I seem to be on Facebook. It seems to work quite well - people from all sorts of backgrounds (not just Lib Dems!) are finding me on there. I’m not really sure what it’s for, but it looks like it could be quite cool. Monday 19th February 2007
11:26 pm
I seem to be on Facebook. It seems to work quite well - people from all sorts of backgrounds (not just Lib Dems!) are finding me on there. I’m not really sure what it’s for, but it looks like it could be quite cool. 11:23 pm
One In A Series Of Hiking Pickles
Dobson lived in the era before mobile phones, of course, so when he found himself imperilled in an isolated spot he had to harness every last scrap of ingenuity to summon help. You or I would simply make a call on our mobile – well, you would, but I wouldn’t, because I do not own [...] 11:01 pm
Back out campaigning
Monday 19th February 2007 - I was back out on the campaign trail this weekend when I went to Speke to help Lynnie Williams' by-election campaign. It is a seat we are defending and we have an excellent candidate in Lynnie who is well known in the area and has been working hard since the election was called. If you can spare some time between now and March 8th to go and help out I know our team 10:59 pm
No one wants White Grit
The Shropshire Star reports: A family has been forced to flee after a gaping hole opened up in the ground next to their home in Powys. Concerns have been raised about the structure of the chalet after an old mine shaft collapsed close to an unclassified road between White Grit and Priest Weston, near Montgomery - opening up a hole 50ft across and 20ft deep. Police have now sealed off the area amid fears of a further collapse. There are old lead and silver mine workings in the area which are thought to date back to the ... 10:50 pm
Life should mean life should mean life should mean life
An e-mail from Cowley Street urges me to visit the party's We Can Cut Crime site. When I do, I find the rather alarming paragraph: We need a prison system that works. Prisoners should work to pay compensation to their victims, and to cut reoffending. A life sentence should mean life.A life sentence should mean life? And in bold type too? Is that really Liberal Democrat policy. A little research suggests it is, but not in the way most people reading the quotation above would imagine. The BBC report of the launch of this campaign quotes Menzies Campbell: ... 
10:45 pm
US attack plans for Iran put British troops at risk
The BBC has revealed US plans for any attack on Iran. Any US attack would target Iran's whole command and control network, weapons factories, airports, military bases and ports, and an attack could be triggered by an Iranian linked attack on US forces in Iraq or when the US confirms Iranian nuclear weapons production has started. So what does this say for British forces in the South of Iraq ? Potentially it puts UK forces in enormous danger. The south of Iraq, the British sector is almost exclusively Shia, with strong leanings and support for Iran. Any ... 10:33 pm
And another thing...
...returning to the US culture wars (because frankly nowt interesting happened over here today), John McCain's pandering to the Christian right continues at pace. Speaking in South Carolina yesterday he stressed his desire to see Roe v Wade overturned and abortion made illegal. I knew he was pro-life, but assumed (sucked in by his 'maverick'/RINO image) that he wasn't a headbanger on it. Maybe 10:24 pm
Divided Churches
There’s definitely something going on with the Church, both the Anglican and the Catholic Church. While representatives of the Anglican Church showed their muscles on the adoption row in the UK, the Catholic hierarchy has been vehemently against the proposal going through the Italian Parliament for an equivalent of civil partnerships that would include heterosexual couples. In the Anglican world, liberal Episcopalians have been threatened to be chucked out of the Church, whilst in Italy, liberal catholics have appealed to the Church not to exercise such an overbearing interference in the affairs of the state. The internal politics ... 10:21 pm
Oxford Labour and Greens: muddle-headed or political opportunists?
Well, at least no-one can say that Oxford's rubbish is being swept under the carpet. The local press are reporting that councillors are in "major revolt" over the 'recycling revolution' - introduced last November by the new Lib Dem administration with all-party support - which is on-track to double the amount of recycling in the city. "Major revolt" is, perhaps, an exaggeration. I say 'perhaps' 9:50 pm
I'm back
Following a brief sojourn on another blog, I’m back here. How exciting. 9:18 pm
Are we producing a generation of goggle-eyed kids?
Psychologist Dr Aric Sigman has listed 15 health problems that previous studies have attributed to excessive TV viewing by children. The study covers "screen time", which includes games consoles and computers as well as TVs. It looked at the volume of screen time - but not the content. This is something which all parents wrestle with. All parents think they have got the balance right but studies 9:07 pm
Newbury Racecourse bridge
I understand that a decision by West Berkshire Council is imminent about the Newbury Racecourse proposal of a bridge at the eastern end of the racecourse. I hope that Newbury Town Council's decision to object to this proposal is vindicated by West Berkshire Council. I have set out below my previous letter to the Newbury Weekly News explaining the decision of the Town Council: Newbury Town 8:58 pm
For anyone who remembers the 1980's
If you haven't seen the film "Music and lyrics" yet, check out this video. It is meant to be a video made by a 1980's British group called "Pop", who are supposed to have taken over the charts in the US at the same time as Duran Duran, Wham, Spandau Ballet, Tears for Feats, it's sung by Hugh Grant, and it is just so exactly what 1980's pop music was like. Actually, its a lot better than a lot of 1980's music actually was. 8:34 pm
What a stupid headline
"Teachers back TV viewing concern" says the BBC headline HERE. Funny, because I am a teacher and I haven't backed it. Indeed, as a topic of discussion amongst my teaching colleagues at work it today it met with a pretty mixed response. But apparently, because one teacher's union leader supports it, we all do. Perhaps I can find one BBC employee who hates chocolate so I can put the headline "All BBC staff hate chocolate" 8:05 pm
Balls to the culture wars
The latest skirmish in America's culture wars appears to be being waged amongst the bookshelves of elementary school libraries. There has allegedly been much wailing and gnashing of teeth amongst teachers and librarians because the latest winner of the Newbery Medal includes the use of the word (and more sensitive readers may wish to look away now) "scrotum". Yes shockingly author Susan Patron 7:41 pm
Typographical Errors and Precipitation Issues
Tonight we went out leafletting in Prestwich Hills. I say this every time I go there, but I'd love to live there. It is so quiet and peaceful, definitely my number one place to live in the Ward. Although, having said that, it is a bit out of the way - not as convenient to walk to Sainsbury's and buy a needlessly massive bag of crisps like I can do from Clifton Road at the moment... It was 7:38 pm
Missing the Point
Michael White worries here about Lt Wales missing the action in Iraq and suggests that the Royal family would probably survive as an institution after losing someone close in line for sucession to the throne. It probably would, but concerns about Lt Wales' own safety, while probably well founded, are not necessarily at the top of unit priorities. The problem in Iraq would not be Lt Wales himself, but every poor trooper who serves in his Troop, Squadron or Regiment. If the insurgents realise that Lt Wales is in Iraq they will certainly make an attempt(s) to kill him. ... 7:38 pm
Day 2239: Happy Chinese New Year of the Pig
Saturday: Both of my Daddies are Pigs. I am not being rude; I am reading this Chinese Horoscope Calendar and it says here that the Year of the Pig was from the 27th of January 1971 to the 14th of February 1972 and that include BOTH of their birthdays. Mind you it also says that I am a RABBIT. That is STUPID – I am an ELEPHANT! Where is the Year of the Elephant, then? Never mind all that: we have been celebrating by listening to Year of the Pig, a Doctor Who adventure ... 6:59 pm
Down to an inch
Having returned from holiday I find about 6 inches of paperwork. Most is standard circulars that go straight into the circular recycling machine. This brings me down to an inch of backlog that needs review. It is useful to have internet access whilst on holiday. That means that urgent issues get resolved via email. However, going away for any more than a week would worry me as to the size of 6:50 pm
What really gets me angry #1 - People who sit in front of you in cinemas
I've decided to start an occasional series of stories under the heading of "What really gets me angry", and I thought I'd start with something that happened yesterday, but I'm sure it has happened to you. My wife and I went to the cinema last night to see Music and Lyrics, an entirely harmless "feel good" movie, starring king of the romantic comedies, Hugh Grant. The cinema was fairly busy, but not packed, indeed, you could sit on any row you wanted without having to sit in front of anyone else. So what, and I should stress WHAT made two ... 6:06 pm
Polls Get It Wrong!!
Trust in Wales Ymddiried yng Nghymru After reading the articles on Polls by Plaids Mark Jones, I feel the need to put the record straight! Some polls by ICM revealed that the Tories would gain 8 seats and Plaid 2;We should know that the polls are a guestamet and are not fact. Let’s not forget how massively out the polls were in 2005 and the Daily Post were in Anglesey thus costing poor Peter Rogers votes in the 2005 general Election I believe. Know readers let’s deal with the facts; 1-In Wales the Welsh lib Dems are the official ... 6:01 pm
Dangerous behaviour
It's been an interesting week in respect of how stories happen. I mentioned on Tuesday that the South London Press had rung me with a story that a 'concerned citizen' had shopped the blog for publishing a photo of a public meeting against the wishes of the meeting organisers. The story that appeared in Friday's edition was much stronger than that, with both a suggestion from the anonymous individual that my behaviour was 'dangerous', and that I'd been banned from attending future public meetings chaired by one of the organisers. This was all fairly shocking in respect of what ... 5:40 pm
Minister quits in glamour model scandal
Full story here. 5:39 pm
Bryn's Campaign Video
RUSU Presidential candidate Bryn Landy has posted a campaign video (the only candidate to do so as far as I know) Highlights: "... and a lively atmosphere all through the week" said to a shot of a deserted campus.The whole library doors bit.I've updated my review of candidates to include Sally, who is standing for President. 5:29 pm
Selection news: Bristol South
Congratulations to local Councillor Mark Wright, selected to fight Bristol South. Thanks to Nic Rattle for letting me know 5:29 pm
Shade them lights
Yet another petition has been posted to the 10 Downing Street petitions site, yet another petition that will be ignored, or worse cause people signing to be subjected to an e-mail from the Prime Minister telling them how they were wrong. The Prime Minister/Government might completely ignore this new petition and every other petition BUT they [...] 5:01 pm
Half Term
It’s half term this week so, thanks to not having to take my daughter to school every morning, I’m getting to lie in bed until 8:30. Which means I’m at less tired at work, which means I get more work done, which means I get home earlier, which means I spend more time with the [...] 4:37 pm
Well Ken Livingstone can never be accused of being all talk
Brave or stupid ? Just a year before the London mayoral elections, Ken Livingstone has probably done his chances of re-election no good at all by extending the congestion charge zone to the west. I'm not arguing about the rights and wrongs of the decision, as someone who avoid London if at all possible, it is not something I am going to have to worry about. However, it does highlight the fact that when Ken Livingstone thinks something is right and proper, he does it, irrespective of whether it is always popular or not. Like him or loathe him, he ... 4:04 pm
Eating doughnuts and talking glib trite while people around you are being massacred
This piece of writing made me very, very angry and sad. Partly because I know it's true, and it's replicated on a slightly less revolting scale in military bases all over Iraq. People in the UK and USA often ask in slightly superior way how ordinary 'decent' Germans could just continue to lead normal lives while down the road behind barbed wire they knew that people were being killed. Here's how. 3:52 pm
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Ten days after the death of one of Britain’s best actors, BBC4 will start reshowing one of his most famous roles. Though as with many people it must have been House of Cards in 1990 that really bowled me over, I remember having admired several of Ian Richardson’s earlier performances too, and tonight at 10.30 (just after Charlie Brooker) there’s the first episode of an outstanding adaptation from a decade earlier, John le Carré’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Mr Richardson appeared alongside Alec Guinness and a host of British acting talent in this intricate and compelling drama. See it. ... 
2:54 pm
Susanne Lamido
Unfortunately (for me), the latest in what is rapidly becoming a long line of lengthy posts about me has appeared on Susanne Lamido’s blog today. This latest lashing out is probably due to the fact that she was caught using the membership details of an unsuspecting member from Hampshire to gain access to the party members [...] 2:40 pm
Stop The Threat Of War
The Bush/Blair policy of threatening rather than engaging Iran in matters relating to Middle East stability will have significant repercussions. No comprehensive peace agreement in Iraq will las... 2:37 pm
Bates backs green milk move
Mick Bates AM the Welsh Liberal Democrats Environment spokesman has today lent his support to South Caernarfon Creameries, and Tomlinson's Dairy, who have decided to sell their milk in environmentally-friendly biodegradable bags as an alternative to the more common plastic bottle. The move, which Mick hopes will be followed by other dairies in the future aims to reduce landfill waste. The average British Family goes through 300 litres of milk a year resulting in 7.7kg of plastic waste, which is a major contributor to Britain’s Landfill sites. The scheme being trialed by the two dairies from North ... 2:36 pm
Sham energy review ruling could open door to a renewable Wales - Opik & German
Trust in Wales Ymddiried yng Nghymru Commenting on the High Court ruling today that the Government has broken its promise to carry the "fullest consultation possible" before deciding whether or not to back new nuclear power plants, Lembit Opik, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats and MP for Montgomeryshire, said: "Today's ruling confirms what we all suspected. The Government's energy review was a sham. "The energy consultation was supposed to look seriously at all the different energy options for this country. But now it seems the Government’s mind was already made up and they were ... 2:19 pm
Bad DM (1)
Accolade of the day goes to Precision Marketing - who, as the name suggests, want to sell me a magazine about how to market with more precision. A while back I filled in an online form which dangled the prospect of a free subscription. I filled it in. A little later I got a letter saying that I wasn't important enough to get a free subscription, but they could give me one half price. This clearly means one of three things... - My job title isn't impressive enough - They don't like the sector I work in ... 2:13 pm
Now Victor Meldrew lays into Blair
Hard on the heels of Noel Gallagher, now Victor Meldrew actor, lifelong Labour supporter Richard Wilson, lays into Blair. 12:45 pm
The media fashionistas
The chattering classes are behaving like self-obsessed fashionistas today fresh from London Fashion Week. First, the FT reports that business is increasingly upset by David Cameron's fashionable but rather empty pronouncements about business ethics. ("Cameron attacked by business for his priorities")The Doctors are having a fashionably vague recollection of the past, according to Nigel Hawkes in his piece entitled "Few remember why they hated Tories so much" in the Times.Tim Hames, on another fashionable subject - the legacy of Tony Blair - implies that Praising Tony is the new Damning Tony.Like all popular stories flying around the media cycles, the 'flawed legacy' opinion has been recycled so many ... 12:42 pm
MPs must be bugged for the safety of us all
Barking. Absolutely barking. The BBC report that the Interception of Communications Commissioner, an anonymous civil servant whose job is to agree whether or not MI5 can bug your phone, wants to overturn the rule saying that MPs' phones can't be bugged by the security services. Back in the day, you could seriously worry that some MPs were trying to overthrow Parliamentary democracy. And some MPs - indeed some Prime Ministers - were seriously worried that MI5 were plotting against them. A Very British Coup is a great book about it. One can speculate about who MI5 want ... 11:21 am
Liam Fox is a blundering Oaf
The Daily Telegraph puts forward an assertive position against Russian President Vladimir Putin in today's Op-Ed page. However it is a bit much to see praise lavished upon the oafish and blundering Liam Fox. The Tory Defence Spokesman may speak out against the right target- the bullying crassness of the Putinists. However his inaccurate and boorish criticism of our new NATO allies in central Europe has alienated many potentially key allies in the battle against the new brutalism in the Kremlin. While I am happy to agree with the Telegraph that "once you start paying the Danegeld, ... 11:15 am
AMT Coffee ditch Nestle Kit Kat
I like to buy my coffee from AMT on Charing Cross Station in the mornings. They are the first national company to go 100% fairtrade. I have for some time questioned the fact that among all the nice things they sell, they have Nestle Kit Kat. Some time ago I contacted Henry Tinsley, the former Chairman of Green & Blacks (now owned by Cadbury's), and suggested they try and get their organic 11:05 am
SNP: Lib Dems should apologise for stating the bleeding obvious
Full marks to Danny Alexander for making a factual statement which, too often, people like to hide away from in politics these days: “Nationalism is about building up barriers between people, liberalism is about breaking those barriers down.” Apparently, Alex Salmond is now demanding an apology from Danny, and from Jamie Stone for saying the SNP are [...] 11:01 am
Scottish Conference
This is my last posting from this blog - now I am back in London I will return to my own. Here are some of my favourite photos from my trip to Aviemore. 1. A real Sir gives me my conference pass! 2. Scaling the fence into my hotel. 3. Some nice person left me some bedtime reading 4. Met this chap from Orkney. We had a long discussion comparing Riso GR series with the SP series. (click on the 10:59 am
Spurs vs The Killers
It was The Killers that won it for me - although when I booked those tickets ages ago Spurs weren't scheduled to play on Sunday anyway. But as it turned out, we were all winners yesterday. Spurs spanked four past Fulham at Craven Cottage and we got a great Killers show at the NEC. After some exercise at Nottingham Tennis Centre, it took us until half time to find a pub near the NEC to watch the football in - eventually ending up at The Bell Inn in Coleshill. The number of boarded up windows could have ... 10:37 am
Wolverhampton South West Tories pick loser
Wolverhampton South West Conservatives selected their General Election candidate on Friday evening, they choose Paul Uppal. In the 2005 General Election he stood in a Labour held seat, the Liberal Democrats won and he came third losing vote share in the process. 9:51 am
Selection news: Sutton seats
Carshalton & Wallington have unanimously re-selected Tom Brake MP, and Sutton & Cheam have unanimously re-selected Paul Burstow MP as their candidates for the next General Election. Thanks to Dominic Mathon for letting me know. 8:30 am
Windpower milestone
The UK has become only the seventh nation in the world to have more than two gigawatts of operational wind power capacity. This milestone was passed when the Braes O'Doune wind farm, near Stirling, began producing electricity. The government has set a target for 10% of electricity to be generated from renewable sources by 2010 and 20% by 2020 but surely we could do better than that given the amount of wind we get. No doubt someone will tell me that it is the wrong type of wind but when you realise that Germany has more than 20GW of ... 7:57 am
A pranged car, a missing letter and a jammed lock
Disasters come in 3s and over the weekend I have my admittedly very minor 3 events that should not have happened.The first was on Saturday morning when I pranged the car on our front wall whilst pulling out of the drive. The actual cause of this was a badly parked truck someone had kindly parked opposite our drive. We will need a new bumper.The second was a missing letter. I wanted to send a 7:48 am
Choose a Bright Future
I haven't got time to post my conference report at the moment, but it was a fantastic weekend. Do scroll down and see the new conference broadcast, posted entirely self indulgently, as I'm in it. It's the second video link down. Enjoy. It looked pretty wicked shown on a huge screen in the Conference auditorium. 6:54 am
Yet another stealth tax?
The Western Mail reveals that the Welsh Conservatives intend to spend the recess campaigning against the council tax with a claim that homes with nicer views were left with bigger bills after the controversial 2005 revaluation. They tell us that the handbook used by the Valuation Office Agency reveals that inspectors were told to take into account whether properties were near shops or public transport or had pleasant views. Although the guidance related only to mobile or park homes rather than conventional houses, the Tories say it reveals council tax to be "the cruellest stealth tax of all". ... 1:15 am
More Madness from Overwhelming Evidence
I’m not the only blogger to have noticed how uber-zany Overwhelming Evidence has become; If you were to take something that is insane, and then add additional nuttiness, plus a dash of loopyness, and then view the whole thing through the distorted lens of a fractured mind - only then will you get an inkling [...] 12:10 am
Cash for honours: Blair in the frame
Labour Watch has this: This piece originates from the Evening Standard [actually the Daily Mail] on Saturday; although foreign papers have picked up the story, it hasn't received widespread coverage here yet.Blair to be named in police file over cash for peerages Published: Saturday, 17 February, 2007.LONDON: Tony Blair will be named in a police file to prosecutors on the cash for peerages affair, the Standard revealed.He remains one of four suspects at the heart of government who are at the centre of the Scotland Yard investigation.Detectives are believed to have compelling evidence against individuals and are preparing to submit ... 
