Should the Welsh Liberal Democrats change their name and should they do more to distance themselves from the Federal Party? These topics have excited activists in a recent debate on social media, which has also included calls from some for extra constitutional powers from 'the Feds', as they've been labelled. I have no issue with examining the position of the Welsh Party in relation to the Federal Party, particularly in the context of the wider debate about further UK devolution. However, before we go down the route of further Welsh Party powers, we need to ask ourselves if we are ...
Expert reaction to Nick Clegg's announcement on mental health, collected by the Science Media Centre. Linda Jack offers a deeply personal reaction of her own: "Members in Watford will know Sarah as one of their deliverers, two weeks before she died she was out with me delivering for the PCC elections in Bedfordshire. But Sarah had one of the most painful illnesses known to man or woman - she was bi-polar and schizophrenic." A Lanson Boy brings us a good idea from Cornwall: "Following the decision by the Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Hogg to agree the closure of many ...
#450112584 / gettyimages.com Mr Helmer has defended himself to the Leicester Mercury: "What I do in my own time is of no concern to anyone but myself, especially not The Sun. "I've always said people are welcome to ask me anything about my political life and political views, but my private life should be my own and is of no concern to anyone but me."The most remarkable feature of this affair is that we have learnt of the existence of a massage parlour in Lutterworth.
[IMG: Via Pessina, Lugano, 1956] From my father's collection of slides, taken in the summer of 1956. A quick search demonstrates that this shop is still there and looks much the same, even if dress standards have changed somewhat over the last 60 years.
On Saturday 18 October, Changing Attitude Ireland is holding a public talk, "Choosing a Same-Sex Partner" at 1.45pm in St George's Church, High Street, Belfast. The speaker is Malcolm Macourt, the author of a series of essays, Toward a Theology of Gay Liberation, that had a significant impact in the quest for inclusion in the 1970s. Malcolm returns to his native Belfast to speak about developments in faith [...]
I have now been in Japan for 5 days and am beginning to formulate my thoughts about what I have seen and what I have learnt. Firstly I would say that if the Japanese Local Government Centre offer you the ... Continue reading →
Devolution of Powers to Cornwall has became topical, on the back of the Scottish referendum. I was concerned with some of what I was reading in the media so have made enquiries about the main party positions. I am relieved to say, the LibDem view seems to make the most sense to me! Conservatives seem to want an English Parliament so no real change for Cornwall except excluding Scottish M.Ps from voting on English matters. Labour want to devolve powers to city regions, so that's not Cornwall. Mebyon Kernow want a Cornish Assembly as well as Cornwall Council. Not sure ...
Almost two years ago I arrived home in the early hours from the Children and Young People Awards, to see the lights on. My stomach hit the floor - if my daughter was still up something was wrong. I was right - my sister Sarah had been found dead in her house, suspected suicide. Members in Watford will know Sarah as one of their deliverers, two weeks before she died she was out with me delivering for the PCC elections in Bedfordshire. But Sarah had one of the most painful illnesses known to man or woman - she was bi-polar ...
Since Scotland narrowly voted to remain part of the UK, people are thinking about constitutional reform. Who should have powers over what, what democratic accountability there should be, and how we should confer a mandate on our politicians. One thing that's been mentioned repeatedly is online voting. It's an immediately appealing idea, but I believe [...]
As well as moving the sex work motion on Saturday, I had also written a speech regarding the federal policy paper on equality, which had been written and drafted by several people including the lovely Cantabridgians Zoe O'Connell and Belinda Brooks-Gordon (who had helped with, and summated, on the sex work motion). It's a really good, and rather radical, motion, and I put in a card to speak on the trans aspects of the motion. Most of the debate centred around a Humanist and Secularist Liberal Democrats amendment regarding faith schools admissions, but I was eventually called... immediately after Zoe, ...
Best quote from Clacton by-election: "Yes I voted UKIP, the Tory MP has done nothing for years"-Clacton Resident #NoHope"sums it up for me — Wera Hobhouse (@Wera_Hobhouse) October 10, 2014
[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 10 days: People should not be MPs until they are 40, says Andrew Marr; Housing benefits caps.. good, bad ...
It is clear that there are strong concerns, from across the community, about the proposals to relocate Acocks Green's Post Office branch. I share these concerns and am supporting the developing campaign to stop the proposed move. Initially this has involved setting out the case in a joint letter of objection written by Acocks Green Focus Group and endorsed by both of Acocks Green's Neighbourhood Forums, John Hemming MP and many others. The key concerns are: 1) The location is unsuitable for a busy main post office branch, which frequently has long queues, sometimes out to the pavement. Compared with ...
[IMG: Officials count ballot papers in Witney] A couple of months ago, I wrote: It seems that UKIP are very good at getting out the vote, but they'll need to broaden the number of people willing to vote for them to have a serious chance of winning a Westminster seat. As they've now won a Westminster seat, let's look at the evidence from the by-elections to see what happened. As I said in that last post, the interesting thing to look at in the UKIP vote isn't the share of the vote, but the share of the electorate. We spend ...
Xanthe at Glee Club, reading what we think of Tony Blair While present at conference this year my involvement was rather limited due to having my 2 year old daughter, Xanthe, with me. (I think she enjoyed her first conference of many...) However, I was able to attend the key debates and speeches, even give a speech myself, and speak to old and new friends. Most importantly, I was able to gauge the mood of the party at what is a crucial moment in its history, and was surprised by the general positivity. My reflections on conference itself, and what ...
I was a bit sceptical when I saw the exuberant title but this is really rather good (and how can I not like anyone who promotes their own book so enthusiastically?):
Residents' favourite food and drink businesses were honoured at the St Albans and Harpenden Food and Drink Awards 2014 held on Monday 6 October. The awards ceremony at St Michael's Manor marked the end of the two-week St Albans and Harpenden Food and Drink Festival. They are organised by St Albans City and District Council with the support of a steering group of [...]
[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: Holborn & St Pancras, 12th October North West Hampshire, 13th October Wolverhampton North East, 14th October Wolverhampton South East, 14th October Wolverhampton South West, 14th October Devizes, 15th October Broadland, 17th October Broxtowe, 17th October East Devon, 17th October Hemsworth, 17th October Hove, 17th October Meon Valley, 17th October Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford, 17th ...
www.flickr.com/photos/86659476@N07/ Lovely autumnal shades at the back of the Weld Blundell Pub near Lydiate Village Green.
I just noticed a pretty terrible prediction I made back in December 2013, which I thought I ought to own up to. I wrote a post called "How First Past the Post has Given India Perpertual Coaltition Government.' In it I wrote that it was a forgone conclusion that "India will get is a prime [...]
It's federal election time! – Probably only of interest to Lib Dems, but Jennie Rigg will be doing questions for federal committee candidates again, and wants your input on what to ask them. Utter scumbags – "What I cannot accept, however, is the properly grotesque argument which this contemptible, reckless, immoral and intellectually bust Conservative Party is running to justify and explain its human rights plans. In Grayling's thumping rhetoric to the grinning faithful in Birmingham, you do not see a meaningful and serious-minded parliamentary deliberation on the contested understandings of human rights, but an abject and irresponsible failure to ...
[IMG: housing cover] Kate Barker has been a significant presence in UK housing policy debate for a decade. Her report for the Blair government in 2004 crystallised the idea that we need to be building north of 200,000 houses a year to stabilize the housing market. And by stabilizing the market the report meant stopping real house price rises, rather than necessarily improving affordability. This idea has been floating about in the policy ether ever since, acting as a benchmark against which current policy is judged. Estimates of target housing supply have varied a bit since then as demographic projections ...
Sat 11th
10:00
Could your organisation benefit from a volunteer task-force to help you complete a small project?
Widening Occupation Weeks (WOW) is part of the BSc Hons programme in Occupational Therapy at UWE, and provides students with 'hands on' experience of engaging in and with the community through different organisations, while simultaneously helping local organisations to get a job done. Last year, 51 students contributed 1837 hours of voluntary work to support 21 different projects large and small in and around Bristol. They are now seeking more WOW projects, which must happen between 9th-19th February 2015 and involve 5 to 50 students. To register your interest by 24th October, email Vanessa Parmenter or call 0117 32 88869. ...
Costa, who have already secured permission to change the former shop at 24 Broad Street in the town centre into a coffee shop, are now seeking permission to put tables and chairs outside in the square. You can view the plans and make comments one the Cornwall Council website using the application number PA14/09343. Tweet
The Independent illustrates perfectly why Liberal Democrats Minister have been pivotal in reining in the Tories as part of the coalition government as it reports that Theresa May is under mounting pressure over claims by a Home Office minister that the Conservatives had "suppressed" two reports into drug abuse because they could prove politically embarrassing. They say that the Liberal Democrat, Norman Baker, who is the drugs minister, told The Independent last week that the documents are gathering dust despite being ready for publication since July. They add that there are concerns that the reports are being sat on because ...
Sat 11th
09:54
One of theose mornings when you wake up with a Glee Club Song perfectly formed in your head
So last night's dreams involved rescuing Brian May from badger cullers and hiding him in the space under the sofa (leading to Dream!SarahBrownCambridge asking me if I still had a guitarist in my sofa at one point)... ANYWAY. One thing one would obviously do if one had Brian in the house would be to filk Queen songs. Allow me to present Dreamer's Poll: Oh I used to be your MP Used to be your pride and joy I used to represent you Just like any other boy But now you've found another candidate And left me like a broken toy ...
Mm, a subject that you could draw various conclusions from! The Liverpool Echo has the story (see link above) about UFO's allegedly seen over our part of the world.
/www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/29505247 The BBC has the story – see link above. [IMG: untitled] Poor old Southport FC have been having a poor season and probably unsurprisingly their manager has been replaced. Sitting in the relegation zone of the Football Conference at present the new manager has to improve performances otherwise a drop into a lower league is very much on the cards. Let's hope Sefton's most prominent football team can pull through. Stop Press – Southport win away 0-2 at in first test for new manager
[IMG: anarchist-flags] What you are about to read comes from something I wrote for a prospective book on the AV referendum that I've decided not to publish. But some bits of it are helpful to those who might think about trying to run a national referendum anytime in the near furture. Or if you just think arcane systems of thought are amusing. I have a terrible confession to make. When I was a teenager, long before I toured the hinterlands of America playing bass guitar in a forgettable all-girl country and western band, I was a bit of an anarcho-syndicalist. ...
A fascinating snippet from the memoirs just published by Liberal Democrat peer and former Treasurer, Tim Razzall, talking of the time when Paddy Ashdown was leader of the Liberal Democrats: [IMG: Michael Ashcroft] Michael Ashcroft was another who approached us. Again, Paddy [Ashdown] was invited to lunch at Michael Ashcroft's company headquarters and took me with him. Michael Ashcroft sat opposite us across the lunch table with two colleagues and fired a number of questions as to why we thought he should support the Liberal Democrats. He and his colleagues sat on one side of the table with us opposite ...
From the City Council : THE ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 : SECTION 14(1) THE DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL AS TRAFFIC AUTHORITY being satisfied that traffic on the road should be prohibited by reason of gas service connection works being carried out HEREBY PROHIBIT the driving of any vehicle in Step Row (from Provost McGowan Place to Magdalen Yard Road), Dundee. This notice comes into effect on Monday 13 October 2014 for 5 working days. Pedestrian thoroughfare will be maintained. Alternative routes for vehicles will be available via Perth Road / Windsor Street / Magdalen Yard Road. For further information contact ...
Take part in Local Democracy Week and air your views on local issues at a series of events organised by St Albans City and District Council. There will be an opportunity to meet local councillors, discuss topical issues, and to enter a democracy-themed art competition. Local Democracy Week is a Europe-wide initiative running from Monday 13 October to [...]
California Dreaming is a story of the LA pop music scene, but it's not the story of the LA pop music scene. In writing it, I had to choose a starting point, and for the bits of the story that I wanted to tell, Moon Dawg by the Gamblers is just about as close to [...]
