This article originally appeared in the February 2015 Forest Hill Focus Hundreds of local residents have given their support to the Liberal Democrat campaign for better support for mental health services and for these to have parity with the treatment of physical health within the NHS. One in four people experience mental health problems at [...]
Disappointment at council failure to take opportunity to tackle school places shortage This article originally appeared in the February 2015 Forest Hill Focus Lewisham Council intend to use Hamilton Lodge on Honor Oak Road as a homeless hostel. The council confirmed to us that they have purchased the property, which was previously a care home, [...]
Lewisham Liberal Democrats have selected Forest Hill campaigner Alex Feakes to stand for the party in the Lewisham West and Penge parliamentary constituency (which includes Forest Hill) at May's general election. Alex has a strong record of campaigning locally. He was at the forefront of the successful campaign to get Forest Hill pools rebuilt, and [...]
The Echo report is available via the link above.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31867514 The BBC has the story on its web site – see link above. The Lib Dems are promising to help first-time buyers get on the property ladder through a "rent-to-own homes" scheme, if they are in power in May. Under the plan, young people in England would make monthly payments equivalent to rent to build up a share in their home, without requiring a deposit. After 30 years, occupants would gain full ownership of the property.
[IMG: Paddy Ashdown video screenshot] Last night in his rally speech, Paddy Ashdown jokingly suggested that he might deliver a cruel and unusual punishment to anyone who didn't do the 10 calls from the Team 2015 phone bank that was requested of every member over the Conference weekend. In no way am I scared of Paddy and his humorous threats were not the main reason I headed down there this afternoon. Honest. It was all very painless and great fun. You are greeted by cheery volunteers who sign you in and give you a mobile phone, a script and a ...
Ludlow's unitary councillors are urging Ludlow Town Council to back a recommendation that Ludlow Youth Centre is registered as an asset of community value at its meeting on Monday. Tracey Huffer, Andy Boddington, Richard Huffer and Viv Parry are also asking the town council to register an interest in taking over the building should the [...]
By one of those odd coincidences, on Thursday I received emails from two different parts of the BBC asking for permission to reproduce a photograph from this blog. First East Midlands Today, our regional evening news programme, asked if they could use the photo I took of the pizzawomen who briefly invaded Market Harborough back in September 2010. It seems they have been banned from Nottingham by the city council. You can find it, with a suitable credit, on the BBC News pages for Nottingham, and I am told it was also shown on Friday's East Midlands Today. No money ...
Danny emphasised the Liberal Democrat contribution to the economic recovery in his keynote speech to Conference and talked about the forthcoming budget and the choice facing the country. Liberal Democrats were needed to provide fairness and responsibility, he said. Here is his speech in full: Conference, we gather at a time when the economy is in better shape than at any time since we entered government. And that's for a reason. Conference, this recovery would not be happening without the Liberal Democrats. My inspiration has come from millions of people and hundreds of thousands of our brilliant businesses who are ...
Today's Western Mail highlights a rather cheeky scam in which some online organisations have been making a fortune by directing callers to dial expensive 08 numbers when cheap or free alternatives are available. The paper says that these firms have targeted the DVLA, Companies House, Welsh Water, the Countryside Council for Wales, First Great Western, National Debtline, housing benefit offices, and disability services. They make their cash by charging callers through the nose to call these public bodies through premium-rate telephone numbers they themselves have set up. When the numbers are dialled they redirect to the public body and charge ...
Two pictures you might like. First, Liberal Democrat Equalities Minister Jo Swinson: [IMG: Jo Swinson] And now, a feminist high horse. See what I did there? Jo Swinson has been going for the Daily Mail readers' vote. She can certainly speak the paper's language, as you can see from this parody press release from her office. Will editors get the joke? Mother of one, Jo Swinson gave a speech today wearing a shocking pink dress and a new pair of heels. While looking desperately in need of a 'calming down dear', Swinson railed against the established privilege of men in ...
This morning I had a Speakers' Card in for a debate on Mental Health, and measures Liberal Democrats want to see implemented in order to break the stigma and tackle the myriad problems mental illness causes. It was a high quality debate, with lots of personal stories, so I wasn't too upset not to be called. Here, though, for posterity, is the final draft of what I would have said in the 3 minutes that would have been available. Conference, 5 months ago, I could hardly contain my joy at the focus this party put on Mental Health at our ...
Echoing a point previously made in Parliament:
As freshly seen at the Liberal Democrat conference in Liverpool: [IMG: Candy Piercy with Agents Manual] This time round, free electronic copies are available with printed copies being sent out to agents registered with party HQ and to members of the Agents and Organisers Association. You can get the electronic version via the ALDC or Lib Dem Campaigners Facebook groups, or email me a selfie with your party membership card.
While I was sat in the auditorium at the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference listening to Danny Alexander's speech on the economy – which, by the way, was not too shabby an example of the genre – Twitter reported the unveiling of the Labour party's five election pledges. Here they are: Our pledges are founded on the belief that Britain succeeds only when working people succeed. Retweet if you agree. pic.twitter.com/7lPVPRra2O — Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) March 14, 2015 Well. It's hard to know where to start with that offering. There is unlikely to be a political party in the land that ...
This press conference is being held to mark the fourth anniversary of the Saudi military intervention to help put down the uprising against the al-Khalifa autocracy that began in February 2011. Mona Eltahawy, an Egyptian feminist who lived in Saudi Arabia for six years between the ages of 7 and 15, condemns the hypocrisy of world leaders who flocked to pay their respects after the Saudi King Abdullah died in January. The Independent on Sunday reported her as saying "I am horrified by the moral ambiguity that develops when a dictator dies". She says that Saudi Arabia is a "black ...
Meols Ward Lib Dem Councillors John Dodd, Nigel Ashton and Jo Barton are holding their next advice centre in Churchtown. We will be at Cafe Moo Moo on Cambridge Road (by the junction with Preston New Road, next to Boots) from 10:30 to 11:30 am on Thursday 26th March. We will be there to meet you and discuss any Council problems you may have. No appointment necessary. Just pop in. We also hold a monthly advice centre in Crossens, at St John's School, Rufford Road, Crossens every month (except August) on the second Saturday of the month from 11:00 am ...
Arriva are looking at a network review in Southport. These changes have now been registered and will come in to operation 29th March 2015. We will also be carrying out a marketing campaign to notify customers, wrap on Southport Champion, bus shelter ads at key strategic locations etc. Below is a brief summary of changes for your information: Service 42 withdrawn Service 43 unchanged (now serving Central 12 retail park). Service 43A Sunday evening service increased to 30 minute frequency. Service 44 increased to 20 minute frequency during Day now serving Virginia St, Forest Rd, Haig Avenue, Meols Cop Road ...
Voters up and down the land will be overjoyed to discover that Focus leaflets will no longer be a feature of the Lib Dem election campaigns. At least that appears to be what they are saying...? [IMG: focus leaflet] HAT TIP Carl Minns for spotting this one at Lib Dem Spring Conference in Liverpool earlier today.
Slimming Pills Trading Standards officers at Sefton Council are warning retailers in the borough that they could face criminal prosecution if they sell a brand of slimming pills which contain a banned anti obesity drug. The pills in question are sold as 'Super Extreme Accelerator Pills' and have been found to contain sibutramine, a banned pharmaceutical product which can cause heart problems and other health issues for people who are overweight. Following reports that the pills are on sale in some hairdressers, beauty salons and solariums in Sefton, Trading Standards officers are visiting these businesses to remind them that the ...
[IMG: Nick Clegg Q&A Liverpool Spring conference 2015 Photo by Liberal Democrats] When I tried to live blog Nick Clegg's q and a in Glasgow it all went horribly wrong. I'd got about 20 minutes in and then lost the whole thing. I will be a bit more diligent about saving and updating this post. In the style of the Daily Mail writing about female politicians, Nick Clegg, a 48 year old father of three has come on stage wearing a smart blue suit with a lighter shirt. His hair is not as sleek as it could be. He could ...
Sat 14th
15:33
In full: Vince Cable's speech to Liberal Democrat Conference: Has the coalition been worth it?
Here is Vince Cable's speech in full – another thoughtful reflection on the Liberal Democrat contribution to business and the economy over the last five years. He asked if it was all worth it for both the country and the party. Well, it's is great to be back in Liverpool. Last time we were here was shortly after the last General Election: adjusting to life in government. We were central to the country's political and economic future: forming a stable coalition government to deal with a national economic emergency. But the last few years have been tough for all of ...
At a previous party conference back in the autumn of 2013, Lib Dem party members voted overwhelmingly for a motion committing the party to wholeheartedly supporting the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. As we all (particularly parliamentary candidates, thanks to 38 Degrees) know, a massive campaign has appeared since then opposing the agreement, ostensibly over concerns that the NHS will somehow be threatened. Protestors were out in force outside the conference centre here in Liverpool, and given the number of members I saw signing the petition they were handing around, I thought it might be useful to set out again ...
A message from Inspector Jim Atherton Burglary On Tuesday 10th March 2015 a daytime burglary occurred in Liverpool Road, Ainsdale. During which a Ford Focus was taken from the driveway and a large amount of Jewellery was taken, which is of great sentimental value to its owners. The matter is under investigation by DC Reppion from Sefton CID. The owners had photographed the Jewellery which is the advice given by Insurance companies. This has been very helpful in circulating to patrols and to assist with checks at Jewellers and Pawnbrokers alike. We will do our utmost to recover the items ...
The Guardian reports: Vince Cable has warned that George Osborne has no room in next Wednesday's budget for a substantial pre-election giveaway, but acknowledged that there was some headroom in the public finances for modest tax cuts or an increase in public spending. The Liberal Democrat business secretary indicated the chancellor had a sum estimated at £5bn - that could be used to increase the personal allowance tax threshold or to row back from plans to cut public spending back to the level of the 1930s in the next parliament. In an interview with the Guardian a few days before ...
Sat 14th
14:06
Ukip candidate for Harborough resigns because he would have to travel to London if he won
Clive Langley has resigned as Ukip's candidate for Harborough in May's general election. Among the reasons he gives the Leicester Mercury are that he has "some health issues" and that "If I were elected I would have to take a pay cut as an MP and I would have had to travel to London all the time and that's something I hate." Hitherto Mr Langley has been best known for telling everyone that he is going to win and for libelling the sitting Conservative MP, Sir Edward Garnier, who happens to be a leading libel barrister.
One for the 'not really the best way to word that' file, courtesy of the Green Party's Parliamentary candidate for Newton Abbot: [IMG: Green Party asks for help bribing voters]
Here's the new film from the Liberal Democrats:
As geoengineering researchers gather for a conference in Cambridge, Duncan McLaren draws lessons from ethics and science fiction to make a case for caution (This post is based on a lecture given earlier today at the SRM Science conference in Cambridge) Geoengineering is a technology that promises great power. But, as Spiderman was reminded by his Uncle, with great power comes great responsibility. This isn't a new insight. It reflects long established political understanding. Voltaire apparently said it first, while Lincoln commented "if you want to test a man's character, give him power". Continue reading...
This is what's happening in Liverpool today and how to follow it. It should have been published a while ago but got lost in the technology. Today's timetable F1 Formal opening of the Federal Conference byLord Mayor Cllr Erica Kemp CBE Report: Federal Conference Committee F3 Report: Federal Policy Committee Policy motion: Mental Health 48 Speech: Rt Hon Danny Alexander MP 50 Policy motion: Stronger Economy, Fairer Society, Opportunity for Everyone 50 Speech: Jo Swinson MP Policy motion: Five Green Laws Speech: Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP Q&A session with Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP Policy motion: A Better ...
Mental health is important to Liberal Democrats because it's instinctive to us to want to break down barriers that hold people back from living the best lives they possibly can. When we see people's lives blighted, limited and restricted because they can't access help and support for mental ill health it makes us furious and determined to right it. This is something that has always driven Nick Clegg. His first major speech as leader was on the subject of mental health and the party has set in train a series of reforms which has made mental health care more accessible ...
HAT TIP: In case you missed it Mark Littlewood (former Lib Dem spin doctor and co-founder of Liberal Vision) had an interesting article in the Telegraph yesterday, to coincide with the start of the Lib Dem Spring conference. Kind it is not. Accurate it is undoubtedly is. The essence of Littlewood's point is that the Lib Dems have no message to the voter - other than to promise to be less mean that the Conservatives and more financially hard-headed than Labour... "to water down the convictions and ideals of our main political opponents". This is certainly borne out by speeches ...
A bit of politics – oh dear! But bear with me... My partner Jenny is introducing Vince Cable's speech today (extracts at There's a number of critical issues at a general election, of course, but the economy is at the heart of it all, and I'm a bit proud to see Jenny picked as a sincere, intelligent voice in politics to introduce perhaps the only leading politician to raise alarms *ahead* of the financial crisis. The two important points in the speech to me are first, making it clear that the financial crisis made it a tad obvious that ...
Sat 14th
11:33++EXCLUSIVE++ REVEALED: Evidence of LDV editor skiving off essential constitutional minutiae
[IMG: caron penny lane nick] It was clearly the duty of all hard-working members of the Liberal Democrat Voice team to be paying attention and taking notes at the constitutional consultative session yesterday afternoon at conference. The last conference decided to move to OMOV, one member one vote, whereby all party members have the right to attend and vote at conference. But there still remained the leg work – the hard yards – that had to be done, going through each line of the constitutional changes – line by line – to check the wording, semantics and punctuation. The meeting ...
[IMG: nick clegg team 2015] This morning, Nick Clegg joined Team 2015 at the conference phone bank to make calls to voters. The phone bank is set up in the middle of the exhibition hall in the Liverpool conference venue, the Arena and Conference Centre. Conference representatives are taking turns to phone voters. The target is to get each rep phoning at least ten voters per day. Those who do this receive a special "I'm in Team 2015" badge. You can see mine below and, modesty almost forbids me to say, I am in the photo, on the right, with ...
This is the 53rd anniversary of the Orpington byelection bbc.in/1FlmaC7 Yesterday's debates on a fresh intrusion of religion into the business of local authorities: http://bit.ly/1NV2d91
Here's the second "unpublished" letter (see below for the first): this one in response to some misuse of the language - you'd think Guardian writers would know better. Dear Editor, Please remind John Grace (An exciting conference? Quite:7 March) that pictures and juries are hung, people are hanged. And furthermore, advise Nicholas Watt (A royal retreat: 7th March) that, in a multi-party world, it is more respectful of the electorate's decision to describe parliaments with no over-all majority for a single party as "balanced." Yours sincerely, The point here is that in persistently referring to a parliament with no over-all ...
Scroll down to view. Firstly, Paddy declares that the parrot is not dead: Nick Clegg enjoys the Friday evening rally: "Watch your step, Nick" – Paddy with Nick on the conference escalator: Nick and a good question: The following pictures are from the Liberal Democrats Flickr photostream. The rally entertainment: [IMG: Rally entertainment Spring Conference Liverpool March 2015 Photo by Liberal Democrats] Party President Sal Brinton opens the rally: [IMG: Sal Brinton addresses the rally Liverpool Spring conference 2015 Phoito by LIberal Democrats] The rally included a number of Skype link-ups with hard working PPCs and their campaign teams. Here ...
I've described previously what I think are the five worst films ever made. After I did so, I got tweets and emails asking me things like, "What about 'The Room'? That's terrible." I had to write back saying something along the lines of, "Yes, 'The Room' is terrible. But it's brilliantly, enjoyably terrible. Unlike 'Revenge of the Sith' which is just terrible without the enjoyable part." Still, I could see what people were after. So here it is: the five best bad films ever. Looking at the list, they may well be the five funniest films I've ever seen at ...
On Terry Pratchett, without whom the world is poorer - in tears all over again now (tags: ) [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Federal Conference Committee met yesterday afternoon to discuss all the last minute items required to make conference happen such as amendments, topical & emergency motions, appeals and so on. It is nominally a two hour meeting, so it has to be quick considering there were 55 amendments to get through – despite getting stuck straight in at the start, we still overran slightly. First up, amendments. When discussing motions, the ultimate decision is a yes or a no, but with amendments there is also the option of accepting it as a drafting change, i.e. it's a simple enough change that ...
From Hansard: Lord Norton of Louth: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they expect to publish their response to the report of the Joint Committee on the Draft Voting Eligibility (Prisoners) Bill (HL Paper 103, Session 2013-14) published in December 2013, before the end of the current Parliament. Lord Faulks: The Secretary of State for Justice wrote to the Joint Committee on 25 February 2014, thanking them for their recommendations. Despite continued consideration of the issues it is clear that a consensus will not be reached in this Parliament given the strongly held views across both Houses. Therefore the Government ...
Speaking to the Liberal Democrats Conference in Liverpool last night, Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Kirsty Williams launched a full-throttle attack on David Cameron for exploiting the NHS in Wales for political purposes. The Brecon and Radnorshire AM said that the Lib Dems' Tory coalition partners in Westminster remain the "same old nasty party they always were" - but say there is "every chance" of another hung parliament. She took the prime minister to task for his 2014 warning of Offa's Dyke becoming a "line between life and death": "Week in and week out the prime minister talks about the Welsh ...
With just eight weeks to go until polling day, the opening rally at the Liberal Democrats' spring conference in Liverpool had one clear aim: to enthuse the troops in a campaign that is all about survival. Not that I believe the LibDems face annihilation, much as the more strident sections of the Labour party might [...]
