A year ago David Ward, Lib Dem MP for Bradford East, had the party whip temporarily withdrawn after he accused "the Jews" of "inflicting atrocities on Palestinians in the new State of Israel". Though he apologised for blanket-labelling he said he would "continue to make criticisms of actions in Palestine in the strongest possible terms" and has tonight lived up to his word on his Twitter feed: [IMG: david ward tweets] His tweet, "The big question is – if I lived in #Gaza would I fire a rocket? – probably yes", has echoes of Jenny Tonge's 2004 comments that she ...

Posted by Stephen Tall on Liberal Democrat Voice

Two of my favourite bloggers have been looking at the nature of the Putin regime. Craig Murray writes: The immediate cause of the MH17 disaster was a missile shot by pro-Russian forces who mistook it for one of the military aircraft they had been regularly shooting down. It is a terrible tragedy - and tragically not unique. There have been several such events in my lifetime, including the USS Vincennes incident and the Soviet downing of a Korean airliner. The problem is that Vladimir Putin has revived the Soviet cult of perfectionism - the idea that the state simply cannot ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

The people from Pocket Places have another event coming up on St Mary's Road next week. Pocket Places is run by Sustrans and funded through he Health Lottery. In Garston Pocket Places are looking at what we can do to improve the shared space on St Mary's Road (mainly the bit from the old Co op up towards the library) The team have had a few pop up consultation events and are now organising a report back on 26th July (Saturday). From 11 till 2 they'll be on the pavement outside the old Co op with feedback and another chance ...

Posted by Paula Keaveney on Paula Keaveney - Lib Dem Campaigner

I'm working with a small group to explore whether or not we can reinstate part of the old Garston carnival. We are looking at the parade element with floats etc. I know lots of people miss this. I also know just how much organisation and work will be needed if we are to see a parade again. If you are someone who is happy to take on a role in planning, we would love to hear from you. Please drop me an e mail at paulakeaveney@yahoo.co.uk

Posted by Paula Keaveney on Paula Keaveney - Lib Dem Campaigner

Frank Furedi published his Paranoid Parenting in 2001. In today's Independent he looks at what has happened over the ensuing 13 years. He does not paint an encouraging picture: In 2001, when I published my book Paranoid Parenting, I was genuinely surprised to discover that virtually all experiences associated with childhood came with a health warning. At the time, Paranoid Parenting documented the growing tendency to extend adult supervision into every aspect of children's lives. It was apparent that the outdoors had become a no-go area for many youngsters and that the majority of parents did not even allow their ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England

I've been contacted by people living near the building site on the old New Heys school site. I'm told that people are struggling with constant noise, dust and inconsiderate behaviour from the builders. When planning decisions are made for sites like this there are conditions. And those include things to protect people living nearby. I wonder how many of these conditions the builders, who are working for Redrow, actually follow? I'll be looking into this with colleagues, but meanwhile if you have concerns please do e mail me at paulakeaveney@yahoo.co.uk

Posted by Paula Keaveney on Paula Keaveney - Lib Dem Campaigner

The Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee warned today that the student loan system is at tipping point. The amount that the government will not get back is apparently likely to rise - at the moment it is forecast that 45p out of every pound will not come back as opposed to an initial estimate of 28p. The Committee also questioned the efficiency of the Student Loan Company's collection process, but that is a minor issue compared to the prospect of many student loans never being paid back. Perhaps I'm being simplistic, but it seems to me to be quite ...

Posted by Rob Parsons on A comfortable place

Shropshire Council's South Planning Committee this afternoon almost unanimously rejected an application for up to 215 homes off Bromfield Road, Ludlow. One member voted in favour. I did not have a vote under Shropshire Council's rules as the proposal is in my division. The committee visited the site in the morning. On the previous visit, [...]

Posted by andybodders on Andy Boddington

[IMG: Freedom_of_Thought_Ben_Franklin] (This is the sixth in a series of posts looking in depth at issues from Conrad Russell's An Intelligent Person's Guide To Liberalism. Previous posts in the series are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and my original post on the book is here.) "It is only if people's answers are their own that they will hold them with enough conviction to have any reasonable chance of acting on them." Given how central issues of individual liberty are to modern liberalism, it can seem curious that Russell only introduces it as a key component quite late in the ...

Posted by Nick on What You Can Get Away With

[IMG: girlsummitlogo] It's hard to imagine the event that took place in London today happening 20 years ago. Yes, of course, we knew about Female Genital Mutilation and Child and Enforced Marriage, but it wasn't a mainstream political issue. Now, we're seeing concerted global action, and the UK Government is involved up to its eyeballs, as Julian Huppert told us earlier. I couldn't have imagined Mrs Thatcher or Sir Geoffrey Howe talking openly about the need to tackle these issues. But today, David Cameron, Philip Hammond, Theresa May, Justine Greening and Nick Clegg were all present at the Girl Summit. ...

Posted by Caron Lindsay on Liberal Democrat Voice
YouGov

[IMG: Ed Davey Social Liberal Forum conference Jul 19 2014 Photo by Paul Walter] WARNING: Contains strong hagiographic content, which some readers may find disturbing. On Saturday, while much of the country was enjoying the sunshine, I spent two hours studying and listening to The Right Honourable Edward Davey MP FRSA. In the wonderful surroundings of the new headquarters of Amnesty International, Ed addressed the Social Liberal Forum conference on "Energy and climate change – the balance between state and market". He was then interviewed by four bloggers: Jonathan Calder, Matthew Hulbert, Caron Lindsay and myself. My feelings during all ...

Posted by Paul on Liberal Burblings

I have another article up in the FT. You surely subscribe? You should. Here it is. I could add many thoughts to this piece. Even with the help of great sub editors it is difficult to capture every nuance. (None of what follows is in the FT piece. Please subscribe and click ...) Essentially, the [...]

Posted by freethinkingeconomist on Freethinking Economist

[IMG: Depression #5 (staring at the park)] Depression affects as many as 1 in 4 of us in our lifetimes, 1 in 10 adults at any one time. So the truth is, it affects all of us – whether we have experienced depression ourselves, or as partners, parents, children, siblings, friends and colleagues of those who have, and may well still suffer. The misery that it brings is cruel and pernicious - we know it shatters lives. But despite the fact that depression touches all of our lives, it is still far too poorly understood. As Minister for Mental Health, ...

Posted by Paul Burstow MP on Liberal Democrat Voice

[IMG: girlsummitlogo] Today London hosts the first Girl Summit. Liberal Democrats in Government across every department have made the issue of gender inequality a priority. We understand that none of us can move forward if half of us are held back and this means tackling inequality and violence against women and girls wherever we find it. Female genital mutilation (FGM) and child, early and forced marriage are two of the oldest and most extreme ways girls are stunted and harmed for life and we have made a commitment to work with Governments across the world, NGOs, faith leaders and communities ...

Posted by Julian Huppert MP on Liberal Democrat Voice

What is it? See our linked AskALDC FAQ describing what Individual Voter Registration is here History It was commonly accepted by all parties that system of household voter registration needed to be reformed. The old system requiring the household to fill in the registration form on behalf of others would not have passed any form [...]

Leoopld Kohr was an economist who was an immigrant to this country (he died in Gloucester). He once shared offices with Ernest Hemingway, Andre Malreux and George Orwell. But it is for his influence on Fritz Schumacher that he is best known today, and for his little book The Breakdown of Nations. He believed nations should be smaller and I agree with him. I have no doubt that, as Freddie Heineken used to say, Europe would be more civilised, more effective, more imaginative and more humane, if it was made up of 50 separate states than with its present handful ...

Posted by David Boyle on The Real Blog

Improvements are being made over the summer to the area around Cheadle Royal: to the roundabout itself, Wilmslow Road and the A34 up to Broadway. They come from the expansion of Sainsbury's at Cheadle Royal back in 2011. The first chunk of money went on the Schools Hill improvements – slowing down traffic as it came off the roundabout and approaching the pedestrian crossing. The funding for all these works comes from Sainsbury's as part of their "Section 106" agreement linked to their store expansion. This is the rest of that. The rules on what it can be spent on ...

Posted by Iain Roberts on Keith Holloway, Iain Roberts & Pam King

[IMG: Postal ballot being posted] The Electoral Commission's report into the May 2014 elections is fairly low-key, but in amongst the modest changes floated based on the lessons of this year are a couple of welcome details – and one misplaced idea. Overall the Electoral Commission says: Voter confidence at the May 2014 European Parliamentary elections in the UK and local elections in England and Northern Ireland was high, says a report by the independent elections watchdog, but there are lessons to be learnt before future polls, including the UK Parliamentary General Election next May. Nearly nine in ten voters ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

[IMG: PORTRAIT-OF-A-RUSSIAN-OLIGARCH] There is currently a live Franco-British spat going on around Russia. But not on the topic most of those ignorant to the details might think. No, not the specifics of a Malaysian Airlines flight which saw 298 people killed. It is based around whether France supplying Russia with a very large warship under the circumstances is really all that au fait. France's explanation for this move going ahead appears to rest on three points. One, the word of La Republique is apparently bond; the ship has been promised and so it shall be delivered, a planeload full of ...

Posted by Nick on nicktyrone.com

[IMG: LDV awards norman lamb] No, that isn't an error. Norman Lamb has just been made a member of the Privy Council, which entitles him to be given the Right Hon treatment. That privilege is automatically bestowed on Cabinet ministers, the Leader of the Opposition and senior judges, but other ministers are added from time to time. From my research (ie a quick look at Wikipedia), I have discovered that the Privy Council advises the monarch, and in the past was the most powerful body in the country. Today, its powers have been transferred to the Cabinet, which technically is ...

Posted by NewsHound on Liberal Democrat Voice
eUKhost

The Liberal Democrats have expressed concerns about the 12% in 'footfall' between 2013 and 2014. Lib Dem Group Leader Chris White said: 'In July 2013 there were 26690 visits to our shops. The equivalent count in July 2014 was 23540. 'This means that there has been a 12% fall in trade in a single year – at a time when the economy in this part of the world is recovering. 'It is quite clear that the council's new parking regime is responsible for this very significant drop. The Administration now needs to respond to the clear wish of the council ...

Posted by chriswhite on Chris White

Last week I blogged that I was "pant wettingly" excited about this film. It didn't disappoint! In 2011, the classic sci-fi series was rebooted with the Rise of the Planet of Apes. It was the story of a scientist who while trying to cure Alzheimer's creates a race of superintelligent apes and unleashes a virus [...]

Posted by Mark Mills on Matter Of Facts

The Manifest-MM&K Annual Survey of Executive Pay shows that the Shareholder Spring has clearly had an effect on remuneration committee thinking. This has been galvanized by regulatory intervention to reinforce investors actions... The latest survey hows that top pay awards [for FTSE100 CEOs] have reduced for two consecutive years: by -7% in 2013 and -5% in 2012. The findings are from research and analysis of the latest annual reports of FTSE100 companies... Regulatory intervention has had a galvanising effect. Vince Cable's efforts and threats of further legislation have helped in the reduction in CEO pay. We are grateful to Mark ...

Posted by Aberavon & Neath Liberal Democrats on Aberavon & Neath Liberal Democrats

While the attention yesterday evening was on the Lord's debate on revenge porn, Lib Dems were also supporting another amendment to the Criminal Justice and Courts Bill, this time on posthumous pardons for men convicted of homosexuality. During the debate, John Sharkey explained that 75,000 men were convicted of homosexual acts under laws repealed in the 1960s. Legislation passed in 2012, gave 16,000 of them still alive the right to apply to have their convictions disregarded, but this left 59,000 similarly convicted, but now dead, unable to get such redress. Last year Alan Turing was given a posthumous royal pardon. ...

Posted by Mary Reid on Liberal Democrat Voice
Tue 22nd
11:55

The ministry of data

Digital industries got their own government minister in the reshuffle as privacy, patent and copyright rules remain contentious. [IMG: Ed Vaizey. Photo courtesy of - some rights reserved] Following a previous government reshuffle, Conservative MP Ed Vaizey found himself being briefed by a civil servant and discovered that his role involved rather more responsibilities for trade than he had thought. Just as he was starting to form plans to use his unexpected responsibility, in walked Liberal Democrat MP Ed Davey - and Ed Vaizey's plans evaporated. It transpired the civil servant had mistakenly briefed the wrong man. In this ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

It's been a thoroughly depressing few days in the world. Much has been written about the horror that is unfurling in Ukraine, where it is becoming increasingly clear that Russian separatists have shot down a passenger plane, killing hundreds of civilians. The situation is almost too awful to comprehend. It is though, the situation in, and coverage of, Israel that has finally worn me down. From Anti-Israel to anti-semitism It is terrifying how quickly criticising the actions of the democratic Israeli government have turned first to vicious anti-Zionism, then to out-and-out anti-Semitism. Reports are coming from just across the channel ...

[IMG: Tony Blair] Twenty years ago yesterday Tony Blair became Labour Party Leader. The man who delivered a landslide victory for Labour in 1997 is now seen as a polarising figure in British politics. Blair loved to be seen as a 'modernising' force in his party. Whether it was the abandonment of Clause 4, the drinks receptions for celebrities or leading a Government which was "intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich", this was a world away from 'Old Labour'. As Prime Minister, however, there is no doubt it was his approach to foreign policy that defined his premiership. Britain's ...

Posted by Martin Horwood on Liberal Democrat Voice

As residents will probably have seen in the press Bury Council have agreed to go ahead with three-weekly collections of the main 'grey' bins from October 2014. The decision was made by the Council's 'Cabinet' – a group of six Labour councillors with no opposition members. Immediately after the decision my colleague Cllr Tim Pickstone wrote and asked for the decision to be 'called-in for Scrutiny'. This is where the decision of the Cabinet is reviewed by the Scrutiny Committee which is made up of 'back-bench' councillors. Although this is an important step it is almost unheard of for Scrutiny ...

Posted by prestwichfocus on Tim Pickstone

Oliver Marsh reports on the first Guardian Political Science event Social media and policy are both fields in which great promises provoke even greater fears. Every claim that the Web 2.0 is a voice for democratic levelling of hierarchies is countered by alarm over unwarranted governmental surveillance; with every use of social media for grassroots political change comes yet another revelation about the NSA. The moral ambiguity inherent in those situations isnt helped by the sheer information overload and multitude of experts confronting new entrants to any debate. What does all this mean for science? Despite its longstanding protocols of ...

Posted by Oliver Marsh on Political science | The Guardian

[IMG: Economy-in-the-UK] Our party is not addressing continued economic growth. Our leaders talk about growth solving our problems and recovering pre 2008 living standards, rather than about creating prosperity without growth. Growth through conspicuous consumption is still being sold as the road to recovery. There are three real stumbling blocks: High living standards and rising prosperity extolled by almost all parties are only possible by expropriating the living standards of the world's poorest. We depend heavily on the rest of the world, especially developing countries, for food and are still reducing farmland in the UK. Our energy supplies depend on ...

Posted by Michael Taylor on Liberal Democrat Voice

[IMG: 387 004 blog] Hertfordshire's ruling Conservatives have been accused of misleading residents over plans to reduce bus services in the evenings and at weekends. Liberal Democrat Group Leader, and Highways Spokesperson, County Councillor Stephen Giles-Medhurst (Central Watford and Oxhey) has found out that instead of the 200,000 passenger journeys being cut due to the Tories suggested cuts to evening and Sunday services, the real figure will actually be closer to 809,000 passenger journeys. Stephen said, "When the proposal first came out I asked for details of who would be affected by what route and what the county subsidies were. ...

Posted by nickhollinghurst on Nick Hollinghurst

[IMG: Tim Farron speaking. Photo courtesy of - some rights reserved] Implicit in my critique of Tim Farron's William Beveridge Memorial Lecture is that to say a speech only contained what what the audience likes to hear isn't always a compliment. Certainly there are times when it can be; in the Liberal Democrat context, speeches at the party's conference rallies are a good example of that. There are times when rather more of it in speeches would be welcome too. Malcolm Bruce's session at the party's recent Local Government Conference comes to mind on that. But just as on ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack

Following a consultation with residents (previously reported by email and on the blog) a 'No Waiting at Any Time' restriction is to be introduced at the 'top' of Kenilworth Avenue at its junction with Bury Old Road. The restriction will run for 15 metres on the north side of the road, and will hopefully go some way to alleviate what is often reported by residents to be dangerous conditions with traffic turning into the road at speed from Bury Old Road. The restriction will be in effect from 8 August 2014. [IMG: Screenshot 2014-06-05 10.57.43]

Posted by prestwichfocus on Tim Pickstone

I was delighted to join Dundee Museum of Transport in a photocall to mark the great news that the museum has received £10,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Here's today's news release from the museum : Today, Dundee Museum of Transport (DMofT) has received £10,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to aid the development and to establish a permanent home for the recently-opened museum in Market Street, Dundee. Led solely by volunteers from the local community, the organisation focuses on the restoring, preserving and displaying regional transport-related memorabilia and vehicles, including Dundee's last remaining Horse Drawn Tram which was ...

Residents, including members of the Sinderins and Pennycook Courts Residents' Association, have pointed out to me that the foliage from the trees to the sides of Ford's Lane is now very overgrown - see right. Given this is right above the public footway, the extent of the foliage makes the footpath at this location extremely dark at night. I have therefore asked the City Council to take steps to have it trimmed back.

A new planning application has been received within Holyrood Ward as below: Application Number: 57712 Registration Date: 11/07/2014 Location: 9 Parkwood Cottages, Old Hall Lane, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 5SL Proposal: Change of use from 'granny flat' to separate dwelling and installation of decking area and 2 no. conservation roof lights. More details are avialable on the Council's planning site here. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you require any further information. Tim

Posted by prestwichfocus on Tim Pickstone

A new planning application has been received within Holyrood Ward as below: Application Number: 57751 Registration Date: 08/07/2014 Location: 57 Glebelands Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1WF Proposal: First floor extension at side More details are avialable on the Council's planning site here. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you require any further information. Tim

Posted by prestwichfocus on Tim Pickstone

From the City Council :

A new planning application has been received within Holyrood Ward as below: Application Number: 57752 Registration Date: 08/07/2014 Location: 27 Ferndene Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 2RB Proposal: Demolition of existing garage and erection of two/single storey extension at side; Dormer roof extension at rear; Front porch More details are avialable on the Council's planning site here. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you require any further information. Tim

Posted by prestwichfocus on Tim Pickstone

This site is rarely photographed as it is surrounded by fencing but the railway bridge that takes School Lane over the Liverpool – Ormskirk Merseyrail line gives a decent view. The first photo shows a train passing the proposed Maghull North Station site. Just look how close the gardens on the left hand side are to the railway line; it's going to be a squeeze to get a platform in there! I would not be surprised if, when the station gets to the detailed planning stage, that this will be a sticky problem to resolve. The photo is looking northwards ...

Posted by Cllr. Tony Robertson on Sefton Focus

Let's see if I can get back to doing these regularly... Human rights hostages – Isabella Sankey, Liberty's Director of Policy on the quite chilling effect of the reshuffle on human rights. The real scandal behind the sausage cartel – David Boyle on the importance of breaking up monopolies. This connects to the issues I talk about in my fourth Russell and liberalism post. An Occasional Guide To Modern Politics: The Young Sellout – 'There's nothing, NOTHING more mortifying than watching a 15 year old come out with stuff like "what young people want is fiscal rectitude and a cut ...

Posted by Nick on What You Can Get Away With
Tue 22nd
05:52

Hafod- Morfa Copperworks

I joined the Minister for Housing and Regeneration and other Assembly Members yesterday at the Hafod Morfa Copperworks, just south of the Liberty Stadium. This is a Welsh Government funded regeneration scheme in partnership with the University of Swansea and Swansea Council. The copperworks were established from 1810 onwards and became the largest of their type in Europe by 1890. During the mid-nineteenth century, well over half of the world's copper output was smelted in the Lower Swansea Valley and Swansea became known as 'Copperopolis'. The works closed in 1980 and then were abandoned, having been partially demolished. More information ...

Posted by Peter Black on Peter Black
Tue 22nd
04:43

Russia as a failed state

I make no apology for maintaining a string of posts on the subject of Russia. The fact is that Putin's mafia state, nuclear armed as it is, poses an existential threat to the freedom and prosperity of the West and to the peace of the whole world. Russian-sponsored brutality in Ukraine, now thrown into sharp relief by the appalling mass killing of flight MH17, should disgust all civilised human beings. The initial shock of that act of barbarism may be wearing off somewhat, but its place is emerging a whole variety of questions. From "how could they do this?" has ...

Posted by Cicero on Cicero's Songs

Nick Barlow continues his look at Conrad Russell's ideas on liberalism Cory Doctorow on Hachette's bizarre self-sabotaging DRM policies Stephen McPartland's books on surf music are finally available as ebooks An interesting review of two books on Heinlein And Labour have committed to keeping to the Coalition's spending plans for 2015-16, so they will be [...]

Posted by Andrew Hickey on Sci-Ence! Justice Leak!

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg, will speak at the Girl Summit on Tuesday, a summit with the aim of ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child, early and forced marriage within a generation. At the Summit, Nick will announce a package of measures to help end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the UK. It is estimated that 66,000 women in the UK are living with the consequences of FGM and that around 20,000 young girls are at risk of being cut every year. The measures are expected to see new guidance for professionals become part of compulsory training in public ...

Posted by Andy Pellew on Focus on Bar Hill

Cambridgeshire companies are to benefit from a share of £154 million of government investment in aerospace technology. The investment, which includes £30 million of joint funding from the government and industry to benefit 11 projects including six in Cambridgeshire, has been welcomed by Cambridge MP, Julian Huppert. Cambridge-based Granta Design, Innovative Technology and Science and Argon Design all benefit along with Plant Integrity and TWI in Great Abington and Forward Composites in Huntingdon. The funding was announced by Deputy Prime Minister and Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg and is part of a £2 billion government and industry investment in research ...

Posted by Andy Pellew on Focus on Bar Hill

London's Termini in the 50s, 60s & Early 70s from Lewisham Bill on Vimeo. I have a book on Romney Marsh, published in the early 1960s, that has a photograph of the new nuclear power station at Dungeness. While the power station itself still looks modern, even futuristic, the cars parked outside seem quaint and comically bulbous. In short the power station and the cars look as though they come from quite different eras and it feels strange to see them together. I get the same feeling from this video of trains at London termini with a contemporary soundtrack. The ...

Posted by Jonathan Calder on Liberal England