of these three things has been banned by parliament*, and it does seem as if MPs will readily ban anything if it makes them seem Tough in the War On...whatever it is we're fighting this week. Last night, there was a key vote in a parliamentary committee on banning Khat, a substance used by Somalis, Ethiopians, Kenyans and Yemenis. The Tories are all for banning it, despite another parliamentary committee already recommending against it's ban. The swing vote was left ...
[IMG: Empty pavement, Highgate Hill, Islington] It's another empty pavement success. Unlike that one, this one thankfully did not take seven months. It was a mere two months to get the bricks left over by roadworks contractors to be removed. So far, nothing out of the ordinary there for long-term readers of my blog. Whether it is bollards, potholes, road markings or the like, you'll know how common it is for it to take months and months for the simplest of repairs or remedies to be implemented. But what's of particular interest in this case is my communications with Islington ...
TACTRAN, the Regional Transport Partnership, has just launched a Thistle Assistance Card throughout the TACTRAN area, including Dundee, Angus, Perth and Kinross and Stirling Council areas. The aim of the Thistle Card is to help anyone who has difficulty in using public transport because of their age, disability or illness. The card will quickly and easily tell the bus driver about any extra help needed during the journey. Further details will be available from local libraries, the Coach Shop in Commercial Street and on National Express buses within the next few days. You can also find out more by contacting ...
I've had a report of a debit card being grabbed by a cash machine and cloned in Gatley – presumably with some bit of kit added on to do it. The victim then had hundreds of pounds stolen from their account. Keep an eye out for anything that looks odd or out of place on cash machines, and if the machine keeps your card, phone the bank right away. If it has been stolen, the bank may only refund your money from the time you informed them.
[IMG: crime] Have you seen this part of the LibDem website? It went live following the Nick v Nigel debate last week, and gives examples (and pictures) of criminals locked up thanks to the European Arrest Warrant. Like others, I find this page distasteful and discomforting. Yet still, I support it. I actually missed the debate last Wednesday because I was attending a Parish Council meeting, but what I read on Twitter spoke volumes. Nick won the factual debate, but Farage did well on emotion. I think we need to remember that, because it's key to the whole issue. As ...
[IMG: Nick Clegg argues for the EU] Usually you can tell what answers people will give to political polling questions pretty much just based on their voting intention. Do people like a government policy? Those who say they're voting for the government most likely say yes, those who are voting for the main opposition say no. The grip that people's party preference has on their answers to other questions can be depressing at times (and there's good evidence that the causation does run this way – from party choice to answers on other questions rather than vice versa). It also ...
[IMG: spiral] The Guardian reveals plans for Scotland to switch to driving on the right after Independence. The article includes a video (which we can't embed here) and uses a natty Lego model to explain how the crossover from left to right at the border will work . To ease the transition, Scottish transport planners, under strict conditions of secrecy, have begun drawing up plans for a series of spiral interchanges at the major border transport nodes. These will transition drivers to the correct side of the road - whether travelling south-north or north-south - and avoid cross-border crashes - ...
One of my favourite outside committees on which I serve on behalf of Gateshead Council has been the one that runs Beamish Museum (or more officially the North East of England Open Air Museum). Alas, it is now coming to an end and new management arrangements are coming into effect. Though I will miss it, the reforms to the way it is run are a sensible way forward, even if I am not directly
[IMG: This week's Golden Dozen displayed via wordle.net] We at LDV towers are proud to announce a new strategy for Liberal Democrat Voice which will increase our influence within and beyond the party and leverage the capabilities of social media technologies to their full potential. This strategy makes full use of the unique placement we have as 'our place to talk' and premier online Liberal Democrat presence, as well as our regular authoritative members' surveys. The strategy has three essential, intertwined and synergistic elements: 1. We will be moving the site to the Nationbuilder platform as is now used for ...
[IMG: faces] Jonathan Freedland in an article for the Guardian raises the critical subject of the right balance between positive and negative campaign messages and their effectiveness on the body politic. He does so in the context of September's Scottish referendum over concern that the 'NO' campaign is increasingly characterised by fear, in spite of the fact that the overall message is 'Better Together'. The debate now under way has a resonance that extends beyond Scotland, touching all democratic politics. When opposing a proposal, or a government, what's the right balance of smile and frown? Negative messaging has a place ...
Four things about men and women I've learnt from being neither This post is fantastic (tags: ) [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
The first in a series. I wrote it last week, but there've been problems with the Mindless site. You might need to try to reload once or twice to see it. Back properly tomorrow.
News reaches me of a potentially very effective but highly controversial fundraising move planned by Liberal Democrat HQ for the general election. Back when I worked at party HQ, I was involved in trademarking the party's logo so that the party was in a stronger legal position when dealing with cyber-squatters or producers of fake literature. Now the party is planning to go one step further, trademarking the party's name and starting to enforce the trademark, charging royalties for its use. The Press Office has unsurprisingly insisted on an exemption for the mainstream media and party members will be exempt ...
I've been feeling a little cross at the way parents are being treated by schools. I have to confess an interest here. In short, I am a parent. I am therefore on the receiving end of a number of rather patronising and threatening letters from my children's school, warning me how much I might be fined for taking them out without permission. Of course, I'm not in favour of parents just taking children out of school on a whim. I know, I know, school is important. My children need their education and - even more important - the school needs ...
Further to my article last week about alterations to National Express bus services planned for 4th May, and with thanks to Suzy Scott at dundeebuses.info and outline detail published yesterday by the Traffic Commissioners, here's some further information about the services I referred to that affect the West End : Service 5 and a new X5 : There will be a revised Service 5 timetable and changes to the route, with the western end of the route now becoming a one-way loop so that from Ninewells Hospital (getting there by the current route - eg Tom McDonald Avenue) it goes ...
What does the design of cables tell us about the men who invented them? Computer designers often strictly gender the components they create. The most obvious example is the motherboard - the central hub of the computer from which all electronic life descends. As well as circuit boards (often called daughter-boards) - cables are also subject to strict gender rules. The convention is that the part with the most obvious protrusion is assigned as "male" - it then slots tightly into the "female" port. Thus consummated, a meaningful exchange of data can be conducted. Once in a while, a complicated ...
On a number of occasions in the past, I have raised the issue of high hedges following concerns from West End residents about the lack of adequate legislation to help tackle the problem of overly high hedges, over-shadowing, etc. It is therefore good to see the High Hedges (Scotland) Act 2013 coming into force today. The City Council has provided councillors with a useful guide that should answer questions they and residents may have about applying for a High Hedge Notice and how the legislation operates. With the permission of the Head of Planning, I reproduce this below and there ...
The Western Mail reports on a policy passed at the Welsh Liberal Democrats Conference in October, which has just been launched by Education Spokesperson, Aled Roberts. They say that a policy of scrapping subsidies for student fees and moving to a system of supporting students' escalating living costs could restore trust in the Liberal Democrats among the student population: Education spokesman Aled Roberts, an Assembly Member for North Wales, said the party policy could increase access for students from deprived backgrounds in Wales, which he claimed was worse than the rest of the UK. The phased policy would see the ...
The steps taken by President Putin to annex Crimea to Russia are in flagrant breach of international law and send a chilling message across the continent of Europe. Russia has invaded a fellow European nation and used force to change its borders. This is the most serious risk to European security in this century. Vital principles are at stake, including the territorial integrity of European nations and the rights of democratic countries to choose their own future. We must defend these principles. The United Kingdom cannot accept the use of armed force to resolve disputes in place of negotiation and ...
The Ealing Liberal Democrats launched their local election manifesto today. They are the effective opposition in Ealing, given that they are the only party who has costed policies to deal with the key local issues that residents are concerned about. In Ealing we have a growing membership Ealing Council has been selling off our day centres, left our streets and parks dirty and charged for collecting our garden waste. The Liberal Democrats are the only party who have costed policies. We will be tough as nails with contractors who are providing a poor service and we will freeze Council Tax ...
Just a quick reminder that tomorrow night at 7pm BBC2 will be hosting a debate featuring Nick Clegg and Nigel Farage on Europe. The debate is available online via the BBC website; http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/tv/bbc_two_england/watchlive Whilst the LBC broadcast was the first such clash between the two party leaders I think a television camera will lead to a very different event.
