In the days when railway carriages had prints of British scenes - I think I just about remember them - you might have come across this one of Market Harborough by Frank Sherwin.
The Welsh Labour Party once again displayed their poverty of ambition for Wales. A debate was held in the Welsh Assembly this month on Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) in Wales. The Welsh Liberal Democrats, following a unanimous decision by members at the Party's Spring Conference, tabled the debate calling on the Welsh Government to take a number [...]
Note to readership: I have been having a very bad brain day today. This blog post came out in fits and starts over about 6 hours. Normally something like this would take about 15 minutes. So please understand if I am not as quick to respond to comments as usual. Thanks. Much is often made* of the fact that our politics in this country is done by the privileged, not just in terms of race and gender, but class; that you need to have money to get anywhere; and that our journalists are from similarly privileged backgrounds and do a ...
Cheadle Green is certainly looking different! The improvements are well underway with the new cherry trees and turf in situ and work ongoing to finish off the rest in the next few weeks. Anyone passing by this week might have seen wood sculptor Andy Burgess – with chainsaw in hand – creating the newest addition. The Cheadle Green improvements have been funded and led by the Cheadle Civic Society. As local councillors we've supported the work and helped where we can, and the Council has been closely involved in carrying out the work. [IMG: photo (1)] [IMG: photo]
There is something very worrying happening at Medway Council that is having a very bad effect on democracy in Medway and is turning voters against the elected council, especially the ruling Conservative party. At every full Council there is an allotted time for Public questions to Portfolio holders. It is true that this is often used by Politicos and Party members to make a point as well as one or two people with burning issues but used to fit neatly into the time frame. Recently though there have been more and more questions are being brought to the Full Council ...
Looks like there will be one less piece of paper for us all to worry about come election day on the 22nd May, at least here in Bar Hill. The number of nominations for the Parish Council is equal to the number of vacancies (13). So here are the results; Name of Candidate (Home Address) Description (if any)BURRAGE, Brian John (7 Field View, Bar Hill, Cambridge, CB23 8SX)DOLAND, John (49, Watermead, Bar Hill, Cambridge, CB23 8TJ) - IndependentHALL, Roger (11 Almond Grove, Bar Hill, Cambridge)HOWARD, Brian Arthur (135 Pheasant Rise, Bar Hill, Cambs, CB23 8SD)JENKINS, Sue Deborah (80, Foxhollow, Bar ...
Fri 25th
20:00
Edward McMillan-Scott MEP writes... 100 years on from World War I, let's remember the EU's role in s...
[IMG: Anzac day License Some rights reserved by Ian McKenzie] Today is Anzac Day, when we remember those Australians and New Zealanders who fell fighting during the First World War side by side with British soldiers, and the senseless sacrifices of millions of men and women who died across Europe and the rest of the world. This year will see the one hundredth year anniversary of the First World War and it should give us time to pause and reflect on the tragedies of the first half of the twentieth-century. As we do so, we should recognise the huge achievement ...
The new issue of Liberator was waiting for me when I got home. Which means it is time for another week with Rutland's most celebrated fictional peer. Monday Lunch with a Conservative acquaintance who, being of a moderate bent, is not happy with the way things are going in his party. "When Cameron came on the scene I had high hopes of him: all those huskies he kissed at the North Pole and that windmill on his roof. Now it's all changed. Did you hear that he has asked five Estonians to write our next manifesto?" I agree this does ...
South Cambridgeshire Liberal Democrats launch their 2014 manifesto for the local Council elections in May by calling on the District Council to focus its efforts on getting better value for money from the taxpayer by sharing services. Liberal Democrat Group Leader Bridget Smith said; "For too long local government, including here in South Cambridgeshire, has felt the need to keep as many of it's services as possible in house - as if there was a particularly 'South Cambs' way of collecting Council Tax, procuring good and services, managing IT, and tracking the Council's finances. Today as part of our launch ...
One of the pleasures of blogging is the comments, though these days people are as likely to comment on Twitter as on this blog. Over the years I have received comments from three prominent musicians: Peter AsherJanis IanEliza CarthyYou will see that they were respectively: putting me right on the finer points of a Spencer Davis Group recording session; thanking me for choosing her video and praising Strathpeffer; and (in a comment left today) politely objecting to being used as a political exemplar.
Jack Stilgoe: Today's announcement of a new ship for Antarctic researchers looks like great news for scientists. But the ship will be carrying political as well as scientific cargo. BBC Radio Scotland asked if they could interview me about George Osbornes announcement of new science spending, including this ship. But then they bumped me. It happens. Especially with science policy stories at drivetime. This is sort of what I would have said, building on what Alice Bell's thoughts earlier today On the face of it, this feels like a great thing for British science, particularly the British Antarctic Survey and ...
I attended Sefton's Full Council meeting on Thursday night at Southport Town Hall. As it was the last such meeting before the elections there wasn't much on the agenda. However, the Mayor did bring to our attention the fact that several sitting councillors were about to retire after many years service. I will not list each member but I will emphasise the retirement of Sir Ron Watson. Sir Ron has served as a councillor for 40 years(or there about) as a member of the Conservative Party and recently as an independant Conservative. Despite him being from party that I do ...
My Liberal Democrat government colleague Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury,came to Bristol today to announce £7million government grant support for Bristol Green Capital 2015. I lobbied colleagues in the Treasury and Department of Energy & Climate Change for the money and the scale of the award will make a huge difference to the [...]
Cheshire East are currently consulting on their local plan. In Stockport we have some concerns and there are a number of issues we feel will need to be addressed, not least around greenbelt release and the pressure on the A34 if they go ahead with the proposal to build 1800+ new houses at Handforth East.
Fri 25th
16:15ALDC's by-election report 24 April 2014 - Liberal Democrat Lorna Dupre elected in East Cambridgeshir...
[IMG: ALDC Master Logo (for screen)] There were four by-elections for principal by-elections yesterday. The Liberal Democrats stormed to victory in Sutton of East Cambridgeshire. Lorna Dupre gained the seat previously held by the Conservative Council Leader. Cllr Dupre came from third place in 2011 to take 50.9% of the vote (an increase of 27%). The Conservative and Labour candidates saw large drops in their support. The Tories dropped to second with 27.2% (-19.2%), UKIP who did not stand in 2011 came third with 15.8% and Labour came in last with 6.1% (-23.6%). Of the four candidates only Cllr Dupre ...
Fri 25th
15:25Charles Kennedy pays tribute to Tom MacIver, Scotland's oldest man and founder of Ross-shire Liberal...
[IMG: Screen Shot 2014-04-25 at 14.05.04] Scotland's oldest man, Tom MacIver died last Friday at the age of 106. He was a very significant figure in the Highlands and actually founded the Ross-shire Liberal Party way back in 1959. He remained active until relatively recently. He was awarded the MBE for services to politics. He was a very important player in Charles Kennedy's election campaigns and was known to ease tensions during those sometimes fraught years of the Alliance. He was a teacher by profession and also wrote a book, Croft Remote, about growing up on a remote Wester Ross ...
Further to my most recent item about on the bus shelter reinstatement at Blackness Road near to the West End Schools' Campus, the City Council today advised me that : "... the relocated bus shelter ... is now in situ at Blackness Road opp Peddie Street. Unfortunately, we still have an issue with the electrics and the lights and real time are currently not in operation. We are working to resolve this." However, I am assured that the contractors just need to extend the ducting and this should not take too long to achieve. New bus shelter (with thanks to ...
This morning, along with my ward colleagues, I had a very useful meeting with City Council officers regarding the council's proposals for improving Riverside Drive (area between Tesco and Riverside Approach - see map above) as part of the overall project to improve access to the area on foot and by bicycle that includes the construction of the new pedestrian bridge over the rail line at Seabraes. The recent headlines about the project focussed on the proposal to reduce the number of lanes on the road at this point from four to two and we spent some time going through ...
There were four by-elections for principal by-elections yesterday. The Liberal Democrats stormed to victory in Sutton of East Cambridgeshire. Lorna Dupre gained the seat previously held by the Conservative Council Leader. Cllr Dupre came from third place in 2011 to take 50.9% of the vote (an increase of 27%). The Conservative and Labour candidates saw [...]
As a £200m polar research ship and cuts at Kew Gardens make headlines in the same day, we should ask questions about the politics governing science funding decisions. UK science is getting a shiny new £200m polar research ship. This is interesting for many reasons, not least that it was announced by the chancellor George Osborne, alongside the launch of a consultation on science capital spending. At the same time, further details of the cuts at Kew were published in the Guardian today; as managers say the £5m hole in the budget cannot be filled without losing a sixth of ...
Fri 25th
13:45Opinion: As everyone looks to keep Scotland in the Union is the coalition doing enough to keep Wales...
[IMG: Welsh flag] In 1889 Lloyd George saw the way that Wales was bring treated by his fellow Liberals, over home, rule as being like prize giving at a country fayre: Excellent little Wales' and all that. At horse shows we sometimes see a first prize of £10 given to one, £5 to another, while the third is 'Highly Commended'. That is the way that Wales is treated by the Liberal Party. Ireland deservedly gets the first prize (a series of splendid measures). Scotland take second prize. Wales, like a Welsh mountain pony, is sent away with nothing. What Lloyd ...
Labour 620 (41.0%; +6.1%) Independent 477 (31.5%; +5.5%) Plaid Cymru 349 (23.1%; +12.1%) Conservative 68 (4.5%; -1.2%) Majority 143 Labour hold Percentage change is since 2012
[IMG: lib dem conf voting] The Maria Miller furore has recently highlighted how voters between elections are powerless to change their MP, once they're 'in' that's it – you have to wait another five years to give your judgement on how they've performed. In our 'always on' modern culture this is unusual. People can cancel utility contracts or switch broadband suppliers within days if they're unhappy with the level of service, or give instant feedback online or over the phone which is listened to and actioned. Shouldn't we be able to do that with MPs, or political parties, or if ...
The Derwent Valley Partnership are currently looking for volunteers to help take part in an 'after event' litter pick following the forthcoming Party in the Park event taking place on Sunday 20th July, 12pm-6pm in Blackhill and Consett park. Bin bags and litter pickers will be provided for all volunteers who help to keep the park clean and tidy both during and after the event. If you can spare some time to volunteer during the course of the day, please let the Derwent Valley Partnership team know by Friday 16th May 2014 on 03000 260723. Volunteers will be split in ...
A rant about the Moyes sacking turning the whole media into football bores So David Moyes is no longer Manchester United manager. I've heard a lot about this fact, as I do about a lot of football related events. And I would like it to stop. As background, this sketch from Mitchel and Webb sums [...]
[IMG: Teacher - License Some rights reserved by ben110] It's no secret to readers of Liberal Democrat Voice that when I write an article, education professionals tend to get it in the neck. At least I'm consistent. So why should the June strike bother me? Jerry Glazier highlights the issue of teachers' workload that it is now up to 55 to 60 hours a week on average. This angered me because while youth unemployment stands at just under 1 million a qualified teacher in primary or secondary will start on £21,000 and on average you could eventually hope to earn ...
For the last couple of months we have been having discussions with the police in Whickham about how best to address a spate of burglaries in the area. We decided that it would be useful to hold a public meeting so the police could give residents an overview of what has happened and, very importantly, to explain to residents what they can do to reduce the likelihood of being burgled. The meeting
Fri 25th
10:15++BREAKING: Antidisestablishmentarian Times and Telegraph reveal new danger posed by 150 year-old Li...
[IMG: times tele disestablishment] Is there no actual news happening today? Sounds a stupid question. I mean, the US has accused Russia of deliberately destabilising Ukraine, affordability tests for new mortgages are going to be toughened, and the state-owned Royal Bank of Scotland has vetoed big bonuses for staff. All important, interesting stories. Then I looked at today's Times and Telegraph, both of which lead on whether the Church of England should remain the established state church. Don't get me wrong: it's a diverting issue. A little over five years ago, in the news-lull leading up to Christmas, I asked ...
Clegg on removing the barriers facing women at work & the £23 billion riding on it (tags: ) London Live's Disastrous Ratings: 2,400 Watch Breakfast Show In City Of 9million (tags: ) First Person: If we want to like MPs again, change system | Leicester Mercury (tags: ) Grayling accused of obstructing prison sex inquiry (tags: ) Nigel Farage Told To 'F**k Off Back To Toad Hall' At Ukip Event (VIDEO) Best bit is "Teeheehee! Worth it!" (tags: ) Microsoft OneDrive for Business modifies files as it syncs | Myce.com (tags: ) If Lego made Doctor Who Lego, then all ...
[IMG: Contains Scottish Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Scottish Parliament Licence v1.0.] Today, the Lothians are especially grey and misty. The sight of brightly clad friends and colleagues of Independent MSP Margo MacDonald heading to her memorial service will be a real contrast, exactly as Margo has lit up Scottish politics since her Govan by-election victory 40 years ago. The whole of Scotland will have the chance to show its pride in a warm, straight-talking independent spirit. Earlier this week, Scottish party leaders paid tribute to her in Parliament. Watched by her husband Jim Sillars and her daughters, they ...
Wired has an interesting piece on how digital firms such as Airbnb are pairing up people with something to rent with strangers who want to hire something. Getting trust and confidence in such pairing systems is crucial as Wired says: [IMG: Car. Photo courtesy of http://www.freeimages.com/photo/31221 - some rights reserved] Manit, a freelance yoga instructor and personal trainer, signed up in August 2012 as a driver for Lyft, the then-nascent ride-sharing company that lets anyone turn their car into an ad hoc taxi. Today the company has thousands of drivers, has raised $333 million in venture funding, and is considered ...
If you are looking for something to do on Bank Holiday weekend, why not try Blyth Kite Festival? Take a teddy, and get a certificate if it parachutes from a kite !! I was able to help with the costs by offering support from my small fund for ward projects. I hope by now that Northumberland County Council have changed their minds about charging the organisers rent for the Meggies Burn field !!
Here's some of the articles that have caught my attention in the past couple of days... There's a backlash against nudging - but it was never meant to solve every problem | Cass Sunstein | Comment is free | The Guardian Excellent from @CassSunstein on how "nudging" – used intelligently – promotes freedom of choice http://bit.ly/QDZUh8 Jeremy Browne MP responds to LDV debates about his book One more heave for Jeremy Browne MP's splendidly caustic rejoinder to critics of his book Race Plan (including me) http://bit.ly/1iRZJt4 Meet Google Drive - One place for all your files For the record, last ...
[IMG: Farage ukip - Some rights reserved by Astral Media] One of the political debates over UKIP is the question of whether it is primarily taking its support from disgruntled Conservatives or not. Leading the charge for the 'yes' camp are several recent large-scale polls (or conglomeration of separate polls) from reputable polling companies. Looking at how people who currently say they'll vote UKIP behaved in 2010, the pattern seems clear: UKIP's growth in support predominantly comes from ex-Tories. However, the 'no' camp has its persuasive case, complete with polling too. It's best put by the excellent new book, Revolt ...
Six years ago, the City Council approved a report to provide a replacement car park in Hunter Street at the edge of the university campus. As the Planning and Transport Convener of the day, I welcomed this proposal. The advantages of improved parking facilities on the campus edge are obvious and the facility would also assist residents in the West Port and wider local area, where parking is difficult. It would also relieve many West End streets from university-related on-street parking. Back in 2012, I criticised the current SNP administration for quietly ditching the commitment to build the multi storey ...
You may have heard that there is a strong chance of a tube strike next week. Here's some information that I hope might be useful: 1. The tube will be heavily disrupted from late Monday until early Wednesday. BBC London's site and their transport Twitter feed are good place to check for updates, because the number of unions striking and the services most disrupted may change. 2. There will be knock on effects on other London transport, which will get very crowded. However trains, the Overground, buses and DLR should operate as usual. TFL's route planner allows you to plan ...
Fri 25th
07:45EXCLUSIVE: 81% of Lib Dem members support party being in Coalition with the Conservatives
[IMG: Liberal Democrat badge - Some rights reserved by Paul Walter, Newbury, UK] Lib Dem Voice has polled our members-only forum to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Over 830 party members responded – thank you – and we're publishing the full results. Members back Coalition with Conservatives by 81% to 16% Do you support or oppose the Lib Dems being in the Coalition Government with the Conservatives? (Changes since last time question asked, Dec 2013). 81% (+1%) – Support 16% (-1%) – Oppose 3% (n/c) – ...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-27119412 The BBC has this latest story about the expansion of the Port of Liverpool but the big and very much unanswered question out there is what is to be done about transporting all the extra goods back and forth between the Port and the road and rail network. This has been a big concern for many years as the A5036 from Switch Island to the Port clearly struggles for capacity now. Of course, the road is also a commuter route into Bootle and Liverpool so at times this regionally important access road, which is the only 'A' road in ...
The Wales Audit Office's newly published report into European Structural Funds highlights the huge importance of Wales remaining in the EU, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have argued. The report makes clear that by the end of 2013, the value of EU funding under the 2007-2013 structural funds programmes is equivalent to around £1.9 billion. With other match funding from UK sources, the total value of the programmes over the whole period has been worth around £3.2 billion. The report found that programmes established through European structural funds have progressed relatively well overall despite certain difficulties. It also found that management ...
News yesterday indicates that star of Ukip's latest political broadcast has been suspended from the party after claiming Ed Miliband is "not British". In what is being billed as a major embarrassment to Nigel Farage, Andre Lampitt, a Zimbabwean decorator and kitchen fitter who appeared in the party's television broadcast, posted a string of "repellent" messages online. Amongst his claims are Africans should "kill themselves off", Islam is "evil" and Nigerians are "bad people": Mr Lampitt, who describes himself as "Born British in Rhodesia" and speaks with a Zimbabwean accent, was filmed on a building site wearing a hard hat ...
I facilitated a discussion today on the pulls of Syria on young people and the passion and energy in the room really was moving. The room was made up of a large number of young Muslims who clearly were passionate about doing something to help the refugees and the lives of innocent Syrians caught up in the bitter conflict. The questions were sharp and incisive and we simply do a grave injustice when we think that young people are not really aware of the world around them. Many were very well read and the common sense arguments that they put ...
This year's Euro Elections on May 22nd are set to be the most fiercely contested ever. Many Clitheroe residents have been telling Allan Knox and the Lib Dem team that they are worried that if Britain left the EU then their job or their family's jobs would be under threat . Because of this they are backing the Lib Dems on May 22. They also know that in Lib Dem Euro MEP Chris Davies they have someone, who fights for local people be it by ensuring the scrapping of roaming charges on mobile phones, making sure e-cigarettes are freely available ...
I like to look at all sorts of art and I am usually not the person who needs to go to the big spectacular shows. But there is one big exhibition in London this year that I do not want to miss. There is already a lot of hype around it and usually hype puts [...]
