I've been watching Sylvester McCoy's first story as the Doctor this week, inspired by Time and the Rani turning twenty-seven years old last Sunday and by the BBC celebrating this happy anniversary the day before with another new Doctor, Peter Capaldi, playing the spoons. It wasn't the most promising debut for Richard's favourite Doctor, but over the years I've come to find a lot of fun in it, most of all revelling with Kate O'Mara in her villainous star turn as the Rani. And who'd have thought back then that Sylvester would starring in bigger films than any of Kate's? ...
From the TED website: Paddy Ashdown claims that we are living in a moment in history where power is changing in ways it never has before. In a spellbinding talk he outlines the three major global shifts that he sees coming.This talk was filmed atTEDxBrussels in December 2011.
"This is not a national independence movement that requires any struggle or sacrifice but rather one that promises that nothing and everything will change. Keep the Queen, the open border, the currency - you'll hardly notice a thing, except your wallet becoming a bit fatter. It is the lie of painlessness and that it is so widely-believed is storing up trouble for the future for this country, regardless of the outcome. For who do you imagine the nationalists will blame if they're denied this decaffeinated national rebirth, or if they get it and then realise it isn't how they were ...
Just in from a great day campaigning to keep Scotland in the United Kingdom :
This afternoon I was passing a house where two small boys were climbing on the fence in the front garden. Their mother came out and the following dialogue took place. MOTHER: Don't climb on the fence. FIRST BOY: Why not? MOTHER: Because your father put it up and it's very likely to fall down. This sort of thing happens to people like Alan Bennett all the time.
The divisive and dangerous impact of nationalist ideology has been amply demonstrated during the Scottish referendum campaign. Salmond, Sturgeon et al have created, and driven, a wedge through the fabric of Scottish Communities. Whether it is the 'acceptable' mainstream nationalism of the SNP, Plaid Cymru or UKIP, or the particularly unsavoury rascism of Britain First or the BNP, it all serves to magnify difference rather than that which we have in common. It breeds prejudice, suspicion and, at the extreme, hatred. In that sense, there is no difference between the potential impacts of Plaid Cymru or the BNP. The mainstream ...
Sun 14th
19:49
When feeling down, as I have of late - the perfect antidote. ..and the best way to say goodbye to su...
via Facebook
My mother is home but needs a lot of looking after, so I was able to pay only a flying visit to Arts Fresco today. But it was good to see it back in the town.
Since this will probably be the last post for a while, permit me a little off-topic indulgence. This probably has way more personal history than you wanted. I've been trying to work out what has been stressing me these last, ooh, 25 years and how to adjust my life accordingly. I don't want stress, if [...]
For some odd reason Amey have failed to cut the basal growth of a number of trees this year. It seems to be the odd one here and there rather than every tree in a road but there are some particularly spectacular – and dangerous examples. Take a look at this one on Leysdown Road: [IMG: IMG-20140914-00013] Its a nasty hazard to pedestrians (especially small children), pets and even cyclists, which will get more dangerous as the nights continue to close in. Here is another example from Roydon Road: [IMG: IMG-20140914-00011-2] In all I've reported 7 trees to Amey in ...
[IMG: Leeds Town Hall. Photo courtesy of - some rights reserved] The City Centred campaign (the Mayor of London, London Councils and the Core Cities Group of Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield ) has called for the devolution of five property taxes to England's cities – council tax, business rates, stamp duty, annual tax on enveloped dwellings and capital gains property development tax. It's an idea that Liberal Democrats such as Caroline Pidgeon on the Greater London Authority have backed as it fits well with Liberal Democrat beliefs in shifting more power downwards, away ...
Here's a blog from my recent visit to South Sudan, also available on the Huffington Post. While the eyes of the world rightly look towards global crises in Iraq, Syria, Gaza, Ukraine and West Africa, there is a serious and worsening humanitarian disaster almost going unnoticed in South Sudan. It is deeply saddening to see a country that was once so full of hope for the future, now embroiled in such a painful and destructive war with itself. When I first visited South Sudan less than two years ago I was struck by the optimism and hope that filled the ...
Sorry most of the posts the last few days have been rather thin — I've had bad RSI and am trying not to hurt my hands too much. I'll write more proper posts next week — my hands are improving — but for now you get links. A Radio 4 documentary on Judee Sill, with [...]
[IMG: job centre plus police] One of the most striking developments in policy design in the UK is the rise of conditionality. It most prominently affects those who are out of work and seeking assistance from the welfare system, but it features across a range of other policy areas including housing and health. Commentators might, quite rightly, rail against IDS and his insensitive disciplinary regime of seemingly indiscriminate sanctions, but he has only taken a system that was initiated by the Blairites in the 1990s and distilled it into something purer. He has made the conditions placed on receipt of ...
[IMG: Linda Jack] There are two different parts to the role of Party President – a public cheerleader for the party, epitomised by the number of TV invitations a President usually gets, and an internal management one, epitomised by the fact that they chair the party's Federal Executive. It's up to the candidates – and ultimately the voters – to decide how much importance to attach to the two roles, but my own view is very much influenced by the history of the party having had several Presidents who paid far too little attention to the internal party management role, ...
For those of us who have been following the increasingly bizarre trial of Oscar Pistorious, Joan Smith in the Independent provides some context. The athlete was convicted of culpable homicide and a separate firearms charge, but he is out on bail amid speculation that he could even get a suspended sentence when he appears in court next month. This is shocking enough but there are other things going on here: From the outset, Pistorius was given an easy ride by much of the world's media, who uncritically repeated his controversial defence that he accidentally shot Steenkamp after mistaking her for ...
[IMG: 7 ver 4 full] Many thanks to the 16200 visitors who dropped by Lib Dem Voice this week. Here's our 7 most-read posts... That Wings over Scotland post from June is still the most read. Although given that Yes stalls were openly handing out Wings' Wee Blue Book yesterday, they are clearly working together. Blast from the past: Wisdom from the old Liberal Party (95 comments) by Seth Thevoz How do those of us who want Scotland to stay in the UK turn things around after Yes poll lead? (61 comments) by me David Rendel selected as Lib Dem ...
Blog Categories: Political Comment Vote: 0 votes + Vote up! - Vote down! I haven't got much involved in discussion about the Scottish independence referendum. My opinion doesn't fit, as usual, with either "side" in this battle to see which group of elite farm overseers get to control the human livestock that is Scotland's huddled masses. Instinctively I want to side with those who want to secede from their government. Any government. On the one hand, I'm with Ludwig von Mises when he writes, in Liberalism, that... "The right of self-determination in regard to the question of membership in a ...
We now have over 100 names on a petition for speeding traffic on Upper Bloomfield Road following the two recent accidents. We have met with the council's traffic engineer for the area. Is drawing up options, we hope to have a public meeting shortly to look at these and make a decision on what can be implemented.
Parents at St. Gregory's continue to use the small part of Combe Hay Lane off the Wellsway despite the yellow lines. This was always only intended to access the last house on the Wellsway. Getting back onto the Wellsway with the number of children crossing and the location of the bus stop for St. Gregory's is dangerous. We are talking to the council's highway engineers about what can be done.
White lines are to be put down shortly to stop cars blocking the visibility when coming out of Canon Close.
Work is progressing on the new changing rooms with an opening date of December 2014. The turf is being laid on the 3g pitch with is due to open shortly. We feel this will be a big asset to the local area. There will be a council presence during the day to help make sure things run smoothly. However, there are a couple of issues we would like to sort out. The first is we don't think that the
Sun 14th
14:25
What the academics say: 7-in-10 voters know the name of their MP - and 82% of Lib Dem MPs are local
[IMG: Ballot box] What do MPs want from voters? Well, knowing the name of their man in Westminster would be a start. What do voters want from their MPs? To come from the area they represent is the single most important requirement – 80% want that, far more than wanting more female (50%) or more working class MPs (58%). So both MPs and the public might be encouraged by the findings of two recent surveys. Britain's MPs are more local than you think (Demos) Left-leaning think-tank Demos recently compiled data on all MPs – they were categorised as local if ...
This one is Burnt House Cottages - bring back brown fields back into use
This one is Upper Bloomfield Road
Sun 14th
13:25
Nicola Sturgeon will have to do a lot better than "the whole country will celebrate a Yes vote on Fr...
Nicola Sturgeon appeared on Sky News' Murnaghan this morning. Asked about how the country would come together after a divisive referendum campaign, she simply said that after a Yes vote, we'd all celebrate on Friday. Really? She clearly doesn't understand ... Continue reading →
[IMG: KNOW_MAIN_01] When I was younger, it was the robots we feared. The future seemed to be going in an obvious direction: as long as we managed to dodge the threat of nuclear destruction, we'd get to watch as automation drove the world towards utopia. Machines would take over all the routine work – and pretty much all work would be routine work – leaving us free to spend our time on more useful pursuits, and utilising revolutionary new communications technology to access information from around the world and keep in touch with friends, wherever they may be. Maybe we ...
Sun 14th
13:11Nick Clegg's statement on David Haines' murder: Islamic State an affront to every peace loving Musli...
Nick Clegg has made the following statement about David Haines' murder: The barbaric murder of David Haines is a crime of the most horrendous kind. My thoughts at this time are with the family of David Haines who have experienced something no family should ever have to go through. This murderous organisation calls itself Islamic State. But it is not a state, it is a brutal terrorist outfit whose actions are an affront to every peace loving Muslim around the world. No religion could possibly justify such grotesque acts. The British Government will not rest until these killers face justice. ...
[IMG: AldburyGardenersShow 2014] There was good participation once again at the Aldbury Gardeners Association Annual Show held on Sunday 7th September, 2014. There were exhibits both in the Memorial Hall by the Green and in the Aldbury Club House in Toms Hill Road, where teas and cakes were served and those skilled in the domestic and culinary arts displayed their entries – a delicious assortment of prize-winning cakes, jams, chutnies and bread. Borough Councillor, Rosemarie Hollinghurst, contributed and took a first prize for Six Fuchsias (admittedly the only entry!) and a first prize for a Single Rose, where there was ...
I was on the Sunday Politics South West this morning talking about the prospects of devolution to Cornwall. The debate was sparked by the independence referendum in Scotland. Whether it is yes or no, there will be fundamental changes in the relationship between Scotland and the rest of the UK and many believe it is right that we should examine what is best for each constituent region and nation. So what will it mean for Cornwall? The Liberal Democrats have announced that we will be fighting the next general election on a pledge to devolve powers from Westminster including the ...
When East Midlands Trains warned its passengers to "Watch Your Step" I used it as an excuse to post the Spencer Davis Group cover of the song of that name by Bobby Parker. But in the comments on that post Asquith sent to me to this terrific song from Costello's fifth album (and fourth with the Attractions), Trust. Like the best of his early work, it is perfectly poised between beauty and menace. The video shows a live performance on American television. Elvis Costello was interviewed, and it is amusing to see him encountering a chat show host from another ...
Here are the latest national voting intention figures from each of the main pollsters. To put the numbers into longer context, take a look at my database of polling figures going back to 1945, which is updated quarterly. Con Lab LibDem UKIP Green Con lead Fieldwork Method ComRes 32% 34% 8% 18% 3% -2% 20-22/8 Online ComRes 28% 35% 9% 17% 6% -7% 29-31/8 Phone Lord Ashcroft 28% 35% 8% 18% 6% -7% 5-7/9 Phone MORI 34% 33% 7% 15% 6% 1% 6-9/9 Phone Opinium 29% 37% 7% 19% 4% -8% 9-11/9 Online Populus 33% 37% 9% 13% 2% -4% ...
Shirley Williams has been an absolute star these last few days. She came to Scotland on Thursday and will be here until Tuesday night. She's already travelled the length of the country. She spoke at the Liberal Democrat rally on Thursday night, went to Orkney for a hugely well attended debate on Friday night and was back in Fife yesterday afternoon. She spoke to voters on the High Street where both campaigns were out in force. I'm sure the Yes campaigner with the megaphone who yelled out "Bow down to your Imperial Overlords" as we all assembled for a photo. ...
[IMG: Lymphoma association booklet - High-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma] The last time I wrote something on here, I mentioned that I'd had a diagnosis of lymphoma. Since then, I've had a more specific diagnosis given to me and a course of treatment outlined. The hospital wants to run a few more tests this week before I start out on treatment in earnest, but all being well, sometime towards the end of this month it really will be the end of the beginning. For anyone that hasn't thought too much about lymphoma, (and I was certainly in that category until a few ...
Charlotte Barnes Lib Dem prospective parliamentary candidate for Ludlow 14 September 2014: Charlotte Barnes selected Shropshire Councillor for Bishop's Castle, Charlotte Barnes has been selected as the Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Ludlow. More on this...
[IMG: Trewellard Methodist Sunday School sold] Trewellard Methodist Sunday School and field are sold Trewellard Methodist Sunday School sold for £225,000 this week to an, as yet, unidentified purchaser. Several potential bidders interested in working with the community contacted me before the auction but, to date, no-one has contacted me since the purchase. It is probable that the buyer is from outside the small group people who had discussions with me. Just in case the new owner Googles the Sunday School and comes across this piece, I would urge them to give me a ring so that I can hear ...
Charlotte Barnes, the Lib Dem Shropshire Councillor for Bishops Castle, was last night selected by an overwhelming majority of local Liberal Democrats to contest the Ludlow seat at next year's General Election. Speaking after the selection meeting at the Bishop Mascall Centre in Ludlow on Saturday, Charlotte said: It's a great honour to be selected [...]
Just a reminder that nominations for the LDV Awards close tomorrow so if you haven't sent them in, please do so as soon as possible. The event takes place between 10 and 11 pm on Saturday 4th October in Castle 3, in the Crowne Plaza, Here's a reminder of the details: This year's awards are as follows: Liberal Democrat Blog of the Year Liberal Democrat Blog-post of the year Liberal Democrat Tweeter/Facebooker of the Year Best use of social media by an elected representative (Tim Garden award) Best online campaign run by a Liberal Democrat Lib Dem Councillor of the ...
Just for fun, I had a look at what we have now, and what we could have. Here's the familiar Union Jack flag. This is a union of various flags. Firstly, the flag of St Patrick (Ireland). Secondly, the flag of St George (England), a red cross on a white background, associated with Saint George since the time of the crusades. Thirdly, the flag of St Andrew (Scotland), also known as Saint Andrew's Cross or the Saltire, the national flag of Scotland. So, if Scotland goes, we could have a new flag. Take away the blue background of Scotland, and ...
Labour MP whose constituency contains Ford car factory calls for individual car ownership ban (tags: ) Calderdale-based talking newspaper for the blind service looking for volunteers (tags: ) As Scotland prepares to vote on independence, see if you'd pass our Yorkshire citizenship test Clearly designed to be a bit of fluff, and some of the questions are a bit shoddy - you can tell this by the fact that I only got 17/20, Although I note that the person I got it off, who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty, didn't post his score at all... (tags: ) [IMG: ...
This weekend Scottish Liberal Democrats say goodbye, just for a few months, to the fabulous Hannah Bettsworth, who's off to Spain for the third year of her university degree. We're going to miss her cos she's so conscientious, works so ... Continue reading →
I've been saying for months that someone should sit Charles Kennedy down on a sofa and film him talking about the referendum. And last week, somebody finally did. This is the first excerpt and it's very good. Enjoy – and share widely. Even if you aren't particularly interested in the referendum, everyone loves Charles... * Caron Lindsay is Co-Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
[IMG: Child watching TV] The Telegraph reports: Proposals to privatise Channel 4 were drawn up by the Government earlier this year but the idea was blocked by Vince Cable and the Liberal Democrats... The proposals to privatise Channel 4 secretly "went round the houses" in Whitehall until it reached the Department for Business earlier this year, government sources said, where the Business Secretary, Vince Cable, "squashed it, he said 'no way'".
Sun 14th
08:46
What Labour & land owners/developers have planned for Sefton's East Parishes – Green Belt ...
Posting 1 covered north eastern Lydiate, Posting 2 western Maghull & Lydiate and Posting 3 eastern Maghull. This posting covers Melling and Aintree Village and the hugely controversial Peel proposal for a logistics facility on Melling's green fields and Green Belt. Let's start again with a map so we can orientate ourselves. Click on the map to enlarge it:- [IMG: The top blue site is the one we will cover in posting %. The blue area to the north of the M57 Motorway is the Peel site. The blue areas on the south side of the M57 are other developers/landowners ...
Having recently received complaints about the state of the roadway of Nethergate east of the Queen's Hotel and Perth Road west of Roseangle, I contacted the City Council's Roads Maintenance Partnership regarding this. I was advised :The carriageway in Perth Road between South Tay St and Roseangle was resurfaced last year, ie past Queen's Hotel.This year between South Tay St and the Marketgait is proposed for resurfacing in September but may be delayed as Scottish Water have advised they are currently investigating the condition of their mains in this area and dependant on outcome may be carrying out some excavation ...
The latest publicly-accessible Automated External Defibrillator (AED) has been installed in Bath city centre with help from Bath & North East Somerset Council. The equipment has been recently installed on the outside of the Council's Northgate House offices in Upper Borough Walls, near the Volunteer Rifleman public house. It will be unveiled by Don Foster, the MP for Bath, at 2.30pm on Saturday
This summer's GCSE and A-level results have once again concentrated minds on the standard of the education system in Wales. As usual, TV cameras and newspapers reported the results, analysing success, failure and progress or otherwise but concentrating on performance within the A*-C bands. But when did you last see a smiling school pupil saying how pleased they were that through hard work and determination they'd actually managed to achieve a D grade at GCSE? The trouble is, it's not just the youngsters taking the exams who are being graded every summer, it's the whole education system in Wales. We ...
As I normally review Obverse's fiction, but won't be doing so with this as I'm in it, and the book's out now, I thought I'd set up a post in which people can comment on the book once they've read it (I know a few people have already bought it). If anyone wants to know [...]
