LibDem Blogs - Archived!

The area to the north of King's Cross and St Pancras stations is being changed out of all recognition. The developers' website declares that "King's Cross presents one of the most exciting and significant development and regeneration opportunities within London, the UK and Europe."So it is no wonder that this profile of a nightclub owner says he has:wasted no time in renting out the offices to the type of professionals who will change the landscape from the tapestry of hauliers, scaffolders and car mechanics redolent of a bygone era, when cheap rents were to be had in the Goods Yard ...

While I am no longer paid to be a politician as my day-job, some of the major political issues that interest me as a citizen have not gone away. Next week, I will be returning to two of my perennial favourites - Identity Cards and Software Patents. On Tuesday, the Lib Dem group in the [...]

Richard says that he gets "really fed up" with people complaining about Live 8 and Make Poverty History. His argument, of course, falls into exactly the same logical fallacy that the organisers of these publicity stunts make - that is, that because the aim is noble, the whole campaign should be supported. I read somewhere of a very useful test for political slogans - that is, that if they are of any worth, and not just a truism, then someone should be able to reverse the meaning, and it make a statement that a politician would actually make. "Make Poverty ...

A few months ago I bought Ian a copy of Lord Edward Grey's The Charm of Birds. Tonight Ian was telling me that Lord Grey describes how to charm a robin. You do it with meal worms. My dad was quite good at charming robins; he did it with cheddar cheese, but Lord Grey was even more successful using mealworms. Following my dad's technique, a couple of years ago, we managed to get a robin to perch on Ian's foot, and dad could get his robin to come into the kitchen to get its ...

I suggested the other day that I might post something on last Wednesday's debate, so hear are some highlights. The links below will take you to the relevant column in Hansard, but I shall reproduce the most relevant extracts here too. The whole debate is worth reading - it begins here - in a way that the great occasions in the Commons seldom are. First an intervention from Eric Pickles and reply by Oliver Heald that, taken together, are both amusing and informative: Mr. Eric Pickles (Brentwood and Ongar) (Con): Does my hon. Friend accept that false ...

A very interesting article here, about Live Aid's legacy. The debate over how to help is a vital one and long my it continue-- detached from any snobbishness about the merit of helping at all.

Started the day by seeing off the Make Poverty History cyclists. Richard Burden and I held the ribbon. Lynne Jones (who cycles a lot) had her bike with her. Lynne and I are both to some extent fairweather cyclists although I did cycle through London in the rain. Lynne brought her bike in by car. Lynne is probably my favourite Birmingham Labour MP. I used the opportunity to bend Richard's ear

I really get fed up with people complaining about Live 8 and Make Poverty History. I don't think either is perfect, but there seems to be a massive counter-cultural correctness in attacking developing world aid and charitable fundraising for it. Complaining about people wearing wristbands is now as much a fashion status as it is to wear one. Typically, the complaint is that the money is of little use, will be spent unwisely and, most importantly, that the entire exercise is nothing more than a sham ego trip for Sir Bob Geldof and those who donate to his appeal. In ...

OK, so the Lions were very poor today, and didn't deserve to win. They were never able to cope with the loss of Brian O'Driscoll to injury (like hell he wasn't targeted by the All Blacks - but we all know that the NZ citing panels cheat like buggery) and never really got a strong attacking platform established. But how the hell does Joel Jutge get to referee an international match of such magnitude? Quite simply, his officiating today was woeful. In particular, he seems to be completely unaware of Law 12 of rugby - the knock-on or throw-forward. It's ...

At last there is some sign of life in the Parliamentary Labour Party in the battle to stop the Government's madcap ID card scheme. The Guardian reports that the leftwing Campaign Group of MPs will be challenging the cost, effectiveness and illiberality of the scheme. Twenty-one such MPs have signed a Commons "reasoned amendment" which seeks to reject the bill on the grounds that it will "make no signficant contribution to reduction or eradication of terrorism, illegal immigration or illegal employment" - nor provide data safeguards, realistic costs or address scope for error in the new biometric technologies". ...

If anybody ever thought that this UK Labour Government has green credentials then they would have been disabused of that notion yesterday when a British Environment Minister tried to persuade the European Community to lift its ban on GM crops and food. The decision will make it easier for the Welsh Assembly to maintain its own anti-GM stance in line with public opinion. However, it seems that such concern cuts no ice with Elliot Morley, the Minister concerned. As Friends of the Earth's UK campaigner on the GM issue, Emily Diamand, said: "Today's vote is a vote ...

It seems that it is not just Labour, Plaid Cymru and the Liberal Democrats who are having problems educating their MPs on the realities of devolution. We have always known that many Conservative MPs have had some difficulty in accepting the Welsh Assembly and in many cases they have carried on as if it did not exist. Now Nick Bourne, the Welsh Conservative's Assembly Leader, has fired a shot across their bows.As the Western Mail puts it: 'He has finally cracked under the strain of trying to explain the basics of GCSE devolution to his Westminster colleagues. Welsh Conservative Assembly ...

on today's News Quiz the panel were discussing the cost of the Royal Family. The Royals came in for a fair amount of stick, until comedian Jeremy Hardy pointed out the similarities between the Royal Family and American President:"Mind you, the United States have a head of state who is the idiot spawn of a former head of state."

Spent this week as watch leader aboard the sail training yacht James Cook. The 12 strong crew were a group of students who'd been expelled from school and were recruited into a far-sighted project to bring them back into education via vocational education. A week aboard the James Cook is no sailing holiday - the boat weighs 60 tonnes, is 70 feet long, everything is heavy, the loads on the

Again, a failure to comprehend anything other than a total adherence to their views strikes the Live 8 promoters.Promoter MAREK LIEBERBERG is highly concerned that after approaching 50 huge German companies, not one offered to sponsor the high-profile gig.Has it not struck Mr Lieberberg that they may not have considered that sponsoring the concert was that big a deal? He may see their profits as expendable; they don't - and rightly so, given that there is much at stake when running big businesses. Just because various high-profile campaigners have deemed Live 8 to be a "good thing" doesn't mean everyone ...