We had a really interesting morning on a training session on the Councils GIS (Geographic Information System). This is an excellent resource for us to be able to look up locations, individual addresses identify street lights, land ownership andmuch else. I couldnt operate as a good Councillor without it. This morning we learnt even more tricks like getting the number of the street light,... 
Last night on BBCs Question Time, Nicola Horlick, the superwoman of the City, made some interesting comments about the dynamic changes that the Chinese economy was bringing to the world. There is little doubt that economic performance in China is impressive. It has enjoyed double digit growth in 13 of the last 25 years. Despite the global slowdown, China is currently enjoying its fastest growth since 1995. If there is one single reason why Britains Labour Party can boast ten years of uninterrupted growth, yet virtually no inflationary pressures, the reason is China. Its ability to spew out more and ...
I seem to get requests to join various Facebook groups almost every day, but this one caught my eye. It is for a group called "Help support out (sic) troops in Iraq". Yes, that is right, "Out" troops. I have to say I am all for supporting our troops whether they are "out" or not, but I have to say hats off to the army if they have moved to be so up to date with the times that they are now that open about having "out" troops.
Having been away from home for nearly two weeks, I am now pleased to be heading north. Whilst I do enjoy conferences, they do take me away from home for too long. Returning home from Liverpool for just one evening last week, only to go back down to London the next morning, did not justify the use of the time. So I headed back to London after conference. National Express appears to be working
David Cameron famously said when pressed about the issue of whether he had taken drugs that "I'm allowed to have had a private life before politics in which we make mistakes and we do things that we should not and we are all human and we err and stray." Perhaps he is correct in this assertion, but it does rather make you wonder if he had climbed Mount Everest or found a cure for some disease if he would be so keen not to talk about his pre-politics days. Perhaps this is why he is so keen to talk about ...
All this fuss over a few frozen potatoes. Who would have thought that Delia Smith could generate such high emotions The Times has an explanation of sorts: No, this howl of outrage is about more than the meat content of tinned mince. It reflects how food has been turned into a moral issue by those who seriously believe that we are what we eat. Thus the way to prove your wholesome character is through conspicuous consumption of the right foods. The flipside of such snobbery is that cheap or processed food is seen as the mark of cheap people, morally ...
Matthew Sweet - one of this blog's heroes - has an article in today's Guardian on the lost world of the British B movie: Observe, say, 1950s Britain through its top-of-the-bill films and it emerges as a land populated by pipe-smoking, twentysomething men who drive vintage Bentleys, usually with Muriel Pavlow in the back.Explore it from the bottom of the bill and you'll encounter something different: tracts of featureless industrial estates, a world in which Wolseley police cars clatter under railway bridges in Croydon and mid-price actors occupy frowsty suburban drags. It is threadbare, unspectacular territory, where compromised people spend ...
Theres a deep sense of foreboding across the pond in America. As reported in the Guardians Financial pages today, 54% of Chief Financial Officers believe the US to already be in a recession and a further 24% think there is a high risk of one imminently. Even more concerning, however, is the news that Dominoes are cutting the size of their pizzas. Apparently American pizzas are half an inch larger than in Britain. Dominoes have had to lay off 50 staff so far. As nail-biting rather than pizza guzzling ensues, theyre planning a value menu to offer American customers more ...
The United States used to be a strong supporter of closer European Union, on the grounds that a united Western Europe would be a more effective bulwark against the Soviet bloc, and might be persuaded to pick up a bigger share of the bill for Western security. But Washington’s tune has changed with the fall of [...]
If you’re apartment-hunting in Paris “contre services” is what you hope not to see in an advert - especially if you’re an attractive female student. It can be perfectly innocent, but all too often it’s a not-so-subtle code meaning that the rent will include sexual favours. This is the iniquitous result of a housing crisis that the French Government admits is the worst since WW2 with money rents (never mind the extras’) rising far beyond the reach of most ordinary people. The BBC has more here. No doubt many lessons can and should be drawn from this but what strikes ...
I received an email today bemoaning the fact that the "useless excuses politicians" were doing so little for wounded servicemen and women. So please show them that some politicians and political activists do care about the scandalous way our forces personnel continue to be treated and sign the petition - details below. Denzil Connick, secretary of the South Atlantic Medal Association, has organised a petition to the prime minister for better care for wounded soldiers. The link is here. Denzil, was seriously wounded while serving with The Third Battalion of The Parachute Regiment in the Falklands and is still being ...
The West End Community Council on Tuesday evening had two excellent presentations - one from Digital UK on the analogue TV "switch off" due in Dundee in 2010; the other from West End Tennis Club on their project to improve the club facilities. The Club has given me an update sheet on this which you can read by clicking on the headline above - and you can read more by going to the Club's website at : www.westendtennis.org.uk Last night, the "Community Spirit" group - to campaign for the Pentland, Tullideph, Ancrum and Cleghorn area (and surrounding neighbourhood) - held ...
A report in today's Telegraph indicates that tolerance and enlightenment still remain alien concepts to some senior members of the Catholic Church: A senior Roman Catholic bishop has accused homosexual campaigners of a "huge and well-orchestrated conspiracy" against Christian values. The Rt Rev Joseph Devine, Bishop of Motherwell, 70, said during a lecture in Glasgow that homosexual rights organisations aligned themselves with minority groups and attended Holocaust memorial services to project an image of "people under persecution". The bishop, who is president of the Catholic Education Commission in Scotland, added that he would "not tolerate" a child trying to come ...
During their weekly clash at FMQs yesterday, Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, Nicol Stephen MSP, demanded that the First Minister clarify his governments position on its manifesto commitment to provide a £2000 grant for every first-time buyer in Scotland. It is clear that the Chancellor of the Exchequer's budget fails to deliver for Scotland. The new whisky tax, for example, smacks more of smash and grab than sound government and it is bad for Scotland's industry, but this is not the first time the First Minister and I have criticised Labour budgets. In fact, this very week three years ...
Reform of political funding is very much on the agenda with the main parties deadlocked on positions that just happen to suit their traditional funding base unions for Labour; big hitters for the Tories. Here at last is a new idea (well, new to me at least) from the good old US of A. Its known as Voter-Owned Elections or Clean Elections and heres how it works. All supporters contribute an equal $5 and only $5 to their favoured candidate over an interval governed by the electoral timetable and up to the ceiling set for that election. Result: no covert ... 
While the spectacle itself was not overly nauseating, the decision by David Cameron to show his intimate family moments to News at Ten is of great cause for concern. Firstly, I am concerned that David Cameron does not have sufficient self-confidence not to have to do this. It is sort of "not British". He feels the need to show off his family. That doesn't feel right. Secondly, this move is
Mike West, a director of the Clifford Project, had invited Jill Hood and me to pop round yesterday morning to inspect the new premises which the project has just opened at Unit 2B on Whitebridge Estate. Initially we wondered wheter it was ‘2B or not 2B’ when we arrived because the units have no obvious numbers affixed for indentification but - after twice asking for directions - we eventually found it! They’ve only had the unit a month but in that time they’ve worked hard and fitted it out and decorated it throughout. This unit will be used for their ...
{Blackboard} Glum news on school places "choice" in Haringey unfortunately. As I report over on my website, one out of three children in Haringey have not received a place at their preferred secondary school - figures released by Haringey Council show that only 67% of children starting secondary school in 2008 would be able to attend their first preference school. Worse still - the number of children not receiving their first place increased by 3% from last year and no progress was made in children receiving their first two preferences. Over the past four years children not receiving their first ...
The House of Lords rarely sits on a friday, but today has been one of those. Fridays tend to be reserved for debates on reports of select committees and for private members bills. Lib Dem peers have been amazingly proactive in sponsoring private members bills. In the next few weeks John Lee will bring in a legislation to give new rights to retiring Ghurka soldiers, and Tom McNally will introduce a bill for a full inquiry into the causes and conduct of the Iraq War. In recent months Anthony Lester brought in a bill to deal with forced marriages, Sue ...
Barnoldswick TC, Coates Ind 368 (53.6), LD Alison Sauer 318 (46.4). Majority 50. Turnout 16.7%. Ind hold. Brent LBC, Queens Park LD Simon Green 1242 (47.3; +11.2), Lab 851 (32.4; +2.7), Con 292 (11.1; -2.8), Green 239 (9.1; -5.7), [Ind (0.0; -5.5)]. Majority 391. Turnout 27%. LD hold. Last fought 2006. Cotswold DC, Water Park LD Peter Clarke 648 (55.5; +15.3), Con 519 (44.5; -15.3). Majority
With only 11 hours to go before the close of the poll there's not much in it. 'Council run' was the early favourite, and had taken a commanding early lead. However, over the course of the last 24 hours there has been a run of votes for 'those against' and the gap has now closed quite considerably. In fact, as of 10 minutes ago, only 1 vote separated first and second. Percentage wise; 52% of voters have indicated that they support councils taking over the running of post office branches earmarked for closure, whilst 47% say they are against. Have ...
The atlantic storm which hit the UK on Sunday night reached Brussels on monday morning, causing flights to Strasbourg to be cancelled and generally disrupting parliamentary business. I had escaped to Brussels Sunday night and travelled on overland, so was present to speak in the debate on Gaza and castigate both Israel and Hamas for their mindless violence. Opinion among my colleagues is divided, but all agree that the EU should stop following blindly the American lead. (For my speech, visit I also had the chance to tell the Leader of the Socialist Group that he was wrong to ...
Benefits fall into two categories. There are the benefits that are the stuff of Daily Mailesque nightmares, and then there is the chichi San Franciscan make-up brand. I aspire to the latter but must, it seems, make do with the former. I sat down one long winter evening recently to play with my accounts. I rather [...]
Unbelievable! Shannon Matthews has been found alive and well. This has to be one of the most successful police operations in a long time.
As promised Smannell Lib Dems have kicked off the campaign to re-route the cango bus! We will update you in due course when we have more information. From: Hughes, Cllr R To: Armstrong, June Subject: Cango Services to Enham Alamein and Smannell villages Dear June, I am supporting a local campaign to provide a bus service between the Andover railway station and Smannell, Little London and Enham Alamein. The C3 on the way to Andover Hospital goes within 200yds of the Andover railway station. I agree with the two councillors, TVBC Cllr Len Gates and parish councillor Nigel Gooding who ...
The gleaming palace of Terminal 5 at Heathrow will open on March 27th. The British Aviation Authority and British Airways will celebrate. But for others, the day will be a reminder of the misery the Government and BAA plan for the residents of London who live under the Heathrow flightpath - an area that, if [...]
Good news for Mehdi Kazemi, the gay Iranian teenager first refused asylum by the UK authorities and then by the Netherlands - countries whose rhetoric on fundamental rights is belied by politically motivated anti-immigrant policies. Mercifully, widespread public condemnation of Mr Kazemi's possible deportation, where he could face death by hanging, has forced the British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to reconsider his case. According to the BBC she said: "Following representations made on behalf of Mehdi Kazemi, and in the light of new circumstances since the original decision was made, I have decided that Mr Kazemi's case should be reconsidered ...
Just reading the Lexington Column of The Economist and found out that the NY Governor’s tryst with Ms Kristen took place in the Mayflower hotel in Washington, DC - the very same hotel that I stayed on my trip to DC. It’s nice to know that myself and hypocritical, philandering bastards have the same classic tastes. My stay there wasn’t as fun-filled as Mr Spitzer’s though, I just sat in my room writing a talk on face recognition and watching American Football on ESPN. Although one night Dick Cheney was in the building and one of his Secret Service chaps ...
A conversation in the pub on Monday and the article Vince Cable goes solo after Daily Mail fanbase from Times Online, made my wonder how many readers of the Daily Mail actually vote Liberal Democrat. The only real stats I could find after a bit of Googling where from Ipsos Mori for the 1st Quarter of 2005 which says that 14% of Daily Mail readers who are certain to vote support the Lib Dems.
I saw this story on the BBC news website and just had to share it - please bear with me! Temptation was too great for the bear The taste of honey was just too tempting for a bear in Macedonia, which repeatedly raided a beekeeper's hives. Now it has a criminal record after a court found it guilty of theft and criminal damage. But there was an empty dock in the court in the city of Bitola and no handcuffed bear, which was convicted in its absence. The case was brought by the exasperated beekeeper after a year of trying ... 
Well, it has been that kind of a week for me, the frustration that it came after a fascinating Spring Conference with me as you may imagine having quite a lot to say, not least about Gaza, Nick's speech and David Law's question time. It was the first time my children (Ravi 19 and Lara 21) and grandchild (Sumaiyah 1) had attended conference. Lara had her appetite whetted after she attended the Nick/Chris hustings in Cambridge last year, followed by a Gender Balance inspiration day.........which clearly did what it said on the tin! She managed to persuade her brother to ...
I really liked Nick Cleggs conference speech last week, unfortunately it doesn't match his actions when it comes to things like drugs, prostitution or even reform of parliament. Last I heard he was still backing the speaker of the house and some ... Read and post comments | Send to a friend
With 150 less Members of Parliament the tax payer would be saved about £30m annually. Nuick Clegg has told Radio 4's PM programme today. It was part of a reform programme to make our electoral system both fairer and more representative. Measures including more decentralisation, caps on donations to £25,000 per individual and a £10m annual spending limit per party. Francis Maude of the
It is very difficult to think of any politician with higher integrity than Shirley Williams. Also, it is very hard to think what she might have to gain from playing fast and loose with the thruth, or indeed defecting. A peerage She's already got one. I cannot think of anyone who, better than Shirley, encapsulates the spirit of the Liberal Democrat party. So, can we please just take her word
Via the BBC: “People should be fined £100 for being drunk in public, even if they do not cause a nuisance, a leading medic says. … Police should carry breathalysers and fine those three times over the drink-drive limit [even if they’re not driving].” This suggestion comes from um… plastic surgeon Peter Mahaffey, whose only experience with [...]
I’ve blogged before about Liberal Democrat peer Lord Oakeshott’s plans to introduce a bill requiring all members of the House of Lords to be paying taxes in Britain: This will increase the pressure on controversial Conservative Party donor Lord Ashcroft, who promised to become a UK taxpayer when he was appointed to the Lords but hasnt provided [...]
According to UK Obesity Statistics obesity in this country is now double what it was in the mid-1980s - 28% of men and 27% of women aged 16-24 and 76% of men and 68% of women aged 55-64 are now said to be overweight or obese. Even so, it still came as quite a shock to read of the recent death of a 29 year old man from Somerset who died weighing 52 stone. Whilst tragic, I cannot help but wonder is this an isolated incident or merely the tip of the iceberg In 2004 Lord Glentoran asked the government ...
It’s here.
I know I've been going on about this a bit, but I've changed my mind about which is the best post I've read on it. Step forward {[info]} mitchbenn_blog. I may be preaching to the converted here, but srsly, you guys, this is an excellent post:what its proponents seem to have missed is that if there is a single defining characteristic of "Britishness" it's that WE DON'T BLOODY DO THIS SORT OF THING. We DON'T stand in town squares saluting bits of cloth and singing songs of praise to Our Glorious Leaders, we don't "pledge" anything to anybody - a ...
At its Liverpool conference last weekend, in the light of the nationalisation of Northern Rock, passed a motion proposing reforms to combine genuine competitiveness in the banking sector with protection for depositors. It is also timely in view of the shakeout in world stock markets this week, triggered by the credit crunch in the United States. Summing up in support of the motion, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor Vince Cable said the Government needed to decide whether to treat banks like a utility - tightly regulated but protected - or like a private company - which meant banks would need to ...
Last night Cllr Ian Radford, leader of the Liberal Democrat Group walked out of an Overview and Scrutiny Committee at Forest Heath Council in protest at what he considers may have been an illegal decision to debate an item. Cllr Radford (Lib Dem) said For some time, I and my colleagues have been dismayed by the way meetings are scheduled, rescheduled and cancelled, and by the way papers are often delivered to members shortly before meetings. This gives members, especially opposition group members little time to give the papers the attention they deserve. Last night the O & S committee ...
A good half hour of my morning was spent making increasingly sarcastic comments at each of theToday Programme's news items confirming to me that the world would be a much better place if I was involved in running it! Can somebody just explain to me how the Ministry of Defence came to be writing lesson plans I mean, putting aside the obvious opportunities for propaganda, isn't that what teachers are supposed to do Does this government and Gordon Brown's need to be in control of everything mean that teachers are reduced to acting as government talking heads What other lesson ...
The morning after a by-election that you have won is always quite special: it feels like you are floating and have an uncontrollable grin... I try and keep party politics out of this blog, but thought that these two pics were unusual aspects that you often don't see in or after the melee of an election and I thought they both reflected my grin today. The first is Queen's Park last night and the second is the Fortune Green by-election. Both stunning wins for Simon Green and Nancy Jirira respectively.
My Friday round-up of the week on the political blogs is up at New Statemsan online now. Meanwhile the Spectators Coffee House Blog is taking questions for Nick Clegg. Perhaps the best so far asks him to name his favourite Star Wars character
Tabled EDM (a form of Parliamentary petition) earlier this week: That this House commends the invaluable work of Rape Crisis in bringing much needed support to people affected by sexual violence, often years after the offences have taken place; recognises the vital nature of this organisation; but notes with sadness that in 1984 there were 68 affiliated members of Rape Crisis (England and Wales) but in 2008 there are just 38; believes this is a failure of successive governments; and endorses the New Statesman's campaign to secure proper funding from the Government so existing Rape Crisis centres can continue their ...
Last night was a meeting of the Performance and Resources Scrutiny Commission, the body that I sit on comprised of back-bench Councillors scrutinising the Executive’s work on performance and finance. It was a one item agenda last night, a “call-in” of the Executive decision to award the contract for a Home Improvement Agency to Six Town Housing rather than go for an open tender. This will radically improve the way that disabled facilities grants are dealt with. The “call in” meant that the Scrutiny commission wanted to examine the decision in detail. The Executive (essentially the Council’s “Cabinet” of executive members) are ...
Well - hurrah! The UKs first political internet television channel based at Westminster and run by young people for young people is up and running. For the first time (and not before time) there is a provision for media representation for young people at Westminster. So I want to help this innovative new media initiative to reach young people.As youth spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats I am very keen on using all ways possible to engage young people. Politics and politicians are not necessarily a young person's first interest in life - and yet young people are passionate about their ...
The Queen, the delightfully camp Elizabeth Windsor, is set to open Heathrow’s new Terminal Five today and, well, maybe the aircraft hanger look was deliberate - in keeping with the spirit of the surrounding area - but it’s not the first thing I want to see after a long-haul flight from New Zealand. Reminds me [...]
Plans are underway for hundreds of soldiers to invade Redcar as the Yorkshire Regiment prepares to exercise its newly transferred Freedom of the Borough. More than 500 soldiers from the 2nd Battalion the Yorkshire Regiment will march through the town as they celebrate the Freedom of the Borough with guns held high, bayonets fixed, Colours flying and bands playing. The celebrations being organised by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council with the Army will take place on Wednesday, June 18. The Green Howards were officially awarded the Freedom of the Redcar in 1958. In 2006, they were amalgamated into the Yorkshire ...
Over the last few weeks there’s been a fair bit of heat generated by the suggestion that Tony Blair is interested in trying to become the first occupant of the post of President of the European Council, created by the Lisbon Treaty. A lot of people seem very opposed to this - there appear to be no fewer than eight different Facebook groups of people opposing it (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here), a website and a petition for you to sign. Personally I can’t get too excited about fighting Blair on this. It may well be ...
The announcement yesterday that the All-Wales Convention will not report until late in 2009 has led to inevitable accusations that the Labour Party are seeking to kick the whole referendum issue into the long grass: Pro-devolutionists immediately warned that the timing of the report would seriously hamper any plans for a referendum within the current Assembly term. Liberal Democrat leader Mike German warned supporters of a successful referendum they were in a race against time. He said, Labour are trying to delay and delay and delay and meanwhile keep Plaid Cymru dangling on a string. He expects a General Election ...
The "war on terror" has already launched an assault on language and reason. The beautiful bit of new speak, which helps to shut down one's capacity for thought into submissive acceptance, has reared its ugly head in a more real sense today. This never ending war has already taken us blindly, ignorantly, and illegally into Iraq. It has made torture completely acceptable practice, which US Presidential candidates will defend. It has turned Britain into a willing accomplice in torture and extraordinary rendition. It has broken down the rule of law and assaulted our liberties at home. Today further evidence of ...
When I decided to attend a discussion of Why Economic Freedom Matters at the International Policy Network, I had no idea that I was going to meet one of the most important figures currently influencing the debate between liberalism and the managed economy. Robert Lawson is not a household name, but his Economic Freedom of the World project, published by The Fraser Institute, is one of the most powerful arguments in favour of economic freedom. Lawson explained that the idea was born in the hot and alcohol-fuelled debates of his undergraduate days. He was an early adopter of liberal economics, ...
Hello Fluffy Friends! I hope that everyone who went had a SUPER TIME at Spring Conference and that everyone who couldn’t make it enjoyed the total coverage here on Liberal Democrat Voice! But now, straight back to work: very soon it will be the 100 day anniversary of new Liberal Party Leader, Mr Nick Clogg. So here [...]
Listen to the show: In this weeks Realpolitik podcast with myself and Richard Holloway: Alistair Darling’s first Budget and Balls’ outburst. Jacqui Smith announces how ID Cards will roll out (watch Taking Liberties!) and Dizzy’s critique. Clegg wants to cut the slash the number of MPs following his weekend conference speech. Tories lose another MP. Mixed polls for all the parties. If [...]
http://www.youtube.com/watchv=vYJqSWLCB60
From Mark Pack courtesy of pb.com: "Another good by-election result for the Liberal Democrats in London tonight with majority of 391 in a ward where last time the gap between the third Liberal Democrat and the top Labour candidate was only 43. Queens Park, Brent LD 1,242 (47%) Lab 851 (32%) Con 292 (11%) Green 239 (9%) Yet another London by-election in which the Green vote fell sharply too."
Great news tonight that Lib Dem Simon Green has won today's by-election in Queen's Park & Kensal Rise. Full by-election result is below. We had our own by-election in Highgate last week - you might remember we won. In fact, while I remember, I'll post two photos here, one of new Cllr Rachel Allison with other local Haringey Lib Dems after the votes were all counted and one of me at 6am on polling day, having already delivered good morning leaflets and blogged. That explains why I look so tired. Pictured with me is one of our colleagues, Cllr Dan ...
Saturday So that was Liberal Democrat Spring Conference. This is the FIRST time that I have been there in the Spring usually Daddy Richard is just too busy but Liverpool '08 is a SPECIAL YEAR so we made a special effort. The BIG controversy was SUPPOSED to be the debate on Health Policy. In the end, though, it was as dull as dishwater after washing some particularly dirty dishes. This is NOT to cast aspersions on any of the policy, or on the people who took part, but let's face it, the debate got a little SIDE-TRACKED by the amendments ... | < | March 2008 | > | ||||
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