Guess I ought to try to write something every so often here, right? Reports of my existence may or may not have been exaggerated... So, yeah. Annual happy birthday to foxfirefey, and indeed to my cousin Gary, ten years to the day older than me and in hospital with serious cancer (this isn't new news to me, but we share a birthday so I think about him a bit). I'm in a meh mood, as will be established by posts made in previous years, I'm not really a birthday person, the weather got to me and then the washing machine ...
Osama bin Laden has probably done more for European Union than anyone since Jacques Delors, according to the Leader of the Liberal (ALDE) Group in the European Parliament, Graham Watson. Speaking only slightly tongue-in-cheek at the Kensington and Chelsea Liberal Democrats' 'Food for Thought' this evening, Graham said that post-9/11, European politicians had realised the [...]
Well, I'll be doggoned. Over two thousand hits today for Liberal Burblings! The cause of this Burbleboom were Cliff Richard via kind Mr. Dale in the first part of the day and Sarah Palin via Google in the second part of the day. My Palin poll has also taken off with over 231 votes in just over 24 hours. Thank you.
Chris Bones writes about his Party Reform Commission report on Lib Dem Voice. (He also links to a full version in the members-only section of that site, but it is declining to let me in at the moment.) What I can read is the report's executive summary [PDF] on the party website. It is called an executive summary, but in length and lack of concrete detail it is more of an essay. And it is an entertaining essay: In our case in particular membership was defined by one respondent to the Commission as joining a 'leaflet delivery cult', by another ...
I've now got to the end of reading the full report of the Bones Commission. Doing so has confirmed my view that the "executive summary" was not really an executive summary. Fortunately seeing the full text has not significantly altered my view of the Commission's findings, so I won't have to do too much revising of my articles. It is a better report in full though. I am more positive about it
Oh dear. The audience reaction said it all. In the cutaway shots from John McCain's speech to the Republican party convention, people were frowning, were looking all about them, their heads were slumped. One guy was even yawning. That's how bad McCain's speech was. In front of the easiest crowd he'll ever have to deal with, he managed to bore his own supporters rigid. It's as though Jim Davidson had a crowd made up entirely of south London racists and died a death. McCain's delivery was plodding and he stumbled over his words several times. At one point when he ...
Well, my posts about "Liberal Demolition" have been getting some interest with various people, including one Labour blogger in the North East, and, I guess, someone on the Guardian which published a note that was not overly complimentary about John Spellar and his stupid decision to shout about the BAE corruption case from the rooftops.For those who have not been following this saga, John Spellar
Ceredigion's Welsh Liberal Democrat MP Mark Williams has this week slammed the Labour/Plaid coalition government in Cardiff for not grasping the nettle on further devolution in Wales. The coalition have stated that there is no intention to start up a 'Yes' campaign for full legislative powers for the Senedd in Cardiff in the near future. This negative response comes after the news that Tory MP for Monmouth David Davies is to set-up a cross-party 'No' campaign to oppose the idea of devolving further powers to Cardiff Bay. Ceredigion MP Mark Williams, who supports having a full Welsh Parliament, said: "It's ...
I've headed back up North today - to Newcastle to be precise, to speak at a regional meeting organised by our Leader in Newcastle, John Shipley. Those of you who were paying attention back in April will remember that John's father taught me history in Whitby Grammar school back in 1970. I came to Newcastle last February to film the crime reduction video which was shown at the Spring Conference in Harrogate - and it was cold and wet. I came back in April to campaign in the local council elections and it was cold and wet. I'm here in ...
The Welsh Liberal Democrat Social Justice spokesperson, Peter Black has pledged his support to those campaigning for a shake-up of the the present system of benefits for carers. Speaking in the light of the recent Work and Pensions Select Committee report from MPs, Mr. Black said: "The Select Committee has highlighted the fact that many carers are obliged to give up work, or move to lower-paying jobs in order to fulfil their caring responsibilities. "At the moment Carers Allowance is just £50.55 per week. One charity estimates that one in five carers is forced to give up work, losing on ...
Strange political friendships can develop these days. I was given some apples recently by a friend who works for the Labour party. They were picked from a tree in the garden belonging to the Labour constituency office in question. So I have kindly turned them into a large batch of apple pies which today fed both the Labour constituency office and the 3rd floor of Cowley St. Who says cross party
Ceredigion's Welsh Liberal Democrat MP Mark Williams has voiced his disappointment at the news that police in Lampeter have decided against implementing an alcohol ban in the town. The scheme, which has had the support of Lampeter Town Council, would've followed in the footsteps of Aberystwyth, which had its own alcohol ban implemented in May 2005. Lampeter's MP Mark Williams, said: "This is certainly not the news that many residents in Lampeter had hoped to hear. The ability to deal further with drunken behaviour in the town centre would've been an extra boost to Lampeter and it's a shame that ...
Not necessarily the first thing that might normally come to mind, I admit. However, in order to successfully transmit information, you really need to know who you're supposed to send it to. The first task of an incoming Secretary should be to find out who your stakeholders are. Naturally, the identity of the members of the Executive Committee is important, but is there anyone else who needs to
With the thrill-a-minute entertainment of the US Presidential Conventions finished, what is there to do with your nights? Fortunately, if you've got into the insomniac habit, tonight's episode of The Avengers at 12.20 on BBC4 is particularly fine. Dial a Deadly Number is a tale of rich people and murder, with stand-out scenes including Steed trying to blow Mrs Peel's cover just for the sheer hell of it and two terribly memorable duels, both involving wine. Alternatively, if you're tired of wit and charm but not of rich, unpleasant people, at 11pm there's George Osbourne on Radio 4's Great Lives. ...
I spent quite a lot of time on Wednesday writing up my thoughts on the recommendations in the executive summary of the Bones Report for a series of articles to go up on this blog. No sooner had I finished however than I discovered, via this, that the full report was now available for Party members. While of course the release of the full report is welcome - it is about time - at that particular
In my most recent Calder's Comfort Farm column for the New Statesman website I wrote: People's reliance on in-car technology, says the President of the British Cartographic Society, is breeding a generation scared of reading maps.What maps there are offer a sterile view of the world. England is a palimpsest of Medieval churches, abandoned mineral railways, ruinous Gothic institutions and follies built by mad aristocrats. But you won't find them on your satnav.The President of the British Cartographic Society is Mary Spence and you can find a report of her remarks in the Daily Telegraph. A subsequent editorial in the ...
No I haven't lost a lot of weight. But, following fellow blogger Bridget Fox's post letting us know that she has switched her electricity to a Green Energy supplier, I have now agreed to switch my electricity to a green supplier. Good Energy, based on my electricity consumption between April and June, predicts I should be reducing my carbon footprint by 689 KG and they are very competitive
It could have been worse. They could have mistaken his hair for a toupee. An MP has described how he was held at gunpoint by guards in Colombia who mistook a jar of coffee whitener he was carrying for cocaine. Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant had been on a trekking holiday to South America last week when he said he was held by armed soldiers who searched their bags. The poor fellow was forced to
As a party, the Lib Dems are rather good at lots of things, but we are generally at our very best when we are beating ourselves up. The latest excuse? A new President. This of course is nothing like the US Presidential race in that while contender Ros Scott has very publicly chosen her running mate, Lembit has equally publicly failed to chose his. Presumably they represent different ideological strands in the Party? No, apparently not. One is a member of the House of Commons, the other the House of Lords, so that doesn't help us a lot either. Now ...
This man is Ed Balls. He is very close to Brown. Some see him as a successor to Brown were the Prime Minister to develop a sudden illness that required his retirement. Be afraid, be very afraid......
This is great - from Scout Finch (a name from "To kill a mocking bird") on Daily Kos: A lot of RNCC viewers were perplexed last night when McCain appeared from the light of the Obama logo, strolled to the podium, and began his lackluster speech before an enormous green screen. We'd seen that lime green screen before and thought McGrinch had learned his lesson -- it was not a good look for
The Conservatives are going to Challenge Lib Dem Blogs and Labour Home with a group Blog according to, the Conservative Blogger Iain Dale. If this is true they probably end up talking about a Conservative snobby Vision that would be a little boring like Labour Home. Conservatives wake up and smell the custard you are BORING!
See Quaequam Blog! for clues.
Lib Dem Conference: On Lib Dem Voice: Reportage | LDV Events | Contribute On the official party website: Conference home | Vote-by-vote coverage The policy motion "Respect, Consent and Personal Data" is the culmination of many months' work from Sue Miller, Tim Razzall and a number of other Lib Dem Lords including myself to address the increasing [...]
This is a beaut. From Political Wire: Because John Bush - because John McCain is very much his own man. -- Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, on MSNBC commenting on Sen. John McCain's acceptance speech last night. You can see him saying it on You Tube below:
Anti-skid surfacing is going to be laid on Westerleigh Road, Shorthill Road and at Shorthill Crossroads - where the new traffic lights have been installed recently on the B4465. This will mean temporary traffic lights replacing the new permanent signals while the work is carried out. Thanks to our sister blog for this item.
On a day to day basis there are people on this earth that face a threat to their liberty that, by any standard, is extreme. It removes all choices and it ensures a life that is 24x7 in the servitude of another human being. It is not like the hypothetical 'drip drip drip' threats to liberty such as 42 days or ID cards. It is not boiling a frog slowly - it is one minute you're free, next minute you're a slave. This great tyranny? Babies. I have the luxury of having never had a baby, although I'm aware that ...
Fri 5th
17:48
The 8:52 service to Retiro has been cancelled due to a fire on the train... and the station...
I like Argentina. It's a marvellous country with great wine, good beer, excellent food, attractive women (if that is what you're looking for), some of the best football in the world and more than decent scenery. Argentines are a lively bunch too. It appears, from my limited experience, that civil liberties include the right to riot in the streets whenever and wherever they feel like it. Indeed,
Earlier this week Malc in the Burgh threw down a challenge to ASwaS primarily but to all of us anoraks really to predict the outcome of the Electoral college vote in November. Here is my take on it (for does not that aware of the US system blue states are Democrat/Obama red are Republican/McCain. The numbers after the states equate to their number of electoral college votes to elect the president. Alabama 9 Alaska 3 Arizona 10 Arkansas 6 California 55 Colorado 9 Connecticut 7 District of Colombia 3 Delaware 3 Florida 27 Georgia 15 Hawaii 4 Idaho 4 Illinois ...
Where's Lemby? In the Independent diary column, that's where. Confirming his intention to stand, he says: "I'm back in business. I'm definitely going to stand for president of the Liberal Democrats. It's the one job I've always wanted." A paragon of modesty, of his chances he says: "I've got to be regarded as the odds-on favourite. I came runner-up last time." He lost, therefore he must win. No, I can't fault that logic either. Pandora suggests that "There have, however, been rumblings that party officials are cool about the idea of Opik landing the role, owing to his 'overly comic ...
Valleys Mam, among others, has commented on yesterday's news that there are now less women in top positions across almost half of all industries in Britain than there were in 2006. This is universally being seen as a step backwards for women's equality, but I'd like to put a different slant on it. If women were in more top jobs in 2006, it strikes me that there haven't been any great changes in legislation or culture since then that would lead to a decline in opportunities open to them. Indeed, I feel that my options are as wide and varied ...
I'm just back from running a conference in Crieff (day job!) which explains the lack of blog entries during the last couple of days. There's a packed agenda for Planning & Transport Committee next Monday (8th September) - the council committee I chair - and the City Council has issued three news releases about some of the major items, as follows : Accidents in the City (you can read more in the Press and Journal at : Less people were killed and seriously injured on Dundee's roads in 2007 than in previous years, but the cost to society was ...
Fox News are not exactly keen on Barack Obama. They have famously emphasised his middle name of "Hussein". Bill O'Reilly is the doyen of right wing talk show hosts. He is "combative" to put it mildly. After ginger negotiations, Obama appeared on the O'Reilly Factor last night. Further segments of his interview with O'Reilly will follow next week. Obama comes over as very natural, even animated,
Okay, bear with me here: If tax is cut in a way that affects everyone, surely this causes an increase in inflation, thus making the tax cut disappear? Then, with inflation going up, the cost of providing the services on what's left of the tax take also increases, so in absolute terms the reduction of revenue for the state is, in effect, more than intended? How do you cut taxes without the money simply being swallowed up by inflation?
From the Daily Telegraph report: A petrol station which gave away free fuel has been temporarily shut down after motorists flocking to its pumps caused traffic chaos. Electronic Arts were giving away £20,000 worth of fuel at the station on Stapleton Hall Road, near Finsbury Park, north London, as part of a promotion for a new video game. But the stunt angered residents and local politicians for causing gridlock during the morning rush hour. Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, Lynne Featherstone, said: "Whilst a lucky few might have got some free petrol, hundreds of local residents have ...
With talks of Fuel Prices in the Labour Party and Government and the Government now wanting to back away from that £150 extra they promised, they really are stepping on their own toes on this one. The Brown Government really know how to mess things up for themselves! Will we be getting this extra £150 or not Mr Brown? As if not you might as well pack your bag's up before the Winter as its gonna be a cold message coming from the people of the UK towards your silly Government. Even if the Labour Government give people the extra ...
Four candidates have been nominated for the Kirkleatham Ward By-Election for Redcar and Cleveland Council, on 2nd October. Lib Dem challenger, John Hannon, pictured above, is the only candidate who lives in the Ward and appears to be the only one who actually lives in Redcar. The Tories have chosen Brian Mundy who lives getting on for three miles away in Wilton Village and the BNP have put up someone who lives over six miles away in Guisborough. But the biggest mystery is where does the Labour Candidate Paul Dixon live? He has put his address as 39 Cypress Road, ...
I am pleased for local youths that the brickfields play area is to get the revamp that I have been calling for a long time now. The fact that the government has agreed to fund the local council for the sum of 2.5m in investment over the next two years to establish its "Play Pathfinder", agenda is good news for our local youths. The Pathfinder project is known as Play Out, Hang...
My morning reading of choice is the Times, especially given the fact that the Guardian just annoys me. All that prissy 'the Government should do this, this and this' irks, especially when the 'that, that and that' is lifted directly from our manifesto and we're being simultaneously rubbished. My attention was drawn to the talk of Rachida Dati, described by the Times as, "42, the unmarried
Switchcraft. A word that alas didn't get taken up when coined back in the 1950's. It calls up a concept that might be useful as we attempt to absorb and move on from the Bones report. Switchcraft is the art of understanding how circumstances change and how to accept and refine necessary adaptations in familiar ways of doing things. It was proposed as a winning entry in a competition (in the old 'News Chronicle' newspaper) to find an alternative term for the process of 'automation'. 'Automation' as a frame for change in industry strongly implies some kind of juggernaut of ...
I have been taking a break from the old political blogs for a few days, as I am having nightmares about Sarah Palin and don't want to hear or see her name. Unfortunately, it's not worked because she is sufficiently interesting news, it seems, to intrude on the psyches of my apolitical friends. I have found myself explaining even offline why a fundamentalist nutbar who believes in the end of days shouldn't be allowed into a position where she might feasibly have her finger on the button in short order; and why women in power, especially those who would like ...
It is good to see that Twerton has done well in gaining government funding for new play facilities to be developed the first phase of an exciting new project to create new and renovated play spaces for children and young people have been announced. Bath & North East Somerset council is one of just 20 local authorities to have been chosen by central Government as a...
There is something disturbing about Donald Rumsfeld. Despite all the execrable decisions that he has taken in his life and the disasters he has caused, he is by no means an idiot. At times he makes a lot of sense. I have always thought it rather odd that people mocked his "Unknown Unknowns" comment, which actually makes perfect sense if you bother to read it. Here is another comment he made on the issue of global poverty: I was involved in the so-called war on poverty here in the United States and I've traveled the globe and seen just terrible ...
Oh dear. That was a mistake. Don't get me wrong: I love my dystopias, with it being my favourite genre and all, but I've always been a bit scared of reading Ayn Rand in case I accidently ended up becoming one of the infamous "Randroids". Still, with armed with my trusty internet connection I found that a short story called Anthem is freely available to read on the internet. So I read it, as you do. The story itself centres around a world devoid of freedom, of liberty, or the concept of the individual. The protagonist, feeling cursed, realises the ...
Do you have a big idea that you think could improve democracy in the UK? This opportunity to shine is open to any Liberal Democrat party member attending the party's autumn conference. Give your proposal a title of not more than eight words, and summarise it in fewer than 30. (You can provide more detail if [...]
The campaign tour has continued to experience the culinary delights of London this week, pizza this time, at the home of Councillor Monica White, in Haringey on Wednesday evening. I was really pleased to see Lynne Featherstone there - she's one of my favourite parliamentarians with her blend of energetic campaigning, radical liberalism and what she once described in someone else as cojones. As our Equalities spokesperson in the Commons, she was kept busy yesterday offering her views on the report from the Equality and Human Rights Commission demonstrating that the position of women in politics, the boardroom and the ...
On the streets of West Wales there are a lot of people disaffected with New Labour. Indeed, that's something that people like to emphasise to me: the 'New' part. Whether people hark back to a Labour under Attlee or Wilson., I'm not sure, but I catch their drift. Maybe there will be a Tory government after [...]
This time last year Old Gordo was rightly condemned in Lib Dem circles for his nationalistic pledge of "British jobs for every British worker". Like most statist proposals, this was not just wrong, but also entirely undeliverable; a shameful attempt to draw favour from certain people's xenophobic instincts, it demonstrated the worst of the man's politics and ideology. Twelve months later Gordo is number 2 on the Chart of National Laughing Stocks. Newcastle Football Club are top. Tottnum are third. Anyway, to the point - while the Republicans have (again, rightly) been attacked in our 'sphere of late, it is ...
Tagean Goddard's Political Wire reports: The downside to big television ratings: An Obama aide confirms to Ben Smith that Sen. Barack Obama has raised about $8 million from more than 130,000 donors since Gov. Sarah Palin's speech last night -- and is on pace to raise $10 million by the time McCain reaches the stage tonight.Update: The Republican National Committee tells Jonathan Martin that they
Oh boy these two would probably have one heck of an arm wrestling contest but tonight in the Arthur Ashe Stadium if the threatened rain halts the actual event: as tropical storm Hannah, but not her sisters, decide to peter out over Manhattan. However, it is merely the latest in the series of tennis matches between Mister Andy on the left and Senor Rafa on the right. Two of the previous five meetings have been in Grandslams. Although this is the first time either has reached the Semi-Finals in New York. While all Brits may want to forget this summers ...
If you found Sarah Palin at the Republican National Convention a little snarky and scripted, this shows an unscripted Palin a few months ago at her home town church. She seems like a different person. Votemaster on www.electoral-vote.com comments: Three months ago, Sarah Palin addressed her church. You can get a good feel for what she believes in from this video. This appearance was made long
This from today's Scotsman: Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, yesterday gave his blessing to a deal with the SNP that could mean local income tax being introduced in Scotland. He said he wanted the party north of the Border to come to an agreement with the Scottish Government because he hoped a local income tax [...]
Anne Kilkenny is a "homemaker and education edvocate" in Sarah Palin's hometown of Wasilla. She has known Sarah Palin for 16 years. She penned this email to her friends upon Palin's nomination as Veep candidate, and has since given permission for its wider propogation. It is worth a read. It is, in parts, very warm about Palin. That makes its incisive criticism of her public record even more
Seems that McCain/Palin are trying to hide from tough questioners. http://www.crooksandliars.com/ Item for 5th September - `clock is ticking.....` They can't hide forever! Might it not be time for an outside interviewer to take them on from overseas - Jeremy Paxman or John Humphreys will do. Either could do each at the same time at different studios - then swap [...]
Nick Clegg has apparently given his blessing to a deal with the SNP that could mean local income tax being introduced in Scotland according to the Scotsman newspaper.
I attended the Acocks Green Branch of Mecca Bingo today to launch their energy efficiency campaign. Together with Southern Electricity they are offering 2 energy efficient lightbulbs to everyone who turns up. Of the 2 million lightbulbs 10 win extra prizes of either a car or £1,000. Those lightbulbs are identified by the fact that they go green when plugged in.
The Russian "August War" is still rumbling on, despite the fading of Western media interest. Russian troops continue to hold their positions well inside Georgia proper, and continue to harass Western deliveries of aid to shattered Georgia. However already, the Kremlin is starting to have to pay the price for their aggression. The FT reports this morning that the Central Bank of Russia has been forced to intervene to support the Rouble. The Bank confirms this, suggesting outflows of around $ 5 billion, however more independent voices suggest that he outflows over the month were more in the region of ...
The Daily Express reports today: American vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin has been accused of having an affair - just hours after delivering an electrifying debut speech to the Republican convention. Palin, 44, poured scorn on critics who have pounced on a series of controversies to emerge since her surprise choice as John McCain's running mate. But US magazine the National Enquirer
This is an event being held at Lib Dem Federal Conference in Bournemouth. I certainly intend to go along. Democracy Dragons' Den Electoral Reform Society with Lib Dem Voice What's your one big idea to improve democracy in this country? Submit your idea to democracy@electoral-reform.org.uk . Then come to the Electoral Reform Society stand at conference in Bournemouth over Saturday and Sunday, and vote* to select the top five ideas submitted. The top five win the opportunity to pitch their idea, Dragons' Den style, to the Electoral Reform Society's expert panel at our fringe event on Monday lunchtime. The panellists ...
The pundits seem to be relatively agreed that McCain's speech last night was decidedly underwelming. Yes, some good stuff on foreign policy/defence but generally a very flat delivery. The Huffington Post has this list of stories which says it all: Watch, Read Speech... Former Bush Speechwriter: "Pretty Disappointing"... National Review: "Flat, Forced"... David Gergen: "Mostly A Rerun Of A Lot
Via the BBC: Annual fitness tests for police and an end to the "job-for-life" culture are among the proposals in a Lib Dem policy document on fighting crime. Home Affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said more officers were needed on the streets to catch criminals. But he said there also needed to be an urgent review [...]
(H/T Social Memory Complex)
Barrow in Furness BC, Newbarns Con 478 (52.3; +9.4) Lab 177 (19.4; -1.7) Peoples Party (Furness) 155 (17.0; +17.0) BNP 104 (11.4; +11.4) [Ind (0.0; -36.0)] Majority 301 Turnout 21.9% Con hold Percentage change is since May 2008 Harborough DC, Broughton Astley - Broughton Conservative elected unopposed Con hold [Result in May 2007 - Con 447 (65.3) Ind 238 (34.7)] Havant DC, Waterloo Con 849 (
As one of the Party's jobbing bureaucrats, people often ask me, "Why are you a Local Party Secretary?", in much the same way as they might ask, "Why do you make casseroles out of roadkill?". After all, one can make casseroles out of roadkill, but most of us would prefer to go to Sainsbury's. My answer is a simple one, because being the Secretary is where the power is. Your average Local Party
The forthcoming weekend promises little but bleak weather. On the plus side, my alarming descent into middle-aged domesticity will come grinding to a halt as the wet puts the kibosh on me creosoting the fence. But it isn't all good news, as any attempts at leafleting I may try to do will come crashing down around my ears in a flurry of damp paper and pouring rain. Today I have been working with the Council's environmental health people to try and sort out a rat infestation problem on Bury New Road / Church Lane. A building has been left to ...
In case you missed last night's stirring speech: I want to thank the president for keeping us safe from more attacks like the one that he failed to prevent during his first term. As a first lady, Cindy will rock. I respect Sen. Obama. We're both Americans. But only one of us was a POW. After I win, I'll [...]
"The Media don't have a lot of Lib Dem Commentator's writing for them" I have read this many times in the Past and now after studying these allegations that are being made let me tell you they are quiet true. Most Newspapers, Television Channels and Radio Stations have Political Commentators that are mainly Conservative or Labour at the moment. They is one or two Lib Dem Political Commentators but they only get to go onto the crap programmes. The Liberal Democrats HAVE the best Bloggers, they is no doubt about that at all. The Lib Dems might not have the ...
Well little old me has caused a little stir when I posted this little bit of research into Sarah Palin's vetoes. Of course a nice little push by Peter Black AM from what is currently the top outgoing link from Lib Dem blogs surely helps. Even so there is sharp spike in my web stats for the last 24 hours. So I'll indulge myself in a little stat porn which I don't normally do. 70% of my hits overnight where from the USA. By writing my little bit on one attribute of Governor Lipsticked Pitbull's acceptance speech has thus far ...
For those who really want to get into the details of the American President election this site is the place to be. It tests all the claims made by the various candidates and rates how true they are. Some of the most outrageous statements are rated 'Pants on Fire', including these: Sarah Palin "got more votes running for mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, than Joe Biden got running for president of the United States." Mike Huckabee on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 in a speech at the Republican National Convention Barack Obama "rejects everyone white, including his mother and his grandparents." Jerome ...
Councils are often the first port of call for people who are suffering due to excessive noise. A survey carried out by MORI on behalf of the charity Environmental Protection UK found that one in ten people are bothered, annoyed or disturbed by noise from pubs, clubs or entertainment venues. Environmental protection officers have for many years used the statutory...
I'm new to this blogging lark, so I might do this wrong. I decided that instead of screaming at the TV/Radio/long-suffering better-half, I might blog to save on therapy bills! I'm a Liberal Democrat by temperament and membership but not as involved as I should be. We'll see how this goes...
Two events worth looking out for this next week that are likely to polarise opinion: On Sunday 10th Sept there will be the much anticipated first attempt to circulate a beam in the Large Hadron Collider at CERN followed by the worldwide release of the new album from Metallica, 'Death Magnetic' on September 12th . You can find out about both at: http://www.metallica.com http://public.web.cern.ch/Public/Welcome.html
Taking a sanity break. Will probably be back before conference. Not guaranteeing it, though. Laters.
The new conventional wisdom at Westminster is that the Conservatives are heading for an overall majority at the next election, and that the Liberal Democrats are therefore bound to take a pounding. On this view, the Lib Dems' fortunes are inextricably linked with Labour and we are supposed to lose seats as we did when [...]
I'm glad to see that Gordon Brown has apparently ruled out direct cash help for fuel bills and will instead concentrate on energy efficiency measures for homes which is by far the more sustainable solution. The other answer would be a change in the way the energy industry is taxed. Instead of taxing profits the government should tax energy efficiency. A company whose customers use less energy should be taxed less. Energy companies would then have an added incentive to help with a nationwide insulation programme.
There is much misunderstanding about libertarianism. Tinter commented that libertarianism means some sort of extremist Tory view to many. Unfortunately I think this is the case and libertarianism suffers as a result. It may even be impossible to reclaim the term from such abuse, but that won't stop me trying to explain what libertarianism is and [...]
I woke up this morning to to hear Americans have gone negative. As my alarm went off at 6:02 am, the first sound that I heard was the boos ringing round the Arthur Ashe stadium, as spectators booed Novak Djokovic during his post-match interview after beating Andy Roddick. A strange way for sports fans to [...]
What do the stamp duty changes mean for people in Islington? The Chancellor's changes mean that for the next year, house buyers will be able to buy homes costing up to £175000 without paying stamp duty. Previously homes under £125000 were exempt. So just for interest, I've been looking for local properties that might fall into [...]
How private is your online banking password? Not private enough for one customer at Lloyds TSB it seems. Steve Jetley chose the password 'Lloyds is pants' only to find a bank worker unilaterally changed it to 'No we are not'. Perhaps if he'd chosen 'Ll0yds 1s Pants', he'd have got away with it. Either way, [...]
I don't drive much, but once a fortnight I go over to a Cash and carry in Stockton to buy catering supplies. Yesterday afternoon I set off at 3.30. By 3.45 I had finally got through the laughingly named "throughabout". Queues to get out of town stretched right back to the inner ring road - and this was a couple of hours before the rush hour. Today's Echo and D&S Times carry stories about the
I was on Swiss Cottage tube platform yesterday and noted that the tiling on the walls was glistening which caused me to notice the details. I know they are heraldic but does anyone out there know the reason/origin or local connection to the specific tiles? The horse is related to many a supporter in a crest, the Lion in a St Geroge's cross over water of the Thames, the Royal Swan with the crown round the neck and three blades are all clasic symbols from royal crests. I think there are more embossed tiles than the four I have captured ...
Martin Shipton follows up yesterday's Western Mail article in which Monmouth Tory MP, David Davies vowed to set up a cross-party 'No!' campaign to prevent more powers being devolved to the Welsh Assembly. He includes a statement made on behalf of Labour and Plaid Ministers in which they play up splits in the Tory party and acknowledge that a 'Yes!' campaign will be needed, but when they are ready and not before. This is not a government that will tolerate free-thinking on the part of the Welsh political establishment or allow activists to go their own way. The government's enthusiasm ...
Of late the Shropshire Star has been busy with the sad story of the Foster family from Maesbrook. It has covered the story very well. In fact, this gives me the chance to say that the Star is a very good local newspaper. It's just that you suspect there isn't quite enough news in the county to justify a daily paper. Hence the inconsequential stories it prints, which I delight in passing on to you. The Star also has a pleasing habit, when you buy the printed version, of mixing local, national and international stories on the same page. Like ...
Alright, let's see. New links including my personal top 10 blogs. Check. Links that are obsolete removed. Check. Put on silly voice. Check. I hereby declare the new and improved 'Liberal Bureaucracy' open. May God bless all those who sail in her!
It was a bold not tim'rous beastie that faced the Scottish CBI yesterday in Glasgow. The Prime Minister referring to the Calman Commission said: "The Scottish Parliament is wholly accountable for the budget it spends, but not for the size of its budget. "And that budget is not linked to the success of the Scottish economy and that's why we've asked Calman to look carefully at the financial accountability of the parliament." Well that to me looks like a shift in Labour opinion towards fiscal autonomy for Scotland within the UK and I can fully understand why the Nats would ...
{Nick and Armand call for a zebra crossing} Almost a year after planning permission was granted, the council has published its plans for a loading bay in front of the store, many months late. The report is at which shows the plans and objections made by members of the public. There is now one week for members of the public to comment on the paper before Cllr Gerrish (Con, Keynsham N) makes his decision next week on whether to install the loading bay. Contact democratic_services@bathnes.gov.uk with your comments on decision number E1832. After this date, other councillors will have ...
So what did we learn from the Midwestern love-ins of the last two weeks? The single most salient point, I suspect, is that we should all stay away from nuclear power plants in California for the next sixty days. This whole election has been the seventh season of The West Wing for a while now; a young, oratorically gifted man from a central state making a historic run for people of his race
A surprising but eliptical reference to Bush. (I'm grateful to our president for leading us in these dark days) I suppose he had to. But he couldn't bring himself to say the words "George Bush", or was advised not to, for fear of giving the Dems a handy video clip to play. He did say the words "Laura Bush" though. McCain was a prisoner of war, apparently. Some clever use of the "town hall"
Gordon Brown has ruled out a handout to help people with winter fuel payments a few days after his office was insisting that he definitely wasn't. Add those two together and you have the possibility of a windfall tax which will only be used to reduce the PSBR. Since this would almost certainly be total insanity, I think we can safely say that the windfall tax won't be happening no matter how hard Labour backbenchers stamp their feet. I agree with Nick Clegg: there shouldn't be a windfall tax but utility companies need to do much more to help people ...
Dear Ben, On Monday I wrote a response to your proposals written for the Henry Jackson Society. I thank you for your reply. We still have some fundamental differences. I appreciate that your letter to me was polemical in nature but I believe that by letting your emotions run high, you give too much weight to your Bayesian priors. You reach too readily for the black and white world of Russia;bad; West; good. Be mentioning your own Cold War childhood and Tulman, you move the debate on from being as objective and policy based as possible to being a good ...
I tend to be behind the curve in terms of blogging. I did study computing at the University of East Anglia as one of my first year units and hated it. As a mathematician, I operated on the not wholly irrational basis that computers were a plot to make us obsolete. More realistically, teaching us to program in Fortran probably didn't help (and yes, there were still dinosaurs roaming the Norfolk
Jeremy Hargreaves one of the Vice Chairs of the Liberal Democrats' Federal Policy Committee has written a Simple Guide to the Policy Process in the Liberal Democrats.
Wednesday: Clarke {Posted by Picasa} Bull {Posted by Picasa} Oh I'm sorry; I appear to have the wrong caption. In an article for the New Statesperkin former SAFETY ELEPHANT, Mr Charles Clarke, seeks to address the central problem of "Waiting for Gordo", the play where the Cabinet sit around hoping that the Re-launch to save their careers will arrive. "There IS no PLOT!" he wails. It's just a bit IRONIC that he starts by saying that the Labour need to stop OBSESSING about the past... and then spends the rest of his article saying "What Would Jesus Lord Blairimort do?". ...
Tuesday: The announcement from the Treasury is pretty bald about it: "The Chancellor of the Exchequer has today announced that stamp duty land tax will not apply to purchases of residential property of £175,000 or less."Quite what the outcome will be is more difficult to tell. For houses priced just a little bit OVER the new limit, it may actually push their price down further; on the other fluffy foot, for anything priced LESS than a-hundred-and-seventy-THREE thousand you might see the price ease a little up as SELLERS absorb the Chancellor's largesse. Or possibly NOT as GAZUNDERING overtakes GAZUMPING as ...
