LibDem Blogs - Archived!

I have begun the process of updating Lord B's site. I had serious spyware problems last summer and then got interested in this blog. (Don't tell him, for Gladstone's sake.) Now Lord Bonkers' Latest Diary is just what it says, even though it comes from 1906.

Overnight someone 'spammed' the blog comments adding commercial advertising. I've deleted those posts (I have the power!). To quickly set out guidelines for my delete key: I will delete any commercial or inappropriate advertising I will not delete comments just because I disagree with them I will delete any comments I believe may be libellous, illegal, obscene etc. I must delete anything that could cause me to breach the Councillor's Code of Conduct such as personal attacks on members of Council staff, racism, sexism etc. Basically, just use your common sense Oh, the joys of technology! On ...

Durham University attracts a substantial number of overseas, non-EU students to study in the City because of the reputation of many departments. This provides real benefit to the University, in promoting a diverse learning community, and bringing in very much needed additional funds. The 'market' for international students is very finely balanced, very price sensitive and reflecting rapid changes in world finances and security. That's why it is particularly sad to see that the Government will charge more for student visas. Through the City Council, I've been appointed to work with the University of Durham as ...

Oswestry, to be precise. From the Shropshire Star : An old toilet block, earmarked for possible demolition, might have to stay put - because it could be holding up the remains of a Shropshire castle. For more on Oswestry Castle in happier days, click here.

Another blow for freedom of speech. The government has defeated a Liberal Democrat amendment to the Serious and Organised Crime Bill. The government's bill includes a provision to outlaw 'incitement to religious hatred' but its broad definition of racial and religious hatred risks criminalising honest debate. The Lib Dem amendment, supported by comedian Rowan Atkinson, would have tightened this

Busy, busy day with wall to wall meetings. Very little time to blog. Few opportunities even to form full sentences. I started off the day by meeting the Swansea Bay Racial Equality Council to discuss historic issues relating to the local Council and its approach to race equality issues. This was very useful and I went away with a list of action points to take up with various officers in the local authority. The issue seems to be that nothing has moved forward since the Council's racial equality strategy, first drawn up in 2002. There is no action plan ...

Today's Guardian carries a long extract from the new book by Peter Hyman, the former New Labour apparachik who has gone into teaching. Oddly, what strikes the reader most is not the radical break Hyman has made but how similar his new career must be to his time working for Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street. Let me explain. My new boss is Trevor Averre-Beeson, headteacher of Islington Green school. The first time I meet him, he is standing like a new father next to his pride and joy - his Fender Stratocaster guitar. On the wall of ...

The Government's proposed new offence ofIncitement to Religious Hatred does not seem controversial in and of itself, but there is a serious concern that legitimate comments and satires might fall foul of the new law. The comic Rowan Atkinson, who is a favourite of mine thanks to Blackadder, backed a Lib Dem amendment to make sure that things like Not The 9 O'Clock News, The Satanic Verses, and

A story in the Yorkshire Post neatly ties together two recent concerns of this blog. The paper suggests that Sue Catling, recently deselected as the Tory candidate in Calder Valley, is being talked as a possible replacement for Jonathan Sayeed in Mid Bedfordshire following his recent embarrassment.

A sign of the times. This morning the BBC Radio 4 Today programme interviewed Rowan Atkinson about his opposition to the government's plans to make incitement to racial hatred a criminal offence. At the end of the item the interviewer said "Thank you for your time". This from a programme that routinely treats cabinet minister with contempt.

No reason for posting this, other than it bought a smile to my face.

We had out first major fundraiser of 2005 on Friday evening with our annual dinner in Tickenham. Fresh from our success in the Portishead Redcliffe Bay by-election, everyone was absolutely buzzing with enthusiasm. We had a jam-packed hall (all the more pleasing given that so many had been out all day on the Thursday campaigning in Portishead) to hear guest speaker Matthew Taylor MP. Matthew is

For a number of years we have had the process of a "Unitary Development Plan" as a guide for planning throughout the city. The government have tired of this and are now going for a different system with Local Development Frameworks (LDF) instead. The LDF consists of Local Development Documents (LDDs) as part of a Local Development Scheme (LDS). So that's clear then. Normally these processes

Read in the Northern Echo today that the North East has one of the worst levels of child poverty in the UK (and that the UK is one of the worst in the industrial world). One in three children in the region are being brought up in poverty compared to a UK average of one in four. Places such as Grangetown on Teesside see over 60% of children living in poverty. In County Durham several areas have figures of over 40%. Hopefully this is an issue that will see increased political interest over the coming months. ...

If ever there were a case for less heat and more light, it is the current controversy over immigration. Two factors are influencing Tory and Labour policy and neither of them has any validity. One is a right-wing tabloid campaign, inspired by a desire to cash-in on racism. The other is a tactical calculation of electoral advantage, inspired by the forthcoming general election. Before any

A belated reference to Wales' historic rugby victory over England I know, but everywhere I go today people seem to be happier. They are smiling and there is a definite spring in their steps. Is it really a Monday morning?