LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Wednesday 13th February 2008

So what does Derek Conway plan to do between now and his enforced retirement from Parliament

Not a lot it seems, because "the Labour government has a majority until 2010." The Law Gazette takes up the story.

Leisure passes for the over-65s: pressure starts to pay off

Good news: as one of our local newspapers reports, some in Haringey Labour are starting to get cold feet over their plans to remove free leisure passes for the over 65s. The campaign pressure is clearly starting to pay off ... and you can help keep up the pressure and make their feet colder (as it were!) by signing the petition at ourcampaign.org.uk/leisure

Bonfire of the technicalities

The convictions of two men for grievous bodily harm have been quashed because a court officer failed to formally sign the indictment. The House of Lords ruled on Wednesday that although it was “a technicality” and there was no evidential reason to doubt their guilt, the convictions cannot stand. Here is the brief Times Law Report of R v Clarke [...]

At this rate it will take 75 years to get a representative Parliament

So says Keith Vaz MP, in his article on TMP - 'a wake up call', setting out the reasoning behind his call for a Race Relations (Election Candidiates) Bill, to allow all BME short lists. There are currently15 ethnic minority MPs in the House of Commons, (13 Labour, 2 Conservative) when there should be around 58, to reflect the ethnic minority population in the UK. As I've said before, like others I think this should be used as a last resort, but like Nick Clegg, I welcome the fact that this could be a useful method to force all political ...

BREAKINGS NEWS: Chief Executive asked to consider his future

The Chief Executive of Somerset County Council, Alan Jones has been asked to consider his future following remarks made by him in an internal staff newsletter. In the newsletter Mr Jones said that those who slag off his authority are the same as people who believe that the earth is flat and the holocaust never happened. In a statement released by Mr Jones he said that he meant to cause no offence to anyone. So, is this something or nothing Personally I think its just Tory mischief. You decide for youselves, click link. http://www.liddellgrainger.org.uk/ian/MOGGTHEBLOG.html

Perspectives on Life

Two things happened on Sunday to bring me up short and make me think. First of all I had a phone call from Suzanne, supposedly relaxing on holiday, to tell me that a young Congolese man we have come to know while he's been seeking asylum here from unspeakable atrocities in his own country had been arrested and was facing deportation. Yet again, the power of the Home Office descends on a decent,

Hedgehog winning here

A little remiss of me to leave it this long but on Friday our pet hedgehog Sticklebrick was named Pet of the Day in the London Paper. Sticklebrick is currently celebrating his celebrity status by smashing up his hotel room, binging on peppermints, and sleeping all day. He has not yet won a grammy. We are anxiously awaiting news from the paper as to how we get to vote for Sticklebrick as pet of the month in February. So far it's a no-horse race, but the opposition are fighting like cats and dogs, and only Sticklebrick is looking adorable all ...

Making Liberal history sell

I have just finished Ian Packers excellent book Liberal Government and Politics, 1905-15, which offers an original and thought-provoking reassessment of the Campbell-Bannerman and Asquith administrations. The book deals with a fascinating period of British politics. Written in lucid and engaging prose, it deserves a wider readership than just academic specialists. Yet, I suspect, few general readers are likely to get hold of it. For it retails at £49 and if it is typical of academic monographs will have had a print run of just a few hundred. It will end up only being obtainable through university rather than public ...

Another defector to the Tories Do the Tories set any standards on who they will have

Of course it is noce for any politicl party to be a "broad church", but are we really to beleive that the Tories accepting a defecotr forom the Socialist Workers Party is anything but expediency A few months ago Saj Karrim, a Lib Dem MEP who had effectively been de-selected by the Lib Dems when he was placed second on the party list, meaning he was extremely likely to lsoe his seat, defected to the Tories in what was meant to be a trail of glory and publicity for the Tories. As it was it made few headlines with more ...

Well done Steven Spielberg

Impressed to see in the news today that Steven Spielberg has pulled out from his role in the Beijing Olympics because of the Chinese Government's failure to do enough to influence the Sudanese Government, which is continuing to oversee horrific atrocities in Darfur. His willingness to speak out stands in stark contrast with Gordon Brown - who, as on so many other issues, seems afraid of taking a clear stance and leading the way - and hence the failure to put serious extra pressure on China in his recent visit there. As it's dear old Gordon, perhaps the best we ...

Hard to get

The European Space Agency is reporting findings of hydrocarbons that hugely exceed all known reserves. Forget Alasaka, though - these new gas fields add new meaning to the term "hard to get"!

Hard to get

The European Space Agency is reporting findings of gas fields that are Titanic in size. Forget Alasaka, though - these new gas fields add new meaning to the term "hard to get"!

Chief Minister of Sindh Province does a Prescott

Arbab Ghulam Rahim slapped a journalist back in October 07. He the Chief Minister of the all important Sindh Province (for the PML) Here's the video below. Hat tip: Pakistan Politics whose site looks very similar to Comment Central

Very interesting New Hampshire polls (no really)

Rasmussen has done some very interesting polling in New Hampshire, a general election swing state won and lost by Bush by 1% in 2000 and 2004 respectively. In head to heads it has Clinton beating McCain by two points and Obama winning by 13. For the full data click here.

Nigel Stands for the GLA

Today it was announced that my mate Nigel Bakhai is once again standing for election, this time that of being the GLA candidate for Ealing & Hillingdon. This follows the resignation of the previous candidate who wasn't able to stand after all. With him once again increasing the Liberal Democrat vote here in Ealing Southall, it will be good to see how that vote will translate this time around. I shall be doing all I can to help him in his campaign, as well as that of Brian's Mayoral bid. This should prove to be a rather interesting and enjoyable ...

Bitter rivals PML-N and PPP to enter into a coalition if necessary

Zardari, Benazir's widdow and leader of the PPP, met with Nawaz Sharif, leader of the PML-N and the PrimeMinister ousted in Musharraf's coup, and they agreed to present a united front after monday's vote to keep out the pro-Musharraf PML-Q. This is a huge step as the Sharif's and the Bhutto's have been fierce rivals for decades. The Sharif brother's are proteges of General Zia, who had Zulfiqar, Benazir's father, hung. Th en first Bhutto was Prime Minister, then Sharif, then Bhutto again, then Sharif again until the coup. The fact that the two parties have agreed to work so ...

A terrorist's hypocrisy never has boundaries

It seems ludicrous to hear Hezbollah bemoaing the assasination of one of its leaders today in a manner akin to the sort of killings it is so keen to dish out to others in the middle east and beyond. Personally, if the Israeli government were involved and killed someone on the sovereign soil of Syria, I would condemn them. There is always an onus on states to act in a better way than terrorists. However, the utter hypocrisy of Hezbollah moaing about his death shows the utter moral bankruptcy of terrorist organisations.

EU 'President' - not the job for Blair

Peter Preston recommends a Luxembourger (any Luxembourger, presumably) for the job of EU "President", saying that the role is a non-entity and that Blair lacks all the necessary skills: ...the specification here (is) a rather non-grand spec for future bureaucratic action. Must be proven administrator; will need conciliation skills, stamina and extra helpings of humility; high public profile not

'They'll kill Obama'

Newsnight reported from bellweather town Culpeper, Virginia last night. At the end of a laudatory opinion on Obama given by a Black American businesswoman, she said wistfully: "But they will kill him". No more was said. But presumably she was referring to Abraham, Martin and John (and Bobbie - as sung by Marvin Gaye). It seems whenever there is someone who is loved by Black Americans, they end

Opinion: Filming the streets doesnt catch criminals

You have to love exaggerations. If you believe everything you read, there are marauding gangs of yobs running around like conquistadors on the streets of Britain. On deprived estates everywhere, there are small armies of foraging youths holding small pockets of civilisation hostage. These ensieged Montezumas of wholesome family life go around as prisoners in [...]

Hegellianism banned in schools

Sod this Presidential election rubbish. The real election campaign is just heating up. Who will you vote for Kant, Nietzsche, or Kierkegaard Read their election material (here, here, and here). View their adverts bellow. Vote on the right hand side of the page. Its your vote. What will you do with it

Government only talking tough on Northern Rock

Responding to reports that the Treasury has told the Virgin-led consortium that it is the frontrunner to take control of Northern Rock but nationalisation is currently regarded as the better outcome for the taxpayer, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: I would like to believe that the Government has finally seen sense and recognised that in the current market conditions temporary public ownership is the best way to safeguard taxpayers' interests. I fear however that the Government is determined to make a private sale to Richard Branson's consortium and may just be talking tough in order to extract some ...

Non-Doms: Cable derides government proposals

Responding to the Governments clarification this afternoon of their policy towards non-domiciled residents, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: The Government has made an unholy mess of this issue and is being made to look thoroughly foolish, now it has been demonstrated that ministers havent thought through the implications of their own policies. However, there has been some outrageous special pleading from the City with wildly exaggerated accounts of the damage that would be done by taxing non-domiciled residents. British taxpayers do not understand why they should pay 40% top rate tax, while the super-rich may pay little more ...

Are the Parliamentary Lib Dems split on the Lisbon Treaty referendum

Yes they are, at least if you believe this mornings Telegraph report, Nick Clegg faces EU treaty rebellion: Mr Clegg signalled last month that he would help Labour block a Tory amendment to force a referendum [on Lisbon], saying: “We would vote against a referendum on the treaty.” But members of Mr Clegg’s shadow cabinet are [...]

Sorry seems the hardest word

Well done Aussies!

Obama wins three

In the Democrat race Obama has beaten Clinton in all three contests - Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia.

Andy Burnham: Lamb to the slaughter

Andy Burnham, the new Culture Secretary, was on Today this morning. It almost seemed as though someone had set him up...A bizarre initiation ceremony organised by mischievous civil servants to make the minister look like a complete twit. "Every school child should get five hours of "high quality culture" per week according to new government plans" was the trailer headline. Andy Burnham was put

Benazir's Handwritten will

Pakistan Policy has a scan of Bhutto's will which is apparently genuine. Check it out here.

Cringe Video Alert

Try not to vomit as you watch this.

Photos to the press

I am on the train heading back to Newcastle having spent some time this afternoon emailing some of the photos I took of the "Get Carter" car park last Friday. I sent out a news release last night about the video I filmed. The result was a phone call at lunchtime from the Evening Chronicle, our regional newspaper, who were interested in the photos as well. I'm hoping they'll carry some of them

The 58th Carnival of the Liberals

Welcome to Liberal England for a round up in the best in liberal blogging over the past fortnight. The Carnival is an American initiative, so almost all the nominations are for postings on American blogs - though I did see one from Sweden this time. For that reason, as I did when I hosted the Carnival before, I have added a second list of 10 postings from blogs from this side of the Atlantic. If you visit the home page of Carnival of the Liberals you will see that they are looking for people to host future editions. Why not ...

Breaking Down the Bishop

Matt Wardman of The Wardman Wire has written an excellent (albeit, quite long) critique* of the BBC’s defence of the Rowan Williams interview and their handling of it: "The poor bloody Archbishop didn’t even get a chance to provoke any reaction. He was destined to be Barbecued - that was inevitable because you (or “someone in [...]

Brown in Beijing

It was late in 2005 when it finally sunk in that Tony Blair and the Labour Government did not care about human rights. I was in the back of a taxi being driven through London over a bridge late at night. As usual I was admiring the sights and as my head turned towards the London Eye a flash of brilliant red met my eyes. A bright decoration to celebrate the visit of the President of China. So I am delighted that Spielberg has withdrawn as artistic advisor to the Beijing Olympics...but I am puzzled as to why he even ...

McCain wins three

In the Republican race McCain has won in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia.

Tickling The Dragon Of Removed Irony

This blog has already discussed the dangers of trying to be funny in job adverts. But it's one thing trying it when you're an obscure Tory PPC heading for a well-deserved electoral spanking; it's quite another when you're, ooh, I don't know... First Minister of Wales Cue the Rhodmeister himself; As no member of my family is available to work for me, I am advertising for a member of staff to

Even Bill Clinton's mate from Dunkin' Donuts has turned to Obama

Justin Webb reports that the Clintons are having trouble because it is difficult to attack a "Black icon". Obama has turned a corner, he says. An AP analysis from Virginia says Granny is backing him, the guy at Dunkin' Donuts is backing him... That's a disaster for Bill Clinton. He made a career, if "Primary Colors" is to be believed, palling up with guys at places like Dunkin' Donuts.

The Curse of Calder

4 February 2008: I begin writing a fortnightly column for the New Statesman website. 13 February 2008: New Statesman editor John Kampfner resigns.

Thought crime verdict overturned

From Index on Censorship I hear that five students gaoled over jihadist literature have had their conviction quashed. This is good news. In absence of any evidence of involvement in a terrorist plot these students were persecuted for what amounts to thought crime, an act which probably further radicalised others around them. I do not doubt that [...]

A written constitution Whatever next

Crikey: Justice Secretary Jack Straw has sent out a strong signal that the government is ready to draw up Britain's first ever written constitution.

I wish they made a mosquito alarm for bad parents

The current debate about the use of shops and shopping centres using the mosquito, a high pitched sound only audible to most under 25 year olds seems to be getting some civil libertarians hot under the collar. Personally I think it is entirely reasonable to expect that groups of youths should not be stood togather intimidating people in shopping centres. When I was a teenager I didn't feel the need to do it, and I didn't use the excuse of a lack of things to do as an excuse to commit random acts of violence and vandalism around where I ...

Bangladeshi youth unemployment and the curry crisis

The BBC reports: The Home Office is being urged to ease restrictions on migrant workers entering Britain from Bangladesh, to avert a crisis in the curry industry.Curry houses are struggling to fill thousands of kitchen staff vacancies, says the Immigration Advisory Service.For years, many staff in the UK's 9,000 curry restaurants have been recruited directly from Bangladesh.But restrictions on the workers have been tighter since eastern Europeans were given employment rights.Wait a minute. Britain's Bangladeshi community is known to have one of the highest unemployment rates of any ethnic community. Last year, in an article in the New Statesman, Ayum ...

Zogby: Is Obama unstoppable

No. Leading pollster John Zogby's succinct analysis of Obama v Clinton is on BBC News online.

Edwards' endorsement

Rumours abound that the man none of us have thankfully had to think about since he dropped out of the Democratic nominee race, is going to endorse Hillary. I don't think he has much to gain, other than stoking his own ego, from endorsing and neither candidate will gain that much either. I think he'll keep schtum until it looks like BHO's definitely going to win, then Edwards can endorse him.

Paddy Ashdown: A strategy to save Afghanistan

Writing in the FT today, Paddy said: With fighting in Afghanistan now entering its seventh year, no agreed international strategy, public support on both sides of the Atlantic crumbling, Nato in disarray and widening insecurity in Afghanistan, defeat is now a real possibility. The consequences for both Afghanistan and its allies would be appalling: global terrorism [...]

Become an Organ Donor

I'm co sponsering a motion to next weeks Leeds City Council meeting asking it to use all its exisiting publicity outlets to publicise Organ Donation. If anyone is interested check out www.uktransplant.org.uk and there is a infomation line on 0845 6060400. Clearly whether people donate/register is a personal choice and i don't think its appropriate for a Council to try and persuade people. However we spend a fortune on external communications, much of it tat, and it often lacks a central focus and isn't about camapaigning. Given the current shortage of organs for Transplant and the literally life saving out ...

Logical fallacies and euroscepticism

For the millionth time I’ve read this reported as fact: The new Lisbon Treaty is largely the same as the defeated constitution… So, for all those hard of thinking journalists out there and everyone else for that matter who seems to misunderstand it, I thought I’d draw you a handy diagram: {EU treaty diagram} You can say that the addition of Lisbon means that the combined treaties are roughly equivalent to the stalled constitutional treaty. You cannot say that Lisbon itself is roughly equivalent to the stalled constitutional treaty. To claim otherwise it to be a fool. Let’s put it ...

So much for the Democrat Senate

So, the Senate has voted to approve extended Spy powers. Interestingly, but of little consequence now, it was the Republican’s under New Gingrich who blocked a similar move by President Clinton. A complete turn around from the Republicans now however. As for the likely presidential candidates - McCain I absolutely do not trust on this, and [...]

Religion and the Law - secular questions for the party

Now then, following the various strong secularist words inspired by the Archbishop of Canterburys recent remarks, do we have a problem with people seeking candidate approval if they have a religious background Lets for example take the Quakers. Individual Quakers have been known to break the law as a matter of religious conscience in the past, and others may do so in the future. The Religious Society of Friends offers its members the Advices and Queries for their comfort and discomfort. This is what A&Q 34 and 35 say: 34 Remember your responsibilities as a citizen for the conduct of ...

Lord Rees-Mogg's article in the Mail on Sunday

I have been unable to find this article in the MoS so I am reposting it. THERE are extreme occasions on which public law and private conscience collide. Some of them, as in the cases of Socrates or Charles I, end in martyrdom. Some lead to imprisonment, though it is a terrible thing to imprison a man for doing what he believes is his duty. Almost invariably, this collision of law and private

Redcar Lib Dems leading the battle to stop Labours Post Office closures

North East Lib Dem Euro MEP Fiona Hall at the new Roseberry Shopping Centre, Redcar campaigning with, left to right, Ian Swales, Cllr Chris Abbott, Fiona Hall, Pat Swales, for the retention of the Post Office that had been situated in the now demolished Roseberry Square. Ian Swales, Lib Dem Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Redcar is leading the battle to stop Labours post office closures. Ian said "2500 post offices face the axe across Britain. Here in Redcar constituency 2 more post offices face closure. Lazenby and Park Avenue, Redcar are in the latest list announced on the 12th February. ...

Weapons of Choice

This is pretty sweet- two Bristol-area graffiti artists do a 'live set'. Looks it would have been amazing to see in person. The blog itself is also worth a longer look. Not sure who it is by, but it seems to be an interesting look at the current debate on policy and thoughts around graffiti in the Bristol area.

Whats happened to Libdemblogs

Such a shame if this site has to permanently go down Does anyone know what’s happening

Livingstone loses his temper

I've just seen Ken Livingstone on the news telling the elected GLA members that they are a bunch of "sanctimonious hypocrites". Assembly Chair Sally Hamwee asked him, very calmly, to treat people with respect, and he shouted that they didn't deserve respect. The London Assembly was then suspended. And what was that all about For some weeks a story has been...

Senior Lib Dem MPs may back referendum on Lisbon treaty

Today's Daily Telegraph reports that a significant number of Liberal Democrat MPs may be planning to support a Conservative amendment calling for a referendum on the Lisbon treaty: Mr Clegg signalled last month that he would help Labour block a Tory amendment to force a referendum, saying: "We would vote against a referendum on the treaty." But members of Mr Clegg's shadow cabinet are among a significant number of MPs who are understood to be unhappy with the decision. David Heath, the constitutional affairs spokesman, and Nick Harvey, the defence spokesman, are both understood to have told their constituency parties ...

Why supporting Keith Vaz is quite astute

There has been criticism of Nick Clegg's move to support the ten minute bill to be introduced by Keith Vaz, proposing that exclusive shortlists be permitted for parliamentary and other selections. Given my past record of opposing quotas or special pleading, you might reasonably expect me to join in. I'm not going to... It was part of the deal that, if all else failed, Nick would support positive

Local TV

As residents are aware, I have had numerous discussions with Ofcom (the media regulator) about digital TV issues. Apart from the Freeview concerns (click on headline above to read more on these), I have discussed local TV provision with the regulator about the possibility of licences and local feeds from digital transmitters to ensure that Dundee could get another local TV service at some point in the future. Residents will recall the popularity of the Channel 6 service that many people in the West End used to be able to receive when it transmitted its programmes from the Tay Bridge ...

And it's a warm welcome from me...

Following my comments regarding the Bones Commission, an edited version of which might be in Lib Dem News this week (I was asked to edit it down to 300 words, did so, and sent it in), Martin Turner, the new chair of the Parliamentary Candidates Association, has been in touch, as much to confirm my criticisms as anything. I freely admit that I have had my differences with the PCA in the past, on

Human Rights Abuse in Russia's Prison Camps

I'm not being a Russophobe but this is a serious human rights breech that has been filmed. Just because you might expect doesn't mean its not dreadful and shouldn't be highlighted.

Northern Rock to appear on the balance sheet

Northern Rock is going to be on the balance sheet this year. This means that the Government will certainly go through the self imposed 40% barrier. The sustainable investment rule is shot to shit. This will be embarrassing for Gordon "economic competence is all I have left" Brown and Alastair "the city hates me and the press are bored by me" Darling. This is the sound of the NuLab competence bubble being burst. They're just lucky no one is particularly enthused by any other party yet. P.S. Nationalistaion is apparently back on the cards.

Huckabee to contest Washington

News reaches me that Republican hopefully Huckabee will be contesting the result in Washington State.

Not in my back yard

In 1937 Dale Carnegie first wrote and published a book entitled How to Win Friends and Influence People. Since its initial publication there have been a further 42 editions and world sales are put at 16 million copies. For those unfamiliar with the Mr Carnegies work, his book sets out to give tips and strategies on how to communicate with other people. In contrast to many of todays theories Mr Carnegie says that we should see pleasing others a both a duty and a paradoxical route to personal success. Coming away from last nights parish council meeting I couldnt help ...

And here's another thing the Home Office can't keep track of

Ok, we know they’re not very good at things like counting immigrants or keeping track of offenders, but this week brings news of a new failure to count. The Home Office can’t even work out how many people it’s made redundant. Good news for the department though. The MoD can’t either. Other government departments can mind you, but at least they’ve got a fellow department in the same mess as them this time round. Liberal Democrat peer Lord Oakeshott had this to say: The Home Office and MoD are totally incompetent for failing to give answers, when other big departments ...

Day 2592: TOYCHWUD: Meat

Wednesday: Mr Hilary Briss, the Demon Butcher of Royston Vasey, had to be getting his "special stuff" from somewhere and they always swore blind that it wasn't "long pig". Could Torchwood have the answer Well, here is Daddy Richard's review to help us find out: Torchwood appears to be having a pretty good first season for a fantasy drama series. It's just a pity that it's their second. A reasonably solid episode, this, that would have fitted in nicely as a development episode at the back end of last year, it does, however, rely on the inter-series reboot to function. ...

John Mortimer on Ming Campbell

Paul Walter quotes John Mortimer’s view that a life at the Scottish Bar prepared Ming Campbell for poltical greatness and his failure to succeed as Leader was due to ageist prejudice. While Ming undoubtedly suffered ugly treatment in the media because of his age, and while the Bar gave Herbert Asquith, Jo Grimond, Clement Attlee, and Margaret Thatcher with their skills, I [...]

A giant database for all 14 year olds

Thanks to Max Seddon for alerting me to this worrying piece of news. Every child from the age of 14 will have all of their records held on a database for the rest of their lives and will make all the information available to future employees. This is just another part of the Brown master plan to have all of our details available so it is easier for us to relate to state monoliths. Not good at all. Once they have this information on us, they won't let it go.

A Government of High-Quality Fantasists

The Labour Governments fantasy world of choice usually seems to be an Orwellian dystopia in which they grab more and more power to run the lives of more and more citizens. In the real world, this is mainly ameliorated by their sheer incompetence. So many disastrous losses of personal data, for example, give the impression of Airstrip One done as a school play. But theres one little Minister who seems different, who dreams not of an iron fist but a velvet seat. This morning Andy Burnham declared, starry-eyed, that there would be opera for all on fifteen quid a year. ...

Crashing and Burnham

Poor old Andy Burnham. A few months ago I took him to task for aping the Tories and their proposed tax cuts for loveless marriages. Since then the boy has, improbably, gained a cabinet level post, but doesn’t appear to be doing any better. His performance on the Today Programme (which doesn’t appear to be on listen again yet) this morning was probably the most lamentable I have ever heard from a cabinet minister. It was so clear he was not on top of his brief I almost felt sorry for him, were it not that it offended my sense ...

Getting carried away.

This quote from Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith in The Times is a classic: Gordon Brown had successfully managed both to build on the experience that he has as being part of the Labour Government over the last 10 years and to register to the British people that there was a change of emphasis and that there were new challenges that his premiership was going to be able to address. She added: He combines the best of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama" What planet is she living on Hat Tip: Blairwatch.

Hats off to Steven Spielberg

Well done Steven Spieldberg from withdrawing his support to the creative side of the Beijing Olympics this year in protest at China's support for the genocide in Darfur. Read the full story about it HERE. No doubt China will react by banning his next film, but what else would we expect from such a corrupt regime. It does highlight though again the stupidity of the International Olympic Cpmmittee in awarding the Olympics to China in the first place given their dreadful human rights record, the recent history of systematic and state sponsored doping of athletes and their dreadful support for ...

And the election results are in...

Congratulations to Adam Jogee (whose campaign I blogged about before) on winning the election to be member of the Youth Parliament for Haringey. Adam tells me that his two deputies are Farjina Begum from Tottenham and Sam Newton-Fenner from Muswell Hill - which makes for a nice cross-borough balance: one from the west, one from the middle and one from the east. Adam's stickers clearly worked!

Obama's best night so far

Barack Obama had his best night of the campaign so far last night, trouncing Hillary Clinton in Maryland, Virginia, and DC. While Maryland and DC have long been known to favour Obama, Virginia was a state that Hillary Clinton had campaigned heavily in and, until the last minute, had hoped might swing her way. Obama won by almost 2-1: substantially more than Hillary Clinton won her home state of New York by on Super Tuesday.Crucially, in the last post we wrote that Obama's success would depend on the extent to which he could peel support from those groups which Clinton had previously dominated. He did so in ...

The Right to Convert

Liberal forces in Egypt are celebrating a legal victory on the part of a group of people who had converted to Islam from Christianity, but decided to convert back again. Apostasy is considered a sin punishable by death by Islamic literalists, whereas more liberal Egyptians accept the right to religious freedom. As a result of the [...]

City Fox

I walked up Victoria St this morning, heading to Westminster. As I arrived at Westminster Abbey, a fox ran out across the road, successfully negotiating the traffic and heading towards the QE Conference Centre. At first I was surprised to see a fox in the heart of Westminster. But there again, the place must be a treasure trove of food for them. All those pigeons and rats. And of course, all

Steven Spielberg pulls out as artistic director for 2008 Beijing Olympics

Well done to Mr. Spielberg for putting the wider needs of humanity first. Read the full story at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/724016.htm http://www.timesonline.co.uk (I am unable to log onto the IOC website at this present time!)

Composting

Last night I attended a very impressive public meeting in Pucklechurch on plans for a new 'in-vessel' (ie enclosed) composter between Westerleigh and Pucklechurch. The plan is to process 30,000 tonnes a year of 'green waste' from South Gloucestershire. The problem is that the proposed site is in the middle of a particularly important stretch of Green Belt. For anyone who wants to know more about in-vesssel composters (and I never thought I would find myself writing that sentence) my Lib Dem colleague councillor Claire Young has recently started her own blog and you read more here. We saw a ...

Lib Dem Rebellion on Europe

If the Telegraph is to be believed, at least a quarter of the Parliamentary party (16 MPs, including the shadow secretary for constitutional affairs, David Heath, and for defence, Nick Harvey) are either going to abstain or vote for a Tory amendment on the EU Reform Treaty bill which will force a referendum on the [...]

Green Lane Farm dangerous pot hole repaired

Following prompt action and an esclation from County Councillor Robin Hughes we are pleased to report the "massive" pot hole at Green Hill Farm has been repaired. A copy of the e-mail confirming this action is below. To: Robin Hughes Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 9:19 AM Subject: RE: Green Lane farm pot hole Good morning Councillor Thank you for the report of the pothole. Our Totton office reported it to me late yesterday afternoon. I visited the site on the way home at 5.00 and called for an emergency reinstatement at 5.10. I will visit again this week to ...

Adoption Apology

The link is to the apology about wrongful forced adoption in Australia. We are some way off getting the same apology in the UK. I think, however, that in time it will come.

Budget Time is looming

Bath & North East Somerset Councils budget debate on 19th February will soon pick out if the pact of Conservatives, Labour, and independents still holds together. The Conservative Cabinet last week voted through a budget increase of 3.95% but with lots of hidden tax increases on our motorists and most vulnerable members of our community to the tune of another £2.5 million but this...

An end to months of speculation

Yesterdays news that the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) is to remain at its current site in Taunton is welcome news indeed. The announcement ends months of speculation about the future of the sea chart maker in Taunton. It had been thought a real possibility that the offices could be relocated to a site in Exeter. This would have meant the loss of over 950 jobs in the Taunton area. However, now that the site's future has been secured many of the site's outdated buildings can be replaced. This project will be financed by the selling off part of the site ...

Cold Turkey

As an Assembly Member I have use of a Blackberry so that my constituents can contact me wherever I am and so I can work from virtually any place. Personally, I prefer to be in front of a computer when dealing with e-mails as I have more functionality. Some have embraced this technology more than others but none of us, I hope, have reached the level of dependence on these devices found in the United States. It must have been particularly hard on all those hard-pressed executives when the service failed as it did in North America on Monday. The ...

Public fountains rock!

Every time I go past the South End Green fountain I think about how the fountain's presence massively enhances the local area. As an amenity, as apiece of architecture, instilling a sense of place to an otherwise small piece of land. It dominates the green, has been carefully restored and is now working again with proper wet flowing water. Of course, this was all understood by our forebears which is why they didn't make public water features just a tap or water stand - they made them fully fledged fountains or troughs... And today we are reaping the multiple benefits. ...

You Will Obey Me!

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Dont Open the Watch!

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Day 2591: Super-Trouper Tuesday

Tuesday: "Tonight the Super Trouper lights are going to blind me; but I won't feel blue; like I always do; 'cos somewhere in the crowd there's YOU!" Never have ABBA written a truer word. Tonight there was someone in the crowd for EVERYONE and all of them were TRUE BLUE, because it was the day when millions of Americans finally decided that the choice of candidates in the race for the White House would be going on a bit. It was the day that they were calling Super Duper Tuesday, so there's really only one thing to say (run VT!) ...

Agents Briefing

The West Midlands Liberal Democrats will be holding an Agents Briefing on Tuesday 4th March 2008 starting at 6.30pm at Osmond House, 78 Alcester Road, Birmingham.

Day 2590: What's Up Doc

Monday: I guess that the trade union for doctors, the BMA (Bona Medical Appliances), were really JOLLY GLAD that the Archpillock of Canterbury decided to go so dramatically OFF PISTE, as all the loud coverage of HIM has enabled them to sneak out a quick backing down with very little press attention. This is I should hope going to see some resolution to the long running DISPUTE about longer opening hours. It would make a whole lot more sense for people IN work to be able to visit their doctor without having to take time OFF work to do so. ...

Wednesday 13th February 2008

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