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'Live, and let live'. This was the response I gave when, as a Parliamentary candidate, I was once asked to define what a Liberal stood for in a single sentence. This old proverb, meaning that you should tolerate the behaviours and opinions of others as they should yours, seems as good a starting point as any to begin defining my Liberalism. Firstly, it implies both personal freedom and a respect for the freedom of others. It therefore follows that the liberty granted to us by the state should be on the premise that the only restrictions on individual freedom should ...
I didn't just find a memorial to the 1916 Zeppelin raid on Loughborough by accident last Saturday. I also found the quickest route between the town's two railway stations - the station on the Midland main line and the one on the preserved Great Central. That route lies along the canal towpath and takes you under this bridge, which used to carry the Great Central. Today the embankment to the north of it is missing, as is the bridge that once took the Great Central over the Midland and on to Nottingham, Sheffield and Manchester. Today this gap separates two ...
Following my Parliamentary Question yesterday (bit.ly/1Gjv16R)about the barbarous and inhuman punishment of 1,000 lashes on Raif Badawi, the Saudi blogger and founder of the Liberal Saudi Network, concern was expressed on all sides of the House. The Minister who replied, Joyce Aneley. didn't say whether she agreed that it was inappropriate for a country with such laws to be a member of the UN Human Rights Council, and whether the UK would try to get Saudi Arabia removed from the Council
In the end I had two transfusions, one unit each, the first yesterday evening and the second this morning, each taking some four hours counting journey times etc. They certainly made me feel better.
A new Labour MP has renewed the campaign for an inquiry into the effects of organophosphate sheep dip on susceptible farm-workers. Ceredigion Lib Dem MP Mark Williams said: "Although the links between organophosphates and illness of those who have used it has been studied over the past 20 years, the symptoms are all too real for many farmers, including constituents of mine, who are now unable to work because of their illness. It is for this reason that I echo calls for an independent inquiry into this issue."What concerns me with the response we had in the debate from the ...
Lindsay had an ultra sound scan followed by a CT scan which revealed a small lump on her right kidney. The consultant at King's College Hospital advised thst because there was an 80% possibility that the tumour was cancerous, the kidney should be removed. This is a routine operation involving keyhole surgery and a 4 day stay in hospital, then taking it easy for a week or two afterwards. The consultant and others assure her that one can live perfectly well with one kidney (though he warned that contact sports, such as rugby football, should be avoided!) She is having ...
The sun was shining today in Caol, making for some wonderful photos of the gathered throng around St John's church with Ben Nevis looming majestically in the background. A film director couldn't have wished for a more photogenic scene. As Caron said at breakfast, before making the long journey north, we've tried to pay our respects to Charles today. In many communities, on days like today, shops hang up signs in their doors saying "Closed for a funeral". I suspect that several businesses today in the Highlands perhaps had that sign up. Well, today at Lib Dem Voice was our ...
Here's a second chance to see a selection of photos which we posted shortly after the news of Charles' death came through. Scroll down to view. Hover your mouse over the image to see the caption and click on it to see similar pictures on Getty Images.
Liberal England was the first blog to bring you a photograph of the young Tim Farron and his band. Now, thanks to the same reader, I can bring you a medley of demo recordings by the band from 1988. Enjoy.
At 4.30 this morning, one of the most controversial periods in the chequered history of Tower Hamlets politics came to an end. The designated successor to ousted Mayor Lutfur Rahaman, Rabina Khan — standing as an Independent, as the Election Court that convicted Mr Rahman had also banned his party "Tower Hamlets First" — failed [...]
[IMG: The Leat Pendeen] Photo of the Leat, Pendeen taken June 2015 showing it as not looking as loved as it has in the past The Leat, Pendeen is an open area, with pond, that has just always been there, as a relative newcomer to the area. However, I am grateful to Arthur Matthews for bringing its history to me! It started off a "wasteland - a quagmire of mud and silt with all good water draining away to adjacent fields and the roadway" (Outreach June, 1991). It was the local community that volunteered in the evenings and weekends to ...
Scroll down to view. Hover your mouse, or run your finger, over the image to see the caption and click on it to see similar pictures on Getty Images.
[IMG: Graham and Iain in Cheadle village] Graham and Iain in Cheadle village Iain writes: The Lib Dems have been campaigning for an orbital Metrolink route including stops at Cheadle and Gatley. As an interim measure we want to see a more frequent Cheshire Line service stopping at a new Cheadle Station. Plenty of experts have told us how difficult it will be to get either of these, how it doesn't fit in with what the rail companies want to do, how we won't get high enough up the agenda at the Department for Transport. We've no doubt that's true ...
This video hasn't previously been available on the internet. Many thanks indeed to Conn O'Neill, Charles' organizer, for providing it and allowing us to post it here and on YouTube. Many photos of Charles Kennedy show him making someone laugh. Here he makes Willie Rennie laugh with a gentle remark in an out-take from a campaign video.
Roads Set to Get Even Worse Conservative-led Hertfordshire County Council have confirmed that the appalling state of our roads is set to get significantly worse. The Finance meeting of June 10th were told that Herts Highways had overspent their budget last financial year by £1.16m (budget £14.9m, spend £16.1m), despite the continual decline in the state [...]
Last week was Volunteers' Week. I was being a "bad volunteer" as some I know see it - too busy being ill, and in bed for a couple of days, so I didn't do much beyond day job, eat and sleep that week. Oh, I ran a bi social/support group for an evening. I knew there was something. But I tweeted: #ivolunteer with projects working on issues around #bisexuality like @BiPhoria @BiCommunityNews as they're things I needed when coming out— Jen Yockney (@jenyockney) June 2, 2015 I could have named more projects and expanded on the theme a little but, ...
To finish our special presentation today, here's a reprise of our post on the complete Charles Kennedy Desert Island Discs appearance. The BBC's Desert Island Discs has a wonderful archive of most of their past programmes. Charles Kennedy appeared on the show on Sunday 26th October 2003, in conversation with Sue Lawley. It's a fascinating dialogue, with some very searching questions from Ms Lawley and excellent answers from Charles. You can listen to the programme on the BBC's Radio Player here. And here's what the BBC said about the programme: Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the leader of the ...
Well I have been having a ponder but I suppose the first thing that readers of this posting may say to themselves is that 'it's not for you to say but for us to judge'. You could also add that the judgement has already been handed down by my being invited to leave office on Sefton Borough Council by the Park Ward electorate. However, I have been asked a few times since the May elections what I thought of my time as a Borough Councillor so it has started a certain amount of reminiscing on my part, so here goes ...
Fri 12th
16:00
Charles Kennedy's father, Ian on the fiddle, and accompanied by Charles' mother, Mary, on the piano
On Desert Island Discs, Charles Kennedy chose, as his one disc to take onto the island, his father, Ian Kennedy, playing "The Cameron Highlanders". We were unable to find that version of the tune, so posted a version by someone else earlier. To make up for that, here's two clips of Charles' father, Ian, playing the fiddle. Firstly, here's Ian Kennedy from 2011, introducing and playing "The Dark Island" Secondly, Ian Kennedy, "the Lochaber fiddler" on the fiddle accompanied by Mary Kennedy on the piano in British Columbia, Canada in 1987.
Here are a few available clips of Charles Kennedy on Have I got news for you. Firstly, this was when he presented the show in 2002, courtesy of the Guardian: Here he is in 2011 when the team discussed Tony Blair's decision to go to war in Iraq: Discussing John Prescott's fish in 2001: Getting one over on Jeremy Clarkson in 2009: And finally here he is telling us about the Glaswegian German court translator in 2008:
The Liverpool Echo has the story – see link above What on earth is going on here? A Planning boss of a City Council in effect saying build on green spaces! I think that if was a Liverpool City Councillor I would be livid with him.
As a mark of respect, today we're devoting the site to playing Charles Kennedy's Desert Island Discs in hourly portions. Disc number eight is Toploader and "Dancing in the moonlight". Charles recalled going with Sarah to a pop concert at Buckingham Palace for the Queen's Golden Jubilee. Toploader came out, he said, and sang "Dancing in the moonlight" and "the whole place just took off – it's just a very happy memory of something that we really enjoyed – and it's a good song."
Three sets of principal council by-elections were held this week. In Sutton (LB), the Lib Dems successfully held one of their three seats in Wallington South ward in Tom Brake's Carshalton and Wallington constituency. In a closely fought contest, the party fended off the Conservative challenge by taking victory with 45.8%, alongside majority of 315 votes. LD candidate Steve Cook also [...]
Scroll down to view. Hover your mouse, or run your finger, over the image to see the caption and click on it to see similar pictures on Getty Images.
As a mark of respect, today we're devoting the site to playing Charles Kennedy's Desert Island Discs in hourly portions. Disc number seven was "Nimrod" from Elgar's Enigma Variations Simon Rattle & the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. When he introduced this one on the programme, Charles recalled the annual Remembrance ceremony in Whitehall, and how moving this music always sounds when it is played there.
Bless the BBC. They've put together this fantastic selection of clips from Charles Kennedy's incredible 42 – yes 42 – appearances on Question Time. It's well worth a watch.
On the day of Charles Kennedy's funeral, I thought I'd post this video I shot in September 2009 when he spoke at the party conference rally. Entertaining, engaging, inspiring, amusing, concise. He is an enormous loss to the nation and to the Liberal Democrats.
The inevitable campaign to get a track by a beloved deceased person has started, and Twitter has decided that the track we should go for is My Way. Buy it on amazon here, or Google Play here, or iTunes here. If you're a proper tightarse, listen to it a few times on Spotify, that counts, but not as much as actually buying it, so listen to it LOTS. [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
As a mark of respect, today we're devoting the site to playing Charles Kennedy's Desert Island Discs in hourly portions. On the programme, Charles mentioned that he preferred the Rolling Stones to the Beatles, as he introduced Mick Jagger and gang with "Waiting on a friend".
[IMG: British Electoral Facts 1832-2012 by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher - index] From British Electoral Facts 1832-2012 by Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher.
As a mark of respect, today we're devoting the site to playing Charles Kennedy's Desert Island Discs in hourly portions. Disc number five: "Praise my soul, the king of heaven", which Charles' fondly recalled being sung at his wedding to Sarah. He said that Sarah and him were standing at the altar and the congregation of their family and friends "just went full whack" singing this as the opening hymn. He said it sends a "tremor" down his spine everytime he hears it. Below the video we have reproduced the words of this hymn. They were written by Henry.F.Lyte. Praise, ...
I have no problem with the nationalised banks going back into the private sector. The gradual winding down of the public holding in Lloyds Banking Group is the right approach. The shares are being sold at a profit to the taxpayers, the people who have had to bail out the banks. Putting them in tranches for sale means the market is not flooded with shares and therefore the price is maintained at a
Fri 12th
11:50Charles Kennedy from the top of a mountain on the positive case for Scotland remaining in the United...
This video hasn't previously been available on the internet. Many thanks indeed to Conn O'Neill, Charles' organizer, for providing it and allowing us to post it here and on YouTube. At the top of Aonach Mor on 10th September, Charles Kennedy recorded this clip for a subsequent Scottish Liberal Democrats rally concerning the Scottish referendum.
As a mark of respect, today we're devoting the site to playing Charles Kennedy's Desert Island Discs in hourly portions. Disc number four is "Fly me to the moon" by Frank Sinatra. Charles said about it: "When I'm carried out of the church in a box one day this is what I'd like to be played". The song also brought up the subject of astronomy, as Charles was a very keen astronomer.
Fri 12th
10:55
Lib Dem members set to elect who party leader appoints to Lords in future (possibly) (perhaps) (soon...
Back in 2013 the Liberal Democrat Federal Executive agreed to reform the 'interim peers panel' process by which (in theory, rather less so in practice) party members got to vote on who the party leader would appoint to the House of Lords. You can read more about the consultation at the time and its proposals here, but suffice to say the FE came up with some sensible recommendations which had a good chance of future party leaders following them. However... those recommendations never got put to party conference to vote on. Accounts as to why vary but at the heart ...
This seems very appropriate indeed for today. As part of our tributes, here is a video prepared for Charles' election campaign in April this year. The accompanying text reads: Over the last thirty years, Charles has fought hard to stand up for the Highlands. On a local, national and international stage. He has fought to protect local services and bring in investment to create jobs. He has worked hard to deliver more devolution to Scotland and to the Highlands and over 30 years, Charles has helped tens of thousands of people with their problems. Everyone knows someone Charles has helped ...
I spoke at an event in Budapest yesterday, one focused on the various problems facing the EU in regards to making sure that all of the countries within it abide by basic democratic standards. This is a topic that has particular salience in Hungary, a country whose prime minister, Viktor Orban, has been likened to both a Berlusconi style power merchant, and a Putin in waiting, dependent on who you speak to. My experience of the whole thing, and I've been to Hungary a few times (although before this week, not for several years), is that Orban is more the ...
As a mark of respect, today we're devoting the site to playing Charles Kennedy's Desert Island Discs in hourly portions. Disc number three is 'Vissi d'arte' from Tosca, sung by Maria Callas with Paris Conservatoire
Thanks to the Daily Mirror for this selection of quotes from Charles. On politics The vast majority of people think there's a hell of a lot more to life than just politics. And you've got to bear that in mind- because you're actually trying to represent them. On the Iraq war There stands no contradiction between giving voice to legitimate anxiety and at the same time, as and when exchange of fire commences, looking to the rest of the country, as well as all of us in the house, to give full moral support to our forces. I will not ...
You can read all the articles that have caught my attention this week here: https://delicious.com/stephentall Below are a selection... YouGov | General election 2015: how Britain really voted Interesting that Times readers more likely than Guardian readers to hv voted LibDem at GE2015 http://bit.ly/1f32w4u Letting 16 year-olds vote in the EU referendum would be a car crash – Telegraph 16-17 year-olds shdn't have the vote, says @JuliaHB1. She's probably right, y'know http://bit.ly/1dwNP8F Tristram Hunt: how Labour lost the plot on education – and the election | Politics | The Guardian Good on Tristram Hunt for accepting Lab's obsession w/ tuition ...
As a mark of respect, today we're devoting the site to playing Charles Kennedy's Desert Island Discs in hourly portions. Disc number two is Charles' musical hero, David Bowie, with Young Americans. Charles particularly liked the drum a the start of this: "The best drum introduction you could wish for". After it played, he said "It doesn't get any better than that. I love that."
Make of this secret plan what you will: [IMG: Flipchart spotted in a Lib Dem leadership campaign office] Keep up with news on the Lib Dem leadership race Sign up for Liberal Democrat Newswire here, and Sign up for the Facebook event for the contest (where Norman Lamb and Tim Farron are regularly answering questions from members).
I have called on mobile phone network providers to take a more sympathetic approach to residential amenity when upgrading mobile phone masts. This follows news that one applicant, Wilkinson Helsby, plans to upgrade a mast in Perth Road near to Glamis Road but replace the current mast which is disguised as a telegraph pole (see photo) with an undisguised mast. I have written to Wilkinson Helsby asking them to think again about the type of mast to be used and provide one that will not impact adversely on the look of the area. Because of what I consider to be ...
The first 2015 Sunday Bandstand Concert on the Magdalen Green Bandstand takes place this coming Sunday at 2pm. The Forfar Instrumental Band will be playing - more details here.
This is the bar chart that shows what we have long suspected that UKIP MEPs are bottom of the league when it comes to taking part in votes in the European Parliament. The Guardian says that data provided by VoteWatch Europe shows that between July 2014 and May 2015, its 23 MEPs have on average participated in only 62.29% of votes in the European parliament. No other party - including other eurosceptics ones - among the analysed group has a participation rate below 80%. They add that two other UK parties also make the bottom 10 - the Greens and ...
The unexpected sign that a man could be sexist In which @TimFarron talks about asylum and immigration - this. THIS is why I am voting for Tim. Not just for the content of what he says, but the way he says it. I watch that and I feel inspired. If anyone else wants my Christopher Lee Reads Stuff playlist right now, it's here on Spotify Christopher Lee's metal cover of My Way <3 <3 And via @Unity_MoT Christopher Lee reads The Raven - and this really IS glorious. And finally, and VERY VERY NSFW: Christopher Lee Reads The Exorcist: The ...
As a mark of respect, today we'll devote the site, among other Charles Kennedy related things, to playing Charles Kennedy's Desert Island Discs in hourly portions. Here is his first choice of "The Cameron Highlanders". Charles chose a recording of his father, Ian Kennedy, playing the tune. We could only find a version by the Fradley Fiddler. We'll make up for this with a bonus musical offering at the end of the eight discs.
On a sad day when Charles Kennedy's funeral is taking place here is a photo of a happier time (around 2003) when Charles was pictured with Lib Dem campaigners Charles (Uncle Albert) Walker (now a young 94!), Andrew Blackburn and myself. [IMG: IMG_0009] Click on the photo to enlarge it RIP Charles Kennedy.
I am pleased to announce that the Liberal Democrat candidate Steve Cook was elected to be the new councillor in Wallington South. The results were as follows: UKIP 164 Liberal Democrats 1251 Labour. 181 Independent 180 Greens. 122 Conservative 936 Total votes 2834 Turnout 35.4% A huge thank [...]
