If, as Paul Walter suggested the other day, Ed Davey is the Liberal Democrats' climate change bulldog, then he is a very polite bulldog: a bulldog who is all over his brief as Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change. After interviewing Tim Farron, I met Ed Davey, along with Paul Walter, Caron Lindsay and Mathew Hulbert. We met in a cool room somewhere upstairs in Amnesty International's new headquarters during the Social Liberal Forum conference on Saturday. If not a bulldog, then Ed was certainly bullish. He is clearly delighted with Liberal Democrats achievements under him, and Chris ...
I must admit that McKinsey is my least favourite management consultancy. I've got nothing against their very clever staff and consultants, but they seem to me to be let down by the culture and tradition of the place, which gets in the way of seeing the world as it really is. On one hand they are always chasing after the latest fads and buzzwords (a failing of all management consultants). On the other hand they remain locked into an archaic framework for understanding the way organisations work, including the so-called McKinsey Fallacy (Everything can be measured and what can be ...
Dora Bryan has died at the age of 91. She had a long life, made difficult later on by illness. As the BBC tribute suggests, she specialised in scene-stealing cameos rather than great roles. We have already seen her as Rose, the tart with the heart of gold, in The Fallen Idol. So here she is as the mother at the start of A Taste of Honey. She also took part in cinema's greatest train chase in Great St Trinian's Train Robbery. Trivia fans may be pleased to learn that one of the children singing the song is Hazel Blears' ...
[IMG: Rennie and the Queen's Baton] The Commonwealth Games opens in Glasgow in a couple of hours and we're promised quite a spectacle. All of Scotland is ready. Except perhaps Edinburgh, where the powers that be have decided, in their wisdom, to dig up the road outside Waverley Station, causing total chaos. Politicians have been all over the place in Scotland today, ahead of attending the Opening Ceremony. Willie Rennie managed to get his hands on the Queen's Baton (see the photo on the right). I'm hoping he gave it back... David Cameron was in Shetland with the little ponies. ...
The University of Cambridge has selected Sainsbury's as the operator for the supermarket on the North West Cambridge Development. The supermarket is an essential element of the development's local centre and will serve both the existing local community and the new residents of the North West Cambridge Development. The store will front onto the market square and be in close proximity to other shops and community facilities, including the primary school, nursery and community centre. It will include 2,000 sqm of net retail space and will have sheltered bicycle parking and underground car parking to serve the local centre. Roger ...
We all make mistakes and I include myself in that statement. I always find that the best thing to do when you have made a mistake is to admit it - apologise - and move on. Not doing so damages ... Continue reading →
Liberal Democrat calls for a lasting legacy for cycling in Cambridgeshire from the Tour De France were voted down today by Labour councillors - including the County Council's own 'Cycling Champion', Noel Kavanagh. The Lib Dem group at the County Council attempted to amend a motion giving council staff a pat on the back for their work in organising the Tour, to include specific commitments to create a lasting legacy for cycling. Cllr Ian Manning's amendment singled out completion of the Chisholm Trail cycle route by 2020 and incorporation of the recommendations of the Make Space for Cycling publication as ...
[IMG: rsz_bury_war_memorial] 100 years since the outbreak of the 1st World War. Another of my themed postings. In the centre of Bury next to the Parish Church and only yards away from Bury Bolton Street Station of the East Lancashire Railway. A grand war memorial indeed.
Interesting charts showing the causes of all death in Stockport, then narrowing it down to under-75s (generally considered as "early deaths" and further to preventable deaths.
I've been reading Don Cupitt lately. For a lot of it, that really means I've been looking at the words in sequence rather than actually reading it. It's been very good for some things actually. Very thought provoking. Currently, I'm reading The Leap of Reason. Here is a page from it. Note the section heading at the bottom "The Meaning Of Life". Now note the page number. The Leap of Reason was published in 1976 (though this is a later edition). Hitchhiker's Guide was published in 1978. Just a thought.
Wed 23rd
16:45
Ayoub Khan selected as Liberal Democrat candidate for West Midlands Police and Crime Commisioner by-...
[IMG: Police helmet] A by-election is to take place on 21st August for the post of West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner after the sad death of the incumbent, Labour's Bob Jones, on July 1st. The Liberal Democrat candidate will be Ayoub Khan, the 41 year old barrister and former councillor who fought the election in 2012. From the Birmingham Mail: The 41-year-old from Aston, who administered first aid to a gun-shot victim fifty yards from his house in 2002, was called to the bar in 2005. He was a Birmingham City Councillor between 2003 and 2012. He holds a ...
Recent comments made by the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey with regards to the Assisted Dying Bill mark a significant blow to opposition campaigners against the bill. In the Daily Mail, he writes: "Today we face a central paradox. In strictly observing the sanctity of life, the Church could now actually be promoting anguish [...]
Disgrace of the Day. The Cabinet and council were unrepentant about fixing up a quizzing of council officers at their Labour Group meeting and five separate localised briefings for Labour Group Members only, all in relation to the proposed changes to Children's Centres reported on this site, weeks before the proposal went to Cabinet. And that despite the fact that in this area all three of the wards containing Children's Centres have no Labour Councillors. How does that fit in with the bit in the Local member Consultative Charter which says: Any matter of significance or sensitivity which relates to ...
Wed 23rd
15:45Opinion: Alice vs the System: Lessons from a lifetime of "help" from public services #2
[IMG: Bubbles. White rabbit. Photo by jay turner] This is the second article in the series about Alice and her experience of "the system." The first can be found here. Alice didn't legally become my sister until she was 3. Alice's adoption was the white rabbit, I guess, that we chased for the next three years. I was too young to fully understand the nature of the legal wrangles over her adoption. From conversations with my mum and dad, the issues were twofold. First, that as foster parents it wasn't so easy to move straight over to adoption - you're ...
[IMG: carnival Tring blog] The Tring Carnival on 12 July was a great success. With better weather this year than the nearly total wash-out of 2013, everyone had a great time. Over 100 stalls showcased clubs and charities, provided a chance to buy souvenirs, novelties, interesting food and drinks – and some of the tastiest lamb burgers you could ever ask for! The arena was busy and filled all day with demonstrations, competitions, fun and games with the Beer Tent doing a roaring trade as usual. Transport past and present was exhibited – as our picture of a steam lorry ...
Wed 23rd
14:58David Ward apologises for his tweet and calls for more action by world community to end humanitarian...
[IMG: David Ward] David Ward has apologised for last night's tweet, saying that he does not condone firing rockets into Israel. Here's his statement in full: I utterly condemn the violence on both sides in Israel and Gaza. I condemn the actions of Hamas, and my comments were not in support of firing rockets into Israel. If they gave the opposite impression, I apologise. However, while I defend the right of Israel to exist and defend itself, I will continue to speak out for the rights of the Palestinian people who are facing untold suffering. More must be done by ...
Buying gifts for my parents has become increasingly difficult as the years have passed - they presumably now have everything that they want, and have never wanted that much anyway, so when Ros suggested that I take them to a race meeting at Newmarket, my problem was solved (at least for one year). So, having agreed a date, I booked a VIP package for the four of us and kept my fingers crossed for the weather. Three days out, I was not optimistic, as the forecast predicted a series of vicious thunderstorms over west Suffolk but, as Saturday drew closer, ...
[IMG: 002] Local LIB DEM ward councillor, Darren Fower, has reported the faulty light located along Fulbridge Road, Werrington (PCC63). Commenting, Darren said: "I walked past it the other day and noticed it, as it also holds up the Vehicle Activated Sign, that I recently reported was ALSO faulty at the latest Police Panel meeting! "I spoke with one nearby resident who told me it has been faulty for several days now and so hopefully this will now be addressed in the next week or so?" Don't forget that if you know of a problem with a street light or ...
[IMG: Tim Farron Social Liberal Forum conference Jul 19 2014 Photo by Paul Walter] One thing that struck me about Tim Farron's Beveridge lecture last Saturday was the scale of his ambition for investment in infrastructure. Conservatives have often talked about their admiration of Victorian values - if only they really did admire those values, because Victorian values included ambition to build an infrastructure, to create a transport, communications and logistics backbone to our economy, to make a difference, to see a problem and not worry about whether fixing it would fit with your ideology, but to just get on ...
Last night the planning application submitted in May was finally granted planning permission for the temporary site to house the Harris East Dulwich Free Primary School. The planning application should have been decided by 16 July but Southwark Council didnt wanted to give planning permission to a Harris school and was using Metropolitican Open Land as a reason to consider resisting. At the planning committee Labour councillors repeatedly haranged the agent about a late application – when the lateness was caused by Southwarks own officers. Even the plannig chair admitted she was blaming the wrong messenger. Weirdly Southwark Council has ...
[IMG: LDW stall] I was long-winded last time so let's try brevity: yes, and no. When people talk about 'women's policy' they usually mean one of three things: 1. Policies which only affect women directly: men (apart from trans men) do not, for example, suffer FGM or need access to abortion, so they will only ever be indirectly affected by policy on those issues. 2. Policies were your gender directly determines your rights and treatment in society: that includes gender separation in schools or prisons, or access to parental leave. 3. Policies aimed at everyone, but that disproportionately affect women ...
I've been asked by residents to see what can be done about these three garages in Newbury Rd. This is being pursued by the ASB & Statutory Nuisance Team responsible for Community Safety at Central Bedfordshire Council. The main problem is tracking down the owners, as some are privately owned, and others may be housing associations. I'm told that two owners have been tracked down and asked to clear up and make secure or they could face penalties. The third owner is still being sort.
When we had Pride in Houghton earlier this year some effort was trumpeted by Central Bedfordshire Council as they trimmed a few trees, but what happened to the momentum? All over the Parkside ward people are now kicking up a fuss, notably over the state of sycamore and ash trees, some that are more than 30 years old. Planted close to homes, they regularly drop off their seeds that can quickly establish root and sprout in gardens. Some are so close they touch the windows of homes, and when they don't can block out a significant amount of light. There's ...
Someday I will run out of amazing video from John Oliver to share but for now they are still coming thick and fast. Here's his take on the fact that American prisoners now outnumber Slovenians which features puppets singing about incarceration: P.S. my take on this issue is hereFiled under: Uncategorized
Look, here's a picture of my party's leader being impressive with a world leader: [IMG: cleggromney] Yes, that's certainly an impressive sight of him looking not at all uncomfortable with a major world figure. Or it's a picture of him doing a weird thing with his hands while talking to Mitt Romney. That's all right, though, as I've definitely got a picture of him looking confident and relaxed while President Obama is hanging on his every word, and definitely not looking past him on his way out of the room: [IMG: cleggobama] I only bring this up because apparently Lib ...
[IMG: Ed Davey - photo by Paul Walter] On Monday, I summarised the appearances of Ed Davey at last weekend's Social Liberal Forum conference in London. Here, I outline some of the views expressed and initiatives described by Ed on the day, including during a bloggers' interview: Using less energy Fuel poverty is a serious issue. Energy inefficient building stock is a key cause. The Green deal, Ed said, had not originally gone as well as it had been hoped. In Phase 1, there were just 250,000 assessments. Phase 2 is going better, and is on track to improve two ...
Wed 23rd
10:15
As the Commonwealth Games begin, here's five things worth considering about the Commonwealth
[IMG: The Commonwealth Games kick off today in Glasgow, and in celebration I thought it might be worthwhile looking at what this group of nations, held together by the fact that they were all once British colonies and in many cases not much else, and uncovering some little discussed facts about the whole thing. We often hear from the Eurosceptic right about the "beauty of the English speaking world", so let's see how much of that image stacks us to reality, shall we? After all, with the idea of a referendum on Britain's continuing membership of the EU seemingly ...
What is Drip and how, precisely, will it help the government ruin your life? Meant to link to this a few days ago but forgot (tags: ) Once Again, Attempts To Block Access To The Pirate Bay Only Increase Traffic | Techdirt (tags: ) [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Earlier in the month was the regular meeting of Bury's Full Council – the opportunity five times a year all Councillors get to meet together. The meeting interestingly too place the night before the announcement the press and on TV about the three-weekly bin collections, however no mention was made at Full Council (TV interviews had clearly already been recorded). Papers for the Cabinet meeting which contained the proposal seemed to be handed out as people left the meeting. This was my first normal Full Council meeting as a 'single' Liberal Democrat. Although it has its advantages (easy to decide ...
Just a reminder that the roadworks on the A329(M) start later today and run until 2nd September. There will be a contraflow for part of the route. There will be NO ENTRANCE OR EXIT at Winnersh if you are going to/from Reading, but you will be able to get on/off at Winnersh to go to the M4 or Bracknell. Long delays are expected. There are lots of warning signs up on the routes leading to the A329(M). [IMG: A329M works] The partial junction closure affects the park and ride bus too – going to Reading it has its own entrance, ...
Local Groups are being urged to apply for grants from the 'I Will if You Will' project which Bury Council is running to promote the involvement of women and girls (over 14) in sport and physical activity. More information and an application from from: www.bury.gov.uk/townshipforums-funding [IMG: image001 (2)]
[IMG: solar_power BLOG] Ed Davey, Lib Dem Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change writes in LibDem Voice "I have published the Government's first ever Energy Investment Report. "It shows how Liberal Democrats in Government have delivered on jobs and investment in energy - particularly green energy – and shows the plan we now have for this to continue for decades to come. "Let me be clear - investment in the energy sector has not been a 'nice to have'. We inherited a legacy of energy underinvestment from Labour and we've spent the last four years turning this around. ...
When I informed the Finance Committee of the National Assembly for Wales that the insourcing of the Assembly Commission's ICT service had actually saved more money that anticipated my news was met with astonishment. After all, as the chair said, it is very rare for any public sector ICT project not to overrun and cost more than planned. Alas, this is true and for good reasons. ICT projects are often not about technology at all. They are change management projects. Not only is that misunderstood but it is common for those commissioning them to overlook that essential truth because they ...
Wed 23rd
08:57
If you were holding out the hope that an incoming Labour Government would end austerity...
Party members have endorsed the tough fiscal position Ed Miliband and I have set out. We will balance the books, deliver a surplus on the current budget and get the national debt falling as soon as possible in the next parliament.You can't get plainer than that. With those comments from Ed Balls, the course of the next five years is set. An incoming Labour administration will eliminate the government deficit - £105.8 billion in 2013/14, lest we forget - and run a surplus by the end of the next Parliament, possibly sooner. Given the optimism priced into the prediction by ...
[IMG: OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA] I recently saw for the first time the new monument commemorating the sacrifices paid by the men of RAF Bomber Command during World War II. It was a moving memorial, as well as an interesting one. We don't celebrate the deliberate firebombing of German cities these days: we are thankfully queasy about the thought of the mass targeting of civilians. But the erection of this monument shows that although we - uncomfortably perhaps - understand that those fighting that awful war were compromised morally by their actions, we nevertheless sympathise with those who believed that the ...
The Liberal Democrats have pledged a statutory measure on gender pay that will see large companies (more than 250 people) fined £5,000 if they refuse to publish the difference in pay rates between men and women. The party claims the voluntary system on gender pay differences has been a failure and points out that in 2013 the median pay for a woman was 19.7% less than the median for a man. The average hourly wage for women was £10.33 while men were paid £12.97. As someone who was a long time trade union officer for IRSF, PTC & PCS I ...
I was on Wave 102 News and Radio Tay News yesterday, speaking about air quality issues, specifically highlighting the situation in part of Lochee Road. You can hear the interview on Wave 102 by clicking 'play' below:
Today is judging day for for the hard working volunteers of Maghull in Bloom, Maghull Station Volunteers and indeed Melling in Bloom. A year of dedicated work will be looked at, commented upon and rated by judges from North West in Bloom. Usually, these volunteer groups do very well indeed and I hope 2014 will be another successful year. As I have said before working with the In Bloom volunteers is a delight. My small contribution is to chair their monthly steering group meetings and help them out whenever I can. Here are 4 photo's of work that has been ...
The Welsh Liberal Democrats have warned that the recent collapse in beef and lamb prices could leave the industry in Wales unsustainable. Ahead of the Royal Welsh Show, Welsh Lib Dem Leader Kirsty Williams and MP Roger Williams have written an open letter to the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, calling on her to work more closely with Hybu Cig Cymru to promote Welsh beef and lamb to export markets and lobby retailers to pay a fairer price to farmers. Over the past 4 months, beef prices have dropped from 380p/kg to 312p/kg and lamb is down from 520p/kg to 380p/kg ...
(Only a short post today — bad headache). Internet activism has a bad reputation, and it's one I largely agree with — clicking a petition or sharing a Facebook meme does very, very little to make a difference to the world, compared to even half an hour actually doing something in the real world. But [...]
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