11:15 pm
Democratic Services Officers manage all the Council meetings and committees. They are experts on procedure and on constitutional issues and they provide invaluable support to councillors. And yet they often, sadly, get left out of the e-democracy networks, which seem to be dominated by ICT people and consultation officers. So I was really pleased to be asked to run a workshop yesterday...
10:51 pm
Splits and rows as usual in the Tories... Hooray!
8:46 pm
I found a site about marine biology from Hawaii that I'm sure had Stephen Glenn on it's blogroll, but now I can't find it again. I've found a list of 50 good science blogs. And I've found a rather good website devoted to surviving without a parachute: "Admit it: You want to be the sole survivor of an airline disaster. You aren't looking for a disaster to happen, but if it does, you see yourself
8:36 pm
Did you see this press release from Don Foster? The Lib Dems have been doing techy stuff all day.
8:28 pm
Last night, I chaired my last ever meeting of the Southwark Environment Forum. I am passing over to the new councillor in charge of environment, Cllr Lisa Rajan. (I would have chaired it much better if i hadn’t lost my voice…) The Forum was re-formed when the Lib Dems won the 2002 election. (Shamefully, it had previously been [...]
8:14 pm
{Cameron returns in triumph} Cameron returns in triumph
8:05 pm
I’m not normally competitve, but an email came in tonight that set me against the clock and racing against other activists. Earlier in the day, an email came to a Lib Dem computer list saying that there was a new video clip on our website of Ming talking about the environment. It was using Google [...]
5:37 pm
Iain has a point here, arguing that it is not the job of the Chairman of a Select Committee to take a party political line. This investigation is serious. We can all play party politics with it, but for the Chairman of a Select Committee to do so indicates one of two things. Either he's been 'got at' or he has lost his sense of understanding of the role of a Select Committee Chairman. One can´t help feeling that it is the revelation that the Police had interviewed more Conservatives than Labour people that really upsets Iain. ...
5:31 pm
Probably not, but it's borderline. There is a case to be answered. Lord Levy was responsible for bringing Alvin Stardust to stardom through Magnet Records when he was plain Michael Levy. I've heard worse lyrics than those of Alvin Stardust's "My Coo Ca Choo". His second hit "Jealous Mind" was approaching a decent record. Pete Shelley was the writer and producer behind the Alvin Stardust hits.
5:30 pm
Yesterday, I was fortunate to be in the Mound Stand at Lord's for the first day of the first Test against Pakistan. As usual, I had my trusty Long Wave steam radio, plus earpiece, with me. So, I was able to hear the explanations of the 'Test Match Special' team as I watched (although five minutes of the outspoken certainty of Geoff Boycott is normally enough for me). The preceding paragraph
3:42 pm
The story continues… Phone call #5: I call the Stirling number giving to me during my fourth call and am told they can’t answer my question but give me a Falkirk number to call - it’s the number of place who referred me to Stirling. They insist the Falkirk number is the right one. Phone call #6: [...]
2:44 pm
For those that have been Googling and reaching my blog (a LOT of people), this is a common search-string. Ben Abbotts, the Lib Dem Candidate received 10988 votes, which is 37.8% with an overall increase of +17.5%. This was just 633 votes off Bob Neill. The full results can be found at: http://www.ben4bromley.org.uk/results/1420.html.
2:22 pm
All three by-elections in the West Midlands yesterday were in Staffordshire. The Conservatives held all three, one of them unopposed. I think I have written before that I am against people (whatever party) being elected unopposed as I feel there is a duty on the political parties to offer a choice to the electorate and if I was an resident in Fulford ward I would be feeling cheated, of course I understand it is sometimes hard to find someone who wants to work but surely we must be able to find someone who would have their name on the ballot ...
2:17 pm
It’s come round quickly, but what is only my second year of Promming commences tonight! So then, I present the Proms I’m aiming to attend this year (including the two I’m performing in! Did I mention that? I’m performing in the Proms this year, you know. Did I say? This article features the performance in the [...]
1:32 pm
The Times ventures as close as it can to closing the case with the headline Official: Jack the Ripper identified: Chief Inspector Donald Swanson kept quiet for years but in retirement, frustrated that the murderer had escaped justice, could not resist scribbling notes in the margin of his boss’s memoirs, naming the man that they both [...]
1:15 pm
I was quite bemused yesterday to see two important announcements by Labour Assembly Government Ministers less than 24 hours after the final Plenary session before recess. These amounted to a major Transport Strategy consultation, and a health initiative described in the press as an 'A&E revolution'. In many ways it was strangely convenient that two major initiatives have been launched at the very moment that Ministers can evade scrutiny for the nine full weeks of the recess. Had either been announced just one day earlier then the Ministers concerned could have appeared before the Assembly and explained fully what ...
1:05 pm
In Lincoln we (currently) elect in thirds. Being the newest councilor for Park Ward I have noticed a problem. Of all the casework that has dropped through the door or been left on the phone, all of it has been for my attention. Nobody ever asks for Cllr Quinton, yet she is the one who knows which department or officer needs to be spoken to. The only good thing is that I've now got a casework helper... ...Heather.
11:57 am
Superb “do you know who I am?” outrage continues to belch forth from Lord Levy. I had a letter published in the Guardian today, but my poor grammar (combined with their editing) let me down somewhat. So, here is the director’s cut: Notwithstanding the police’s decision to arrest Michael Levy (Honours scandal reaches door of Downing [...]
11:23 am
I have previously condemned the A-listisos contesting Folkestone and Hythe for that their lack of impact to replace Michael Howard during the nomination process. However, the final three were Harriett Baldwin, Damian Collins and Laura Sandys, A-lististos all, sa. Harriett was PPC for Stockton North in 2005 and is a pensions and investments manager for J P Morgan, Damian was candidate for
11:01 am
I have just read Stephen Glenn complaining that Nick Robinson has banned him from leaving an apparently well-justified comment: I have just attempted to post a comment on Nick Robinson's blog on the BBC news site. I was attempting to point out to other readers and Nick himself that his throw away linking the words Michael Brown, Lib Dem donation and police investigation could be misconstrued in light of the general flow of the blog entry. As a Liberal Democrat candidate from May 2005 and a fellow blogger of Mr Robinson I find it very disconcerting that I got a ...
10:31 am
I've been reading with interest the discussion on Iain Dale's blog about my blog, and whether I should allow comments. I thought that Tim (whoever you are!) put it quite well: "Lynne's blog is set out as a 'diary', as the title explains. That suggests that she is simply listing the events of her week, and the thoughts she has had on it. I notice with her blog that most of her opinions are linked
9:40 am
Today's House Points column from Liberal Democrat News. The Oliver Goldsmith lines are from The Deserted Village . Auntie's elite Sunday’s World Cup Final was watched by 17 million people on BBC1 and only 3.5 million on ITV. When you take John Motson into account, there can be no clearer sign of the central place Auntie occupies in the life of the nation. Yet the following day the Commons debate on the BBC’s new Charter was tinged with sadness, because it may not be so central in the future. Will the licence fee survive when it becomes ...
9:39 am
I have just tried to pass comment on Nick Robinson's latest blog entry but have been told I'm not allowed to post comments. Is this the same BBC that rang me on the very morning that Charles Kennedy resigned looking for a supportive comment? Is this the same BBC that I have spoken in support of in the press and in conference debates? Obviously I want to know why the BBC or possibly Nick Robinson
9:23 am
Having read articles about the cutbacks being propopsed by Conway and Denbighshire NHS Trust in this weeks Daily Post, I felt that I had to look further into the facts of what is exactly is going on with our local Health Trust. I read with horror the Trust Board papers dated Monday 5th June , and I feel that I must share with readers my concerns and findings. The Clwyd Community Health Council and the Welsh Assembly Government have stated that the consultation time for any major changes in North Wales of hospital services will be extended to the ...
9:15 am
Nadia Fazal, who was the RESPECT candidate for Walsall South at the General Election has defected to the Liberal Democrats in Walsall. Earlier on in the week I wrote about defections, due to two Conservative Councillors defecting to Labour on Walsall Council and of course I knew Nadia was on the verge of defecting.
9:00 am
Long time readers may recall that a little over a year ago, Cllr Dan and I did a sponsored walk for the HIV/AIDS charity Crusaid. I’m not taking part this year (mainly because I can’t afford a weekend in London) but Dan’s doing it again, on July 30th, and would like your money. He’s aiming [...]
8:28 am
What the cops never figured out, and what I know now, was that these men would never break, never lie down, never bend over for anybody. Anybody. quote from Verbal in the Usual Suspects (1995) Well Scotland Yard are widening their circle of questioning regarding the cash for peerages investication. Soon they will be calling on Number 10 to ask the Prime Minster, aka Anthony Charles Lynton Blair
7:42 am
Cameron's EU flip-flop is threatening to define him in the eyes of the press The Mirror says CAM'S EU TURN Leader drops only policy he pledged By Bob Roberts, Deputy Political Editor DAVID Cameron did a u-turn yesterday on pulling Tory MEPs out of an alliance of EU moderates - the only policy he had promised during his leadership bid. Cameron had won support from Conservative right-wingers by vowing to withdraw from the European People's Party in "months not years". But yesterday he effectively ditched the move by delaying any decision until at ...
7:41 am
I stumbled across a provocative piece at TPM Cafe: "The Tragedy of American Independence". "File this one under 'why do liberals hate America?'but this time of year I'm always intrigued by the view that American independence was more-or-less a giant mistake.... The point is simply that, unlike a lot of superficially similar conflicts, there wasn't some kind of deep national antagonism between
12:13 am
The case of the 'NatWest 3' has been rightly championed by the Liberal Democrats over the last 10 days. It is an affront to natural justice that this Labour Government has signed a lopsided extradition treaty with the USA, which grants fewer rights to British citizens than to Americans. I lost count yesterday of the number of times Tony Blair and other Government apologists referred to the
12:09 am
Southwark Labour recently lost seats to us in East Dulwich in no small part thanks to the decision of Mayor Ken to attempt to bully residents to accept a high density housing plan that would have destroyed the character of the area. Southwark Council have blocked him. However, that's all about to change... Labour have decided they don't like local democracy. It's very inconvenient having to deal with all those local residents, protests and committees when you have a tractor factory to build to satisfy the Minister's five year plan for the farming communes. So instead... we are ...
Thursday 13th July 2006,
Wednesday 12th July 2006,
Tuesday 11th July 2006,
Monday 10th July 2006,
Sunday 9th July 2006,
Saturday 8th July 2006
