Vicsount Linley is apparently going to attend and be involved with a Tory fundraising occasion. Tories, toffs and sex scandals ... It's like the old Tories are back. Come on Dave, bring the Torch back as the logo too ! Hat Tip - Jailhouse Lawyer 
The House of Lords Select Committee on Communications continues to meet every Wednesday to take evidence for its enquiry into media ownership and the news. Some witnesses are anticipated more keenly than others, and todays second witness, Alastair Campbell, was one such. I heard nothing in his evidence today that I could disagree with. His analysis of the parlous state of the relationship between politicians and the media was one which would have resonated with most of us. What was missing, predictably, was any sense that he recognises the role he has played in bringing it about. The one admission ...
Jeremy Beadle has died aged 59. There is an obituary on the BBC site and a tribute from the Lib Dem Norfolk Blogger. For my own part, I have always regarded the first screening of Beadle's series Game for a Laugh as a milestone in the coarsening of British life in the 1980s. The celebration of the SAS's role in ending the Iranian embassy siege (they even interrupted TV coverage of the snooker) was another. Still, nil nisi bonum and all that. And he really did do a lot for charity.
Far be it for me to agree with one of the most unpleasent right wingers in the Tory party, but Andrew Rossindell MP's question to Jack Straw in the House of Commons, which I plucked form Conservative Home is a good one which deserves a proper reply. Andrew Rosindell MP: "Can the Secretary of State for Justice explain why a patient in an NHS hospital has only £3 a day spent on their food, yet a criminal locked up in a police cell has £12 a day spent on food Will the Secretary of State enlighten us as to why ...
This last week, thousands of Shiites gathered at ceremonies across the Muslim world , to mark the annual festival of Ashura, in which Shiites mourn the death of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Islam's prophet Muhammad. In Turkey, people celebrate by cooking the dish ashura, a sweet dish, also known as Noah's pudding, made up of nuts, fruits, wheat, sultanas, and a variety of other ingredients. It is traditionally made and distributed to neighbours and friends. My mother makes industrial quantities of the dish, which we try to get through. I read this article by Turkish writer, Nermin Aydemir, which ...
From The Devil's Kitchen: I am wondering whether anyone else has noticed the similarity between Vince Cable's comment on Northern Rock, that "(t)he taxpayer is standing behind the taxpayer and we have a private sector solution without private money as well as nationalisation of liabilities and losses and privatisation of profits" and Gaetano Salvemini's description of Italian fascist economic policy, that "the State pays for the blunders of private enterprise... Profit is private and individual. Loss is public and social."
I was genuinely sorry to hear this evening that Jeremy beadle had died at the age of 59. I was always somewhat bemused by the stinging criticism Jeremy Beadle got in the press and from other TV personalities. Yes, his shows might have appealed to the a "certain" type of audience, but they did attract viewers, they were successful and whenever you delved deeper in to his background, Jeremy Beadle always struck me as being a highly intelligent man. He was something of an expert on London murders and famous police cases, he was also an illusionist, and author and ...
It seems clear from at least one senior BBC journalist that John Edwards is likely to support Barack Obama, and if Edwards not only backs Obama, but also campaigns for Obama, than he could take a large chunk of his vote with him to and keep it fro Hillary Clinton. Personally, I like John Edward's style. He comes across as a man of common sense and principles, and it is a shame he has missed out. But I want to see America led by a Democrat and like many in the UK think that Obama is the leader I would ...
I was intrigued to read on DoctorWhoNews.com that an episode of Doctor Who has been shortlisted for the Epiphany Prize, an award which is presented at the Movieguide Awards, a "faith and values awards gala", and which, according to its website, "endeavor[s] to encourage the production of feature films and television programs which are wholesome, uplifting and inspirational and which result in a
Well! That was quite a varied TV piece I just did for Sky News - their 7:30pm round-up featuring the most popular stories on the internet. You can read more about the topics on their site and also a quick piece from me about how we should change the rules to do with MPs and their expenses following the Derek Conway affair: Day in day out I question how taxpayers money is spent by the government therefore it is perfectly reasonable that the taxpayer should be able to question how I spend their money. If we want voters to believe ... 
There has been a lot of talk recently about giving the Police more powers for stop and search and I wonder whether or not they really need more powers. I was under the impression that the Police already had the powers to stop and search people who they suspected of committing a crime. In our local area they have been using them successfully over the last few weeks. So why...
From the Financial Times Westminster blog: A growing number of pundits are wondering why the mainstream press aren't writing much - if anything - about Lee Jasper. The London mayor's race adviser has been subjected to a stream of allegations made by Andrew Gilligan, the investigative reporter, in the Evening Standard.Kate Hoey, MP for Vauxhall, was fuming to me the other day at how the story was being ignored by papers including the FT.I did write a news story last night but it was spiked at midnight by one of my editors (mainstream media gatekeepers).
New research highlights the three 'R's' that now mean more to young people who belong to the prevalent gang culture in the UK: Respect, Revenge and Reputation. These are the shocking findings of the sub culture that's overtaking young people lives in 21st century Britain. Turkish born academic Semra Eren-Nijhar reports that Turkish, Kurdish and Turkish Cypriot young people are increasingly drawn into 'postcode' knife and gun crime, a direct result of misplaced loyalties to the gangs, and warped code of gang 'honour' Young people from all ethnic backgrounds are being affected by the gang culture. In the light of ...
Somehow I get the impression that it is a slow news day in Shropshire. Under the heading "Mole explosion" hits area, the Star reports that a once neat and tidy patch off Rose Crescent in Wellington, a favourite for dog walkers, is now estimated to have 50 molehills.The Mayor of Telford & Wrekin, Councillor Miles Hosken, has described it as an explosion of moles and wonders if the numbers of the animal should be curbed.Monica Drinkwater, who has lived in Rose Crescent for 26 years, said she had never seen anything like it before, adding: There has to be about ...
I don't sleep with strangers...so why have I been asked to three times in the last couple of months The first time I was asked was when I clicked onto the Lib Dem website. Then it happened again when I looked at a Welsh creative writing retreat for tired angst-ridden aspiring writers in need of some fresh air and advice. Then it happened for a third time...I feel most insulted...all I wanted to do was attend a conference, a writing course and learn how to become more involved with my local community. So why I am being asked to share ... 
Story in Wall Street Journal. Fortunatly this collapse is in 'Second Life' not on Wall Street proper or our own shores - though the make-believe financial institutions were taking in actual real world money from eager depositors. Yesterday, the San Francisco company that runs the popular fantasy game pulled the plug on about a dozen pretend financial institutions that were funded with actual money from some of the 12 million registered users of Second Life. Linden Lab said the move was triggered by complaints that some of the virtual banks had reneged on promises to pay high returns on customer ...
Had an invite on Facebook to take part in Brian Paddick's 'Facebook Friday'. The idea is to get supporters of Brian (like myself!) at our computers on Friday to have a mass drive to invite people we know to sign up as fans of his on Facebook. I have no idea how many people are likely to get signed up this way - but it's got to be a good idea to use such a popular medium as Facebook to try to connect more people with Brian, and indeed with politics in general - especially in a city such as ...
Apparently wavey Davey Cameron was flouncing about with a "foot long form" that takes police "seven minutes" to complete in PMQs today, demanding that Mr Bean adopt their campaign to stop this bureaucratic nonsesne. I rather hope that I am as unlikely as Davey or Gordon to be stopped and searched for whatever reason, but if I were, I would want a full justification for it, and there and then, in writing, and not on a tape that I would have to seek access to through some kind of data laws. I am quite sure there is plenty of "bureaucratic ...
Ive been tangled up in the frustrating, depressing coils of unhelpful bureaucracy more than once, and can generally talk my way through it (being both glib and gobby as required). This afternoon, however, I was stood behind a couple who were being given the runaround in a grotesquely rude way, and I was at a loss to know what to do. Id gone over to pick up my repeat prescription from my local GPs surgery a thrilling highlight to the day and ended up waiting nearly twenty minutes behind a couple who the receptionist painfully obviously didnt want to register. ...
A couple of remarkable, if perhaps predictable, developments in the US Presidential Race: You have to feel for John Edwards. He has soldiered on despite, or perhaps because of, his wife Elizabeth's illness. He is what English people might call someone who plays with a "straight bat". A straight shooter, but perhaps never Presidential material. He has particularly distinguished himself by
Over at the Social Affairs unit you can read the whole of a no doubt fictitious letter from Gordon Brown to Tony Blair pleading with him not to take the Euro-prez job...here's just a snippet from the end: I know that you feel that you have outgrown national politics and in the post-modern post-democratic world we live in the old conventions dont apply. But I also know that you have always been concerned about your place in history. If eurosceptic opinion in this country hardens in the coming years many will view your role as that of a Quisling. It ...
I asked a professional gambler recently someone who made a decent tax-free living from his betting if he could offer me some tips that I could follow. One of his suggestions, which he said had proved to be a sure-fire consistent money-earner, was to bet against the draw in cricket test matches. He [...]
The story of Tory MP Derek Conway and his family is probably not typical of MPs. I am sure that they aren’t all fleecing the system for all it is worth. However, it does raise a few serious questions. Surely MPs should not have a total free reign to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds of cash employing their family, friends and goodness knows who else at our expense Surely there needs to be much improved arrangements As I understand it, MPs get their pay regardless of the hours they do. So the dedicated public servant who works in their ...
In case anybody thinks that his announcement that he will stand down at the next election answers anything! Quite frankly, with no Tory whip standing at the next General Election was a non-starter anyway.
Hillary Clinton seems to be embracing the dubious ethics which have dogged the Clintons for years. One of her campaign co-chairs is former judge Alcee Hastings. Hastings was impeached and removed from his position as a Federal Judge for taking bribes. Former President Clinton then pardoned William Borders who was convicted and gaoled in relation to the [...]
Madam Speaker, Vice President Cheney, Members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: Seven years have passed since I first stood before you at this rostrum. In that time, our country has been tested in ways none of us could have imagined. We faced hard decisions about peace and war, rising competition in the world economy, and the health and welfare of our citizens. These issues call for vigorous debate, and I think it's fair to say we've answered the call. (LAUGHTER) In that time I have honestly tried to put the interests of my country before all else. I ...
If I told you an area of outstanding natural beauty on the Devon and Somerset border had escaped major road-building work you'd think everyone would be happy. You'd be wrong. Here in the South West, the question of what to do with the A303 trunk road is one of those issues that appears to have split public opinion right down the middle for many, many years. However, it now seems this issue will be decided one way or another in the not too distant future. A long-awaited transport study is likely to recommend that the A303 trunk road between Somerset ...
It is such a shame that John Edwards is out of the compeition for the Democratic nomination. His speeches and policy positions have had a more radical edge than either Obama or Clinton. His website has some good material and will hopefully stay up for a while.
For all those random people who claim I never sent it: Scotland Yard confirmed that it had received a letter from Duncan Borrowman, the Liberal Democrat challenger for the MP's Old Bexley and Sidcup seat, asking them to examine whether a fraud had been committed. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "We can now confirm that we have received the letter. It will take time to look at the contents."
Yes, it’s the moment you have all been waiting for: the answer to our Boris Johnson quiz. The puzzle was: what was the problem to which Boris Johnson thinks this is the solution: I have an infallible solution. You go to Legoland. To be exact, you go to those deceptively simple whirly teacup things, and you subject [...]
David Cameron took the line of a goose-stepping lunatic at Prime Minister’s Questions today. You can watch it in full here. Cameron called for the Prime Minister to say that a certain individual will not be allowed into this country. Brown’s answer amounted to little more than “we haven’t decided yet”. He is always on the defensive when he should [...]
I found time to pause and look up along the Kilburn High Road the other day and have now sorted out and picked out what I think are this illuminating set of pics - nothing much, but just little insights into the vibrancy and history of the area. Picture 1: GW & AE Thomson Ltd CASH LENT JEWELLERY DIAMONDS It's a great old metal sign from an age now slipping out of view - magnificently the shop beneath is still a jewellers - I do think that this needs either the building owner to leave the sign up or to ...
Reading my regular quota of Liberal Democrat blogs this lunchtime I am struck by the fantastic quality of political analysis and insight available today. Here is some of the best bits I've come across. James Graham on Tories and their families; "I cant help but think that James Gray, Andrew Pelling and now Nigel Waterson would not be facing the problems theyve been having if only the
Not quite content with their complicity in throwing smokers out into the cold, it appears some of our number in the Euro-parl are preparing to freeze us off those as well with the idea of a ban on patio heaters. Yes, they may be gas guzzlers, but there are market ways of dealing with that through the taxation of externalities and fuel and so on to make people use them sparingly. Why shoulddn't it be my choice, say, to save 100% of my vehicle emissions by not driving any longer but have the occasional night on the patio and be ...
In his blog today Adam Price MP says that "The beauty of being-in-government is that ideas can become reality, and that reality in turn reshapes our ideas." He is not wrong. Since entering government Plaid Cymru have changed their mind on a number of key policies, voting against them in Plenary. Those u-turns, on local income tax, nuclear power, proportional voting for local government and ID cards, have not come about because these policies are impractical but because of a sense of misplaced loyalty to their Labour partners. In seeking to understand Plaid Cymru's latest dilemma we need to remember ...
It seems explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, has become the latest celebrity to sign up to the Somerset Waste Partnership's Pledge to Recycle'. The scheme, launched last year by England and Somerset cricketer, Marcus Trescothick, advises people on how they can reduce, re-use and recycle their waste. Asked why he has lent his support to this campaign, Sir Ranulph said; "I know how important it is to look after our environment. Recycling is an easy and effective way for us all to do our bit and I for one have joined up and pledged to recycle." Those signing up to the ...
Outside the Lib Dems Cowley Street HQ: Via the Daily Pundit via Paul Walter.
I have just learnt that the Labour Executive have just had a rethink on their mass sale plans of our parks, which I stopped last month. The new proposals will see 90 acres sold off - instead of t...
This case is an important case because it relates to someone being excluded from the legal process.
I have launched a poll as to whether Derek Conway should quit as Old Bexley & Sidcup's MP. Given the increasing reports of Mr Conway's behaviour his future as an MP must be in question. The Conservative's may have withdraw the whip, but it is not the Conservative Party he should answer to, it is the taxpayers who have funded his family to the tune of £1,535,716
John McCain has won the Republican contest in Florida with 36% of the vote. Mitt Romney was second with 31%. Rudy Giuliani who had pinned his hopes on Florida can a distant third with 15%, Mike Huckabee was fourth on 13%.
I’m donating a cluestick to Dr Rowan Williams for his suggestion that there should be new laws to protect religious sensibilities that would punish thoughtless and cruel styles of speaking. If such a law came into being I hope its first use would be to lock up the good doctor for such thoughtless proposals.
Council tax rises in Taunton Deane are to be pegged at three per cent for 2008/2009. Excellent! Heres what Taunton Deane Borough Council had to say about the news; "The proposed increase will mean that Taunton Deanes share of the bill for an average Band D property will increase from £128.05 to £131.89 - or 7.4p a week. For 2008/09 a band D taxpayer will receive all the services provided by Taunton Deane Borough Council for £2.54 per week. And while efficiency savings have been made to deliver a balanced budget, Council Leader Councillor Ross Henley said that in working ...
The most depressing thing is that, as soon as I saw the headline on the BBC News page, even though it was unattributed, I knew it was from a Lib Dem MP. Greg Mulholland, Lib Dem MP for Leeds North West, is apparently to propose an amendment to weights and measures legislation, to make bars and pubs sell wine in smaller glasses. Now, the reasons for doing this are pretty straightforward to encourage people to drink less. And of course the health of anyone who visits a pub reasonably often would indeed benefit from drinking less alcohol. (more…)
At Prime Minister's Questions today, it was revealed that Paul Murphy has a number of other jobs, including minister for digital inclusion. Does this mean that he is responsible for the government putting its finger in
This morning I have been chasing up a number of outstanding environmental issues in the ward, with limited success. I must say that I am still very frustrated at the lengths I have to go to to even get a response from Council officers, let alone any action to taken to remedy legitimate residents’ concerns. We aren’t asking for solid gold pavements and diamond encrusted bin-wagons. We’re asking for dangerous trees to be cut back, and our streets dragged up from the medieval levels of squalor which they sometimes seem to have sunk to. So I contacted the Council again ...
Labour and the Tories are both proposing to take a nice shiny axe to police "bureaucracy" so that officers can stop anyone they like and search them, without even having to show reasonable suspicion. They also won’t have to fill in those tricky little forms which, apparently, take a whole seven minutes to complete (assuming [...]
UPDATE: The Mail has an article entitled: "£1.5m: The extraordinary amount Tory MP Derek Conway's family earned from the taxpayer (after bonuses)" The press really get their teeth into the Conway family today. The Mail tops the list in my view - with details and photos, prominently featuring Freddie Conway's Bebo site. There's also interesting coverage in the Guardian and the Sun and just about
A country where parliament has a role in sentencing a journalist to death for blasphemy is hardly likely to be open to the ministrations of one of the greatest liberals in the past few decades. Coupled with the thought of having to shore up the ailing powerbase of former oil man and Bush placeperson Karzai, I reckon Paddy's had a lucky escape this time, despite his obvious enthusiasm and qualifications for the role he was set up for. I reckon we may as well pull our troops out of Afghanistan. If the Afghan government doesn't think they areworking for them ...
An interesting night in Florida has brought some much needed clarity to the Republican primary. Lets examine the implications...First, McCain is now the strong favourite to win the nomination, and has finally shown that he can win without independents. He has not yet President is a pretty appealing post for those with ambitions of the Presidenshown that he can without Mike Huckabee taking votes away from Mitt Romney, but he may not have to. Huckabee is clearly angling for the vice presidency (Vice President to a 72 year old cy) and is likely to court favour with McCain and additional publicity by staying in the ...
If "secret rescue" isn't the very definition of "moral hazard" that everyone was talking about a few months ago, I don't know what is. Not to mention protectionism and special privilege.
Watching BBC’s News at Ten last night I was delighted to see one of the party’s MEPs, Fiona Hall, do a piece on patio heaters. It appeared from what she said that she wanted them banned. She wouldn’t be the first Liberal Democrat politician to question these oddities. For example, I have seen comments from both Norman Baker [...]
The government are making this quite a lot harder for people on lower incomes. When you are on incapacity benefit or JSA then paying an extra £1 for a Free Range Chicken is not easy. I have got the answer as to what proportion of Incapacity Benefit appeals succeed (about a third). More importantly the government discourages appeals by cutting JSA for anyone that appeals. I do not think at 20%
This is a sad day for Liberal Democrats in the Borough, as the news gets around that yesterday Belinda lost her long battle with cancer. Belinda was the local Lib Dems' secret weapon. Thanks to her work on the campaign, Edward Davey was elected to Parliament in 1997, against all expectation and with a majority of 56. At the next election, in spite of being treated for cancer, Belinda...
Would you love to gain experience of office admin Do you enjoy the smell of scotch on the breath of octogenarians Would you like to work for 11 months with no salary at all Then apply for this exciting internship with Crossbench Peers! Unlike their nasty party-political counterparts, they won't stoop to anything as vulgar as paying you - after all, it would be pretty unreasonable to expect multi-millionaires on the red benches to chip in, say a grand a year each to remunerate staffers. So come on, starve to death while your employers ram endless agreeable luncheons into their ...
I've just read a report that says the costs of clean-up and decommissioning existing nuclear power plants in the UK has risen to 73billion. That's a lot of money that could have gone into schools...
Earlier this week Nick Clegg gave a speech on social mobility: I want to devolve power from the centre to communities and to individuals. I want to see local solutions applied to local problems, and I want to see the genius of grassroots innovation set free to drive up the standards of our public services, and deliver [...]
The agenda for the City Council meeting on Tuesday 5 February 2008 has now been published on the Democracy in Birmingham database. Items on the agenda include: the annual report of the Cabinet Member for Housing;the annual report of the Planning Committee;the annual report of the Licensing Committe (whose Chair is Lib Dem councillor Dave Osborne (South Yardley Ward));the annual report of the
John McCain: another win confirms his comback and gives him a chance as we head towards Super Tuesday, where 22 states coast-to-coast are up for grabs. His campaign still looks to be struggling to have the financial and organisational strength to fight on that much large stage, but he’s had an excellent run in with [...]
Well not really of course, I suspect they never will be. But as I was stood at the bus stop this morning on my way to work it was clear that the three of us waiting there had noticed the same thing - lying in the gutter outside the Department of Work & Pensions [...]
While I was away the European Movement movement launched their new website at http://www.euromove.org.uk/
Wednesday: No giant chickens were harmed in the making of this production! The second episode of the second season is a darker and in a lot of ways more predictable tale than "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" last week: For the first time Torchwood lives up to its "above the law" braggadocio when an attempted burglary leads to the team stumbling across an alien infiltrator, programmed to reconnoitre the Earth and prepare the way for invasion. And she has no idea. In spite of the overtones of Guantanamo, this show could have been written any time in the last hundred years ... | < | January 2008 | > | ||||
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