LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Friday 26th January 2007

Welsh Campaigns

The Welsh Liberal Democrats rely entirely on the help of local people to organise, support and fund our efforts to improve life for people in Wales. Unlike other parties, we do not rely on big business, overseas donors or trades unions for support just people power. Anything you feel able to do to help, really can make the difference - So to help , display a poster please leave a message below and mark or a member of his local Team will get back to you. I would like to join the Liberal Democrats (if you want to ...

Dan Wilson @ The Arts Foundation Awards 2007

Resonance FM composer and noise prankster Dan Wilson walked away from this year’s Arts Foundation awards as the winner in the electronic composition category. Asked what he would do with his prize money, he revealed that it would be used to build an improved version of “Corrosion Suite”, an electromagnetic composition in which the sound [...]

Australia Day as the Open reaches its climax

With the number of Aussies working in our comms department, it was no surprise that we got a pretty decent Australia Day feed today. There were Tim Tams, Jaffas, those hundreds and thousands biscuits and a pile of other Oz related stuff. Plus, one of my colleagues had brought in a tape of Australian songs and there were Kath & Kim tea towels as well as Australian flags, football tops and t-shirts. The tennis is nearly over, just the finals to go. Graeme Dyce, the British Junior I mentioned the other day, won the doubles - so congrats. ...

What has the Catholic church done for us?

According to Christian Today (I'm not a regular reader, it has to be said), the Catholic church is once again lobbying for the reintroduction of a direct reference to the role of God in the formation of Europe as a continent. Considering the reliance of the Catholic church on a centuries-old document one would think that they would pay attention to history. I think a comparison between the European Convention of Human Rights (possibly pinnacle of European civilisation), and the Catholic church would be appropriate. Articles 2 and 3 protect the right to life and prohibition of torture (Article ...

One way to increase your book sales

I received this email from the Richard Dawkins foundation today. Its certainly a novel way to try and increase your book sales. January 25, 2007 Dear Readers, A pledge has been organized by J Christie to send copies of The God Delusion to all MPs. Please see below. Thanks, Josh Timonen. www.richarddawkins.net ----------------------- Reposted

Sydney Gardens

The green spaces and the children's play park at Sydney Gardens are in need of some work to bring them back to there former glory. Issues were highlighted by a local resident in the Bathwick Estate about graffiti in the play area and Cllr Dixon has spoken to the Council's Park's Department, who are currently working on plans to improve the gardens, this includes the possibility of a revamped play area and improved open spaces. Cllr David Dixon said, "I am please to see that the Council, working with local residents and the Police are looking to improve ...

The adoption row - the scores on the door

I've been restraining myself from commenting on the row over the forthcoming Sexual Orientation Regulations for most of this week. The arguments for and against have been done to death across the blogosphere and the comment pages of the press (the best of the millions of pixels spilt over this have probably been by Alex over at love and liberty). In some ways more interesting than the arguments

The Future of our Rubbish?

The latest ‘Rubbish or Resource?’ consultation starts on Thursday, 25 January and continues until Friday, 23 March 2007. This is your opportunity to have your say about how we should deal with residual waste in the West of England.Residual waste is all the rubbish which is left over after we have recycled and composted all we can. Landfill sites are rapidly running out of space and should only be used as a last resort. There are seven viable options which are alternatives to landfill. Which would you favour? And…where should it/they be located? Local Councillor Colin Darracott, (Lib ...

"Extreme Gardening" in Falcon View, Badger Farm

The story so far: Thursday last week, residents of Falcon View, Badger Farm were surprised to see a JCB turn up and start demolishing a raised bed of shrubs and a tree at the corner of their close. I was phoned by a concerned resident and went down to take a look. A quick chat with the JCB driver established that he was demolishing the planter because the retaining wall surrounding it had some

Decision on Parking Charges to be Review!

A public meeting is being held on Monday, 5 February to review a recent decision by Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Executive, agreeing proposed changes to parking charges in Bath city centre. It was agreed at the Executive meeting on 10 January that proposed new parking charges would be implemented in April 2007. Members of the public are invited to register their interest in speaking at the meeting to be held in the Brunswick Room in the Guildhall, High Street, Bath, at 10.30am. The introduction in April 2006 of free bus travel for the ...

A hectic week

Friday 26th January 2007 - Wow I know I have earned my keep this week after a very busy schedule of meetings, committee hearings and media interviews on a whole range of issues. Wednesday continued to be heavily focused on the Foreign Affairs Kashmir report then managed to fit in two radio interviews with Andrea Mott from Quadrant about the carbon footprint of moving the Parliament to Strasbourg

Thailand partially lifts martial law

Thailand has officially lifted martial law in 41 of its 76 provinces, including Bangkok, junta leader General Sonthi Boonyaratkalin said on Friday. Amusingly his interview was given to CNN the company that was responsible for the interview with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra which triggered the row with Singapore. Strangely this interview will be shown on Thai TV. After a spate of bombings in Bangkok on New Year's Eve there was speculation that martial law might be kept in place indefinitely with the bombings being used as the pretext so in that context this i s positive step forward ...

New fears over Coltishall prison plans

Norman Lamb, Lib Dem MP for North Norfolk has asked for an urgant clarification of the Home Office's plans for the now redundant and empty RAF Coltishall base. Councillors and locals feel that the government might try to use the current prisons crisis to push through a decision, allowing this site to become a prison with minimal consultation. However, the rumours continue to abound largely because of the wall of silence coming from the Ministry Of Defence and the Home Office Norman Lamb has specifically taken up the issue of the delay in making any decision at all. ...

Six of Ood, Half a Dozen of the Other

I’m not one to cast aspersions, or indeed spells, but some might find it significant that last night (while starting work on the last in my thrilling series on religion) my glasses dropped in two. This doesn’t make it impossible to type, but bending forward to peer close to the screen isn’t doing my back or neck muscles any good. Bah. I have, however, been cheering myself up with the latest Doctor Who Adventures comic. Not only do I suddenly appreciate bright colours and very large letters, but this one comes with a free pack of Doctor Who playing cards. ...

Trident tested for a few more years at least

The two Jonathans’ (Calder and Wallace) postings on replacing Trident reminded me of the interview I heard this week on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme with Professor Richard Garwin, former chair of the US government's science advisory committee and consultant to the nuclear weapons programme. Only five minutes long, it’s well worth listening to here (it’s available online for another four days).

Trident - Not in the Liberal Democrats name!

From time to time the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Team issue various useful documents to its key activists to help them campaign in the field, I am sure all parties do this and I find it incredibly useful. However the latest one - on - Trident - way oversteps the mark.

A significant resignation

The resignation of Professor Rod Morgan as Chair of the Youth Justice Board is a very significant blow to the Labour Government, if only because of the way that it has exposed their rather sterile and inadequate approach to crime and disorder. In her response to the resignation, the Welsh Liberal Democrat Cardiff Central MP, Jenny Willott, sums it up: “Professor Rod Morgan’s stinging attack on Blair’s disastrous criminal justice legacy is the latest piece of evidence that Labour have got it horribly wrong. I’m sure it won’t be the last. “His harsh critique is testament to ...

The Government is not fit for purpose over the criminal justice system

John Reid famously said that the Home Office was not fit for purpose. I am now utterly convinced that it is the Government that is not fit for purpose over the criminal justice system. The prisons are now full, there is talk about having prison boats and letters have been sent to Judges 'reminding' them that they should look at all alternatives to imprisonment for all but the more serious of offences - one Judge interpreted this as saying a paedophile should not be imprisoned. Today the Head of the Youth Justice Board (YJB) has also resigned saying the juvenile ...

Key Kerry supporters move over to Obama

The New York Times reports that key supporters of John Kerry are moving their loyalties to Barack Obama, now that Kerry has announced that he will not run for Presiddent in 2008. The latter announcement is to be welcomed, as the field is already a little crowded at the moment.

Spoof e-mail

Honestly, the quality of these spoof e-mails is deteriorating. This one is even more unconvincing than normal: Dear Friend, I am Captain Brian James of the US Marine Force on Monitoring and Peace –keeping mission in baghdad-Iraq.On the 23rd day of January 2007, we were alerted on the sudden presence of some Terrorists camping in a suburb not too far from Karbala here in Iraq . After Immediate intervention, we captured three (3) of the Terrorists, twenty-six (26) were killed leaving seven (7) injured. In the process of Investigation they confessed being rebels for late Ayman al-Zawahiri ...

Downing Street "deleted secret" emails - Time for IT advice from Monica Lewinsky

The Guardian reports: The cash-for-honours investigation took a fresh twist today as Downing Street was forced to deny claims that it had a secret computer network from which potentially crucial emails had been deleted. Iain Dale has suggested that we are entering Watergate-type territory. Well, there was a 18.5 minute gap in tape three of the subpoenaed tapes in the Watergate scenario. In the

Ming or Paddy? Maybe both

Two days ago, Sir Menzies Campbell told Parliament that we should begin a phased withdrawal of British troops from Iraq. According to Ming, we should start in May, and they should all be home by October. The press coverage has been impressive. Lib Dem announcements, including the timetable for withdrawal, were spaced throughout the day – first the Today Programme, then PMQs, then the Parliamentary debate on the Middle East. The clever staggering of stories meant that the party had continuous coverage throughout the day. After the publicity drought we’ve been suffering of late, this is very refreshing. ...

Update of WMSP nearing completion…

At work I am currently nearing the completion of this years update of the West Midlands Safari & Leisure Park. Invar Mapping have been undertaking a progressive site survey for a number of years. Unfortunately, today did not work out as planned when the on-board data logger went US. I will post some more information once I process this years [...]

** Government to extend Parliament protest zone

During the Second Reading of Baroness (Sue) Miller’s Public Demonstrations (Repeals) Bill, the minister announced that instead of supporting her Bill, the Government would instead soon be announcing other locations where they intend to curtail the right to protest. Commenting Baroness Miller said: “The Government talked about Britishness yesterday, but today showed a blatant lack of concern [...]

Laws against discrimination will not make society more tolerant

I’ve been steering clear of the Catholic adoption row so far. Nothing like coming late to a story! I think it may have been because I have found the whole affair depressing. Rather than take up arms, I’d rather put my head in my hands. This is partly because I feel that this row has been deliberately engineered by Cabinet Ministers who want to take the opportunity to burnish their socialist credentials prior to the Labour Party's deputy leadership election by confronting both a conservative organisation (a church) and their own lame-duck leader. This is not to ...

Two Liberal Democrat MP's join the inequality club

I am grateful to Justin Hinchliffe again for letting me know that Richard Younger-Ross has put down an Early Day Motion (EDM) backing the right of the Catholic Church to be exempt from equality laws that will affect and apply to everyone else in the country. Sadly too Colin Breed has also signed the EDM. How unbelievable sad that two elected Lib Dem MP's can support inequality in this way. In my opinion it is shameful and far from liberal.

Testing Britishness

The government have come up with yet another initiative to promote Britishness or citizenship or both: discussion groups on "modern British cultural and social history", "social and moral responsibility", "community involvement" and "political literacy", whatever they mean. I thought the British Test was bad enough from all points of view. It is expensive, patronising and ideological. Instead of promoting the importance of partipating and integrating in the community at large, the test seems designed to alienate. There are impossible and irrelevant questions, such as: "Do many children live in single parent families or step-families? When do children leave home?"; "How ...

Baroness Miller leads attack on Parliament protest laws

Liberal Democrat Peer, Baroness Sue Miller will lead a group of Liberal Democrat peers protesting outside Parliament - against laws curbing their right to do so. They will hold a demonstration outside, before entering the building to debate a bill to repeal parts of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.

Thoroughly Modern Ming

Menzies Campbell has become the first leader of a British political party to appear on facebook. Though something of an innovation this side of the pond, US politicians have made significant use of the system for some time - with online campaigning amongst students and young people a major feature of the recent mid-term elections.

Page Rank 6

Have just noticed today that LibDemBlogs has made it to a Google Page Ranking of 6. So now we have managed to join other LibDems including: Jonathan Calder, Lynne Featherstone, Nick Barlow, Peter Black, Richard Allan and Will Howells

Belated Burns' night thoughts

I failed to post on the 300th anniversary of the Union and on Burns Night. For the latter I plead the effects of a heavy cold that meant neither haggis nor whisky was consumed. As I sign off again for a few days, I would merely encourage readers to look at this .article by Michael Fry writing in a recent edition of Prospect. Fry advocates independence for Scotland, largely because it would create a real political debate and ideological choice north of the border. It has long struck me that it is an odd political system where three ...

Reid all about it

Under normal circumstances, I’d have some sympathy for anybody subjected to the typically moronic front page abuse meted out by the 'Soaraway Sun' today. I am, though, prepared to make an exception for John Reid. For it was in the almost-as-bad Daily Mirror that Dr Reid delivered his infamously strutting boast, “I'll f****** well work 18 hours a day to sort this out. I'll do whatever it takes

Welcome Hannah Walker

It's very remiss of me, but I hadn't noticed that South London Press Editor Hannah Walker has now started her own blog a couple of weeks back. This should be really interesting. Editing a newspaper, particularly a local one, is a tough job that's usually hidden from public view. Given the impact local papers have on public opinion, that Hannah is making how the SLP works more transparent in this way is to be welcomed... come on Southwark News... where's your blog.

Snow thoughts from Abroad

I am waiting in a snowy Tallinn Airport waiting for my flight back to London. As always, fun to spend time in the Estonian Capital, meeting with old friends and working on some interesting transactions. The construction boom is continuing apace, although more and more people are reporting a shortage of construction workers. Salaries are increasing, but clearly not fast enough to attract returnees from Finland, Norway or the UK in sufficient numbers to fill the gaps. In general, though the Estonians regard a period overseas as a necessary part of any career. Gaining experience overseas and speaking ...

Snailbeach District Railway

A group has been set up to restore this narrow gauge railway in the wilds of Shropshire. It has, of course, its own blog. The line never carried passengers while it was operating, but the group intends to do so if it is reopened. For the history of the SDR, see the Colonel Stephens Railway Museum, from which I borrowed this rather fine image.

Jo Swinson on our Scottish prospects

jo swinson Lib Dem TV

No New Trident

The Lib Dem Peace and Security Group has set up a site to boost its campaign to commit the party to opposing a replacement for Trident. The vote will take place at the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference in Harrogate. I have always been something of an agnostic on this issue, and don't have the time to comment in depth today, but there is some thought-provoking material on the new site.

John Prescott and Sir Anthony Eden

I have referred a couple of times to the story that, when Eden took a cruise after his resignation over Suez, his cabin steward was a young John Prescott. Even so, I feared that it was a little too good to be true. The pleasing truth is that it really did happen. To learn more, read this page on the BBC website or listen to Prescott at Your Service on BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday 31 January at 11 a.m. or Sunday 4 February at 1.30 p.m.

Venezuela - The Road To Serfdom In Action

It is with great sadness that I look at the events in Venezuela, Hugo Chavez is taking more and more power, he now officially has the power of rule by decree (before he had to rubber stamp things through the parliament crammed with his supporters). He has abolished term limits, setting himself up to be [...]

Blackness Area Residents' Association Film Shows

If you click on the headline above, you can see details of the Big Screen Film Showings BARA is doing at the Corso Street sheltered lounge from 31st January to 21st February.

Sinderins and Recycling Update

Following yesterday's site visit to the Sinderins junction (pictured right) - see story immediately below!- I was advised last night that the Planning & Transportation Department arranged for the detector at Shepherd's Loan to be replaced yesterday afternoon and the new, different style detector, is functioning much better.Pleased to also advise that a new waste bin has been placed at the Ryehill Lane/Perth Road junction following a resident mentioning this need to me and my raising the matter with the Waste Management Department.Waste Management is also progressing a resident's suggestion I passed on to them that bollards need to be ...

Graham's blog entry 26th January 2007

BBC runs story about adoption targets

The BBC website has run the story about adoption targets. It is quite easy to spot a situation where the Social workers are trying to steal a baby. Firstly, they prevent the baby remaining with the mother. Secondly, they argue that noone else in the family (grandparents, aunts, uncles etc) is good enough to look after the baby and then they gradually reduce contact. In the mean time the

Maine Rejects Real ID

I see that the Commonwealth of Maine has overwhelmingly rejected the Real ID Act which seeks to impose a Federal ID Card through drivers licenses. Both houses of the state legislature have approved a resolution stating that the state will refuse to force its citizens to use driver’s licenses which comply with the Real ID [...]

Tulle Court Residents Letter

The new St Mary's Focus has been printed,a dn deliveries start in earnest from this weekend. The problem with Focuses coming out every 6 weeks or so is that things move on quicker than that. But just because Focus may become out of date, don't think we stop caring. There is an article in the current Focus about the "rat run" proposals at Tulle Court - proposals which have now been shelved thanks

Netball-errific.

Last night's netball match was really very exciting. I had never been to a netball match before, but I was amazed at the speed and skill involved in the game. I think a lot of people see netball as something that doesn't really happen outside of school, but they're wrong and this was a highly enjoyable way to spend an evening. And England won! By miles! 64-30 I think was the final score. If only

Will Europe (or Globalisation) lead to a loss of cultures?

Many people claim this, but I think it is completely wrong. Firstly, cultures are not static and unchanging, they are fluid and accept some influences and reject others, not through some grand plan (as much as the French Government and other statist culture organisers would like to think) but through the interactions of the individuals who [...]

Lib Dem peer leads attack on Parliament protest laws

Baroness Miller will today introduce a bill in to the House of Lords - the Public Demonstrations (Repeals) Bill, in an attempt restore the freedom to demonstrate around Parliament. Baroness Miller, and a group of Lib Dem peers will hold a protest opposite Parliament before going in to the chamber to speak for the bill.

You think your country needs you, but it never will

In 1983 Elvis Costello released the somewhat less happy track Pills and Soap under the clever nom de plume, The Imposter. It is a critique of Thatcher’s Britain. So pack up your troubles in a stolen handbag Don’t dilly dally boys, rally around the flag Give us our daily bread in individual slices And something in the daily rag to cancel any crisis Well quite. You’d think that the BBC might use it on those documentaries about mine strikes and race riots occasionally. Much as I enjoy Ghost Town by the Specials, ...

C.S.A. Confederate States of America, The Last King of Scotland, Pan's Labyrinth and Happy Feet

Last night I saw C.S.A. Confederate States of America, which was really good. I realised I have seen both The Last King of Scotland, Pan's Labyrinth and Happy Feet recently and not given my views so here are all three.

The business of being good

There seems to be a new trend in business - being good! Well more big bold statements that on the surface seem to be pure goodness on the part of a corporation, but really are thinly veiled marketing stunts. I reported last week on William Hill refusing to take bets on Jade Goody (they knew she [...]

Rape in Foster Care in Cornwall

The link (which may go away) is to a story from Cornwall. The key quotes are: "Social services took me from a bad place with my mother to somewhere which was even worse," she said. "I just wanted to die there. I just hated it. I just cried and cried but I was just told that I had emotional problems. and "This is clearly a very concerning and thankfully an isolated incident, which does not

Is 'Trident' a deliberate diversion from the real nuclear debate?

Colin Ross has done us all a service by abstracting key Libdem contributions to the House of Lords debate on Trident. I’d like to take up two points. One is on the massive expansion of warhead building capacity at AWE (Atomic Weapons Establishment) Aldermaston, the second is on the role of BAe systems in this ‘Trident’ decision process. The first I have not seen mentioned in the debates by anyone, certainly not by LibDem representatives – have I missed something? The second is a point our Noble Lords made that isn’t emphasised in the abstract. Firstly, Aldermaston ...

EXCLUSIVE: Labour boast about fake candidates in Lambeth

A Labour member has boasted to other colleagues about a dirty tricks campaign that helped Labour in the last May’s local elections in Lambeth. In a leaked exchange from Labour’s official online discussion forums, a Labour party member wrote: There was a brilliant campaign in Lambeth in the last local election, with two ‘grassroots’ campaigns put up [...]

Police stations: Labour close one a week

Given all the campaigning I've been doing for police stations in Haringey, this statistic particularly caught my eye. So typical of Labour - talk tough for the cheap news headlines, but fail to provide the quality service on the ground.

A second string

There has been some cautious speculation on the blogosphere about this story that Downing Street had a hidden e-mail system from which messages were deleted after the cash-for-honours inquiry began. It has, of course, been denied. Although I can be cynical at times I have never been a conspiracy theorist and I do not intend to start now. I am perfectly prepared to believe that there is a second, secure computer system connected to Downing Street for National Security purposes, but have my doubts about it being used to contain details of party donors so as to cover up ...

Sen. Tony Blair (R-NY)

Readers of the Evening Standard Londoner's Diary will have been reading strong speculation that when Tony Blair retires as P.M. he will be off to live in New York, as he is so unpopular in the UK, and Gordon is no longer his best mate. So a scenario: as we have seen with Arnie, non US citizens people born outside of the USA can be governors or senators - anything but President. So, Hillary

Judge intimidated by the Almighty Bruiser Reid?

Could it possibly have been that the judge in Mold, North Wales was accurately following existing guidelines and actually felt that Derek Williams did not need to be jailed and instead should be put under supervision on a suspended sentence? Perish the thought. Could it be that the judge took the opportunity to do a bit of grandstanding to re-immerse multiply-immersed John Reid in the proverbial

Child pornographer goes free because prisons "too full"

BBC Online is currently leading with this story about a man convicted of having child porn on his computer and not being sent to jail because the prisons are too full. If you read the article, strikes me that the quotes from the man are a bit odd - it's almost as if he's been primed to say the things most embarrassing for the Government. Anyway, the story raises the wider issue of the benefits of sending people to prison. With the UK's prisons full to bursting, are new prisons and prison ships the answer? Or do we ...

From an ordinary Catholic to his Catholic Ordinary

To the Most Revd Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Birmingham: You upset me last year when you took on the government over their very just idea that some of the people who actually pay a majority of the cost of your schools (non-Catholic tax payers) should have the right to have their children go to those schools but I kept schtum. Now you're banging on about wanting an exemption to laws designed to eradicate discrimination against gay people. Need I quote from your Catechism, section 2358, that "every sign of unjust discrimination should be avoided". ...

“More harm was done in the 20th century by faceless bureaucrats than tyrant dictators.”

Apparently this is true. It is also apparently true that "London Region needs a secretary it can rely on to be discreet and to maintain the confidentiality of its internal communications". Sometimes, I wonder how Mark manages to remain so equitable. My younger brother, Rupert, the family sociopath, would probably have run through the author of those words with his sword without a second thought.

Gateshead backs Trident policy

Liberal Democrats in Gateshead have backed the policy proposals to delay a decision on Trident until 2014. We had a motion to that effect to Gateshead Council today. I seconded it. The core of the argument we put forward was that a decision now is premature, there are uncertainties in the international arena but the situation will be clearer in 2014 when the situation with the Iranians'

New Look Muze..........reluctantly

Having left a comment about the Political Betting piece "Is Iraq going to swing many votes next time?" today, including a link to Paul Reynold's article, I got the following advice............. Linda Jack @ 40 — it would be a damn sight easier to read if each line were not centred, and if the text were not pink on blue. This study found fuschia-on-blue to be the least readable combination: http://hubel.sfasu.edu/research/survreslts.html Printing has been around for a while now. Look at a few books and you will find black-on-white remains a popular combination. People won’t buy unreadable books and ...

Friday 26th January 2007

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