LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Sunday 8th October 2006

When fruitcakes fall out

The Tory-leaning West Brom Blog has an important story on feuding within UKIP. It seems the UKIP Wales Chairman, NEC member and former leadership candidate Richard Suchorzewski has resigned from the party. His resignation letter (which West Brom links to) accuses the new leader Nigel Farage of "scurrilous behavior, defamatory comments and downright dishonesty", because Suchorzewski was subjected to extreme slurs including that of BNP connections. This being despite the fact that "these scoundrels knew that my grandfather was murdered by the Nazis in a concentration camp and my Great Grandfather was discovered hanged by them from a lamp post ...

Bob Neill "Tired and Emotional" - Surely Not?

I've heard a very interesting story is doing the rounds that was recently published in the Evening Standard. A paper that I have to admit I rather dislike and do not read all that often. However, I have heard a whisper that there was a story on the gorgeous, pouting, Benito Mussolini look alike when making an angry speech, Bob Neill - the multijobbing MP for Bromley & Chislehurst (despite the best efforts of yours truly). It seems that Bob is a bit nervous about his survivability in Bromley. Might help if he actually carried out ...

No more crimes please, the prisons are full

John Reid has, according to ITV News, given the order to transfer prisoners to Open Prisons and Police cells due to the fact that our prisons our now almost completely full. I know he has to do something, but given that we lock up a higher percentage of our populaton than any other country in Europe and have the highest re-offending rate, isn't it time we re-examined the policy of locking people up without rehabilitating them ? There is supposed to be rehabilitation of offenders in UK prisons, but due to overcrowding and a lack of resources for ...

Who do UKIP think they are deluding

Nigel Farage, the newly-elected leader of UKIP, has made the laughable claim that they speak for the true "silent majority". Perhaps Mr Farage has a short memory. He came a distant third in the relatively recent by-election held in Bromley & Chislehurst back in June, achieving just slightly over 8% of the vote, despite having significant financial support and a dedicated campaign team. If they can't convince a constituency of people who elected one of the most right-wing Tory MPs in recent history (with a 51% majority in 2005) who supported the death penalty, claimed to represent the "millions of ...

Trust but verify

A recent survey has shown that people in Britain are moderately happy with their lives. All in all a happy society is to be welcomed. One area where the survey showed particular dissatisfaction was with politics. The Brits don't trust their leaders- any of them. They are not even sure about the institutions. The findings are striking, and very distinctive. Personally I think that it shows the good sense of most of the British people- the fact is that a healthy scepticism is much to be preferred compared to the slavishness of the citizens of a tyranny. However it also ...

An Email From Dante's Hell

The full story is in Time magazine , but in case it disappears, here are the most memorable bits: All: I haven't written very much from Iraq. There's really not much to write about. More exactly, there's not much I can write about because practically everything I do, read or hear is classified military information or is depressing to the point that I'd rather just forget about it, never mind

What was Jack Straw trying to do?

There's been an incident in Liverpool - a muslim woman at a bus stop had her veil snatched off her by a guy protesting about how she was dressed. The woman was very upset, and the police are taking it all very seriously. But would it have happened without the Jack Straw story? Jack Straw said that he would prefer muslim women at his surgery to take their veil off. That would probably be OK if he said it to his researcher, or just to the people at the surgery. After all they can say yes, ...

Let the train...

Ages ago the InterCity part of British Rail had a series of adverts asking us to "let the train take the strain". It was supposed to be relaxing, and more sensible, to leave the car behind and take to the rails. Now as someone who used to drive, I absolutely agree that if you get a regular, on-time, clean and comfortable train that is 100 times better than being stuck on the M6 or negotiating the traffic in central london. And that's without thinking about the need for more of us to move to public transport .. ...

Poll mining

Visiting Conservative Home is one of those grubby pleasures, like reading the Spectator. Their Tory Diary has a Cameron's sun rising, Brown's star waning type poll story and makes some interesting points about us: "1 The LibDems are not going away. This latest poll shows Ming's party at 20%. It is difficult to see the Tories winning a parliamentary majority without LibDem support retreating in

Extras - Comedy Gold

I've just watched last Thursday's episode of Extra's, the brilliant Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant comedy, for the second time. I enjoyed the first series, but the second series has been absolutely hilarious. Just like the office, the writiers seem to be able to create the most hilarious and also excrutiating moments when you watch almost transfixed whilst at the same time wanting to hide your face as you share the embarrassment of the characters. Next time someone moans about the license fee, tell them to watch an epsidode. Perhaps it will shut them up !

50% want Kennedy back within a year

As the Westminster Parliament returns for business, 50% of people who answered a Liberal Democrat Voice poll said they would like to see Charles Kennedy back on the Liberal Democrat front bench within a year. A further 27% would like to see him back in the next two to five years. 24% of those polled [...]

Three jobs Bob worried he will need his experience at the bar.

Seen in the Evening Standard this week: "Bromley and Chislehurst MP Bob Neill is well known for being in an advanced state of refreshment on the conference circuit. But he appears to have bitten off more than he can chew after taking on party chairman Francis Maude over taxes. Neill rolled up to Mr Maude to warn that unless there were tax cuts at the next election Bromley could be lost. The

PPC ads

The following seats have recently announced they are seeking Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (people to run as the Lib Dem candidate for MP at the next General Election). We list the constituency name, application closing date, and the contact details of the Returning Officer, whom you should contact for an application form. Penrith & The Border, 3 Nov, [...]

It is done

After 74 days on the road, during which I covered 1050 miles, I finished the walk at just before 2pm yesterday afternoon when I strolled into Land’s End, after a short 11 mile trip from Penzance via St Buryan and Sennen Cove. Yes, it’s over - I’ve walked from John O’Groats to Land’s End, and [...]

The new constituency boundaries

The UK Polling Report has posted a comprehensive guide to the boundary changes that will probably take effect before the next election. It gives a list of the notional results last time using these boundaries - there is good and bad news for the Liberal Democrats - and of our best prospects next time. It will also allow you to keep track of candidates as they are selected and discuss the prospects in each of the constituencies.

Fiona Hall Question Time Success

I was beginning to fear that we would get no one to the coffee morning and question time I was hosting with Fiona Hall, North East MEP, before the event this morning. I didn't have to entertain these fears after all. It ended up being standing room only in my living room. The question time was videoed and the raw results look good though there will need to be some editing to get it down into

Say hi to Silke!!

Sunday 8th October 2006 - To celebrate Animal Action Week I have "virtually" adopted Silke, as part of IFAW's "Making Waves for Seals" 2006 Campaign. This year's Animal Action Week campaign, "Making Waves for Seals," is particularly important to me, as it comes in the aftermath of a European Parliament resolution, which I backed, calling for the EU to ban the import, export and sale of all harp

Latest West End Community Council update

I've released my latest update for Tuesday's West End Community Council meeting - to read the story on my website, go to : http://www.dundee.prai.co.uk/news/304.html You can download the update itself by either going to the Community Council website (www.wecc.org.uk) or by clicking the headline above.

Back on the campaign trail

Sunday 8th October 2006 - With only 11 days to polling day in the Gorton South by-election I headed into Manchester today to help with the campaign to keep the seat in Lib Dem hands. The by-election was called following the sad loss of Cllr James Ashley, who was the sitting Lord Mayor of Manchester and with the Labour Party throwing everything bar the kitchen sink at us I am only too happy to

Constituency business

Friday 6th October 2006 - I have a busy day back in the constituency today with a full diary starting with a meeting with the Leader of Pendle Council Cllr Alan Davies to discuss issues of local concern that we share. After a brief staff meeting I head of to Cumbria for a meeting at St Anne's School in Windermere before dashing back down the M6 to attend Lancaster University Fresher's Fair and

Cheap day return, boundary Zone 3 to Emerson Park, with a gold card, please...

And with that, my adventure started... and the response? "Where is Emerson Park?", which was not entirely unreasonable considering where I was standing, i.e. at the ticket office at Peckham Rye station. So, having explained that it was between Romford and Upminster (although that wasn't a huge amount of help either, it must be said), we agreed a fare (£2.50) and I set off on my journey via

A Lib Dem narrative

If Liberalism is about anything it is about the idea that ordinary men and women can improve their own lives and those of others.

Great Repeal Act

I realise I am a bit slow off the mark with this one but I was not at this years annual conference. Having listened to Nick Cleggs speech about the need for a Great Repeal Act I have to declare I am convinced. Nick Clegg had me worried during the leadership election. I was worried that one of the great hopes for the future leadership of our great party had sold out on the basis of allowing a temporary leader to hold the fort whilst a younger generation had the opportunity to come through. If anyone has any doubt ...

Exciting or excitable

Due to my absence over the last few days I have not been able to post anything on Wednesday's Plenary debates. What I can say however is that those who thought that the Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks, might lack the charisma to do the First Minister's job, would have been surprised at his question time performance. Andrew Davies was assured, authorative and, according to the Presiding Officer, exciting: Andrew Davies: We do support—[Interruption.] The Presiding Officer: Order. The Minister is about to begin his answer. He has answered questions for a long ...

Writing about Blogging

Catching up with the papers I discovered an interesting article in Saturday's Western Mail about the use of blogs by the political parties. The author is kind enough to refer to this blog as one of the most popular in Wales. We will see. Where I will take issue with the article is its premise that blogging has been embraced by the political parties as the way forward. Whereas all the main parties have started to get into internet media in a big way the truth is that those at the top, and many politicians for that matter remain ...

Cottage Hospitals Under Threat Again In North Norf...

I've worked closely with Norman Lamb (MP for North Norfolk) on his campaigns for many years, since well before his election as MP and since then also, and a recurring theme has always been trying to stave off closures and cuts in North Norfolk's cottage hospitals. North Norfolk, for those who do not know, is served by one of the worst road networks in Britain with it taking a good hour or more just to reach the edge of Norwich from Wells, and to get the the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital requires you to drive along the un-official Northern ...

Getting Grumpy With the Royal Mail

Richard and I haven’t had a good week with the Post Office. We live in a small set of flats, with eight households all sharing the same downstairs letter box and eight bells to ring if something’s too big to push through. Yet in one week we’ve had four different problems with whoever is delivering our post, all while we were in, all avoidable by just ringing the bell. I’m trying to work out just how many complaints to make, though Stephen Tall’s article about 14,185 complaints to the Royal Mail in his neck of the woods doesn’t inspire confidence. ...

Anthea Hill coming through

A few days ago I wrote about Anthea Hill, wife of the Bishop of Bristol, who was seriously injured in a car accident on the M4 last Sunday. I notice that many people were googling "Anthea Hill" for news of her. I am delighted to say that the Diocese of Bristol have set up a blog giving regular updates on Anthea. There is a videcast (if that's what you call it) from Bishop Mike from

Iain Dale's Diary: EXCLUSIVE: Sir Ian Blair Says New Terror Attack Could Lead to Internment

Everyone should read this. Iain Dale's Diary: EXCLUSIVE: Sir Ian Blair Says New Terror Attack Could Lead to Internment. What you make of it is up to you of course, but such a scenario has been in the "narrative" of many dismissed as conspiracy theorists since 9/11 and probably before. Of course there's a world of difference between a more or less random act of terror by terrorists and the authorities cooking something up in order to be able to impose such restrictions (the most strident would even suggest, in the US at least, the aim is martial ...

Is there a Doctor in the House?

Just back from a Marie Curie fundraising event held in one of the community centres in my ward. The theme of the night was "goodies and baddies" so I went as James Bond! At the end I was press ganged into doing a starring role in a series of on stage gags. Being the shy, retiring sort, I had to be forced to do it! I was picked on as they wanted a doctor to play a doctor and since there were only

Cause and effect

Earlier this year the big fuss about cannabis was research that purported to show that it *caused* mental health problems. Or, more specifically, that amongst those people with a predisposition to schizophrenia and other serious mental health problems it somehow lit the fuse that was already prepared. Then recently the same statistical evidence used to justify this claim was re-examined by another group of researchers who found a more plausible explanation was that people with such mental health problems actually tend to try to self-medicate as their illness progresses. So use of cannabis is the effect, not the ...

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Sunday 8th October 2006

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