LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Monday 30th October 2006

Duncan Hannah

More on the painter of "Mystery at Nevill Holt" (or "Mystery at Bonkers Hall", as I think of it): These days Duncan Hannah is known for his nostalgia-ridden figurative paintings that take their inspiration from 1930s England. But 25 years ago he had a brief career as an underground film actor, appearing in a series of black-and-white movies by Amos Poe that sought to transplant the Parisian cool of the early Nouvelle Vague to the heroin-infused punk-rock milieu of New York's Lower East Side.

Great conference!!

Saturday 28th October 2006 - I attended the North West regional conference today held in Blackburn with a packed and varied agenda with a real green theme to it. It was good to see so many members there and have the chance to catch up with them and their campaigning plans and activity. I was asked to host a Diversity reception at lunchtime to encorage more women and ethnic

Duck Tales

I don't often blog about humour, advertising or even smutty humourous advertising but this one I could not resist. A viral marketing series where a puppet duck banters with the punters in a bar. If you want to see it click here but beware it may not be safe for work!! and don't complain if you are offended.

Westgate: the irony

Have a look at the artist's impression below as reproduced in the Oxford Mail story on tonight's planning debate at Oxford City Council over the proposals to extend the Westgate shopping centre: See how the road, Queen Street, has people milling around in safety and nice surroundings? There's not a bus in sight, is there? That's because we have been led to believe for the last six years and more that any redevelopment of the Westgate Centre would be contingent on finding a route for eastbound buses through the new centre that would finally get ...

David Cameron: Communicator of the year

PR Week has declared David Cameron Communicator of the Year. No doubt those who dislike Tories, spin, public relations or Cameron will think this confirms their prejudice. This award proves that Cameron has no substance and is all spin. This misses the point. The reason the newspaper of the public relations industry awarded Cameron this accolade is because it is abundantly clear Cameron, and

Darkness and Light

Finished this book off last week, but only now have got around to writing this review. The book was picked up at the Lincoln Book Festival, when John Harvey and Mark Billingham did a crime novel talk. I’ve not read any Johns books before and he’s written quite a few, so wasn’t too sure of what [...]

Tay Rope Works

At tonight's meeting of the City Council's Development Quality Committee, I successfully moved refusal of the planning application by Duncarse Limited for 11 flats and 4 houses on the Tay Rope Works site. Apart for 46 objectors (and 24 letters of support) some 121 residents signed a petition against the proposal. My grounds for refusal were: Reason 1 The proposed development is contrary to Policy 61 of the Dundee Local Plan review 2005 in that the proposals neither preserve or enhance the character of the surrounding area in terms of design principles and use of materials. ...

"Police Mergers" - Payouts are an insult

Nobody wanted local police forces to merge. Most local forces didn't want it, police authorities largely didn't want it, local councils didn't want it and neither did the electorate. So Labour force it on us anyway, make the local Police Authorities pay for it then fail to re-imburse them when the government decide not to go ahead with at after all. So unless you live in a handful of counties (not Norfolk unfortunately), the government payout does not cover the costs incurred so far ! Your couldn't make this farce up, but it is us who will pay ...

General election 07 is no myth

Word reaches The Voice that the party has taken out bookings for press conference venues for a general election next year… …which basically means, as they’re putting their money where their mouth is, that Cowley Street really think it’s a possibility.

PPC News

This week we’ve added Tessa Munt in Wells, and others, to our list of PPCs standing in the next election. Know someone who’s missing? e-mail robrobWHOISATlibdemvoice.orgrobWHOISATlibdemvoice.org (replace WHOISAT with @ to e-mail) (replace WHOISAT with @ to e-mail) The following seats have recently announced they are seeking Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (people to run as the Lib Dem candidate for MP at [...]

Jim Wallace to publish memoirs

Jim Wallace's call for the Holyrood First Minister and his or her deputy to have a seat in a reformed House of Lords has gained some publicity. That call was made at a lecture at Glasgow University this evening. On Sunday the Herald reported that he is to go further next year and publish his memoirs. The paper said: He has hinted there could be revelations that will cause embarrassment to some. The book will give his account of the frosty relations he had with Paddy Ashdown, who sought to do a Labour-LibDem deal with Tony Blair and to direct ...

LDYS: Winning Where?

The passage of LDYS Conference understandably draws my consideration to the state of our youth wing (not least as at this one I was elected to the LDYS Executive!) This week, I'll be offering a few perspectives on where we are and where we might be heading. In youth politics as a whole two trends dominate debate; single-issue campaigns and the "rise" of Conservative Future. The first is an issue

Internet Governance Forum

Why? Is the internet not the twentieth century's greatest example of "voluntary co-operation"? At least the late twnetieth century anyway. Why do we need "governance". It can be a beautiful thing. Like the lack of planning policy that went into Edinburgh's New Town? Yes, there are examples, pretty egregious ones at that, of countries where human rights are not respected anyway further attacking peoples' rights for speaking out on the internet, or restricting their access, but one of the beauties (if we exclude the gazillions of spam email messages and viruses) is that it has provided ...

Humbled and hurting

Turns out I was 319th out of 393 at the Accrington 10k yesterday, and that I was four minutes slower than the fastest over-75 veteran. I’m astonished by these fantastically fit old men, who still manage to beat me over long distances despite me having 50 years on them! Well done to them all. Although next time if you’d like to run in a race that I’m NOT in, so as to save me the humiliation… I was

Monkish business

This is from a month ago or so, but "Buckie" is back in the news as Scottish health minister seems to be blaming all society's ills on it. In a previous story the BBC wrote: Binge drinking - the Benedictine connection Buckfast Tonic Wine originates from Roman Catholic monks - not a group traditionally associated with the drunken masses Interesting choice of words there methinks. Have they not heard the joke: Q: How many English Benedictines does it take to change a lightbulb?A: Two - one to call the electrician while the other mixes the ...

RUGBY!

Good news from the rugby front. Went down to Cornwall this weekend to see my parents and watch some rugby and what a game! Cornish Pirates 34 - Exeter 20! We played well and deserved the win! Now back...

Lack of manners

No "Modern Manners" cartoon this week - I was up until almost 4 meeting a publisher's deadline and am too tired to be witty. I don't imagine anyone will miss it, anyway.

Trees issues, recycling proposal and shelters agai...

Had useful site visits this afternoon with residents in Ancrum and Pentland with a housing official about overgrown trees and damaged fencing. Earlier on finished delivering a consultation letter to residents adjacent to the Roseangle car park about the proposal to install recycling facilities. Initial reactions have been positive, especially as there will be no loss of parking, but am keen to give all nearby residents the opportunity to feed back before the facility is installed. Lastly, got feedback from Planning & Transportation to say that the smashed glass at the vandalised bus shelters (see ...

Could Norwich fans bring their boots to tomorrow's...

After a good start to Peter Grant's career as Norwich manager, things have taken a sudden slump after the thrashing they received from Stoke at the weekend. However, the injury crisis is chronic. I've been to games before when a referee or a linesman (sorry, assitant referee) has been injured and they have put out an announcement for any qualified referees to make themselves known to a steward. Which made me think that it is getting to the stage at Carrow Road that they might well ask if anyone fancies a game ! I'm wondering whether ...

Thousands Back Lib Dem Norfolk Hospital Campaign

Over 3000 Norfolk residents signed the Liberal Democrat "Hands off our Hospitals" petition on a day of campaigning on Saturday.

Lib Dem Green Tax Switch Gathers Local Support

Hundreds of people visited the Liberal Democrat "Green Tax Switch" stall in Norwich on Saturday to discuss and back the campaign to switch taxation away from people and onto pollution. A leaked letter from Minister David Milliband to Gordon Brown reported today reveals that Labour are looking at introducing green taxes.

Just a thought

Does anyone else think it strange that 247,287 people were living in de facto relationships (i.e. as unmarried cohabitants) according to the 1996 New Zealand census? I know these things are extrapolated, but surely logic must still prevail... A full update will follow when I have time (probably in the Christmas holidays, at this rate!). I'm currently consumed by thesis-related stress. I hope everyone is well!

Hectic, busy and ill

Lack of posts over the last couple of weeks or so have been due to a combination of throat infections, and preparing for things like my PPC assessment day. I hope to be back on track now, with a course of penicillin, and having achieved a grade 1 result from the assessment day.

Not quite all nerd

I suspect I was let down by my knowledge of the periodic table, although I thought the other aspects of my life didn't necessarily warrant nerdiness, but just good general knowledge... {I am nerdier than 90% of all people. Are you nerdier? Click here to find out!}

Caroline Spelman: “Me Am Bizarro Minister”

One of the more annoying Superman villains is Bizarro. Not really a villain at all, he’s a kind of bad copy of Superman who just does the opposite of Truth, Justice and the American Way. Unfortunately, it would appear that Caroline Spelman has decided that this is the perfect job description of a Shadow Cabinet [...]

Taxing Times Ahead

The front pages of most newspapers today lead on climate change and the need for action. It's heartening to see this issue top of the agenda and to hear politicians across the spectrum calling f...

Growth in wind power - Do planning rules help ?

The Eastern Daily Press reports today on the growth of interest in people having wind turbines attached to their homes. The Eastern counties, particularly Norfolk are perhaps the best suited areas for wind turbines in the whole of the UK, and it is pleasing to see that people are waking up to the problem of global warming. However, it is clear that planning laws have yet to catch up with micro-generation and people's willingness to be more environmentally friendly. Planning rules need to be updated, and quickly. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are always sending out ...

Whisky is dangerous

Whisky, and other spirits, specially distilled to take their alcohol (the chemical that provides the "high" - well, "low" actually in both cases!) content up from the usual 3-5% of beer to 40% or more, are dangerous. Non sequitur? Indeed - we all know that you don't drink whisky by the pint by and large. But people still use spirits to get blotto as fast as they can on as little liquid as they can and for those people, yes, it is dangerous. Yet such a FUD mantra (fear, uncertainty and denial) is routinely trotted out by ...

CMO on Expert Witnesses

I have not yet read the CMO's report on Expert Witnesses. There are, however, clearly very substantial problems far beyond just the one case. Problems are diagnosed where they basically don't exist. Then action is taken totally unnecessarily and very damagingly.

Permission Refused

Unsurprisingly today Permission was refused. I still think there is a strong legal case, however and am looking at taking the issue to the Court of Appeal. Otherwise we will continue to have a situation where the government hide problems until it is too late to properly fix them.

Redcar & Cleveland Compact

Guidelines for a new method of working, which can cover local public bodies and the voluntary and community sector in Redcar and Cleveland, will be outlined by a national expert at an awareness-raising day on Wednesday, November 1. Mark Blake, the project manager for the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, will address the meeting at Belmont House, Guisborough, organised by Redcar and Cleveland Council, which is applying compact principles across the Authority. The Redcar and Cleveland Compact is an overarching agreement between 28 local public bodies and approximately 450 voluntary and community sector organisations which sets out working arrangements and ...

Fireworks Night on the Stray

Redcar's Fireworks Night will switch to The Stray for a sparkling display on Sunday, November 5, starting at 6.30pm. The 30-minute extravaganza, between Redcar and Marske, will mean the Coast Road will be closed to traffic from the Zetland Park roundabout at Redcar to the roundabout at Marske from around 5pm to at least 30 minutes afterwards. Organisers will be setting off the fireworks from the grassed area near the car park close to the Redcar Stray toilets, firing over the sea. Huge new effects are planned, with fireworks rising to 1,800 feet and spraying as wide as 1,200 feet, ...

The Gallipoli Landings

Sunday 29th October The Discovery headed south from Bulgaria on Saturday evening and in the early hours of Sunday morning was makings its way through the Bosphorus from where we started nearly two weeks ago. As it was the early hours and I was tucked up in bed in my cabin, I missed the chance to see again the Bosphorus suspension bridges again. Other passengers did stay up til 3am to watch as

Rubbish

I've just received a letter from Kingston Council telling me about the new rubbish and recycling arrangements from next week. I do know that, for many people, the day of the week when their rubbish and recycling is collected won't change. But in some parts of the borough there will be changes to both rubbish and recycling. Putting out the bins and green boxes is one of those things...

Another day, another country - Bulgaria

Saturday 28th October Neseber is a small town on the Bulgarian coast - too small in fact for the ship to be able to dock at the port. So we had the challenging experience of taking the tenders to the shore. The town reminded me of North Wales - every street corner seemed to have a redundant church. Meanwhile a walk around the place also showed that is has become something of a tourism mecca. There were as many souvenir shops as there were churches, selling everything from Nazi and Soviet military paraphenalia to post cards of ...

18 Doughty Street

This evening, I’ll be following in the footsteps of fellow LibDem bloggers Stephen Tall and Andy Mayer by keeping our end up on Iain Dale’s Vox Politix discussion show on internet telly station 18 Doughty Street. Subjects up for debate include whether MPs are increasingly toeing the party line and the new climate change report [...]

Comedy of stage and screen

Following a wine-fuelled work quiz night on Friday which was good fun (my team lost on the tie-break and didn’t dispute too many answers…), I was up just after 5am on Saturday morning to get to the airport. I flew to City Airport for the first time, which is not only more convenient for central [...]

Reconciliation and Forgiveness

When we talk about empowering communities and encourage participation in the political process, partnership is key. Sometimes this means making new alliances and for that to happen, sometimes we need to make forgiveness and reconciliation happen. This is a piece I have written for the Forgiveness Project. “It was an acceptance really – not just that this is the way things are,but that this is the way things should be.” In 1992, Simon Wilson, was the victim of a hit and run car crash in ruralNorfolk which left him chronically disabled. The driver was never caughtbut Simon’s experience led him ...

Global Warming, Gordon and Gore

A report by economist Sir Nicholas Stern suggests that global warming could shrink the global economy by 20% but taking action now would cost just 1% of global gross domestic product A summary of the report can be found here In brief from the executive summary " evidence gathered by the Review leads to a simple conclusion: the benefits of strong, early action considerably outweigh the costs. The evidence shows that ignoring climate change will eventually damage economic growth. Our actions over the coming few decades could create risks of major disruption to economic and social activity, later in ...

American Elections

The Democrats are the party that says government will make you smarter, taller, richer, and remove the crabgrass on your lawn. The Republicans are the party that says government doesn't work and then they get elected and prove it. P. J. O'Rourke The American political class may have gerrymandered its democracy to impotence. George W. Bush may be the most incompetent president in modern American history. The United States may be trapped in Iraq and hobbled in the war against terror. But, with only a week to go before the US mid term elections it does look as ...

Is Gordon going green?

The political zeitgeist is certainly with those who are arguing for more action on safeguarding the environment. Sir Nicholas Stern, a Chief Economist at the World Bank, is publishing today his weighty report on the likely economic impact of climate change. "The Stern Review forecasts that 1% of global gross domestic product (GDP) must be spent on tackling climate change immediately. It warns that if no action is taken: Floods from rising sea levels could displace up to 100 million people Melting glaciers could cause water shortages for 1 in 6 of the world's population ...

Administrators for Africa Appeal

News just in from the BBC: "Money pledged by the UK to help an African township cut energy costs is paying for bureaucrats and accountants, BBC's Five Live Report has found out." More. Isn't it nice that Africa is getting all the benefits of our Western society? I'd like now to pledge my support for African countries to receive funding so they can bring their levels of statisticians and administrators in their health care system up to UK levels. After all, what is a heath service without statistics?

Give Guide Dog Owners a decent Disability Living Allowance

An extra guest at my birthday yesterday was Forrest. Forrest is a trainee Guide Dog, my friends Faye and Ian are hosting him during his training. What I didn't know, but do now, is that although blind and partially-sighted people can claim financial support through the DLA, it is only at a lower rate.

Beckett calls for a debate on Trident

Brilliant and about time too. I blogged about this back in March here. At the time I was reporting on a Sunday Times article here which revealed that "Britain has been secretly designing a new nuclear warhead in conjunction with the Americans, provoking a legal row over the proliferation of nuclear weapons." I complained that this was yet another example of this governments breathtaking arrogance in ignoring and sidelining parliaments proper role in the decision making process for such important matters. I also complained that we were now discovering that work has already commenced on developing ...

Adam Smith first Scot to adorn an English banknote?

The Guardian reports this - Adam Smith first Scot to adorn an English banknote Adam Smith, the legendary Scottish economist, is to appear on the new £20 note. I could swear we've already had William Paterson, Scot and first robber of the Bank of England. Haven't we?

Irrepressible Amnesty International

This is a great campaign from Amnesty International to "show that online or offline the human voice and human rights are impossible to repress." This is a campaign to try and tackle the number of governments that choose to filter or block the information which its citizens can have access to. The basic idea is that you can add a button to your blog or website and this will feed in censored material from the Amnesty International database directly onto your site. Every time someone loads your site new censored information from some part of the world will be displayed. ...

Climate change - will all parties back Stern repor...

Sir Nicholas Sterns report on the economic impact of climate change is, from a first scan of its conclusions a worry and genuine concern for everyone. Put simply, he says the cost of putting right the damage and preparing now for climate change will be one twentieth of what it will cost in the future. The BBC reports on the report suggest that it is thorough and makes clear that there is little alternative to taking action as soon as possible. Which brings me to the question, will all three of the main political parties sign up to ...

even on ordinary nights, the number of cars burned...

Can this be right? (click on title) Is this normal in any city other than Paris? What is going on in France?

On this day... In 1998

I am surprised that no one has blogged about getting up late for a delivery round or waiting on a street corner for an hour for someone to turn up or rushing out the door only to find that they haven't put their clocks back. Well whilst I was at uni, a staggering 8 years ago now I met someone for a date in London. We were getting on really well and decided to go to a club and the like. Anyway,

Monday 30th October 2006

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