I was talking to someone I know (who will remain nameless) about the increasing bureaucratization of their job (which I won't specify) and it began to dawn on me that they experience similar problems to those that I have in my corner of the world, and it got me thinking - are we dumbing down the management of public services in particular to a point where we have lost control of the impact of the delivery of those services on those most affected by them? When I started my career, at a point when the computerization of services was still ...
Joan Littlewood was a renowned theatre director but made only one feature film. Sparrows Can't Sing was released in 1962. Here two of the film's stars, Barbara Windsor and Murray Melvin, talk about the experience of making it. Among the subjects they touch on are working with Littlewood, the Kray twins, Stephen Lewis (Blakey from On the Buses, who wrote the play on which the film was based) and Queenie Watts.
The papers have been full of Nick Clegg, recently. Various papers, including the Guardian, got pretty exercised about him receiving £22,500 for a speech and 2 hours' work at an event for Goldman Sachs: The former deputy prime minister, who condemned the global investment bank in 2010 for alleged "recklessness and greed", listed the payment in the latest entry for the Commons register of members' interests. The entry said that his agent, News Presenters Ltd, arranged for him to be paid £22,500 for delivering a keynote speech and moderating a question and answer session over dinner for Goldman Sachs in ...
All over the country, Liberal Democrats have been campaigning today, some of them in the snow. Here are some of the icy tweets. Thankfully, the reception on the doorsteps was much warmer. And thank you to the man on the street who saw us trying to take a selfie and took this photo for us! @scotlibdems pic.twitter.com/kYeyzQv8w9 — James Harrison (@JamesWHarrison) January 16, 2016 Exhausting but fun day campaigning across West region with lovely activists and even lovelier voters! @scotlibdems pic.twitter.com/MpSgGA4gQ2 — Katy Gordon (@katygordon) January 16, 2016 Chilly out and about canvassing in Inverness but a very warm welcome ...
Just a brief note to say that my productivity on this blog having increased over the last few days might mean that people think I'm "back to normal" but I'm not. I've been able to write blog posts, and to ... Continue reading →
[IMG: London Liberal Democrats Quiz Night at National Liberal Club] Two days in a row I spent several hours with fellow London Liberal Democrat members in a packed room. Friday night was the quiz night at the National Liberal Club, complete with bonus extra snippets of information from Simon Hughes culled from the Guinness Book of Records. It used to feature his croquet playing achievements. Not only a packed room but also one with only a relatively small smattering of the usual suspects to be found buying raffle tickets at Lib Dem events. The number of new and newer faces ...
Local residents living along Ainsdale Drive had to wait a little longer than others to finally get their footpath resurfaced, but after lots of emails and communication, the work took place at the end of 2015. And I of course welcome that this is the case, BUT................! The other day I was down at Ainsdale Drive [...]
More educative entertainment from Tom Scott: "zebra, pelican, puffin, toucan, pegasus: Britain names our crosswalks after creatures, thanks to historical reasons. But do they actually make you safer? Well, not always".
Embed from Getty Images Eager to support his new leader, Keith Vaz tells the Leicester Mercury that Jeremy Corbyn has persuaded him it is right to scrap Britain's nuclear deterrent: "He's made it very clear when he's prime minister he's not going to be able to use these weapons so what's the point of having them."I've known Jeremy Corbyn, all the years I've been in Parliament. I'm sure he will use his persuasive skill in order to put these views forward. "I've changed my mind on Trident and I've been persuaded by the things that he's said."I find this puzzling. ...
Reason for admission Patient admitted with deterioration in renal function. Known myoloproliferative disorder, requiring platelet and blood transfusions. Previous bilateral renal artery stenting. with rehydratng. Found to be dehydrated following period of loose stool and renal function improved with rehydration. (creatinine 300 < 14 and downtrending at discharge). Repeat renal artery dopplers demonstrated in-stent re-stenosis severe on left side, moderate on left) and after disccussion in our rediology MDM, it was decided that repeat angioplasty/stenting would be beneficial in the long term. This was scheduled as a non-acute procedure due to recovering renal functiion - unfortunately it was not possible ...
Embed from Getty Images Caroline Pidgeon has given a wide ranging interview to the Richmond and Twickenham Guardian. As 3 new tube strikes loom, she was deeply critical of Boris Johnson: We are in a very, very bad position in terms of our industrial relations because Boris Johnson has never properly and formally sat down with the unions. I think he might have passed them in a corridor or something but never formally sat down. Boris Johnson and TFL messed this up from the start with their deadline. Immediately then the unions could hold him over a barrel and start ...
[IMG: welsh lib dems] Here is our weekly roundup of what the Liberal Democrats, led by Kirsty Williams, have been getting up to in Wales. In the Scottish roundup, we saw Tavish Scott condemn the late CAP payments to farmers. Labour in Wales have been just as bad, with Kirsty Williams telling Wales Online that farmers were under so much pressure that they have been calling her on the brink of suicide: Farmers have been calling on the brink of suicide due to the financial difficulties they face. This is on top of the fact that, because of the mishandling ...
Another week, another fantastic amendment tabled by a Lib Dem peer in the House of Lords! This amendment - to the Cities and Local Government Bill - would have added a provision giving 16 year olds the right to vote in local elections.
Episode 3: Get A Movie On First shown: 26 September 1970 (US), 15 January 1971 (UK) Director: Harry Booth Writers: Harry Booth and Melvyn Hayes Appearing apart from the Double Deckers: Melvyn Hayes as Albert the Street Cleaner Norman Vaughan as the TV Compere Plot The gang decide to enter a film-making competition, using Doughnut's new camera, with Scooper directing, Doughnut starring and Albert as the stunt man in a Western. Brains screws up the editing process and it looks disastrous when it is shown. But they are given a consolation prize for being funny. Soundtrack "Good Day at Yellowrock", ...
[IMG: The LGA Lib Dems support Liberal Democrat council groups across the country] A quick reminder of the LDEA/LGA Lib Dem Children and Young People conference on 5th and 6th February 2016. The link to the conference can be found here, along with an agenda and booking information - or try this link: Thank you to those who have already booked.
[IMG: st Andrews flag saltire scotland Some rights reserved by Fulla T] Welcome to our weekly roundup of what the Scottish Liberal Democrats, led by Willie Rennie, have been getting up to. They've covered a pretty extensive array of issues from health to housing to police spying to local services to cuts to college places. McInnes says there are still questions to answer on police spying After a senior Police Officer gave evidence on the police spying scandal to a Holyrood Committee, Alison McInnes says that his answers were not satisfactory: The guidance on accessing communications data is very straightforward. ...
News that there has been yet another break-away group formed to campaign in favour of Britain's exit from the European Union has an air of inevitability about it. After all, for a number of individuals involved in this campaign the main motivation appears to centre around their own ego rather than any particular principle. The Telegraph reports that the latest break-away group involves up to 30 MPs including David Davis, the former Tory leadership candidate. He will support Go, a new grassroots organisation founded last week by the Tory MPs Tom Pursglove and Peter Bone and the Labour MP Kate ...
My second posting of random photos taken along the Leeds Liverpool Canal through Maghull, Lydiate and this time Melling as well:- [IMG: Looking north from the Waddicar Lane road bridge through Melling.] Looking north from the Waddicar Lane road bridge through Melling. [IMG: A Maghull scene between the Green Lane and Westway road bridges. I did not note the name of the narrow boat.] A Maghull scene between the Green Lane and Westway road bridges. I did not note the name of the narrow boat. [IMG: Boats at Mersey Motor Boat Club in Lydiate.] Boats at Mersey Motor Boat Club ...
[IMG: EuroMillions tickets] This week, we are catching up with our new Lib Dem peers' maiden speeches. Today, it's Alan Beith on the National Lottery. The noble Lord, Lord Holmes of Richmond, was very kind and generous in his references to me and to the circumstances of my election, 42 years ago. It was with a majority of only 57 votes. I never imagined that I would manage such a long political survival, still less that I would find myself in this haven of political survival, the House of Lords. But I believe in the need for a Second Chamber ...
Jeremy Hunt v junior doctors is a battle that continues to rage. Corbyn's Labour Party have taken an unequivocal position: the junior doctors can strike as long and as deep as they like. Usually, a Labour opposition in this position would cover its backside, just in case someone dies as a result of the whole thing, or it rages on and on and public opinion begins to swing against the doctors. But no, they've gone in full steam. Hunt himself seems to be biding for time, playing the reasonable man against the rabble card (not saying the junior doctors are ...
There are 25 candidates on the BSFA Best Non-Fiction long list (the shortest of the four long lists); I nominated three of them myself - Space Helmet for a Cow, Letters to Tiptree and Companion Piece. (My fourth nomination, The Story of Kullervo, appears to have been disqualified.) Of the other 21, ten are available online (nine blog posts/articles and one collection of articles), one is an article in a magazine I don't subscribe to (Interzone), and the remaining eleven are books. I had already read one of these (Rave and Let Die); I confess that I took a mercenary ...
Back in 2013, when the proposed West End residents' parking scheme proposal was rejected, I moved at City Development Committee that, at the very least, the department should review West End waiting restrictions. This would allow the council to see if any yellow lining was now redundant/superfluous to requirements to hopefully free up some additional parking space. This exercise has now been completed and there are now proposals to do just that in various streets - you can download what is being proposed here. I have been advised by the council that a cost estimate has been requested and, once ...
If you're rich you're more likely to be confident enough to be successful shock I saw up close how an establishment closed ranks over the Janner affair This is aimed at Labour, but only tiny changes would make it just as applicable to the Lib Dems. Stephen points out a flaw in the logic of Lib Dem federal conference committee OfC I always go down on the Friday ANYWAY, so it doesn't affect me that much, but he does have a point for those who don't Really interesting article about Honorifics. I'm totally calling myself Rear Admiral Rigg from now ...
The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on the Welsh Government to declare Wales a 'Nation of Sanctuary' and do what it can to welcome refugees displaced by conflict in the Middle East and across the world. Welsh Lib Dem Assembly Member William Powell led a debate earlier this week in the Assembly on Wales becoming a Nation of Sanctuary, with specific calls on the Welsh Government to ensure refugees are welcome by: • Funding advice, advocacy and support services for refugees • Ensuring that the outcomes of resettlement schemes are consistently monitored, so that effective systems can be established • Using devolved powers ...
Sarah Brown on the Trans Inquiry Report In which I speculate what my life would have been like without Alan Rickman... Government plans to axe maintenance grants for poorest students without Commons vote and debate 'frightening and undemocratic' Sean Biggerstaff on Alan Rickman. When you have this effect on people? That's being a good person. [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
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