LibDem Blogs - Archived! - Sunday 6th July 2008

Petula Clark: Downtown

There are two reasons for choosing this video. The first is that it is a great song and one of the first pop songs I can recall knowing. It reached no. 2 in 1964, so it is just possible that I can remember it being in the charts. This version must come from the late sixties, when annoying dance troupes were obligatory when pop was played on TV. Does anyone remember the Young Generation? The second reason for choosing it is that it gives me the chance to retail my anecdote about The Day That Petula Clark Phoned Me. It ...

News from the world

Having spectacularly failed to blog recently, here is a round up of news items from around the world. Last week a US governor signed state wide legislation into affect that made cyber-bullying illegal in the state of Missouri. The bill means that harassment is not just defined in terms of offensive communication through written letters or through conversations on the phone, but also includes text messages and messages sent using the internet, specifically the use of social network sites. President Bush has celebrated his final birthday of his term, aboard Air Force. The President, First Lady and the majority of ...

SOB (Save our Blog)

You may read this blog because you enjoy reading it - or maybe even out of duty to keep an eye on me ! Whichever, the Government is wanting to take away this facility for communicating, so if you do not want it to stay please do 2 things. 1 sign the petition to the Government - it won't take a minute, honest! 2 write to the Minister, Parmjit Dhanda MP See the...

Three for the Price of One

Attendees at the Liberal International British Group's annual garden party at Anneliese Waugh's home in Moor Park earlier today had the unusual luxury of three distinguished guests of honour: Liberal Democrat Party President, Simon Hughes MP, the Secretary General of Liberal International, Emil Kirjas, and the former President of the parliamentary assembly of the Council [...]

'under siege like Jews'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/7489392.stm MP Shahid Malik said in the article above that Muslims are being treated like Jews in Europe. The Dewsbury MP and son of a key Labour ex Mayor of Burnley is well known to the community of Burnley and Pendle. What the Labour Minister is saying is something i agree with on some terms. The people who are targeting Muslims because of 7/7 Bombings are targeting any Muslim they see. But these people that single out Muslim's need to remember and accept that Most Muslims including my self are totally 100% against any form of terrorism. Yes i accept ...

Osborne under the spot light

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7492017.stm Another High Flying Tory this time the Shadow Chancellor has been bought under the spot light about a money related offence. I and many other people are getting sick and tired of Labour and the Conservatives pointing the finger at each other about Money Related crimes. Everyone knows MP's get paid enough and get enough expenses and they is no need for MP's from the Conservatives to be in the Media for Money related offences. I hope that people don't make the big mistake and vote these 'expenses and money thief's' into office!

While you were watching Wimbledon...

Rain certainly didn't stop the play at the Lee Manor School Summer Fair. I didn't win the beer I wanted, but the raffle raised well over £1,000 and we did win a jigsaw on the tombola - so can't complain! Plus there were teachers getting soaked in the stocks, a coconut shy and loads of other activities. I particularly enjoyed the Pimms stall and the cake stall {:)} Next week it's People's Day on Saturday - details here - but if you're organising a similar event and would like me to give it a plug here, on the community notice ...

Helping Helen box the Tories in Cranbrook

I had an enjoyable afternoon with my friend Helen Duffett on Friday. She's a busy mum of four whose youngest is about to start school; so Helen, not one to be idle, is standing for election to her local council in the Cranbrook by-election on Thursday. We met up at Gants Hill; just 20 minutes [...]

Safelinks - Making Things Better in North East Lincolnshire

If you would like any information about crimes, criminals, stolen property or drug dealing please Safelinks have the answers. Click on the following link and send in your question:- www.safelinks.info Ian Beaumont of Safelinks explains "Safelinks web site is an easy way for everybody in North East Lincolnshire to see what's happening and to communicate with each other on safety in your area. If you have information on crimes, criminals, stolen property or drug dealing click on the Safelinks link and send in your information in to the Immingham Police Station. If you are concerned about validity of the site ...

Meeting with Northbrook Action Group

If you've walked down Taunton Road lately, you can't fail to have noticed the posters in residents' windows regarding the Northbrook School Planning Application. The people behind the posters are the Northbrook Action Group - a group of concerned local residents who have come together following the public meeting held on June 5th. I met with some of NAG's members on Saturday morning. I was able to hear direct from residents their concerns, which fall into two broad categories - concerns about the size, scale and design of the proposed new school building, and secondly - but equally important to ...

Wet,windy and Wimbledon

Just finishing watching the amazing match between Federer and Nadal. What fantastic players! The stamina they both have and the mental power they must be using is awe-inspiring. The weekend has been wet and windy pretty much all the time. Julia Goldsworthy MP and I were both at Truro train station on Friday afternoon. One of the first approved projects for the new Convergence funds are being spent on a Loop system to allow trains to run every 30 minutes between Truro and Falmouth. This is a long overdue development to allow more regular transport between the two towns. Earlier ...

Sense from Sentamu

I have spoken of my hero Archbishop Desmond Tutu before. He's had a football score named after him. What greater accolade can there be? Well I now have two heroes. The second one to be elevated to that status is Archbishop John Sentamu. I saw this interview with the BBC yesterday. He speaks with refreshing passion and. above all. he focusses on the issue of knife crime, which is precisely the

London's local police stations survive a little longer

Where's your nearest police station? Islington used to have several. There was one on Upper Street near the fire station, and another near Cally Road tube; both are now converted to flats. The old police staition next to the former courthouse on Kings Cross Road in Clerkenwell is now a base for Met Police traffic wardens, [...]

Licensed to discriminate: Jewish school wins controversial court case

The JFS, a Jewish school in North London, has just won a significant court case over admissions. They'd refused a place to an 11-year-old boy, because they didn't consider him to be Jewish, even though he'd been brought up and raised in the religion. The father took the school to court on the grounds of racial discrimination, and has just lost. I think this is a very significant case, which people outside the Jewish community need to pay attention to. It throws up some very major questions about the relationship between the State and all kinds of religious groups. A ...

Why is the UK Government sending MDC activists back to Zimbabwe ?

I was only thinking yesterday that I ought to write something about the shameful history this government has of sending opposition activists who rightly fear for their lives back to Zimbabwe and the Zanu-PF death squads. Then, I read the West Brom blog and read that someone has done the leg work for me. The way we treat people seeking asylum in the UK trying to escape from Mugabe is appalling and is a national disgrace. How can we be leaving MDC activists in this country unable to work, but unable to be granted asylum because our government does not ...

Some changes to bus route 202, but not the ones we were after!

As locals will know, bus route 202 is the Crystal Palace - Blackheath Royal Standard service that passes through Lee Green along St Mildreds Road and Burnt Ash Hill/Road. The contract to operate the route has recently come up for tender, and TFL have awarded it to Metrobus - it's currently operated by Selkent. New single deck buses have been ordered, but as they mightn't be available for the start of the contract in November, Metrobus propose using some double-decker buses at first. So far, so good. But TFL haven't made the changes we were after. They've considered raising the ...

Women Bishops

I'm not a Christian, I think the church should be disestablished, and am utterly against state funding of faith schools. I honestly don't care if the Church of England suffers a schism, and am actually quite glad that the petty institutionalised sexism of a huge amount of Anglicans has been dragged kicking and screaming into the light of day. I'd really rather the entirety of radio four hadn't been given over to this today, because I just don't find it that interesting and am rather sick of hearing about that neanderthal homophobic twat Michael Nazir-Ali; but, you know, I respect ...

Glasgow East latest

Well, they say a week is a long time in politics! Wednesday saw the shock resignation of our Scottish Party Leader, Nicol Stephen, on Thursday we selected East End Ian Robertson for the Glasgow East by-election and then on Friday Labour selected nobody because the favourite didn't turn up ... you couldn't make this up, [...]

An End of Season Dr Who / LM / LDB Meme. (Yes we must.)

Well, RTD has just rather publicly gotten himself over his Doctor/Rose dyad with a massive, turgid two-parter. Thank goodness for that. Meanwhile, Loz Miles is positively inviting us to pile in on his agenda for discussion on the future of the programme: The following 25-point programme may not be a way of guaranteeing that Doctor Who is great - only a competent scriptwriting team could ensure

Just Reality

Boris Johnson the Mayor of London has done a whole load of mess ups whilst being Mayor for only 2 months. The Link above shows all the problem's or mess ups he has done and it hasn't even been a whole year. If the people of London had elected a serious candidate they wouldn't have so much cock ups taking place no thanks to Boris. Well the People of London will learn as time passes that Brian Paddick would have been the best man and not this clown Boris.

How to appoint a priest

The Anglican Church seems to be at the end of the line over their policy on the appointment of priests. Traditionalist bishops have set up the Global Anglican Future Conference in protest to the consecration of gay and women bishops. Over 1,300 bishops are threatening a schism over this matter while others seek to form a church within the church (Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans). Among the

It's the season of street parties and summer fairs, horticultural shows, local fetes and strawberry teas

This is British - and then some. But I wonder if it is more than it seems on the surface - for I wonder if it is part of the answer to many of the ills that beset us today by helping to give a greater and stronger sense of community with our neighbours. And so, that is the topic of my latest newspaper column ... read on!

What Liberty Means...

The Guardian has begun a series on, 'What Liberty Means to Me'. The latest article is against the idea of a social contract. I'll update this post soon with a more thought-out response, because I think the writer is referring to some sledgehammer version of social contract theory.addthis_pub = 'regnodelfines';

Warrior of Peace Judge proposed for Top Judge

Well there are quite a few possible meanings for Igor as a first name. There are those that come from the norse Ingwar (the Norse god Ing's warrior - Ing being god of peace and fertility), there are also those that say it is a derivation of George. However, to have a top Judge whose surname is 'Judge' sounds quite apposite. He is called Sir Igor Judge. In any event he comes from the Criminal

Boris: The collected cock-ups

Liberal Conspiracy is maintaining a list of the gaffes and controversies of Mayor Boris Johnson.

Booklist 2008, part 29

42) Neil Gaiman, Neverwhere (London: Headline 2000, ISBN 9780755322800). I said when reviewing Paper Cities that for the most part I didn't feel that its cities were characters in their own stories; Neverwhere's London definitely is, and it is recognisably the London that I know and sometimes hear in my dreams. I found I could get most from the book by reading London Above as London's consciousness and London Below as its subconscious; but even just as a charming fantasy with deliberately rough edges, it's a great book.

Sharia - a point of law

One wonders what point Lord Phillips was so clumsily trying to make. Was he misunderstood or pre-empted? While Charles Moore shouted extremism on the Telegraph, Madeleine Bunting defended Lord Phillips, Alexandra Fawcett worried that if religions were granted legitimacy in the public realm, it would lead to discrimination (ignoring current legislation). Matthew Parris on the Times warned that the

Citizenship Ceremonies

One of the sections covered by my new Exec Member Portfolio on the City Council is the registrars. They do all the things you'd expect but they also carry out citizenship ceremonies on behalf of the Home Office. I had thought there would be a few of these a year, but actually there are about three a month with about 20 new citizens (and their families) at each. I am going on the list of 'speakers' for the ceremonies, but wanted to sit through one first, so I popped along today. It is a short, but dignified, ceremony with everyone ...

Something for the Weekend: A day in the life

Afternoon. Welcome to this week's collection of odds and sods from the twin worlds of Politics and Not-Politics. Just step this way... If you see Doug, tell him Labour MP Doug Henderson wants your views - if you're one of his constituents in Newcastle North. His household survey is a mix of leading questions ("Should tougher penalties be [...]

Ian Austin MP

I was at Essex University with Ian Austin. We both studied Government. Ian is now MP for Dudley North and PPS to the Prime Minister. The students at Essex rioted in 1968. One of my lecturers, who was a student at the time, told this story. During the heat of the rebellion, one student leader announced that this was their moment. It was time to march into Colchester, go to the Army barracks, take a tank and drive to Westminster. To say the place had a reputation for being left-wing is perhaps an understatement. When I arrived the Sun had ...

Mayoral Referendum, Turnout Figures

For those of you that like detailed figures, the Council has published "turnout" figures on a ward by ward basis for the Mayoral Election last week. (Turnout is the proportion of people on the Electoral Register who actually voted). Besses - 15.35% turnout Church - 23.51% turnout East - 14.73% turnout Elton - 18.72% turnout Holyrood - 20.43% turnout Moorside - 15.10% turnout North Manor - 27.68 % turnout Pilkington Park - 19.20% turnout Radcliffe North - 17.74 turnout Radcliffe West - 14.01% turnout Ramsbottom - 17.40% turnout Redvales - 16.67% turnout Sedgley - 18.90% turnout St Mary's - 16.84% ...

Tories propose tax cuts but give no explanation of how this will be paid for

The argument thrown at David Cameron, quite correctly, is what would they do in government ? Nobody seems to know, and even when Cameron proposes something it is more of a general idea than a real policy initiative. So when the Tories chose today to announce that under Tory plans 5p would be chopped from the price of a litre of petrol, we might be excused for being a bit cynical. How will this £3bn pledge be paid for ? Just silence on this from the Tories. Now given the bad publicity the Tories have had over the resignation of ...

Amazingly, I don't think Cameron has done anything wrong this time

The Sunday Mirror is claiming that David Cameron is mired in sleaze over free flights given to him by a charity boss. I'm all in favour of the newspapers investigating misdeeds, but I don't think there is (or should be) one here. As far as I can gather, Cameron and his family were flown by this businessman/charity boss to a meeting where the businessman/charity boss pitched his idea. Then they were flown home again. Politics is meant to be about ideas. Cameron and the Tories are clearly desperate for new ideas and so it is perfectly reasonable for them to ...

The Waterstone's Conundrum

Like a lot of people, I stave of suicide-by-boredom by spending Saturday afternoons strolling around bleak city centre shopping arcades, occasionally spending money on stuff I don't need. Yesterday, in a fit of artistic over-reaching, I spent £25 on acrylic paint and brushes, in the laughable belief that I would use them to create something worthy of hanging over the fireplace. The moment has passed now, but sadly the receipt is in the bin. Most weekends I end up in Waterstone's at some point. And yesterday I was thumbing through the the varied contents of one of their door-side piles ...

Labour Melt Down

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7491928.stm The Labour Party have not yet chosen a candidate in the Glasgow East By-Election. All Candidates that are being asked either say NO or didn't turn up to meeting's. The Party is having a melt down and the way things are going they is going to be a General Election before the Proposed Date of 2010. Labour is tripping and they are going to probably fall!

The art of waving

{Lynne Featherstone at the Hornsey Carnival} Saturday was Hornsey Carnival day - and myself and Mayor Alan Dobbie are transported in a white open-topped car at the front of the parade. The sun came out - and for over two hours we waived and smiled as we passed very slowly along the carnival route - behind the float carrying the Hornsey Carnival Queen and Princess. The organisation of this annual event takes quite a lot of doing and raises money for charity. In the parade are Carnival Queens on their floats from other areas of the country who come for ...

Another PSA

From here, via {[info]} nhw, {[info]} burkesworks, {[info]} pickwick, {[info]} purplecthulhu and others:On Monday, July 7, 2008 the EU intends to sneak through a law to clamp down on file-sharing. If it gets passed, you could end up being disconnected from the Net for ever if your ISP decides you've been file-sharing. You weren't supposed to know about this. They buried these laws inside a huge package of other telecoms legislation, slipped it out the day before the EU breaks for the summer, and hoped nobody would notice. Most MEPs won't even have a chance to read this legislation before ...

Glasgow East Candidates

Well we are the first of only three weekends of campaigning in the Glasgow East by election so who are standing. The SNP we have John Mason the leader of their group on the council. The Lib Dems have got Ian Robertson who on the way to canvassing with him yesterday he pointed out Welshot Primary school where the teacher was once a pupil. The Conservatives have picked Davena Rankin. Former MSP

Haringey's health services

Surgery, then met new Head at Hornsey Girl's School (what a great new head!), then had my usual meeting with David Sloman (CEO of Whittington Hospital - who assures me that my endless banging of the drum on how patients are treated in terms of care and compassion is now top of the list) and then on to Haringey's new Sixth Form Centre to present a prize to one of the Haringey Heroes. This is an awards event for young people across Haringey who have showed exceptional talent, or caring, or leadership in their lives. For example - one was ...

Scottish Roundup

Well I've just completed my guest editing of the Scottish Roundup. Good job I got a 'quiet' week what with the Scottish Parliament starting their recess etc.

So, that series of Who is over then...

View Poll: The Official DWA End of Series Poll (this poll is crossposted from {[info]} dw_academy and I don't want to be tracking comments on more than one post; I am therefore disabling comments here and if you wish to comment, please go to the original post. Thank you.)

Protectionist Tory euro-snoopers

Thanks to Liberal conspiracy for highlighting protectionist amendments being sneaked into the Telecoms directive which MEPs will decide on tomorrow: Liberal Conspiracy » And I'd Have Gotten Away With It Too, If It Hadn't Have Been For Those Darn Bloggers... Purple Cthulhu and prominent Brussels-ite Nick Whyte both report on the sneaky Tories being sneaky and urge you to write to your Euro MP before they introduce a Euro Law which could take your internets away. Andrew Ducker has already written, as have many others. The amendments basically set the scene for forcing ISPs to monitor all their customers' traffic ...

A nightmare for Cameron - today's papers

If I were David Cameron today I would skip the Sunday papers and slope off down the pub to drown my sorrows. Little Georgie Osbourne was on Sunday AM but had to spend two-thirds of his interview gamely defending the Tories against allegations about Boris/Ray Lewis and sleaze. The papers are full to bursting with stuff about Ray Lewis - that he did know about his suspension from ministering in

Woman Bishops - a simple truth

I do hope that the Church of England isn´t going to tear itself apart in an undignified way over gay clergy or woman bishops, although, sadly, that looks increasingly likely. I do still have a great deal of affection for the Church in which I was raised and the current wrangling is hard to watch. One of the things I always liked about the Church was its tolerance and understanding and I hope that these qualities shine through as they debate these issues. I do have one simple observation about woman bishops, though. The argument against them is that Jesus ...

Education, education, education

I was interested to hear someone introduced on the radio as Professor of the Sociology of Sport at the University of Chichester. How heart-warming to know that the government's plans to have half the population graduate are making such progress. How delightful that the noble pursuit of knowledge is even today developing ever newer disciplines. It is in this spirit that I announce the latest

A birthday present for the NHS

Well, it is Happy Birthday to the NHS today, and I am sure we all agree with that. However a founding principle was 'free at the point of need'. However, despite our success with our local hospital, University Hospital of North Tees, in getting them to abandon the 0844 number, there are still hospitals, surgeries and health centres using 08XX numbers to contact them. This is expensive for...

Government Backlogs

The overcomplication of things combined with reduction in staff numbers is causing material backlogs both in assessing Pension Credits and paying Child Benefit. It is almost as if the government want to push as many people into financial crisis as possible. As usual, however, it is more likely to be incompetence.

Acocks Green History Society

I saw the AGHS display at the Acocks Green Carnival yesterday. For those interested its URL is http://aghs.virtualbrum.co.uk/

Pro-world peace, giant lizards, carpenters for king... No. 1

I have the fortune (or not) to be in possession of leaflets from 17 of the 25/26 candidates in the Haltemprice and Howden by-election. And, may I say, there are some real corkers! I'm going to ignore the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, the Green Party, Gemma Garrett (Miss Great Britain Party and a regular on the by-election circuit) and Jill Saward, the anti-rape campaigner and Grace Astley

The cost of using Welsh

I am a bit confused about newspaper reports on 4 June that the cost of establishing Welsh as an official EU language will be over £500,000 and that the Assembly Government will be picking up the tab for that. This matter has recently been the subject of a spat between Plaid and Labour MEPs but it seems that the truth is a bit more prosaic as is made clear from this exchange at the Communities and Culture Committee on 26 June 2008: Peter Black: I wish to go back briefly to the issue of the use of Welsh in the ...

Important Public Service Announcement

Don't Spoil Mitch. That is all.

Encouraging people to become councillors

This is me at a Transition Towns political-theatrical event at LIFT 2008 on the South Bank trying to convince everyone to become local councillors. These people all believe, like me, that life without oil will be a better place if we can plan our energy descent. If we don't it'll be chaos. I also believe we'll get there a lot quicker if people that understand what's coming get themselves elected. Thanks to Mike Grenville for the photo.

Sunday 6th July 2008

Previous days:

Archives

Search for...

Adverts

Buttons

LibDem Blog Box

Contributors

Campaigns

Backlinks...

From the LibDems...

Featuring Nick Clegg...

From the BBC...

From the Independent...

From the Guardian...

Adverts