LibDem Blogs - Archived!

In his 1996 book on education, We Should Know Better, the former Conservative minister George Walden wrote: In no other European country do the moneyed and professional classes - lawyers, surgeons, businessmen, accountants, diplomats, newspaper and TV editors, judges, directors, archbishops, air chief marshalls, senior academics, Tory ministers, artists, authors, top civil servants - in addition to the statistically insignificant but eye-catching cohort of aristocracy and royalty - reject the system of education used by the overwhelming majority pretty well out of hand, as an inferior product. In no modern democracy except Britain is tribalism in education so entrenched ...

I made sure that I was back from Manchester in time for "The Rise of the Cybermen" on Saturday. However I decided to have a geekfest weekend by poping into HMV and buying the Battlestar Galactica DVD. Both shows involve a 21st centuary reworking of that most cliched of Sci Fi motifs, the killer robot (well I suppose its the Frankenstein myth if I'm honest). I rather liked Battlestar Galactica even if it was a tad depressing. The underlying story of the TV show was never really done justice by the 70's version. However there is a distinct post 9/11 ...

Ian Buruma has a piece in the Sunday Times on British socialists' long and ignoble history of support for foreign dictators. He sees the current enthusiasm for Hugo Chavez as the latest chapter in this story. I suspect he is right. And it is pleasing to learn that the ideology now in the ascendancy in Venezuela is called Chavism.

I was at the match this afternoon. Irish had plenty of possession, with Mike Catt showing the generalship that has brought him back into the England reckoning, but Leicester's defence was able to cope with everything that was thrown at it. By contrast, every time Tigers got possession in the Irish half they looked like scoring a try. Harry Ellis scored from the kind of break he never seems able to make for England and there was a wonderful piece of skill by Geordan Murphy where he kicked an awkwardly bouncing ball up into his hands before going over for ...

I refer the Honourable Gentleman to the recommendations I made last week: Tim Worstall's BritBlog Roundup; The First Post's review of today's newspapers.

This is a macbre observation to make but I wonder if it points to something rather awful. The death of two British Soldiers in Iraq today was not headline news. Both News 24 and 5 Live had it as the second item. Instead they ran with the Murder of the Special police officer and the appeal for witnesses by her Brother and Husband. How on earth you decide why one is more important than the other I don't know. However the most brutal criteria is how often something happens and how far away it is. On this basis then perhaps ...

Poor Ming has been taking some flak recently. The anonymous sort where by the great and the good supply quotes on a non atributable basis to Sunday Newspapers. These quotes are then the foundations for a knocking article for the whole party. I'm sure that about 100 people in and around Cowley Street understand the "code" that such attacks are made in and will doubtless score one camp or another as having benefited. However we all know that the only real effect is to generate bad publicity for the party. or wound a Leader so badly that he has to ...

Today is clearly a day for me spotting online petitions. This one has been signed by Tony Blair and has provoked the following response from the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection: “This petition is being run by an extremist group of vested interests representing a very narrow area of medical research. “They want to [...]

Via BBC News: ... a Labour spokesman insisted: "The people of Britain will pick the next prime minister based on his ability to deliver a strong and stable economy and a secure future."Does this mean the person that succeeds Tony Blair will call an immediate election?

Predictions that the enforced merger of the four Welsh Police forces will cost taxpayers dear seem to be coming to pass with today's news that the four Chief Constables are in disagreement with the Home Office over what savings can be made by the reorganisation. Ministers have slashed police estimates of the annual cost of improving the service by £33m, which the officers call "a surprise and disappointment". There needs to ber "substantially more money placed on the table" for Wales to meet the aim of delivering a more effective service. Senior police ...

Patience Wheatcroft, the new editor of The Sunday Telegraph, has today fired a warning shot across David Cameron’s bows: while the polls show just how much David Cameron and his team have benefited from Mr Blair's discomfiture, they may not be able to spend too long gloating. For very soon, much sooner than they had hoped, they look likely to have to stop concentrating on image and start

Before I forget again, just a quick note to invite people to Liberal Drinks this Wednesday. We’ve had a couple of really good turnouts recently, so I’m hopeful this week will be a success as well.

I’ve blogged about this before and I’m sure I will again, but what is Nick Cohen’s problem with liberalism? He has never spelt it out beyond complaining that reality rarely meets the ideal, but that is true of all ideologies, and yet he returns to the subject again and again. This week, Kate Winslet’s Number [...]

The Sunday Telegraph today reports on the decline in cuts made by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) in the last 30 years. Apparently, in the 1970s - the decade of Straw Dogs, A Clockwork Orange, Last Tango, and, of course, countless dreary British sex comedies starring Robin Askwith - 27% of films required cuts. In the last decade, “less than three per cent of the 4,951 films

If you live in Yorkshire let alone Leeds then praising Manchester is a risky business. However you just have to admire the place, the confidence, the can do attitude. You definately feel you are visiting a European rank city which Leeds is getting to but frankly isn't at. Have been across for day trips the last two weekends and tried to explore a bit beyond the fringes on foot. I quite like the fact that the city centre has no obvious centre. It gives it a "districty" feel. Not all is well though. Canal Street is looking a bit of ...

Funland begins tonight at 10.30 on BBC2. After airing last year on BBC3, it was nominated for a BAFTA last weekend – Bleak House beat it to Best Drama Serial, but it was an impressive debut. It’s disturbing but very funny, and every episode starts with someone in a gorilla costume plummeting to their death from Blackpool Tower. How can you resist? If you want one reason to watch, it’s Judy Parfitt – a fantastic actress given the role of her life as the most monstrous and cunning villain. Some might notice there are attractive people with their kit off, ...

(Minister For Everything What John Prescott Used To Be Responsible For Arsing Up) is unclear, the Pope weighs in to remind her of her responsibilities when it comes what kind of marriage (he thinks, because God told him) is right: Pope Benedict renewed his attack on gay marriage on Saturday, saying Christians must defend traditional heterosexual marriage as a "pillar of humanity" benefiting

Here is Nick Cohen. (I'll quote in full.) Ming, where is thy sting? Speaking of deadbeat Lib Dems, Simon Hughes will be on the Sunday programme this morning saying 'it is too early' to judge Ming the Worthless. No, it's not; he's a failure for reasons that are clear to anyone outside the liberal consensus. Broadcasters are not always as aggressive as they pretend. On every great issue, they choose a public figure to represent their views. He or she enjoys the easy life and august title of Official Spokesperson for the Media Class. So it was with Ming and ...

Simon Wright links to a cross-EU campaign that people of all political opinions can, surely, unite behind? A petition to scrap the monthly EU Parliament sojourn to Strasbourg. Having worked for an MEP, I know how disruptive this ridiculous system is, and quite how much unneccessary stress it causes. It is bad enough for [...]

…From your coach driver as he takes your ticket. “Are you going to Stockport?” “Yeees…” “Do you know the way?” I gave the directions. We got there. I didn’t get a discount, mind. I’m gradually becoming less of a zombie and able to blog for a bit again, thanks to that trip last week. Yes, some might say 200 miles is a bit far for even an NHS dentist, but I’ve been with them since I was four, and besides, it gave me a chance to see my Dad for his birthday and my Grandad in hospital. ...

German MEP Jorgo Chatzimarkakis has suggested that Angela Merkel may try to reach a deal with the next French President over the scrapping of the Strasbourg "travelling circus". Once a month, MEPs and their staff have to travel between the two official seats of the EU (Brussels and Strasbourg) at great expense to European taxpayers.

Comment spam is getting to be increasingly bizarre, with these two gems among the latest dross I’m having to delete: Tim suggests that what’s special about Tom Watson’s blog is that he’s the first politician to use a blog to tell us what he really thinks instead of just telling us what’s in his diary. It’s hard [...]

Simon Hughes has been President of the Liberal Democrats for 21 months. I mention this because he seems to believe we should set arbitrary dates after which a politician should be assessed. Can anyone name a single innovation that he has introduced in that time? More specifically, can anyone name a single innovation that [...]

Via Yahoo!:

I don’t make a habit out of reviewing Doctor Who episodes, but I think I’ll make an exception this week. Don’t read any more if you didn’t catch it last night… Overall, I’ve been blown away by the Russell T. Davies version of Doctor Who. Unlike people such as Will, Alex or Nick, [...]

I didn't vote for Ming in line with my policy of never voting for the winner but the sight of people laying into him or briefing against him at such an early stage is not appealing. Unless we are yet again at the stage where the parliamentary party knows things which the rest of us do not (and I doubt that is the case) then we have to give Ming our support and give him a chance to grow into the job. Lets not forget how rough a start we had to the year and how well we have done ...

In this morning's Sunday Times, Rod Liddle continues the assault on Ruth Kelly and the impossible situation she finds herself in as both the Minister for Equalities and as a member of Opus Dei. It includes a delightfully bitchy comment from Gwyneth Dunwoody: She is charged with the task of ensuring that homosexuals do not suffer discrimination at the hands of the rest of us. She is, in other words, an official conduit for the social acceptance of buggery and the consequent persecution of people who think much as she does. How does her conscience feel about that? ...

David Cameron has said repeatedly the Tories will not be afraid of telling business when they get it wrong. He wants to show that the Tories are not the party of vested financial interests but represent everyone. So far he has attacked orange chocolate and teenage underwear. Philip Green pointed out that BhS withdrew the underwear in 2003, after having it on the shelf a limited amount of

Are the Welsh Assembly Government signalling a change of policy in the choice of design for their new offices in Llandudno Junction? The main photo is of Dounreay nuclear power station, the inset is an artist's impression of the new North Wales office. There is a startling similarity between the two. Either the Assembly Government are planning a dual use for their North Wales flagship or the architect is used to designing a different type of building. I think that the good people of Llandudno Junction deserve an explanation.

Surely, Labour party supporters and members must ask themselves what on earth is the point of their party? Whenver the Labour party gets into Government the cries of betrayal and the sounds of disappointment are not far behind. Why do they continue suporting a party that never lives up to their expectations? And why does the party always fail to deliver? Could it be that there are inherent

The Observer reports that Blair has instructed the Home Secretary to scrap UK human rights laws, and to change the legal system in a way that gives massive power to the government. According to the Observer the Prime Minister wants the government to have the power to override court rulings. Shami Chakrabarti reacted with appropriate outrage to the plans'This government is addicted to quick-fix legislation to distract attention from maladministration,' she said. 'Tough talk and tough legislation don't ensure that the prison service is run properly, or the probation service is run properly.' 'The sinister twist in this case ...

You wouldn't know it from our TBGB, fashion and review-obsessed Sunday newspapers (or the BBC website), but H5N1 flu-watchers are concerned about an outbreak in Indonesia. Several members (5 or 8) of a family have been infected and at least three have died. Epidemiologists are sweating over whether they were infected by inhaling or eating infected material from poultry (bird to human - B2H -

One of the drawbacks of being a councillor is that if you're not careful it can be a particularly unhealthy lifestyle. And I'm not careful. I have a sedentary full-time day job, and my evenings and weekends are often taken up with sitting around in meetings and surgeries, or slouched in front of a computer. So temptation for grabbing unhealthy food snacks, not exercising and stress. And I can resist anything, except temptation. Trouble is, don't have much time for formal exercise, apart from the occasional dip in what one defeated Labour councillor called 'that ...

According to the Guardian today: Labour could be heading for a wipe-out by David Cameron's Tories at the next general election, says the first detailed study of the local election results and their possible impact. The analysis, compiled by the Electoral Reform Society and released to The Observer yesterday, predicts that Labour stands to lose 149 of its present 355 MPs, bringing its Commons

On Monday I had the medical for my Canadian Residency application. The doctor who examined me was a right Cassandra. She clearly thought my application might be refused because I have health problems. She kept shaking her head, muttering 'not a straightforward case'; I sensed that she was enjoying herself. The medical raised my anxiety level to a new high. We are burning our boats by selling up and moving all our possessions to Edmonton. The application will take about 10 months to process anyway, during which time I am a sort of transatlantic gypsy. My status in Canada will ...