LibDem Blogs - Archived!

I'd just like to congratulate Peter Simpson from Colchester on being the first reader of my blog with no other connection to me in the past on being the first person to mention my blog to me who has joined the growing list of volunteers helping in Livingston. He will be with us until polling day.

Jim Devine has claimed on his latest election literature that thousands of people have responded to his survey that drugs is the major issue they are facing here in Livingston. Strangely in yesterdays West Lothian Courier it only said that hundreds had said that. Even stranger most people that I or Chrales Dundas or other members of the campign team are meeting are saying services at the local

My article from today's Liberal Democrat News. Armchair Conference Viewing this year's Liberal Democrat Conference from a distance has its compensations. You get to see the party as other see us. And better, you don't have to visit Blackpool. Adrian Sanders described it as "a sad place that has lost its heart". It is not alone in that amongst seaside resorts, but things have always been on a larger scale in Blackpool. Some see the widespread dislike of the town as snobbish. But the British seaside is struggling because the working class has grown more affluent and expects ...

Back from conference - Wow! what a week, don't quite know where to start. Several people were seen busy updating their blogs but I didn't have time even for myself. I was however, absolutely delighted to be approached by several delegates asking if I was the writer of Suz blog. Didn't realize so many Lib Dems found my ramblings so interesting nor that I was so distinguishable from my blog mugshot. Met 'Inamicus', the writer of Labour Watch . He was not as I imagined him to be - the man behind the mask turned out to ...

It's surprising what people get up to outside the Bentalls Centre in the middle of the night! You can find out in the winning film in the Webcam Film Festival. There were over 100 entries and they were all made at iPlus information points around the Borough.

The leftish press in this country are getting very irritated by the increasing refusal of the Liberal Democrats to be corralled into the linguistic and conceptual shackles of the left-right political framework. Good examples are Jackie Ashley, and Polly Toynbee, and there are others [if I have the time, I'll have a look at them in more depth]. Last night on the Daily Politics on BBC 2 it was refreshing and pleasing to see Sarah Teather coolly resist Diane Abbot's blunderbuss attempts to get her to define Liberal Democrat politics in terms of left and right. Sarah rightly ...

by Peter And just weeks before a pair of by-elections. I´m afraid it's serious this time. Delegates are dismayed by the General Election results which fell well short of expectations: The SNP increased its tally of Commons seats from five to six at the General Election earlier this year but its share of the vote fell, pushing the party into third place behind the Liberal Democrats.

by Peter Snafu is poking fun at us Lib Dems. I enjoyed commandments 8 and 9... But it's "covet", Snafu...

Since the enormous amount of speculation in the media about the Plaid Cymru leadership, and in particular the off-the-record briefings being given to the Western Mail's Political Editor, Martyn Shipton, the Assembly Plenary sessions have acquired a sub-text of their own. On Tuesday the Presiding Officer had his own little dig with an oblique reference to the fact that he might be commenting on the Devolution White Paper in a different role. On Wednesday, the current Plaid Cymru Assembly leader got his own back: Sue Essex: .........In terms of your freedom of information request, we had a request ...

Well it's been a while since my last post! Stuff has happened, all good. On the last weekend of August I was in Aberystwyth for a bit of a reunion-come-birthday celebration. Being the summer holidays there were few students around, just the huge number of Brummies that magically appear in August. It's funny - it's been [...]

Ask Jeeves is axing Jeeves. In one move they will turn from a search engine into a pizza restaurant. © Will on No geek is an island, 2005. ¦ Permalink ¦ No comment [...]

Showing my age I know regarding the heading.Conference is over, and I have yet to empty all my bags of goodies and papers and stuff and scraps of paper with jobs to do scribbled on them at 3:30 in the morning in the bar. Highlights,Dancing at the East Midlands reception.Two possiblilities of a sniff of a chance of an interview for a job.The possiblilities for the future of LDO.The Blogging Fringe that started this blog, some-one asked how easy it is and as an example this was set up, I just have to keep writing it and learning how to ...

"Defiant Liberal Democrat leader Charles Kennedy condemned the critics gunning for his job yesterday - with remarks which appeared to be aimed squarely at Birmingham MP John Hemming." There is a report that Kennedy's Aides have indicated that I have no experience. The question is experience of what. I suppose I only have 22 years experience of running things including having taken part in

Back home in a rather wet Wycombe, I have time to reflect on this year's Conference. Charles was on form for his closing address - speaking passionately about our core values and vowing to stand up for civil liberties in the face of an all out assault from this government. Interestingly, he also vowed not to allow the Lib Dems to become 'a third conservative party'. True, there remain divisions on some areas of policy - but I remain convinced that we are still the most united of the three main parties. All parties will contain differences of opinion. But ...

My plan to discuss some of the more amusing moments from Wednesday's Plenary debate has had to be put on hold due to the fact that my Assembly computer is currently inaccessible and I cannot get at the notes I e-mailed myself from the chamber. Instead I have found more nonsense from arch-unionist Neil Kinnock.In between telling us the rather obvious news that Tony Blair will not step down as Prime Minister until 2008, Lord Kinnock also reaffirmed his opposition to giving full law-making powers to Cardiff Bay:'I would say that the proposal to change the nature of devolution by ...

With all the hype of an impending bird flu outbreak, we clearly took our eyes off the ball in not spotting this happening.

OK, that’s not what he said, but… On Wednesday, the Metropolitan police said they were “very likely” to interview her after launching an investigation into alleged cocaine use. Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan police commissioner, said he had ordered the investigation because of fears that the pictures could have a damaging effect on “impressionable young people”. So [...]

Friday 23rd September 2005 - Barely time to draw breath after the Party Conference in Blackpool and its off to Eastbourne for the National Association of Local Council's conference this weekend!! Halewood Town Council has been nominated for several awards again this year and watch this space to see if we are successsful, details to come on Sunday!!

Should Government policy address those who are in need or those who desire to own their own homes? That was the key question addressed by a fringe meeting I attended at Party Conference on Tuesday. Given that the Government has decided to spend £1billion on affordable homes for first time buyers, would that money be better spent in the social housing sector where it would generate the 20,000 homes that Shelter reckons are needed this year if we are to address housing need. I'm glad to say that Lib Dem MPs Chris Huhne and John Leech sided ...