Ed Miliband's approach to the last five years reminded me of Neil Kinnock's failure in the 1980s. Both thought that constantly reminding the voters how selfish Conservatives would be enough for Labour to win. Yes, the Tories are extraordinarily selfish. The problem that Labour faces is that many voters agree with this analysis but still vote Conservative anyway. In part this is because we are all selfish to some degree, but it also has a lot to do with Labour's inability to convince voters that they are competent to run the country. It follows that in order to win Labour ...
I noticed today that the BBC avoided talking about a person who had died in the Channel Tunnel as anything other than a migrant. I've drafted an e-mail, if you want to add your name please tweet me, or message me here and I'll add you in. I'll send it tomorrow afternoon at 14:00 BST. Thank you. Dear NewsWatch; We are writing in to express concern about the style of reporting by the BBC on the recent death of an individual in the Channel Tunnel. We're referring especially to this story on the BBC News website (as of time of ...
I went back to All Saints in Leicester on the way to the old Leicester Central station. I first photographed it and the old brewery next door that stood next to it six summers ago. The big change is that the brewery has gone. As is the way with inconvenient buildings, it fell victim to arsonists and was demolished. Its owners were fined for lack of care after a prosecution last year. The church looked well in the sunshine, but the land between it and the city centre is bare and calling to developers.
The more I think about it, the more I'm struck by the fact that the Liberal Democrats - or at least most of their voters - have been left behind in British politics over the last 5 years. The tragic loss of Charles Kennedy reinforced vividly the memories of the days when the party was streets ahead and much more progressive than the two other major parties. The bitterness and anger felt by the progressive coalition of voters Kennedy and the wider party had built up since the beginning of the Blair government who had good reason to feel betrayed ...
Last night, I attended the Liberal Democrat leadership hustings in Nottingham. It was held in a large, but peculiarly airless black box theatre at the Djanogly City Academy, bringing back uncomfortable memories of Saturday mornings a few years ago when my OU critical social psychology tutorials were held there. I had intended to diligently take notes on what Norman Lamb ...
This afternoon there was a wreath-laying ceremony in memory of Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador below Great West Door of Westminster Abbey, who died at the hands of a death squad as he was saying Mass on March 24, 1980. He has been recognised by the Abbey as one of the 10 great Christian martyrs of the 20th century, whose images can be seen above the Door. We then trooped over to the Palace of Westminster for a reception given by Mr Speaker in his apartments and the presentation by the Ambassador of El Salvador to Sir Peter Bottomley ...
The reports that George Osborne is likely to reduce tax credits for families with more than two children in tomorrow's budget are interesting indeed. Superficially, it appeals to the sort of people who think that you shouldn't have children if you can't afford to keep them - as if children are like pets. It is hardly worth going through the reasons why claimants might not have control over their circumstances and thus claim for three or more children - change (or more likely, loss) of job, the birth of multiple children at one time, etc., etc. - so I will ...
Launched today, the British Film Institutes's 'Britain on Film' project has made thousands of archive films available to play online. If you are in the United Kingdom you can search and enjoy free access to films and TV that represent the area where you live, grew up or went to school. You can't embed the videos, but if you click on the still above you will be taken to one of Market Harborough Urban District Council's 'Public Welcome to Service Men', which was held on the town's Square on Sunday 17 August 1919.
A few days ago I wrote a post about the Conservative Government's proposed cuts to tax credits - and how they would have a devastating impact on many low-income, working families. Now, this report from Barnardos reveals that 62% of families in Haringey receive some form of tax credit, and will therefore see their overall income reduced. Within these families, there are over 38,000 children.
Today Germany stands at the Crossroads. It's leadership of Europe stands in the dock of public opinion. Will Germany put Europe before the selfish interests of it's domestic voters or Bankers. Voters, Industrialists and Bankers who have benefited from the strong exports allowed by membership of the Euro, as against a high value Deutschmark which would have caused inflation and curtailed export profits. Will it support Europeans who wish to show responsible solidarity towards Greeks and enable a fair restructuring of Greek Debt which will give Greeks the opportunity to help themselves through growth. Only wisdom by the ECB and ...
Tue 7th
20:05
With Julian Filochowski, Sir Peter Bottomley MP< Kevin MacNamara & H E the Ambassador of El S...
Tue 7th
19:48With Sir Peter Bottomley MP, former MP Kevin McNamara & H E the Ambassador of El Salvador
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10 Years on after 7/7 - Britain remains a determined, vigilant, tolerant and anti-extremist liberal democracy where the values which the 7/7 bombers so hated have triumphed over the forces of extremism. Any study of the British people shows that in the face of attack British people become more resolute and determined to ensure victory. Unlike radicals like Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi and despots like Napoleon and Hitler who came to realise that Britain can only be influenced by the moral force of righteous evidence, rather the bullet or bomb, so fascist terrorists like ISD (Isis-Daesch) claiming a perverted ...
[IMG: farronforleader] (In addition to my 'Bloggers for Tim' list, I'm also opening up the blog to guest posts from people supporting him for leader. The latest one is from Grace Goodlad, and if you want to follow in her footsteps, please get in touch!) Grace was born in the seventies, yet has managed to reach her early forties having never knowingly worn brown polyester. A Law graduate from the University of Kent she soon realised that her preferred specialism of criminal law was far too dull and moved on to study something even more glamorous and thrilling, and became ...
Tuesday: As a member of an ethnic community (namely white people*), it has been brought to my attention that we're in danger, as a community, of "tacitly condoning" extremist language from my fellows because they are "people like me". These people prey on young British men and women, trying to persuade them to travel to foreign countries thousands of miles away, to perform acts of terrible violence with high explosives. I mean, of course, people like Mr Michael Fallon, Secretary of the so-called Ministry of Defence (by which we mean Attack) who thinks we should be exploding things in Syria. ...
Among the hurly burly of Greek Debt, Tory Budgets and Leadership election has emerged a silent hero. Alistair Carmichael a Lib Dem battler who in his successful battle for survival revealed an alleged secret comment by Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon that she preferred a Tory Victory has now redeemed his mistake in spectacular fashion which still under legal threat of recall. His Bill to challenge the invidious and divisive Conservative plan for English Votes for English Laws (EVEL) has won a historic and spectacular defeat for the Conservative Government by a staggering 291 votes to 2, quasing the Tory ...
Yes, you read right. Chris Grayling did say that, not on lobby terms to a journalist but in front of the entire world in the Commons this afternoon. His comments came during the debate on the Government's plans to railroad through English Votes for English Laws secured by our Alistair Carmichael. He used an obscure Commons device to discuss the process rather than EVEL itself. The Government basically chickened out of the vote today. They were heavily defeated by 291 to just 2. The vote isn't binding but the Government's plans sounded more ill-considered and incoherent as the debate wore ...
The Liverpool Echo has the story – see link above. Having represented Melling on Sefton Council for 12 years until 2011 it always seemed a quiet place to me but these drugs busts can seemingly happen anywhere these days.
Cornwall Council taxpayers are footing the bill for expensive borrowing according to a Channel 4 investigation. Most of the borrowing dates back to the former county and district days and has been inherited by Cornwall Council. However there is at least one deal which was done by the former Conservative administration in 2011. The sort of borrowing being talked about is known as a LOBO - which stands for Lender Option/Borrower Option - although this is a bit of a misnomer as the contract is heavily weighted in favour of the bank. And because such lending is over hugely long ...
[IMG: Lynne Featherstone on the doorstep] Want to know how to win election campaigns? You can learn from the very best of international experience with a free 10-week email course from myself and Ed Maxfield. Sign up at www.CampaignMasterclass.com and each week you'll receive one lesson by email, helping you become a top election winning campaigner or candidate yourself. It's a great way to make sure you don't fall foul of mistakes such as Five of the most common mistakes that Lib Dem campaigners make. We've helped, advised and run election campaigns across Europe and even further afield - and ...
[IMG: NormanLamb] Britain's young liberals aren't only more liberal than their elders, they are more liberal than any previous generation before them. That said, they are a liberal cohort not yet identifying as Liberal Democrats - this could and should change. My liberty loving generation cannot comfortably sit within statist parties like Labour or the Conservatives, which is why the Liberal Democrats need to prove themselves to be the party offering this generation a truly liberal voice in British politics. We need to be more radical in our thinking, we need intellectual evidence-based liberal policy that grabs the attention of ...
Up until recently one of the greatest strengths of the United Kingdom has been it's unwritten constitution, which is underwritten by lots of unwritten constitutional conventions and precedents. But underneath these lies an unspoken truth which makes the UK work, or has done. England dominates the UK. From a point of view of population,, some 65 millions wealth and GDP - England dominates the UK and therefore the existence of the UK and it's governance depends upon power sharing between England and other equal regions in Britain - Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. Of Course within England, the unspoken truth ...
[IMG: Bearder Oxford Union] Catherine delivered the following speech to the Oxford Union, painting a picture of what life would be like after Brexit. I want to take you to a land, not so far away. Close your eyes and think of England after Brexit. We had the referendum and the unthinkable has happened, the UK voted to leave the EU. The world's largest single market, the biggest generator of science and technological innovation, the birthplace of languages and cultures that populate the world. But we are no longer part of this. Out. Just think about it Think. I run ...
I was having a discussion on Saturday with a constituent who was finding the cost of childcare to be crippling. Both he and his wife worked but despite accessing the Government's voucher scheme they were finding it increasingly difficult to pay It was because of people facing these sorts of pressures that Nick Clegg made it his mission, whilst in government, to improve support for child care. As this Guardian article makes clear he came up with a scheme to replace the existing childcare vouchers whilst at the same time offering a larger tax saving: From autumn 2015 parents will ...
Being somewhat associated with West Lothian and having stood in the race to replace the poser of the West Lothian Question. Tam Dalyell, I have on occassion written about said question and the potential answers. David Cameron's latest take on this is English Votes for English Laws (EVEL) at Westminster. Now the problem posed by the West Lothian Question was that devolution would allow certain aspects of law to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament (and of course the Welsh and Northern Irish Assemblies) while their MPs were still able to vote on issues at Westminster affecting people in England ...
One thing that has been repeatedly raised during the aftermath of the Liberal Democrats' bloodbath of an election is the need to 'return to community politics'. This is, on the surface, an admirable statement. The party's past successes have been built on community politics, so why don't we go back to what we did then, [...]
[IMG: logo-sefton] www.sefton-digital-archive.org/ This new Sefton Libraries web site – see link above – should be of interest to all those who are fascinated by local history across the Borough of Sefton.
[IMG: Police (Kent Police on Facebook)] The next Kent Police Open Day is being held at the Kent Police Training School, Coverdale Avenue, Maidstone on Sunday 12 July 2015. This fun day is an opportunity to find out about the work Kent Police do across the county, watch their teams in action and test your skills at an array of activities. There is more information on the Kent Police website. Published and promoted by Tim Prater, 98a Sandgate High Street, Folkestone, CT20 3BYPrinted (hosted) by Prater Raines Ltd, 98 Sandgate High Street, Folkestone CT20 3BY
Yesterday I mentioned some disturbing news that had been put before our local Labour rulers about the number of houses that will 'need' to be built in Sefton (virtually all on high grade agricultural land), that's of course if you believe the statisticians who seem to have made a made a mess of such counting previously! This was my posting:- Presently, Labour's draft Local Plan for the Borough wants 615 houses built every year. This is a lot of high grade agricultural land to lose under tarmac and concrete. BUT now statisticians working for/providing information to the Council are ...
[IMG: Tim Farron MP speaks at the rally] I heard Tim Farron speak at Conference this year. In a debate run by the Centre Forum his ideas and enthusiasm sparkled and I left with new inspiration and hope. I was feeling pretty deflated, not by the undoubted achievements of the Liberal Democrats in office, and as a teacher in an inner city comprehensive I know the great benefit of the pupil premium, but by the things that had gone through Parliament which I felt to be wrong and unjust. The bedroom tax stands out among them and it is to ...
Charities during the Blair-Brown years tended to go on one of two directions. They either abandoned their services in favour of marketing to change government policy (the NSPCC springs to mind), or they became subject to central government targets by delivering public services. In both cases, they kind of sold the pass - one of the virtues of the voluntary sector, at least from a Liberal point of view, is its independence from government. Its ability to see beyond government agendas and see through their targets. It's refusal to accept that governments have a monopoly on action. The ultra-utilitarian approach ...
Tue 7th
10:28
"That's 1 less to worry about - next please" - some Britons respond to the death of a fellow human b...
A desperate human being has reportedly been killed in the Channel Tunnel, attempting to make the journey from France to Britain. Sky News tweeted the breaking story: AFP: French authorities say a migrant has died in the Channel Tunnel to Britain — Sky News Newsdesk (@SkyNewsBreak) July 7, 2015 Some sample replies: @SkyNewsBreak that's 1 less [...]
OK, so this isn't at all tongue in cheek at all, honest guv! Well, maybe just a little bit (!). The old adage of 'Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime' seems obvious enough, but I thought I'd take a look through the early morning mists on the water to see how it might work according to the core elements and usual practical manifestations of a few different basic political ideologies. Let's start with Conservatism, and their customary Neo-Liberal economic strategies and maintenance ...
A great example of why politicians sometimes should lead, rather than follow, public opinion – and also therefore why dreams of internet-powered instant direct democracy aren't so hot: [IMG: Views of London Olympics - YouGov data]
[IMG: nick clegg-baby-bournemouth] As one of the newly-joined members of the party it might be presumptuous of me to offer advice to our new leader, whoever he turns out to be. Then again one of the great attractions of the Lib Dems is that each member is invited to contribute to policy making. So, here are a few ideas for Tim Farron or Norman Lamb to consider. Make the fullest use of your defeated opponent I've been impressed by both Norman and Tim as leadership candidates. Whichever one loses it will be a waste if he simply slides back into ...
Councillor Keith Holloway's campaign to get Barclays to think again about closing Gatley's last bank will see him, along with a member of Gatley Village Partnership, meet Barclays on Monday 13th July. Keith says "Barclays Community Leader Jason Clarke has now agreed to meet with myself and one of the Gatley village partnership committee members on Monday of next week (13 July), when we will explain the depth of concern that the Barclays proposal has raised across the Gatley community, and ask them to think again and work with us all to explore options that could retain a banking presence ...
From this week, Factory Travel will be delivering a number of new travel services for elderly people in Dundee. The new services, badged as 'Good to Go' will replace the Friendly Bus sheltered shopping service that has been operated by Stagecoach for a number of years. While the Travel Factory will retain a weekly supermarket shopping service, it will also provide day trip opportunities and organised outings for older people. It is also hoping to develop services for hospital visiting and other useful services in the months ahead. A poster with information is below. I understand that there will be ...
Over the weekend, it became official: Unite are endorsing Jeremy Corbyn to be the next leader of the Labour Party. When you look at the stated aims of Len McCluskey and then compare them to Corbyn's political goals, that doesn't seem so strange on the surface. But when you consider that Burnham must have felt he had Unite sown up a few weeks back, this wrinkle may possibly change the contest – most definitely for the worse for Andy. Burnham probably wanted Corbyn on the ballot so much for two reasons. One, which is simple, is that he didn't want ...
From Sheena Wellington : Scotland's finest young traditional singer, BBC Scotland's Young Traditional Musician 2014, Scots Singer of the Year nominee, will be singing on board the Unicorn on Friday 10th July. Robyn, who hails from Stranraer, is touring Scotland to celebrate her debut album "Fickle Fortune" which was released in May to critical acclaim. Recent career highlights include being commissioned to record "Coming Thro The Rye" for Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, and performances at the Trad Music Awards and, with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, at Proms in the Park! Robyn is no stranger to Dundee having given ...
Thinking about my colleague Laura Webb on the tenth anniversary of 7/7. Much missed, never forgotten.
Cheadle Area Committee is next Tuesday, 14th July. It's at the Ladybridge Park Residents Club, Edenbridge Road, Cheadle Hulme. As always it starts at 6pm and it's an open meeting – everyone is welcome. On this month's agenda: Planning application 56819 – new house proposed for 9 Rodmill Drive, Gatley. Planning officers recommend refusal. Planning application 57942 – application to split 22 Cranston Grove granny flat into a separate dwelling. Planning officers recommend granting for a trial period of one year. Planning application 58710 – application to convert Bruntwood Hall into boutique hotel. We previously rejected this on the grounds ...
Geordie accent to be banned under new data encryption laws [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
It has been interesting to see those celebrating the Greek vote on their financial crisis are a mixture of various nationalists, and the hard left and Greens. This highlights a paradox as far as the SNP are concerned. The SNP are not a hard left party and their anti-austerity line has been no different than social democrats'. In fact their anti-austerity line has been more talk than action. There is also a paradox with regards to Europe. As nationalists maybe their belief in Europe is more convenience than conviction. The thinking of many of the supporters of the SNP is ...
My gut instinct is that David Cameron is foolish on devolution and that EVEL (English Votes for English laws) is a terrible idea. Ever since he made that ill judged speech on the morning of 19 September 2014 he has been playing fast and loose with Britain. I like devolution. I think decentralisation is good and that Britain is particularly well suited to it. It is the natural order of things. Indeed the natural conclusion of all this is devolution in some shape or form throughout the UK with Westminster becoming the national parliament. The federal parliament if you like. ...
(Content note — murder) Fear is nothing but awareness. I was only frightened as a child because I did not understand fear - the dark, being lost, what was under the bed! It came from within. Sometimes the Wizard frightens me. The Wizard is Charlie Manson, who is another friend of mine who says he [...]
