And I mean that in a strictly economic sense. Because the media and blog reaction to the Police Exchange's Cities Unlimited report, co-authored by our own Dr Tim Leunig, has been totally unhelpful to anyone trying to gather what, precisely, is the case for the defence against the charge that top-down regeneration in northern cities [...]
In the age of the cult of the celebrity and the accompanying shift in values, as I commented a few days ago, we all too often lose sight of what is truly good and what really should be celebrated. Last week a wonderful young man called Jon Dye lost his long battle with cancer, four and a half years after his father died of the same condition. He wasn't a celebrity in the normally accepted sense, it seemed that for some inexplicable reason his life was cut short. But, like so many young people with short lives - although his ...
Once upon a Time, a boy called Adam had a dream :I was shopping in Superdrug for some new razors when from out of nowhere I saw a man stagger from behind the tampons and bite an elderly woman on the neck. Why she was stood by the tampons at her age, I'll never know. However, that doesn't excuse his actions and I went to investigate. As I began walking towards him I saw a hoard of no less than a dozen people lumbering toward me. Now I'm no fool, I've seen Dawn of the Dead, I've seen 28 Days ...
I've been joined by Mark, who came up from London yesterday. Before leaving St Andrews this morning we took some time to walk round this lovely place - we're determined to find a bit of space to enjoy our time in Scotland. The 80 mile drive to Aberdeen took us past a number of towns which sounded like a recital of the football results on a Saturday afternoon. For lunch we stopped in a place which, until now, I always thought was called Brechin City Nil. Arriving in Aberdeen we met up with Alison McInnes who was elected to Scottish ...
An easy no fly option for foreign holidays from Lewes is the Newhaven to Dieppe ferry. The crossing takes four hours, and the scenery can be somewhat uneventful. But what better way to fill the time than brushing up with French lessons? That's such a fantastic idea. OK, so you're not going to get very far if you've never learned any before, but it sounds like a great way to get into the flow and boost your confidence before you arrive.
I was sitting in on the Council's Cabinet meeting tonight. It is usually a pretty boring nod through of rather large strategies and policies. Tonight was more interesting with some real discussions. The first was about the location of the new hospital. It is beyond me why a large range of possible sites has been narrowed down to just two, very close to each other. Some might be more...
A year ago I wrote about the "annual festival of concern about exam results": One side says they are examinations are getting easier: the other says that students are working harder than ever before.I have come to the conclusion that both sides are right.At the time I wrote this I felt rather daring, but I did say: My impression is that, while for years liberals and the left have hotly denied that exams have been getting easier, it will soon be widely accepted that they are. (It is remarkably how quickly the unthinkable can become the new conventional wisdom.)It seems ...
Yep - the summary of the Bones Commission report has been published and it's good that it has. But I understand that many of the most controversial sections are yet to surface. My worry is that more and more details (or half truths) will leak out and it may derail the minds of many at conference. So what's not in the public domain yet? Well, Bones proposes that a Fundraising Committee be set up - which is good. As has already been mentioned in various places, it is proposed that the Federal Executive be replaced by a chief officers committee ...
When thunderstorms were raging over London earlier today, I wondered if I should cancel tonight's campaign session. Just as well I didn't! It was a really successful foray round the pretty small streets just off City Road near the Angel. Comparing notes at the end of the evening we had one new member, two new [...]
Thu 14th
22:33
Householders could lose their legal right to complain about noise, pollution or disruption......!
Householders could lose their legal right to complain about noise, pollution or disruption caused by the construction of major infrastructure projects under proposals set out in the Planning Bill. Current proposals would see around 40 to 50 projects, including airports, rail links, trunk roads and power stations, given the go-ahead each year by the proposed new national planning commission. The Government has sought to reassure councils that they will have an important role to play, with council-produced local impact assessments highlighting any potential negative impacts of development on local people. A clause in the Bill will mean councils will be ...
One of the things we funded through last year's locality fund was a bench for the Leybridge Estate. The Tenants and Residents Association (TRA) wanted a bench so residents could take advantage of the green surroundings of the estate, and also so residents of the Woodville sheltered housing block had somewhere to take the weight off their feet on the way back from the Lee Green shops. I went up to Leybridge tonight for the TRA's regular meeting and was really pleased to see the bench has now been installed - and very good it looks too. Thanks go to ...
We have regular meetings with Transport For London, and local bus and train operators. The next one is on the 9th September.. If you've got any questions, queries, complaints or compliments about transport-related issues, do let me have them by Wednesday so I can submit them before the deadline. Subjects could include bus routes, bus stops/shelters, train services, DLR, stations or anything else TFL-related. Either drop me a line or leave them in the comments below.
I understand that there's to be an exhibition of the revised Northbrook Plans on 26th August from 7pmtil 8pm at the Ennersdale School site. This isn't an official planning meeting - it's organised by the team that have submitted the application.
As if having a blog was not egotistical enough I have decided to succumb to Alex Wilcock's invitation to list my favourite posts from my own blog. The idea is that it will help people make nominations in the Lib Dem Blog awards for the category of "The best posting on a Liberal Democrat blog (since 1st September 2007)." I had decided not to bother nominating but the fact that I am on stay-cation until the weekend and that it is raining a lot means that I have a bit more time this week than I anticipated. I will therefore ...
Dundee's success in terms of gaining funding from the "Smarter Choices Smarter Places" initiative has been well reported today in the media. Two leading examples : The Courier : BBC : On another matter, delighted to see the buses returning to Perth Road east of Sinderins and Nethergate from this morning. I've been in touch with Stagecoach Strathtay (following calls from residents) about a hiccup with the 72 service, and the company has responded positively straight away. The bus company to its credit ran an information day in the City Centre on Tuesday about the service/timetable changes from ...
Many thanks indeed to Ryan Cullen for whipping up a link to the Bones Comission Report pdf. Thank goodness this report, albeit a summary, has now been released. It really is a classic lesson. The more information you release and the earlier you release it, the less furore/conspiracy theories whip up. Generally the report is written in sensible terms and I agree with the overall proposition:
rhythmaning pointed me towards this letter in the Indy:Iris Robinson's views on 'sodomy' At last we have a successor to Mary Whitehouse: Iris Robinson, the wife of the Northern Ireland First Minister (report, 4 August). She appears not to be quite sure what she believes, although she believes it with impressive ferocity at any given moment. In a committee meeting in the House of Commons last month, she announced that "There can be no viler act, apart from homosexuality and sodomy, than sexually abusing children." So according to her, gays are even worse than child abusers. A little later she ...
I updated my allotment blog (www.self-sufficientinsuburbia.blogspot.com) before leaving Cowley St tonight, with posts about what we were up to over the weekend. And whilst I was sitting at my desk, an emal from David arrived with a link to a site that sells hens. Yes, we are planning to get chickens, for our garden in London, not Gateshead. Since we have a family of foxes living near us, building
Most important thing first: congrats to everyone who got their A-level results today. They won't have anything like the effect on the rest of your life that you have hitherto believed, but for now, bask in the relief that they are over. Special congrats to muffin_nuffin for getting in to York, and Jaiesh for getting Four As. You did good, guys. You did good. Obligatory skience video of the day: The dude in the video? Is this dude. I like him already. Y'all probably saw this already, but I don't think I ever got around to posting it here, and ...
Most Darlington Councillors will have similar stories to tell. Arriva's new bus routes are causing real problems for many people - particularly the elderly. So, here are one lady's emails to me. Mrs S. is 77 years old and lives just round the corner from me in Larchfield Street. The first email arrived a couple of weeks ago: "HELP Hello there I have sent this email to the council and
{Tap water} Cllr Alan Dowden has tabled a motion for the next council meeting opposing fluoridation of the borough 's water supply. Alan wants the council to make its position absolutely clear before any attempt is made to introduce the chemical into local water supplies. Hampshire Primary Care Trust is currently planning to add fluoride to the water in Southampton, Eastleigh and Portsmouth and says it has no plans at present to extend the scheme to Test Valley. However Alan believes it essential that Test Valley makes it position clear now. His motion highlights the possible side effects of such ...
On the day the A level results have been announced I just wanted to add my congratulations to all who have received their grades today and are celebrating the results of their hard work over the past two years. Well done all of you! I am sure that there will those who have received dissapointing results also and to those I would just say although its big dissapointment, there will still in the futurebe many more opportunities and although it may seem it for now - it's not the end of the world. Happy or sad - the very best ...
{vince-cable.jpg} Commenting on the increase in unemployment announced today, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "As the British economy slows down, perhaps heading towards recession, there is bound to be a serious impact on jobs. "Ministers have been totally complacent in insisting they have found a permanent solution to the problem of boom and bust in the economy. "Until now, low unemployment has helped sustain the belief that there might be a soft landing in the housing market without large scale repossessions. "But it is now clear that a prolonged slowdown is going to reproduce many of the bad ...
{stanley-street-mosque.jpg} {grimsby-synagogue.gif} Earlier today, I met up with Alan Burley (East Marsh Neighbourhood Development Worker) to talk to Mustafa at the Stanley Street Mosque, which is in the heart of East Marsh. Unfortunately, they are moving out of our ward into Park Ward to a new venue which is more accessible and has greater potential for their community. In many ways this is very disappointing because the venue is one of the numerous religious and faith venues within the East Marsh Ward. Hopefully, I will not miss any out, but if my memory serves me right we have the following ...
I am delighted to hear that Kings Langley man Pete Nash is in good health and is able to work again, after the return of his driving licence. In 2004 at the age of 37 Pete, the father of three teenage boys was diagnosed with a large Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) in his brain. It caused Pete to suffer from epilepsy and other problems and he had to give up work and sport. Most frighteningly, it left him with a 'ticking time bomb', as the AVM could have burst at any time, leading to instant death or a massive stroke. After ...
Interactive crime maps could soon be rolled out across the country - but here in North East Lincolnshire, we already have our own. Safelinks has been running for more than six years, informing the public of criminal activity in the area. Earlier this year, interactive maps were introduced on the site, enabling people to clearly see where crimes have been committed and and giving brief details of the crime. Community information officer Ian Beaumont runs the site, www.safelinks.info ,from Immingham Police Station. He said: "This site gives the public the means to play a more active role against criminals. "Successes ...
The Library in Chipping Sodbury is open again after a major refit. Opening hours are as follows: Monday: Closed Tuesday: 9.30am - 12.30pm and 1.30pm - 5.00pm Wednesday: Closed Thursday: 9.00am - 1.00pm Friday: 9.30am - 12.30pm and 1.30pm - 5.00pm Saturday: 9.30am - 12.30pm Sunday: Closed Meanwhile, South Glos is planning ahead for the rebuilding of Yate Library in the Shopping Centre. They have just applied for planning permission for a temporary library at 23 South Parade, which was previously the Sheila Peters shop. The opening hours at Chipping Sodbury will also be extended to spread the load.
I have been asked recently what is happening about the proposed improvements to the A46 which were approved following the presentation of the petition to the Scrutiny Panel earlier this year. I have spoken to the person responsible for the project, and he informs me that the it is part of a programme of improvements to the part of the A46 that passes through North East Lincolnshire. The plans for the road are currently being completed, and this will be followed by a short period of consultation with road users before work commences. It is anticipated that work should begin ...
Thanks to James Schneider for pointing this article out. On previous posts (see label Georgia) I wrote about the suggestions from the Georgian President that ethnic cleansing had been taking place in South Ossetia. I suggested that the idea of Russian troops carrying it out may have been too far, but that they may have turned a blind eye to Ossetian militias carrying it out. 29% of people in South Ossetia are Georgian, so if extremist Ossetians wanted to make sure South Ossetia couldn't be taken by the Georgians, ethnic cleansing is what they'd do, and it taking place can ...
According to recent research carried out by Gurgle.com; it appears that there is a danger that some traditional names such as Edna and Norman are in danger of dying out in England and Wales. They further suggested that it is not long ago that we all knew a Great Uncle Harold or a Great Aunty Irene, but not anymore. Richard, which was the most popular name 200 years ago, has also declined. However, the researchers for the social networking site did find that names such as Thomas, Jack and William have remained in vogue for 200 years. The survey also ...
I've been catching up on a few things today and have finally got around to watching this lecture on public service broadcasting by Stephen Fry from May. It is a blatant piece of BBC propaganda timed to influence Ofcom's review of public service broadcasting, but it is none the worse for that. And as I am on a bit of a 'big up' the BBC thing today I urge you to have a look at it. Fry is both a
Birmingham City Council confessed today they could not tell their arse from their elbows. Leader of the council, Mike Whitby, said: "For years we've been balancing on our arms at council meetings. We didn't know the round flabby bits between our back and hamstring should be sat on. Councillors could barely hear each other at meetings, but [...]ShareThis
Jo Christie-Smith wins a cookie for being the only blogger to spot my half-reference this morning to the executive summary of the Bones Commission report, now on general release as part of the conference material. It's here and some choice quotes follow. On "achieving coherence, alignment and focussed resources": In the vast majority of voluntary organisations in [...]
{A picture of Jenny Willott} The Department of Work and Pensions today had its accounts qualified by the National Audit Office for the 19th consecutive year with figures showing official error outweighing customer error and fraud.Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, Jenny Willott said: "These figures are extremely worrying."The Liberal Democrats have been telling the Government for some time now that the system is too complicated. "The fact that for the first time official error has cost more than customer error and fraud shows that the system is now so complex that even those working in it are ...
{A picture of Vincent Cable} Commenting on the increase in unemployment announced today, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "As the British economy slows down, perhaps heading towards recession, there is bound to be a serious impact on jobs. "Ministers have been totally complacent in insisting they have found a permanent solution to the problem of boom and bust in the economy. "Until now, low unemployment has helped sustain the belief that there might be a soft landing in the housing market without large scale repossessions. "But it is now clear that a prolonged slowdown is going to reproduce ...
{A picture of Chris Huhne} Responding to former Government drugs adviser Julian Critchley's comments that current drug policy is the equivalent of 'shifting the deckchairs around on the Titanic', Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: "Julian Critchley is right to reopen the debate about the Government's failed policies to tackle drugs. "Offenders who are addicts need medical care or they will merely go out to steal again to feed their habit."
{A picture of Annette Brooke} Commenting on today's A-Level results, Liberal Democrat Schools Spokesperson, Annette Brooke said: "These young people have clearly worked hard and we should celebrate their success. "But with one in four candidates now achieving an A Grade, we need to be sure that the most talented students are being properly stretched. "The new regulator must now act by reviewing these top grades so that we can be fully confident that the apparent improvements are real."There is now a clear divide at the heart of our education system. The rate of improvement in the A Grade pass ...
I arrived in Edinburgh on Monday, where the Festival is in full swing, but sadly had no time to enjoy the Peruvian llama juggling. Tuesday morning was spent with John Barrett, planning the next stage of the 'Save Our Post Offices' campaign with announcements being made later this week. In the afternoon, we went over to Dunfermline to leave leaflets with Willie Rennie, who is, I'm glad to say, supporting me. To Clifton Terrace in the evening, where Party members in Edinburgh had been invited to meet me. As is always the case, there was a lively debate about the ...
{A picture of Chris Huhne} Commenting on today's Police Federation announcement that frontline police officers are to launch a 'work to rule' after the breakdown of talks over pay, Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said:"This is what happens when the Government refuses to honour pay negotiations for a workforce that cannot strike."Ministers have not only shattered police morale, but their crass decision is now compromising public safety. "This is the first Government that has failed to honour a Police Arbitration Tribunal decision. Its breach of faith is foolish, short-sighted and dangerous."
Other may have already spotted this but the Bones Report can be found in glorious PDF format here. Not actually read it yet though as I'm too tired.
Avon Fire & Rescue Service has announced that it will be expanding its fire cover by crewing Yate Fire Station 24 hours a day, in preparation for the expected increases in local population. At the moment firefighters work out of the station between 8am and 5pm, with retained firefighters on call for the night shifts, responding to 999 calls from home or work via a pager. From Thursday 1 January Yate Fire Station will be crewed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by a Wholetime Duty System, supported during peak times by their Retained Duty colleagues. This is ...
A 20 page 'Janet and John' version of the Bones Commission Report is now circulating. But never mind that; I've just discovered the terms of reference for the Titanic Commission, hidden for nearly a century. They read, "You are to attempt, without criticising the Captain or any senior officers and with no reference to icebergs at all, to seek to establish why the Titanic sunk..."
Reading, Berkshire, is a wonderful town. Tim Leunig says that it is hugely successful, whereas he says that the "raison d'etre" for places like Liverpool has "gone away". I first moved to Reading in 1977 and have lived or worked in or around it for 30 years. It is a super place. How can I say this without upsetting the excellent residents of excellent Reading? A word of advice to anyone
Johann Hari has written a very good article outlining why Islam shouldn't be given a free ride to avoid offense. He attacks Christianity and any other religion with impunity so it is not Islamophobic to criticize, mock, or ridicule Islam. He lays into the all of us for being cowardly towards Islam and cow-towing to extremists for fear of our lives. This is absurd. If we are willing to attack followers of John Hagee then we should be perfectly willing to demonstrate logical problems within Islam. Now, this is not to attack Muslims, but ideas and a way of viewing ...
61 Years now since Pakistan got its Independence. The Politics in the Country has declined since the death of Benazir Bhutto but we all live in hope that one day her son who is studying in Oxford University will go back to Pakistan and will take the PPP to a new height. I respect the people them 61 years ago who gave their life's since then for the cause of having our Independent Country of Pakistan. To all people who have a link with Pakistan Happy Pakistan Independence Day
this been up? Thanks to Lib Dem Voice for pointing out that a summary the Party Reform Commission Report had been printed. Still, pretty shoddy internal communication all the same. They (whoever they are) could have put it up on the Party Reform Commission page for example, rather than burying it away on a Reports to Conference page, which if you're not a conference delegate you might not bother looking at...in fact, it feels like they only slipped it in they because they had to. Which is a shame, because I've just skimmed through this report and it looks pretty ...
{safelinksinfo.jpg} Recently, the Home Secretary announced that every neighbourhood in England and Wales would have access to the latest local crime information through new interactive crime maps. However, in North East Lincolnshire we already have our own interactive maps which is operated Safelinks has been running for more than six years. Safelinks is able to inform the public of criminal activity in their neighbourhood and surrounding areas. Earlier this year, interactive maps were introduced on the site, enabling people to clearly see what crimes have been committed and where. Now the Government is proposing to follow the example of Safelinks. ...
One hasn't seen the paper copies of today's mainstream 'papers but their websites are rather letting themselves down with regards to the usual lesbo-erotic shots of hugging 18 year old blonde women. Typically is it not the Torygraph that leads this event, providing visual excitement to all the rural-based ex-military septuagenarian men? Well not today. Instead, Malthusian comic "The Independent" comes closest to this expected cliché - they've found two very, very excited and almost hysterically happy blonde 18 year old women who are in that pre-hug moment of batting grins at each other, arms slightly raised in anticipation of ...
So, I awoke this morning, just, turned on my phone... and no more happy chirps from all my online friends telling me how their day was going. I missed the Beaver of Bad News; I missed news from thoroughlygood about his appointment with his doctor, and a few other bits of information that are not earth-shattering but for the last year or so have been part of my daily routine. And I got online here and eventually found and approved the comments left on the previous post, too. Rather than answer them in the comments, I thought I would start ...
{Ming in Falkland} Sir Menzies Campbell MP and local councillor Donald Lothian survey where a burn burst its banks in Falkland, North East Fife. Following the extensive flooding witnessed in North East Fife over the past few days, local MP Menzies Campbell and MSP Iain Smith have praised the emergency services and residents for their "swift action" and have called for a full review of North East Fife's flood plan. Sir Menzies Campbell MP said, "It was clear from my visit to affected areas in the constituency yesterday (Wednesday) that the amount of water and the damage that ensued had ...
No posts for a week or so partly through laziness, but also because I've been distracted, more than I was expecting to be, by the Olympics. There have been some amazing, and sometimes moving, performances so far. But the one that has stayed in my mind has not been by an athlete, it has been the work of BBC presenter Clare Balding. You will recognise her as the face of the BBC's horse-racing
Such a shame the water feature on High Row in Darlington is known imaginatively as "The Water Feature". Couldn't the Council have come up with a cute name for it: Stairway to Heaven, The Market Steps, Williams' Folly or something? Whatever, when I was splashing about in it on Tuesday it was looking very sad: blackish-green slime had appeared in a matter of a few weeks and was spreading fast
I've just read the article by Tim Leunig on the Grauniad website and - shock horror - it is quite logical. I don't agree with it but what he says makes sense. His basic premise is that Liverpool and Hull, which he singled out, are coastal and as such they grew up based on sea borne commerce. They have declined as commerce has become less tied to this one method of transit for people and goods. He cites Reading and Milton Keynes as successful modern towns, whcih is also true. The problem with the article is in its assumption that ...
Although unable to use a computer (though he is learning), it is reassuring that it seems that John McCain can use Wikipedia on which to base passages of his speech on the Gerogia crisis. Various reactions to this news are here. McCain aides said "that there are only so many ways to state basic historical facts and dates and that any similarities to Wikipedia were only coincidental. But they
It's A-level results day today - a day etched into the brains of 18 year olds up and down the country like a farmer's mark branded into the rump of a cow... I remember well the unending summer of misery I endured before my own results were published, including a night entirely devoid of sleep beforehand, and then a surprisingly good outcome at the end of it all. Well done to everyone in the ward who picked up results today. No matter what the grade, the hard work necessary even to get to the end of an A-Level course is ...
I'm bemused by the bleating about Cities Unlimited, the Policy Exchange report suggesting the good people of Hull p***s off down south. From what I gather (I haven't read the full report), it doesn't dismiss the north outright. It acknowledges that cities, such as Leeds and Manchester, are vibrant and happening places. Its sin is to suggest that some towns, such as Hull and Sunderland, are
August 14th is always a date I remember with sadness. Because August 14th 1967 was the date most of the Offshore Radio stations operating around the coast closed as a result of the Labour Government's Marine Broadcasting Offences Act. Although I was only young at the time, it soon became clear to me that much of the justification for this law was based on misinformation, exaggeration, and more than a few 'dodgy dossiers.' The attitude of the political establishment to its citizens at the time was incredibly patronising, and music radio was considered something to be rationed and controlled. These ...
I have started a Petition to bring A&E back to Burnley General Hospital. If you would like to participate in this Petition that will be put forward with all the other statistics to Gordon Prentice MP when i interview him please visit http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/burnleygeneral/ If you have a site or Blog Please Post a link to this Petition!
On OutEverywhere (LGBT social networking site) the issue of RIPA and the Govts data proposals have been exercising a lot of minds. One guy said he might even have to vote Tory this time as they were more charismatic although he'd prefer to vote for us. My questions are: 1. Where is Chris (Huhne) - I know he [...]
Well, it seems obligatory to offer a view on this perennial subject so here are a few more questions to bleat about: -Are pictures of young girls in vest tops hugging getting any less appealing to newspaper editors? -Are journalists getting any less lazy than they used to be? -Are young people actually probably better informed now than most other generations were due to the various media the lazy media first creates then spends column inches, both virtual and inked, condemning? -Are the young people passing these supposedly easy exams still putting in the hours working to pass them, thus ...
Thanks to the Bloggerheads web site for the following photo of Ian Oakley: which is from this original, taken at the bottom of The Mead in Carpenders Park: Interstingly, the label of the photo on the Conservative web site is 'Ian edited'. Now, what did they edit?
Well Mr Wilcox has laid down a challenge for us all to go through our index of blog entries and highlight what we consider our best bits to help out on that category for best individual blog entry in the Lib Dem Blog of the year awards. So after careful introspection, a little self loathing and general walking down memory lane here are the ones I picked out. Keeping up the thread of the title and
Here's a great piece of FREE software which I have found to be highly effective. It sits on my desktop and applies energy saving policies (standby, hibernation or shutdown) to my computer after a defined period of inactivity. The interface also displays information on how much energy has been used or saved, how long the user has been working or not, as well as what CO2 reductions have been
Yesterday one of the headlines was Tesco was going to stop giving away plastic bags. This would have been fantastic news if it was true.
When I saw the first press mention of the "Cities Unlimited: making urban regeneration work" report from the Policy Exchange think tank in the Oxford Mail yesterday screaming that "Oxford should get a million new homes" and I noticed prominent Lib Dem economics boffin Tim Leunig was involved I'm afraid I at first reacted with my heart, yelling "Not In My Back Yard, you heartless economist you" before engaging my head. You see, all too often Tim has come out with some great ideas that have been instantly presented as the works of the devil himself. There were "community land ...
The controversy over the Policy Exchange Cities Unlimited report pretty much passed me by until reading today's postings from James Graham and Jonathan Calder highlighting the role of Lib Dem academic Tim Leunig as co-author of the report. James described at length the media circus associated with this and wonders whether Policy Exchange has engineered this. My problem with the whole episode is different and concerns the media (Guardian in this case) attempt to link the report with the Conservative leadership through phrases like 'Tories' favourite think tank' and a claim that David Cameron had been 'forced to distance himself ...
A parody on Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has this to say on meet-ups of online 'communities': Across the cosmos where groups of lifeforms whose main contact is through the power of connectivity arrange to actually meet up in the flesh, any event they plan to attend is in danger of being missed should alcohol be imbibed before the time of
I really want to know how effective our Press/Media office is? For all I know they could be wonderful - yet i think they should be more pro-active. Three questions really: 1. Do we have bulldog like people ready to effectively spar with producers etc? I don't mean ask but passionately DEMAND! 2. Are we committed to CHANGING [...]
Twitter has just axed the ability to receive updates by text message (for people outside the US, Canada and India). This radically restricts its appeal and usefulness as this means both you can't use it as a free news-by-text service anymore but also it reduces the instant interactivity which appealled to many. More details in my post [...]
When Birmingham Council announced that the regeneration of the Bull Ring and the rest of Birmingham's city centre would make the place unrecognisable, I guess the people of Birmingham hadn't got this in mind.
With A Level results out and they being higher then normal people are saying that exams are getting easier year by year. I don't believe that is actually true with me getting my GCSE results next week i am under a lot of pressure until i hopefully pass. But the question is are they getting easier or not i don't think they are after looking at past exam papers the ones we have done are more harder let me tell you and the fact that the youth of today have more to worry about then people before them. Now young ...
With the By Election for the seat of the Labour MP who has died they is question who will take the seat. I believe the Liberal Democrats have a good chance their but the main question is can we actually win the seat. Many people will be going to the seat to campaign for the candidate who ever that will be but when people go to campaign it depends about how they are thinking. Many people go into election campaign with the thought in their minds that "we are not going to win". I believe that is wrong and even ...
One about World at One yesterday - and Today Prog today about non-representation of Lib Dems. I further went on to ask why they never give tough questions to the Tories.
That's the headline in the Hornsey Journal this week: MORE than 500 residents concerned about council plans to cut Haringey's parks police force have contacted the Liberal Democrats, a councillor claims.The news comes as Labour-run Haringey Council announced consultation will begin on proposals to axe the parks constabulary and replace it with community policing which, it is claimed, will increase supervision in parks.But Councillor Ron Aitken, the Liberal Democrat spokesman for policing and community safety, said there was widespread apprehension.He said: "The Liberal Democrats have had over 500 responses so far from people who say they are very concerned about ...
Morriston Liberal Democrats have written to the Environment Agency to object to the granting of a permit. Feel free to copy it or send your own. The more objections and observations the Environment Agency get, the better. You have until 3rd September to get yours to them. "I am writing to object formally to the proposal to give SI Green a licence to operate a landfill site at Cwmrhydyceirw Quarry. I have a number of concerns regarding the suitability of this site for operation as a landfill. Firstly, the location is in a residential area which experienced considerable difficulties the ...
No sooner do I provide a link to the preliminary agenda than the Real Thing hits the web. No smooth behind-the-scenes information-gathering on my watch, I say! Speaking of information-gathering: Lib Dem Voice, being as we all know cobbled together with eggboxes and bits of string a thriving liberal hub with big plans for the future, [...]
The mind boggles. Are literature and long-dead languages really the best grounding for banking and accountancy? According to Simon Jenkins they are: In the two decades during which British pupils have fled from maths towards social science and the humanities, the economy has boomed. It has done so on the strength of finance... on service activities that have little mathematical content. Reading
{Burning a dummy in effigy} Guardian Readers burn Tim Leunig in effigy. Press, politico and blog reaction to the Policy Exchange's Cities Unlimited report has been quite extraordinary. The Guardian today was particularly wretched, producing a big special article extolling the North (if you really think it's so great, why did you leave Manchester then?) and quoting David Cameron extensively (audio here): "This report is rubbish from start to finish," he said, repeating the charge four times in two minutes. "I think the author himself said it might be a bit barmy. It is barmy." Referring to the report's co-author ...
My friend Alex W has challenged Lib Dem bloggers to suggest their favourite posts from their own blogs to assist the process of the Blog of the Year awards. Not that I think I can beat the likes of the elephant, James Schneider (for excellent foreign coverage) or Mr Bonkers, but here goes. Well there's this one about going one better than Iain Dale This one about Nick's preparations for PMQs This one about the budget (with guest appearance by my mother in law) And finally, this one about working with fringe parties - middle east style. Am a bit ...
RECORD-breaking A-level results have been recorded across the area. Tollbar Business and Enterprise College and Franklin College in Grimsby are celebrating an average 98 per cent pass rate between them. Well done to all the young people for all their hard work and staff for this fantastic achievement!
It doesn't sit easily with my core beliefs on the world but the US decision to send in humanitarian aid - backed by all the paraphernalia of the biggest military on the planet - to Georgia is a very good one. The move is a clear signal of intent and leaves Czar Vladimir in no doubt about the response of the USA to their 'peace enforcement' in Georgia. Was ever a more hypocritical phrase used in international politics? Probably... There is no question that Russia risks getting out of control as the country's government seeks to reassert its position on ...
The last laugh? Sales of croquet equipment have gone up 40% since John Prescott was pictured playing the game. That was an incident which caused him embarrassment then, because he was in charge of the country at the time. Well, Macmillan read Trollope. Prescott played croquet. Presco's been awarded a sort of "golden mallet" for services to the sport, having given it a new classless appeal. I
It's interesting listening to conversations taking place on the train to work in the morning. I can't avoid the conversation taking place behind me as it is taking place between two people who have an aisle and two other people between them.But what they are talking about is interesting. They are Labour members and they are talking about the leadership (what else do Labour members talk about?)
We have now launched a monthly e-newsletter to help with communicating local issues in the Walcot area. To subcribe please email ddixon.bathnes@blueyonder.co.uk
During the recess I have an opportunity to deal with things that I don't have time for whilst the House is sitting. This includes going to meetings in the Constituency and visiting constituents to look at issues that I cannot see otherwise. I am also spending time on upgrading my casework computer system. I run a form of CRM that I have written myself in Java running on the JDatastore SQL server
Here we go again. It is that time of year. When all the hard work by dedicated teachers and their pupils is ripped up and thrown down the toilet because it is nothing down to them, it is due to the test being easier!!! Well done to everyone. You deserve it. And to those who didn't get the grades they were hoping, it is tough but something better will come your way (and that is speaking from
The Welsh Lobbyist draws our attention to a post on the Institute of Welsh Affairs blog supposedly responding to criticisms of their proposal for a Mayor to run the South Wales Valleys. The problem is that they are very selective in what they are prepared to answer. For example they do not attempt to deal with my points in this post that such a fugurehead would erode accountable and transparent democracy. I also asked what role the IWA would envisage for the Welsh Assembly Government in such a set-up and questioned whether the turnout figures for London justified their assertion ...
There's nothing like a by-election to get us political types excited - anything from a Parish Council to a Parliamentary seat will do. Most of us of all parties are sent scrambling for the statistics and background to see what the chances are. It's important to remember that behind many by-elections is a tragedy - the death of the incumbent. It would also be foolish for us LibDems, to believe that all by-elections are likely to provide the LibDem by-election triumphs for which we are famous. On Tuesday the Labour MP for Glenrothes, John MacDougall, died after a long battle ...
One of the categories in the Lib Dem Blog Awards is for "The best posting on a Liberal Democrat blog (since 1st September 2007)." Alex Wilcock has suggested that, to help people make nominations, Lib Dem bloggers choose their favourite posts from their own blogs. On looking through the last year of this blog, I find it to consist largely of Spencer Davis Group videos, funny stories from the Shropshire Star and posts sending you off to good articles by other people. Nevertheless, here are half a dozen of my own more political Best Bits: Nick Clegg, what have you ...
Liverpool City Council is currently running an Operation Black Vote scheme. This involves a group of councillors who have each agreed to be shadowed by someone who is potentially interested in politics/being a councillor and who comes from a Black or Racial Minority Background. Because most of the sorting out was done last year, when I wasn't on the Council, I don't have a shadow. But because one of my colleagues wanted to make sure there were things to do when she was away, I actually have a shared shadow now! We met for the first time yesterday. So Kevin ...
'Tis the season for lists... All this week we are publishing the top 100 posts by Lib Dem bloggers, in descending order of popularity, for the last year - August 2007 to July 2008, inclusive, according to click-throughs from the Aggregator. (Profuse thanks to techno-wizard and stat-monkey Ryan Cullen, who runs the Aggregator, for compiling this [...]
Buy my luxury biscuits or you will all die a horrible death!"
An email arrives essentially telling me that the folks behind Twitter have finally realised they can't afford to continue sending millions of text messages out for free. Although they have come to some arrangements with mobile phone carriers in other countries, the UK number has been removed from service with immediate effect. You can still send messages to it, but it will no longer send any messages back to you. This pretty effectively kills Twitter the way I've been using it for the past few... years? Months? I imagine the thing I've been doing on this blog will continue, but ...
The decision on the outline planning application for land at East Anton was issued today (Wednesday 13 August). The development includes 2,500 dwellings, an area for employment purposes, schools, local centres, playing fields, parkland, public open space, sports hall, community centre, community worker, structural landscaping and associated infrastructure. Financial contributions from the developers towards off site infrastructure provision, including the highways improvements, exceed £13 million and forty percent of the dwellings will be affordable. This is probably the largest application for development the Borough has ever dealt with. Discussions with local councillors, including me and county councillor Robin Hughes, and ...
In the last few days, Russian military vessels have attacked and sunk Georgian naval vessels. However those Russian ships are based in Sevastapol- under the remit of an agreement with the host nation: Ukraine. Ukraine does not support the use of its ports in a vicious war against a friendly country. It has indicated that it will not permit those ships that participated in the action to return to Ukrainian ports. If Russia intends to break the blockade, then it will essentially be attacking Ukraine in the same way as it has already attacked Georgia. This is playing with fire. ...
I wrote yesterday about the Russian Propaganda Channel "Russia Today", and made reference to their British presenters who to me seem willing to peddle any story or tale the Russian government wants put to the world without offering any balance or insight in to the whole picture. So who is Leah Ferguson ? Well she is one of Russia Today's senior reporters. She is also British, and she seems to me to be willing to turn a blind eye to news in order to tell a tale that the political masters in the Kremlin must be absolutely loving. Yesterday the ...
The bloggosphere's favourite Dr. Who fan, Alex Wilcox, has come up with an interesting idea, which is that each of us "read back through the last year on your own blog and pick out your favourite pieces you've written" so that these can then be considered by the judges of the Best Blog Posting category of the Lib Dem Blog Awards. Of course, I doubt that any of my posts have a chance of winning. Even if there was a prize for the longest posting, Alex would have it sown up (this and every year). But it does allow one ...
