Considerable business pressure built up until the airports commission was created. This was despite residents close to London airports and along flight paths frankly having had enough of aircraft noise. Things like the tiny number of night flights still being allowed have really antagonised many many Londoners. Labour politicians are for Heathrow expansion. The Conservatives were against but now many of their politicians have broken ranks and are for Heathrow expansion. The Liberal Democrats are still against Heathrow expansion and despite their leadership flirting with an extra Gatwick runway are still against London airports expanding. To pile on the pressure ...
Independent seat. Resignation For more information contact info@northeastlibdems.org.uk
Independent seat. Death For more information please contact hdalziel@cix.co.uk
Conservative seat. Death info@chichesterlibdems.org.uk
Independent seat. Death For more information contact hdalziel@cix.co.uk
Conservative seat. Death For more information contact info@midsussexlibdems.org.uk
Today has been, in turns, frustrating and mildly exhilarating (actually, can you be mildly exhilarated?). Frustrating because, courtesy of Liberal Democrat Voice, I have been reminded that younger people can be reactionary, ageist and intolerant just as convincingly as older people. I've also spent forty-five minutes waiting for British Airways to answer what seemed, on the face of it, to be a pretty simple request, only for it to be made to appear like the height of optimism. On the other hand, people close to me have had good news regarding their careers and, perhaps most surprisingly, I appear to ...
Filmed after the start of the Blitz, City Bound is an exploration of the daily commute into London from the suburbs in 1941.
A local by-election will be held in Bramhall South and Woodford to elect a new councillor following the shock resignation of Conservative Anita Johnson. The Lib Dem candidate, Jeremy Meal, is a transport professional who's lived locally in Bramhall for 20 years. He stood for the Lib Dems in May, nearly halving the Conservative majority. The by-election, which will be held on Thursday 20th November 2014, looks set to be a close contest between the Conservative candidate and Jeremy Meal – the other parties are a long way behind.
Mark Hunter's campaign to get Tory-run Cheshire East Council to think again about building 1,800 houses on a greenbelt field near Handforth is picking up speed. The Lib Dems are concerned that building so many houses in one site right on the Stockport border will see traffic chaos as the cars flood down the A34 towards Manchester, then back again in the evening. More houses are needed in Cheshire as well as Stockport, but Cheshire Tories have no plan to deal with the increased traffic. Greenbelt developments should be a last resort: before proposing building of this scale on the ...
I was sorry to hear of the death of Alvin Stardust. His first hit reminds me of my first months in Market Harborough. The song was played for what seemed like months by Radio Luxembourg before the BBC took it up and made it a hit. Rather improbably, I find that he inspired one of my columns for Liberal Democrat News back in 2006. So, by way of a tribute here it is again. The investigation into Lord Levy came to nothing, though all parties sell honours to some extent. Identity crisis Identity can be a complicated business. Take the ...
Feel the Force Day is an accessible film and TV event designed for visually impaired and disabled people. This year's event at Kingsgate Conference Centre attracted hundreds of people and the event a first of its kind, in the World, EVER! I must say the latest event was VERY impressive! The organisation, the number of [...]
The Guardian wins our Headline of the Day award.
Any interested fellow citizen who was told how the latest recruit to their Parliament was chosen would be first baffled, then outraged. Is it any wonder that there are more electors who favour the complete abolition of the House of Lords than support retention of the existing arrangements? The provisions for the replacement of one of our hereditary Peers, when deceased, are confusing, complicated and downright contradictory. The latest election result, announced by the Lord Speaker on Wednesday afternoon, may seem to be relatively simple: our new Liberal Democrat colleague will be Raymond Asquith, otherwise known as the Earl of ...
Ahead of the national youth parliament in the House of Commons on 14 November, Shropshire MYP Laura Sheldon writes a guest post on the issues of most concern to young people in Ludlow and Shropshire. After being elected as a Member of Youth Parliament (MYP) in February 2013, it has become very clear to me [...]
Those with long memories will recall how Tony Blair was welcomed like the returning Messiah by a mainly black audience at Ruach Ministries church in Brixton towards the end of his Downing Street reign, while everyone [...]
#450704086 / gettyimages.com Wonder no more: you can come and hear me talk at the Epping Forest Liberal Democrats AGM. It's at 7:30pm in the Jack Silley Pavilion, Stonards Hill Recreation Ground, Epping, CM16 6SP, with me up first followed by the local party business afterwards – so the local party is welcoming members from elsewhere to turn up just for the first part. Books will of course also be available... and I'll also have a little prize for the person who comes along who has joined the party most recently. P.S. If you're wondering about the photo, no I ...
Today, I made it outside. After nearly a week of being indoors, I decided that the visit of Andrew's old friend from irc, Craig, was a reason to get up and head out. I made it down to Casemates Square where Andrew and I had some breakfast in Café Modelo. Met up with Craig and...
Thu 23rd
17:30
Norman Lamb MP writes...Liberal Democrats will fight relentlessly for NHS to have funding it needs
Today Simon Stevens, the Chief Executive of NHS England published his 5-year Forward Look, setting out the challenges facing our health and care system in the coming years. It makes sobering reading. Simon Stevens sets out the huge scale of the financial challenge facing us in the years ahead as we continue to adapt to an ageing population, and increasing numbers of people living longer with multiple chronic conditions. We also need more investment to ensure that people with mental health problems can get the same standard of care and support as with physical health. Earlier this month, the Liberal ...
Yesterday, Nick Clegg gave a speech to public sector workers. His specific focus was on teacher workload. Everyone thinks that teachers work short hours and have long holidays. Yet everyone who has a child actually at school will know how much effort goes in to preparing lessons. And everyone who knows a teacher knows that they spend a lot of their supposed "off-duty" time thinking of interesting lessons or, more likely these days, filling in interminable paperwork. We know that children need to be kept safe and their progress checked, but I get the feeling that the bureaucracy is overbearing ...
The principle that numerical measurements will always be inaccurate if they are used to control is now known as Goodhart's Law. The law was formulated by Charles Goodhart to shed light on macro-economic policy, but it mainly now informs - or, more accurately, fails to inform public services. The point is that, however incompetent staff may be, they will always be skilful enough to make targets work for them rather than against them. Take for example, the rule that patients shouldn't be kept on hospital trolleys for more than four hours. It was early in the targets story that hospitals ...
Thanetwatch as many of us know is the name of the publication, that Broadstairs based activists Norman Thomas and Christine Tongue regularly comment on and apparent act as arbiters of social justice and morality, which generally looks to the left for inspiration. This week they focus on the ever popular Cllr Simon Moores, highlighting some tweet, in which it would appear, he's dared to make some satirical comment on the mass migration of humanity toward Northern Europe, as with any satire it is either something that you agree with or are vastly offended. Anyhoo since Norman and Christine always have ...
Missed the latest Call Clegg show on LBC? Listen to it here:
A fortnight ago I emailed all of the then declared contenders to be the next Liberal Democrat President with questions (below) about their personal political philosophy and our shared Lib Dem values, to be published here. I received Sal Brinton's answers last night, and here they are now. What I believe and why I can only be a Lib Dem: Fairness and equality are at the heart of everything I believe in. Every child should have the best start in life, the opportunity to do what they want, even if it isn't what everyone else wants, with the best skills ...
Now this is an interview: It's almost up there with this:
OK, let's be clear what is happening in West Africa is horrifying and worthy of a very serious response. However, there have been some really callous and dumb responses. Salon reports some of them of which the most shocking is this: Howard Yocum Elementary School, in Maple Shade, New Jersey, is across the river from [...]
In April of this year, I organised a fundraising dinner for Simon Hughes in central London. Between courses we interviewed Nick Clegg, Lynne Featherstone and Simon about their early political interests and experiences. The answers were inspiring, the anecdotes hilarious and the audience were treated to a fascinating glimpse into the reasons why MPs get involved with politics in the first place. The performances of Nick, Lynne and Simon challenged the all-too-common misperception that MPs are simply career politicians and members of a remote political class, far removed from the lives of the ordinary British public. Instead, the interviews highlighted ...
This table is from research done by the government in 2011. It demonstrates for KS2 that taking a small amount of holiday in term time does not necessarily harm a child's education (at KS2 of course) and can in fact improve achievement. John Hemming said: "The government's obsessive demand for children to go to school almost regardless of normal family circumstances (such as illness, family
There are two six month rules. They often cause confusion as they have same name but entirely different meanings: 1. The first is to avoid unnecessary by-elections. For the last six months of a councillor's period of office no by-election is normally held if they resign or die. The vacancy is held open until the [...]
The South Wales Evening Post has two stories today that cause one to pause with astonishment. Firstly, there is the tale of Neath Port Talbot Council's attempt to plug its budget gap by selling off four works of art in their possession, including the Ludwig Von Hofer statue, the Roman Emperor Statue, Benjamin West American picture and a pair of pictures attributable to the studio of Allan Ramsay. The paper says that at a council cabinet meeting in September, members voted to sell the four works through Sotheby's, but these plans have now been put on hold after it was ...
[IMG: Little girl with mom read book in bed] As a regular reader of New Scientist magazine a few issues back I was struck by an article a few issues ago that showed how the inequality arising from poverty sets in at such an early age and is then hard to reverse. The article urged policy makers to focus on early intervention to address inequality, inequality is something that I feel strongly about. I believe that everyone should be given the opportunity to get on in life. In order to do that of course people have to take some responsibility ...
Thu 23rd
13:35LibLink: Tim Farron: Don't despair, we can help those whose lives are threatened by climate change
[IMG: Tim farron photo by liberal democrats dave radcliffe] Tim Farron has been writing for the Guardian about the extent of the practical problems faced by communities around the world as a direct result of climate change. Last week he met with someone from the Philippines who knows only too well what climate change means to their islands: Last Thursday I chose not to avoid it - I was sitting in my office with a man who experiences climate change every day. Yet it wasn't depressing. I count myself lucky to know Voltaire Alferez, a Christian Aid partner from the ...
Got this through on email the other day and thought you might be interested? Peterborough Citizens Advice Bureau, 16-17 St Mark's Street, Peterborough, PE1 2TU, are offering the following courses FREE to voluntary organisations, but there is a charge of £75 per person per course for statutory organisations (other than the Signposting and Awareness course which [...]
[IMG: Frank Field] Frank Field wants to get Blue Labour up and running again as an above ground political, mainstream mode of political thought with a book due to be published in February entitled Blue Labour: Forging a New Politics. I use the words "above ground" due its dwelling below the surface since 2011, when Blue Labour's leading light, Maurice Glasman, said in an interview that the Labour Party should be looking to reach out to groups such as the English Defence League. I believe Maurice when he says he didn't mean it to come across as it sounded, but ...
Thu 23rd
12:04
Advertiser Column: Pensions to rise at twice the rate of inflation thanks to Lib Dems.
The latest jobs and inflation figures were announced last week. Local unemployment is down by 749 in south Manchester since this time last year, and stands at 2.8%, down from [...]
[IMG: school children] The government has announced the regional allocations for the Early Years pupil premium. Nurseries, childminders and other early years providers throughout the country are set for a cash injection to help three and four-year-olds from disadvantaged families. Children from low income families have often fallen behind more well off classmates before they even start school. But from April 2015, the Early Years Pupil Premium – which has been backed by groups like Barnados, 4Children and the Child Poverty Action Group – will mean extra money to make sure every child gets a fair start. Over the country, ...
Continuing my theme of how Ukip is failing even whilst appearing to succeed, there's this new polling data from MORI: The Ipsos-MORI "should we leave/stay in the EU" findings reache a 23 year high for remain pic.twitter.com/ghr6lwUUU6 — Mike Smithson (@MSmithsonPB) October 22, 2014
The allocations for the Early Years Pupil Premium have been released. This is extra money for early years provision that will be hugely helpful to children across the country. To welcome it we have below a template press release and a letter that can be sent to newspapers, or used as a blogpost or similar. You [...]
[IMG: Euro by Alf Melin] This is probably a stupid idea. I thought I'd get that in before you do, because it probably is, and even it's not you're probably still going to think that it is. Nevertheless I'm going to say it anyway because frankly right now British politics is somewhere up a creek and Nigel Farage is running off with the paddle. How about we hold an in-out referendum on European Union membership on the first Thursday in February? No, really, how about it? According to UKIP the EU is the source of all evil - the cause ...
The British electorate is being offered a choice between bad leadership and weak leadership, if they choose between the two biggest parties at the General Election in May 2015. This is a turn-up for Labour's Ed Miliband. While he still appears weak, the Conservative Prime Minister, David Cameron, had been seen as a sensible and competent leader. But Mr Cameron is now putting that at risk. Mr Cameron, over the last month or so has put his name to a series highly unstatesmanlike moves. Let's list them: He offered the public about £8bn of tax cuts in the next parliament, ...
[IMG: Guide dog puppy] This year's Westminster Dog of the Year gets underway shortly. The aim is to celebrate that great bond between dog and human and to promote responsible dog ownership. Last year, the Liberal Democrats were represented by Tessa Munt and Poppy. This year Paul Burstow and Martin Horwood are taking part. Paul takes part with his dog Indy, who came to them as a rescue dog 4 years ago: When boss first adopted me, I was a one year old dog with 'issues.' I did not believe in recall, I leapt onto chairs, I stole toad, I ...
Ban e-cigarettes indoors, say public - *headdesk headdesk headdesk* How am I meant to build a smokatorium now? (tags: ) Attention, men: don't be a creepy dude who pesters women in coffee shops and on the subway (tags: ) Liberal England: The "breathtaking hypocrisy" of Mark Reckless (with awesome comment from @DisgruntledRad) (tags: ) Very quietly, coalition tries to dismantle judicial review - @gdspayne Lib Dems are trying to stop this, right? (tags: ) Tory mask slips on bedroom tax bill - Andrew George (tags: ) 57 Reasons Living In Yorkshire Ruins You For Everywhere Else "Because you can take ...
Thu 23rd
09:35
"It's 8th May, 2015." My scenario-question to the Lib Dem candidates for party president
I'm genuinely undecided who to vote for in the election for Lib Dem party president. I know a little, not a lot, of each of the three candidates: Sal Brinton, Daisy Cooper and Liz Lynne. At the hustings event I attended, there was little of substance to separate them, with the exception of all-women short-lists (Sal and Liz opposed; Daisy open to them), but in any case that isn't a decision made by the party president. Much of it, then, comes down to personality: who do I think will be best able to help guide the party through what is ...
[IMG: Teacher and pupil] Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg has launched the Workload Challenge and invited teachers from across the country to have their say on the causes of unnecessary workload. Nick recently said that many teachers had been left feeling "browbeaten" and undervalued. He also expressed concern for the rising workloads face by teachers. To address this, Nick has announced the Workload Challenge, which gives teachers the opportunity to tell the government what they think should be done to reduce this increasing problem. Nick wants to free teachers up to spend the time outside the ...
Btw, which of you @LibDems teams also have a membership barometer like @laylamoran @OxWAb ? #barometerenvy pic.twitter.com/0U6vwWyLH6 — Daisy Cooper (@Daisy4Change) October 17, 2014
Last night, I had the pleasure of chairing a well-attended meeting of Logie residents, which took place at the Lime Street sheltered lounge. I am indebted to the City Council's Conservation Officer who spoke with the residents about the new draft Logie Conservation Area Appraisal document currently out to consultation. He also answered a wide range of Conservation Area related questions from residents. There are currently two other West End conservation area draft appraisals out to consultation (West End Suburbs and West End Lanes) - more details here. At the meeting we also discussed various other issues - including the ...
Returning again to my World War One theme for 2014 here is a link to the Flickr site of Thomas Kelly who has taken a really nice shot of the Sefton Village War Memorial:-
The cycle path across the former rail goods yard, now digital media park, was closed earlier this month as a result of the construction works for the new Seabraes pedestrian bridge. The City Council has advised me : "Signage was erected one week in advance to notify cyclists that the section of cycleway in question would be closed from the 14th October 2014. Please see ... photo.The cycleway was closed ... and appropriate diversion signs are in place." I have made the point to the City Council that, unlike a road closure, there is no advance Traffic Order notice system ...
As part of the public consultation by Merseyside Police Commissioner Jane Kennedy over her plans to close old and too large police stations and move local policing teams to smaller premises a meeting was held at Maghull Town Hall yesterday evening. Trouble is virtually no one turned up. [IMG: rsz_tony_at_maghull_police_station_06_13] I got a call from the press earlier in the day asking if I knew about the meeting because no one at the Town hall seemed to. I did but told them that I had already been to a previous similar meeting held in Liverpool a few weeks ago, in ...
[IMG: War graves] In this year, a hundred years since the coming of war in August 1914, the conflict is remembered chiefly for its impact on the millions of ordinary men, women and children who were to suffer and die and over the following four years. Lives were altered forever and society transformed. But the war had political consequences too: empires fell, new nations emerged and British political parties and the party system underwent profound change - a transformation which plunged the Liberal Party into civil war and caused it to plummet from a natural party of government to electoral ...
Cllr Paul Moss resigns from Labour Councillor Paul Moss, who represents Reddish North ward on Stockport Council, has resigned from the Labour Party to sit as an Independent, saying "I can no longer be bullied into supporting the underhand actions of my party". Cllr Moss is opposing proposals to build houses on part of Reddish Vale Country Park as part of the wider Brinnington Regeneration Scheme*. Cllr Moss is the second Stockport councillor in three weeks to quit Labour: Cllr Laura Booth (Offerton) resigned earlier this month citing a "culture of systematic bullying in the local Labour party". Cllr Booth ...
But is it about the Monkees or not? With Gene Clark gone from the band, the Byrds' star was fading. Without their lead singer and most commercial songwriter, their last two singles had only reached numbers 44 and 36 in the charts. Their imperial phase had only lasted a little under a year, between Mr [...]
