LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Saturday 15th September 2007

Day 2447: The Di-lithium Crystals Will Nae Tak' It, Cap'n!

Friday: It must be an ANTI-MATTER sort of a year – we have only just finished watching Dr Who's adventures with Omega, who is trying to escape from his Anti-matter universe over the "Arc of Infinity", and next month we find Dr Tom meeting Professor Sorenson, who is trying to steal anti-matter sweeties from the "Planet of Evil". But in the REAL world, anti-matter does not exist… OR DOES IT?!?!?! Apparently we can MAKE anti-matter using STICKY-BACKED PLASTIC and a PARTICLE COLLIDER. By firing a beam of positrons (the name for anti-matter electrons) at a screen (recommended is a sheet ...

I am India

Hat tip Nich Starling. They got me spot on! You're India! A great thinker and leader, you have a great deal of power despite being really poor. You like movies, cows, and you probably are a vegetarian and may even be a pacifist. You've probably been moving away from pacifism lately, though, as you get more and more defensive that everyone around you is trying to hurt you. How about a

Ed Davey on Ming’s Euro referendum proposal

Ed Davey MP, Ming Campbell’s chief of staff, has posted a comment to Lib Dem Voice setting out why he thinks the Lib Dem leader is right to reject a referendum on the EU reform treaty, but to call for a vote on the UK’s continuing membership of the European Union. Here’s an extract: For the [...]

Opinion: Europe - is Ming playing with fire?

This I am writing just before the Lib Dem conference gets started in Brighton. Events will take their course, and I do not know where the Lib Dems will end up by next Thursday. But I for one am feeling rattled already. The Liberal Democrats have never been seriously divided over Europe before. Whilst Labour and [...]

More Talking Coalitions

On Monday, it was Mark Oaten who was talking coalitions. The liberal think-tank Centre Forum is also joining in the conversation, and have just published a pamphlet, Lib-Lab: can Labour and the Liberal Democrats co-operate?, authored by Julian Astle and Alasdair Murray. You can read the document as a PDF here. Here’s the abstract to [...]

Well at least one team is keeping the St George Cross flying high

Having personally witnessed England's humiliation at the hands of South Africa last night (believe me it didn't look any better in the stadium)it was good to see a side actually deserving to wear the St Georges Cross this evening. Ireland were very, very, lucky to survive Georgia's onslaught in the last 20mins with the Georgian pack looking out on its feet whenever the ball went dead but throwing

Lochee ... and Benvie Road

Had a thoroughly enjoyable day in Lochee Ward (despite a bit of rain!!) with our Lochee Ward by-election candidate Chris Hall, Alison McIness MSP, and a great campaign team. Chris, Alison & I are pictured (right) at Ninewells Hospital. An update on my request for an improved road surface in Benvie Road - update from the City Council : "We are still continuing to investigate this. A company that carries out proprietary works is coming to look at the area next week to see if their system is suitable."

Liberal Democrat Friends of the Armed Forces launched

Last year at Federal Conference in Brighton, Liberal Democrats discussed the overstretch of the British Armed Forces in one of the urgent issue slots. Most of the speakers were former members of the services or currently serving members of the reserves. It was clear from the tone of the debate that many party members were [...]

How many of Boris Johnson's supporter are actually voting for him ?

I note with interest that Boris Johnson is publishing a list of supporters on his website. However, as Justin Hinchcliffe writes, he is listed as a supporter when in fact Boris was his last choice. All he had simply done was sign up to get Boris Johnson's e-mail newsletter. You would assume that Boris Johnson had enough proper supporters without having to make them up, wouldn't you ?

I suppose I'll have to be the EU in future ?

I have just done the country test (see the link below) and I have come out as being the United Kingdon (yay - I do love being British). I guess if things go on though as they are I'll have to be a citizen of the EU ? You're the United Kingdom! You're a much weaker person than you used to be, but you still act like you did when everyone looked up to you. Despite this, you're probably a better person than you were when you had so much power over those around you. Though you do have a ...

Another busy week - summary

Monday - early eve - CVS Board Meeting in Town Hall Council Chamber. I was invited to join the Board in order to provide political balance as there were 2 labour and 1Cons Cllr. Winding CVS up is proving difficult - it didn't get its yearly grant from the Council so it cannot afford to continue. 2nd Meeting of night - Roodern Court TRA - neither the housing officers or TRA support officer

And nobody believed me ...

I wrote the other day of impending resignations from the Lib Dems in the wake of Ming's decision to stop the Lib Dems supporting a referendum on the EU constitution. At the time, people's comments were generally along the lines that I was speaking rubbish. So this blog posting must be a figment of the imagination then ?

Family Gathering

It all big excitement today. The Liberali Family are gathering in Brighton to discuss Family business for the year ahead. Don Campbell has selected Green Scams, We Want Some of the Action Now! as the theme for gathering, so he letting the Carbonator explain some of his ideas to the assembled men and women of honour. Other initatives include plans to take care of the anti-Mossad Union currently disrupting our arms shipments from Israel, more power for local Capitani, skimming the tourist industry, addressing woeful decline in standards of bullying across the United Territories, and confirming idea for 4% off ...

Asda's bias against babies

Norwich's Asda store has recently halved the number of parking spaces for people with young children. Yet they have kept the exrtaordianry amount of always empty disabled parking spots. What has Asda got against people with children shopping there ? In future I will do my major shopping at Sainsbury's in Costessey who have plenty parking spaces for people with prams and pushchairs. P.S. And on a separate note, why do Asda and Sainsbury's own brand vinegars come in identical bottles (I know, they are bottled by the same company) but Asda's comes without a pourer in the top. Presumably ...

Common sense

This story about pregnant women getting cash to have a good diet really got me thinking. Where has all the common sense gone? Nobody disputes that a healthy diet is a good thing for pregnant women. But just how is this grant of £120 supposed to achieve that. The women will receive the grant too late into pregnancy (some seven months in) to have the desired impact and there is no actual guarantee that the money will be spent on the healthy food it is paying for! In fact the money could be used to buy cigarettes, alcohol or drugs. ...

Project Creep and the European Union

Project Creep is a logical conclusion of the Dustbin Theory of Decision-making. The Dustbin Theory of Decision-making (prop D. Howarth) is that most decisions are made essentially by a dustbin being passed around and everyone who it passes chucking something in. That means that most decisions are dominated by the people who are passed by the bin. This is one of the flaws of politics. It also

Ming's conference video - Saturday

During this week’s Liberal Democrat conference in Brighton, party leader Ming Campbell will be doing regular webcasts. In today’s, he looks ahead to the conference, which is themed around the environment.

Hiding From The New Technology

As it is the weekend's contractual obligation in the blogosphere, let me say now that I am not presently packing for conference because I'm not going to conference. What's more, I have still yet to manage to go at all (though this year's absence is somewhat more frustrating, as it is financial and not, as previously, due to conference always being held on Freshers Week at the University of

Ming arrives at Brighton - the exclusive photos!

I was at the front of the Grand Hotel in Brighton in the press pack waiting for Ming to arrive. So here are a couple of the pics I took as he spoke to the press. I had arrived there about half an hour earlier. Alas, whilst the press pack was there in force, it wasn't waiting for me! But my taxi driver was amused anyway!

Party videos from conference

To help you keep track of what’s happening in Brighton, the party is producing regular video clips from now until conference closes on Thursday. You’ll be able to find them on the party website, and the first, from Ming, is now online. Here it is:

Labour's leaflet of lies on crime

Labour activists have leafleted the housing estate where I live today. I’ve uploaded the offending paper of simplistic statements, as humour should be shared not kept to oneself. Any credit that Labour had locally, which was already very limited, is now reduced to a big fat ZERO. Of course Labour's list of failures on reducing crime is clear for all to see. * Violent crime is rising, anti-social behaviour is still a serious problem, and our prisons are overflowing. Labour have talked tough but have failed to deliver despite 10 years in power. * Overcrowded prisons are putting the public ...

Gorilla saves Lib Dem from Rugby suicide bid

Last night I was in the pub for England against the Springboks. Highlight? Jason Robinson's superb play and a few moments from Mike Catt. Lowlights? A completely uncoordinated ragbag of an England team. In general I am not going to single out players, it was the clear lack of any experience of playing together as a team that showed. Extreme lowlight? Jason Robinson hobbling off the pitch. Extreme

That Man Attlee

During party conferences some of us gather for dinner and some bring guests. About 20 years ago I found myself next to a man from the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland. I told him all I knew about his party came from a Radio 4 play. He replied that he wrote it. He was Robin Glendinning. Today Radio 4 repeated his play about the 1945 General Election and Clement Attlee. Click on the link

Lord preserve us from Lee Probert

After witnessing referee Lee Probert serve up possibly the most inept displays of refereeing last year, I was surprised but slightly relieved to see that he had been promoted to the Premier League list of refs. However, after only a few games and a number of Premier League howlers Lee Probert is back at Carrow road this afternoon. Already a terrible refereeing mistake has led Crystal Palace nearly scoring and we have only been going two minutes. Lord preserve us from the awful Lee Probert. Update : What can i say about the refereeing display in hindsight ? Lee Probert ...

The danger of meningitis

Meninigtis Awareness Week starts on Monday. The Meningitis Research Foundation have launched a "B Aware campaign" for the week: Last year in the UK there were more than 3,000 cases of meningitis and septicaemia. Tragically this resulted in the deaths of some 230 babies, children and adults and left many more with after effects, some as serious as brain damage, deafness and amputations. Most of

Genius, finances and the Rocks

I don’t want to be too pessimistic, but with the current Northern Rock uproars John Kenneth Galbraith’s little book ‘A Short History of Financial Euphoria’ looks all too relevant. Basic point. Speculation buys up the intelligence of those involved. The only safeguard against market shipwrecks is good market ‘seamanship’ which recognises what a wrecking coast and adverse winds and tides look like. Unfortunately the power of money means that a period of prosperity lessens the sense of danger. So-called new financial instruments re-invent old methods of profiting from risks and those involved bask in reputations for financial genius. ‘The world ...

Referendums don’t resolve anything

I hesitate to return once again to the scene of the crime, lest I bore Chris Keating even more (then again, it is my experience that everything I’ve ever said and done bores Chris to tears, so I’m onto a loser there). This episode has got me thinking because while I absolutely do defend us having a referendum (on lots of things, for that matter), as someone whose job it is to look into these things I’m accutely aware of their limitations. Paul Walter, honourable mea culpa notwithstanding, is correct to say that for many a referendum on the treaty ...

Back in Brighton

I'm back in Brighton for Lib Dem Conference. I enjoyed a lovely dinner last night at The Fisherman's Rest with Chris Rennard (Chief Executive), Hilary Stephenson (Director of Campaigns) and colleagues yesterday evening where we chatted about progress in our key seats and preparations for a possible autumn election. We then met up for a few drinks with the rest of the Campaigns Department Team at the Grand Hotel. Mood very positive. This morning I did the first of several training sessions I will be doing this week - on 'Making the most of VIP visits' with the excellent Dave ...

Atonement

Go see Atonement. It features some great footage of the beach I spent much of my childhood making sandcastles on and a couple of scenes shot outside and inside the Regent Cinema where I spent many a happy late Friday evening in my youth. Aparantly the story and acting is also quite good!

See you in Brighton

After the flood

The past few months have been a been spent dealing with the aftermath of being flooded. I'm not going to go into a lot of detail but suffice to say that the whole experience is a lot more disruptive than I had ever imagined. We are now settled in a temporary home not too far from our house and the kids are back into their normal routine. The insurance company have been as helpful as we could expect although they and all the various contractors involved have clearly struggled to cope with the large number of claims across the country. ...

Bridge over River Wye– Wrong time! Wrong place! - Cllr Trevor Snaith - Sept 2007

WYCOMBE District Council agreed that a bridge could be built across the River Wye, to a new road, which would link the new homes on the site of the old sewage treatment works in Bassetsbury Lane with London Road itself. It will run across the area where the access lane to the Curry’s store currently lies. At the Development Control Committee meeting decisions were made without due consideration of the bigger picture and impact on the east of High Wycombe. The DCC voted for the St James access road and bridge to be approved! The councillors failed to stand up ...

Madeleine McCann and the Lindebrgh kidnap

A couple of days ago I suggested that the case of Madeleine McCann told us something imporant about the way we live now. But the instinct that there is nothing new under the sun is usually the right one. In today's Guardian Ian Jack draws parallels between the McCann case and the kidnap of Charles Lindbergh's baby son in 1932:Whatever the McCanns achieved in publicity - the visit to the Pope, the wristbands, the words of David Beckham and Gordon Brown - was both prefigured and far exceeded by the Lindbergh baby.By midnight there were road blocks all across the ...

Heading for Brighton with a studio in my case

I am on the train to Brighton now to go to party conference. It feels like I have a studio's worth of cameras and camcorders in my suitcase. After I added my conference papers and various papers from Gateshead and from constituents I will deal with when I am at Brighton, there wasn't much room for my clothes!So it's a week of early morning meetings, late nights, minimal sleep, meals grabbed on

Liberal Democrats head for conference

Brighton is bracing itself for the arrival of thousands of Liberal Democrats for the party's conference next week and amongst those attending will be local campaigners from the West Midlands.

Now I see why I could never have been shortlisted for Lib Dem blogger of the year

I see that the top five nominees for Lib Dem blogger of the year get to meet and interview Ming Campbell. I guess it would have been highly embarrassing to have someone calling for Ming to stand down interviewing him.

50,000 visitors to this blog - thank you

Over the weekend the 50,000th visit will be made to this blog. I once promised not to do this sort of thing (stats boasting), but there is an exception to every rule. I thought long and hard before I started this blog in May 2006, as I didn't want to bite off more than I could chew. In the event I have enjoyed it immensely and I really want to sincerely thank all those who have clicked in and

Teach yourself English in a split second

My weekly guide to "Wot tickled me in the Saturday Guardian" A Czech speedway racer, previously barely able to speak a word of English, spoke perfect "Newsreader" English after being hit on the head during a race.How many "sics" can you have? Tim Dowling, reporting an item from North Korea in "This Week" uses an unusual full set of sics: As the Democratic (sic) People's (sic) Republic (

Chris Huhne attacks Williams, Lester, Neuberger and Taylor

An interesting turn of events in today's Times. Chris Huhne risks opening divisions in the Liberal Democrats today by attacking colleagues who accepted jobs advising Gordon Brown. The former leadership contender and environment spokesman dismisses the four Lib Dems who have agreed to work with Mr Brown as “no longer at the cutting edge”. Speaking on the eve of the party’s annual conference, Mr

Off to the Brighton Conference.

Well I have a few jobs to do and pack before I head down to the annual Lib-Dem works outing to the sea side. I shall try to get you all a picture of Ming in a knotted handkerchief later in the week and will be on the look out for Lynn Featherstone in a 'kiss me quick hat'. To avoid a repetition of events at last years jaunt, I have pledged not to gate crash the party run by the Scottish Liberal Democrats and not to be then led by a group of student interns to a night club ...

Hello Guardian journalists, could you pay attention for a moment please?

Please, please, could you just make this the last time you use the wrong logo for the Liberal Democrats? In case you are in any doubt - the logo you keep on using is WRONG. As in, it is NOT THE RIGHT ONE. I mean, even [insert trashy tabloid newspaper of choice that you most wish [...]

Why doesn't Kingston Hospital want to talk to people in South of the Borough?

I've just received a notice from Kingston Hospital about the public roadshows that they will be running in the next couple of months. They want to update the public on plans for a potential partnership with the independent sector and on their Foundation Trust application, and to give us all an opportunity to discuss the proposals. All well and good BUT they seem to have excluded...

Has Ming lost it or has he pulled of a master stroke ?

After saying that we do not need a referendum on the EU constitution just days ago, Ming Campbell has now suddenly announced that instead we should have a referendum on whether we should or should remain in the EU at all. I am not sure if it is a master stroke or utter folly. For someone like me, who is Euro sceptical and has concerns about any attempts to extend qualified majority voting (QMV), I would seriously have to wonder whether voting to leave the EU would actually be the best way of opposing the Euro constitution, and therefore others ...

I have a mortgage with Northern Rock

I have been watching the problems in the financial world with more interest over the past couple of days because I have a mortgage with Northern Rock. The BBC has a good summary of the situation for concerned customers. I started wondering last night what would happen to my house if the bank did go under. (Highly Unlikely) Will they have to sell my house to pay off their debts? Or if the bank stops trading, would I never have to pay my mortgage again. Well there is mixed news for people with Northern Rock mortgages. It seems our homes ...

Yes, abusive people ought to be charged for their NHS treatment

It might come as no surprise to people that i am supporting a policy proposed by my friend Norman Lamb, but it is always shocking to me that the NHS are expected to treat people with kindness and care when the staff themselves are being abused by patients. The Norman Lamb, the Lib Dems health spokesman, has suggested that abusive drunks should be charged for their NHS treatment. Yes, I would go even further and given the NHS the right to charge for treatment and even remove treatment from those people who are violent, racist or verbally abusive to NHS ...

Guardian labels Quaequam Blog “a Lib Dem gimmick”

{Screen shot from Guardian Guide to the Conference season} According to Patrick Wintour in his Guardian Guide to the Conference Season, this blog is the top tip for winning tomorrow’s Lib Dem Blogger of the Year Awards. Aw, shucks. What’s more, this apparently makes me the Lib Dem equivalent of Arnold Schwartzenegger. Meet me on muscle beach, I have clearly some catching up to do. Sadly, he then goes and spoils everything by suggesting that Land Value Taxation defeating local income tax is one of the things that “might go wrong” in conference this week. As any fule kno this ...

The Norman lamb scammer is using Facebook again - Beware

A number of people ahve in recent days been contacted by someone calling themselves James Becks, urging them to become Facebook "friends" and to join his Facebook Group about Norman Lamb. Can I urge anyone who cares about decency in politics and political life NOT to have anything to do with him. This person's IP address was traced by Mark Pack at Lib Dem Voice to be the person who sent false information in e-mails whilst pretending to be Norman Lamb, he put false and malicious information on to Wikipedia which told lies about Norman Lamb and he set up ...

Cameron and the Hefferlump - Now it's serious!

There is an absolute gem in this fortnight's Private Eye, reproduced on their website: Simon Heffer’s constant criticism of David Cameron in the Telegraph is beginning to goad poor Dave beyond endurance. During his holiday in Brittany last month, the Tory leader was lunching one day with Tory treasurer Lord Marland, who has a holiday apartment out there – and who mentioned that Hefferlump

Led Zeppelin: "Stairlift to heaven"

'Letter of the week' has to be this from Simon Charterton in the Guardian: As it would be easier for Led Zeppelin to take a stairlift to heaven these days, will the reunion (Report, September 13) be sponsored by Stannah? Simon Charterton London

Conservative's green policy shambles

On balance, I agree with the Friends of the Earth verdict on the Tory "Quality of Life" proposals: This is an enormously important report with many innovative and significant proposals that we wholeheartedly support.The challenge now is to turn this blueprint for a greener future into official party policy. There's the rub. My head is still spinning on this. I am still not quite sure what the

Maggie and Gordon

Yesterday at my cousin's funeral I spoke to someone I haven't seen for about thirty five years. At the time, he was the only person I knew, or had known, who read the Guardian. He was/is also a very fair-minded chap who spent, and still spends, much of his time campaigning for political causes. I have ended up reading the Guardian, and being allergic to other papers (even the Indie) and he

Off to Brighton!

I’ve unveiled exclusively to Lib Dem Voice my top tips for the things to watch out for in Brighton this week!

Any questions for Ming?

With the other shortlisted "LibDem bloggers of the year", I have been invited to "interview" Ming tomorrow morning as my "prize" for being on the shortlist. I am somewhat nervous about being in such a cloistered occasion - I would prefer an "online" open questions forum to be held with Ming. Presumably there will be an open "Q and A" with Ming at the conference. I hope so. And having five

I was wrong

I'll confess. My first instinct is to defend Ming and be loyal to him. It's terrible I know, and goodness knows what I am doing in the blogging community with that instinct. I should be writing his press releases, I know. (No - correct that - Stephen Tall should be writing his press releases). I have just come back from a family funeral. It was for my Godmother, who was a beautiful lady -

A question of leadership

It is going to be much quieter in here for a bit as I am leaving for the Liberal Democrat Federal Conference in an hour or so. However, scanning through the interweb I noticed a remarkable article by Tomos Livingstone in the Western Mail looking at the Assembly budget for the next few years. Tomos tells us that there is speculation that the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), which covers the years 2008-11, will offer Ministers in Cardiff Bay a settlement as low as 1% above inflation. This will involve significant belt-tightening in comparison to previous reviews and cause some problems ...

Six out of Six

Given the depressing start to this season things have not developed badly. Ok there is still plenty of opportunity for things to get worse but six games, six wins, eighteen points and a goal difference of plus eleven is not to be sniffed at! I know that most of the rest of league one have to play tomorrow but to be out of the relegation zone already is absolutely stunning. We are now six points from the playoff spots and ten points from the automatic promotions spots. If we had not been docked fifteen points we would be five points ...

Day 2446: Easy Come, Easy Go, Easy Jet: The Latest Conservatory Hot Air Policy

Thursday: This space left BLANK until Mr Balloon tells us which face he is going to be wearing… this week!

Off to party conference

Wonderful. A day with no Council meetings, so time to sort and clear all of those piles of reading I've been doing, deal with casework and try to clear the decks. Not too successfully, but it is better than it was! A little pile of what arrived this week stares out at me, and non-urgent piles of filing hover into view. But tomorrow I go to Party Conference, which, as always, I am looking...

Day 2445: Sir Mr the Merciless pops the Question!

Wednesday: So there I was, boning up for Conference by reading my homework, with my big fluffy nose stuck inside Consultation Paper 87 – pithily entitled "Europe" – considering issues to consider (unlucky) No. 13: "In either case, would a referendum as part of the ratification process be (a) appropriate or (b) unnecessary", when who should stalk in but Sir Mr the Merciless declaring that he has worked it all out for us! "We do not need a referendum on this!" he said. Well, goodness, THAT was very cross-making! Aren't we supposed to "Trust in People" (to make Greenland Fairly ...

Off to Brighton ...

The Liberal Democrats' Conference is coming up, which means that for a few days their existence is rather more extensively than usual. The Spectator's piece speculating about the Lib Dems' potential position after the next general election ('Sir Menzies Campbell will either be sacked or will end up in the Cabinet'), furthermore, not only talks about the Lib Dems but also mentions us:But analysis published last week by CentreForum, a liberal think tank, says this would be impractical if Gordon Brown was perceived to have taken a beating at the election — regardless of the technicalities. It is possible, for example, for Labour to ...

Saturday 15th September 2007

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