In the Studio has a documentary marking the 45th anniversary of the Traffic album John Barleycorn Must Die. I can't embed it, so hurry over to that site to listen to it.
Few people will know that the Prime Minister's Office issues a daily Points of Light award. The awards are designed to reward exceptional acts of community service or volunteering. Some of the people granted awards certainly represent the very best of philanthropic achievement and endeavour. The phrase "Points of Light" is a direct quote from George [...]
Back in 2013 I blogged about French Dressing, Ken Russell's first film, in which Herne Bay pier featured prominently. This is what is left of the pier today. A stub still runs out from the shore, but this landing stage has been left improbably far out to sea - apparently halfway to the Essex coast. But then the view from Herne Bay is like that. Behind the wind farms you can see the remains of the Maunsell forts.
No one really knows, of course, but it does look at though Jeremy Corbyn will be the next leader of the Labour Party. What will that mean? Here are five likely consequences. 1. Whether the Liberal Democrats like it or not, they will be seen as a centre party. I know it sounds improbable, but an SWP activists once said a wise thing to me: when you are a small party to rarely get to choose the agenda on which you fight. Well, the Liberal Democrats are certainly a small party now and, whether we like it or not, we ...
A map of the average number of languages spoken by the inhabitants of 27 EU member states (data for Croatia was not included) depressingly confirms how largely monolingual we Brits are.At 1.6 languages each we are right near the bottom, along with the Republic of Ireland and Portugal. Only Hungary (whose own national tongue is [...]
A gazetteer presentation of important places in the history of Tudor England, as far as they can still be seen. Slightly frustrating that Ireland, Scotland and even Wales are omitted. The geographic order of presentation means that incidents from the late fifteenth century appear next to those of the early seventeenth, with all the bits in between jumbled throughout the pages. But at the same time, there is plenty to write about, and lots of good stories to tell linked with particular localities, some of which were new to me (poor Catherine of Aragon ended up associated with a lot ...
[IMG: Building the Team] At last year's Local Government Conference we launched the ALDC Fighting Fund. The fund was started to help people get going with campaigning at a local level, and we are now accepting bids for grants. ALDC is determined to reverse the trend over the last few years where we have more 'black holes', are standing [...]
I'm still alive, and still working through my Masters dissertation so my time for thinking about things to blog about is limited, which is somewhat handy as just about the only political topic to write about at the moment is just how silly Labour's leadership election can get and I've already covered that. However, things are coming close to the finish (though I may also be writing a PhD research proposal, because I don't have enough on my plate right now) so more regular posting may resume here sometime soon. Until then, some statistics from my dissertation that a few ...
[IMG: 5477199654_4c00e42669_m] Yesterday I was approached by a Lydiate resident who asked me to help her get a petition that she and her friends and family had collected to Arriva the bus company who have said that they are to take this bus route off at the end of August. I was, of course, delighted to help as a local councillor and as I originally broke the news via this very web site of the potential and much regretted demise of the 311. [IMG: WP_20150821_12_02_35_Pro] [IMG: Here I am with the resident's petition at a 311 bus stop in Lydiate. ...
Fri 21st
15:00
The Lib Dem minister and the carefully annotated 500-page document that was shredded by mistake
It's Friday, so it must be time to read Civil Service World, which sounds like one of those publications they feature at the end of "Have I got news for you?". (Baroness) Lindsay Northover tells the magazine about her experiences of working with civil servants, while serving as a whip in the coalition government. Lindsay is very complimentary, in the main, about civil servants. She tells of one of the challenges of coalition government: Although the top of the civil service had thought about what was required in coalition government, this thinking did not always permeate through the system. So ...
In just four weeks' time, Liberal Democrats will be flocking to Bourmemouth for our annual Autumn Conference. I'm so looking forward to it because I have never been there. Every day between now and then, we'll be previewing the debates, the fringe, the training and telling you everything you could possibly want to know about the event. As it's Friday afternoon, we'll keep today's preview lighthearted. Many of you will be delighted to see that the #libdemdisco is back. Last year, the event, run by Cambridge Liberal Democrats, was a huge hit. I was lucky enough to be one of ...
An autobiographical graphic novel about being a young comics artist on a European tour. Knisley is a very good artist, and there are a couple of lovely character moments, but there isn't really a lot of story here other than "I went to Europe, went to a comics convention, had a love affair and then hung out with my mother and her friends". Still, I'll look out for her other work.
Following yesterday's instructions on how to board a bus, here's how to use the road, again courtesy of Edmonton, Canada:
For the reasons given by Fred Clark here I've updated my blogroll. I've removed anything that hadn't had a post in six months or more, and added a lot of new ones or ones that I'd somehow missed. I've tried to improve the gender balance, but it's still too skewed towards cis men (about 60/40 [...]
Fri 21st
13:30ALDC's Local Campaigner magazine is out - essential reading for those interested in #libdemfightback
I've long said that ALDC (the Association of Lib Dem Councillors and Campaigners) is pretty much essential for anyone involved in Liberal Democrat campaigns. Of course, I would say that, because I've been a member of the organisation for a long time. But even with that interest declared, I'm sure most people would agree that they have loads of practical advice and campaign ideas and will be a vital part of ensuring that activists have the skills to fight future campaigns. Today the Autumn edition of their Local Campaigner magazine arrived with members. It's full of really interesting articles including: ...
Over the weekend my studies reminded me of a photograph I took last year. It shows two families of elephants trying to cross the Chobe river from Botswana to Namibia. Unfortunately the groups became tangled up, so much trumpeting and manoeuvring was required to ensure that they all crossed successfully. It was an awe-inspiring sight. At one point it looked ...
Fri 21st
11:55The EU referendum puts our free movement rights at risk. Everyone affected must have a vote
One of the most positive aspects of the #LibDemFightback since May has been the enthusiasm among our influx of new members to fight for a Yes vote in the forthcoming EU referendum. A recent survey found this was their number one reason (quoted by 84%) for joining the party. With the government gearing up for a vote as early as June next year, there is no doubt that Liberal Democrats must play a central role, both in the campaign and - crucially - the passage of the Referendum Bill, which defines the question, timetable, and franchise. Incredibly though, the government ...
As I said recently, I like to try and do curries from first principles rather than buying pre-constituted sauces. I got this Bangladeshi recipe from here. Ingredients: 2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped 2.5cm piece fresh ginger root, peeled and grated 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons chilli powder 1 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric 900g lean beef, cut into 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes 3 tablespoons cooking oil 3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns 2 fresh green chillies, finely chopped 180ml water 2 ...
Charles Kennedy represented his highland constituency for 32 years, and his constituency office was based in Dingwall. Next Monday evening, there will be a memorial service for Charles in the town: We are hosting a public service in memory of Charles Kennedy on Aug 24th, 6pm at St Clement's Church, Dingwall. A warm invitation to all. — Highland Lib Dems (@HighlandLibDems) August 18, 2015 Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie will give a tribute to Charles and the service will feature music composed by Charles' father, Ian Kennedy, who also died earlier this year. Ross, Skye and Lochaber Liberal Democrats' ...
This summer, the global news media was not at all rocked to its foundations by news of New Zealand's forthcoming referendum on a national flag. The centre-right National Party led by John Key is in the middle of a (possibly misjudged) bid for centre-ground opinion by pursuing a symbolic rebranding of the nation. In a country with a complex colonial legacy, this is arguably opening a can of worms - but maybe a necessary one. I'm in no position to assess the relative merits of the many flag proposals, but I am intrigued by the process. A long-list will be ...
How The Hugo Awards Saboteurs Actually Disproved Their Own Best Argument Charlie Jane reflects. (tags: sf sadpuppies ) Harassment: What do we do? No easy answers. (tags: sf sexandgenderandsexuality ) I Don't Read That Stuff On quality and science fiction. (tags: sf )
Fri 21st
09:35
It's not just Iraq - the success of Jeremy Corbyn's campaign is founded on a big Labour apology
Apologies are in the air: Jeremy Corbyn has said he will apologise on behalf of the Labour party for the Iraq war if he's elected leader in 21 days. As Ian Leslie points out, this is a clever deployment of Lynton Crosby's infamous 'dead cat' ruse, distracting attention from the mounting evidence of his embarrassing links with anti-Semites and the re-emergence of his at best carelessly worded qualification that "some of what [Isis] have done is quite appalling". It also rather smartly puts his leftist rival Andy Burnham — who, back when he was an arch-Blairite (ie, up to and ...
You can read all the articles that have caught my attention this week here: https://delicious.com/stephentall Below are a selection... Did Labour lose because it wasn't left-wing enough? No, voters didn't think Lab/Tories were "just the same", explains @Adam_Ludlow > http://bit.ly/1E6tWC1 Boot camp for unemployed youths – the Marmite policy | Joseph Rowntree Foundation Sensible stuff from @JRF_UK on the 'marmite policy' of "boot camp"for unemployed youths http://bit.ly/1E6slvF YouGov | Malaria, 'Kid's company', Interest rates So 32% of the public are honest about their knowledge of the 'Kids company' story http://bit.ly/1J5bTbP YouGov | Today's students are left-wing, but less so on ...
Election night, 1992. BBC TV studios. Ken Livingstone is asked why Labour lost to the incumbent Conservative government, despite the big economic recession. Peter Sissons: Where does the blame [for Labour's defeat] lie? Put your finger on it. Ken Livingstone: The whole party has moved too far to the right. Been too frightened to challenge vested interests ... We didn't say we were going to cut defence spending. We didn't say we were going to have any constraints on the export of capital abroad.
Fri 21st
08:53
I don't really understand the vetting process for voting in the Labour leadership election
The headline, by the way, is in no way meant to imply that I myself tried to register and was denied a vote in the Labour leadership contest. I never attempted to do so. But at the moment, a process known to some as "Operation Icepick", or #LabourPurge is underway, one that has staffers at Labour HQ vetting the £3 army for those not deemed Labour enough to deserve a vote. This is mostly doing the rounds on social media due to conspiracy theories involving the supposed intentional removal of Corbyn sympathisers from the electoral roll. What interests me more ...
The forthcoming Dundee Commons Festival has a superb programme and you can download the full details here.
Suddenly, beards have become fashionable. The Secretary of State for Wales, Stephen Crabb was the first Conservvative Cabinet Member to sport a beard for more than a century. Now, Jeremy Corbyn's own facial features are setting a fashon. As the Times reports, Ed Miliband has been spotted sporting a rugged new facial growth. And he has already won many fans for the new look with many saying that if he had looked like that back in May they might have voted for him. It has often been the case that the reasons why people vote are many and varied. The, ...
Leaked notes reveal Labour ignored legal advice over new membership - oh dear Every time I think to myself that this car crash can't possibly get worse, it does. And nearly a month still to go :/ What other politicians would look like with Milibeards - Blair looks pretty Corbynesque TBH. FWIW my verdict on the Millibeard is pretty positive - he's now gone into the same category as Jeremy Browne. I don't want to listen to him speak, but if he keeps the beard and shuts up I'm happy to look. [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34013497 The BBC has the story – see link above And not before time either. The Iraq war was Labour's darkest day in government. Don't we all recall going to war with the Tories backing a Labour government whilst only the Lib Dems, of the major political parties, standing against the illegal war. [IMG: index] A Labour apology will be a great epitaph for the late great Charles Kennedy who as Lib Dem Leader stood against Labour's warmongering and was called just about every name under the sun for his campaigning against the war.
