I don't often do these things, but was curious. Am not sure it's got me right in some aspects but it certainly has in other areas: My Personality Neuroticism99 Extraversion3 Openness To Experience70 Agreeableness99 Conscientiousness1 Test Yourself Compare Yourself View Full Report Bebo, MySpace Layouts and hi5 by Pulseware Survey Software
As I write, Sky News is splendidly quenching my insatiable thirst for continuing speculation surrounding Tony Blair’s long good-bye (while simultaneously following England’s Euro ’08 progress against Macedonia, and feigning some actual work). Apparently Mr Blair is “considering” announcing tomorrow that he will quit within the year. It’s a last desperate roll of the dice, and doomed to fail. And
I decided a while ago to keep a diary of the various issues and bits of casework I am dealing with. This was partly to see if I could get better at time management, but also partly to get an overview of what the main recurring issues are. Needless to say I am finding that housing (including disability adaptations), environmental problems and crime/antisocial behaviour tend to be the main three themes. Tomorrow is a case in point. I have got some time in the office working on some issues mainly to do with asb and environment ...
Universal theme for the day in blogland and the press is the forthcoming departure of Mr Blair to the great lecture tour in the sky (or in Texas, maybe). So I'll limit myself to repeating the bleedin' obvious, as amusingly stated by Iain McWhirter: It would be tragic if it weren't so funny. The Downing St memo on Blair's last days reads like the curtain call for some Eastern European dictator. It
Managed to miss most of the news today about various government resignations. Things seem to be moving so fast, with rumours of more malcontents. On the face of it Tony Blair has lost control of the timing of when he'll go - although I can't see him being bundled out that quickly. I remember in 1997 there was a huge feeling of goodwill towards the new government. Even people who hadn't voted for them wanted them to do well. Yet now its hard to find anyone who admits to supporting them. I can't remember ...
Wednesday 6th September 2006 - Spent the best part of the morning thrashing out a resolution to be tabled tomorrow on Sri Lanka, difficult to get it where we wanted it to be but got there in the end. Just time after that to prepare my speech for this afternoon's debate on the current situation in the Middle East. As this was the first plenary session of the Parliament since the summer recess it
It is conventional wisdom that The West Wing jumps the shark at the end of season four with the departure of writer and creator Aaron Sorkin. There is a case to be made, though, that the rot sets in a little earlier, with the sense that season four itself is where the series began to [...]
Tonight was the election of the Bury South Prospective Parliamentary Candidate (PPC), the person who will fight the parliamentary seat at the next General Election. The process of electing the candidate involves all the local party members voting for one of the three wannabe PPCs. And tonight was the big vote. And, whereas the X-Factor Grand Final took place in a massive TV studio and was watched
Haven’t been able to get onto the internet in the last week, but all is still well. I’m currently in Haworth, about a day behind the schedule I posted last week because of an unscheduled day off on Sunday because of a stomach ache. Aside from that, things are mostly fine - if only it didn’t [...]
I am not one for bragging, but my best friend is Keira Knightley. Keira's nan use to love at the bottom of my nan's road in Walthamstow and they were good friends. They used to have tea with each other and meet up on a regular basis. In fact when my Nan died, my mum and dad visited Keira's Nan who had moved to be near her son, Keira's Dad. Now the confession. I haven't actually met Keira.
If only Mr Blair had heeded his own advice, as recorded by Paddy Ashdown in his second volume of diaries: “Going is the most difficult thing to do in politics. Too many people stay for too long. I would rather stop when people said, ‘Why is he going?’ than when they said, ‘Why isn’t he going?’ Or, even worse, ‘When is he going?’” (Tony Blair quoted in The Ashdown Diaries, V.II (1997-99), p.385)As
The Liberal Democrat policy papers for the forthcoming conference includes one devoted to Britain's Global Responsibilities which makes some interesting reading. The executive summary sets out the criteria which would have to be satisfied before the Lib Dems would sanction military intervention, and later on pages 12 and 13 there is a section specially devoted to condemning the invasion of Iraq. But on reading what is offered in the executive summary I am still at a loss as to see how the criteria selected would have prevented the invasion of Iraq: 1. Strong arguments in a specific circumstance for ...
Good news from Northern Ireland. Two new integrated schools - Rowallane Integrated College and Clogher Valley Primary School - have opened. I am not someone who gets angry about faith schools. In particular, the idea that the average Church of England primary school is engaged in a sinister programme of religious indoctrination seems ridiculous to me. But it hard to disagree with the argument that Northern Ireland could do with less segregation in its schools. So a victory for state education then? Not a bit of it, reports the BBC: The schools are opening despite the Department of Education's ...
Liberal DrinksOriginally uploaded by nilexuk. I’m not sure whether I’m guilty of mis-selling if the invite I send out for our “Liberal Drinks” event makes the evening look like a really hot date. I don’t think we’ll have anyone that pretty in the Sal, 14th Sep, 7.30pm. Blimey, after spending an hour knocking up the artwork for that, [...]
Residents of Pontesbury have hit back following last night's report that they have been warned not to home-grown vegetables because of contamination from old mine workings: Geoff Manley, pictured, chairman of the Pontesbury and District Gardening Association, said many residents in the Ashford Estate area had been there for decades and shown no sign of lead poisoning. “Our old treasurer of the gardening association, Jack Simpson, grew veg and lived in Ashford Drive, and he died at 88,” Mr Manley said. “Jim Pugh is still up there and he is knocking on 90 and still looking well. John Taylor ...
Tuesday Anyone who thinks this is going to be about Lord Blairimort is out of their FLUFFY mind! Instead: EXCELLENT news – the greatest secret agent in the world (JAMES BOND excepted, I think you will find!) is back. DANGERMOUSE, made by cartoon grand masters COSGROVE HALL, was first shown on ITV yonks ago, before they gave up on children's television because it was too intellectually challenging, but now he is to come to the BBC. This is EXTRA good as hopefully it will encourage Cosgrove Hall to do MORE stuff with the BBC! [R: Hint, hint!] DANGERMOUSE and ...
So says Amendment XX, dated 1933, to the US Constitution. Wouldn't that be handy over here? The actual hour on the actual date at which each President expires is dictated by the Constitution. No messing around and briefing journalists to wrench the hands of the PM from the doorhandle of his office. It all happens with no debate at all. The argument is often repeated that if Tony Blair announced a date for his departure, he would turn himself into a lame duck. I have not often heard this obvious rubbish disputed. Firstly, what is he now if he is ...
So, the once arsecreepingly loyal Tom Watson (also known to me as 'Tianjin' Tom for his Chinese Communist Party style denunciation of defence barristers) has quit the Government with 6 other of his chums over Blair's ongoing refusal to "name the day". Does it really matter? I think it does as it shows how deep Blair's unpopularity has now got to the point where Labour marginal seat MPs are starting to panic and some are positioning themselves for the succession. It's looking less and less likely that there is to be an orderly transition and the odds on a ...
After a little bit of research today I discovered that the British base in Maysan Province (known as Camp Abu Naji) was in fact wound down in early August and competely gutted by looters shortly afterwards. Did anyone else miss this piece of news? It's interesting, because here there is a piece by the BBC dated the 13th of August which talks about the withdrawal at some future date, probably this September. I suppose these stories are put about to guarantee operational security, and thanks in part to events in Lebanon they seem to have succeeded quite well.
I wrote this article for e-Government Bulletin this week. What Blogs Bring to the Mayor's Office Until May this year I was a normal political blogger, commenting on issues in the ward where I am a councillor, reflecting on the national scene and campaigning for re-election. Then I became Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and had to rethink how to blog while upholding...
Seven MPs have today resigned from the Government, no real big hitters - in fact some very insignificant MPs but it shows how depressed with the Blair Leadership they are. This follows a number of letters from MPs calling for Blair to name the date of his departure.
Last night I went to see The History Boys with the Selly Oak Councillors Alistair Dow, Robert Wright, Dave Radcliffe and Dave's parents at the Birmingham Rep. The History Boys is the new Alan Bennett play, which has come straight from Broadway. It is very good and runs until 16 September - if you get a chance go and see it.
...hours of fun or five minutes of fun including page refresh time if you inflict it on an unsuspecting friend and see how long it takes them to figure out that they're not talking to a real person. Political discussion is optional... [Wikipedia entry is here. And here's the BBC tech link and a Grauniad article].
You can tell I'm prevaricating and procrastinating - but I've been watching the Labour Party self-destruct in preference to writing my speech for the keynote spot at the Smart Government Forum tomorrow. Cometh the moment cometh the man? Is Gordon going to step forward now and show that he has what it takes to lead? Otherwise - the moment may pass him by. Sky says that he is likely to do
I can’t help but notice that “yours ever” seems to be the new Westminster code for “fuck off and die” - letters have been flying around Westminster today, but it seems there’s no point trying to topple the Prime Minister if you can’t be civil about it. – – blair, government, labour
made it into the 20th Carnival of the Liberals so without his permission (sorry) Lunartalks nominated Cicero for this post on Connections. There's a lot of enviably good writing and political analysis on Lib Dem Blogs, but what inspired me to nominate Cicero was this brilliant para: "For me, the only way to respond to an increasingly connected world is to rely on a set of fundamental principles
1000 lobsters have been stolen from Hartlepool, a place famous for hanging a shipwrecked monkey thinking it was a French spy, an act eclipsed only by electing Peter Mandelson to Parliament. The BBC report contains a few wretched puns, and delights in reporting that the theives will be 'netted' by one PC Whiting. Whiting is a fish, you see. Also known to local sea anglers as 'shitfish' for its fondness for dining around sewage outfalls.
Radio 4 has two daily half-hour comedy slots; while their 6.30pm comedies have been variable, The World at One continues to provide belly-laughs. Today this sketch show was given over to a linked series of skits on the ‘Labour Party’, including egregious boot-licker Tom Watson’s sudden, hilarious attempt to pose as a man of principle (“I love you, Tony, but I must push you under a bus for the good of the country and, particularly, my re-selection”), with the punch-line from the Prime Minister that, yah boo, he was going to sack him anyway. Of course you were, Mr Blair. ...
Surely Alex Foster’s blog would win the ‘best comment of the year’ category? conference, libdems
What is it about party leaders that makes them completely unable to see when their time is up? Surely it takes a certain amount of political nous to have risen to that position in the first place! Personally, I’m hoping he sticks it out until the bitter end. Every day that he remains in the top [...]
The BBC report that junior minister, Tom Watson and Khalid Mahmood, a parliamentary secretary to Home Office Minister Tony McNulty, have resigned over the fact that Tony Blair will not name a day. How many more are to follow has yet to be seen. Blair described Watson as "disloyal, discourteous and wrong" for signing a round robin letter urging the PM to go. Who would have thought it? Politics
Listen who cares To the sound of New Labour Push Blair down the stairs. With apologies to someone or another.
It may have skipped people's notice amongst all this speculation about Tony Blair's departure date*, but the other two parties are still talking about policy substance. The LibDems have today officially launched their Taking Power online conference, which will discuss the Power Report and how to revitalise our democracy, getting more people involved in the process. Speaking at the conference's
Commenting on speculation that Tony Blair will step down in a year, Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Ming Campbell, said: This is no longer a matter of the convenience of the Labour Party and the ambitions of its senior members. What is at issue is the national interest, which is not being served by the continuing [...]
Get so annoyed when I see wilful damage done to public infrastructure. Frustrated at the time it takes for repairs to be done. Disappointed that people just walk past and completely ignore what's going on around them - taking it for granted that any problem will eventually be sorted. The warning lights at bus stops and some side roads is a daft design. The top is lightweight plastic but it's easily removable from the base - one yank and it's off - seen it happen many times. Looks cool when they are setup all new but they are a magnet ... 
Dave Cameron whips out his notebook once more to blame low wages on globalisation, not immigration: "So we can't just celebrate the benefits of globalisation. We must also be honest about its costs, because the alternative is that people project their fears and anxieties on to other ethnic groups or other countries." Mr Cameron searches for his chin It's almost as if he has a focus group set up
Ming Campbell addressed the launch of the ‘Taking Power‘ virtual conference as follows: Over the next few weeks, the UK’s political parties will descend on towns throughout the UK in order to hold their traditional autumn conferences. Political activists – the usual suspects – will flock to Brighton, Bournemouth and Manchester to discuss the issues [...]
As I write, 30 people online have been able to join in a Westminster based event. There are apparently 24 people in the actual room. Martin Tod, genius behind the idea, is giving us the state funeral-esque narration (just kidding, Martin!) libdems, skype
As the tide of even Labour MPs sick to death of him reaches unmanageable proportions, Mr Blair has ‘signalled’ through a few close friends (and he can only have a few left) like David “Damn, I’m not ready to challenge Gordon” Miliband, Minister for Social Nationalisation Hilary Armstrong and of course Rupert Stavro Murdoch that he’ll soon be off. He’s not said it himself, of course, because he’s now so pathologically incapable of anything but spin that even his leaving announcement needs a get-out clause. And he still can’t see why even his own party are all shouting, “Get out!” ...
This is a nightmare ending for Blair and catastrophic for the Labour party. Having watched breaking news on and off all night (wakeful – don’t know why - usually log-like) the pundits have concluded that having named the day - Tony won't last the course. Poor sod. Name the day! Name the day! Tony names the day (via the Sun) - and then the day isn't good enough. I would feel sorry - but much has
The End is Nigh for Blair Brown is demanding public timetable for his departure say The Guardian. Nothing like trust amongst old friends... The Sun is sticking up for TB. Friends in high places Tony? Blair's agent demands an "open leadership contest". The next week will no doubt see the birth of a new wing of the Labour Party, ABB - Anyone But Brown. A new "hypothetical" poll shows that the electorate don't care who is the next Labour leader, but that Ming Campell isn't exactly wowing the crowds either. Blogroll The EU's "one ...
I am travelling to Scotland later today for a 24 hour voyage of discovery. To be precise I am going with the Assembly Shadow Commission to find out more about how our equivalent operates up there, to pick up tips and find out how to avoid bear-traps in the brave new world of a separate Assembly Parliamentary Service from next May.This morning's Western Mail carries an interview with the Presiding
This article in The Stage deals with the launch of the "Performers Alliance" APPG. I am a bit confused as to how writers then become performers, but I suppose if you include the concept of creating intellectual property for entertainment then that fits. MU member and Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming, who will be one of the vice chairs, told The Stage: “There are many performers who do not earn
Some old bikes at the show at the Super Rally 2003
It seems that everyone is generating maps to show where they've been so I thought I might join in... create your own visited country map or check our Venice travel guide There are some quirky omissions, and I'm working on the gaps, so it might look quite different in a few years... 
Monday Guess who's off on another jolly? Yes, like many a young HIPPY, Mr Balloon has joined the flip-flop trail to INDIA in order to get his hands on some of their fantastic po… policy ideas. You can even read about it, in "his own" words, as he has written his "what I did on my holiday" diary: "Tonight I'll arrive in India for the first time in seven years, and I’m sure it's going to be a fantastic trip." That is refreshingly honest. They do say that the first step is admitting that ...
I've been reading The Libertarian Reader by David Boaz, the Executive Vice President of the US Cato Institute. This is a series of selected essays or book extracts from authors the editor views as 'libertarian'. I've always found the 'libertarian'/'liberal' thing confusing in the US since 'liberal' in the US can mean statist, and thus more akin to the UK Labour party than the UK Liberal Democrat party. The Cato Institute is, however, minarchist which comes from a similar tradition to UK liberalism but is really quite different from the UK liberal beliefs outlined in Young, Free and Liberal ...
Today, Liberal Democrat Leader Ming Campbell and Liberal Democrat Peer, Paul Tyler, will launch a “virtual conference” with cross party support aimed at re-engaging people with the political process. Hundreds of people, particularly students, have already registered for the on-line conference. It should be of real concern to all of us that there are 17 million [...]
create your own visited country map or check our Venice travel guide During the course of my travels and work I've been to a fair few places. Seems like I've quite a lot of ground still to cover. There's still time yet! | < | September 2006 | > | ||||
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