For days I have been thinking about writing something on last week's atrocities in Paris, starting at the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and ending with seventeen dead. But I have already read many, many news reports and opinion pieces that have approached the issue from all sorts of directions. I'm not sure I have a huge amount to add. Except to say that much of the commentary demonstrates the challenges inherent in cross-cultural interpretation. There are considerable risks in interpreting the sort of satire that Charlie Hebdo produced from outside of its milieu - risks of getting ...
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Steve Emerson, the soi-disant terrorism expert who told Fox News that Birmingham is a "Muslim-only city" where non-Muslims "don't go", has apologised for his "terrible error". That is to his credit, but Emerson will be a busy man if he is going to apologist for all his terrible errors. Andy McSmith (in the last item in this diary column) explains: I see that in 1995, he declared that the Oklahoma bombing was the work of Arab terrorists. Actually, the culprit was a white supremacist. In 1998, he announced that Pakistan was planning a nuclear strike against India. Hasn't happened yet. ...
Earlier this evening, following my weekly ward surgeries at the Mitchell Street Centre and the West Park Centre, I participated in tonight's City Council meetings. * At Environment Committee, I stressed the need ensure that there is a fast and efficient response to any implementation problems with the new waste and recycling bin collection arrangements being rolled out in part of the West End. Much of this will be from early March (much of the area of Peddie Street and Logie westwards to the city boundary plus some other parts) but a small area in Ninewells Village (the housing in ...
Today is being celebrated as the centenary of Ladybird Books. The blog Old Ladybird Books sounds a sceptical note: So what happened in 1915 that gives the excuse for a centenary this year? Simply that the brand name 'Ladybird' was first registered by the company then known as Wills and Hepworth in that year. But in no real sense could Wills & Hepworth be called a publisher of children's books back then. ... The first 'real', small-size Ladybird Books (Bunnikins Picnic Party, Ginger's Adventures and The First Day of the Holidays) seem to have emerged blinking into the world in ...
The Stone Poneys had broken up several times. The Stone Poneys had started out as a folk group, focussing equally on their three members; Linda Ronstadt on vocals, and guitarist/vocalists Bobby Kimmel and Kenny Edwards. But the band had been performing for two years, and while they were a popular live attraction, thanks largely to [...]
Civil Service World has an interview with the former Liberal Democrat minister Norman Baker about his experience of working with Whitehall. Generally, Norman is positive about it: Did your views of the civil service change during your time in office? Yes, my opinion of the civil service went up while I was in office. Most came across as professional, caring, properly politically neutral, and friendly. I do think however they are generally a bit risk averse, and the creative ideas tended to come from ministers rather than officials. However they were generally keen to please and responded well to initiatives.What ...
One of the most attractive things about Paddy Ashdown is that - in Denis Healey's famous formulation - he has a hinterland. That is, a whole range of interests beyond politics. Today I came across an old Independent article in which he wrote of love for the poetry of John Donne: Since the age of 16, I have had a copy of the complete poems of John Donne somewhere close at hand. For me, that was a watershed year. I had not been a good student - at best strugglingly average, to the despair of my father. In truth the ...
Sue Carpendale and Kathy Pollard, Babergh District Councillors Happy New Year! Here is the report to Mid Samford parishes, comprising Capel St. Mary, Holton St. Mary, Stratford St. Mary and Little and Great Wenham. In this issue: Wind turbine proposal turned down at Wherstead Tackling debt Tackling waste News on social housing Network Rail public consultation Wind turbine proposal turned down at Wherstead Babergh's planning committee unanimously refused permission for a 130m high wind turbine on land at Wherstead. This is a landmark decision for the council. Many people felt that the scale and environmental impact of this single wind ...
MP Julian Huppert has welcomed the news that Cambridgeshire health services are to get an extra £20 million this year. Cambridgeshire healthcare has been underfunded for a very long time, currently getting £35 million below the government's own calculations for a fair share of NHS spending. Historic PFI schemes at Peterborough and Hinchingbrooke Hospitals add to the problems, sucking more money away. Last year, Julian led a Westminster debate calling for a fairer level of funding for Cambridgeshire, and led a delegation from the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group and Mental Health Trust to see Health Minister Norman Lamb ...
Today's Staggers article from the New Statesman discusses Boris Johnson's (relatively) recent move to the authoritarian right on civil liberties etc. The hypothesis is that he's trying to invade Theresa May's territory on national security. It's certainly highly likely that one of those two will be the next leader of the Conservative party (and thus likely a future Prime Minister). Boris has the advantage of popularity, both in the country and among the Conservative Parliamentary party - but Theresa May's advantage is more tangible and useful, she's a Member of Parliament and has five years of Cabinet experience. Boris has ...
Given the blanket media coverage of events in Paris over the past week many people will probably have missed the distressing news that on Friday, after midday prayers, the Saudi blogger Raif Badawi received 50 lashes in a public flogging, an act of medieval barbarity that is due to be repeated another 19 times on [...]
The club has been raising funds for some time – they need £65,000 – to resurface two shale courts. The shale courts effectively can;t be used in winter. Resurfacing them will give lots more options for after school clubs and generally keeping tennis year round. To help this along they will be taking place in a 24 hours tennis marathon on 22 February 8am-12 noon. If you can please do sponsor them to help boost this locally under utilised facility – https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/sharenhenrygoodlad (I hasten to add I don't play tennis or have any personal links with the club or its ...
February 12, 2015 Conservative seat, resignation Candidate Romer Hoseason Contact: Heather Kidd 07980 635518
Mon 12th
17:19
Human Rights Committee criticises Terrorism Bill for plans to block UK citizens and for challenges t...
The knee-jerk reaction to any act of terrorism is to propose yet more regulations and legislation to prevent future attacks or to deal with the attackers. As liberals we have to be very careful to ensure that our civil and human rights are not being curtailed unnecessarily. So the conjunction of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Bill passing through Parliament, the events in Paris and the response to the Bill by the parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights are worth examining from a broad perspective. By extraordinary co-incidence, the Human Rights Committee published their scrutiny of the Bill on Wednesday, just ...
This afternoon I was gearing up to do a blog about the travels that I will shortly be undertaking as part of my work representing UK local government at an international level. Coincidentally, I received an e-mail from the Local ... Continue reading →
Being of a certain age I am often lamenting the loss, rebranding or downgrading of much of the confectionery I grew up sampling. I was particularly exercised by the renaming of Marathon as Snickers, an outrage I have still not really recovered from. Of course all confectioners are trying to cut costs by changing their product in ways that they hope consumers will not notice, however Cadburys appear to have gone too far by tampering with the longstanding formula for their crème eggs. According to the Telegraph, not only are there now five rather than six eggs in each box, ...
Quite possibly not: Last year also saw the publication of research that showed that people couldn't tell the difference between articles written by journalists, and articles written by software. [IMG: Robots vs humans in journalism] For more on the rising trend of news stories being written by computer code rather than by human journalists, see my earlier post, The robots keep on coming: sports reporting, business stories and now wine tasting.
This time of year following Christmas we see an increase in House Burglaries where the offenders may use any of the following methods: Knock on on your door. If they don't get an answer, they will go around the back of the house and force entry assured that there's no one is in. Using garden tools- spades etc left in your garden or that of a neighbour, they will force entry by prising doors and windows open. They may simply pick up a rock and smash a window. They may be using vehicles however most of the property being stolen ...
The UK has a problem: outside London our cities underperform. They fail to generate as much wealth as they should and many are net drains on the public purse. That's not the case in every country – the UK is unusual in its concentration of wealth and power in one big city. In part 1 of my article I set out the first three of the six steps cities need to take to turn that situation around. In this concluding part I identify the final three steps. Step four: create more employment The study "Investing in City regions" (2014) by ...
The Liberal Democrats are the party of fair and successful economic policy, Liberal Democrat Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander has said today (Monday 12 January). Responding to the Conservatives plans to reduce the deficit by cutting spending and not increasing taxes for the wealthy, Danny said: "The Tory approach to the nation's finances in the next Parliament is an extraordinary about turn from the balanced, fair and successful economic policy Liberal Democrats have insisted on up to now. "By pledging that there will be no tax rises on the wealthy, the Tories are committed to putting all of ...
Following concerns from residents about crossing the road at the junction of Stonepail Road and Church Road in Gatley, the Lib Dem team has asked the Council to consult on putting double yellow lines around the junction. It's a difficult location for further works: Church Road is too narrow at that point for a traffic island and the number of people crossing wouldn't justify pedestrian lights with other crossing points so near, but having a clear gap at the junction makes sense. As ever, this would be a compromise as it would lose parking space for 3-4 cars and Gatley's ...
Why is it that in most games you can't choose who you are going to be? I mean, the games I remember fondly from mumblemumble years ago when I was at uni, you were either a disembodied hand (possibly with some kind of weapon in it) or you could choose who you were going to be. Why doesn't this happen any more? Because all this "men will only buy games with male protagonists" vs "we need more diverse protagonists" crap could be sorted out if games just allowed you to choose who you were playing, surely? Would it add all ...
Last week I asked a question in the Lords on the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA). The DSA allows those with a disability, a long term health condition, or dyslexia (like myself) an equal shot at higher education. The support people receive through this allowance can be vital in ensuring a student's chances of academic success aren't dictated by their disability or health, but by their effort and ability. Like all areas of Government spending, the DSA is being examined for potential savings and to make sure money is going where it is needed most. However, my question in the Lords ...
Mon 12th
14:00LibLink: Paddy Ashdown - We have experienced anarchy like this before. We should not over-react to i...
[IMG: PAddy Ashdown by Liberal Democrats] Writing in the Independent on Sunday yesterday, Paddy Ashdown compared the violence in Paris with earlier events: You do not have to be a young Muslim living in the 21 century to be subject to radicalisation. It has always, down the ages been possible to persuade young men (and a few - a very few young women) of all faiths and none to the believe that is noble to kill innocent people in pursuit of what they have been persuaded is a great cause. ... Perhaps the closest parallel to what we are seeing ...
It's election year, the 'long campaign' period has begun, and it is more important than ever that ALDC knows who your candidates are! We are here to help, and every Liberal Democrat candidate in May's elections can benefit from our candidate support services. For ALDC members looking for more information on selection and approval procedures, [...]
Ceredigion's Welsh Liberal Democrat MP Mark Williams is lending his support to the NSPCC's new 'Share Aware' campaign which aims to get families talking about socialising safely online. The NSPCC has created a new online guide to help inform parents about the risks of different social networking sites used by children. This comes after an NSPCC survey revealed that three quarters of parents surveyed found sexual, violent, or other inappropriate content on Sickipedia, Omegle, Deviant Art, and F my Life within half an hour of logging into the sites. An NSPCC panel of more than 500 parents from Mumsnet reviewed ...
[IMG: Neil Hamilton - a liar and a cheat] Finally, finally, finally Ukip has decided that it doesn't want the poster boy for scandal-ridden 1990s MPs to be a Parliamentary candidate for the party: The former Tory minister withdrew from two selection contests — in Boston and Skegness, and Basildon — but had hoped for better luck in Portsmouth South, which is expected to pick a candidate tomorrow. However, the party's national executive committee has decided that he's too tarnished and unconventional even for Ukip. A party source says very firmly: "He is not going to be a candidate."
Cambridge MP Julian Huppert will welcome the extra funding and opportunities the City Deal brings but warn that plans should not damage the character of Cambridge when he attends the first meeting of the Greater Cambridge City Deal Assembly this afternoon (Monday, January 12), In particular, he will highlight concerns at proposed changes to Milton Road, being considered in the first round of funding released under the City Deal. Julian fears that there may be a resurrection of previous Tory plans to cut down the trees and create a dual carriageway that would damage the appearance of the road and ...
Is it more effective to force people to do things, or to charm them? The surprising answer that's tucked into the US Senate's recent investigation into terrorist interrogation, is that, even with hardened Al-Qaeda terrorists, charm is usually more effective. As Time's write up notes: The most successful interrogation of an Al-Qaeda operative by U.S. officials required no sleep deprivation, no slapping or "walling" and no waterboarding. All it took to soften up Abu Jandal, who had been closer to Osama bin Laden than any other terrorist ever captured, was a handful of sugar-free cookies. Of course it took a ...
The LGA Lib Dems are seeking a new representative on the advisory board of the Centre for Public Scrutiny. The Centre supports individuals, organisations and communities by sharing research and best practice on scrutiny and accountability through publications, consultancy and events. For more details of the body see here – http://www.cfps.org.uk/about and for the board [...]
Yes, District (and Parish) Council elections are rapidly approaching, and it's time to start thinking about ideas for the manifesto. I'm not really convinced that such a thing has to be too detailed - centrally imposed restrictions mean that differences between the approaches of the different political parties are often limited to style, nuance and basic competence - so you're effectively talking about a few big things that will resonate. Local government finance (yes, I know, but bear with me here...) is one of those things that very few of the public pay attention to, even though it determines so ...
[IMG: schoolkidsHCC] If you have not yet made an application you should apply online now at www.hertsdirect.org/admissions With the closing date for applications fast approaching, it is vital that parents make their applications on time. Leaflets explaining the Under 11s process were distributed to families at the beginning of November. They were posted directly to families of 2015 reception aged children and distributed by schools to children in year 2 in infant schools and year 4 in first schools. The easiest way to apply is online. Everything you need is available at www.hertsdirect.org/admissions By applying online, you can: • change ...
There is a lot of confusion about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and the NHS. The NHS Confederation has produced a dedicated web page Here relating to TTIP. My own view is that the NHS should be kept out of TTIP. I don't personally believe that it is in TTIP at the moment. On the NHS Confederation Web Page there is a lot more information. I will extract one part
Mon 12th
12:03No ifs, buts or maybes. Liberal Democrats must not support Counter Terrorism and Security Bill in it...
I've written before that I have reservations about the Government's Counter Terrorism and Security Bill. Last week, there were signs that Nick Clegg was going to insist on changes when it comes to the House of Lords. The very least you would expect for a Bill that's supported by Liberal Democrats is that it meets human rights standards. Today, a report by Parliament's joint committee on human rights says that amendments are required in several key areas of the Bill: the Temporary Exclusion Orders should be changed to a requirement to notify the authorities of a return; there should be ...
The issue of the unions and strikes is back in the political arena. I have lost count of the number of times in recent years that the Tories have called for participation thresholds in industrial action ballots before they can be considered legal. Indeed I commented on similar Tory proposals for Lib Dem Voice back in 2011. This time the figure they are proposing is 40%. Once again they are focusing on the public sector; this is clearly an attempt to throw some red meat to their supporters. It is too early to say if this going to be a ...
I'm not sure there is such a thing as 'middle-aged' any more. We burst straight into old age from youth. I even have some evidence for this assertion. Some years ago, I was on a Home Office committee giving away money to people for volunteering projects. The first applicant that came before us was promoting a youth volunteering scheme, which they defined as 'under-50'. The second was promoting an older people's volunteering project, which they defined as 'over-55'. Even by this rule of thumb, I am apparently old. I was born in 1958, which makes me - and here is ...
Mon 12th
10:26LibLink Special: Martin Horwood's cartoon column for his local newspaper in tribute to Charlie Hebdo...
Martin Horwood, Liberal Democrat MP for Cheltenham is also a skilled cartoonist. He writes a regular column for the Gloucestershire Echo. This week, he felt it was time to pick up the pen again "for the right to write and draw and think in freedom." [IMG: Martin Horwood cartoon column] You can read the whole thing here. He shouldn't put a talent like this back under the bushel. * Newshound: bringing you the best Lib Dem commentary published in print or online.
A couple of months before the last general election, Jack Scott, the Labour PPC for Sheffield Hallam, announced that he was "fairly sure" that he could win the seat. As a result, this blog elected him its Cockeyed Optimist of the Week and, sure enough, he finished a distant third when the election came. Now the Guardian is getting excited by the prospect of Scott's successor Oliver Coppard winning the seat. I don't believe Nick Clegg will lose his seat - and Neil Monnery certainly doesn't believe he will lose it - though Lord Ashcroft's constituency poll in Hallam shows ...
From the Gloucestershire Echo via Jonathan Calder comes Martin Horwood's latest newspaper column: [IMG: Martin Horwood newspaper column as a cartoon] [IMG: Martin Horwood newspaper column as a cartoon part 2]
David Cameron, to recap, has said that he will not take part in the TV leaders' debates unless the Greens are invited to take part. His sudden empathy and respect for Natalie Bennett has arisen as the situation required it; he needed a way out and this seemed to be it. He has gambled on the notion that the print media in particular don't want the debates to happen (having been supposedly crowded out of the election discussion by them last time round) and that no one else is that fussed. Judging by the political media over the weekend, his ...
Thanks to Nick Barlow for drawing this important development to our attention. Wales Online reports: Former Welsh MP Lembit Opik says he is backing bodybuilding glamour girl Jodie Marsh to enter politics. Opik, 49, says Marsh, who has made documentaries on plastic surgery, steroids, virginity, cheating men and mail order brides, would be a "breathe [sic] of fresh air" and a "sensible, alternative, important" voice in politics. Marsh announced she planned to become an MP in October 2013, saying: "If I ran the country it would be a lot better."Ex Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire Opik, who met Marsh on ...
The news that David Cameron is insisting that, unless the Greens are included, he won't be taking part in the TV debates, is almost amusing. It is highly unlikely that he cares about the Greens very much - after all, he allegedly thinks that environmentally friendly policies are just so much 'green crap' - rather that it is a strategy to either avoid the debates altogether (can he possibly be frit of Ed Miliband or, more credibly, Nigel Farage?) or, more Machiavellian, he wants the Greens in to potentially leach support from Labour. I've always taken the view with campaigns ...
Since 2010 I've had the pleasure of serving as the UK's ministerial champion for tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG) overseas - a role that's followed me from the Home Office to Department for International Development and back, which makes sense. It's a clear sign that as well as our commitment to tackling violence against women and girls in the UK, this Coalition Government is committed to working internationally to end this global problem. And being VAWG champion has kept me quite busy. From the UN to the UAE and Bangladesh, I've compared notes with ministers, officials and civil ...
Our friends at the LGA have highlighted the importance of making the party position on NHS funding clear throughout the campaign. Below is a brief summary from LDHQ and an example of a great web story on the issue from James Baker. Summary Statement: Our ageing population is putting pressure on accident and emergency departments [...]
What happened to England's forgotten railway stations? (tags: ) Ahmed the cop's brother makes a plea for calm (tags: ) [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
My more or less educated guesses for what will happen in the next year. I've put a % by each one to indicate my guess as to the probability that it will happen: The UK general election will result in a hung parliament (80%). I'm reasonably sure about that but not much else. If I [...]
Tomorrow, Tuesday (13th January), a brand new and improved myjobscotland recruitment website will be launched. The city's libraries are administered by Leisure and Culture Dundee who advise: "As it is a completely new website you will need to re-register your details, but don't panic as you will have 3 months to revisit any applications you have made on the 'old' site. You may wish to start taking back-up copies of your previous applications now so you have them for your records, and are able to copy them over to any new applications you wish to make. In the meantime, you ...
The Independent on Sunday asked a series of ad agencies to mockup suggested adverts for the political parties to run just before polling day. For the Liberal Democrats they turned to Whistlejacket London, recently founded by amongst others long-time Liberal Democrat activist and blogger Richard Morris. Here's what they came up with for the Liberal Democrats: [IMG: Mocked up Lib Dem election poster] Title 'Iron fist, velvet glove' Agency Whistlejacket London "Unlike the negative advertising that will dominate the campaign, we believe that the final message to a voter should ultimately be positive. The Lib Dems have campaigned consistently as ...
Asbestos is always a serious matter and it was one that I ensured was aired in public at Sefton's Planning Committee meeting last week. Local residents raised the matter with me so I ensured they had the opportunity to voice their concerns in front of an open meeting. The site is in my ward (Park Ward) and of course I also want to know if asbestos found on the site was been removed in line with the strict conditions laid down by the Health and Safety Executive and other bodies/regulations. New houses are presently being built on the site I ...
Mon 12th
08:00
Uncle Joe must be weeping as Cameron says "It doesn't necessarily have to involve the creation of a ...
Has Joe Anderson's ambition to be Mayor of the whole Liverpool City Region come unstuck again? Well it seems so. [IMG: Cllr_Joe_Anderson,_Leader,_Liverpool_City_Council.jpeg] Only days after Labour Council Leaders from St.Helens, Knowsley and Wirral poured cold water on Joe's plans to take over Merseyside David Cameron has also seemingly put the boot in by saying that Merseyside/Liverpool City Region does not have to have a Metro Mayor to have powers devolved to it from Whitehall. Interestingly, Sefton Council Leader Peter Dowd seems to be keeping his head down over this Metro Mayor lark, but he is of course going to be ...
Oh Sheffield Hallam. The baying public are looking for this seat to provide the Michael Portillo moment. The evil bugger Clegg who sold his soul for a car. Sold out Forgemasters for reasons unbeknown to his mere mortals. Laughed in the faces of students when he turned around and not only didn't consign tuition fees to history but in fact actually increased them. He also married someone he loved but she was foreign, I mind how fucking dare he fall in love with a non English person and then naming his kids with traditional Spanish names, who wears the trousers ...
