This is the third of a series of three posts. The first part can be read here and the second part can be read here. The following is a critique of the defence policy outlined in the Liberal Democrat Manifesto published for the 2019 General Election and presumably still extant at time of writing (June 2020). Manifesto commitments are reproduced verbatim followed by my commentary. Page 91: A Secure Defence in the 21st Century (continued) Support the Armed Forces Covenant and ongoing work to support veterans' mental health. Comment. The Armed Forces Covenant is advisory only and unenforceable. We should ...
For most of my teaching career, when most young people were reasonably biddable, behaved themselves and did as they were told unless given psoitive reasons not to, if a class were unruly it was usually because the teacher was not very capable. If a whole school had a discipline problem it was usually because the head was weak Much the same appears to apply to countries. New Zealanders follow their government's instructions because their prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has led them well: acted quickly, treated them as adults, given full and honest explanations, and followed her own rules. Their deaths ...
A year ago Kingston's Guildhall flew the Pride flag for the first time. This was an initiative of one of our councillors, Sam Foulder-Hughes. We attended a short ceremony to mark the occasion, and I was struck by the way Sam thanked allies like us – straight people who support LGBT+ equality. I hadn't heard the term ally used in that context before, but I have also been hearing it recently in relation to Black Lives Matter. Yes, those of us who have no living experience of belonging to a specific identity can still empathise and campaign with those who ...
Robert Peston suggests that the first local Covid-19 lockdown could be imposed within days and that it may well be in Leicester.He notes that there has been a surge in cases there, with 658 reported in the fortnight to 16 June. Peston writes:New data on the prevalence of the virus in the area has been delivered to Leicester's mayor Sir Peter Soulsby, according to the LeicesterLive website, and he said his officials were analysing the data over the weekend. I am told that the data does not yet show that a full lockdown is required. A senior official said: 'It ...
Responding to the latest Government statistics on COVID-19 in Prison and Probation Service in England and Wales, Liberal Democrat Justice Spokesperson Daisy Cooper said: "With more than 500 prisoners testing positive for coronavirus, but only 175 being released early, it is clear the Government aren't taking seriously the spread of the virus in our prisons. They have completely failed to end overcrowding in prisons, allowing them to become a crucible for the disease. "Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Liberal Democrats have been clear it is impossible to practice safe social distancing in prisons whilst they remain so overcrowded. ...
Second paragraph of third chapter:The keeping of a journal will also, I trust, provide an opportunity to note down observations relating to my work, although I have no intention of producing anything resembling the sort of police memoir so popular these days. I find such publications devoid of personal interest, containing as they do a series of anecdotes written for no other purpose than that of self-aggrandisement. What is missing, one feels, is the reflections of an ordinary police inspector doing an extraordinary job. For the role of the police officer today is no longer confined to the prevention of ...
The Harborough Labour Twitter accounts says it has been blocked by Neil O'Brien MP. You may say nothing that happens on Twitter matters very much, but I think this is a shame. Democratically elected politicians should be prepared to talk to people from other parties.
My partner and I were invited to take COVID-19 tests *for science*. The process was not exactly world-beating...
I am far from alone in turning to Netflix during the long evenings of COVID-19 lockdown, which means I have been watching TV series that otherwise I would have missed. The most remarkable, which I finished last night, has been the 12-episode The Road to Calvary, originally on Russia's NTV. Based on a trilogy of [...]
Sad news: Diana Maddock, member of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords and previously in the 1990s a Lib Dem MP has passed away.
Some incredibly sad news has come through this morning. Diana Maddock, winner of the Christchurch by-election in 1993 and a Lib Dem member of the House of Lords, has passed away. We are so very sad to tell you that our dear friend and colleague Diana Maddock has died. She will be tremendously missed by us all. Our thoughts and love are with Alan and all her family at this time. pic.twitter.com/fXzsELCXYz — Lib Dem Lords (@LibDemLords) June 27, 2020 * Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
Fri, 12:27: Home again, for the first time since early March! https://t.co/KXYY95mGxB Fri, 12:56: RT @jowrotethis: You have now been in quarantine longer than Brock Turner was in jail. Fri, 16:48: RT @aoifegracemoore: Mea culpa. I present to you the greatest correction in the history of the Irish Examiner. https://t.co/3OiAVVOsFL Fri, 16:49: RT @SadhbhO: I have 3 daughters. As a woman & a mother, women's health is critical for me. Some of the less reported measures in the #PFG i... Fri, 17:32: Thread. https://t.co/W9FwBOVFNu Fri, 18:59: Modern China: A Very Short Introduction, by Rana Mitter https://t.co/iYNe8j6Smx Fri, 23:07: RT @TippGreens: ...
The Scotsman wins out Headline of the Day Award.
I blogged a week ago about the inability of government to cope with ICT and new technology contracts and the huge waste of public money that ensues. I suggested that some of the reasons for this may be that Ministers and civil servants don't fully understand what they are being sold, and have unrealistic expectations of it. I added that the industry does not seek to dissuade them of their ambitions for the product on offer, but ensure that contracts are so complex that the penalties for failing to meet targets and deliver the goods can never be implemented. As ...
It is very odd that a party that preaches transparency and accountability hides the e-mail addresses of its key party officers. Any member who wishes to write to the Chair of, say, the Conference Committee cannot do so direct. I am not suggesting that home addresses or telephone number should be made available, unless the individual concerned is happy to do so, but I cannot see any reason why e-mail addresses should be hidden. As far as I know, the e-mail addresses of all elected Councillors are available on each Council's website. What is more academics – who are often ...
On Tuesday the planning committee of the Council will meet to consider an application to create a permanent zipwire between the St John's Beacon and the Central library. It may or may not allow this on planning grounds although I ... Continue reading →
A useful checklist from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service :
