LibDem Blogs - Archived!

According to readers of NME.com - Oasis's 1994 Definitely Maybe is the best album of all time. Twelve years on, and people still rate it... so much for my Whiggish belief in progress. Almost as depressing as John Lennon's Imagine regularly topping the polls of best single ever, despite being perhaps the most gut-churning, vomit-inducing, soul-destroying paean to pretentiousness ever

Question Time Panel:- Inspector Neil Burnett, Pauline Reeve (Ryedale Voluntary Action), Myself, Jane Ford (Mayor of Malton) and John Brown (RDC Environmental Co-ordinator) at the Rainbow Lane Community Centre, 1st June.   A heated debate at times, several questions asked, but the overwhelming message that came across was the fact that young people were present to express their viewpoint. Much was learnt after the meeting when ‘networking’ while enjoying the ‘tea and bickies’ and many ideas put across. Watch this space for full report.  

Tonight's Question Time panel has no Lib Dem representative, but features two journalists from The Times (Michael Gove and Mary Ann Sieghart). That wasn't the reason I didn't watch it, mind. The real reason rhymes with dog's dinner.

This article by Phil Grant The latest edition of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography finds a worthy place for a quiet hero of mine. In 1950, the wartime ID card system lingered on, diffusely resented, with no definite purpose. Stopped for speeding and asked to produce his card, Harry Willcock just said no, in words none of us should fear in the face of the intrusive state: "I am a Liberal, and I am against this sort of thing." Willcock lost his court case on the letter of the law: a Pyrrhic victory for the ...

“The thing about politics”, I said to my colleagues at lunch recently, “is that if you’re not incredibly careful, it can absorb every moment of free time you have”. What I didn’t know, was that it could penetrate my staunchly apolitical working life, too!  We received a bipartisan congressional delegation on stem cell research at work today, including [...]

I'm a bit of a slow coach and I've been in catch-up mode this evening. Via the BBC's wonderful broadband service I just watched the last episode of "Line of Beauty". It was worth persevering to the end. The last episode was very satisfying. The series has been elegant and entertaining. Not for the sex or the politics though. The relationship between Nick and Kat. The immense sadness of those

After the US/UK invaded Iraq with the “backing” of a UN resolution which did not sanction war, it’s no wonder they can’t get any joy from Russia and China over Iran. UN resolution 1441 said nothing stronger than “The Security Council … 13. Recalls…, that the Council has repeatedly warned Iraq that it will face [...]

I have thought for some time, and said so privately, that Trish Law made the wrong choice when she decided to stand for the Assembly. She must do what she believes is best of course and the chances are that she will win her husband's place in the Assembly. However, the really tough contest was always going to be the Parliamentary seat. I believe that Mrs Law could have won that contest and pulled Independent Dai Davies behind her into the Assembly. It is a much tougher job to do it the other way around. An opinion poll published ...

Alex Wilcock kindly suggests that I have written "the blogging headline of the year" in A lion has eaten our Oaten . Funnily enough, I have been increasingly dissatisfied with that headline. Looking at the original "The Lion and Albert" monologue, it is clear that I should have written Yon lion's eaten our Oaten. "The Lion and Albert" was written by Marriott Edgar, who turns out to have been something of a political philosopher. In his "The Magna Charter" he wrote the immortal final stanza: And it's through that there Magna Charter,As were made by the Barons of old,That ...

Donald Malcolm thinks so. See his article in The First Post.

Sheep, frog, and disgraced MP sing for England says the headline on a story about would-be England World Cup songs. Read the story and you find: they are all singing on different records; the "disgraced MP" is former MP Neil Hamilton (and not Mark Oaten as you may have feared).

The other day I pointed you to Common Ground's page on English customs and traditions for May. Their page for June is now in place.

Mark Oaten's film on Newsnight from 23rd May is available on to review here. I have just had the chance to watch it at leisure. I was very glad to see an extremely relaxed and cheerful Mark on this film. Noone would wish what he and his family have been through on anyone. It is good that he is obviously "bouncing back" and I wish him well. I hope he can now get coverage for doing things for Winchester rather than for his somewhat tangential forays into Celebrity Fit Club (or whatever it was) and this Newsnight film on "why ...

Posted by Chris Redcar and Cleveland Council today applauded an £8.5million programme for new housing schemes in the Borough, including the conversion of a derelict petrol station site into homes for the over 55s. The five schemes planned by three local housing associations, which will provide a total of 68 new units, are benefiting from a £4.164m Housing Corporation Grant, part of the National Affordable Housing Programme, towards their completion over the next two years. We are delighted with the grant allocation and are sure that the housing associations will maximise the impact of this expenditure. I am particularly pleased ...

Though hardly an avid follower of the charts, I spotted that Robbie Williams has a new entry this week with Sin Sin Sin. Despite his supposedly being Britain’s most popular artist and constant coverage in one of the few ITV programmes getting solid ratings – he even got the Radio Times front cover, making it an outstandingly propitious week in which to launch a single – he was unable to do better than number 22, the lowest chart placing he’s ever had. By coincidence, it’s his first single since his court case about the shocking allegation that he wasn’t heterosexual. ...

The BBC reports: "US-led troops in Iraq are to undergo ethical training in the wake of the alleged murder of civilians in Haditha. For the next 30 days, they will receive lessons in "core warrior values", a military statement said." I am not normally one for Bible-bashing, but perhaps a good, simple start for these ethics lessons would be Exodus 20, verse 13: "You shall not murder."

My friend Henry got lucky and got us in to see Dirty Pretty Things at the London Bridge Vaults last night. It was pretty hot actually. But I bet it won’t be as hot the Bromley and Chislehurst by-election; seriously looking forward to some leaflet action next week.

Now that John Prescott has given up residence of Dorneywood attention will inevitably shift to the question of which Minister will use it instead. According to Wikipedia, the Prime Minister alone decides which Minister or Secretary of State is to occupy the house. In previous administrations it has been the residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Various former Prime Ministers (before achieving the premiership) have occupied the house, among them Anthony Eden; he and his wife had disliked the house. However, on becoming Prime Minister, Alec Douglas-Home was reluctant to forsake the more comfortable and modern Dorneywood for ...

One of the problems with travelling alone is that it can be a bit isolating. I have to admit that the ability to turn to someone you care about and say, "isn't that X?", is an important one. And so, gentle reader, you'll have to stand in today. Today, I thought that I would go to the zoo, here in Seoul. I'm rather fond of zoos, as I'm rather fond of animals. And whilst it was warm (about 29

From The Two Ronnies to another great comic institution; I’ve talked about how easy it is to get a laugh about Mr Prescott before. It proves for those who say he’s become a laughing stock since the news of his affair broke, nonsense. He’s been a laughing stock for years. He mangles his words in a far less inspired way than Ronnie Barker, and – more importantly – he’s been a disastrously bad minister and should have been sacked years ago. But just now, I’m unusually tempted to leave him alone. And why? I don’t want sex to be sackable. ...

One knew that things were bad in the Conservative Party - but thanks to Iain Dale we now know just how strained things have become. According to Iain, attacks on one "A list" name (note for readers: the A list is a list of "Dave's Faves" - minor celebrities who are now to be promoted above the so-called "provincial second-raters") amount to a Witch Hunt: The hounding of Adam Rickett, both by the media and disdainful Conservatives, has gone far enough. It's time to stop. It's a disgrace that he has been villified in such a disgusting manner by people ...

Kirk vs Picard

The author is a British Army officer currently serving in Iraq. This post is written in response to the comments on the author's original post here. I'd like to use this post to respond to the comments made on previous post about nation building and also to examine in greater detail a point made previously about the utility of force which I feel has still not sunk in deeply enough in the minds of commentators and policy makers. I'll begin by summarising what I believe is the gist of the points made; firstly the moral imperative to intervene made ...

I grew up watching and enjoying The Two Ronnies. Rather like the Carry Ons, I had a vague feeling in my teens that they were sexist and otherwise old hat, then came to rediscover that they were still very funny. We loved their Sketchbook series last year, and I felt strangely bereft when Ronnie Barker died. I recently discovered that ITV3 were showing old editions of their series on Thursdays and Fridays, and had become quite hooked all over again by their absurdly sexist serial The Worm That Turned. Tune in tonight and tomorrow, though, and you’ll be disappointed. ...

One more encouraging thing from visiting the European Molecular Biology Lab: the magazine Science in School, the importance that EMBL attaches to science education and its work increasing public engagement with science. Issue 1 of Science in Schools has this article on something that's preoccupied me (and should be preoccupying Lib Dem policymakers) for a while: declining interest in science,

Over at Not Little England MatGB points to two articles talking about the effects of this government's legislative diarrhoea and curtailing of civil liberties, especially the effects these actions have on the repressive regimes we claim to stand against. Not Little England: Terry Waite, Boris Johnson: Blair is letting terrorism win (and yes, not all Tories are bad, they just have their fair

PLEASE NOTE: MY SERVICE PROVIDER (20six) IS ABOUT TO RE-VAMP THE SYSTEM. YOU MAY FIND MY SITE, THEREFORE, TEMPORARILY IN A STATE OF DISARRAY!

The fact that nobody actually knows when the new Wembley stadium will be completed may well be good news for Cardiff, but what does it say about the project management abilities of the Football Association? The big question that must be occupying the minds of Government Ministers however is, if we cannot get this development delivered on time then what chance do we have with regards to the Olympic facilities? Do you think that they will allow us to delay the start of the Olympics by a year or two?

So John Prescott has given up Dorneywood. No more croquet on the lawns for him and his staff then. The Times Online front page is interestingly laid out today. Firstly there is the headline Prescott Quits House which can be slightly miscontrued. Normally for a MP this would have other connotations that what is relevant in Prezza's case. Directly below that however is the headline that naughty

The question I've been asked most in the last couple of weeks is: What do we call you? My very first engagement as Mayor was at Dysart School and the children there, who have severe learning difficulties, decided to call me Mayor Mary. That was fine, but here are some things NOT to call me: Your Honour (judges), The Honourable (High Court judges, children of some peers or US...

The link relates to Cornwall. There was a news piece about Coventry that I have not been able to find on the web. Those talk about a forecast deficit of £30m. As usual it is difficult to work out from the reports whether this relates to financial year April 2005-March 2006 or the current financial year. The govetnment are still refusing to reveal their most up-to-date predictions. The

The massacre of 24 Iraqi civilians in the town of Haditha may turn out to be the Americans "Mai Lai" moment. It looks as if there may have been some form of cover up which will not help the overall impression. The Mai Lai massacre was believed to have been a key factor in undermining support for the Vietnam war and it remains to be seen whether or not this incident will have a similar impact on US public opinion. George Bushs opinion poll ratings have not been good of late fluctuating between 31% and 37% approval over the last ...

It's a dirty job, but somebody had to do it.

Biggest county in England, most beautiful, with the finest food in the world and the best seaside resort in Britain? That'll be North Yorkshire. Take my word for it, just please don't visit: judging by number of people piling into Whitby this half term with cars full of fractious children and damp sandwiches to chastise the former and eat the latter on gale-lashed cliff-tops, we're full.