Nick Clegg was the guest of honour at a large celebratory dinner for the local MP, Sarah Teather, at the Howard Road Mosque and Islamic Centre in Brent this evening, attracting large numbers of predominantly Pakistani Muslims, as well as the local chief imam and elders, as well as LibDem members. Sarah holds MP surgeries in [...] 
We are grateful to Ken Palmerton, a liberal resident in the Channel Islands, for drawing our attention to a more recent historical parallel to the Northern Rock crisis than the 1866 one usually quoted. In 1914, on the outbreak of war, a Liberal Chancellor of the Exchequer took swift action to prevent what would have been a ruinous run on the banks. For a short period, he effectively nationalised UK banking. From Thomas Johnston's "The Financiers and the Nation": WHEN the whistle blew for the start of the Great War in August 1914 the Bank of England possessed only nine ...
News is that Kathleen, Bobby and Kerry - children of RFK are backing Hillary. Previously I had said the decider will be Super Tuesday - while emphasising that various claims of momentum out of primaries before then are hogwash. I have to say I was wrong. Super Tuesday will not be a decider, it is all going to run even longer. But it will probably be the first time that either front runner in the
In recent months I have been struck by the way that people now rearrange the furniture in restaurants to suit the size of their party. Chairs will be moved and tables put together without anyone asking the waiting staff if they mind. I am sure I remember a time when this did not happen. People used to ask the staff if their party could be accommodated and leave it to them to make the necessary moves. And once upon a time I am sure we would just have put up with things. "Really, I'm quite happy sitting over here by ...
I have just received this moving report about the relief convoy yesterday: "The initiative for the large action that took place today (26.1.08) started when the well-know psychiatrist, Dr. Eyad al-Sarraj, the human-rights activist from Gaza, met in the Gush Shalom office with a small group of Israeli peace activists, in order to tell them about the desperate situation in the strip. It was decided on the spot to organize in Israel a relief convoy for the Gaza Strip people, and to fight by all political and juridical means for the right to get it in. It was agreed that ... 
I have just spent an enjoyable weekend with my friend Louisa and her family and (some of my) friends in Surrey celebrating her 30th birthday. The only thing that spoilt it was our public transport system. On Saturday night there was part closure by South West Trains between Woking and Surbiton. So that meant that rail replacement services were running, but only when enough trains had arrived
I have never been a prolific or heavy drinker in the "binge drinking" sense, although I was always able to hold my alcohol well, indeed a little too well at University which annoyed me as I seemed to have to spend more to get drunk. At university a gentle night out would involve 8 pints of beer (£1 a pint back in 1996) and a heavy night out would mean having half a bottle of Vodka followed by several more pints. Yes, I know, it was not big or clever, but in my early to mid 20's (I was 26 ...
West Somerset Today is reporting that a West Quantock council member on West Somerset Council is facing censure by the Standards Board of England after leaking confidential information to the press. Councillor Mitch Wicking reportedly blew the whistle after he discovered the councils former Chief Executive and Finance Chief, Tim Howes and Rod Latham each received bumper pay-offs, totalling £400,000. Speaking afterwards Cllr Wicking said; I hope taking such action will spark a badly needed review of our local authority, its role in our community and its functions as a public service provider. P.S West Somerset council have now drafted ...
My online existence at the moment is a bit fzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz pttttttttttttttttttt largely owing to the fact that a former flatmate crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrcccccccccccccrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr New Southgate with her computer, which has left fffffffffpppppppprrrrrrrrr really poor show at Scrabulous, and furthermore fzzzzzzzzz four, west by north-west, rising slowly, Dogger … ssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhccccccc only Sainsbury’s Online that was keeping me alive before, but fortunately my mother fzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz and with [...]
I had thought that "He asked him twelve times" would be Paxo's epitaph. All that has changed this week. "Widespread gusset anxiety" indeed! Why doesn't he just go to another shop Presumably the fact that he doesn't and writes a letter to the CE instead, is an indication of the institution that is "Marks and Sparks".
Four-fifths of Labour's 1937 local elections slogan seems to have aged pretty well: Better Homes. Good Schools. Health Care. Play Fields. Lidos.
There but for the grace of god go I must the non atheist MPs be saying today over the supposed Alan Johnson "scandal". As far as I can see Mr X didn't want to be associated directly with funding the campaign so he asked Brother Y to give the money instead. Y was a legitimate donor and campaign Z having checked him out made the formal declarations. For the Mail on Sunday to cry sleaze is I have
{Prog 1569} {Prog 1570} Covers: 1569 features a rather odd picture of some mutants by Simon Davies, clearly still in his Stone Island phase. 1570 features Gene from Kingdom mid-battle with some giant insects. The latter is clearly the more obviously commercial, but I was surprised to see that 1569 had sold out in a couple of days at my local Borders. It is interesting to note that just a few issues in, the new logo has already had a slight tweak. The big thick bar across the top of the page which I hated has gone transparent. Whether the ...
Me and Jonathan Calder seem to be conducting sort of parallel lives. There's so many little tidbits he comes up with which are from my little sphere of interests also. Jonathan has just linked to a superb clip of Divine Comedy's Absent Friends. This track impressed me so much that it sent me off on a research tangent about a year ago. I found out all I could about "Woodbine Willie", who is
Breaking news is that Sen. Ted Kennedy is set to endorse Barack Obama for president. He joins his neice, Caroline Kennedy, who endorsed Obama in a New York Times editorial. We'll see how Charles Kennedy reacts. In the meantime, where do the candidates find themselves Well, the answer is that Obama's win in South Carolina is good news. He had to win to stay in, and he won well. By winning approximately 1 in 4 white votes, the networks are also reporting it as a cross-racial coalition that allowed him to win. This makes Bill Clinton's claim that Obama's victory ...
Barack Obama has won a huge victory in South Carolina with 55% of the vote against Hillary's 27%. John Edwards, despite it being his home state, only received 18%.
The Electoral Commission is said to now be looking in to donations to Alan Johnson's Deputy Leadership campaign.
Tinkering around at midnight last night, I thought I was going out on a bit of a limb by describing the media story about the Alan Johnson donation as a "damp squib". I am delighted beyond measure to see my early doors judgment supported by the vociferous Mr Whenman and Liberal Action. There's a clip here of Johnson stating the position on Sky News. His team checked and declared the donation as
In Gordon Brown's enforced reshuffle Birmingham Hodge Hill MP Liam Byrne was given yet another job.
I went into Borders today to buy a Scrabble dictionary. After spending ages searching the extensive Dictionary section, I had to ask at the counter. "Oh, you'll find it under Sports."
Tomorrow (as I do every three months) I will be chairing the Maternity Services Liaison Committee for Cornwall. I am particularly looking forward to this one because the Healthcare Commission has identified Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust as having one of the very best Maternity Services in the UK. I was interviewed by the Healthcare Commission as part of their study last year along with various members of staff and alongside a survey of mothers themselves. It was a nerve racking experience as maternity services in Cornwall have undergone major changes in the 12-18 months. The service that women receive has ...
Funny that. I was rummaging around in the foliage of Google news at 11.30pm last night and saw a story in the Earth Times (what is that) saying Hamid Karzai, the Afghan PM, had expressed dissatisfaction with the potential appointment of Paddy Ashdwon as UN Envoy to Afghanistan. He was seen as too strong a figure who was potentially a rival for Karzai and "too controversial"...apparently. Paddy
Today's Independent brings news that the fate of money given to Ethnic Mutual is now the subject of a police investigation - bringing to five the number of bodies funded by the GLA / London Development Agency which are being investigated by the police over allegations of financial irregularities. And - once again - the LDA's press operation doesn't seem to be telling us an accurate story: In a statement, an LDA spokesman said: "We referred Ethnic Mutual to the police last year and they are now investigating it." But this was contradicted by the Metropolitan Police yesterday, who said ...
I'm getting worried about myself. I am starting to enjoy regular Sunday pleasure from seeing the foam form on Peter Hitchens' mouth in the Mail on Sunday. This week it is particularly pleasurable because he lays into David Cameron for his choice of school for his daughter and for cycling through a red light: That strange man in Tory HQ, David Cameron, has spoken up in favour of the wanglers, the
A good friend of mine from Brown, Jim Campbell, has started his own blog. Jim is a brilliant young economist, and his blog is mainly devoted to that topic, but will be very accessible to those without any economics training. KLPJ warmly recommends that you bookmark it.
He's the one with the best policy on treatment of police dogs, which - as you might guess - is quite important to me. So here's how you too can support Brian: Web: www.brianpaddick.orgFacebook: www.brianfacebook.notlong.comTwitter: text follow brianpaddick to 07624 801 423 Of course, I can't sign up to support him on Facebook, because they won't let me on; boo hoo. I hope I don't miss out on what is shaping up to be a very interesting race, particularly with all the problems coming to light over the London Development Agency (I don't think Ms Featherstone really likes our Ken ...
There is plenty of grainy footage of less opulent concerts around, but I think you need this sort of staging to enjoy the Comedy at their best. Witty and literate lyrics. Good tunes. What's not to enjoy
Remember the regimented atmosphere Brown encountered at a Chinese university last month Well, it turns out it was more orchestrated than I thought. Via The Times’ Red Box blog, here are the instructions given to the “ordinary people” and journalists at the event:
Sunday It seems that my fears of yesterday were unfounded: Clegg has turned out to be very well connected in the world of popular music. This morning it is announced that he has asked Mr Brian Eno stalwart member of The Roxy Music and heir to the fruit salts fortune to advise him on the nations youth. Aged only 59, Eno is surely the ideal person to play this important role. Not only that: it soon becomes clear that he is but one among a veritable galaxy of musical stars from an earlier era who have been recruited to help ...
In case you missed it, here is a link to the endorsement that may turn out to be the tipping point for Obama - Caroline Kennedy: A President Like My Father. 
Think tanks have been around for decades. They serve various functions but one, whether intentional or not, is to create an intellectual backdrop for new political movements. The Institute of Economic Affairs and the Centre for Policy Studies helped do that for the Thatcher administration. In the 1980s, the IPPR and Demos did the same for New Labour. Think tanks are still important. Peter Hain's recent desire to set one up seems to say that all Ministers should have won. But I wonder if blogs are slowly replacing the think tank's function as creator of the political zeitgeist. There is ...
The first of the Twerton PACT meetings will take place Monday 28th January 2008 at St Michaels Junior School Newton Road 6pm, and many residents have been asking me what do I think about this and is it worth going along. My advice to people is to go along and see what happens for if we do not go then it will be those who shout loudest who will be the only ones heard. I am...
Brian Paddick has been creating quite a stir in the London Mayoral elections. On the one hand Ken Livingstone is enmeshed in controversy and allegations of corruption, and on the other hand Boris Johnston from Henley isn't managing to pull the wool over people's eyes in the way he would have hoped. Between them stands Brian, with a strong reputation for integrity and a...
In my weekly look at unusual ways people have Googled to get to my blog unwittingly, I bring you the search term "Latvian Girls". About five people a week get to my blog this way, but I am sure they are terribly disappointed to find that it links to this story, or perhap it tells them just what they wanted to know about Latvian girls.
What the hell is the point of a programme that goes out at 6.10am on a Sunday Who exactly can watch this And why is there no facility to watch it again on the internet (certainly not one I can find after 5 minutes of Googling) I really don't see why politicians would want to go on it. Almost nobody sees the interviews, the only things which ever make the news are the bits the press decides
The crowds chant "Yes we can" as Barack Obama delivers another barn-stormer after winning South Carolina and I keep an eye on my tenner: Barack Obama’s South Carolina Victory Speech
Back in Letyon ward yesterday helping the campaign to elect Winnie Smith as the next Councillor for the seat vacated by Miranda Grell. Also visiting yesterday were Liberal Democrat candidate for Mayor of London, Brian Paddick, MEP for London Sarah Ludford and many European election candidates. These alongside many local Councillors, our GLA candidate Meral Ece and volunteers who work hard all year round for Leyton and the wider Waltham Forest community. Meral Ece, Winnie Smith, Brain Paddick and Cllr Qureshi speak to a local Iman Team Leyton and the London European team Meanwhile the Labour campaign seems to be ...
OK, so the Work and Pension Secretary forgetting about over £100k is news story, but the stuff being written about Alan Johnson today is just daft. The BBC are leading with it, and I have to ask whether a donation of £3000 to a failed candidate in a contest that didn't matter anyway is really that important Ahh, I hear you cry, its the principle. Really What principle The law here has something quite ass-like about it. If the donation did come via a "third party", how is the recipient supposed to know Ask What if the recorded donor doesn't ...
Costing more than £15 billion pounds to build and running from Lavernock Point in the Vale of Glamorgan, to Brean Down in Somerset, its been said that a barrage across the Severn Estuary could more than double the current UK supply of renewable electricity, and contribute significantly to targets for renewable energy and CO2 emissions reduction. That not withstanding, what cost to the local environment Radical steps may well need to be taken to tackle climate change. But we should never rush into making a decision. Jenny Willott, the Lib-Dem MP for Cardiff Central, would like the government to stop ...
"Everybody, let’s just calm the fuck down" English Proverb, 2008 The Guardian, the BBC, Sky* and, you know, everywhere, are reporting that Alan Johnson accepted a donation from a man who wrote a cheque on behalf of his brother (potentially illegal under the current law). He did declare the donation to the relevant authorities (although there was [...]
If it had not been for Peter Hain, and Société Générale, headlines last week would have been dominated by the increase in firearms-related offences. This in spite of the promises made by Tony Blair and Jack Straw in 1997, and the passage of the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997.
As previously reported I took part in an e-government conference in the Welsh Assembly a few weeks ago, where I outlined some of the political initiatives being taken by myself and others on the internet in an effort to involve more people and to communicate more effectively. Like other politicians I am on Facebook and try to use it partly as a political site, posting speeches, articles and blog entries as well as details of how to contact me and links to surgery times, but also as a social networking site. For example I have recently resurrected my long past ...
You shouldn't laugh, but Labour's inability to register donations properly is laughable.
Conservative Home reports that most Tory candidates expect to see their income fall if they are elected to Parliament. Seventy Two prospective Conservative MPs answered their survey on the financial consequences of entering the Commons and of being a candidate and 55% of them said they would lose money if they won. My heart bleeds. More interestingly, when asked if they plan to pursue other financial interests if they became an MP, 21% said yes and 29% had not yet made up their mind. Perhaps these candidates should tell their prospective constituents of their intention not to represent them full ...
The campaign for Electoral Reform Society has strongly come out against Government Proposals for MPs to decide how they should be elected whether to make their appointment truly representative or keep our present first past the post voting systems. See the Make My Vote Count web site - a coalition lobby group, with an on-line petition and info about alternative voting methods.
The campaign to save the Woodhead Tunnel for public transport initiatives rather than allowing the National Grid to take it over for electricity cables, then seal up the two smaller tunnels it presently uses has caused a huge amount of public concern and debate. Apparently once taken over for cables, it cannot be used for anything else for forty years, i.e. the life span of the cables. It does
I have been in correspondence recently with the Home Scotland housing association following several of their tenants expressing concern to me about parking difficulties in both Seafield Lane and Thomson Street.Back in the days when Home Scotland was still known as Cleghorn Housing Association, it created car parks in both Thomson Street and Seafield Lane for their tenants who live locally. Unfortunately the residents are finding that others - drivers who do not live locally - are parking in the tenants' car parks.I am pleased to say that Home Scotland has agreed to my request for new "Residents' parking only" ...
Today is Holocaust Memorial Day, when ceremonies will be held across the nation to remember the millions of victims of the Holocaust. Bury MBC’s own ceremony is tomorrow in Radcliffe, and I will be there together with lots of other Councillors and community representatives. I think that days like today, and ceremonies like tomorrow’s here in Bury, are absolutely vital. It’s not just about looking back and remembering the victims of an unimaginable horror. It’s about looking around us today, thinking about our own communities and how we get along with each other. It’s about learning from the past and ...
According the the FEC, John McCain only has assets valued at $81,000 tops. Does he not own a home I know he has spent a life time in public service but I find that figure very difficult to believe. In 2006 a Senator's salary was $165,200. Now either big Mac's got a serious spending problem he's not telling us about or he has used some very creative accountancy measures. Either way, I believe some questions have to be asked and answered.
I had intended to respond to Laurcence Boyce’s handbagging in response to me calling him a bigot a while ago. Not wanting to get dragged into the comments thread (which appears to still be getting longer and longer…), I meant to post a riposte here last week but I got knocked out by the lurgy for a few days. Not sure how of interest it is to people now and I’ll try to keep it brief, but here goes… First, it should be pointed out that when I originally called him a bigot, I was half-joking. Indeed, for me, I ...
James Purnell, who until a few days ago was Culture Secretary, said on Sunday AM that "The BBC have four (television) channels now". It actually has more than that. They have 21 by my reckoning. I would have thought a freshly ex-Culture Secretary should know that. I don't think this bodes very well for his performance as Work and Pensions Secretary. *17 if you discount the ones they co-own.
It was a delight to see a very fit and relaxed Ming on Sunday AM. He dropped into the conversation that he voted for Nick Clegg in the leadership election, which is interesting. He obviously kept quiet about this during the campaign, as all immediate-past leaders do. But I think he is the first one to say, after the election, who he voted for.
The Red Box has a very funny scan of the instructions given to a Chinese audience for a Brown speech.
Great news from the USA this morning - another victory on the long march for Barack. The presedential campaign is important not just to the USA but to the world. Eight years with Al Gore in charge would have seen America fully engaged in the Global Warming agenda and in all probability no illegal invasion of Iraq. Politics does matter and peoples votes do count - or at least they...
Polly Vernon makes a bid for this month's "Order of the Brown Nose" for her Observer Food section article on David Cameron, in relation to food and his green credentials. I'd advise read the following with a precautionary Alice-conveyed sick-bag at the ready: How does David Cameron qualify as an eco hero He became a poster boy for green in April 2006, when he took a trip to a glacier on the
{Tube train} As if the £50 billion plus pumped into saving Northern Rock wasn't enough, this week brought more bad news for Gordon Brown's record of prudence. The Commons Transport Committee published a report into the collapse of Metronet (and good to see Brian Paddick getting into that story too - read more here). Metronet was one of the private contractors foisted on London's tube at the insistence of Gordon Brown and his inner circle, who were determined to part-privatise the tube network come what may. The result A badly thought out, badly implemented and hugely expensive scheme. Just setting ...
Obama gets 57% in South Carolina to the Clintons' (yes, they are two) 27%. Crikey, that's a huge gap! I was expecting a narrower gap, or a Clinton win, given the strong fight back by the two Clintons in the last few weeks. So, well done Obama! This will give him and his team a huge morale boost for Super Tuesday. But that is a toughie the US and South Carolina has a big Black American
The US embassy in Beirut is apparently quietly instructing all US citizens registered with them to leave the country sharpish. This is not a good sign at all. Could the cold civil war heat up soon
So, the News Of The World tells us: BRITONS are leaving the country in record numbersthanks to spiralling levels of IMMIGRATION Yes, because of all the immigrants, they’re being forced to become immigrants and it is obviously in no way related to the fact that because of the EU and other changes globally, it’s now far easier (and cheaper) to go and live in another country. It’s clearly because they’ve been forced to do it and not because there are several prime time TV programmes extolling the virtues of going to live abroad and explaining how to do it. It’s ...
Hat tip: Dizzy
Chris Dillow (isn't he brilliant) raises the possibility of personal finance through selling shares in your future earnings. This would be a far preferable way of financing my education than dealing with the bloody government monopoly student loan company, which is mind bogglingly inefficient. The concept is that I would have a share price for future earnings, just like a company, and pay a dividend in the future. Sounds remarkably sensible. The only question is, how much is, say, 1% of me worth
Hat tip: Andrew Sullivan
Here are four cool sites where the sponsors pay for good causes depended on the hits the site gets. It works because for some reason, although its 7 in the morning I really want a pint of Coopers lager, I haven't even heard of it before. Please check these out: FreeRice The Hunger Site Ripple bhookh Happy clicking.
I wish bad people never died. When they do everybody turns all doe eyed and says what a wonderful misunderstood person they were. Remember Yeltsin You'd have thought that he'd single handled destroyed Communism (against that dastardly Gorbachev) and then built a beautiful free and democratic Russia, only to be later destroyed by that neo-Soviet fiend Putin. We know that's not true so take everything you read about the recently deceased, and certainly very vicious George Habash, founder of the PFPL. Expect vacuous applause for him for highlighting the Palestine issue, and creating a "secular" pan Arab movement that was ...
Paddy's been vetoed for UN special envoy to Afganistan. I thought this was a perfect consolation prize for no quite being able to sit in Gordon's "all star" cabinet. Read about it here.
Right, I'm back. Its been a little quieter than usual round here but I have been painfully busy. I just read the BBC's coverage of Hamas being invited to crisis talks with the Mubarak regime. It included this line: "It is five days since Hamas blew up the Gaza border wall at Rafah and Egyptian guards were forced to stand back." Now it is my understanding that Hamas were not involved in the mass crossing. Indeed, I question how important the blowing of holes in the hall was (see photos). It looks far more spontaneous than the doing of Hamas. ...
The story so far: Helen Grant has been selected by the Conservative Party to stand in Maidstone at the next general election, which is when current MP Ann Widdecombe is retiring. The Mail on Sunday has a story reporting that although she told them she “always voted Conservative” she actually tried to be a Labour candidate [...]
While keeping an open mind on this one, it does appear that the explanation from the Johnson camp suggests that this might be a damp squib: We had no reason to believe the donation came from anyone other than (Mr Siddiqui)...We checked he was a member of the Labour Party and was on the Electoral Register and we registered the donation with the Labour Party, the Register of Members' Interests and | < | January 2008 | > | ||||
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