Remember when this used to be a comics blog? Those of you who thought my other Hugo blog posts were a little grumpy might want to look away, because not only am I in a bad mood for unrelated reasons, but I'd question the whole point of this category. Quite simply, science fiction fans and [...]
Earlier this month I posted a video of a train hauled by three steam locomotives filmed at two points on the East Coast Main Line as they made their way back from the Mid-Norfolk Railway at Dereham to Carnforth. Since then a reader has sent me a link to better footage of these locos. It was shot on the journey out to Norfolk, first at Giggleswick and then at Gargrave. I know. I spoil you.
"It's a very frequent saying and a true and honest thought; /That, if you become a teacher, by your pupils you'll be taught." So says Oscar Hammerstein in the lyrics for The King and I. I certainly found this to be so. In fact, I spent a fascinating few days last week talking to doctors about co-production and learned a great deal myself. I won't say what city I was in, in case I betray confidences, but what was interesting is how enraged they are about how they are increasingly taking the flak from politicians for the pressure on A&E ...
This morning, I participated in the latest meeting of the Tay Road Bridge Joint Board, the first at which the new Bridge Manager, Alan Hutchison, took part. Before the commencement of the meeting, pupils from Pitlochry High School were presented with prizes for winning (and also taking second place!) the West Point Bridge Design Competition, sponsored by the Board. During the Joint Board meeting, I commented on the external audit report and also sought assurances about value for money for a £300 000+ project for bridge deck surfacing maintenance repair works. After my ward surgeries at the Mitchell Street and ...
Flip Chart Fairy Tales explains why you will pay more tax (but politicians don't want to talk about it) Liberator's Kiron Reid writes about his experience of observing the election in Ukraine for the University of Liverpool website. Ben Goldacre has written a guest post exposing crazy new European Medicines Agency policies on clinical drug trials for Us vs Th3m. "Laura Grey's death. caused a brief but spectacular newspaper sensation. In this case the 'ruin' of a well-brought-up young woman was associated not only with the familiar evils of drugs, the stage and night clubs but also with the exotic ...
Mon 16th
20:05
Nick Clegg's press conference: A new policy, looking ahead to an "independent, liberal" manifesto, I...
[IMG: Nick Clegg Q&A 19] I promised you a bit more from Nick Clegg's monthly press conference this morning. Overnight, he had released his opening statement, but there was a surprise to come – a shiny new policy. Now, obviously, that has to come to Conference so it's not set in stone, but I suspect it will get a favourable hearing. From cradle to college Basically, all early years and school education funding, including the Pupil Premium, will be ring-fenced. This, says Nick, will give children the best start in life as Andrew Sparrow reported from the Guardian's Live Blog: ...
[IMG: Nick Clegg. Photo: Dave Radcliffe. Some rights reserved by Liberal Democrats As no-one else seems to be keeping a comprehensive public record [1], the historian in me if nothing else feels an urge to collate a list. Do let me know of any errors or omissions. This post is being regularly updated so do check back for the latest figures if you're interested. On then to the data. Here are the results of local party meetings that have held votes on whether or not the Liberal Democrats should hold a leadership contest: Cambridge – 45-32 against having a ...
[IMG: £50 notes side view] I think sometimes we might make too much of our claims that we've been cleaning up Labour's economic mess for the last four years. It's true they didn't fix the roof when the sun shone, but there was this global recession thingy that, frankly, I didn't mind them spending a fortune to bail us out of. But they don't help their reputation for financial incompetence. We know that they left the City of Edinburgh Council brassic with not much in the reserves . Now, it transpires, Rhodri Morgan, when he was Welsh First Minister, blew ...
Cornwall Mobile Library Service was today discussed at the Partnerships Portfolio Advisory Committee. People can see the full papers on the Cornwall Council website by following the links to Council and Democracy and then meetings. A huge resource has been devoted to the consultation regarding the mobile Library service/ rural outreach services and the way to half the amount of money spent without leaving vulnerable people in rural communities cut off from yet another service. 2 options of halving the number of mobile library vans from 4 to 2 and cutting the mobile service entirely were put to consultation. Both ...
We hear there's some football tournament going on at the moment. Yesterday's Sunday Politics had a fairly puerile political sticker item yesterday. I really think there are better uses of Adam Fleming's talents. Anyway, it was quite amusing to see how Nick Clegg and Tim Farron reacted to the stunt.
Over the summer Mark Pack is going to be updating ALDC's Election Law handbook (it's volume 3 of the Winning Local Election series). It's eight years since it was last updated, so there's a fair amount of election law changes to work in, although looking through it now they generally look like important matters [...]
[IMG: Handshake man - women] You will have seen Caron's story on the moving article by Gordon Aikman, Head of Research at Better Together, sharing his news that he has, at 29, Motor Neurone Disease and is likely to die soon. He is raising funds for MND Scotland and in just one day exceeded his £20,000 target. If you wish to donate, you can do so here. I don't know Gordon Aikman and probably now never will, although we have friends in common. But like many, I have been very moved by his decision to be so open about his ...
[IMG: Rennie, Davidson, Lamont More powers photo pop] We brought you the joint article from yesterday's Scotland on Sunday in which Scottish Liberal Democrat Leader Willie Rennie and his Conservative and Labour counterparts Ruth Davidson and Johann Lamont. Now this lunchtime, the three leaders appeared at the iconic Edinburgh monument on Calton Hill to issue a joint statement. Whether it was wise to drag journalists up there in this blistering heat will be seen from the coverage that ensues. I've already seen one point out that the monument was once known as Scotland's Folly. I think he might actually have ...
This week's inspiring thought in my occasional series of Liberal moments is close to my heart: it is, of course, from Doctor Who. A confrontation between the Doctor and a much more dictatorial egomaniac, it's taken from Episode Five of The Green Death, first broadcast forty-one years ago today. From the same story that featured Jeremy Thorpe as Prime Minister, this pits a monopolistic megacorporation, totalitarianism and pollution against the Doctor's freedom, ecology and individualism. The argument crystallises in one especially memorable exchange that says benevolent authoritarianism is not enough if it means absolute ignorance and conformity. It's about freedom: ...
[IMG: EARS screenshot] The previous Liberal Democrat electoral database software, EARS, has now been nearly completely replaced by Connect. The company that produced EARS has however since started selling it to the Green Party, which is now using it in Camden, Islington, Lewisham, Kirklees, New Forest, Stroud and Welwyn Hatfield. People with experience of using EARS in the Liberal Democrats will not be wholly surprised by some of the comments made about it in a recent Green Party presentation on their use of computer software: Delays ... meant that we repeatedly extended the pilot for proper evaluation. Complicated but well ...
Earlier this month, ALDC emailed our members asking for them to submit feedback on their local election experiences for the ALDC-LGA Lib Dems formal submission to the party's elections review. We would like to encourage all of our members and other Liberal Democrats councillors and campaigners to take part and are seeking submissions between now [...]
[IMG: Houses of Parliament, London] We already have loads of laws on the statute book, and many of us resist calls repeatedly for more and more of them. However, sometimes you do come across something that clearly should not be allowed, that causes significant harm to others, and yet is legal. Revenge porn is one of those. This is the growing practice of vengeful ex's sharing intimate images or videos of their previous partners with the clear aims of hurting, shaming and humiliating. What may have been a fun photo when times are good, which you'd rather was just deleted, ...
So, here I am at the other part of Berlin Zoo, Tierpark Berlin, the former East Berlin Zoo. It is slightly unusual, in that there is a cemetery tucked away in the woods, and an anti-fascism memorial faces one of the exhibits. It also has just a hint of communism, in that the animals are scattered about with long walks between them, as if to give the impression that there is more here to see than there actually is. It is very peaceful though. The other thing about the zoo, on a more positive note, is that the enclosures are ...
Mon 16th
13:16In Full: Nick Clegg's statement from today's Press Conference: Britain needs a new wave or energy, o...
[IMG: Nick Clegg Q&A 12] Nick Clegg gave his monthly press conference. This is the statement he had released in advance. We'll deal with the press conference itself in another post. Today I want to talk about the Liberal Democrats' 2015 manifesto. With just 325 days remaining in this Parliament, and the final year's agenda of this coalition agreed and announced in the Queen's Speech it is time to start talking about the future. It is time to set out our distinct Liberal Democrat vision for the next Parliament. For a party in government, the usual election message is simple: ...
In the UK we have the rather shifty idea that changing the name of an organisation will either eradicate the memory of past mishaps or breathe new life and zeal into it. The classic example of the firmer is our Windscale Nuclear reactor, which after a disastrous fire which subjected the surrounding area to nuclear contamination, had its name change to Sellafiled. (Happily other nations haven't caught on, and Chernobyl remains Chernobyl, Fukushima Fukishima and Bhopal Bophal) Of the latter the the most widespread example is in schools, where perfectly respectable former primary and secondary schools, of which the name ...
Nick Clegg has today promised that the Lib Dems will continue to take action to limit the number of second homes in Cornwall and the damage thatthey can do to local communities. Speaking to the Western Morning News, Nick said that we don't want have this problem of: "the whole community being filleted. Gutted. With no prospect of youngsters finding a home they can call their own."Nick went on to say that part of the resolution would be for more homes to be built and that is what Liberal Democrats, both nationally and locally want to see - appropriate numbers ...
Here's the new film from the Liberal Democrats: You can also watch this on YouTube.
Sir Menzies Campbell, in this year's Garden Memorial Lecture at the Royal Institute for International Affairs (Chatham House) confessed that there had been sins on the part of the great and good in the European Union. While confirming his and the party's commitment to the Union, he stressed that reform was needed. Liberal International reports: In the lecture, Sir Menzies responded to the result of the recent European Parliamentary Elections in Britain, saying: "[I]t is time for 'Nostra Culpa' and acknowledging the failure to press the case for reform of the EU. It is as nihilistic to say that the ...
Luton Airport is currently consulting upon a revision to one of their flight departureroutes. The consultation is open until the 9 July 2014. The consultation document and details of how to respond are available at:
Nick Perry, the Liberal Democrat candidate for MP in Hastings & Rye has criticised Amber Rudd's recently launched 2020 Vision for planning and the environment. Mrs Rudd had spoken in favour of linking the Country Park with Combe Valley, and criticised the local planning department for recent gaffes. Mr Perry said, 'I am pleased that [...]
Mon 16th
11:59Baroness Lindsay Northover writes...Global recognition of need to tackle sexual violence must lead t...
[IMG: Eliminating violence against women - Some rights reserved by European Parliament] If you had told me twenty or even ten years ago that there would be Global Summit on combatting sexual violence against women, attended by the majority of the world's countries, as well numerous individuals and organisations, I would not have believed you. For ever, it has seemed, sexual violence against (mainly) women and girls has been seen as simply inevitable. Especially in time of war. "War, rape and pillage" just went together. But just as in the 20th century, when genocide gave huge impetus to the formation ...
Imagine a first year economists' quiz. In the market for X, the price for X has been weak. But the quantity of X transacted at that price has been strong. Is this a. A paradox; b. Evidence that the demand for X is strong, but X is not as good as people thought; c. Evidence [...]
[IMG: House of Cards DVD cover] Usually I'm not that much of a fan of American remakes of shows or films first made elsewhere. That is both because it as shame that many Americans often seem only to appreciate a brilliant plot or amazing writing if it's given an American context, but also because the remakes are often so poor compared to the originals. So I was rather slow to get round to watching the American remake of House of Cards, especially as Ian Richardson was so amazing in the lead role of the original that it was hard for ...
[IMG: Welsh National Assembly - Senedd - Some rights reserved by Wojtek Gurak] What will be on our parliamentarians' minds this week? The Senedd The most important thing from a Liberal Democrat point of view is the ending of the consultation period on Kirsty Williams' minimum nursing levels bill which she wrote about here in March. If you have something you want to say on this, you have till close of business tomorrow. Here's the information you need to respond. Today sees an event to mark Welsh Refugee Week. Later in the week there are events to do with Cancer ...
Nick Cohen's column on secret courts is excellent (tags: ) As is, in a completely different way, Tom Cox's father's day column (tags: ) 'Dildo Generator' Lets You 3D Print Your Own, Personalized Sex Toy (tags: ) Green party peer put on database of 'extremists' after police surveillance 11 YEARS? Jesus wept! (tags: ) life with a toddler (tags: ) [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Mon 16th
09:57
The taking of Mosul was the last nail in the coffin of the Iraq War having been a good idea
[IMG: Isis pic] Last week, Iraq's second largest city, Mosul, a place that holds 1.8 million people and is geographically placed between all of the warring factions in the Middle East, was taken by a group called ISIS. The acronym breaks down as Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and there's one thing above all that you should know about them: they are too low even for Al Qaeda. The world's most famous jihadist group has disowned their work repeatedly, describing ISIS' tactics as barbaric. So that's where we are with Iraq - one of the most strategically sensitive cities ...
[IMG: Brazil v Scotland 22] In an unprecedented show of unity, the leaders of the Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour parties in Scotland wrote a joint article for Scotland on Sunday yesterday in which they promised more powers for the Scottish Parliament if Scotland says "No, thanks" to independence in 3 months' time. Ruth Davidson, Willie Rennie and Johann Lamont have managed to put together a decent article, cogently arguing the case for staying in the UK, and for more powers to Holyrood and from Holyrood. That last bit is very important and I'm encouraged that Lamont and Davidson agreed ...
Delighted to hear that Warlingham Rugby Legend Ron Head has been awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for his services to fostering. I wrote about Ron in My Life as a Hooker and am delighted to report that he is still playing rugby whenever he gets the chance. It is well known that, in 1823, William Webb Ellis, with a fine disregard for the rules of the game as it was played at the time, first caught the ball and ran with it, thus creating the game of rugby. What is less well known is that when ...
I have today criticised the City Council's abject failure over Demand Responsive Transport, to fill gaps in bus service provision across Dundee. Back in 2008, as the then Planning and Transport Convener of the City Council, I discussed with the then Dundee Accessible Transport Action Group (DATAG) bringing in pilots of Demand Responsive Transport to improve public transport both in Dundee and across Tayside/Stirling for those with accessibility problems in terms of existing provision. As the then Chair of TACTRAN, the Regional Transport Partnership, I moved forward a consultation exercise for its buses strategy and, within this, specifically, community transport ...
A survey by Opinium suggests 58% of voters now believe faith schools should not be funded by the state, or should be abolished. Labour has called for cross-party talks on how religious education is conducted and monitored in the state sector following the Trojan Horse plot allegations centering on schools in Birmingham. Elsewhere, the BBC reports that Sir Michael Wilshaw, the head of Ofsted, has agreed to meet parents with pupils at schools at the centre of the Trojan Horse investigations. Yesterday parents who had disputed the findings of Ofsted's investigation held a small demonstration in Birmingham city centre. Police, ...
Liberal Democrats have described a move by Conservative ministers to stop Whitehall departments deducting trade union subscriptions from civil servants' pay packets as a "vindictive attack." Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has written to departments urging them to end the "check-off" system of deducting union subs through Whitehall's payroll system, but his request is set to be ignored in ministries headed by Lib Dems. A leading advocate of ending "check-off" is Eric Pickles, who last year lost a court case when he tried to scrap the system in the Department for Communities and Local Government. Today's Press:- i, Page: 4 ...
[IMG: 2012 09 08 Proms In The Park-074] What's that? Terry Wogan had a theme tune? ...I hear you not ask. Well, yes he did in the old days when wirelesses had lots of wires. It was called "Just like that" by Brass Incorporated. You can hear it here or in the middle of this YouTube recording of Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) Associated Television (ATV) testcard music. To save you dying of boredom, it's at 8'39". (No, of course I am not a nerd! Don't be silly!) Our Tel used to play bits of that tune at the start and ...
The Independent reports on the embarrassment caused to the present Labour leadership as they rush to distance themselves from Tony Blair's remarks on the current Iraq crisis. Writing on his website the former Prime Minister supported airstrikes on Iraq and Syria, but refused to agree that he should accept any of the blame for the crisis engulfing the region. He defended his Government's backing for the US-led invasion of Iraq, insisting it had been right to oust Saddam Hussein and urged military intervention to halt the advance of extremist Isis forces across the north of the country. The result was ...
Writing in the Western Mail earlier this month Emma Watkins, the CBI director for Wales argued that political parties need to use their manifestos to ensure that they outline policies to support businesses to invest and thrive. Over the next 12 months business must navigate the unwinding of the Coalition Government, fallout from the European and English local elections, and the referendum on Scottish independence, all against the backdrop of opinion polls which suggest the stage is set for a tightly fought contest in the lead up to May 7th 2015. While political risk has moved up the business agenda, ...
