Once again, Conservative Councillors at Winchester City Council have voted down a proposal from the Lib Dem group to have a tougher policy on air quality in the city. I summed up on a proposal at today's council meeting that it should be compulsory for all council proposals to report on the air quality impact of any action they recommend. Under the Conservatives, again and again, the council has treated air quality as something that's only done by the environment team. Other departments are left free to ignore it. It happened with Station Approach. It happened with the 'pollution patio' ...
It's sad to hear that Willie Goodhart, founder member of the SDP, retired peer and co-author of the Liberal Democrat constitution, has passed away. Tim Farron paid tribute to Willie: Willie Goodhart was a founding member of the SDP and stalwart of the Liberal Democrats. He believed passionately in social democracy, human rights and the rule of law. In writing our party's constitution, he has left a lasting legacy that will be cherished by party members for decades to come. I send my heartfelt sympathy to his wife Celia and his children Frances, Laura and Benjamin. Lords Leader Dick Newby ...
Yesterday I wrote about the possibility that Labour's dominance of Sunderland politics could be cracking. Their performance in the Sandhill by-election was somewhat lacklustre and I was hoping that the Lib Dem performance would show an improvement on the distant 4th place we got in the ward last year. I wasn't quite expecting any political earthquakes, but a few political earth tremors was a
Second paragraph of third section:Somewhere nearby, he could hear the metronomic left-right-left of the 2: 47 P.M. shift, entering the Timkin roller-bearing plant in their sneakers. A minute later, precisely, he heard the softer right-left-right of the 5: 00 A.M. formation, going home.Since I can't comment on any potential Hugo nominees this year, I'm going back to the start, and looking at all the works that have won both Hugo and Nebula, in order. (Many years ago I started a similar project but working through them in alphabetical order. This eventually stalled when too many new winners had early alphabetical ...
On the first anniversary of Bowie's death yesterday, I thought I'd post this piece I wrote soon afterwards on Facebook; it was longlisted for the Fish Short Memoir Prize. As it's gone down quite well, I thought I'd use it to re-launch my blog: Ashes to Ashes Dead things come in threes. Monday, David [...]
Panic. No hang on, that isn't right. Don't panic. That's more like it. Just take this wise advice.
[IMG: The LGA Lib Dems support Liberal Democrat council groups across England & Wales] With money having never been so tight, protecting the public purse is more important than ever. Through the improvement programme the LGA have funded CIPFA to run a series of FREE workshops around the country for elected members to raise awareness about what councils should be doing to avoid and tackle fraud. These events will [...]
[IMG: pothole] Lancashire County Council has paid out £435,260.63 compensating motorists for damage caused by potholes since 2012, figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed. Nationally a total of £12 million have been paid out over the last four years, with an average payment per person of £650. The figures were uncovered by Freedom of Information requests to 500 councils by the Liberal Democrats. Cllr Allan Knox said: "This is a lose-lose situation for everyone, whether they are motorists, councils or taxpayers. "People already have to fork out so much to drive a car, the least they should expect ...
Responding to the news that following the lorry crash on the Forth Road Bridge, the crossing will be disrupted for several days, Edinburgh Westerrn MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said: "This is dreadful news for commuters, local residents and businesses. "It is deeply regrettable that had the Queensferry crossing been completed in the timetable promised by the ... Continue reading Cole-Hamilton:Bridge Closure Blow To Commuters
[IMG: wrpblizgroup] We can give you a preview of the Scottish Kickstart programme for Saturday 4 February. Registration will open from 9.30 am at the Salutation Hotel, South Street Perth, PH2 8PH. Details of the optional Friday 3 February programme are at the bottom of the page Starting at 10.00am on Saturday there will be a choice [...]
I welcomed Theresa May's announcement on Monday in which she said "every secondary school in the country [is] to be offered mental health first aid training". MHFA England has campaigned for many years to get school staff trained in Mental Health First Aid and are thrilled that there will be at least one Mental Health First Aider in each secondary school. But it doesn't go far enough. Every single teacher, as part of their teacher training course, should be trained in Mental Health First Aid. Poppy Jaman, CEO of MHFA England, said: Mental ill health in young people is a ...
[IMG: The LGA Lib Dems support Liberal Democrat council groups across England & Wales] Cllr Heather Kidd, lead Lib Dem member on the LGA People and Places Board (which covers rural and semi-rural areas) along with fellow Lib Dem Board members Cllr Sarah Osborne and Cllr Stan Collins are to meet soon with the new Head of OFCOM, Sharon White. Issues around broadband in rural areas are likely to [...]
I have mentioned Charles (Uncle Albert) Walker many times on this blog site even though he was not my Uncle nor was his name Albert. He was though a close personal friend over the past 20 years+ and sadly he died this morning at the age of 95. [IMG: Charles and I at his 91st Birthday Party in the Punch Bowl Pub, Sefton Village] Charles and I at his 91st Birthday Party in the Punch Bowl Pub, Sefton Village Yes he was old, he had been admitted into hospital yesterday and he was physically frail but his death came as ...
Wed 11th
13:55
Trying (too hard) to curb EU free movement: A symptom of the EU-wide social democracy meltdown
Just as I was reading Nick Tyrone's blog about Corbyn betraying the EU freedom of movement but wanting to have the EU cake nonetheless, another recently-elected Labour leader came on Dutch public radio. Note the date: Tuesday, January 10th, 2017. I'm talking about former Amsterdam alderman and present Dutch minister of Social Affairs, the ambitious lawyer Lodewijk Asscher of the "Partij van de Arbeid"/PvdA, literally: "Labour Party". In the 1980s, when Labour under Michael Foot was going through its "Militant Tendency" phase, the then PvdA leaders, ex-prime minister (1973-'77) Den Uyl and coming prime minister (1994-2002) Wim Kok deplored that ...
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie MSP has today urged the Scottish Government to focus on the day job after a new report from the Federation of Small Businesses showed business confidence in Scotland falling. Mr Rennie said: "The further drop in confidence amongst Scottish SMEs should set alarm bells ringing across the Scottish Government. ... Continue reading Rennie Alarmed By Business Confidence Report
Wed 11th
12:58
Norman Lamb launches cross-party NHS campaign - but with questionable campaigning approach
A good move on policy, but with a questionable campaigning detail, from Norman Lamb. The gist of the policy is that Norman Lamb is following-up his earlier moves to encourage cross-party cooperation with a cross-party campaign on the NHS and social care. But the campaign is pointing people at a petition on the Parliament website. That's a very questionable campaigning move because the best and most successful campaigns create momentum and achieve political impact by building up a community of people behind them. Getting people to sign a petition on the Parliament website, however, is a massive barrier to doing ...
On Monday, Theresa May's announcement about mental health came to precious little in money terms – a mere £15m of additional investment to be precise. This despite the fact that Norman Lamb and others have made it clear that extra money that was earmarked for mental health last year has in fact been used to prop up NHS trusts who are suffering from financial difficulties. Mental health is crying out for more money as Isabel Hardman eloquently writes about in the Telegraph today based on her own experience. The statistics are clear. Research in 2014 found that one in ten ...
First, I didn't have any takers at all about last week's Patreon-exclusive comics review suggestions. Are these something people have got bored of, or was the lack of interest just down to that week? Do let me know if that's ... Continue reading →
As usually happens when hard line Socialist utopias are created, Jeremy Corbyn's maximum pay plan would help the rich not the poor. That is because when employees reach the maximum, other ways would be found to reward them which would increase inequality and reduce the tax take from the rich. In Soviet Russia access to the splendour of the Bolshoi Ballet was a perk for the wealthy. The poor weren't helped, and no tax was collected on the perk. So it would be if Corbyn got his way. Employers would pay bonuses, perhaps in shares or profit share, when they ...
Brexit means Brexit... The oft repeated mantra has become as synonymous with Theresa May as Major's "Back to Basics", Blair's "Education, Education, Education" and Cameron's "Compassionate Conservatism". Like those, the phrase has become something of a joke - not helped by the assonance of the words "Brexit" and "Breakfast", and the trap this has provided to ministers and commentators alike. So far, so funny, so harmless. Well, not harmless, but there is a world of difference between soundbites and actual policy. Originally "Brexit means Brexit" seemed designed to simultaneously pander to those who want a hard Brexit, whilst leaving the ...
Wed 11th
08:47
ALDE turning down the Five Star Movement is an epoch defining act of stupidity for European liberali...
For those of you who haven't followed the story, the Five Star Movement, Beppe Grillo's insurgent political force that looks to possibly even form the next Italian government if the Italian establishment doesn't stitch up a voting system to stop them from doing so, decided to leave their grouping in the European Parliament and join ALDE, the liberal grouping that includes the Lib Dems. The interesting thing from a British angle on all this is that the Five Star Movement were at the time in UKIP's grouping, the terrifyingly titled Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy. This grouping is led ...
Norman Lamb has co-ordinateda cross-party group of MPs to call for a national convention on health and care to resolve the crisis in NHS funding. Norman said: The health and social care system in England is facing unprecedented challenges. Failing to find a solution to this crisis puts some of the most vulnerable people at risk - frail and elderly people in need of care services, disabled people who need support and people with long-term illnesses, particularly those suffering from mental ill health. Building a sustainable health and care system that can provide high-quality care can't be realised without putting ...
Further to my article earlier this week about environmental improvements in the Hawkhill area, I am pleased to say that the City Council is also to be undertaking similar improvements to the area of the Seabraes steps, just down from the high quality plants and grass seating area at the top of Seabraes. An indication of the proposals is given below and you can see the detailed plans here and here :
Wed 11th
06:32
Yesterday was a tough planning committee not helped by the behaviour of some Bridgnorth protestors
Yesterday afternoon, the South Planning Committee provisionally rejected plans for four retail units and a coffee shop at Old Smithfield, Bridgnorth. It approved a modest expansion of a camp site near Much Wenlock. A decision on plans for giant chicken sheds at Walkhamwood Farm near Bridgnorth were deferred to a later meeting. The three applications had reached the planning committee because they are not easy decisions. Our decision-making was not helped by the inexcusable behaviour of some members of the public. Us members of the South Planning Committee set off in a council minibus from Shirehall at 9.30am to visit ...
Meols Ward Lib Dem Councillors John Dodd, Nigel Ashton and Jo Barton are holding their next advice centre on Saturday 14th January from 11 am to 12 noon at St John's Primary School, Rufford Road, Crossens. We will be there to meet you and discuss any Council problems you may have. No appointment necessary. Just pop in. We also hold a monthly advice centre in Churchtown, at BoxTree Kitchen for Queenscourt café, Manor Road/Cambridge Road, roundabout, fourth Thursday of every month (except December) from 10:30 to: 11.30 am.
Martin McGuiness's departure represents failure on all sides Newton Emerson sums it up. (tags: northernireland ) Peter Weston (1944-2017) Among many other things, he owned the foundry which has made the Hugo Awards since 1984. (tags: hugos sf death ) North looking at a new election landscape My piece for Wednesday's Irish Times (tags: northernireland ) The Exoplanet Revolution Turns 25 The other worlds that we have found. (tags: astronomy ) A Portrait Of A Chef As A Young Woman Great short film about my cousin Katie Sanderson @kjsfoodprojects. (tags: cooking )
Those Leave campaigners who argue that we have got off scot-free from the referendum result need to go shopping a bit more often. The impact of that vote on the pound has already led to an increase in imported goods and this is starting to filter through to supermarket shelves. And that is before we have even left, if indeed we do. The Independent reports that the maker of Mr Kipling cakes and Bisto gravy is in talks with some of its biggest retail customers about cranking up prices as a result of the twin pressures of the tumbling pound ...
Merryl Streep predictably got both barrels on twitter from US president elect, Donald Trump, for her speech at the Golden Globes. But I get the sense the more the liberal elite in America whinge about Trump and his supporters the more they strengthen him - just like those on this side of the pond who denigrate supporters of Brexit. The rich elites both sides of the Atlantic who enjoy highbrow culture, foreign travel and an international outlook have never been more remote from the people they claim to look out for. Kevin Garside in the Independent nails this elitism far ...
