Always wanted to see John Oliver, Patrick Stewart and Buzz Aldrin calling on Vladimir Putin to save an orbital satellite full of horny reptiles? Now's your chance! Filed under: Uncategorized
"Tories, of course, are ALWAYS evil, but Lib Dems and Greens can be acceptable; IF and ONLY if we are doing whatever Labour want us to do. As soon as we show any sign of not-supporting Labour in any way they scream that we are BETRAYING them. Because obviously, the fact that we all joined another party doesn't mean we don't support Labour REALLY, it just means we like other coloured shirts or something. And as soon as we become BETRAYERS we are automatically WORSE than the Tories. Tories can't HELP being evil, you see, but we made a CHOICE ...
Haaretz bills itself as "the world's leading English-language website for real-time news and analysis of Israel and the Middle East". Today, as a reader has kindly pointed out to me on Twitter, it quoted David Cameron as calling for an "unconditional, immediate humanitarian cease-fire" in Gaza, and warning that future prospects of a two-state solution were quickly dwindling. Its source for this important intervention? "A British daily called the Harborough Mail." I know what happened: the Harborough Mail has recently taken to running agency copy on national and international news stories on its website, and one of those must have ...
Liberal Democrat seat. Resignation. Local LD contact is Cllr Peter Balcombe (01603 416050; 07504 947760; peterbalcombe@gmail.com)
UKIP seat. Death Robert Griffin is the Liberal Democrat candidate. For more information:
Independent seat. Disqualified
Headline of the Day goes to the Evening Standard. But why the scare quotes? Either he threw it or he didn't.
Gaza: there is wrong on both sides here. But Israel's response is clearly disproportionate. And that too is a war crime. — Paddy Ashdown (@paddyashdown) July 31, 2014 You can follow Paddy Ashdown on Twitter.
[IMG: Jo Swinson Minister for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs] There is so much to annoy in today's Daily Record interview with Jo Swinson. First of all there's the headline: Women's Minister tries to explain why none of Nick Clegg's Girls made it to the Cabinet.' Hang on a minute. Nick Clegg's girls? What sort of way is that to refer to Members of Parliament? You wouldn't see the men referred to as "boys." That, though, was the sub-editor's fault. The first five paragraphs comprise a moan by journalist Annie Brown about the format of the interview. which seems unjustified ...
Despite an attempt to get the cabinet to reconsider its approach to changes to childrens' centres – at least until they had discussed local impacts of particular closures/transfers – the consultation is set to go ahead, and you get your chance to put forward your views (though not necessarily to have any notice taken of them). [IMG: Benfieldside Children's Centre] The consultation is to be found here.
Thu 31st
17:45
Stephen Lloyd on the Eastbourne pier fire: "I am as shocked and heartbroken as everyone"
[IMG: Eastbourne pier on fire] Stephen Lloyd, Lib Dem MP for Eastbourne, has posted the following message on his Facebook page to update people on what action is being after the fire which ravaged the town's pier: Dear all, Thanks for the support posted here after the tragic fire at the pier yesterday. I am as shocked and heartbroken as everyone. The important thing now is to get this fixed; keep pushing out that Eastbourne is well and truly open for business and to do what we can to help the Pier owners and the folk who had concessions on ...
Thu 31st
17:38
Social Liberal Conference: Farron on the Radical challenge now the Regan/Thatcher/ Blair consensus i...
On the day Tim Farron's Beveridge lecture was a triumph. The 40 minutes speech was punctuated by warm and spontaneous applause and at the end the delegates rose to their feet without prompting to give him an extended ovation. The speech made folk feel better about themselves and their politics. It has been a rough time for those who come out of the radical tradition. Here, at last, was someone who was speaking about their dreams and hopes. The speech's great virtue was that it was forward looking. It was not picking over the bones of the coalition corpse. It ...
Thu 31st
16:34It's all kicking off in Calderdale as Liberal Democrats help oust Labour administration and win conc...
You would think, wouldn't you, that if you were in a situation where you were running a minority administration that was dependent on the casting vote of the Mayor, you might be a bit more consensual in your approach to local government. Not so the Labour party in Calderdale who, from this Storify compiled by Jennie Rigg, seem to feel some sort of entitlement to power. I cut my political teeth campaigning against Labour in the East Midlands so it's no surprise that they think like that but it's depressing that nothing has changed in 25 years. In Calderdale, they ...
Static Library options were discussed at the Partnership's Portfolio Advisory Committee last week but disappointingly no real direction emerged. I am not a member of this committee but did attend. The discussion took place, in confidential session (that is not open to the public), at the end of a lengthy meeting. Several voting members had already left. An excellent paper was put together by officers, stressing the value of the library service to health and wellbeing, community support and cohesion and digital inclusion. The paper also reviewed how other councils have changed their delivery of library services, in the face ...
So, a couple of years ago Labour pulled out of a stable Lib/Lab coalition on Calderdale council despite the agreement having a year still to run because they thought they could go it alone in a minority administration. Last night that administration was finally toppled, after a series of scandals where the cabinet appointed by the minority administration kept ignoring the will of full council, in a no confidence vote. Labour are screeching about this in very personal terms in every medium that will afford them airspace. Apparently toppling Swifty from his rightful seat of supreme executive power that he ...
Thu 31st
15:30The Lib Dem retreat to seat-by-seat campaigns. The right tactic, but not a long-term strategy
[IMG: Stephen Lloyd] The Guardian's Rafael Behr has written of his experiences in Eastbourne, a seat won from the Tories by the Lib Dems' Stephen Lloyd in 2010. His majority, 3,435, would need a swing of just 3.9% to be wiped out. The recent Lord Ashcroft poll of Tory / Lib Dem marginals indicated an average swing away from the Lib Dems to the Tories of 3.5%. This, then, is the kind of seat within the Tories' reach and which they need to win if they are to gain an overall majority. So what did Mr Behr find? This Sussex ...
[IMG: Yorkshire ] The spotlight of the world recently shone on Yorkshire for the Tour de France and Grand Départ. Chosen ahead of Barcelona, Florence, Berlin, Venice and Edinburgh, would the county deliver? I think we can now answer the question with a proud and resounding "yes". This was just another chapter in the incredible history of success that this county has enjoyed. Yorkshire folk are of course known for a humble, industrious attitude and just quietly getting on with things - we mustn't grumble. But, ahead of Yorkshire Day tomorrow (1st August), it is worth taking a moment to ...
There are only two meetings scheduled for the month of August Planning & Development Committee , 14th August, 6:30 pm Assets Committee, 26 August , 6:30 pm In addition there is a public information session called "Blyth and Europe" on 11th August at 5:30 pm All meetings are at Arms Evertyne House
Thu 31st
13:05
The spat of the week - has to be the hissy fit of Beiber the Brat vs Orlando Bloom. Apparently, he d...
via Facebook
At the Voice, we are always keen to support our parliamentarians in their fund raising activities, whether it's giving up booze for a month like Alistair Carmichael did last year or scale an Ecuadorian volcano like Greg Mulholland did in May. Michael Moore has announced that he and Borders Council Leader David Parker will be undertaking a 97 mile fundraising walk along the River Tweed at the end of August. From the Borders Telegraph: In 2009, Michael and David walked the Four Abbeys Way to raise funds to support the Special Care Baby Unit of Borders General Hospital. That walk ...
In the early 1930s the powers that be proposed that Birstall, the urban village where I live, which then had its own independent Local Government Council, should be merged with (or taken over by) the neighbouring Borough of Batley. A referendum on the proposal was organised and the worthy burgers of Birstall voted as follows: 25 for 3 524 against 190 spoiled, abstained or did not vote. So in 1936 Birstall was duly merged with (taken over by) Batley. (This was followed two years later the German Anschluss of Austria. Whether Hitler took Birstall's experience as a precedent is not ...
I have just received the following message from the Highways Agency relating to Junctions 10 to 12: "Please be advised that full overnight closures of the M4 east and westbound carriageways will be taking place during week commencing 11 August to reconnect the communication sensors and finish sections of resurfacing to the westbound carriageway, which could not be completed using lane closures only. The programme of closures are as follows: 1. Monday 11 August - Westbound closure between 10pm and 6am 2. Tuesday 12 August - Westbound closure between 11pm and 6am (this closure will be from 11pm due to ...
Conservative seat. Resignation The Liberal Democrat candidate is Tracy Dixon. For more information contact Cllr Kevin Dixon (cllr.kevin.dixon@rother.gov.uk).
Hi everyone, This is a post that I've known that I'll be writing for some time now, but one that I've been, quite simply, absolutely dreading. I was elected for the first time to District Council in 2011, and elected again - taking a Conservative seat on the County Council - in May last year. Every single time that somebody takes two minutes out of their day to go and vote for me, it's a really touching thing. I take my responsibilities as a Councillor, and my responsibilities to those people incredibly seriously. That's why I have to resign from ...
Emergency demolition of Elland Baths as swimming pool building riddled with structural flaws hopefully it won't take Elland as long to get a new pool as it did us in Brighouse; hopefully theirs will be as nice as ours once it's done too. (tags: ) Open Rights Group - Victory: format shifting and parody clear last hurdle (tags: ) Why gendered pronouns are stupid and should die (tags: ) Calderdale Council have a special offer on gym membership at the moment ... and much as I might bitch about other aspects of the way the council is run, the gym ...
[IMG: workforce-women-featured] There was an amusing twitter argument between Fraser Nelson and Jonathan Portes Monday evening. For those who missed it, I'll summarise: Nelson: There are more people in work than economists ever dreamed. It must be because the government's welfare reforms are driving people to look for work instead of lounging about watching Jeremy Kyle. Portes: I have a lot of graphs to demonstrate that's nonsense. Nelson: Who cares about graphs? Portes: Me. Nelson: So why is employment so high? If welfare reform isn't the magic ingredient what is? Portes: Labour market flexibility. Possibly. To be honest I don't ...
[IMG: global-warming polarbear blog] Liberal Democrats in Government have confirmed the Government's commitment to halving UK greenhouse gases by 2025. Tories had attempted to weaken measures to tackle global warming with plans to change the fourth carbon budget, which sets a greenhouse gas emissions limit through the 2020s. However, thanks to the Liberal Democrats, the fourth carbon budget will be retained. Ruth Davis, UK political director for pressure group Greenpeace, commented: "Ed Davey (Lib Dem Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change) deserves praise for standing up to the Treasury's wrecking efforts, and the Prime Minister credit for holding ...
The latest Stockport Council funding news looking at grants and funds available from a wide variety of places for local groups: what's been awarded recently, and what's available to apply for now.
From the Western Daily Press: One of the highest-profile Ukip candidates at the next General Election sensationally resigned tonight - along with his local party chairman - amid bizarre claims that the party had been 'infiltrated by the Glastonbury occult'. Jake Baynes was due to stand in next May's election for Ukip in the Wells constituency, but resigned - claiming there was civil war within the party in Somerset and a vendetta against him, and he 'wanted nothing more to do with politics'. The Wells Ukip branch chairman Graham Livings also quit his post, claiming that the Somerset party had ...
This Sunday's band concert on Magdalen Green features the Arbroath Instrumental Band. It starts at 2pm at the bandstand - Sunday 3rd August. Further details available here.
The bizarre candidate description was funny and probably a mistake, but this is rather strange: A UKIP parliamentary candidate and his branch chairman have resigned after claiming the local party is being infiltrated by what they see as "occultists". Jake Baynes, who was to run in the Somerset cathedral city of Wells at next year's general election, said he felt he was being driven out by local members, including a couple based in nearby Glastonbury who practise alternative healing inspired and guided by angels. And this is downright unpleasant and ill-informed: A UKIP councillor who wrongly branded a religious Islamic ...
The post The Five Stages of the Creative Process appeared first on James Taylor.
Visitors to this blog site will know how concerned I am about the proposed building on Green Belt and high grade agricultural land across Sefton Borough. As an environmental campaigner I look upon such building as taking away excellent food growing land from future generations. Once it has gone it is gone for good. MAGHULL TO GET 25% BIGGER By a long, long way the biggest site in the Borough that our Labour-run Borough Council wants to build upon is to the east of Maghull. Indeed, this site is so large it is spoken of as being an urban extension ...
Something to keep you occupied for a while
The Western Mail reports on claims by the British Medical Association that it has been effectively left out of a review aimed at learning lessons from controversial hospital changes being pushed through across Wales. They say that Ann Lloyd, who headed the NHS in Wales for eight years until her retirement in 2009, has been commissioned by Health Minister Mark Drakeford to lead the review into the reconfiguration programme, which has prompted widespread concern about the centralisation of services and the downgrading of some units. Dr Richard Lewis, secretary of BMA Cymru Wales, said: "Mark Drakeford made a commitment to ...
