There is a danger in having a day when you have been questioning the basis of much of the information that is used to measure performance (notice that I don't use the word challenge). Today has been that sort of day. A volunteer has been sought within my team to carry out something called 'Workplace Assessment' and, whilst I would normally been sceptical at best, I had cause to want to do something that might raise my profile a little. What better for a numerate and philosophical bureaucrat than a monitoring and reporting function? The idea is that, in the ...
"Once I had a singing group, singing group done gone/Now I got another group, didn't take too long..." Love had split, but they still owed one more record to Elektra, and Arthur Lee, as the group's leader, was responsible for delivering that record. He needed a band, and fast. The solution was obvious — take [...]
On the 8th July 2015, Chancellor George Osborne announced his budget for the new Government after the 2015 general election which saw the Conservatives win with the majority of seats within The House of Commons. Now, even though I see some of the points of the budget effective, some I think will have a massive [...]
A Caledonian Railway poster from 1910. The Droitwich Brine Baths still exist, but closed in 2009. A Facebook group is, or was, trying to save them.
Tue 14th
21:39
So what was so fascinating about the junction of Liverpool Road North & Green Lane in Maghull?
I used to live a few yards away from this junction, indeed I lived there for 29 years, but apart from the odd mad driver shooting into the traffic out of Green Lane I found it a quite an unremarkable junction. So what brings it to mind now? The fact that it had two, yes two, CCTV cameras trained on it today and they disappeared as quickly as they appeared. There this morning, gone tonight! [IMG: What's so fascinating about Green Lane] Click on the photo to enlarge it The photo above shows one pole-mounted CCTV camera in the centre ...
Cllr Keith Holloway has slammed Barclays for refusing to help Gatley residents who face losing the last bank in the village after meeting with the company. Barclays plan to close their branch - the last bank in Gatley - on 21st August. Cllr Holloway's petition opposing the closure has been signed by over a thousand people, but so far the bank is refusing the budge. "Barclays are keen to parade their community credentials - right up to the moment it might cost them some money." Cllr Holloway said. "When the branch closes, traders will no longer be able to pay ...
A packed room for Cheadle Area Committee this evening due to four planning applications. Decisions taken: Planning application for a new house next to 9 Rodmill Drive, Gatley (56819) was rejected as it didn't meet environmental standards. Planning application 57948 (change of use to allow an extension at 22 Cranston Grove, Gatley to be used as a separate rental property – 57948) was approved for a limited period of one year. Other residents had concerns over parking, traffic and nuisance and if those concerns turn out to be true over the coming year, the committee can decline to make it ...
[IMG: Martello Tower 6 [Sandgate Escarpment] (Copyright Steve Popple and licensed for reuse under a Creative Commons Licence.)] Speech to Development Control Committee speaking against Y11/0137/SH: Land Adjoining Sir John Moore Barracks, Military Road, Sandgate, Kent: "Outline application for the erection of 5 detached houses, including details of layout, scale and access, together with the change of use and conversion of Martello Tower 6 to a residential holiday let and Martello Tower 7 and adjacent underground water tank to a dwelling, together with associated access road and engineering works, parking, landscaping and ancillary outbuilding to serve Martello Tower 6." Good ...
[IMG: Tim Farron and Norman Lamb] Two final interviews to round off the Lib Dem leadership race, both with The Spectator. Tim Farron: Farron has undergone much scrutiny for his religious views and voting record on same-sex marriage and abortion. Given this, does he see any contradiction in having strong Christian values and leading a liberal party? 'We wouldn't be a Liberal party if we thought that somebody couldn't be in it, couldn't lead it,' he says. 'I think when Charles Kennedy was leader, he was Roman Catholic and throughout his time he managed to get the balance right.' 'Christianity, ...
Charles Leadbetter (once the Steve Hilton of New Labour) offers some imaginative ideas that he says could help save the Labour Party. Liberal Democrats should read them too. "This land has been grazed and burnt to a shadow of its former self by these unsustainable practices, tolerated for so long that many people think the resulting landscape is natural." Simon Pepper on the need for restoration of the Highland landscape of Scotland. Carl Chinn introduces the story of Prince Albert "Jake" Jacob, who came to Birmingham from Trinidad and fought with the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. ...
Cornwall Council today passed the 'Case for Cornwall' - our ask of government for more devolution of powers and responsibilities. We also had a briefing about the deal that the Government has negotiated with the authority. Sadly, the latter debate was held behind closed doors at the insistence of the Government. The case itself is pretty broad with asks in a wide range of areas including the economy and training, culture, transport and the integration of health and social care services. It also includes requests for devolution in housing, planning and for much greater freedoms for Cornwall in respect of ...
The cost of parking in Cornwall Council car parks will fall again for many drivers as the authority has signed a new deal for those who pay to park by phone. Until now, paying by phone for parking has incurred a 20p 'convenience fee' for each transaction. That may not be a lot, but it has been enough to deter some drivers. The new contract does away with this charge and I hope that many more drivers will take advantage of cash free parking. Not only will this mean a saving for drivers, but hopefully also for the council. Whilst ...
Flieger's Tolkien analysis was recommended to me last year, and this is her most popular book (also seems to be the only one available in ebook format). I found it very interesting. I was less convinced by her strong thesis, that Tolkien's core message is to do with splintered light v darkness, but rather more so by her incidental detail, that when choosing words Tolkien was very aware of their Indo-European roots and some of his choices of phrase particularly need to be understood in that light. She does have some good evidence, notably the Silmarils and the undoubted intellectual ...
John Stuart Mill is often quoted as describing the Tories as the stupidest party. The modern Conservative Party is many things, but at the top where they consider parliamentary and electoral strategy they are anything but stupid. Those who think the withdrawing of the Statutory Instrument to amend the Hunting with Hounds Act is a victory for those opposed to any watering down of animal welfare legislation are cruelly mistaken. The move is as cynical as it was to hold such a debate just a week after the most reactionary and regressive Budget in decades. Events this week have served ...
Tue 14th
15:25
Discontent brews over ban on new members voting in Liverpool and Bristol Mayor selections
[IMG: Long-time readers will know it is now traditional to illustrate posts like these with camels.] Long-time readers will know it is now traditional to illustrate posts like these with camels. Just don't ask me why. What's that on the horizon? It's a u-turn coming into view, I suspect... Following my post yesterday about the intention to ban new members from voting in selection of Liberal Democrat candidates for the Liverpool and Bristol Mayor elections, there's been widespread discontent expressed at this by party members in both Liverpool and Bristol, including activists with many decades of party membership under their ...
Whatever the merits of the SNP's decision to abandon their policy of not voting on English-only matters, their rather tenuously-argued determination to vote against changes to the hunting ban has had an impact. The Guardian reports that the UK Government has now withdrawn the vote as they have calculated that they cannot win. Instead, Downing Street is expected to revisit the issue in autumn after the proposed introduction of English votes for English laws in parliament. This would make clear whether a majority of non-Scottish MPs were in favour of weakening the foxhunting ban. Whether this will make a difference ...
The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on the Welsh Labour Government to withdraw the new social care regulations due to be passed by the Assembly today. The draft regulations state that residents are only eligible to benefit from social care services if their needs "can and can only" be met by the local authority. The Welsh Lib Dems were the only party to vote against the Social Services and Well-being Bill which passed through the Assembly, and will be voting against the regulations today. This clause has been met by concern by many including Luke Clements, Cerebra Professor of Law ...
Tue 14th
14:00
Will there be a by election in the Richmond Park constituency this parliament? [Lib Dem Future]
The constituency of Richmond Park has been a good one for the party. It has been won, held and lost by the party in recent years. The conservative majority in the constituency is large at present, however the mood can swing quickly. In recent weeks a by election has been won by the party in [...]
The BBC has the story on its web site – see link above.
Tue 14th
12:40Sefton's 'growing'? population – Another perspective on those odd stats that the Council's con...
I have continued to scratch my head about those new stats that consultants working for Sefton Council have come up with. You know, the stats that recently doubled the dubious original figures for the growth in population and households in the Borough and will lead to acre after acre of high grade agricultural land being concreted over. [IMG: Green Belt campaigners, including Peter Greener, outside Maghull Town Hall.] Green Belt campaigners, including Peter Greener, outside Maghull Town Hall. The more you think about it the odder they are especially that 'under counting in Liverpool' carry on that means far more ...
Developers who have submitted outline plans for 137 homes off Foldgate Lane, Ludlow have got the green light from Highways England for a proposed T-junction on the A49. This is a move that significantly increases the changes of this development eventually getting planning permission - especially as Shropshire Council is seeking amendments to its local [...]
Following my recent posting of a 1929 film of Liverpool here is a 1902 one of Southport c/o the British Film Institute via the Southport Visiter.
[IMG: Liberal Democrat Newswire logo] Liberal Democrat Newswire #68 came out yesterday, featuring its exclusive poll on the Lib Dem leadership race. You can also read it below, but if you'd like the convenience of getting it direct by email in future, just sign up here. It's free! Welcome to the 68th edition of Liberal Democrat Newswire, another special edition before the usual monthly service resumes – this time to bring you the results of an exclusive survey of Liberal Democrat members on the leadership election. #67 set out a strategy for the new party leader (which you can read ...
It's that time of year again - the Party Awards season, and the nominations pack is now up on the website. The awards recognise the exceptional and dedicated work our members do in our communities and this is your chance to tell us who we should be recognising. The following awards are open for nomination: President's Award – any member elected to public office. Harriet Smith Award – any member never elected to public office. Belinda Eyre-Brook Award – to recognise the efforts of people working for our elected representatives in their local areas – from local party employees, to ...
Conservative Chancellor George Osborne's Budget last week, his first without the need to negotiate with the Liberal Democrats, was widely hailed as a feat of political brilliance. It has put the opposition Labour Party into disarray. At its centre was a direct attack on Britain's working poor. Nothing could demonstrate that group's political weakness better. Part of the political acuity was the spread of confusion over where the budget pain was to be felt. Mr Osborne, and the Prime Minister, David Cameron, had earlier set out their intention of wooing working class voters to their party. Huge cuts to tax ...
In light of the latest in what has become an interminable series of talks between the Greek government and their increasingly annoyed creditors, you will hear much from centre-left commentators in the days to come about how the ECB is trying to subvert democracy. Actually, putting aside the radio static of snap referenda for one moment, what's happening between Greece and their paymasters is actually very straightforward: Greece borrowed some money it can't pay back and wants to wriggle out of the terms of the original deal. We can talk all you like about how fair or unfair that deal ...
I think most people are now aware of an issue that has been plaguing our thinking for some time - the idea of portraying ourselves, and being portrayed, as being nothing more than a party of 'between the other main parties'. The wishy-washy, in the middle, don't really believe in anything party. At it's worst, it makes us the party of dull moderation seen as not wanting to actually stand up for anything or do anything much other than stopping the extremes of 'left' and 'right'. Of course, there is some merit in stopping the extreme elements in other major ...
It would be wrong to abandon every campaigning technique used in the 2015 general election. Despite the result, some constituencies saw unprecedented levels or door knocking, innovative new literature items and original online campaigning techniques. In seats like Hornsey and Wood Green - retaining 32% of the vote when the national average was 8% meant we were doing something right. But the party also has to think about what it lacked - and how we could do things differently to improve our share of the vote in upcoming elections. I believe, in our 2015 national campaign, we lacked originality and ...
So it's Tuesday and even if you post your voting papers with a first class stamp it may not arrive on time, so to make double sure those last minute votes for Tim Farron reach - the Electoral Commission by July 15th take it to your Royal Mail post office for Guaranteed Special Delivery to guarantee your vote is counted. The campaign has been hard fought and recent polls show that EVERY VOTE is needed. Mark Pack's polling shows 58% for Tim Farron and 42% for Norman Lamb but the Daily Mirror online poll is even closer 51% to 49%. ...
Metrics play a growing role in managing research. But to understand their limitations, we need to draw on the humanities. There is a particular form of proof that is applied both by mathematicians and by critics of using metrics in research assessment. Proof by contradiction seeks to prove something, say that the square root of two is an irrational number, by first assuming its opposite and then proceeding to demonstrate an internal contradiction. It follows that the assumption is proven untrue. In the case of metrics in research assessment, the common proof that they don't work runs as follows. First ...
I know the ferocious bail-out of Greece is not the Versailles Treaty. Nor are the debt-repayments reparations exactly The Economic Consequences of the Peace. but John Maynard Keynes knew a thing or two when he stormed home from Versailles in 1919 and wrote it. There is something horrific when a great institution like the European Union becomes obsessive about one thing, so obsessive that it is prepared to put one corner of itself - one whole nation - into a state of semi slavery to achieve it. This is what Keynes wrote in 1919 about the negotiators a century ago: ...
[IMG: This challenge involves less sand, less running and indeed less going outdoors.] This challenge involves less sand, less running and indeed less going outdoors. The reaction to my glossary of Liberal Democrat jargon has been mostly positive with people finding it useful (and do let me have suggestions for what to add or make clearer). There's also been some reactions along the lines of 'this is absurd! we should be using the same language as real people not having to explain jargon'. Instinctively, it's a viewpoint I agree with – death to jargon, please. Indeed, that's why you may ...
[IMG: Photo by Jon Ball] Federal Conference Committee (FCC) met on Saturday to decide which of the 52 motions submitted by members should be debated when we go to Bournemouth later this year. I'm sure many of you will be scrolling down to the end of this post to find out the good news, but for those who are new to the party or two FCC machinations, I shall quickly explain what FCC does and how it arrived at it's decision. The full FCC meets six times a year, three per conference. The first meeting in the cycle is general ...
Karen Hannah From Sheena Wellington : Cappuccino Concert Saturday 18th July, 11am (doors open 10.30am) Wighton Heritage Centre at the Central Library Karen Hannah, fiddle, and Bob Turner, keyboards Admission £5 at door (coffee available, for donation) The popular and talented Karen Hannah makes a very welcome return to the Wighton with her lively mix of fiddle tunes and humour. She will be joined on this occasion by keyboard maestro Bob Turner, whose musical pedigree covers stage, screen, jazz, folk and world music.
The Wetsuitman Extraordinary story of British migration policy killing people. (tags: norway death netherlands migration ) This is What We've Learned About Pluto in the Past 24 Hours Wow. (tags: astronomy ) The most powerful person you've never heard of Secreta of British governance. (tags: ukpolitics ) The 20% Strategy (PDF) Building a core vote for the Lib Dems (tags: ukpolitics libdems ) Number 10 'can square' boundary reform losers House of Commons to go down to 600 seats. (tags: ukpolitics )
Welsh government responds in Klingon to UFO airport query An excellent, forensic examination of what criminal aid lawyers are paid, and why they are currently striking The Good Jobs Strategy - yet another person trying that radical lefty Henry Ford's employment ideas Doing Something About the 'Impossible Problem' of Abuse in Online Games - oh this looks SO hopeful Tories defeated in Lords vote on city mayors - hurrah! *insert demand for Yorkshire Parliament here* Vote chasing and selling out....... | Too Much To Say For Myself Artist arrested on suspicion of 'abstracting electricity' to charge iPhone on London Overground ...
