It's been nearly three weeks since I last posted here, and in the run-up to a General Election too. Not very impressive, but I've had other things to do - you know, job, family, travel arrangements, that sort of stuff. I have rather allowed myself to be distracted by the various options as to how one might get to Tallinn, for example (all of which will become clear shortly). I have neglected Liberal Democrat Voice, paid rather less attention to Lib Dem Blogs than I usually do, and generally become a bit of a political recluse. It is, I guess, ...
Thanks to Miranda Green on Twitter and, I presume, Iain Dale in the first place.
02.03.15 21.01.15 24.12.14 26.11.1 29.10.14 Normal Hb 98 101 104 109 100 130 - 180 WBC 3.36 3.52 4 3.02 3.1 4.5 - 10.0 Neutrophils 1.78 1.6 1.8 1.16 1.43 2.0 - 7.5 Plt 449 494 551 391 427 150 - 450 The latest results came from the GP, so I telephoned them to the cancer specialist nurse at Kings, to pass on to the haematology consultants in case they were minded to reduce the dose of hydroxcarbamide. This would halt the decrease in platelets over the last two readings, and increase the haemoglobin, which is now below the 100 ...
From Bennett's 1982 television play Intensive Care.
I recently purchased an original postcard as reproduced below, which is a somewhat stylised picture of the Birkenhead Tunnel some generations ago. Did it really ever look like this? [IMG: Mersey Tunnel Postcard] Click on the image to enlarge it. The photo is amongst my Flickr shots at:- www.flickr.com/photos/86659476@N07/
To celebrate International Women's Day, the editors of Parliamentary Affairs have drawn together a virtual examining the representation of women in parliamentary democracies around the world.
To help make your campaigning as easy as possible, we've gathered together some of the essential campaign tools, paperwork and information that you'll need as the campaign goes on. Do let us know if there is anything else that you need and we will add it in. Campaign template artwork ALDC has commissioned templates for [...]
It is frustrating that so much of the discussion about Britain's relationship with the European Union is about the question "should we be in, or should we be out?" The Prime Minister, David Cameron, must shoulder some of the blame for this, for constantly trying to dance to UKIP's tune, instead of standing up firmly [...]
'It's The Sun Wot Won It,' was the infamous headline of The Sun newspaper when John Major shocked the world (well maybe that is slightly over the top) and pulled off victory in the 1992 General Election. The sheer arrogance of the editor to believe that their endorsement was the decisive factor in the outcome of the election is disgusting but 23 years later and the broadcasters are attempting to do the same. The broadcasters have fucked up pretty badly if we are being honest. The whole format of the debates has been debated at length and several different proposals ...
The BBC reports: Peter Robinson, leader of the DUP and First Minister of Northern Ireland, said...: "Just who do the broadcasters think they are, that they can set down a diktat?" he told Sky News. That's precisely the point. The media are doing what they think is right, not what politicians are telling them to do. I'm far from a fan of how the press has abused its freedoms in the past, including widespread institutionalised law breaking, but central to the whole point of a free press is that it decides how it is going to cover a story. Imagine ...
Here's something interesting I noticed on Twitter earlier today: Do you support the idea of a #CitizensIncome? 36% Yes. 40% No. (Via @ComResPolls) pic.twitter.com/l9uAiYsLkp — May2015 (@May2015NS) March 6, 2015 Related PostsLiberal Democrats for basic income: the next steps Liberal Democrats for Basic Income, anyone? Worth Reading 117: The missing of Roanoke
Leader of Sefton Council Opens the Atkinson before cutting it's hours No, I didn't go the Thursday's budget setting meeting in Bootle, due to work commitments that I couldn't get out of. I didn't really need to be there though. Anybody could have predicted the outcome. Labour voted for the proposed budget and they didn't listen to the proposals put forward by my party to . So the residents of Southport can look forward to: the closure of the shop at the Botanic Gardens with the inevitable effect on the hard work put in by volunteersthe refusal to set up ...
[IMG: A beer] The BBC reports: A party leader has branded the decision to ban the group's "offensive" name from ballot papers "political correctness gone mad". The Beer, Baccy and Crumpet party was told by the Electoral Commission its name could not appear on voting slips in May. In a review of party names it said the word crumpet could be seen as describing women "in a demeaning way". Party leader Ray Hall denied the term was offensive. Mr Hall, who received 235 votes in a 2013 Eastleigh by-election after Chris Huhne resigned, said he is considering a new name ...
Last night's Sefton budget was real kick in the teeth for Southport. Despite demonstrating how the money could be found to maintain the visitor infrastructure in Southport the Bootle dominated Labour cabinet blocked our reasonable amendments. Relatively small sums were needed to safeguard the Botanic Gardens and to maintain the excellent partnership between the volunteers and the essential professional gardeners. But Labour would have none of it they would rather line the own pockets and maintain their mega allowances. We identified that the proposed 'cull of senior officers' (which has been a long time coming) had yielded enough to plug ...
Network Rail's contractors have caused more damage to the grass than we anticipated, but we're on the case. As you can see, the big tracked vehicle and the tractor and trailer have been taken further into the mouth of the Lower Meadow than we had anticipated, and the whole entranceway is just mud. There are also tracks on the near corner of the Common and to the side of the roadway in between. The big tracked vehicle will be removed from the Common side of the bridge on Saturday night, crossing the railway track to get back to the compound. ...
[IMG: ashcroft] So far, Lord Ashcroft's £million-plus polling spree has brought us 177 individual constituency polls. Which leads me to my question: which 9 of them are wrong? The reason why I ask that is simple. Reputable opinion polls like Ashcroft's are accurate 95% of the time to within a margin of error of +/-3%. The mirror of that is that 1 poll in every 20 will be outside the margin of error: to all intents and purposes it's wrong. It may be wrong in a direction which makes the seat even safer for the party shown in the lead; ...
We've had the miracle of the empty pavement. We've had the encore to the miracle of the empty pavement. Now we have the encore's encore with another empty pavement miracle: [IMG: Empty pavement, Hornsey Rise] A touch under three years ago I first tried reporting graffiti on a phone box at this location near Crouch End. I was told it wouldn't be removed as the phone box itself was due for removal shortly. The phone box stayed, my complaints followed and the graffiti was cleaned. Round and round this cycle things went every few months: more graffiti to remove, an ...
Wildlife crime is a major threat to international security. This trade is now worth an estimated $20 billion a year and has become the fourth largest illegal activity in the world after drugs, arms and people-trafficking. From Al Shabab in Somalia to Boko Haram in Nigeria, armed groups and criminal gangs are making huge profits from the illegal wildlife trade, fuelling instability and conflict. We need to act now to stop them. Last November, 82 MEPs co-signed my letter to the European Commission calling for an EU Action Plan against Wildlife Crime. To follow up on this, yesterday I launched ...
Private Eye has launched a podcast. The first Page 94 begins with Ian Hislop laughing at his own jokes, but gets better after that. There is good coverage of the magazine's own Paul Foot Awards for investigative journalism and a tribute to the cartoonist Martin Honeysett, who died recently. It will never replace those flimsy records they used to stick to the cover of the magazine though.
For finding a local angle, the Shropshire Star wins our Headline of the Day Award.
Debates over practical work in school science have been hijacked by a scientific elite who seem uninterested in the evidence and expertise of practitioners "Ofqual sounds the death knell for UK science education" declared the Physiological Society last year when Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Exam Regulations, proposed changes to the way practical work in science GCSEs and A-levels will be assessed. The Wellcome Trust was also "deeply concerned", stating that the proposals jeopardised "the progression of the next generation of scientists". Individual scientists joined in, tweeting things like "UK government to remove practical experiments from science exams. What ...
I see in the Larne Times today a report of the public meeting where "60" members of the public attended to hear about Paul Givan's conscience clause. I'm assuming that as the picture appears to be in the middle of the meeting that the other 20-24 had either left early, arrived late or all had to attend the toilet at the same time the photographer arrived. However, what strikes me are the comments quoted of DUP councillor Gordon Lyons. He says: "I do not want to live in a community where all have to conform to the same thoughts and ...
One of my first memories of my childhood was catching the number 119 bus from the corner of Efford Way, where I lived. It would take us into Lymington High Street, passing through Howards Mead, Bays Road and other roads that made up Pennington Village. I never thought of how important that bus service was to those elderly, young and infirm people perched on the edge of their seats around me. It was only as I grew older that I began to appreciate the bus service more. Whenever I needed to quickly nip into Lymington, it was there. There was ...
WELCOME ANNOUNCEMENT THAT NATIONAL MINIMUM WAGE WILL RISE 3% The independent body which advises the Government on the National Minimum Wage is to recommend that it be increased by 3%. The above-inflation rise would take the adult rate from £6.50 to 6.70 an hour, the biggest rise since 2008. Business Secretary Vince Cable said the Low Pay Commission's recommendations had always been accepted by politicians. If approved, the increase would apply from October. The Low Pay Commission's recommendations to the Government for the 2015 rates are as follows: · Adult rate - £6.70 · 18-20 rate - £5.30 · 16-17 ...
Four principal council by-elections were contested yesterday. UKIP slumped to third place in Bocking ward in Essex (CC) in their attempt to defend the seat as the Conservatives polled 34.3% to win the seat back having lost it by 20 votes two years ago. In addition, UKIP suffered a 5.3% drop in their vote share from [...]
Protestors at Walton Hall Park one of the many green spaces that the Council is seeking to sell off Hello, I hope as many people as possible will turn up to tell the Independent Review of the City's Green Spaces ... Continue reading →
First Bus have announced details of their proposed timetable changes, which will reflect more realistic travel times taking traffic and Bristol's 20 mph zones into account. In some cases extra journeys are being added on Sundays and Public Holidays and in the late evening. Local headlines are as follows: Service 46/X46 (Bristol - Yate / Chipping Sodbury): The timetable is being adjusted to improve the overall punctuality and reliability of buses.Extra time is being added in, especially during the morning and afternoon peak period. Some early morning commuter journeys are also being brought forward slightly, making the first Monday to ...
[IMG: Stop sign. On a road. In a field. Because roads and fields and the cliches of this election season] There are two reasons for the Liberal Democrats being in government – one is to get Liberal Democrats policies put into action, the other is to stop Tory policies. With less than one in ten MPs in Parliament being Lib Dem, both lists are impressively long given that basic Parliamentary reality. I've written before about what the Lib Dems have done, so this time here's a list of extreme Tory policies stopped: Inheritance tax cuts for millionaires Scrapping help with ...
The Flag of the Commonwealth of Nations One of the biggest diplomatic gatherings in Liverpool for years will take place when diplomats from 8 High Commissions will be present at Liverpool Parish Church for the launch of the Liverpool Commonwealth ... Continue reading →
Here's some of the articles that have caught my attention this week... Debate phobia shows Cameron is reluctant even to talk the talk | Politics | The Guardian Spot-on, Patrick Wintour: "we have more media than ever before, but less insight" http://bit.ly/1ErgS7q Written Statement on party unity | Margaret Thatcher Foundation Margaret Thatcher in 1975. How times change, eh... http://bit.ly/1aNV3nP YouGov | EastEnders 'whodunit?' storyline drives BBC to success If I'm reading this data right, YouGov is saying 83% noticed nothing abt EastEnders during its Lucy Beale week. How? http://bit.ly/1zZHp6D Mirror group phone hacking is not getting headlines it deserves ...
Fri 6th
09:30
The Independent View: "How to save public service choice for liberalism?" a CentreForum paper by Dav...
[IMG: David Boyle] In a series of essays that CentreForum will be releasing over the next few months in anticipation of the book, The Challenges Facing Contemporary Liberalism: 2015 -2025, the liberal think tank has today released "How to save public service choice for liberalism?" by David Boyle, which can be read here. It is the fourth in the series; the first, On Blasphemy by Maajid Nawaz, can be read here; the second, an essay by Tim Farron, Neil Stockley and Duncan Brack on green growth and climate change, can be read here; the third, "Bold liberal tax reforms for ...
Nick Clegg will step in to the head-to-head debate with Ed Miliband to defend the Government's record if David Cameron will not.By proposing to hold the debate before the Tory manifesto is published, the public will not be able to see David Cameron grilled on his plans for Britain.Liberal Democrats are not afraid to debate our record or our manifesto. We are proud that we have helped rescue the British economy and ensured the recovery has been done fairly.Nick Clegg is passionate about anchoring these debates into the democratic process. If this means taking part in a "seven-sided 90 minute ...
Devolve £15 billion to the north, says new transport report (tags: ) Why framing constituency battles on choosing individual MPs is the best defensive strategy for the LDs (tags: ) You can't make online voting secure just by wishing it so (tags: ) The BBC on political tat. (tags: ) Love Has No Labels - I really like this campaign (tags: ) Schoolgirl takes on Clarks over 'sexist' shoes with letter saying she wants 'dinosaurs not flowers' The shop assistant wouldn't LET her buy the boys' shoes because "they're not suitable for the female foot"? What rot! Kids feet are ...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-31753447 Tier One priority lines for electrification – The top five in the north of England 1 Calder Valley 2 Liverpool to Manchester via Warrington Central 3 Southport/Kirkby to Salford Crescent 4 Chester to Stockport 5 Northallerton to Middlesbrough [IMG: Southport Station - Unpopular 'Pacer' trains heading for Wigan & Manchester could well be replaced by more environmentally friendly electric units if these proposals are accepted.] Southport Station – Unpopular 'Pacer' trains heading for Wigan & Manchester could well be replaced by more environmentally friendly electric units if these proposals are accepted. There may well be a long way to ...
Fri 6th
08:35
Would Labour be on course to win on May 7th if David Miliband had become leader in 2010?
Labour conference, September 2010, Manchester. I was there myself; I remember it felt in a weird sort of way like Labour were still in power, such were the security arrangements, the general tension and build-up. This was mostly down to the leadership election. It was clear that the entire future of the Labour Party was to some degree up for grabs. Many on the ground in Manchester (many who would not admit it now) thought it was a done deal for David. Who else could it be? The members wanted David; the MPs wanted David; would the unions really go ...
From Dundee City Council : "Dundee City Council proposes to make an Order under Section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 for the purpose of facilitating demolition and building works. The Order is expected to be in force for 10 weeks from 9th March 2015. Its maximum duration in terms of the Act is eighteen months. The effect of the Order is to prohibit temporarily all vehicular traffic in Thomson Street from Magdalen Yard Road for a distance of 100 metres or thereby in a northerly direction. Access to residents will be maintained where possible. Pedestrian provision will ...
In recent months we've been working to see how we can free up spaces for shoppers in Cheadle's car parks. Cheadle has more car parking than any other district centre in Stockport – over 400 spaces in the car parks plus a range of short-stay near the village centre (e.g. Ashfield Road, Charlotte Street, Oak Road) but traders and shoppers have been complaining that people often can't find a space to park. The challenge for us as councillors is that there are different groups who want different things. People who work in the village want to be able to park ...
Whatever the merits of the Assembly Remuneration Board's propoals to hike Assembly Member's pay by £10,000 a year after the next election their timing sucks. The pay board say that the salary hike from £54,390 to £64,000 is justified because it reflects the increased responsibility that AMs will assume and changes to the job as a result of further devolution. However, as the Welsh Liberal Democrats spokesperson says: "Such a hike in salary for Assembly Members would be unthinkable considering that other public sector workers have seen their wage packets either frozen or rising only slightly in recent years." And ...
Dear snow, I know that when we first met I was young and pretty impressionable -- looking back I was so naive -- but I fell in love with you. You knew it. I knew it, and I also knew you probably didn't feel the same way. But to be honest, I didn't really care. I just loved you. You weren't really around that much, and sure, I knew rain and sleet and hail a lot better, and got pretty intimate with all of them (I'm sorry), but you were the only one I loved. You would show up every ...
I can tick Marley Hill off the list - I delivered our tabloid in the village tonight. So in the past week, I've delivered 300 in Swalwell, 210 in Dunston Hill, 230 in Sunniside and 170 in Marley Hill. One of the main stories in it is directly relevant to Marley Hill - the final defeat of the opencast plans. So hopefully it will be a good read for residents, though a large number of them had
A tiny excerpt from the work-in-progress second novel, now that progress is once again being made. I'm hoping to have this done in a couple of months... Prologue May 10, 1941 Even though it was May, the night was bitterly cold, and the pilot was shivering in his leather flight suit as he approached his [...]
