LibDem Blogs - Archived!

A letter from today's Guardian: So the Archbishop of York thinks the English are embarrassed about their identity (Report, November 22). If I was English, I'd want to keep quiet about it. Chris Henton CardiffI wonder if this letter would have been published if it had referred in these terms to any other nationality but the English?

Yesterday I wrote about Tim Worstall's book and said how useful the index of blogs will be. It turns out you can find that index on the web. But don't let that stop you buying the book.

I have been that busy with matters (specifically relating to Gas) that I have not managed to talk about the launch of the IESP. I held a meeting with various stakeholders inc Chemical Industries Association, National Farmers Union, Energy Institute, Ofgem, New Energy Foundation and Powerswitch to review the fossil fuel situation. This has been planned before it turned out there was gas

and introduced flexible pub opening hours. A measure that will allow the Prime Minister to add to his list of British achievements us becoming the pavement pizza and shop doorway urinating capital of Europe. For decades pubs in the North Yorkshire Moors have had their informal flexible licensing hours: lock ins, when a few select locals would be allowed to stay behind for a couple of extra

Find Labour Watch blog very interesting, especially when it comes to analyzing election results. There are always comments from other bloggers to read. Some are very constructive but others are a load of cobblers. Recently there's been a flurry of anonymous postings from obvious Labour supporters. I wish people would have the courage to be up-front about who they are - very annoying to see such arrogant comments 'posted by anonymous'. Found a couple on mine which I refuse to respond to. Feel like punching somebody's lights out but that's not the decent way to behave. ...

It might be the case that an interesting debate is emerging on the issue of taxing “the rich”. In successive days the Guardian has published two articles both of which aim to establish that the lack of tax on the super rich is a problem. First up, Jonathan Freedland, who writes that: The gap between extraordinary wealth and desperate poverty is growing steadily wider in Tony Blair's Britain … [The City] is the world of the super-rich, financiers pulling in salaries and bonuses in the millions, and sometimes tens of millions, of dollars. They are partners in hedge funds and ...

Liberal England: Against continuous assessment

by Peter I refused to comment about this a couple of weeks ago. But others have been less reticent. First Jonathan Calder took up the debate here (it's a debate provoked by Johann Hari rather than myself I should add). Now Mary Reid has produced an educationalists view of some of the issues - with amusing anecdotes for good measure. And finally, Ed Davey has come up with his prescription. One of the first things to get right in politics is to understand the feelings of voters, and Davey manages this well: "Parents want to know that their help ...

One thing that I've noted from just about all the discussion of the new licensing laws among bloggers is that we are all incredibly fond of the idea of the local pub, and our quiet drink in the corner. There seems to be no love whatsoever for the rowdy Yates' Wine Lodge or other places where you can buy drinks at extortionate prices with even louder music. To me, this shows that most bloggers have good taste. But I'm not sure it does much to dispel the stereotype!

by Peter In the FT yesterday, Martin Wolf provided an astute critique of the claims of the trade justice movement. A motion before the House of Commons arguing that “the UK government should not push developing countries to open up their markets but respect their right to decide on trade policies that will help them to end poverty, respect workers’ rights and protect their environment” has gathered support from 229 out of 646 members. Opponents, one assumes, wish to perpetuate poverty, undermine workers’ rights and destroy the environment. Naturally, they desire no such thing. The aritcle is ...

There was some significant unrest on the opposition backbenches yesterday afternoon during questions to the Finance Minister as the whole session was effectively hi-jacked by the party leaders. A tradition has grown up in the Assembly that on First Minister's Questions, in the interests of effective scrutiny, the party leaders will be able to ask two or three supplementaries on a question of their choice. Quite whether this system produces any light is a matter of opinion, often there is just a heated row and nobody is any the wiser. However, almost surreptiously the party leaders have extended this privilege ...

As I was setting the video for Lost on E4 last night, I noticed the episode description on the Electronic Programme Guide was somewhat more flippant than usual… Tags: lost, epg, e4, freeview

The link is to hansard for my supplementary question to my urgent question about gas.Basically the situation is that the National Grid are taking gas out of Long Term Storage at the maximum rate. (and did so on Tuesday as well). I quoted the figures for Sat/Sun/Mon.This is not sustainable and if all else remains equal (viz temperatures remain the same, supply is the same) then we breach the safety monitors and have to start shutting down parts of the network by cutting off people on interruptible supplies (industrial users) in late December early January and keeping them ...

Predictive Diallers (DCMS)Q: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many calls were made from call centres in her Department in 2004–05 using predictive diallers; how many such calls resulted in contact being made with the recipient without a Government agent available to talk to them; and what assessment she has made of the likely impact of Ofcom's policy on silent calls on the use of predictive diallers in departmental call centres.(John Hemming)A: My Department does not operate any call centres. (David Lammy, parliamentary Under-Secretary (Culture), Department of Culture, Media and Sport).Forensic ServicesQ: To ask ...

by Peter The prospect of large parts of south east England disappearing under low-cost Prescott houses has not filled me with delight over recent months. It strikes me as short-sighted utilitarianism. Few things will influence our future than where people live, and cost-cutting (generally a good thing) may not be the approach to follow. Lousise Alexander's recent posts on planning issues are thought-provoking, as are the comments of Lord Rogers in the Observer. Rogers is not someone I instinctively warm to, but his comments on the low-design standards of much of London's new housing stock are easy to agree with ...

I used to get the train to Sheffield every week and got used to the pattern of when I could do this at a reasonable price (i.e. Saver Return for around 50 GBP rather than an Open Return at over 100 GBP). But how quickly that tolerance of having to work round the system [...]

Your expected outcome: Liberal DemocratYour actual outcome: Labour -5 Conservative -59 Liberal Democrat 119 UKIP -29 Green 87You should vote: Liberal Democrat The LibDems take a strong stand against tax cuts and a strong one in favour of public services: they would make long-term residential care for the elderly free across the UK, and scrap university tuition fees. They are in favour of a ban on smoking in public places, but would relax laws on cannabis. They propose to change vehicle taxation to be based on usage rather than ownership.Take the test at Who ...