LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Sunday 3rd December 2006

Day 2144: Where Could All That Money Have Gone?

Friday: It is worth remembering how hard our MP’s work. Case in point: Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Trees, Mr Chris Hewn, has been doing some DETECTIVE work in The Case Of Mr Millipede and the Missing Millions. You may remember that over the last few years, when it was actually under the guiding caravan of Mrs Bucket, DEAthRAy, the Ministry for Making Sure Farmers Don't Starve kind of forgot to pay the farmers any money. And then Mr Frown sent them all tax bills on the money that they hadn't been paid. Well, lucky Mrs Bucket was sent off ...

Tim Worstall's Britblog Roundup

No. 94 is now in place.

President Blair? He wants it as much as we do!

It is a criticism often levelled at over-mighty Prime Ministers that they secretly wish they could be President. It is a claim often made of Tony Blair, and I recall Margaret Thatcher being similarly accused. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. The reason for this misconception lies in the apparently vast powers of American presidents. French presidencies can also appear to omnipotent, as governments are appointed from The Élysée Palace without their members needing to be members of the National Assembly. One assumes that the constitutional presidencies of Germany, Italy and Israel are not the model ...

Union politics

Someone asked what was wrong with the general meeting held here at Manchester University (student union) a few weeks ago, and I replied, but I thought I'd share it here as well. I think the word "hate" is a bit strong (I didn't choose it), but I think it's easy to see that the current executive of the union aren't doing their jobs properly. Did you go to the previous general meeting on the 15th November? There were four motions under discussion: 1. A motion calling for the end of the National Blood Service ban on men who have ...

The Tories have their big idea.

Somehow I don't think this is going to transform the political landscape.

Vote, vote, vote!

As Duncan Borrowman has kindly pointed out - there's a nice juicy vegetarian bone winging its way to you - there's only one online poll that matters this week. Mad Staring Eyes are a popular beat combo m'lud who produce just the very best music to go walking to. It's gets all four of your feet a-tapping in a merry mood, no alcohol required. You can vote from 7pm Monday at http://www.xfmmanchester.co.uk/Article.asp?id=194019 PS I do hope the band are proud to have a Pink Dog as their NUMBER ONE (and a bit more too) FAN. There is ...

Former Labour defecter defects back to Labour

Andy Mayer has a very good take on a recent defection from the Liberal Democrat group in Southwark.

Just about present, then stuff about presents.

It's been a busy day today. Over lunch I popped along to an event in Prestwich bringing together activists from across the region talking about strategy successes and plans for the forthcoming election and beyond. It was nice to see some of the familiar faces from Birmingham a fortnight ago. Despite the event being in Prestwich, I still managed to get lost. I thought it was in St Margaret's

Nov 28th Transcript GMC

The following is part of the transcript of the proceedings at the GMC relating to David Southall on November 28th It relates to when lawyers contemplating legal proceedings ask for information about patients. The GMC's prosecuting Barrister (Mr Tyson) asks: The problem heing that your agreement does not include those lawyers getting access to the SC files? David Southall response: My

That video - its up again

I was sent the URL, but deleted the email before copying it. In any event it will be interesting to see how long it lasts. It was initially uploaded on 28th November. Then removed on 1st December. It appeared somewhere else later that day. I wonder how long it will last this time.

City Council Meeting - 5 December 2006

The agenda for the City Council meeting on Tuesday 5 December 2006 has been published and can be found here. Items on the agenda include: the annual report of the Cabinet Member for Leisure, Sport & Culture - Lib Dem councillor Ray Hassall (Perry Barr Ward); the annual report of the Council's Overview & Scrutiny arm, presented by fellow Selly Oak Lib Dem councillor Alistair Dow; and a Scrutiny

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to replace the national anthem with 'Gold' by Spandau Ballet.

I have seen this petition on the No 10 Downing St website: We, the people of Britain, feel that our current National Anthem has lost a bit of its sparkle. When we are confronted by the rare occasion of us winning a medal at the Olympics, we all have to mumble through "God Save The Queen", well God help us in 2012! We would thereby like to table the suggestion that we change the National Anthem

Missing all the excitement

I've been away for a large part of this week and catching up with things on return. It seems the reality of Labour's over-spun claims of conducting "a coup" in Southwark have concluded with the rather less spectacular decision by one of the their former Councillors who defected to us in 1997 to defect back after being suspended. A personal decision for them that ends a period of malcontent on their part after they lost an internal election for Group Chair in May, and seemed likely to be challenged and lose the Chair of the Borough and Bankside Community ...

What next - Cameron to advise on wiping your nose ?

Looking at THIS story from Friday leads me to ask whatever next for Mr Cameron ? Advise on wiping your nose, perhaps telling us how to wash our hands after foing to the toilet or even how to hold our cutlery ? I suppose I shouldn't be too critical of Mr Cameron and should instead ask the fool at the BBC who gave this monumental non story so much coverage why they thought this was newsworthy ?.P.S. I know the picture has nothing to do with Dave, but I found it on the net and wanted to use it ...

In his own words: a year in the life of Dave

Dear Mom & Pops, Well, what a whizzo 2006! I know you were a bit iffy when I decided I wanted to try being Tory leader for a year (too young - as if!), but it’s such a lark!! Everyone thought I’d be really nervous to begin with, but I wasn’t. It’s a question of upbringing, really. (Or of ‘good breeding’, as we used to be able to say!!). As you always told me, Mom: “You’re better than any of

Homophobia amongst North Norfolk's Tories?

It looks as if during the selection of the Conservative candidate for North Norfolk, one of their members got up and asked this question: “Could we be assured that neither of the candidates is a homosexual?” I have no idea which of the candidates this question was aimed at or whether it is true (and couldn’t care less [...]

Day 2143: Go Directly To Gaol

Thursday: It would take a colder heart than my fluffy one not to laugh at the news of "Big Progress" in the cash for honours probe! It seems that Mr So-Very-Nearly-Sir Inspector Yates of the Yard will have a file for the CPS by January (just in time for the New Year Honours, then). Pressure mounts on Lord Blairimort, as the Labour steams into the lead in the "who's been questioned most by the fuzz" stakes. For the record: the Labour 35; Conservatories 29; Liberal Democrats 4 – yes, I had to go down the nick and explain ...

Martin Tod selected to defend Winchester

Excerpt: I've just heard that Martin Tod has been selected to defend Winchester. Excellent news - I am now much more confident about us holding the seat.

Mad Staring Eyes Podcast

Click on the title

Mad Staring Eyes

I have received an email pawed by Pink Dog. Apparently a member of the band Mad Staring Eyes is related to Lynne Featherstone, and delivers Focus. Now this wouldn't really raise an eyebrow. But inspection of their MySpace lists their influences as Pixies, Talking Heads, Bowie, Ian Dury, Julian Cope, The Cure, The Fall, The Kinks, Frank Zappa, Dead Kennedys. OK, as Grace and I have everything

Designing out Crime

Iain Dale’s Diary reports on a new site - eparliament.tv which features a short film by Shadow Home Secretary David Davis which “examines the relationship between architecture and crime.” Some of the statistics in the film are horrifying even to someone who lives in a less than glamorous area of London. It also shows how a [...]

Naked to the ballot box

The BBC website reveals (a couple of days after it was on the Today programme): A relative of Labour icon Aneurin Bevan will fight his old seat as a Tory in next year's Welsh assembly election. Great-great-nephew Thomas Goodhead, 24, an Oxford law student, will be Blaenau Gwent Conservative candidate in May.

Is the Tory collapse total on Tyneside?

The Lib Dem victory in the Lemington by-election in Newcastle on Thursday has sparked some interesting responses from the other parties. The Newcastle Evening Chronicle carried an article entitled "The rise and rise of the Lib Dems" yesterday. It included quotes from a leading Labour member in Newcastle, and a leading local Tory. I guess that with both these people, their respective parties

Rumsfeld loses job then realises US is failing in Iraq

The Observer reports today that Donald Rumsfeld has now realised that the US is failing in Iraq. Has he come to this decision because he was sacked, did he hold this opinion before he was sacked or is it that now he has lost his job, he wants to expose Bush for being a pillock with his head in the sand ? What ever the answer, it is amaxing that it takes Rumsfeld to lose his job before he can see something as startlingly obvious. The big question is what do they do now in Iraq ? I cannot ...

Iain Dale's blog reports disatisfaction amongst North Norfolk Tories and homophobia !

Iain Dale had a polite little piece about the Tory selection of Trevor Ivory as the Conservative candidate in North Norfolk. However, some of the comments about Mr Ivory and issues regarding homophobia from Tories at the meeting show much deeper problems than a 10606 vote Lib Dem majority to overturn. Interesting reading for anyone who thinks Mr Cameron has changed his party. Read the whole thread HERE.

LGA Commission on Council grants a good idea

The BBC reports that the LGA are asking the government to set up an independent commission to allocate cental government grants, taking this potential political weapon out of the hands of politicians. Read the story HERE. To my mind, it is completely wrong that central government grants are in the hands of politicians to the extent that a council does not know what it is going to get until it receives it's letter from Minister Phil Woolas. I cannot comment on Mr Woollas' honesty, but in his parliamentary seat, his main opposition are the Lib Dems. If he was ...

UPDATED: PPC news: Winchester & Woking select

Congratulations to Martin Tod in Winchester, former marketing guru for Vodafone, now Internet Campaigns consultant for the Liberal Democrats. He has a tough sell on his hands, but if anyone can do it, he can. Local Councillor David Spender has blogged the result and shortlist. Update: True to form, Martin Tod is off to a flying start [...]

Nintendo Wii - "We" can't wait !

I can't be the only one getting very excited about the iminent lauch of the Nintendo Wii, can I ? For years people have liked to label video games systems as the spawn of the devil and responsible for obesity, crime, violence and just about any other ill the world is suffering from. Well, the Nintedo Wii (pronounced "we") changes that. The games require active participation. The motion sensor in one of the controllers means the controller can be used a a sword, a bat in baseball, you can use it to hit the tennis ball in tennis, ...

Just one poorly conceived stunt away from disaster

This article in today's Observer will make for sobering reading for David Cameron and his entourage. It reveals that a series of polls timed to coincide with the anniversary of his leadership show him struggling to make an impact: A survey of party activists, provided to The Observer in advance of its publication tomorrow, shows signs of a grassroots rebellion over Cameron's latest high-profile move to reposition the Conservatives, by embracing Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee's views on poverty. A series of other polls timed to coincide with his leadership anniversary will also make sobering reading at ...

Joint third!!

Reading are joint third on the same number of points as Arsenal, Liverpool and Portsmouth! Ok they are actually sixth. But sixth is still absolutely bloody amazing. Virtually all of the pundits predicted that this team would get relegated and most of them had Reading down for 20th spot. To be fair most Reading fans would have probably gone for a bottom five finish and settled for seventeenth. Now they are mostly wandering round with dumbstruck grins wondering how long this can go on for. 25 points after 15 games is incredible. Yesterday Bolton succumbed 1-0 yesterday as Kevin Doyle ...

North Middlesex Cricket Club

The cricket club's grounds off Park Road are the subject of my latest column: In the hustle and bustle of urban life, losing those little oasis of peace and tranquillity is a tragedy – we all need places to pause, reflect and move at a slower pace. You can read the full piece on my website.

Blogging the Observer

The problems that the dead tree press have with bloggers are more than amply illustrated by this diatribe by columnist Jasper Gerard in today's Observer: Vodcasts and blogs are to the noughties what graffiti was to the Seventies: mindless scrawls reading: 'I woz ere.' It says: 'I'm a moron, but worship me anyway.' MySpace should refer to the large vacant area of green belt between the ears. We are bogged down in blogland. I am told Labour has held a meeting to discuss the 'blog phenomena' and will set up 'regional blogs'. Can't wait. ...

Kentish Town by-election

Campaigning in Kentish Town. There is a ward by-election due to the resignation of a Labour councillor. This is a hard fought one and a half. Since the May local elections, Camden has been run by the Liberal Democrats (with the Tories in coalition as the minor joiners) as no party had overall control on their own. The LibDems came from miles behind to dethrone Labour who had reigned in Camden for

Martin Tod for Winchester!

A packed meeting of Winchester Liberal Democrats yesterday chose Martin Tod as their prospective parliamentary candidate. Martin, a well known internet campaigner and former candidate for North West Hampshire, will succeed Mark Oaten MP who is standing down at the next general election. Martin Tod was selected from a strong shortlist of five potential candidates in a democratic ballot of all

Day 2142: Queen's Peach

Wednesday: So, Mrs The Queen gave her speech today, and here is what she had to say: "My lords and members of the House of Commons, my government will pursue the main chance with its usual vigour and spin, continue to do the bloody stupid in the face of all reason and logic, increase the wastefulness of spending on consultants and advisors and ill-thought-out poorly-directed programmes that we do not need, all funded by dipping ever further into all of your wallets through an escalating regime of taxes from most of which we personally are thankfully exempt…" She went ...

Hat tip from Mark Pack, tablecovers and nothing else

Hat tip from Mark (slavedriver) Pack from party HQ - Broadcasting faux pas. It's amusing and quite clever the way it's done because you can't cheat. Useful tip - Any local party planning an occasion or a street stall? Morrisons have 120x180 cm LibDem coloured tablecovers in Brilliant Yellow for £1.99 At that price buy a few and keep them. Flash thought - this must be the briefest posting I've ever written on this blog.PS: Just realised it is two months today since I was hypnotised into not smoking. Well for those interested it's still working.

Thinking woman's crumpet beaten in Canada

Bloomberg.com reports: Stephane Dion, a former environment minister who entered politics a decade ago to fight separatism in his native province of Quebec, won the Liberal Party of Canada's leadership race today. Dion beat former Harvard University academic Michael Ignatieff, the race's front-runner throughout the nine-month campaign, on the fourth ballot.

Cameron: Back me and lose

The BBC reports: Conservative leader David Cameron has told his party it must back his drive to modernise or face a fourth consecutive general election defeat.Obviously, Cameron feels obliged to play down the difficulty of the task he faces in bringing the Conservatives back to power. If he is to become prime minister, it is overwhelmingly likely that it will take him two elections to get there. That really hard thing for him will be to avoid being knifed by his party after he loses the first of those elections.

Sunday 3rd December 2006

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