LibDem Blogs - Archived!

Have just been watching BBC Parliament and the result of the Second Reading is: 314 for and 283 against. Close!

Posting via my mobile as Tiscalli are having problems with the Internet. Most sites aren't reachable however LDYS and artesea are whilst LibDemBlogs which is on the same server isn't. They claim bad weather, we shall see.

A report from Transport from London(TFL) - London underground Public Private partnership system(PFI) achievements says 'so far seven tube stations have been modernised'. Quite surprised that only seven have been finished but the people in this area are delighted that our station was one of the first. From a grotty rather dilapidated station, with no ticket machines or ticket barriers and slippy

A couple of people have linked to my recent post on the St Pancras area and commented in particular on the connection with the Ealing Comedy The Ladykillers. I have now found a website full of photographs of those locations then and now - or at least then and before the works for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link started.

They've gone too far this time: Killjoy officials have said a town bakery can no longer use the famous title Harborough Cheesecake. The delicacy has been made in the town since the 19th century but now Leicestershire Trading Standards has said the name is misleading and cannot be used. Jim Knights (55), manager of Wesses Bakery in The Square, received a letter saying the title broke Food Labelling Regulations. The maximum fine for a breach is £5,000. Read more in the excellent Harborough Mail while I take to the barricades. I wonder if they have this trouble with Bombay ...

I have been quite busy over the past few days with meetings and trying to sort out technology to demonstrate Iris Scanning (The Panasonic Authenticam). I now have the technology mainly working. The point about Iris scanning is that it is something that the police could use to determine identity up to a point, but it does not require the establishment of an ID Database. Information could be

I always wondered if I would get a chance to sue the government for breaching my human rights. Sure, there have been times when I have been outraged by their illiberal tendencies, but never have I been motivated enough to empty my bank account and reach for a lawyer.Now it appears that the Government's White paper on devolution may be a prime candidate for a law suit. The Assembly's Presiding Officer believes that plans to stop candidates standing for the Assembly elections in both constituency and regional seats, could be a breach of human rights. He may well ...

Just for David Cornock I have decided that this is 'be nice to Lembit Opik day'. David seems to think that my criticism of the Welsh Liberal Democrats Leader in previous posts was because I objected to him commenting on devolved mattters. That is not correct. My complaint was that Lembit was making up policy on a devolved matter without consulting with the relevant spokesperson. By contrast I am of course a model of good practice! I may comment on non-devolved matters but normally I do not make it up as I go along, I try to stick to party ...

Sci-Fi unveils the ‘geek pound’ …they number a seven million strong audience for ad agencies and estimates that the “geek pound” is worth a staggering £8.2bn a year.

For the first time ever I was challenged by a Member of Security who asked to see my pass and then made a record of my name. Thought that I would probably have my wrists slapped by the Serjeant at Arms but then realised that today is the day we will debate ID cards. Conspiracy theorists could have a field day.

This was the name of the report by a number of agencies, discussing what should be done about the fact that people with severe mental health problems are likely to die 10 - 15 years earlier than their other peers and there are often significant health needs which are unmet. Hosted the breakfast meeting which launched the report.

In a few days, Iraq will radiate with stability and security Iyad Allawi, 28 June 2004 There are times when I despair of the apathy to the bloodshed taking place in Iraq today. It seems that things have been so bad for so long, that we no longer notice when another suicide bomber kills another half-dozen people. And still the pro-war half of the Parliamentary Labour Party insist the invasion was

Just a quickie, Nate Aune is demonstrating my Plodcasting system at the fabulous Europython conference; Nate created the ATAudio project which gives Plone support for multimedia formats.

No, not when it’s a jar. When’s it’s an “exit and entrance”, specifically on First Scotrail trains. Passengers safety information is located at the exits and entrances of this train. Unless I’ve been using the train wrongly (and perhaps I have because I don’t always arrive at my destination on time), there are not separate “exits and [...]

The application for an extension to the license at The Cricketers in Clayton Road has been withdrawn, just 24 hours before the hearing. This would have kept the pub open until midnight for three nights every week, and up to 1am for four consecutive nights over Bank Holidays. The pub is situated in a quiet residential road, next door to a sheltered housing complex of 36 homes. A total of 50 local residents, including me, registered individual objections, and a further 28 signed a petition. I tried to explain the process last month, but ...

I don't claim to have the answer to the question I'm about to pose. But with all the brouhaha over deportations to Zimbabwe, there's an obvious question that needs to be tackled. I make no apologies for placing this on the theoretical level, by the way. Some asylum seekers will come here to Britain with no real credentials for asylum. Yet, their mere act of coming here in the attempt to seek asylum will genuinely place them in fear of their lives should they be returned to their home countries - which is, legally, what should happen to failed applicants ...