LibDem Blogs - Archived!

Recent debate on this blog has, despite my best efforts, centred on the possibility and desirability of going back to the 1950s. It so happens that I have just read a novel which deals with this very subject: Speak for England by James Hawes. There was a good review of it in the Guardian by Alfred Hickling. Now for the second half of my holiday...

Thank you for the interesting comments to my last post on reform of the Lords. The message that comes through here as elsewhere is that the Lords is valued in being some kind of check on the present Government. Whilst Tony Blair has absolute control of the Commons, he is occasionally confounded by the Lords [...]

The debate over the Iraqi constitution is, of course, dominated by thoughts about oil. If the Kurds keep the old vilayet of Mosul and the Shi'a have Basrah. That means almost all the oil is in those areas. This leaves Baghdad (which is Sunni and Shi'a - the city Shi'a and around Sunni) without much dosh. One thing that amazed me about the debates about withdrawing the troops was the argument

Funny how issues jam or people sometimes suddenly come to mind when you get an email. Have been following Stephen Glenn's blog about the selection of our candidate for the expected Livingston by-election.Just recieved an email from party HQ commenting on the expected campaign and the website link . My first thought was Oh! Stephen Glenn. Don't recall ever having met him but he must be in the recesses of my mind because of his association with the area.Roll on Thursday 25th August, by Friday we'll all know - excitement is certainly brewing.My foster son Shehu also just mentioned he ...

The case of Gladys Hammond, whose body was robbed from its grave by people protesting against her son-in-law's part in animal testing, took an unfortunate turn today when her son-in-law, Christopher Law, confirmed that his farm is to stop breeding guinea pigs for medical research. Gladys Hammond Animal rights campaigners claim: "... where animals are used each species responds differently to

Leading from the Centre We believe in a modern society founded on freedom and democracy, individual responsibility, social justice and community. Freedom Britain has been built upon the enterprise and hard work of its citizens. In modern times, this has been underpinned by the freedom accorded to every man and woman, and by the performance of a dynamic free enterprise economy. The free enterprise system has ensured the dispersal of power and wealth, and has been a sure defence against the abuse of power by the state. It has proved to be the best ...

Today's Glasgow Herald contains a report from the Edinburgh International Book Festival in which Clare Short is quoted as saying that her disgust with New Labour had made her wonder whether she had wasted her life in politics. Talking about her book, An Honourable Deception? New Labour, Iraq and the Misuse of Power, she told at length of her resignation and her disenchantment with Tony Blair. Ms Short, the first secretary of state for international development, also revealed that after resigning in May 2003 she thought about standing as an independent candidate, and even considered joining ...

I have done my back in. Not sure how I managed it but I’ve decided to blame the ten minutes I spent on my exercise bike at the weekend. I will therefore use this as an excuse for light blogging. Over the last week, I went to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Stewart Lee and [...]

Over the weekend we experienced our own horror story unfolding here in West Lothian. Rory Blackhall went missing from his school on Thursday, he wasn't there to be picked up at the end of the day by his grandfather. Over the weekend helicopters, mountain rescue teams, police and volunteers were searching every area in Livingston where he could be hiding or have been hidden. Livingston is very

So the race to succeed Robin Cook is heating up. All three of the main parties in Livingston are in the process of selecting their candidates to be announced on Friday. Telling though is the comment that 'The Conservative Party has yet to finalise its selection process'. Considering they are having the same problem in deciding how to select their next leader this is not too surprising. Mind you

Even by the silly-season standards of mid-August, this piece in today's Western Mail on the educational provenance of the Labour AM for Islwyn must hit a new low. The Assembly's website entry for Irene James states, 'Born in 1952, and was first elected to the Assembly on May 1 2003. She lives in Cwmcarn, Islwyn. Educated at West London University, she is a special needs teacher at Risca Primary School. Agent to Don Touhig MP at last general election. Main interests are jobs, education and health.' However, as stated in the Western Mail, the West London University does not exist.Irene ...

Four things you need to know about Stiffkey: It is pronounced Stewkey. Despite the 20mph speed limit, you take your life in your hands when you walk through the village as it is on a narrow main road between high flint walls with no pavements. It has a fine pub - one of the few on the North Norfolk coast that has not been renamed, gutted, panelled with stripped wood and turned into a glorified restaurant to please the owners of weekend cottages. Above all, there is the sad story of the Rector of Stiffkey. Like Mr Gladstone he ...