Tony's somewhat grumpily-titled and long post about Market Monetarism is of course worth reading. Even if you don't agree with it, there are always copious educational references to file away. File this whole matter under the usual heading of "The internet gets people to argue at cross purposes". I have a few minor observations. - [...]
And you thought the 1970s were weird. This gives me a chance to say something about Geoffrey Dickens and his dossiers. He always seemed something of a buffoon, but in retrospect he was right to name Sir Peter Hayman and David Steel, among others,* was wrong to criticise him. It seems unlikely that Dickens came by evidence that was not known to investigative journalists at the time. What hampered those journalists were the traditional unwillingness of the police to investigate the powerful and our libel laws. Those laws still exert their influence. The identity of peer in today's Daily Mirror ...
Labour seat. Resignation LD Candidate: Alice Chapman (alice@cheval.org.uk; 07974 614916; 7 Romanes Street, Northwich, Cheshire CW8 1DE) Agent: Andy Hyde (andy.hyde@virgin.net; 07836 357176) Result last time (2011): Lab 1041 (E) Lab 995 (E) Con 744 Con 704 LD 205 BNP 151
Labour Resignation LD Candidate: Alice Chapman (alice@cheval.org.uk; 07974 614916; 7 Romanes Street, Northwich, Cheshire CW8 1DE)
Conservative seat. Resignation Result last time (2011): Con 406 LD 162 Lab 153
Labour seat. Death Result last time (2012): Lab 1389 Con 1337 LD 190
Labour seat. Death Last time contested (2011): Lab 960 (E) Con 744 LD 139
Conservative seat. This is a deferred election. LD candidate: Peter Johnson (peter.johnsonpirton@btinternet.com) Last time contested (2011): Con 1867 (E) Lab 435 LD 285 Green 215
Conservative seat. Resignation. David Ekinsmyth is the Liberal Democrat candidate. Contact: david.ekinsmyth@gmail.com Last time contested (2013): Con 331 (E) MK 290 UKIP 259 LD 157 Lab 113
It might be about more than mysogony So the thing about mansplaining is..... It's a portmanteau of man and explaining. It's an internet coined term to describe a situation where a man condescendingly explains something to a woman which already knows, presuming that she has an inferior understanding of it because she is a woman. [...]
[IMG: Hands on ! Photo by craig Sunter Cjs*64] Today saw the surprise springing of emergency new surveillance legislation, announced by David Cameron and Nick Clegg and agreed with Ed Miliband. The Lib Dems have been quick to assert this isn't the Snoopers' Charter Revisited – torpedoed by Clegg after a Lib Dem grassroots' revolt in April 2012 – but any attempt by the government to legislate in these areas gets liberal hackles up. I've not had chance to read and absorb the details yet, though I'm reassured by the clear evidence of Julian Huppert's fingerprints on what's proposed — ...
From an interview Nick Clegg gave to Henry Porter for the Observer in February 2011: "I need to say this - you shouldn't trust any government, actually including this one. You should not trust government - full stop. The natural inclination of government is to hoard power and information; to accrue power to itself in the name of the public good."
[IMG: Don't Work and Fight Back] Schools, libraries, the Welsh Assembly and other government offices were shut or operating a reduced service day because of a strike by several public sector unions in protest at their falling wages, increasing pensions contributions and longer working lives. David Cameron has a totally wizard wheeze to stop all this from happening. He wants to shift the goalposts so that a certain threshold have to turn out to vote in favour of strike action. Oh, Dave, really. If you start questioning the legitimacy of elections with low turnout, many councillors and MEPs would be ...
[IMG: View image on Twitter] Allan Sørensen @allansorensen72FollowSderot cinema. Israelis bringing chairs 2 hilltop in sderot 2 watch latest from Gaza. Clapping when blasts are heard. 8:26 PM - 9 Jul 2014 [IMG: View this content on Al Jazeera English's website] [IMG: Embedded image permalink] Retweeted 742 times UNICEF @UNICEF 16hRT @UNICEFpalestine #Israel #Gaza children impacted by psychological distress and fear, like this girl in #KhanYunis pic.twitter.com/iCFEwioTtw [IMG: Embedded image permalink]
Martin Bean, Vice-Chancellor of the Open University, has announced that he will be leaving at the end of the year to take up a post at RMIT, Australia's largest tertiary educator. He's been at the helm during what has probably been the most tumultuous period since the OU was founded in 1969. Making sure that the OU survived in any recognisable form at all after the ill-thought out changes to HE funding introduced by the coalition has been no mean feat. I certainly wish him well for the future. In his email today addressed to OU alumni he writes: After ...
Home Visits to spy on you! A scenario, say it is based on me and my illness: the story goes thus - The door bell rings, I open the door, a bland looking man stands there with a briefcase an an air of superiority about him and the look that on seeing me he has trod into something rather unpleasant.He produces a badge with his name on and the crest of Gov.UK with DWP emblazoned across his photo: " I am from the DWP, I am here to inspect your finances, your payslips, if any, your rent book and tenancy ...
[IMG: Pond Park has been cleaned up after intervention by Lynne Featherstone MP ] Hooray – the old pond area in pond park has been cleaned up after local residents and I made complaints to the Council. Now we will push for repairs to the pond area, to make it safe and attractive again!
[IMG: Tring carnival_panel_2014] Tring Carnival on 12th July ~ come along and join in the fun! The High St Parade leaves Bishop Wood at 11.30am and will arrive in Pound Meadow ready for the stalls, food and bar to open at noon. Entrance is just £2 with accompanied children free. The day finishes at 5pm. The Complete Carnival Programme - The Carnival runs over four days and the programme of events in the Tring Brewery Marquee on Pounds Meadow is as follows: Thursday 10th July - The Daniel Smith Blues Band Friday 11th July - Neil Harris' School of Rock ...
Last month, I highlighted my concerns about reductions in adult learning provision that has left the West End without a dedicated adult learning worker. Earlier today, I had a meeting with the City Council's Adult Learning Manager about the issue. Whilst being realistic that overturning the SNP administration's cuts in adult learning was not going to be possible, what I did want to see at the very least for the West End is : + Named officers that constituents who are looking for adult learning opportunities can contact. + Assurances that West End residents can access adult learning opportunities across ...
The Junction Improvement Scheme at Woodcote Road/Woodcote Green/Sandy Lane site has been scheduled to take place during the school summer break to minimise disruption. Some works to the junctions have already been completed, but the major works of installing a bespoke domed mini-roundabout is due to start on site on 24th July 2014. Although unlikely [...]
[IMG: leviathan_2_crop] (This is the first in a series of posts looking in depth at issues from Conrad Russell's An Intelligent Person's Guide To Liberalism. My original post on the book is here.) "Liberalism is and remains largely about power." It feels rather apt to be writing this post on a day when the Government – with the consent of the Opposition – has announced it will be rushing through new laws to get around the fact that what it was doing before was ruled to be illegal. However, I want to write about this issue in more general terms ...
[IMG: Jo Swinson Minister for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs] Interesting speculation from George Eaton in the New Statesman that Nick Clegg may have been listening to Stephen Tall and is about to reshuffle the Cabinet, replacing Ed Davey with Jo Swinson. Jenny Willott would take over Jo's job at the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. The report says: A senior party source suggests that Jo Swinson could replace Ed Davey, the Energy Secretary, in the party's top team. Swinson, who recently returned from maternity leave (she is married to fellow Lib Dem MP Duncan Hames), has long been ...
Also earlier today, I chaired a well-attended meeting of residents from Corso Street, Abbotsford Street and Abbotsford Place that took place at the Corso Street Sheltered Lounge (see right). We had a very productive discussion on a number of issues including grass maintenance, security doors on tenement blocks, seagulls, bus services and bin collections.
Earlier today, along with an officer from the council's Environment Department and with a resident who lives in Invergowrie but immediately adjacent to the boundary with Dundee, I had a useful site discussion about environment-related issues in the area insofar as they are the responsibility of Dundee City Council.See photo (above) - these include fencing and grass maintenance.
Emergency legislation has been announced today on new data retention legislation. I think those of a Liberal mind should rightly be very sceptical of legislation which apparently had the backing of all three party leaders before it was announced to the public. To give a bit of background there is a need for new legislation after the EU data retention directive got struck down by the CJEU. Since that happened in April the UK has been carrying on with its blanket data retention regime. The significant part of that ruling is in para 58 "Restrict retention to data that is ...
[IMG: Server] The Coalition Government has announced it is rushing through emergency legislation underpinning the state's right to keep personal data held by internet and phone companies. This is in reaction to the ruling by the European Court of Justice that at an EU directive on privacy retention had over-reached its powers and amounted to an invasion of privacy. If the European Court of Justice says existing state surveillance powers are unlawful then we should not re-introduce them with no questions asked. Let's have the debate as to whether the state should have these powers in the first place. The ...
As many readers will know, many of the Unionist politicians in Northern Ireland have real problems with allowing the LGBT communities in the Province to exist peacefully and to express their culture. Following on from the statement issued by the combined Unionist parties this morning, my friend Stephen Glenn has published a statement from combined...
Saturday 12th July is the date of the wonderful [IMG: Charivari 2014 Poster] Day carnival in Folkestone. This year the hundreds of dazzling costumes celebrate our beautiful local coastline, landscape and wildlife. They will be parading from The Stade fishmarket to the Leas Bandstand from 2pm, accompanied by a fabulous line up of raucous drumming bands. This years Charivari has borrowed the name Up On the Downs from the work of the fab new local landscape heritage team who have helped fund the event. Over twenty schools and community carnival groups are taking part and we have created a Teachers ...
Seeing as the combined unionist parties have this morning issued a statement (vaguely based on the words below), I think it is time for us to seek our cultural expression as LGBT British subjects living in Northern Ireland to be recognised. Hereafter follows the statement: The combined Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender commuities in Northern Ireland call upon the First Minister to establish a time-bound commission of inquiry with the necessary legal powers and resources to examine the equal marriage, gay adoption and MSM lifetime bloodban impasses and the wider issues these represent. This is consistent with policy in the ...
Prime Minister David Cameron is keen to include plans for a strike ballot threshold in his party's next manifesto. The Tories want to put a threshold that all strikes they must have over 50% of a ballot with over 50% of the turnout. Let's take this to the logical conclusion:- A government voted in with only 23.47% of the vote from the AVAILABLE votes - 45.6m registered voters10.7m voted Tory Let us now look at individuals - David Cameron - Witney - 43.13% of the available vote Francis Maude - Horsham - 38.32% of the available vote George Osbourne - ...
[IMG: Parenting-Like-God] An opinion I often hear from friends who are also atheists is that the reason for the continued presence of religion in western lives, despite all the pressures for it to recede at a faster rate, is down to one simple thing: fear of death. That the religious are so scared of their own demise, they cling to the myth of an afterlife at all costs. But I disagree with this analysis. For a start, I don't think there is any one reason why religion is so ubiquitous throughout human societies. There are numerous causes of what is ...
Thu 10th
12:27
How good are the pro-civil liberties concessions gained in return for rushed legislation?
Parliament's record at carefully scrutinising legislation is rather patchy, which is why the recent moves towards more extensive pre-legislative scrutiny are very welcome. The number of things thrown up by such processes recently should make us all the more cautious than ever about the risks of rushed legislation. So even if today's press conference had been about urgent legislation to amend the regulation of paperclips, caution would be wise - all the more so when it is rushed legislation following behind-close-doors talks about security and when Nick Clegg's introductory comments put civil liberties and safety at odds with each other ...
More comedy genius from Australia's Clarke and Dawe: You can also watch this on YouTube.
I think the Resolution Foundation may well be where the revolution begins. It is now clearly asking the questions that matter about this recovery, and seems to have the resources to answer them well. Personally, I think their answers will lead to the door of the Bank of England, and what it targets – the [...]
Thu 10th
12:06
Guest Blog: Julian Huppet: This is not Snoopers' Charter. It's what we had already plus additional s...
As a Liberal, I care passionately about civil liberties, privacy, and the need to limit abusive state surveillance. But I also know that there is a need for the police [...]
There is a great deal in the news this morning about the proposed Data Retention Bill. Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg and my colleague Julian Huppert MP have been out in the press explaining what is happening and why. A number of residents have understandably already contacted me asking for further information. Here is an update... A recent European Court of Justice judgement has changed the obligations of companies to keep information on communications (in short – the Court threw out the Data Retention directive, meaning companies are no longer obliged to retain certain types of data). If companies were ...
I for one welcome our new simian overlords! The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is out in the UK a week today. Here's the trailer: And her are some of the reasons I can't wait for it: 1. Because Rise of the Planet of the Apes was so great Like seriously, it was probably [...]
Work on Manchester Road, Cheadle begins on Monday 14th July 2014 for 12 weeks. The work will be between the Mill Lane junction and the Manchester border, with temporary signals being in place. Included in the work are a number of changes linked to the new cycle paths along the road, plus resurfacing of the road by the entrance to the Mill Lane cemetery.
When travellers recently camped on the playing fields behind Grange Park Road, residents asked for a more substantial barrier. There had been logs in place but the travellers had heavy equipment to move them aside. The Lib Dems pressed for action on this and a gate and fencing has now been installed. When we checked a few days ago some rubble still hadn't been taken away so we've asked for that to be sorted too. [IMG: grange park road fence]
Thu 10th
10:56
Julian Huppert: This is not Snoopers' Charter. It's what we had already plus additional safeguards
[IMG: Data Center] We've been asked to reproduce Julian Huppert's email with the details of the new legislation in a separate post so that people don't have to go through the mammoth post to find it, so here it is. Now, because people are clearly wanting the debate to stay in one place, we've closed off comments. If you have a point to make, please do it on this post here. We're not doing it to be evil and awkward but because people have criticised us for having too many threads going on on the same subject, so we are ...
Sandgate Parish Council Planning Chairman Gary Fuller is quoted in an article in this weeks Folkestone Herald on the Shorncliffe Barracks redevelopment. [IMG: Article from Folkestone Herald 10 July 2014 on Sandgate Parish Council views on Shorncliffe Redevelopment] Sandgate Parish Council considered the planning application for the proposed 1,200 home Shorncliffe Garrison redevelopment last week and voted unanimously to object the the proposals on a series of grounds. Those grounds included: There is insufficient provision of single bedroom dwellings suitable for use as social housing in this large scale development at this stage. The first phase contains plans for only ...
[IMG: Twitter logo] Not only can the volume of tweets be overwhelming, so too can the number of different tools offering to make your use of Twitter easier or more effective. Here then are my ten top tools, all of which are available for free, though some also have paid-for versions that are well worth getting. 1. Hootsuite There are many Twitter clients, but Hootsuite tops the list for desktop and tablet use in my book at it makes management of multiple accounts easy – and lets you run more social networks than just Twitter from the one place. A ...
Butler-Sloss's child abuse role in doubt as conflict of interest row grows (tags: ) The sports 'honey shot' plays into the idea that the centre stage is for men (tags: ) This Torygraph lady has some excellent advice for men in their 30s to make themselves attractive Although I would broaden her "work for Apple" point into "be passionate about something intelligent" - because brains are v sexy without brand loyalty. (tags: ) Having people like this in my circle of friends is awesome Also, I won the argument :) (tags: ) Still hoping stonewall can do better with Ruth ...
Yate Town Council and the Friends of Kingsgate Park are consulting about a possible café/kiosk for Kingsgate Park. Click this link to have your say. The consultation is open until 18 July 2014.
A theme I am pursuing in 2014 is war memorials because of the 100th anniversary of the start of WW1 here is another beautiful war memorial. It stands within the grounds of Prescot Parish Church. [IMG: rsz_img_1397] The photo is amongst my Flickr shots at:- www.flickr.com/photos/86659476@N07/
It has been a brilliant summer so far, hasn't it? It reminds me of the 1990s, when I remember - day after day - getting up, putting on my shorts and sandals and heading off to Cowley Street to edit Liberal Democrat News (no, sandals weren't compulsory). But I do have one local difficulty. The lane at the end of my road, which gives me access to my local area and my childrens' school, has become flooded and boggy. In the rain, the water pours down and into the street. Now, in the summer, it is at least passable, but ...
[IMG: Article from Folkestone Herald 10 July 2014 on seagull proof rubbish bags] My call to Shepway District Council for Seagull Proof bags makes page 8 of this weeks Folkestone Herald. I see that part of Shepway's justification for not using the bags is that "when the ordinary sack is removed from the gull proof bags, the bags often blow about the streets and get lost." Those of us (who live in flats or cannot store wheelie bins) currently have a blue bag provided to us for our paper and card recycling: a system put in place by Shepway District ...
[IMG: growth_deals blog] Nick Clegg has announced £12 billion of Growth Deals to create jobs, build homes and boost local economies up to 2020. This would not be happening without the Liberal Democrats in Government. Nick has led this initiative in Government, after promising in 2010 that by the end of this Parliament every part of the country would have more freedom and more power than at the beginning. Growth Deals will mean every local area in England will have more power over the money they raise and spend and more control over their own economic destiny. Across the country ...
Whilst Assembly Members and the Cardiff-based media have been obsessing about Alun Davies, some more serious problems have been slipping under the radar. The Western Mail reports that fourteen years after the landmark Waterhouse inquiry into child abuse in care homes called for young people to have the help of an independent advocate, too many do not have this important service. The Children's Commissioner has produced a a major report, Missing Voices: Right to be Heard. in which he highlights "an apparent lack of necessary drive and determination" within the Welsh Government to push forward changes that would make a ...
Post by Liberal Democrats for Civil Liberties. The Liberal Democrat party policy passed at the spring conference was rather good – and in fairness Nick Clegg made all the right noises about the policy as it was working its way through the policy-making system. All the odder then that he's gone for the 'we have to sacrifice some civil liberties' tone this time rather than seeing civil liberties as part of that very safety and security we're defending. After all, how safe would you be if you didn't have your civil liberties? Julian Huppert was one of the prime moves ...
Thu 10th
08:56
People who are not all they seem - Aliases & non-existent folk - But amongst them are genuine pe...
Being a councillor brings its challenges as not all who make contact are who they say they are nor may they be genuinely pursuing the matter that they claim to be. I have found reason to doubt that a handful of people, who have been in touch with me over the years, are who they have claimed to be. A councillor colleague of mine has a very simple rule in that they will not accept contact from anyone who does not disclose their name and address. I have never been minded to adopt such a stance but with folks trying ...
Bury Council has announced this morning (Thursday 10 July 2014) that it intends to become the ONLY council in the country to undertake three-weekly collections of the the 'normal' grey bins. The decision is to be taken by the six Labour Councillors who make up the Council's 'Cabinet' next Wednesday (16 July 2014). The change would also meant that our green and blue bins move to three weekly (currently they are every four weeks). Brown bins and food 'caddys' would stay at 2 weekly. Some flats would stay at two-weekly collections for grey bins as 3 weekly is apparently impractical. ...
The Guardian reports Simon Hughes' appearance before the Lords home affairs committee yesterday: He said: "There is no right given by the judgment for people to have their personal data deleted from the search engine results. There is no unfettered right. There is no right to be forgotten. Not in the law of the UK, not in directives, not in the judgments of the court." Hughes said a "mischievous" business of online reputation management had emerged since the judgment, offering to assist people trying to request removal of information online. On the practicalities, Hughes commented: "It looks to me as ...
This Sunday's band concert on Magdalen Green features the Arbroath Instrumental Band. It starts at 2pm on Sunday 13th July at the bandstand. Further details available here.
Yesterday, my Launceston colleague Jade Farrington and I joined Cornwall Council's dog welfare and enforcement team on a mass patrol around the town to help combat fouling. The officers targeted areas where there are frequent complaints. The enforcement team educated dog owners who were found to be breaking the law. Dog fouling is seen as a real problem by many residents. Launceston is reported as having the biggest issue in East Cornwall. Patrols like this can catch offenders in the act, but also serve to remind dog owners of their responsibilities. When people see a dog warden they tend to ...
Thu 10th
08:08UPDATED: (Not) The Snoopers' Charter: Where we are, how we got here, what we should look for and wha...
[IMG: The Houses Of Parliament] I'm feeling slightly nervous this morning. As I was going to bed last night, news came through that apparently a deal had been struck to introduce emergency legislation on communications data. The Guardian has the details. The government will announce that it is rushing through emergency legislation underpinning the state's right to keep personal data held by internet and phone companies. Labour is expected to accept the bill on the basis that it will simply restore what the government believed to be the law before the European Court of Justice ruled in April that an ...
The Nuffield Trust have this morning made headlines as a new report put out by the think tank suggests that in ten years time the NHS funding crisis will have reached such a point that patients will have to start paying for at least some services and treatments. The NHS is one of our most [...]
A mundane 7.00am observation of mine was my most retweeted ever: that far more people think "the country" has a pressing issue with Immigration than they do personally. This is unsurprising, to a metropolitan elite like myself. Concern about immigration bespatters the front pages of the tabloids. That is where people perceive "the country" and [...]
Or "my blood pressure is about to make my head explode so this is all you get today"... Is it possible to decouple geekiness and whiteness? Millennium on the fall in inequality under this government Scott Alexander on the risks and benefits of SSRIs Charles Stross on regional restrictions in publishing Popular has got up [...]
