Earlier this month there was a small flurry of comment in the media about the impact of planning on house prices (for example, here). The question was why house prices in Britain have grown faster than most other countries over the last forty years. A big chunk of the answer was "planning", in the form of development planning and development control. If only the planning regime had been more lax more houses would have been built and the escalation in house prices would have been attenuated. The commentary was triggered by the imminent publication of a paper in the Economic ...
From the Arts Fresco website: Once a year, on a day in September, Arts Fresco transforms Market Harborough to a magical playground of exotic and funny characters, colours and sounds. Giggles and cheer are echoing on the streets bringing the entire community together to share the inspiration of art. On Sunday, the 14th September 2014 Market Harborough will be filled with huge mystical creatures causing confusion among the people; should they run or follow? Come and see for yourselves...
...chess title that is. Tomorrow is deadline day for the signing of the contract for the rematch of the FIDE World Chess Championship. The match is scheduled from 7th November and should be a contest between the previous World Champion Viswanathan Anand and the current world champion and highest rated player of all time Magnus Carlsen. However, while Vishy has signed up Magnus is in the middle of the Sinquefield Cup in USA and is scheduled to take on World number 2, Armenia's Levon Aronian tomorrow as the deadline for signing the contract comes to pass. He has said that ...
Before I start this review, a brief note to say that the reason I am tagging the author is not some kind of ego thing, but because John Scalzi has said that he's specifically interested in hearing some of the kinds of criticisms that I'll be bringing up here. I'd normally just put the relevant [...]
In a letter to the Courier (29/08/14) Coun Frank McManus asks why the Independent, Liberal Democrats and Conservatives didn't just reverse decisions on the Council where they were at variance with Labour, and instead kicked them out of power. There is a simple answer to that – The last Labour government passed an act of parliament which meant that couldn't be done. The Local Government Act 2000 introduced by Tony Blair created the cabinet system of local government. Under that system the Council elects a leader who then appoints a cabinet. Once that cabinet has made a decision the full ...
I only met Herman Van Rompuy once, finding him courteous and professorial, which is maybe not surprising given his low-key personality and taste for composing haiku, but I always felt it unfair the way the British Press ridiculed the former Belgian Prime Minister once he became President of the European Council; even Jeremy Paxman on [...]
"The debate until now has been civilized - if shallow, dishonest and misguided. Divorces usually only get nasty when the lawyers are called in. If we call in the lawyers on September 19th, you can bet that there will be a backlash - much that we have taken for granted will be lost and bitterness and rancour will inevitably emerge - even in the most civilized divorces much is regretted." Cicero's Songs pleads with his fellow countrymen to reject Scottish independence. Elwyn Watkins on Liberal Democrat Voice describes how one community in Rochdale took control to protect its children and ...
[IMG: scotland photo] Photo by Moyan_Brenn [IMG: Survation-Indy-Ref]
Shropshire Council is consulting on its Empty Homes Strategy (closes 20 September). The number of empty homes in Shropshire is higher than the national average and the number of long term empty homes in the county is increasing. That's a worrying at a time when we have a housing crisis across the nation. It is [...]
[IMG: Lib Dems winning here] Here's the full list of selection contests in the coming month available for Lib Dems on the approved parliamentary candidates' list, together with the closing date for applications. The following seats have selections in progress and are currently advertising for candidates: Stockton North, 3rd September Stockton South, 3rd September Blackpool North & Cleveleys, 5th September Blackpool South, 5th September Bristol North West, 5th September Harwich & North Essex, 6th September Devizes, 8th September South West Surrey, 9th September Bury St Edmonds, 10th September Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, 10th September West Suffolk, 10th September Gloucester, ...
[IMG: Typing] Good to see Microsoft banging the drum for the important of typing. As the Daily Telegraph reported: Microsoft found that 43pc of bosses think being able to type is a crucial work skill but more than four out of 10 British workers peck away at their keyboard with just one or two fingers - and more than half can't hit the 50 word per minute (wpm) minimum. Microsoft questioned 500 employers about their staff's typing skills and found a 38pc believe being able to type enhances productivity and 20pc said their companies would grind to a halt if ...
[IMG: Fairtrdae photo by nagillum] One of the things that makes me proud to be a Liberal Democrat is our belief in fairness. The very first line in the preamble to our Party's Constitution states 'The Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a free, fair and open society...' I also love that we are an internationalist party. Indeed the preamble goes on to state, 'We look forward to a World in which all people share the same basic rights...' For me these two elements of our founding principles come together the Fairtrade movement which I've long since championed. Most ...
[IMG: members forum wordle] LibDemVoice has two parallel sites. The first is our public blog, the thing you're reading now. The second is our private members' forum, which only current Lib Dem members can access. If you're a member and want to chat with fellow party members about any issue that's on your mind, then why not sign up? In addition, you'll be included in our regular surveys' of party members' views. Here's some of the most active discussions this past 7 days: Carswell, UKIP, and PR; PCCs and South Yorkshire; Scotland. A vote for separatism or staying together?; Canvass ...
[IMG: Father and baby] Another day, another Lib Dem policy proposal: Liberal Democrats will give fathers an extra four weeks paternity leave under manifesto plans announced today. Currently fathers are entitled to two weeks paternity leave but the Liberal Democrats want to go further and dedicate an extra four weeks exclusively to fathers. This will increase the protected paternity leave for dads to six weeks... Liberal Democrat Business and Equalities Minister Jo Swinson said: "Liberal Democrats are building a stronger economy and a fairer society where everybody has the opportunity to get on in life. Shared parental leave plays an ...
[IMG: capital piketty] Polling firm ComRes has published its annual list of the books MPs have been reading this year, based on a survey of 154 MPs weighted by party and region to be representative of the House of Commons. Here's what Lib Dem MPs have taken to the beach with them... 2014 1. Capital in the 21st Century - Thomas Piketty 2. When Britain Burned the White House - Peter Snow (And here's what they took last year... 2013 1. What Has Nature Ever Done For Us – Tony Juniper) Piketty's tome polled strongly with MPs of all three ...
It is 36 years ago next month that Blondie released their groundbreaking Heart of Glass album so, inspired by an exceptional documentary on BBC 4 last night, here is one of the tracks.
When you have finished laughing, remember that the 'political reform' section of the Coalition Agreement said: We will fund 200 all-postal primaries over this Parliament, targeted at seats which have not changed hands for many years. These funds will be allocated to all political parties with seats in Parliament that they take up, in proportion to their share of the total vote in the last general election.I think there is a lot to be said for this proposal, but nothing has been heard of it since 2010.
Saturday: Doctor Who returned, as an irrepressible, outrageous, furious Peter Capaldi. I loved it. But not everyone did. And I loved every moment of it while it was on-screen, but afterwards have found myself struggling to puzzle why. So in a most curious way, "Deep Breath" exists in two states simultaneously: one has dazzling effects, moving acting, subtle and clever script; the other has alienating continuity, no concessions to the viewer, and reiteration of the wrong plot points. You can't say the Mister Moffster doesn't learn from his mistakes. Au contraire, Blackadder! He learns whole new ways to remake them. ...
Sat 30th
11:45
LibLink: Tim Farron - "I'm Determined That a No Vote Won't Just Mean We Return to the Status Quo"
[IMG: Tim Farron] Lib Dem party president Tim Farron has an article in the Huffington Post on the forthcoming Scottish referendum. In it he asks himself two questions: "Do I think that Scotland could go it alone? Yes, it could. Should it? No." He then explains why – here's an excerpt: I do believe we have a shared culture and a shared history. I believe our victories, triumphs and disasters are not one nations alone, they are all of ours. We are a family, a family that rows on occasion but the bonds that tie us together mean that millions ...
[IMG: nhs doctor] Liberal Democrats will protect the National Health Service budget in the next Parliament. Under plans announced in the party's manifesto, NHS spending will rise by at least the rate of inflation over the next Parliament. As well as protecting the NHS budget, Liberal Democrats will also pool health and social care budgets. This would help make care more tailored towards individual patients and reduce inefficiencies. This follows the announcement of a Liberal Democrat manifesto commitment to establish a mental health research fund worth £50m per year by 2020. Liberal Democrat Health Minister, Norman Lamb said: "The NHS ...
Chris White has taken up the cudgels on behalf of local residents in relation to the county council's planned roadworks in Victoria Street, due take place at night in the week commencing 29 September. Chris said: 'I could barely believe my eyes when I saw the proposal – working from 8pm until 5am in a street which has numerous residential properties. 'I have so far been reassured that there won't be any jack hammering after midnight. I am sure the school age children will find that a great help. 'Then excuse is that it is "heavily trafficked". Yes: it does ...
[IMG: Shaggs pic] There are two things that are either generally known about the Shaggs, or can at least be easily ascertained by doing a google search of them and avoiding the ones that deal with misspellings of a common British term for having sexual intercourse: one, that Tom Cruise is rumoured to have bought the rights to their story and two, they are quite possibly the worst band of all time. The Cruise thing seems weird at first, until you realise that they do have some interesting angles to their history. They were comprised of three sisters, Dot, Betty ...
Sat 30th
10:15Reflections on Rotherham (4): Lessons were not learnt before. They cannot be ignored again.
The report into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham issued this week makes tragic reading. It highlights the collective failure of the authorities to take robust action over a number of years. It is a matter of astonishment that the findings of no less than three reports were either dismissed or treated as exaggerating the situation. How many fewer victims would there have been if a more aggressive approach had been taken at an earlier stage? Let us not forget that the real villains in this are the perpetrators of these crimes, who have committed unspeakable acts of violence and abuse ...
These women changed the world with science, but all the credit was given to men (tags: ) 'Different clique, same sofa': the Carswell defection to Ukip and anti-politics (tags: ) Ardbeg space whisky is coming back to Earth (tags: ) A plea for novelisations of New Who (tags: ) Ofcom really doesn't care about complaints made over lesbian kiss on Doctor Who 'Our rules do not discriminate between scenes involving opposite sex and same sex couples.' - Go OFCOM!!! (tags: ) 2014: A Facebook Odyssey. (tags: ) The Women Of the Advert Realm: The Rules (tags: ) you have mites ...
Well obviously not everyone but 4 of the World's 7 billion people do. What's more because large swathes of it like Asian Russia are very sparsely, the following is true: Filed under: Uncategorized
Sat 30th
09:00Opinion: Time for change. Time for a Liberal Revival: my manifesto for Party President
I joined this party because I believe in the power of every individual to take power and use it – use it to shape their own lives and communities and to help change the world. I joined this party because I've seen brave people face down threats from large powerful corporations, from their own governments, and from conformity – everything for which we stand. And I joined this party because ours is the only political philosophy that believes in trusting, enabling and freeing people. We want to lift people out of poverty and ignorance. We want them to have a ...
I've seen Daisy Cooper in action on the Federal Executive. She's not afraid to challenge the establishment. She asks the hard questions and she does so in a constructive way. She will be able to drive the sort of change ... Continue reading →
[IMG: daisy cooper] This is the text of the email I received this morning from Daisy Cooper: Today, I'm delighted to announce my candidacy for Liberal Democrat Party President, with the backing of Catherine Bearder MEP, Norman Baker MP, experienced councillors and some of the party's finest campaigners. I have huge ambitions for our party. I'm 32 and I'm prepared to spend the next 50 years of my life fighting for our political beliefs. The next few months will be challenging but they also present an unrivalled opportunity for us to lay the foundations for a Liberal Revival. Our Councillors ...
I recently highlighted that residents have complained to me that the entrance to the Home Scotland car park at the south end of Thomson Street was unsightly with weeds. With grateful thanks to Home Scotland for auctioning my request to have the area tidied, this was promptly attended to - see below : Before After
It is probably true to say that few people living outside of Maghull know much about the Town but with all the publicity in recent years about Frank Hornby, the world famous toy maker, living there it is possibly 'on the map' now more than locals may think. One aspect of Frank Hornby's work was inventing Meccano in additional to his model railways and Dinky Toys. Here are some shots of some great models made from Meccano which were displayed at various Maghull exhibitions organised by the Frank Hornby Trust in recent times:- [IMG: rsz_meccano_1] [IMG: rsz_meccano_2] [IMG: rsz_meccano_3] [IMG: ...
Sat 30th
08:10
Norway – They really do seem to trust their politicians or at least we are being told so!
/www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28882312 The BBC web site has the story, which is well worth a read about how Norway has coped with the wealth of oil. But what got me was that a Norwegian Professor was able to say that the folk in Norway trusted their politicians. Quite the opposite of the UK where we seem to distrust just about everyone involved in the political processes and public life in general! A couple of quotes are worth reflecting on:- "For this kind of system to work, you need to have an enormous level of trust," says Prof Cappelen. "Trust that the money ...
[IMG: New candidate for Lib Dem Presidency] There are now once again four candidates in the race to succeed Liberal Democrat President Tim Farron in this autumn's election. Pauline Pearce's withdrawal reduced the field to three – Sal Brinton, Linda Jack and Liz Lynne – but they've now been joined by a fourth candidate, Daisy Cooper: Dear fellow Lib Dem, Today, I'm delighted to announce my candidacy for Liberal Democrat Party President, with the backing of Catherine Bearder MEP, Norman Baker MP, experienced councillors and some of the party's finest campaigners. I have huge ambitions for our party. I'm 32 ...
Congratulations to Nick Davies, Jon Featonby and George Murray, who lead the LibDemVoice Fantasy Football League after Week 2, scoring a cumulative 137, 136 and 135 points respectively. Only three players appears in all three of their teams, by the way: Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa, and Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey. There are 135 players in total and you can join the league by clicking here. All the rules are available to read here. As predicted, my appearance in the top 5 proved fleeting. I'm now languishing in 17th place. Not lost my deposit yet, though... [IMG: LDV FANTASY FOOTBALL_2] ...
I have been thinking about this on and off all week, and sleeplessness is making me blog about it now. Sorry it's not the cheeriest subject for a Saturday morning... One of the consequences of my past is that I never feel 100% safe and secure. Even in a blissful post-coital embrace with a lover, even if I trust that person with my life, there is a part of me fretting about my safety. And not only do I never feel truly safe, but I have different things that increase my meagre sense of safety to most people. So where ...
