...Just watching a fascinating programme about W.H.Auden. One of the talking heads said, apropos virtually nothing, that he was made to use just one piece of toilet paper per go, when he was a child. In fact, I have been meaning to make a similar observation for some time. We used to make do with two pieces of paper (not on a roll in those days - it was in a box). In fact it would have never
Well - Solar Cooker Day dawned! And you should see the size of the one that we managed to borrow from 'Engineers without Borders' - from Imperial College. Thank you sooooooo much Imperial Engineers! My researcher, Mette, spent six hours sewing green, white and purple ribbon together to make the colours of International Women’s Day - and then she and a helper carted the precious object to
This BBC article suggests we have.
The military dictatorship in Burma is one of many repressive regimes around the world (and especially in South East Asia) that very rarely push their way into the European conciousness. Its encouraging then that the Royal Court has chosen to stage a play about the Burmese Junta's decision to shift the nations capital lock stock from Yangon (Rangoon) to a completely new city, Naypyidaw, in the
I think the headline makes it clear what I think of Lee Probert personally. My opinion is based on watching Norwich play Derby County this evening, a game won by Derby, thanks to two great goals and a referee called Lee Probert, who makes Andy D'Urso look good. Let me explain why it is my personal opinion that Lee Probert is unfit to referee, and based on what I saw, why some might believe him to be a cheat. 1) In the first half there was a foul on a Norwich player (Chris Martin), the ball ricocheted through to Lee ... 
James Graham left a comment on my previous post on this topic (no need to apologise for it James :) ). James makes some very good points. Chiefly they boil down to a criticism of technocracy. In this he is absolutely correct. Technology is a tool, it is not a panacea. That must always be kept in [...]
The FreeThink blog thinks it is all over, but there is more comment on Harrogate on-line.
Tomorrow is election day for the Northern Ireland Assembly and I'm hoping that history will be made tomorrow and Anna Lo, Alliance Candidate for South Belfast gets elected. Very best of luck Anna, David Ford and to the rest of the Alliance Team. Here's hoping that your message of cooperation, not tribalism, wins through for the sake of all the people of Northern Ireland.
Wow, so much has been happening recently, and typically all when I have personal things to occupy myself with. I havn’t had time to digest the news from Harrogate, except Ming’s speech, which whilst I see what he meant was rather stupid (its obvious what Tories and the press would make of it…) Trident: I kept [...]
Today at full council the Liberal Democrat group refused to vote for the budget. The only reason for doing this was because the budget arrived on our doorstep on Friday 2nd March, after we had already departed for a weekend in Harrogate. We found it totally unacceptable that such a serious document which was between 150-200 [...]
It pains me to write it, but Boris Johnson’s ideas for British higher education - outlined in today’s Grauniad - are light years ahead of current Lib Dem policy. Once you get past the usual ‘What-ho!’ flummery, his vision for the value of universities is spot-on: Call me starry-eyed, but I still think the main point of a university education is to achieve a personal intellectual transformation,
The Welsh Liberal Democrat AM for North wales Eleanor Burnham & Assembly Candidate for the Vale of Clwyd Mark Young have urged, Labour Education Minister Jane Davidson to demand that she takes urgent action to ensure that more cash is allocated to training unemployed 16-18 year olds in North Wales. His intervention comes in the wake of reports that the cash provided by the Assembly Government for this purpose will run out by the end of March - four months early - and that young people are already being turned away from courses. A report in ...
Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly leader Mike German today predicted his party’s conference in Swansea would be a showcase for his party’s ambition for Wales. The conference – held at the Richard Ley Development Centre in Swansea – begins on Friday evening, with a rally at the venue ahead of two days of debate over the pre-manifesto. Mike German said: “Welsh Liberal Democrats are ambitious for Wales, and we will be setting out our positive agenda for a fairer, greener future in Swansea. “This conference will allow party members to have their say ...
Opik-Welsh Lib Dems offer a healthy community, healthy environment and a healthy Wales 02/03/2007 In today’s St David’s Day debate in the House of Commons on Welsh Affairs, Lembit Öpik, Leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrats will highlight the Welsh Lib Dem commitment to creating a healthy Wales, by specific and clear strategies which will get measurable results. He will say: “St. David’s Day is a fantastic opportunity for the people of Wales to both celebrate the vibrancy of Welsh culture and to reflect on the state of Wales and its future. “The ...
I was just about to sort through the 700 photos I took at conference but have just realised it is 8.50pm and I really should be leaving Cowley St. So I'll post a few up tomorrow instead. Just done my second email newsletter of the week so over 1000 households in Gateshead this week have had eFocus. And on that note, I'm off back to the flat for a Sainsburys pizza.
With prisons bursting at the seams, and prisoners spending nights in poilce or court cells, it’s no surprise people have been wondering if the government is desperate enough to put higher risk prisoners in low security prisons. They can, however, only put prisoners in the right category of prison, or higher - so a Category A [...]
Wednesday, March 7th is going to be Lords Reform Day. Since 1911 there have been several attempts to reform the membership of the House of Lords. The last, three years ago, ended in failure...
"How can I, that girl standing there, My attention fix On Roman or on Russian Or on Estonian politics?" ...as Yeats so nearly wrote. Two of the blogs I link to do take an interest. Cicero is pretty upbeat: The outgoing coalition was between the Centre Party and Reform, with the support of the smaller, conservative and agrarian party, the National League (Rahva Liit). In fact, although ideologically liberal, the Centre Party is dominated by the populist personality of its founder and leader, Edgar Savisaar. So, while Lembit Opik was able to persuade the Centre Party ...
This is Alfie, he arrived half an hour ago and is staying with us for 4 or 5 weeks while his owner sorts out their new home (they aren't allowed a dog where they are staying). Simba our black cat is on eldest daughter Jessica's top bunk upstairs.. Sheba is in a wardrobe. The next few days are going to be interesting, especially when the cats are hungry. He has already hoovered a bowl of cat food
The key, I have been led to believe, to running a succesful business is working out where there is a need for something and them fulfilling that need. It is called 'supply and demand'. Now i know what the need might be tonight in Norwich. 25000 hungry people, and every bloody food outlet in the riverside complex that serves the vicinity around Carrow Road seems to either have no chef tonight, be understaffed or is simply not serving food. Pathetic. The reason they site for the problems tonight ? 'It's a football night' - 'I know' is my reply, 'so ... 
A 19-year-old Tory councillor has been forced to apologise - for not taking drugs. Wales on Sunday reports that Chris Chapman came to public notice when the Labour MP Paul Flynn mentioned his MySpace site in the Commons. According to the newspaper it used to read: "I've evolved from a little whining pussy to a thrill-seeking wreckhead to a Conservative who still loves the wreck-ups." He also cited a questionnaire posted on the site where the ear-pierced and spiky-haired councillor confessed to having taken drugs and stealing in the past year.It seems the truth is less colourful. The ...
This story does not make it on to the Daily Express's rudimentary website, but regular readers will know that I rely more upon the Shropshire Star for my news: Liberal Democrats today dismissed as “highly unlikely” a report that Montgomeryshire MP Lembit Opik might bid to become the party’s candidate for London Mayor next year. The report suggested that the Mid Wales MP was being touted as candidate for the job of trying to unseat Labour’s Ken Livingstone. It said that his entry into the race would “liven the contest up” and would not harm his parliamentary career ...
Campaigning East Dulwich Councillor Richard Thomas has launched a petition site against the Ruth Kelly's plans to steal our sunlight across parts of Southwark and Lambeth. Click here to sign.
Liberal Democrats at the party’s 2007 spring conference were asked to give their views on Ming Campbell’s closing speech.
This video montage was shown ahead of Ming Campbell’s keynote speech to the Liberal Democrats’ 2007 spring conference in Harrogate.
Tuesday 6th March 2007 - You may have spotted that I have recently launched a petition calling on the Government to back a UN General Assembly Resolution calling for a moratorium on the death penalty. Thanks to all those who have signed the petition already - and it's nice to see at least one Tory has signed it, amongst a sea of Lib Dems!!! The Resolution was the initiative of two Italian
Lewis Libby, former chief of staff to US Vice-President Dick Cheney, has been found guilty of obstruction of justice and perjury. This has got to be a major body-blow to the Bush administration, especially as Bush entered office promising to clean up what he saw as the sloppy practices of the Clinton days. It is interesting that this trial did not address the original alleged crime, namely that
Is Hooting Yard a lopsided version of the world, or is the world a lopsided version of Hooting Yard? Today, news comes in that leads us a little closer to answering that age-old question. The comments appended here by readers are always worthy of your attention. Occasionally I think it necessary to give a comment a [...]
The South London Press Letters/Puzzles page today raises quite a puzzle with one letter that purported to be from independent local notables, the Chief Superintendent, members of the Primary Care Trust (that run parts of the NHS), and someone from an employers group. The letter was questioning the seriousness of Labour-run Lambeth's new status as the worst Council in London. The puzzle rests on why such a letter was sent to the SLP via the Lambeth Labour party. Particularly when coming from a senior Police Officer who are required by contract to be outside party politics. ...
I am just about to head off to Prestwich Area Board (6pm at Butterstile school in the fantastically unlikely event that you will read this between now and then, and be in a position to go, and want to go), where much will be debated including road repairs and the latest goings-on around these parts. One thing that will be spoken of as a matter of urgency is the latest spate of vandalism in the
Dobson’s Six Lectures On Fruit were among the most highly-regarded of his works, held in an esteem that the contemporary reader finds unfathomable. Revisiting these pamphlets, it swiftly becomes apparent that Dobson has no idea what he’s talking about. The revised view of the Lectures is put best by one upstart young Dobson scholar, who [...]
My sources tell me that the Conservatives in South Staffordshire will be holding another Executive meeting tonight to discuss Sir Patrick's future.
{Levy} Lord Cashpoint is in serious trouble. It was always going to difficult to prove beyond reasonable doubt that peerages were sold, its much easier to prove that lies were told. This government is addicted to lies. It started with Bernie Ecclestone and ends on this. The Tories were driven out of office on the back of cash for questions. What Labour have done is so much worse. They've sold our democracy to the highest bidder and then lied to cover it up. This is a crime against the British people, and every member ...
Well I’m rattling out the blog postings today. The latest is thanks to new website Home Office Watch and highlights yet another point that the Government has yet to address satisfactorily about biometric passports, ID Cards and the Identity Register. I have one simple challenge to the Government on their data obsession. “Assure me that the security of my personal [...]
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that coverage and comment on the Lib Dems has almost entirely petered out today, but the one piece that there is (Steve Richards in The Independent) refreshingly grasps the correct end of the stick. Worryingly, it seemed the media had collectively managed to look without seeing at conference. That or they had all promised to be friends with the new boy if he let them copy his conference homework. Either way, everyone wrote the same PR-confusion story.However, Richards focuses on the real substance of Ming's speech. Challenges to Gordon Brown need to cover the ...
Graffiti: Prosecutions Q:To ask the Solicitor-General under what circumstances the Crown Prosecution Service would prosecute a youth who is alleged to be writing graffiti tags on property. A:The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) would apply the two stage test as set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors. The first stage is the evidential test: there has to be sufficient evidence to provide a
Tory AM, Brynle Williams to First Minister, Rhodri Morgan a few minutes ago: "There is a considerable downward pressure on upland farms." An excellent point well made. We know what he mean't anyway.
The debut of the new Cheeky Girls single was not an overwhelming success. Any other caption suggestions welcome.
Security consultant Adam Laurie has demonstrated in the Daily Mail how a new UK biometric passport can be cloned without even being removed from its delivery envelope. The government tends to laugh off questions about the risks associated with the new ePassports - see this letter from Joan Ryan in the Guardian where she claims: It [...]
After the revelations about demonic possession I decided to exploit the known antipathy between demons and alcohol with a weekend of treatment in the spa town of Harrogate. On the train back I did see someone reading acopy of Pepys Diaries. It's amazing that when you pick a theme and stick to it these things crop up. It's been a bad few days for aides - Lewis Libby's been convicted, it emerges Ruth Turner might have fired a smoking gun at Lord Levy. I'm slightly concerned that aides are getting a bad press at the moment. Perhaps I ...
One of the reasons that this blog has been quiet the last few weeks, apart from the usual hectic pace of London life, is that I was travelling up and down the country working on a short film for Liberal Democrat conference. The video was shown at the “We Can Cut Crime” rally on Friday [...]
Having been back from Harrogate for over 36 hours, dealing with the usual tiredness, trying to catch up on all those missed tasks, dealing with Monday, and trying to fit in catching up on the media coverage and other peoples posts, I finally get to blog. However, although there are several half formed posts in my head, I'm finding it difficult pull out from the fog in my brain the important
The system to find the view of the house tomorrow is complex involving about 10 different motions. I shall support a bicameral system and the abolition of hereditaries ... once the elected members are elected. You can vote for or against a large number of options from 100% elected through 80%, 60% etc. As you cannot put a sequence of preference I shall be voting for 100% and 80%, but against
Spotted this on my travels… How to avoid arrest on Red Nose Day Nothing to seriously worry about methinks, but it does highlight the absurdities of some British laws.
Welcome to the blogosphere, Ryan.
A nice bit of bravado from Business Minister, Jane Hutt, this morning as she insisted that Labour will not countenance anything other than regaining its Assembly majority in the run-up to May’s election: She dismissed suggestions of poor polling data and allegations that Labour’s tactic of concentrating its fire on the Tories’ record in office was creating a negative campaign. “There is no talk of anything but us coming through as we did in 2003,” she told the Assembly Government’s weekly press briefing." Whether Labour seriously believe any of this is doubtful but they have to keep ...
Detectives are investigating whether Lord Levy, Labour's chief fundraiser, urged one of Tony Blair's most senior aides to shape the evidence she gave to Scotland Yard, the Guardian has learned.
I spotted an interesting piece by Jeremy Paxman in today’s Guardian on Britain’s litter problem. I’m not sure he had a particular point other than a general rant that Britain is filthy, but three aspects of his rant caught my eye. Firstly on EnCams, the charity which runs the Keep Britain Tidy campaigns. “Astonishingly, they seem [...]
I spent all afternoon yesterday delivering the second version of "The Essential Guide to Breastfeeding in Cornwall" to birth centres, hospitals and Health Promotions. It was fantastic to see it being practically given out the minute I got there and to know that women who have just had their babies will be receiving the guide which helps with all aspects of breastfeeding. The essential guide covers all the social aims of the company, provides correct information, dispels myths and misconceptions and signposts to support groups, helplines and breastfeeding friendly places in Cornwall. We have had 7,500 printed this ...
Just recently I have felt a little lonely as a Liberal. The screw up at Harrogate: where it looked that Ming's bias against the Tories was driving him to shackle the Liberal Democrats to the Labour corpse. The reversion to talking about voting systems rather than why we should be in power. The opportunist attempt by the cynical David Cameron to claim credit for Liberal Democrat ideas. All were conspiring to create an air of gloom. And then, Paddy Ashdown comes to the rescue: "In a nutshell, liberals believe in individual freedom, accountable government, ...
If so, please feel free to vist Bonhams and buy me some of these rather cool costumes from Doctor Who and the James Bond and Carry On films. (Via.)
Two more West Midlands seats have now advertised for a Candidate for the General Election - Wyre Forest and Kenilworth and Southam.
Another day, another story about massive bank profits. I thought it was a case of deja-vu when I just saw the headline of thelondonpaper on the bus on my way back from a meeting. But as another bank (HSBC) has published its profits, the story comes out again and the numbers get bigger. The big five banks have made profits of £38 billion. That's not bad going. And yet still there is talk about an end to free banking - there were quotes from another bank last week saying free banking is "not sustainable". £38 billion sounds ...
Several people have written on the events of the LibDem spring conference in Harrogate. Alex Wilcock has a good textual analysis of the leaders speech. I didn't go into the hall to hear it, but watched it on a relay screen (the only time I was in the hall was for Trident, see Colin Ross). I suspect the production values of the relay screens weren't quite that of the BBC, so we didn't get the Ming training montage, or the music at the end. From watching it, you didn't realise he'd finished it as he just seemed to stop, start ...
Having been at Upton Park on the last day of last season where it all went belly-up, I wish I could have swapped my visit for Sunday's. As I was up in Yorkshire for Lib Dem conference, getting down to London in time for the match just wasn't going to happen, so had resigned myself to finding a pub to watch it - which ended up being the Varsity in Leeds city centre. Aside from my brother, who's a Man Utd fan but had a passing interest in the game, no one else in there was watching the ...
A busy few days - moved flat on Friday night, then an early start on Saturday to get up to Lib Dem conference in Harrogate mid-morning. I'd never been to Harrogate before - it's a pretty place. Stayed at this B&B, Askern House, which was only a few minutes walk from the station and very comfortable. The other pic is just a very bad one of Ming as he toured the exhibition stands... I just took it to prove I was at conference, couldn't be bothered getting in close or trying to get a decent photo! There ...
Despite not being a cheating Spad, I thought I'd get my head round Facebook anyway. So, I now have a profile, my first real dip into "social networking", which is what I thought I did most weeks in the pub...
Its no secret that like almost half our delegates, I was deeply disappointed about the outcome of the Trident debate which leaves us with a policy position my conscience could not possibly allow me to defend. So I was interested in this comment I received in an email from a pal, a fellow member, who took a very different view from me on the issue: "It looks like you would have been unhappy with the Trident Debate outcome. It was a clever compromise however. But I still think 'delay a decision' is bad politics and doesn't help us electorally. ...
Redcar's Locke Park is ready for a £300,000 investment to include a new pavilion and better footpath links as part of a Borough-wide environmental improvement programme. The facelift also includes refurbishment of perimeter fencing and two park shelters and the installation of new front gates along with de-silting the lake and work to improve the surface of the tennis courts. Redcar and Cleveland Council and the Friends of Locke Park is using funding from the Government's Neighbourhood Renewal Fund allocation to deliver recommendations from the park's Conservation and Management Plan. The Council's Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure ...
Err... Told you so! Acoording to a report by the Equal Opportunities Commission reported today in the Guardian: Children are more likely to suffer development problems if their fathers do not take paternity leave or spend enough time with them when they are very young, according to an analysis of thousands of babies born around the turn of the millennium. ... Children are more likely to suffer development problems if their fathers do not take paternity leave or spend enough time with them when they are very young, according to an analysis of thousands of babies born around ...
I heard about Chris Lightfoot’s death last week, but tried to forget about it on the grounds that if only one person was telling me it, then maybe, just maybe, it might not be true. Yeah, denial never works. I only met him once, but I’ll miss him, not just for his contributions to the world that [...]
As I've been struggling with new software for the last month, this seems appropriate....
Following my recent request to the Planning & Transportation Department to add the bus stop on Blackness Road between Seymour Street and Ashbank Road for future consideration for bus shelter provision, please to advise this has been added to the waiting list for future provision.
The House of Commons is to vote on Wednesday on their preferred option for reform of the House of Lords. At the moment it looks like ‘predominantly elected’, probably 80% elected 20% appointed, will be the option with the most support. That’s if they can sort the voting procedure out so that they [...]
Hat Tip Ian Dale
West Midlands artistic talent is currently being showcased at Birmingham City Council's Museum and Art Gallery. An independent panel of judges selected 238 works to go on public display in the prestigious Gas Hall for the first Open Art Exhibition at the venue. Exhibits include drawing, sculpture, photography, prints and audio visual work. To accompany the exhibition there will be a series of | < | March 2007 | > | ||||
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