So Wimbledon has caved in and is to offer women and men equal prize money at this year's tournament. That is fine as far as it goes, but surely it is time to end the insulting anachronism of having separate men's and women's championships?
On the day that Michael Meacher launched his bid for the Labour leadership, let's remember his unsuccessful libel suit against Alan Watkins and the Observer in 1988.
Watching Question Time on BBC1, what is David Dimbleby's problem. There is nothing wrong with being devils advocate in order to ask difficult questions, but why were they all aimed at Nicol Stephen ? "How would you make road pricing cost neutral ?" "So everyone would pay the same as they pay now ?" "Why are the Lib Dems in coalition with Labour in Scotland if they oppose each other over Iraq ?" " So people driving different cars will all pay the same ?" Some of his questions showed an astonishing lack of ...
The Evening Mail appears to have lost count again. Their latest "news" article has the audience at more than 100 people. It also still claims that Ray Mallon argued for an elected Mayor, despite his volte face and statement that he didn't think Birmingham needed an elected mayor. If Bore and the Mail come up with the statutory 35k verified petition signatures there will be a referendum.
Dragon's Eye today reported that Plaid Cymru are threatening to sue Labour for misrepresentation if they keep on claiming that the Nationalists intend to go into coalition with the Tories after 3rd May. Plaid Cymru's Parliamentary leader, Elfyn Llwyd, was virtually apopolectic in his interview, repeatedly calling senior Labour politicians liars. It was not a pretty sight and certainly not a good start to the campaign. That interview alone will be enough to turn many people off politics. As for Rhodri Morgan, he was like the cat who had got the cream. Plaid Cymru have done his job ...
Over 25 years ago I was asked to set up a community care scheme where I lived. At the time I had two young children and was just returning to work full-time, so didn't think I could give it the time it deserved. Thankfully others took it on and the Chessington and Hook Voluntary Care Scheme is still flourishing. I've just got back from their AGM, and it's the only AGM I've been to that...
Wednesday: So there was Lord Blairimort having a little natter over the e-mail when, whoops, he goes and spams 1.8 million people. Oops! That Blairimort e-mail in full: "Tidy this up for me would you … Inspector Knacker's on his way round… I don't have time to deal with it… tell 'em to sod off and then double the road tax on anyone with an e-mail account." Okay, Lord Blairimort's REAL e-mail was rather more fulsome… as in full of some of his usual GUFF. I will try to pick out the IMPORTANT bits, ...
Very curious incedent in Sainsbury’s tonight. I had laid out my shopping on the conveyor belt till and was waiting for the guys in front to finish paying, when one of the guys must’ve thought “hmm… forget to get loo roll” Two seconds later, he leans over, picks up my four-plus-two-free, and adds them to [...]
... because you are never going to have to implement any of your policies. According to Conservative Home Steve Norris is planning to run again, and is reported as saying he will scrap London's bendy buses and replace them with Routemasters. I'm sorry but why? 1) The reason Routemasters have been phased out (apart from the fact they are old and small) is because they are inaccessible to many
I'm just back from my last ever Bedford Borough Council meeting. OK......so I'm not part of the furniture like one of my "independent" fellow councillors.........hanging on to get his 60, or is it 70 year award and who in a debate about diversity on our wonderful biannual River Festival commented that we only needed "a little bit" of diversity.......No, I am a spring chicken in comparison only having done 5 years. It took me back to reminiscing about my first council meeting, the dreadful pic they took of me (sorry, how shallow I am!), that first ...
I’ve been biding my time on the vexed issue of road pricing. Not because I’m in two minds about it: road pricing is absolutely essential. As I wrote here, in June 2005, it “offers a new, and fairer, income stream to pay for public transport improvements; and offers government an highly elastic fiscal mechanism to regulate road capacity according to the local demand for it.” No, this post has
That nice Duncan Borrowman has a pretty good understanding of Scottish politics for an English bloke. I am gutted that I saw neither him nor Pink Dog at Aviemore. This has to show how big Scottish conference has become. The big thing about the SNP is how much they would cost. Not only would they insist on a referendum on independence even if it was the expressed will of the Scottish people that they didn't want to be a separate state, but if you added up all the spending pledges they have made over the years, ...
On Newsnight earlier this week Alistair Carmichael, the Lib Dem Shadow Transport Secretary, supported road pricing. I can understand why, it does seem a good way of dissuading people from using their cars, which is something that Lib Dems often want to support. So I thought I’d be one of the few Liberal Democrats that [...]
We like to keep abreast of the latest bee, wasp, and hornet news here at Hooting Yard. According to The Telegraph our plucky British honeybees are at risk from swarms of killer hornets. The fiendish Vespa velutinae have reached France, where “thousands of football-shaped hornet nests are now dotted all over the forests of Aquitaine”. [...]
The Kingston upon Thames Society is committed to conserving all that is good about the built environment of Kingston and promoting high quality new buildings. Each year it awards the highly valued Townscape Awards at its AGM. I was really sorry I couldn't get to that meeting, but the Deputy Mayor chaired it in my absence, and blogged about it. So I was very pleased to be... 
Today’s Echo has an article about the me being hit on the head.
There is no one left alive who witnessed the ebbing away of the age of gilded tin baths, nor do we have any written records of that time. The pitiful smidgen of information we do have has come down to us in the form of incomprehensible pictograms and a pair of 78 rpm shellac discs, [...]
Every minute of every day a child is killed or maimed on the roads. The international community has ignored this growing epidemic. But now we have the chance to secure change. In November, the United Nations General Assembly in New York will debate the global road safety crisis. We need your help to make sure the UN passes a strong Resolution in support of action to tackle road deaths and injuries across the world. We need you to tell everyone you know – friends, family, colleagues – about this campaign and urge them to sign the petition, and ...
I have just arrived back from Julian Cummins Funeral. To resort to Cliche you really couldn't ask for a better send off than that. A quite beautiful service in a packed St Peter's Parish Church. Like all good funerals it was a celebration of the life rather than strict mourning and also it was about the living not the dead. Having only known Julian in his political role it was facinating to see the many over lapping circles of his life. The Church, Politics, bussiness, and development work. The preacher gave everyone a moment of quiet to reflect ...
I couldn't help thinking, as Blair announced the beginning of a phased withdrawal from Iraq (too little, too late and too slow - but better than nothing) that this was two finger to Brown. For had Brown's 100 days started with an announcement of withdrawal he would have had instant double-bounce. Sooooooo - that explains the timing! Sponsored (which means basically booked the room) for the
Children from my school are going to London next week to pick up an award for a project they did on creating animations. It is all very prestigious and they were told they would meet some celebrities. Imagine how excited they were when they heard they were going to meet a famous Scotsman, known to be a bit miserable, but called Gordon who was on TV all the time ? Imagine how disappointed they were to find out that they are not going to meet Gordon Ramsay, but were instead are going to meet Gordon Brown. ...
I have exchanged contracts. From 14 March 2007 I will be moving!
I really never thought I would live to see the day when The Times actually prints such a question on its front page. Furthermore, Matthew Parris continues in the same vein in his article inside (the front page question is a trailer for that article): Why do women leave lavatory seats in the “down” position? I am getting increasingly fed up with this inconsiderate behaviour. Hygiene and common
I knew the Downing Street epetition service was good for something: The Government has no overarching role in regulating or recognising personal belief or faith. The UK has a long held commitment to freedom of worship and belief, and people are free to form religions and free to follow their own practices and beliefs provided they [...]
I've been following the build up to the Scottish Parliamentary elections with great interest from afar. The one thing that has become clear is that the SNP are now becoming a complete non-party in Holyrood politics. They are in a policy vacuum without an independent Scotland. If they were to have any power in a successful government after May, the question would be "What is the point of 
The EU has given €9.6 million to fund a trial of Broadband over Power Line (BPL). This technology pollutes the radio spectrum as has been shown by numerous trials. It emits radiation across the HF spectrum, disabling communications in that part of the spectrum and potentially causing interference across the world. HF is not only used [...]
Whilst I share many people’s intense dislike for George W Bush and his allies in the Republican Party, I do not see the Democrats as saviours as many do. Whilst I am sympathetic to the ideas of lack of discrimination and equal opportunity and eradication of poverty, that does not make the Democrats natural allies, [...]
I noticed that this post on Lib Dem Voice was in the top five posts on LibDemBlogs. So I think a response is in order. Essentially, Rob Fenwick's argument is that internet TV sites like 18 Doughty Street and the rather more famous YouTube allow people to circumvent the laws against political adverts on TV, opening the way to US-style attack ads and all the bad consequences they entail. I am
Good news to see - at last - that Wimbledon is going to give equal prize money to the men and women this year for the first time. Better late than never. Spurs played D.C. United in a friendly at White Hart Lane a couple of years back - we played a mix of young and old players like Chris Waddle, with old boy David Ginola pretty much outshining everyone on the pitch (both teams). Anyway, have been keeping an eye on D.C. United since then and am on their e-mail list. Anyone doubting the financial expectations that ...
Michael Meacher has announced he will be standing for Leader or the Labour Party when Tony Blair stands down later in the year. Meacher is the former Environment Minister and has become increasingly critical of government policy since leaving office in 2003.
It is good news that Michael Meacher has confirmed that he will fight Gordon Brown for the Labour leadership. Although John McDonnell was always going to ensure that there would be a contest, at least now there is something of a middleweight, if not a heavyweight, to stop the thing being all but a coronation.
The 2006 CPA results are out and there are fairly mixed results in the West Midlands with Shropshire having one of the best results and Stoke having the worst, Sandwell is joint second worst with Rutland.
{Eleanor Burnham, your regional North Wales AM} Patchy Brachytherapy Provision not good enough for North Wales patients - Burnham 4.36.17pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 21st Feb 2007 Eleanor Burnham AM has slammed the Labour Welsh Assembly Government for its shoddy treatment of prostate cancer patients across North Wales. Following the revelation earlier this year that Wales had no brachytherapy provision for suitable patients whatsoever, a service is now due to be offered at Velindre Hospital, Cardiff from April. However, this means North Wales patients requiring brachytherapy will have to travel approximately 200 miles for single ...
Welsh Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Jenny Randerson, AM for Cardiff Central, said: “Welsh Liberal Democrats will employ salaried dentists to do school check-ups and focus on dental health and prevention at primary school level and at playgroups and nurseries, building on the Community Dental Service in Communities First Areas. “For too long now, the dental services in Wales have been at crisis point. By focusing now on the health of children, we can ease pressures on the service in the long term. “By tackling the teeth of children in schools, we can focus on dental health and ...
Commenting on the publication of a report on council housing today [Tuesday], Welsh Liberal Democrat Social Justice spokesperson Mick Bates said: “I look forward to reading the report in depth, but I am concerned that the need to build more council houses may have been overlooked. “Building more council houses is the way to tackle the current affordable housing crisis in this country. This can be done by encouraging communities to build their own houses through Community Land Trusts. It can also be achieved by suspending the right to buy in areas where there is high demand ...
I discovered a very interesting fact last night, which I have sourced to Transport2000, and the fact is this: only 13% of journeys in Outer London are made on public transport! Although I have been walking and cycling more, I have to admit that some of those car journeys were me. So what stops me from getting out of my car*: · because I know I can park somewhere, generally for free, when I get
During the past nine years I have taken hundreds of people around the Houses of Parliament on a tour. When passing the empty plinth in the lobby outside the House of Commons I have remarked that...
Nine months after Italy's closest election Romano Prodi has resigned as Prime Minister. He resigned after a defeat in the Senate over its alliance with the United States and its role in NATO. He lost by two votes, although most of the votes cast were for - abstentions count against in the Italian political system.
As the Wales Labour Party head up north for their pre-election conference it is clear that jitters are already starting to set in. As I reported yesterday Rhodri Morgan has come out blazing in a very personal attack on David Cameron. His claim that the Tory Party Leader had never had a proper job has led to a feature in today's Western Mail looking at the employment history of the two men and explaining why it matters what MPs and AMs did in a previous life. As usual in these matters rumours continue to spread amongst political circles. ...
Scottish ministers have announced funding for what has been described as the world's biggest wave energy farm. Apparently the Pelamis device (shown above) has been tested at the European Marine Energy Centre on Orkney and Scottish Power wants to commission four more at the same site. Scottish Power say this could create enough power for 2,000 homes. According to the Lib Dem Deputy First Minister Nicol Stephen "This will be the world's biggest commercial wave project - significantly bigger than the major Portuguese scheme". He went on to say "Scotland has the potential to generate a quarter of ...
Labour MP for Tyne Bridge, David Clelland, claimed in our North East regional evening newspaper, the Evening Chronicle (15th February) that he flies to London so much rather than uses the train because he “lives near the airport.” The explanation was given after the travel expenses of MPs were outed last week. So I tested his claim against the AA online road map which tells me that the distance
The Chief Executive of the NHS in Wales, Ann Lloyd, has told a summit on devolution and health policy, organised by drugs manufacturer Pfizer, that the Welsh Assembly Government has failed to win the public's hearts and minds over the reconfiguration of health services. In their report the Western Mail adds that concerns about the future of health services - particularly hospital-based services - have sparked a series of protests, demonstrations and petitions around Wales: Many people have raised concerns that services will be lost from the area and because they do not know what community-based services will ...
This might be the answer.
On 20 January I said: Well I hate US primaries, because they allow your own side to dig up all the dirt and throw the shit at each other before you let the Republicans in. I suppose it gives you a chance to hone your street combat skills, but there has to be a better way. So what do we now read: While Sen. Obama was denouncing slash and burn politics yesterday, his campaign's finance chair was
There’s an obituary in today’s Guardian.
My piece for the next issue of BFOBRCA Community News. Exclusive! Read it here first! January's gales certainly caused some problems locally. I had to replace a fence panel, but Oliver's Battery is a windy place and I've lost count of the number I've had to replace over the years. Badger Farm was hit harder this time with the collapse of the first floor wall of part of the May Tree Close garages
Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has maintained the highest overall performance rating for a Council with an Audit Commission assessment of ‘four stars’ and is judged to have plans in place to continue ‘improving well’. The Assessment, which took place at the end of last year, looked at how each of the Council’s main services are performing, how well the Council is being managed, how it manages its finances and achieves value for money, as well as what progress the Council has made over the past year and the plans it has in place for the future. Cllr ...
Much as I could launch into a BenEltonesque rant about the "evils" of "The Thatch", I can't help feeling that the unveiling of her statue in the House of Commons' lobby is right and proper. It is nice that it has been displayed while she is still with us. When Paddy Ashdown took a party of us from Newbury around the houses, he pointed to the empty lobby corner and said in tones of respect: "Some
Tuesday: It's a twap! It's a twap! as flappy, fishy fleet-commander Admiral Akbar would say. Today the leaders of the Church offered their American branch a DEAL: stop behaving like CHRISTIANS and we'll let you stay in our GANG. The idea that the Episcopal Church should let those members who want to HATE GAY DADDIES set up a "parallel" church organisation within an organisation is NOT a compromise. It is the first step towards kicking the NICE Americans out WITHOUT having to let them take all of their church buildings and all of their money ...
Pick of the Day Dewis y Dydd We would develop a national scheme for youth volunteering Contact/Cyswllt: Marie Concannon- 02920 898426 Embargo: 00:01 February 22, 2007 Welsh Liberal Democrat Deputy Education spokesperson Tudor Jones said: "I want to see young people in Wales getting the best possible start for life and employment in the 21st century. This means not only the best education, but involving them in their local community and giving them opportunities to contribute. "A national scheme for youth volunteering would promote and co-ordinate opportunities for volunteering ... | < | February 2007 | > | ||||
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