I was totally opposed to the recent decision by the UK parliament to bomb Syria, in the absence of a coherent strategy for bringing an end to the civil war in that country, and I was pleased that among the LibDem MPs, at least Norman Lamb and Mark Williams voted that way. Meanwhile, the situation [...]
Sat 9th
19:42
Housing will replace former council offices but what will happen to Ludlow's nuclear bunker?
I really don't know much about Ludlow's nuclear bunker. I'd like to know more. Stone House, the former offices of South Shropshire District Council and Shropshire Council, has been sold and is to be demolished. It will be replaced, if planning permission is granted, by terraced housing in the modern Georgian style (15/05509/FUL). But what... Continue reading Housing will replace former council offices but what will happen to Ludlow's nuclear bunker? →
Embed from Getty Images Not only that, he is such a penetrating commentator that he warned them about their ludicrous campaign back in November: My view is that the role of the media has become a crutch for the left, a convenient deflection from our own failure to convince and persuade. We fail to get traction, not because we have failed to communicate an inspiring alternative, but because the evil old media has brainwashed the public. This is clearly patronising, reducing sentient human beings to sheep or robots, lacking agency and programmed by media oligarchs. It is a defeatist attitude, ...
In a reflection on why Donald Trump's proclivity for making stuff up doesn't seem to bother his supporters Anna Pluta of FiveThirtyEight highlights some research that is as depressing as it is annoying: In 2000, James Kuklinski and other political scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign established an important distinction: American citizens with [...]
Sat 9th
17:22
Formby – Global Warming? Well it looks like someone was having a January beach party today.
[IMG: January on Formby Beach] Seen today on the beach at Formby Point. The photo is also amongst my Flickr shots at:- www.flickr.com/photos/86659476@N07/
Tim Farron has been talking to the Western Morning News and accused the new Tory MPs for the south west of taking the area for granted. He is clear, however, that the former Lib Dem heartlands will again be a priority for the party. This is for a number of reasons - not least the region's strong liberal heritage - but he says he is particularly concerned about the lack of local opposition. "I've spent the last eight months observing what Conservative MPs from the Westcountry have been doing, and they've been voting for universal credit...cuts in green energy investment, ...
A bit of intrigue never goes amiss on a Saturday afternoon. Last night, Alex Salmond missed Any Questions because, according to Jonathan Dimbleby at 1 minute 50 in: "apparently been held up in Scotland by the floods." Certainly his Gordon constituency has been badly affected by some awful flooding in the north east of Scotland. In fact, Lib Dem MSP for North East Scotland Alison McInnes has been scathing about the SNP Government's slow response, saying: Here in the north-east local agencies have faced a prolonged battle against the rising water and staff and residents are exhausted. I do worry ...
Thanks to the BSFA's new two-round nomination system, we have a long list of 41 stories in the Best Short Fiction category, from we we can choose four to be aggregated into the eventual shortlist of five. This is actually quite tough, because four of the stories of the 41 are there because I nominated them, and so I am reading the others in competition with the vote I cast in the first round. Of course, these are all also eligible for the Hugos, so I also read with a view to augmenting my Hugo nominations for this year. I ...
Alright, so I've taken to the 'walking around with vague purpose' thing, courtesy of my Fitbit app, and yesterday encountered my first obstacle. The lifts in my office building failed on Thursday afternoon, and whilst walking downstairs is alright, if surprisingly hard on the knees, walking up to the ninth floor is a mite tough for those of us of a more walrusish figure. I made it up there to start work, but with the lifts still out of order at lunchtime, the prospect of my regular early afternoon stroll was, how might I put it, uninviting. But needs must, ...
The headline findings: 82% want to see more police on the beat! 69% did NOT think facilities provided for young people locally were adequate. 43% were happy with the local bus service, 34% were not and 22% had no opinion. 57% of people were NOT happy way with the way the council kept their street [...]
[IMG: Mike Moore] Former Borders MP and Secretary of State for Scotland Mike Moore has become chair of the Borders Book Festival. From their website: The announcement comes as the festival's creative team, Alistair Moffat and Paula Ogilvie, make plans for 2016 which will see a special focus on youth events and a weekend of Medieval re-enactment. The festival directors are also delighted to confirm the return of Scottish Opera with a new 'Pop-up Opera' roadshow. Commenting on his appointment as chairman, Michael said: "As a local resident as well as MP, I have always been absolutely committed to the ...
Sat 9th
11:55
Lessons from history: What Bush and Reagan could teach some UK politicians about their attitude towa...
Way back in 1980, as Ronald Reagan and George Bush were battling it out for the Republican nomination, they were asked whether the children of Mexicans working illegally in the US should be able to get educated. Their answer, posted on the Houston Chronicle's Facebook page, might surprise you. Today's politicians and tabloid editors might learn something. Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush debate Mexican border security... What would Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush say about immigration and securing the Mexican border today?Well, here's what they said about it in 1980 during a GOP debate in Houston.(Archival video from ...
Episode 2: The Case of the Missing Doughnut First shown: 19 September 1970 (US), 8 January 1971 (UK) Director: Harry Booth Writer: Peter Miller Appearing apart from the Double Deckers: Melvyn Hayes as Albert the Street Cleaner Julian Orchard as the Toy Shop Owner Roy Evans as the Baker Jack Haig as Harvey the Toy Shop Assistant Plot Brains is working on a new experimental gloop. Doughnut, who has just been chucked out of the neighbourhood toyshop and the bakery, eats it and becomes invisible. He takes his revenge on the toy shop owner and assistant, and the baker, but ...
Minnie Robson was the Labour councillor for Lamesley until 2003 and when I was first elected to Gateshead Council in 1987, she was chair of the social services committee. I very rapidly learnt that she worked with my Dad on the Team Valley Trading Estate in either the 1950s or 1960s. Minnie was one of the most friendly councillors when I was elected. I worked closely with here on a small
How to Cultivate the Art of Serendipity Or, how to be brilliant. (tags: psychology ) Bird-Watching, Patriotism and the Oregon Standoff From my sister-in-law. (tags: uspolitics ) DWP fit-to-work assessments cost more money than they save, report reveals Waging war on the poor - and losing! (tags: ukpolitics disability ) Searching for the 'Armenian Lobby' Azerbaijan's paranoid propaganda, by @ArzuGeybulla. (tags: azerbaijan )
Space Debris: 1957 - 2015 Brilliant visualisation. (tags: space ) The Developer Formerly Known as FreeBSDGirl Failing to deal with harassment. (tags: sexandgenderandsexuality games ) Open Carry Gun Laws Make It Harder to Protect the Public, Police Chiefs Say Indeed. (tags: uspolitics guns ) State Papers: Disapproval of gardaí retaining maiden names 1985 - a different time! (tags: ireland sexandgenderandsexuality ) Researchers create genetic map of the British Isles Fascinating. (tags: genealogy ) The Rise and Decline of Wikipedia How it repels users. (tags: wikipedia ) Ten Things 2015 Showed Us About Diplomacy The Naked Diplomat writes. (tags: politics diplomacy ...
Embed from Getty Images Alex Salmond got a few headlines this week when Iain Dale announced that he would be hosting a weekly half hour phone in with the SNP's foreign affairs spokesperson Alex Salmond. The first one is at 4pm next Wednesday. So, Salmond gets the chance to wind up Middle England,in advance of the EU Referendum. No doubt the Leave campaign, just like the Tories during the election, will be listening carefully to his comments. The SNP, and Salmond, are very much pro EU but there is the inescapable fact that it would suit them fine if England ...
During the Christmas/New Year holidays Sheila said to me come and have a look at an unusual bird on the canal tow path. I looked from our upstairs window and yes it was unusual and when scanned through binoculars it seemed like a Cormorant to my untrained eye. Having lived close to the Leeds Liverpool canal for many years (I am no ornithologist I would add) I had not seen such a bird near it before. Eventually I managed to get close enough to it to snap this photo:- [IMG: This the photo that caused all the comment, it was ...
Brilliant illustrations bring this 1976 Soviet edition of 'The Hobbit' to life Wow. (tags: sf ) Jo Walton @BluejoWalton on slates Repudiation of slates in all their forms (tags: sf sadpuppies ) Reconciling with Puppies Steve Davidson explains the difficulties. (tags: sf sadpuppies ) 16 Maps for 2016 Brilliant. (tags: maps ) Belgium, Netherlands to exchange territory - without a fight Thanks to a headless body. (tags: netherlands belgium )
Sat 9th
09:32
Why Cameron allowing cabinet members to go either way on the EU was a smart move - in truth, few wil...
Much has been said about David Cameron suspending collective cabinet responsibility in regards to campaigning to leave the European Union. Some have decried this move as some sort of weakness or betrayal (even though it has been clear for some time this was precisely what he was always going to do, and all previous examples of him dealing with his own party would have led you to conclude this was precisely what he was always going to do); some have praised it as pragmatic. Actually, the really brilliant thing about it is the calculation Cameron has made, I think correctly: ...
Donald Trump was for the Clintons before he was against them Times change. (tags: uspolitics ) In memoriam Edward Hugh Damn. (tags: death )
Embed from Getty Images In a column for the North West Evening Mail, Tim Farron talks about the difficulties people continue to face in the floods-hit Lake District: Importantly we are still not sure when the A591 will be open again between Grasmere and Keswick and that is the major road priority in the county. As you drive around you cannot help but see damage to lots of roads around the county. Cumbria County Council will be repairing potholes for months to come. I am doing all I can to press the government to move to address these issues as ...
The knock-on impact of five year election turns becoming the norm for Westminster* is that if you don't want other levels of elections ever to clash with them, they also need to be at five year intervals. Hence this news from Scotland: The next UK general election is due to be held on 7 May 2020 – a date which had already been earmarked for Scottish Parliament elections. MSPs have agreed, in principle, to move the Holyrood election to 6 May 2021. Scottish council elections, which were due to be held then, will also be moved – to 5 May ...
I had a quick visit to London last week, and unusually flew to Heathrow because the Belgian trains were on strike and Eurostar was going only as far as Lille. The flight over was very slow boarding; a lot of passengers were clearly transferring from an African flight, and their visa status was being checked with what seemed to several of them to be deliberate lack of speed. I was hailed in the queue by a fellow passenger, an Ulsterman living in Slough, who recognised me from my BBC election broadcasts. He was returning to England with his Ugandan wife ...
Sat 9th
08:30
Traffic Order - Harris Academy (Perth Road, Dundee) (Variation of Waiting Restrictions) (No 2) Order...
From the City Council : DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL : ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL (HARRIS ACADEMY (PERTH ROAD, DUNDEE)) (VARIATION OF WAITING RESTRICTIONS) (NO 2) ORDER 2016 Dundee City Council proposes to make an Order under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Due to the redevelopment of Harris Academy, it is necessary to revise the waiting restrictions on Perth Road and surrounding streets to prevent indiscriminate parking associated with the school to reduce potential risk to all road users. Full details of the proposals are contained in the draft Order, which together with a Statement of the ...
Am I missing something about the fuss about Laura Kuenssberg? Kuenssberg asked Stephen Doughty whether it was true he was resigning, and if so, would announce it live on the Daily Politics. He said yes to both. So a political journalist discovered a story before other political journalists, and wanted to ensure she got the scoop, now how can I put this for the hard of thinking....THAT. IS. HER. JOB! Stephen Doughty resigning was news. It was political news. There was absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to be the first to get it out there on the Beebs flagship politics ...
DWP fit-to-work assessments cost more than they save - no surprises there Oh dear. The BNP fall foul of PPERA and are no longer a registered political party I'd say it's a shame, but it's not really, is it? The state needs to butt out of Britain's drinking habits - *ponders moving to Japan* Very much enjoying my new bio on the @LGBTLD exec page Rokt Climbing gym have a crowdfunding page for repairing flood damage. Please give if you can. Boozing is unsafe at 'any level', thunders chief UK.gov quack, wrongly Oh I do love El Reg for their ...
The year may only be a week old but already we have been regaled with one of the more bizarre political stories to emerge for some time. The Telegraph reports on the aftermath of claims by Nigel Farage that somebody had attempted to assassinate him whilst he was driving through France. The UKIP leader told a reporter that he feared he had been the victim of an assassination attempt after his car was sabotaged, causing a terrifying motorway crash in October 2015. Mr. Farage careered off a French road after a wheel on his Volvo came loose while he was ...
There's been talk recently about a 'progressive alliance' of some sort, comprising of all the anti-Conservative forces in British politics. This agreement, made up of Labour, the Greens, Lib Dems, and perhaps the SNP, is imagined as an encouragement of ... Continue reading →
