LibDem Blogs - Archived!

The invitation for applications for selection as Prospective Parliamentary candidate, for the Cheadle by-election has just gone out. Time frame to hustings within this month. Specified in the notice : The Local Party is looking for a strong candidate with good local connections.......... Very sensible strategy - that will throw the spanner in the works for many who feel they will be able to use

It's not just Shropshire that produces great news stories. Here in Leicestershire the BBC reports that: Engineers are trying to find out what has caused a giant hole that opened up in a Melton Mowbray car park.The 10ft wide gap appeared outside the town's railway station last week and the area remains cordoned off, while investigations continue.The story goes on to say: Station staff are intrigued

There are so many interest groups within the Lib Dems. I subscribe to several elists but the one that fascinates me most is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/British_Liberal_Democrats/ Run by Harry Hayfield whose main contribution is polls. He's a master number cruncher - polls, polls and more polls configuring every kind of compilation one can think of. Pretty accurate with his assumptions.

It had to happen. News of the remake of Lassie Come Home has reached the Shropshire Star: Costumes made at a south Shropshire wool shop will be making an appearance on the silver screen later this year in the remake of the classic film Lassie.The Wool Shop, in Ludlow's Broad Street, has been commissioned to produce a number of costumes for the film, including a pair of Argyle socks to be worn by

I visited Kingston (upon Thames not Hull) today to hear from Councillor Mary Reid about progress on the e-democracy projects that have been taking place in local government over the last 18 months. Mary is Chair of the committee that has overseen these. I must admit to being something of a sceptic about the extent [...]

This article from The Guardian is direct and to the point. Sometimes it feels like the general public here in the UK are forgetting about concepts such as 'innocent until proven guilty' and the like. A ticking-off from an external body might be just what we need. ASBOs are an interesting concept and I have to [...]

Hi again everyone, Tonight I´m writing from Berlin, which, as those of you who were connossieurs of my e-mails last year will know, is one of my favourite cities (indeed, it will be one of probably only two places I will visit on all three of my Europe trips so far). Nothing has happened to change my already favourable opinion of the city. Actually, visiting here with my brother has proved quite interesting, as I have had to vary what I have done so as to include all the obvious stops that I have already visited so as to give ...

In the end the Assembly voted to reject the use of ID cards to access services paid for out of the Welsh block grant. They only did so though because Labour abstained on the question. The opposition's majority of one disappeared when Peter Law decided that appearing in Cardiff for a few appointments was sufficient to discharge his duties as an AM, and shot back to London without even appearing in the chamber. Clearly, the strain of doing two full-time jobs is beginning to tell. The debate was passionate and partisan. I would like to say that this was ...

There are times in Plenary when one wonders whether members are asking a question or setting an essay topic: Mark Isherwood: How have you responded to the recommendation by the workshop on meeting local housing needs in north-west Wales, held on 25 January and sponsored by Business in the Community and the Principality Building Society, that the Welsh Assembly Government needs to provide clear national guidance on solutions to affordable housing needs relating to private funding solutions, the value of land for affordable housing and the links between affordable housing, employment and economic development? In your response, please ...

It is interesting watching the government squirm on their plans to phase out supply teachers and replace them with Classroom supervisors. The Answer on teacher assuaults shows one of the reasons why people are leaving the teaching profession. The Answer on postal votes shows that the normal turnout of postal votes is about 78-79%. Clearly we don't know the answer for 2005 yet. They have

Further to this VE/VJ60 thing: at our local-bit-of-Hindle Borough's Area Committee (we do like to do things locally) the three Zion Mills Ward Tories (up against six AoLers out of neighbouring and bigger Buick) suddenly decided last month to demand the cleaning of the War Memorial in Despond Park. Last night's meeting had to find the bit of capital required to do it, lest we be charged with being

Reports in the Western Mail this morning, that the Labour pledge to defer the implementation of top-up fees in Wales until after the 2007 Assembly elections will mean that the Welsh block grant will be subsidising English students to the tune of £14 million, illustrates the dilemma facing us as we try to reach an agreement on this issue.The subsidy to English and other students arises out of the introduction of top-up fees in England next year. Students going to universities in England will have to take out a loan of £3,000 a year from the government-funded Students Loan Company. ...

So here's Ickle Sarah touching my arse.