LibDem Blogs - Archived!

It has been noticed by some that I have recently pressed the button that stops allowing comments. I am in bit of a dilemma over this and I will explain why. Recently a lot more people have been reading this blog (as we mentioned it in a recent leaflet it is probably not surprising). Sceptics please note that many places I go someone now mentions "Romsey redhead" but the stats also show an

Yet another speech - three in one day on totally different subjects is quite a challenge! This was to the Winchester branch of Soroptomists and I had been asked to speak on the subject of stem cell research. All very well but I had also been asked to speak on the subject for approximately 45 minutes. Although a scientist by training I felt it was challenging to come up with 45 minutes of material

Marched off from the Bargate at 1.30 and headed for the Civic Centre where there were speeches (seven - probably too many) followed by questions. One of the speakers was Joe Harris from the National Pensioners Convention and in the break he was telling us that he had seen one unfortunate marcher fall over. It is not clear whether the standard of pavement was a contributory factor but what is clear

Gave a brief speech about this at an event in Romsey today. Social Services in Hampshire seem to be really trying to get things moving in this field. The good thing about these events is always meeting the people who are trying to make things happen and it was particularly nice to meet some of the young people involved.

The BBC London News at 6.30pm led with a story about problems with offers of places to children for Secondary Schools. Every child should get an offer by March 1st this year. Kingston has been part of a new system this year that works across all the London Boroughs. Earlier this week we learnt that it was simply not going to work for us and for seven other boroughs, in spite of Kingston submitting all the right data. We have been severely let down. Our first priority was towards parents and children waiting to hear ...

The Secretary of State for Wales tries to justify Labour's pre-election capping restrictions on local government by arguing that people are at their limit with regards to Council Tax increases. He is right of course, but as I have said previously, capping has been brought in specifically to try and save two Labour MPs in Cardiff and has nothing whatsoever to do with Peter Hain's concern for the wallet of the ordinary person in the street.If Mr. Hain is so concerned then perhaps he will look again at introducing a local income tax, which at least has the merit of ...

The Western Mail reports another episode in the on-going farce of the Labour Assembly Government's pledge to deliver a free breakfast to every primary school child in Wales. It seems that the Government were advised that they did not have the powers to tell schools to bring in the measure so they made it voluntary instead.A letter from a senior official in the Assembly's education division confirmed Education Minister Jane Davidson had received legal advice over the matter and that further advice had been provided to an official by the Office of the Counsel General.The letter says officials "volunteered a ...

I've tried hard not to succumb to temptation and attack Mark Oaten too often. But his performance on Wednesday, in the Commons debate on the second reading of the Prevention of Terrorism Bill, was the final straw.Rather than prejudice you any further, I ask you simply to read the verbatim account in Hansard and ask yourself these questions:Given that the defence of liberty and the separation of powers are fundamental to Liberalism, which MP showed a greater grasp of these principles? Mark Oaten or the preceding speaker, Labour backbencher Brian Sedgemore?One MP argued for liberty with passion and fire in ...

Another sketch on the site; this one pastel and charcoal. It's a very rough sketch done in the space of minutes and designed to convey a sense of emotional agony. The lower legs are grossly extended but this doesn't look too bad. I think it makes the figure appear to be stretched out across the dust or being blown away and melded into it. The left hand and arm of the figure melds into the ground.

Here is today's House Points column from Liberal Democrat News. Art for all As John Prescott’s career shows, you can survive as a minister without being fluent in English. But to last long at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport you have to master its unique language. For, once there, you will be called upon to praise “the excellent work done by the north-east regional museums hub” or asked what discussions you have had “with regional cultural consortiums on policies to promote social inclusion”. Fortunately, on Monday the Labour MP Andrew Mackinlay was on hand to translate. ...

Correction fluid was used to blank out crosses on ballot papers for the People's Justice Party, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats. Fresh crosses were added in favour of the three Labour candidates, an election court was told. It is important to remember that election fraud occurs across the country, not just in Birmingham. The difference in Birmingham is that we are trying to

With the Birmingham Environmental Partnerships now linked to the BSP the Environmental Partnerships have been tasked with working on practical proposals for Birmingham to deal with climate change and the other requirements for a sustainable city. My own particular interest is not in having a lot of long wordy well meaning and worthy documents, but some key actions that we need to take to improve

Israel is fully committed to the road map to peace.

Just a bunch of stuff I've liked on the interweb today. Index on Censorship reminds us the Prince Charles derided the Human Rights Act only to have his impending marriage rescued by it. His 2001 letter is on the Guardian site. Cage of Monkeys reports possibly the last speech in the House of Commons from Labour MP Brian Sedgemore.Have we all, individually and collectively, no shame? I suppose that once one has shown contempt for liberty by voting against it in the Lobby, it becomes easier to do it a second time and after that, a third time. ...

Christine Wheatley - or is it? You may have seen this week's bizarre news about would-be Labour candidate Christine Wheatley, who has been kicked off the shortlist of candidates for the constituency of Copeland in Cumbria, after having revealed that she had "worked as a tart".One can argue the morality of Ms Wheatley's career history. But have you noticed how she looks remarkably like John Reid in a wig? Are they by any chance related? I think we should be told.The BBC's story concludes rather endearingly; Ms Wheatley, who is now training to be a barrister, said she would ...