It's been an evening of two meetings here in the Gipping Valley - one that I chair, one that I don't. First up was Federal International Relations Committee (I don't chair that!). Fortified by a (if I say so myself) decent risotto prepared by my own fair hands, I threw myself into what became a somewhat unsatisfying meeting. Now I wouldn't blame anyone for that - it's the problem when you know that you aren't going to be there see the whole thing through - but we probably allowed ourselves to get bogged down in the mechanism of how to ...
Rape Myths (But not the ones you're thinking of) – Part 1: I'll start by stating what this is not. It is not a piece intended to dismiss or diminish rape or to delegitimise concerns about the treatment of victims in the criminal justice system. There are issues that need to be addressed. There isContinue reading "Rape Myths (but not the ones you're thinking of) – Part 2"
It is just over two years ago that a Liberal Democrat Peer, made the following intervention; My Lords, the reality on the ground is that rural bus services have been in decline for some years now, to the extent that there are many quite large villages which no longer have any kind of bus service at all. Have the Government made any assessment of the impact this is having on residents' ability to access essential public services such as health and education? As it turned out, the Government rather hadn't. But now, Philip Alston, along with colleagues Rebecca Riddell and ...
Ten years ago tomorrow, I wrote up my choices for the 2011 John W. Campbell Award (as it then was) for Best New Writer. This turned out to be a fateful blog post. In sixth place out of five, below "No Award", I listed Larry Correia with this assessment of his book Monster Hunter International:6) Monster Hunter International, by Larry Correia. I do have little hesitation in putting Monster Hunter International last. It is relentlessly single-tone, derivative and predictable, and I can't see how anyone could rank it above any of the other works included in the package. To an ...
On Wednesday, Shropshire Council is to decide whether to provide an additional 240-litre wheelie bin for recycling to all Shropshire households that request one. The bins will be an alternative to the boxes we currently use for glass bottles and jars, metal containers and plastic containers. That will mean that most households will have three wheelie bins, one for dry recyclables, one for green garden and food waste, and another for residual waste. The wheelie bins will be optional and you may have to pay to get one (though I hope not). A sight no longer? Many of us have ...
Mon 19th
13:47
Met Office issues a heatwave health alert - please check on your vulnerable neighbours
We knew it was coming. It is here. A searing heatwave that is set to last until the weather breaks on Friday when rain and temperatures are expected to fall, though they will not plummet. We complain enough about the cold. It was -10C outside my front door earlier this year. Now we have the opposite. It's 28C outside the front door and my sun facing windows check in well above 30C on the outside. The pavement is 36C plus. It's too hot to walk the dog. Double glazing keeps some of the heat out but as always it is ...
It is almost as if the Prime Minister had not learnt the lessons from Dominic Cummings breach of lockdown regulations last year. People will apparently tolerate a lot of nonsense from this government but they won't put up with being taken for fools, with rules designed for our protection, being ignored by those in power. And so the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer are spending England's nonsensical 'freedom day' in isolation, because they were pinged by the Covid app after coming into contact with the health secretary, who is infected. I suppose we have to be grateful ...
You might find yourself wondering why, when the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Secretary of State for Health are all self-isolating, and new cases have reached the peak levels seen last over the New Year, today is a good day to declare as "Freedom Day". And yet, for all of the bombast that the Prime Minister offered in the days leading up to today, even he is now quoted as saying; So please, please, please be cautious. Go forward tomorrow into the next step with all the right prudence and respect for other people and the ...
Sun, 12:07: RT @PickardJE: U-TURN ALERT: - Number 10 spokesman now says Johnson will remain at Chequers to self-isolate", conducting meetings with min... Sun, 14:34: Dead King James https://t.co/JwFHmgZvcw Sun, 15:11: Napoleon https://t.co/O0RELaaRfc Sun, 18:53: Two different histories on offer here. https://t.co/z6XkZux3AH Mon, 11:56: "Sure, it's a warm day, lads." https://t.co/mFODTD78PS
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the new "new normal", when we're all encouraged to throw off the shackles of Covid restrictions and return to our old lives. That is, unless you're immuno-compromised, or minded to take into consideration that those around you might be cautious, or unvaccinated, or... well, you know the rest... So, what have we got today? Katie Hopkins (you remember her, yes?) is awaiting her deportation flight from Australia, having been flown in by a local television station to take part in their version of Celebrity Big Brother (and yes, the definition of "celebrity" is clearly ...
I have already written on the problems that engineering company Flowfit has had finding premises for expansion. It had hoped to move to the biodigester site but in recent weeks, Shropshire Council has ruled that out. The ground breaking biodigester closed in 2012 and has only had sporadic use since. Shropshire Council now says it will not decide on the biodigester's future until the end of 2023, more than a decade after the facility stopped processing food waste. At least one other light engineering company was eyeing up the site. But it has now been sterilised for two and a ...
DUNDEE CITY COUNCIL - WEEKLY ROAD REPORT REPORT FOR WEST END WARD - WEEK COMMENCING MONDAY 19 JULY 2021 City Fibre H3G Project - rolling road closures commencing on Tuesday 15 June for 7 weeks. Polepark Road, Brewery Lane, Brown Street and South Ward Road to follow in July. Blinshall Street (Lochee Road to Guthrie Street) - temporary traffic control from Monday 5 July for 4 weeks for Street Lighting work. City Road - road closed between junctions with Pentland Avenue and Rosefield Street for Road Safety Improvement Works. Starts Monday 19 July for 5 days. Tay Street Lane - ...
