Then watch this. Who knew Gordon Brown could be so brilliant? Seriously, though, if you are still undecided tonight, you haven't been convinced by the Yes campaign's arguments. You probably haven't been convinced by the No campaign's either. But if ... Continue reading →
From the Shropshire Star: Charlotte Barnes, Shropshire Councillor for Bishop's Castle, has been selected by Ludlow Liberal Democrats to contest the MP Philip Dunne's seat in the Ludlow constituency. A mother-of-two, Mrs Barnes has built a reputation as a local campaigner on issues such as unwanted housing, the Bishop's Castle Youth Club and the future of the town's business park. She is currently pressing the mobile provider EE over their poor signal in the area. She said: "It's a great honour to be selected to represent the Lib Dems in next year's contest. "I will be following in the footsteps ...
#78964011 / gettyimages.com It feels a good evening to honour my great great grandmother's brother Sandy Campbell, who is described in Robert Smith's book A Queen's Country:Sandy Campbell sported a magnificent beard. Queen Victoria didn't like it and asked him to remove it. She said she liked all her stalkers and ghillies to be clean-shaven. But Sandy refused to part with his beard, saying he had never shaved all his life and didn't intend to start now. He told the Queen that he would rather go back where he came from. The matter was quietly dropped and Sandy and his ...
Wed 17th
21:55
What do you think will be the result of the Scottish independence referendum? Your predictions, plea...
[IMG: st Andrews flag saltire scotland Some rights reserved by Fulla T] Almost all the polls have now been published and election day is tomorrow – so the time has come to put your pundit's reputation on the line and say what you think will be the result of the Scottish independence referendum. A quick reminder for those who've been fogged by the blizzard of polls in the last couple of days: Ipsos MORI: Yes 49%, No 51% Panelbase: Yes 48%, No 52% ICM: Yes 48%, No 52% Opinium: Yes 48%, No 52% Survation: Yes 48%, No 52% (via UK ...
It is, I am reminded, now less than twelve hours until Scottish voters start to stream into polling stations in order to determine their future, which is nice, when you think about it. Or not, depending upon your persuasion. In my case, I've tried to drum up some enthusiasm... and, for the most part, failed to do so. I've observed the passion, indeed the venom, of a campaign in which neither side has offered a genuinely credible vision worthy of a nation with increasing bemusement. On one hand, the Yes campaign has either wished away virtually all of the difficult ...
Just in from a final day's campaigning before polling day - the momentum is with #nothanks, of that I have no doubt :
#55781765 / gettyimages.com An article published on the Guardian website this evening has, judging by the comments put the cat among the pigeons: Oil-rich Shetland may want to reconsider whether it stays part of an independent Scotland in the event of a yes vote, the Scotland secretary, Alistair Carmichael, has said. In an interview with the Guardian, Carmichael said if the islands were to vote strongly no but the Scottish national vote was a narrow yes, then a "conversation about Shetland's position and the options that might be open to it" would begin. The Liberal Democrat MP, who represents Orkney ...
#109253734 / gettyimages.com Wee Jimmy Krankie interviewed in The Big Issue: Alex Salmond can sod off 'cos I don't want it.
Hey readers, I'm on holiday in Venice at the moment and the posts I lined up before I left have now run out. So posting for the next ten days or so may be rather intermittent. Mark P.S. Try not to break the country while I'm gone!!!Filed under: Uncategorized
-Follow and keep in touch!Another heroic performance from the legend that is Kay Burley.
My home is split into two camps. Both camps come from countries that were declared independent by the British Empire. One side is absolutely adamant that independence is the only answer to self determination. The other camp thinks independence is a bad idea because of the loss of the monarchy, Union Jack, English tea and scones. Let me at this point tell you that the link between Scotland and people in my home is as far apart as Ben Nevis from Big Ben. The connection is as follows: two uncles studied medicine in Scotland a decade ago and my aunty ...
At moments like these - moving house - I realise that the real division between rulers and ruled isn't left or right, public versus private, or any of the other issues that the political class appear to think should motivate us. It is systematised versus human. Small scale versus big scale. Community versus hierarchy. Rationalised versus personal. That is the story of people's real lives, these days, whether those organisations are nominally public, private or voluntary sector. This came home from me forcibly as I opened my post yesterday. Three identical letters from Southern Water in identical envelopes all informed ...
[IMG: Scottish Parliament 23 May 06 067] The three unionist parties – and, yes, that seems to include us – have united to promise more powers if Scotland votes No tomorrow. But what are they offering, and is it "guaranteed"? I don't question Ming's sincerity when he claims that federalism is within touching distance but I seriously question his optimism. Our own party has its plans for fairly radical change (though calling it federalism is stretching a point, and our policy is now entangled with plans for devolution on demand in the rest of the UK). Two and a half ...
-Follow and keep in touch!I'm going to be honest with you, as I think that's what readers of an independently run blog expect – I've never really *got* the whole exotic sex thing. In fact, I've always tended to believe that most people who claim to engage in high octane bedroom gymnastics are lying or, [...]
[IMG: "Good government is thataway."] "Good government is thataway." It's a question I often wonder when listening to one of my favourite American podcasts, such as Freakonomics or Planet Money. So often the problems they talk about are ones that Britain has either cracked, circumvented or found much better ways of ameliorating. Even when it comes to deploying market forces – such as the paucity of internet suppliers available to homes in much of the US – Britain often comes out as being well ahead. Of course, by their very nature, the stories that make it into podcasts are the ...
[IMG: Manchester Town Hall Clock] The Labour party is planning to cut short their party conference if Scotland votes Yes, according to leaks to Huffington Post. The conference is due to run in Manchester from this Sunday through to next Wednesday, but they are assuming that Parliament would be recalled on Monday if Yes wins. In that event, it seems all ministerial speeches and fringe meetings will be cancelled, "with the exception of the keynote address from Labour leader Ed Miliband next Tuesday" . That does not leave much, and delegates who are not MPs will be left to create ...
Everyone recognizes that for success you you need enough people to deliver a winning campaign plan. What it equally important is that you have an engaged core team who have specific roles and responsibilities and deliver them. Who should be in your core team? In a general election year with local elections the "Team" needs [...]
[IMG: Alex Salmond - License Some rights reserved by Ewan McIntosh] In history independence (or partition) often leads to a rise in racism, disaffection, poverty, hatred and instability. I was looking for evidence that Scottish independence wouldn't do that. I was looking for intelligent leadership with a coherent vision which would unite Scotland to reassure me that the positives of independence (which would include faster and more sensitive feedback loops for Scottish policy) would outweigh the negatives. In the early stages of the campaign I saw signs of what I was looking for. My first big wake-up call came with ...
Any German-speaking readers might be interested in this report of the birth of a new Social Liberal party in Germany to rival the declining FDP. The two issues identified by its founding members where views diverge are welfare and the environment. The economic liberal FDP has for many years prioritised economic growth over environmental protection – a view that has stuck out among the European Liberal family. The issue of welfare is somewhat more recent. Contrast this with the continuing decline of the right-ring FDP, out of the Bundestag and now out of two more regional parliaments. The FDP's parallels ...
The effective use of email helps us to campaign and win elections. However, email is an add-on to our literature and doorstep campaigning, not a replacement. Most Liberal Democrat councillors and campaigners have too little time and far too much to do but email campaigning really is a priority. If you only do one thing [...]
The Social Liberal forum website has published this I'd like to reply as someone that's been involved in the process. I've also submitted this as a comment but it's awaiting moderation and I wanted to get my response out as soon as possible. 1. This isn't about bypassing activists, it's exactly the opposite. Ask around on twitter or at conference itself, and you'll find many people that want to particpate MORE, not less by voting in motions. 2. It's not a "very small problem of people wanting to attend and not be able to vote".People that aren't able to ...
[IMG: Shirley Williams] The Guardian posted an article by Shirley Williams yesterday, in which she writes: The referendum decision will come at the culmination of a long period of disillusionment with politicians. The SNP, like the other mainstream parties, has attracted its own share of public frustration about centralisation and the excessive rule of Edinburgh over other regions of Scotland. Nationally, the disillusionment began with the poll tax, the decline of manufacturing in Scotland, Wales, the Midlands and the north of England during the Thatcher years, the failure of our interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan and the financial crisis in ...
In the run-up to this year's autumn Conference, we've asked ALDC's political staff to give us a short summary of the training that they will be helping deliver in Glasgow. Today, we've asked our Development Officer for the South West, Midlands and Wales, Richard Cole, for his training highlights: A major theme for federal conference [...]
by Simon Banks I'd like to raise a concern about something to be decided at Conference, especially as I can't be there. Conference in Glasgow will consider two proposals from the party establishment lumped together under the title of OMOV...Read more ›
A feature of the British system of government is that no parliament can bind a future parliament. In practice that means that we have no body of "special" constitutional law that is enshrined for ever or, more realisticly, cannot be overturned without a special procedure, such as a two-thirds majority in both chambers of parliament. True there are special conditions attached to the act which introduced the fixed term parliament (probably the most important achievement of the Liberal Democrats in government, and one which we do not say nearly enough about) but these can be overturned by a simple majority ...
I've resisted from getting involved in the Independence Debate for a very clear reason - tomorrow's vote is for the people of Scotland and not for me. Scots will decide based on a whole load of issues that just don't affect me. If Scottish Independence is successful at the vote, it isn't me who'll have to contend with questions of currency, or national security - in one sense I'm grateful for that fact. It's the same reason that I haven't phonebanked anybody in Scotland to try and pull them round to my way of thinking - when it comes down ...
[IMG: Forms Diversity / SML.20121107.IPH5 / @lifecelebrates #diversity] What do the candidates to be president of the Lib Dems think should be done to make the party more racially-diverse? I sent them a short six-question survey to find out. The full survey results can be found on my blog here. Sal Brinton, Daisy Cooper, Linda Jack and Liz Lynne all agreed on many issues, with Sal and Linda proving the boldest in embracing new solutions to increase BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic) diversity, Liz being the most cautious and Daisy somewhere in between. But there wasn't a whole lot to ...
I am writing this with 48 hours to go in the Scotland Referendum, I am on tenterhooks! It is Scotland's choice but I would be heartbroken if they left. I hope to play a small part, in a much, much bigger team out on Thursday knocking on doors and working till 10pm on our Get [...]
Photos of a beloved bull terrier posed in funny, imaginative scenes (tags: ) Doctor Who Recap: A Lesson In How To Upset The Fanbase (tags: ) Factcheck: Telegraph wrongly accuses BBC of "blatantly untrue" climate reporting (tags: ) #WhatBiLooksLike Contest: Help Us Celebrate Bisexual Visibility Day! | Bisexual.org (tags: ) Lloyds Bank - Community Fund 2014 - Vote for a local project to get £3000 (tags: ) Clive James, on his death bed, is writing poetry. (tags: ) Bradford MP to wear pink in parliament to raise money for charity - @DavidWardMP looking foxy (tags: ) Labour party attempt to ...
The Islamic centre at 40 Foxland Road held its first open day on Saturday, with more planned. They invited local residents who had put in objections to their recent planning application for extended hours and Pam and I went along as local councillors too. We wanted to understand their plans, and also raise the concerns residents have been raising with us. [IMG: islamic foxland] Our hosts at the centre were very welcoming – laying on food and drink, giving us a full guided tour and answering all their questions. One of my concerns was that, because most of us simply ...
Wed 17th
09:12
The mostly unremarked upon spectre of sectarianism hanging over the Scottish referendum
[IMG: Orangemen] A group of Orangemen joined a Scotland No rally in Glasgow over the weekend. It was a reminder of a topic that has been little discussed during the Independence campaign: sectarianism in Scotland and what the implications of a Yes vote might be in starting a whole new chapter in this unfortunate side to Scotland's history and cultural makeup. The No campaign, of course, distanced themselves as quickly as possible from the march. The chief reason that sectarianism has mostly been swept under the carpet is because both the Yes and No campaigns do not wish to touch ...
Last Friday Nick Clegg was speaking about devolution at an event organisation by the Institute for Public Policy Research. It marked the launch of their publication entitled 'Decentralisation decade: A plan for economic prosperity, public service transformation and democratic renewal in England'. Nick Clegg's speech starts just after 14 minutes in, and is followed by Q&A. * Newshound: bringing you the best Lib Dem commentary published in print or online.
Sheila, Jen and I took the opportunity last Sunday to visit the Paddington Tunnels being excavated by the Friends of Williamson's Tunnels. This site is not normally open to the public and is both separate from and run by a different group to the one which is a regularly open and 'brown' signposted in Liverpool. Their web site is at:- www.williamsontunnels.com/ A guided tour of around 45 minutes took us three levels down below ground level into brick vaulted tunnels. The work of the volunteers is impressive and extensive as all the tunnels had been back-filled with builders rubble and ...
Residents in Millhall Crescent and Newhall Gardens whose gardens are bounded by the former Lawrie's Nursery site, have complained to me about the extent of the overgrown foliage from the site now encroaching on their gardens - see below : Overgrown foliage encroaching a garden in Millhall Crescent I have contacted both the City Council and the developer/site owners direct about this requesting that the owner have their site tidied. The owner has now responded, promising some attention to the matter.
Despite having been described as deceased by an audience member on a BBC Wales programme on Monday evening, Lord |Joel Barnett is alive and well, and at 90 years old (he will be 91 next month) still capable of making headlines. Lord Barnett was the man who, as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, devised the population based funding formula which determines how much money is given to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It was intended to be a temporary fix for a 'year or two' but has persevered for 36 years and is now a centre of controversy in the ...
Lib Dem Voice has polled our members-only forum to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 735 party members responded – thank you – and we're publishing the full results. Scotland votes this Thursday in its independence referendum. We asked our sample of Lib Dem members for their views and here's what we found... 62% of Lib Dem members say we're Better Together Do you support or oppose Scotland becoming a country independent from the rest of the United Kingdom? 15% – Support independence 22% – Neither ...
I wrote last week about my own reasons for doubting the case for Scottish Independence. This week I've been sharing some of other people's writings on that theme. Today it's Kenan Malik's explanation of why it is hard to square using the election of government of which you disapprove to justify separatism with the idea you respect democracy: [...]
As part of my continued attempts to actually finish the series of blog posts I've started, here's part three of my looks at Heinlein's Future History work. For those who haven't read them, here's parts one and two. Blowups Happen is one of Heinlein's more acclaimed early works, but is interesting in retrospect for very [...]
