I have seen this clip a couple of times before. It turns out to come from one of the Look at Life films - I have featured a few of them here in the past. The BBC once put them together to form 30-minute programmes. The video above should play just the relevant segment of this one, where you will see "Marine Lieutenant Ashdown". (Unfortunately, someone has added a rather clunky label telling us who he later became.) Lord Bonkers suggests that unrepentant headhunters are just what you need in a closely fought by-election.
Shortly after taking office in 1997, Tony Blair made a ridiculous gaffe in the House of Commons where he claimed that "sovereignty" remained with him. Paddy Ashdown slapped him down, reminding him that sovereignty actually lay with the people - or with people, if you don't believe in such concepts. This important exchange is now largely forgotten, but the question that lies behind it is suddenly important. Why does what passes for a British constitution allow prime ministers to flirt with the idea that they are monarchs, temporary kings whose writ must be obeyed? Because there is nothing in our ...
Independent seat. Cause: Resignation. LD candidate- Lee Catterall. To help, please contact Chris Twells (07952 450943, chris.montgomeryshire@gmail.com)
UPDATED DETAILS. Conservative seat. Cause: Resignation. No LD candidate.
Conservative seat. Cause: Resignation. LD candidate- Rob Lambie. Please contact Mike Wood on 01279 654369 to help.
UPDATED DETAILS. Labour seat. Cause: Death. LD candidate- Sarah Dickson.
UPDATED DETAILS. Health Concern seat. Cause: Death. LD candidate- Paul Preston.
It's five months since Tim Farron's first full day as leader. As the political term comes to an end, how has he done in the role so far? What has he done well, and where is there room for improvement? Be warned, this is a long one. You might want to get a cup of tea and a biscuit. First, let's look at the highlights: Those amazing speeches That first one, just after his election. Have you embraced your diagnosis yet? And then that emotional debut Conference speech with that impassioned section where he called out David Cameron for his ...
It looks like campaigners accross London have got an early Christmas present! The Lib Dem Mayoral candidate, Caroline Pidgeon, broke the news on her Facebook earlier...
Current None! For once, there are no open books. Though that will change when I go to bed. Last books finished The Reign of Wizardry, by Jack Williamson The Gallifrey Chronicles, by Lance Parkin Short Fiction Eligible for the 1941 Retro-Hugos Vol 4, ed. von Dimpleheimer Fattypuffs and Thinifers, by Andre Maurois Moon Over Soho, by Ben Aaronovitch Helliconia Spring, by Brian Aldiss The Whole and Rain-Domed Universe, by Colette Bryce The Medusa Effect, by Justin Richards Captain Future and the Space Emperor, by Edmond Hamilton Next books Helliconia Summer, by Brian Aldiss Selected Stories, by Alice Munro A Princess ...
Lord Bonkers writes exclusively for Liberal England: "I am sorry to see her go, but I fear she had lost the dressing room."
IPSOS-MORI have released their monthly Political Monitor and it has a double dose of good news for the Liberal Democrats. This is probably the month in which Tim Farron has had the most exposure since his election as leader. His speech in the Syria debate was highly commended and he's been on both Have I Got News for You and Russell Howard's Good News. The fact that he's ended up as the most popular leader in Britain speaks for itself. Before we all get too excited. his rating is only -7, compared to Cameron's -14 Corbyn's -15 and Farage's -15, ...
A worrying report from BBC East Midlands Today. It reminds you that Rutland County Council won the Legal Bullies of the Year category in Private Eye's 2013 Rotten Boroughs Awards. I hope Nick Wainwright will take this further. Asking awkward questions of the chief executive is an important part of a councillor's role. Thanks to Martin Brookes.
Thu 17th
19:32
Shirley Williams to retire from the Lords, 51 years after she was first elected as an MP
[IMG: Shirley Williams] There are few people who have inspired me more than Shirley Williams. In 1981, 14 year old Caron watched her talk about scaling unscaleable heights and just taking opportunities when they present themselves. That was before she put herself up to stand in a by-election in a seat with a whacking great Tory majority. She won, of course, in Crosby in 1981. Today, it's been announced that she is retiring from the House of Lords. We certainly can't grudge her her retirement.She's 85 years old, after all, and she's still been a thoughtful and powerful presence in ...
It's been a busy month - probably the busiest of the course so far. The deadline for the penultimate module, on Training and Development, came and went on 12th November, with the deadline for the dissertation proposal following just 4 weeks later on 10th December. I'm glad to report that I made both deadlines, but I do feel like I've ...
[IMG: Shirley Williams. (CC BY 2.0 - image courtesy of NHS Federation)] Sad news that Shirley Williams is retiring: The wonderful #shirleywilliams at her retirement reception in parliament. Loved by many, not just #libdems! pic.twitter.com/yRKFLvGH19 — SalBrinton (@SalBrinton) December 17, 2015 Baroness Williams, one of the 'Gang of Four' MPs to leave Labour and found the Social Democrats in 1981, will leave the upper chamber after 22 years. Liberal Democrat MPs and peers are holding an event this evening to mark her "outstanding contribution" to politics and the party. An email to Lib Dem members from Lord McNally pays tribute ...
[IMG: Budget-2015 (500x288)] The 2016 Local Government Finance Settlement has been announced, and we have immediate reaction from Lib Dem HQ and the LGA Liberal Democrat Group. More details and campaigning materials for ALDC members to follow. Lib Dem HQ response – Mayor Dorothy Thornhill Extra money for adult social care doesn't go far enough Responding to [...]
A summary of public transport services over the festive period is now available to help people plan ahead when making travel plans. A reduced level of service will run on several days over Christmas and the new year and anyone travelling should check and plan ahead to avoid disappointment. The pocket-sized 'Christmas services' guide is now online at www.tfgm.com/christmas and from TfGM Travelshops at bus stations and interchanges across Greater Manchester. Howard Hartley, TfGM's Head of Bus, said: "We want everyone to make the most of the festive period and, while public transport services are always reduced, there's more than ...
There will be no changes to bin collections over the Christmas and New Year period. Monday 21st to Thursday 24th - Normal Collections ( Green bin ) Monday 28th to Thursday 31st - Normal Collections ( Blue bin ) Monday 4th January to Thursday 7th January - Normal Collections ( Green bin )
[IMG: Azaz, Syria: residents pick their way through bombed out buildings. Public Domain photo.] The Financial Times has run a great piece on where Daesh's funding comes from. As with the excellent Planet Money podcast on the same topic, it highlights how much of the money comes from taxes and extortion in the territory it occupies: An FT investigation indicates Isis earns at least as much from taxation, extortion and confiscation as oil... Isis reaches into nearly every aspect of the economy in its territory, bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars a year. After months of interviews with officials, ...
The first good Star Wars film of my life time has arrived! It would be fair to say that not every Star Wars fan appreciated George Lucas' decision to go back and redo the special effects in the original trilogy. Indeed 'the special editions', as they became known, were one of the reasons that Star Wars [...]
The World War II defeat of fascism ushered Europe into an era where liberal democracy became the undisputed political ideology. West Germany became an exemplary democracy. By the end of the 1970s, the dictatorships of Spain, Portugal and Greece had disappeared and these countries soon transformed themselves into liberal, democratic states. 1989 saw the fall of the Berlin Wall rapidly followed by the collapse of the Soviet Union and the eventual expansion of liberal democratic ideals into former Soviet states. In Europe, the success of liberal democratic ideals seemed total and irreversible. As is often the case, success breeds a ...
[IMG: WP_20151210_13_16_52_Pro] I recently photographed this rather excellent sculpture of a Lockheed Electra aeroplane, above a stylised New York skyline, which is sited on the Southport Coastal Road traffic island next to Pontins. [IMG: Ainsdale Beach 1] The site and indeed the Coastal Road itself sit on the former track bed of the Southport & Cheshire Lines Extension Railway, which closed in the 1950's [IMG: WP_20151210_13_17_16_Pro] The sculpture of this twin engined monoplane commemorates a transatlantic flight made from Ainsdale beach to New York in 1937. [IMG: WP_20151210_13_17_33_Pro] Ocean Parcs made a £40,000 donation towards the project. Click on any ...
[IMG: Albert_Rivera_-_02] Buckling under the weight of economic stagnation, endemic corruption and institutional failure, the old duopoly in Spanish politics of the right-leaning Popular Party (PP) and centre-left Socialists is finally breaking down. With just days to go until the general election on 20 December, voters look to be splitting four ways. On the hard left, Podemos has profited from the frustrations of many, but in the centre ground Ciudadanos (C's) offers new hope for liberal minded voters. Liberalism tends to be a dirty word in Spain. The country has had precious few popular liberal movements in its history and ...
[IMG: The LGA Lib Dems support Liberal Democrat council groups across the country] This year's conference will be both proactive and reactive. At this stage in the Parliament we have the opportunity to revisit our values, principles and priorities and start the task of putting together a genuine and distinctive Liberal Democrat Education Policy for 2020. The working title for this is "Education for Real Life". We will [...]
Is it any wonder that the Shropshire Star is my favourite newspaper? You would't get this in the Guardian, the Financial Times or City AM: An 87-year-old former schoolmaster from Shropshire has a unique claim to fame - he is the inspiration for the famous Monty Python "The Knights Who Say Ni" sketch. Laurence Le Quesne had a habit when at Shrewsbury School of exclaiming "ni" as he scoured the library for books. The quirky trait amused his pupils, who happened to include a certain Michael Palin. He used it as a basis for the famous scene in the film ...
Tim Farron is now the most popular (least unpopular) of the party leaders in the latest regular monthly polling from Ipsos-MORI. Here are the net figures and underlying data for Tim Farron and the other leaders: [IMG: MORI leadership ratings December 2015, showing Tim Farron with best net rating] Good for Tim Farron but bad for Jeremy Corbyn Note also that Jeremy Corbyn's ratings have plunged, from -3 in November to -17 this time round. However, the (even) more problematic data for Corbyn is the low level of 'don't know'. It isn't a matter of people not yet having made ...
There are two news items today that raise fresh questions about the Welsh Labour Government's determination to recast local government in Wales in their own image? Today's Western Mail reports on the views of Professor Colin Copus, director of the Local Governance Research Unit at De Montfort University, who has attacked arguments that bigger councils will prove more efficient and has warned that the Welsh Government's proposals could damage the communities they are supposed to serve: He writes: "As with most local government reform, the most depressing element of the situation in Wales is the stubborn, folklore like attachment to ...
[IMG: ALDC's campaign pack encourages local campaigners to make the most of the Localism Act in their communities] Over the last few months, ALDC have been releasing a series of "Campaigning on..." packs, featuring all the resources you will need to campaign on key local issues in your area. Here is a summary of the packs released so far, and our plans for the next month. ALDC members can click on the titles [...]
Amazing what you could do with green screens, even back in 2009:
After reading a rather clunky piece in the Progress daily bulletin earlier in the week entitled The Corbyn Universe I thought it might be useful to take a look at the 'state of the left' up here in Scotland as we enter a Holyrood election year. It might also prove of interest to those elsewhere in the UK... More The State of the Left
I had a wee meander round the Facebook page of Yes Shetland this morning. It was not an edifying experience. This is a place where you can be banished from the page for using a non-profane insult to the Orkney 4, as the petitioners in the Alistair Carmichael case have become known, but it seems to be perfectly acceptable to suggest hiring a hit man for Alistair Carmichael. To be fair, I wouldn't allow that sort of name-calling for the Orkney 4 (or anyone else) on here either, but if any of our lot suggested hiring a hit-man for anyone, ...
[IMG: Container port in the sunset. CC0 Public Domain] Britain would be landed with £11bn in new tariffs if it left the EU and did not get a free trade agreement, according to the leader of the group campaigning to stay in. Lord Rose, who heads Britain Stronger in Europe, published research suggesting that the UK would have to begin trading with the EU using World Trade Organisation rules, which would cost businesses and consumers more... The Remain campaign website for the European referendumThe pro-European camp in the European referendum will be campaigning for the 'remain' option. Here's their official ...
Last week the British government decided to defer its decision on whether to expand London's Heathrow airport. This has been roundly condemned by people the media calls "business", referring to self-appointed lobby groups of large companies. But what is all this about? Now it could be what the lobbyists claim, which is weak government pure and simple. Or it could be a straw in the wind for a much more interesting change in attitudes in the political economy. The story so far. Heathrow has long been operating at near capacity. London's second airport, Gatwick, is approaching capacity too. If you ...
A new planning applications has been received in Holyrood Ward as below: Application Number: 59492 Registration Date: 23/11/2015 Location: 162 Heywood Road, Prestwich, Manchester, M25 1LD Proposal: Single storey rear extension; Front porch with canopy; Pitched roof over front bay (resubmission) Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you require further information or help with this. The details will be on the Council's website here. Tim
Bury Council has started an online consultation with residents about the 2016-17 budget. Residents will be aware that the Chancellor, George Osborne MP, announced a further very difficult financial settlement for local government, which is going to mean extreme pressure on some of our local services over the coming years. The exact details of how much money Bury will be getting will be set out in the Local Government Settlement (should be announced by Government later today, but normally takes a few days to work out the exact impact on each area). The media gave a lot of coverage to ...
Thu 17th
09:24IfG interviews former Lib Dem ministers, feat. Browne, Swinson, Hughes, Featherstone, Cable, Huhne
The Institute for Government did a lot of work during the coalition looking at how this (by English standards) unusual arrangement was working, and could work better. Now we have (for now at least) moved beyond coalition, the IfG has been interviewing ministers who served in the last government, seeking their reflections on their time there. The IfG website has transcripts of a number of interviews with both Conservative and Lib Dem former ministers. The Lib Dems featured are: Jeremy Browne Vince Cable Lynne Featherstone Simon Hughes Chris Huhne Jo Swinson Jim Wallace Steve Webb The IfG has also now ...
"I am concerned about the way the European Union is increasingly operating like a free market across Europe" – Jeremy Corbyn, August, 2015 I swear to you, I'm not making that quote up; the current leader of the Labour Party actually said that at a hustings during the contest to be Ed's successor as Grand Poobah of the movement. Bless, right? Someone should have had a whisper in his ear to let him know that having a free market across Europe was sort of the whole point of the project in the first place. At least it gives us an ...
Bury Council's trading standards have seized over thirty hover boards over safety concerns. They are now urging shoppers to be vigilant this Christmas when buying presents which may prove dangerous. The move is part of a national campaign which has seen more than 15,000 self-balancing scooters detained due to worries about the plug, cabling, charger, battery or cut-off switch. [IMG: segway_3449960b] Trading Standards say: "At this time of year, consumers are under pressure to get the best presents for their loved ones, however it is important that their safety is put above all else. As a minimum, consumers should check ...
Cheadle's Conservative MP, Mary Robinson, voted on Wednesday to allow fracking in National Parks – which could include the High Peak area on Stockport's eastern border. No debate was allowed before the vote. Image from Daily Telegraph "Even if fracking works as the Conservatives believe, it will need big subsidies for several years and will not be any sort of solution to our energy problems. It beggars belief that the Government could sign up to the Paris Climate Change deal and then vote this through in the very same week." said Cllr Iain Roberts. "The reality is that fracking is ...
At the last meeting of Bury's Full Council my colleague Cllr Mary D'Albert took the opportunity to ask a question about the lack of night bus services on the 'Bury corridor' since the withdrawal of the 135 night bus earlier this year. Q. Could the Council's spokesperson on the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee inform members of what could be done to improve night time services in the Bury 'corridor', either through the re-instatement of the 135 night service or later night running of Metrolink or other services. The answer from Transport for Greater Manchester was: "The night journeys on ...
The Electoral Commission has returned to the question of whether voters should have to show personal I.D. before voting at polling stations. Electoral Commission fails to make the case for voter ID at polling stationsEven the Electoral Commission's own evidence shows that there is not a problem to which voter ID is the solution. more This would reduce the chance of fraud – which is why it has already been introduced in Northern Ireland, with its greater history of such problems – but at the cost of requiring everyone to have a form of acceptable I.D. and so introducing complexity ...
How to pinpoint the perfect EU staffer Alex @yorksranter crunches the numbers on influence and gatekeeping. (tags: eu ) COP21: The Paris Agreement and What Lies Ahead My @apcoworldwide colleagues look forward. (tags: climatechange ) Freddie Gray trial hung jury Baltimore policing exposed. (tags: uspolitics race )
Over the past couple of days, I have had three very positive meetings with local residents - with residents from the Tullideph area (Tuesday afternoon), Logie area (Wednesday morning) and the Corso/Abbotsford area (Wednesday afternoon). The main purpose of these was for council officers to update tenants about the current housing rents consultation and also to give attendees details of the current consultation on 20mph speed limits in residential areas. I am very grateful to all residents who attended and to the council officers who did such a good job presenting to the residents and answering questions.
Yesterday, at the European Parliament, the wife of Saudi liberal blogger Raif Badawi, Ensaf Haidar, collected the Sakharov Prize on his behalf. An empty chair had a prominent place in the proceedings, as Badawi himself is still in prison for the "crime" of expressing his view that Saudi Arabia should become more democratic, and allegedly [...]
Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP For Shetland and Fisheries Spokesperson Tavish Scott called for a 'sensible and flexible approach' following the conclusion of the annual EU fisheries negotiations in Brussels. Mr. Scott said: "Increases in fish stocks reflect the practical experience of fishermen at sea. So quota rises are welcome and the negotiations have been successful.... More Scott Calls For Flexibility On Fish
Workplace coercion – "Why are people who profess to be classical liberals apparently so indifferent to workplace tyranny?" asks Chris Dillow. Why the 2016 Election Will Be One of the Most Pivotal Moments of Our Time – It's fun to laugh at the clown car the US election resembles at the moment, but there are important things at stake. Claims of the increasing irrelevance of universities are ideology masquerading as evidence – Three political science professors present "the difference between lazy journalism and quality social science research: the former pontificates, the latter take the time and trouble to create and ...
Efforts to enhance public engagement with science and democracy have lost their way. Here are some suggestions for remaking participation For good reason the desire for public involvement in science and policy making has become something of an obsession, whether in the corridors of the recent Paris COP21 meeting, in debates over energy policy and fracking, or in the everyday practice of science. While there has been an explosion of activity and some notable successes in expanding the number of people involved in addressing today's pressing global challenges, we see a continued focus on a few rather rigid models of ...
Today's report from the House of Lords argues that GM insects have the potential to, among other things, control diseases like malaria and dengue. But, in overlooking the uncertainties of the technology, it is irresponsibly lopsided. In October this year, we were both called as witnesses to the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee. The committee was looking at the potential of genetically modified insects and asking, among other questions, "Is there a role for responsible innovation approaches?" From their answer, it would appear that they think not. In choosing to swallow the promise of this technology without ...
It was time to take a closer look at the impact of a currency that is worth something, or not much, or nothing, depending upon your view, and so I set off on the Metro to Chacao in search of the (allegedly) fourth biggest shopping mall in Latin America. The Sambil Mall Caracas is one of a family of shopping malls in Venezuelan cities, with further malls in Santo Domingo, Curaçao and Madrid, and it is perfectly big enough for a non-shopper like me. Actually, that's not quite true. If I'm in the right mood, I can clothes shop with ...
An autistic person's Christmas: not bah humbug, just bald incomprehension Cephalopods are ace [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
