Belgo's Bierodrome on Upper Street has closed and re-opened as a karaoke bar. I'm sorry to see the Bierodrome go; in prime position opposite the Town Hall, it was the obvious place to go for a drink after meetings (having stoked up at the Workers Cafe beforehand). The food - moules and frites - was [...]
There is a substantial profile of the new leader of the Scottish Lib Dems in the Sunday Times: it is interesting that the only thing for which Tavish Scott, the newly elected leader of the Scottish Lib Dems, is renowned is bringing a troupe of "Vikings" from his native Shetland to the opening of Parliament last year."They came in full Viking regalia," he says, "gave three cheers for the Queen as they walked past the box, which you're not meant to do, found a buffet, scoffed the lot and drank the bar dry."The so-called Jarl Squad presented the presiding officer ...
Yesterday I had the privilege of having tea in the House of Lords with Brooke Dunford, both as guests of Lord (Roger) Roberts of Llandudno. Roger Roberts has family in Islington, some of his grandchildren are growing up here, so he takes a deep interest in tackling knife crime. And like me, he's been very [...]
Another irrelevant blog entry but brilliant nonetheless!
It appears that the cost of petrol is beginning to benefit the environment. As a former South Londoner, and a non-driver, I had been fairly reliant on Go-Ahead, the holder of the rail franchises for Southern and Southeastern trains. Despite the usual moaning, I'd always found them to be pretty reliable, and it appears that I'm not the only one who's been convinced. Yesterday, Go-Ahead announced
Albert Pintat Santolària, Michèle Gazier, Ramon Villeró: your boys got off surprisingly lightly. With thanks to Wikipedia.
The link is to the report on the Charities Commission website about the repayment of the Catz Club's £15,000. Much less money that Bernie Ecclestone's "loan" of £1m. From the report: Findings The Charity confirmed that it had issued a cheque for a general donation of £7,500 to the Labour Party. However, it explained that 'the payment to the Labour Party was an administrative error'. The
I went up to Blackhall Mill this morning with Peter Maughan, our Parliamentary Spokesman for Blaydon constituency, to shoot some video and take photos about Labour's post office closures. 81 branches in northern Durham, Tyne and Wear and Northumberland were proposed for closure but Blackhall Mill was the only one to be saved from the axe. We got to the village and made the video, but only after
So, the Republicans and Democrats have finished their conventions. Which of the candidates, John McCain or Barack Obama, is telling the strongest story? The answer is, neither. That may explain why they are, in effect, tied in the latest opinion polls. Since he first ran for the Republican nomination in 2000 - and got wasted by the Bush-Rove attack machine - McCain's narrative has been about a straight-talking, maverick Republican who took on his own party, over taxes, campaign finance reform, climate change, environmental regulation, stem cell research and immigration. The message is that he could rise above party and ...
A few days ago I criticised Labour minister Andy Burnham for suggesting that making kids do five hours of PE a week was the solution to increased childhood obesity, and I carelessly said I'd come up with something better. As the rain pours down outside, that moment has arrived. I don't have a solution (wish I did!) but I've got a couple of ideas. I know that passing down rules from Whitehall trying to tell schools how to do their jobs isn't working well and certainly wouldn't in this case. Forcing kids to eat healthily doesn't seem too successful either ...
ANDY Takes First two sets 6-2 7-6 2-3 rain delay Ok Andy Murray and Rafa Nadal are on Louis Armstrong Stadium while Federer and Novak Djokovic are on Arthur Ashe. The Scot breaks Rafa in the third game of the first set before holding his own serve and breaking the world number 1 again in the seventh game. Then he takes the set with a little bit of Wimbledon-esque serve volleying. As David Ferrer the only person to beat Rafa in a five set match also took the first set this is looking good for the Scotsman. Second Set At ...
I received a letter from the Royal Mail today explaining their decision to remove the post box on Rainsough Brow. They confirmed that it was for health and safety reasons, because the road is too busy and parking isn't possible because of yellow lines. I have to say that it remains a mystery why the decision was taken now, years after the installation of the mini roundabout and yellow lines Royal Mail claim are the reason for the removal. But that remains the reason all the same. Fair play to the Royal Mail, they have been very good since I ...
Not much to report on Lembit today, so I thought I woud segway (geddit??!!) by talking about his grandfather, Ernst Opik (nb. this blog is an umlaut free zone). According to the Daily Mail, in Estonia "the surname Opik is treated with solemn reverence. His family is perhaps the brainiest the Baltic states have ever produced." This is largely due to Ernst's contributions to astronomy. He certainly appears to have had an eventful life, having fought in the White Army against the Communists. A thought occurs: did Ernst ever encounter Nick Clegg's femme fatale great-great aunt Moura Budberg? Maybe not, ...
Caroline Lucas has just won the Green Party leadership election with 92% of the vote. Rumours that she is about to grow a moustache and answer to the name Saddam are apparently wide of the mark. Seriously though, the Lib Dems should be worried about this. Not panicked by any means, but at least alert of what has been happening within the Greens over the past twelve months. The decision by the party to have an elected leader means it has crossed a rubicon which in the past it has been unwilling to cross. Back in 1989, when it scored ...
With More and More Labour MP's saying at the next general election, they will step down the Labour Party is in a bit of a tangle. MP's don't want to risk the humiliation of loosing an election they rather step down with their respect in their hands. I don't think Labour are going to get very far in the next general election...Hope they don't have the same results as they did in Henley as that would be scary with the BNP in 4th place ahead of Labour! Do you agree that Labour MP's don't want to face defeat, which is ...
It was brought to my attention a while back that you could join the Labour Party for a pound. Now a Labour Blog is even offering you this HERE. No wonder people like Munir and Nawaaz changed parties, to join the Labour Party it was the temptation of only paying a pound. Brown: charging members only a pound to join your party wont get you very far...its only a quid.
Jeff Howe had an article in The Independent this week promoting his new book Crowdsourcing. If you are interested in how technology is changing how we work and how we cooperate with each other then the article is certainly worth a read. Howe quotes Alvin Toffler's The Third Wave (1980) and its prediction of how we will be working and living in the not so distant future. I read Future Shock and The Third Wave when they were published in Britain and was immediately convinced. Toffler shaped my political thinking while I was studying A level politics led me to ...
I have just returned from my local high street, or High Road as it is know around these parts, and I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of shoppers who are reassuring their older shopping bags or those who refused to have an additional bag. My new 'idea' happened when I was in buying a newspaper, the lady behind the counter presented with me a receipt. It got me thinking. Rather than wasting
All rather bizarre (charity not noticing that it was making a political donation, Labour Party not noticing that it was taking money from a charity): Labour was embroiled in a fresh row over donations last night after it was forced to pay back £15,000 to a children's charity which illegally donated cash to the party. Catz Club, [...]
Tom Harris has written a very interesting post asking why do the Tories support the Republicans? I know that Iain Dale supported David Davis for the Conservative party leadership and that Davis was seen as socially conservative compared to Cameron but Harris's point is well made. Perhaps, Drew Westen is right and it does come down to language and emotion. If Sarah Palin was described as a moral dictator instead of a social conservative would there still be sympathy for her views on creationism, sexual abstinence before marriage, denial of condoms in countries ravished by AIDS and denial of abortion ...
I have delayed making any pronouncement about the Presidential contest. I have now had a good look at Ros Scott's excellent website and I have decided to support her for President. She is supported by people for whom I have a great deal of respect and admiration - especially Shirley Williams, Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Ed Davey and Gareth Epps. I believe that she very strongly has the right
Let's not use the 'r' word, for fear of encouraging what is already with us. But we have a slow down for sure. Despite the constant arrival of the chains, Costa Coffee being the most recent arrival, shops continue to close. now, noticeably there are empty shops along the High Street and in the Market Square. Nothing drastic, but a sign of the times. The most recent loss, perhaps the first of many, is the closure of an Estate Agents. I'm probably not alone in finding it difficult to get upset at the prospect of fewer estate agents, but in ...
Overall disappointing, but fantastically silly cliffhanger at end of episode one made it well worth watching for that alone.
Prolific blogger, Iain Dale recently posted a meme: can this really be happening to me? Iain explained that at times in his political career he has thought can this really be happening to me? He challenged several bloggers, including Tom Harris MP, to write about their own 'can this' moments. Hence the meme. Tom Harris responded with post that includes an anecdote about meeting Neil Kinnock. I have now had my own, can this really be happening to me experience. This Saturday morning I was out doing my weekly shop when who do I spy walking towards me but Glynis ...
Sat 6th
15:13
A windfall tax on the energy companies: good short-term politics, lousy long-term economics
Lindsay Hoyle, the Labour MP for Chorley, has been on the news calling for a windfall tax on the energy sector, claiming that he has seventy colleagues who are supportive of his call. It is reassuring to know that Old Labour isn't dead, but they clearly haven't learnt anything new about economics whilst in their political coma. In fairness, a windfall tax would probably be very good politics, in
Tim Leunig has written an excellent, one page article in the Green Lib Dems' Challenge magazine about why Lib Dem support for road user charging is thoroughly wrong headed. Sadly, you can't read the article online as it is GLD policy not to do so in order to encourage you to join the organisation (for the record, I disagree with that policy, but it is what it is). But it comes recommended. Let battle commence next Tuesday!
Wolverhampton South West Liberal Democrats long-listed for Party award
A careers evening being held at King Arthur's Hall on 11th September. It is for those aged 16-24 years, for school leavers, or those not in education or employment training. Young people between the ages of 16 and 19 can claim £30 a week Education Maintenance Allowance while on the Andover CHOICES (e2e) program. If you are interested in joining contact Wendy Holmes on 01264 360137 or email wendy.holmes@sparsholt.ac.uk. If you need information about jobs, apprenticeships or training go to the careers evening at Blenheim Youth Club, King Arthur's Hall on 11th September between 6pm and 8pm. For further details ...
Iain Dale seems to be the only person who reads Labour Home, and has come up with a couple of real gems over the past couple of days. First of all, Recess himself has started thinking aloud about banning Tories from using Labour Home, although he has subsequently clarified that he only means banning them from writing articles. More bizarrely, Labour Matters has started questioning the wisdom of linking to non-TIGMOO blogs, singling out Tom Harris MP as an apple that has fallen too far from the True Labour tree. Taking the Monkey's intervention first, it would certainly be a ...
Not all of my comments on the new fast ferry service across Tor Bay made it into my newspaper column last night. This is what should have appeared: If someone could convince me that none of the £6 ret...
...oooooooooo. The Hustler has become President, God save Pakistan. Zardari is going to run Pakistan down let me tell you. You think it was bad with Musharraf, this guy is gonna destroy Pakistan. His Party couldn't run a Government so how the HECK is he gonna run a Country. A Presidential election is coming up in a few months hopefully as he wont be lasting long. I think i should run for President of Pakistan!
Mark and I have travelled hundreds of miles on this campaign, much of it by train, and have so far been remarkably lucky in our travels which have pretty much run to schedule. It was all too good to last and today has gone pear-shaped in a pretty spectacular way. Due to leave Newcastle at 9am, by 10 the train hadn't moved. The problem - flooding on the line between Darlington and Northallerton. By noon, we still hadn't got as far as Darlington, but by the time we do creep along the affected route, you could see the problem. Call ...
If you are a registered member of the Liberal Democrat Voice forum - and any paid-up party member is welcome to join - then you have one last opportunity to make your views known on a range of current issues in our September members' survey; including your first chance to say who you want to [...]
Back when Liberal Conspiracy first launched, I expressed concern about linking left and liberal together. I was worried that this was an attempt to create an unholy coalition with liberals and lefties, and that the ultimate concequence would be to further reinforce the Americanisation of 'liberal' to something synonymous with 'left wing'. I felt that something that belonged to the Liberal Democrat party was being co-opted and distorted. A year on (ish) and this communal blog is successful. Very successful, actually, debuting as the 23th most popular blog on Iain Dale's list. In keeping with its statement of purpose as ...
If running for Mayor of Wallisa is enough experience to become a Vice Presidential nominee and if John McCain really wanted to be seen as bi-partisan maybe he chose the wrong Palin for his ticket. Yeah Faye Palin the step-mom of First Dude in waiting Todd Palin stood for mayor of Wallisa in 2002 when Sarah maxed out on term limits in 2002. She didn't get the nepotistic endorsement of the outgoing Mayor whether it was because she supported a women's right to chose or whether she was a Democrat it's not clear which was the greater sin. However, when ...
Well done to the Tuscany Hills bobcats. A family of these wild cats has taken over a foreclosed property in a Californian suburb. More about bobcats on Wikipedia. From The Press Enterprise via (do read it) BLDGBLOG,
I have to confess to feeling a bit low over the past few weeks, probably spending so much time visiting a psychiatric unit may ironically have something to do with it! If these places depress me, what on earth impact do they have on those being treated there? So, yesterday I had a powerful reminder of why I guess we all do what we do. I got off the train at Bedford and met a woman I hadn't seen for at least a couple of years. She was evidently really pleased to see me and told me how she had ...
According to the Independent's Pandora column: "I'm back in business," announces Lembit Opik. "I'm definitely going to stand for president of the Liberal Democrats. It's the one job I've always wanted." ... With the campaign set to begin at the party conference, the Montgomeryshire MP's only current rival for the post, which Simon Hughes vacates in [...]
New Proposals for the Scottish Parliamentary constituencies for the West Lothian area are available to view as a PDF file on the Boundary Commission for Scotland website. The rapid population expansion in the area is the principle reason why the boundaries and it means that West Lothian residents will now be in one of three constituencies when voting for Holyrood elections: LivingstonLinlithgow and BathgateLanark, Shotts and WhitburnThe areas proposed to move into Lanark, Shotts and Whitburn are Whitburn (obviously), East Whitburn, Greenrigg, Longridge, Fauldhouse. The new boundary of Livingston being just beyond Bents and Breich to the West. The southern ...
Just in case the Welsh Tories are feeling left out this morning, today's news hardly covers them in glory either. The Western Mail reports on the mutterings of a Conservative Leeds City Council by-election candidate, Glenn Broadbent who got a bit carried away on his Facebook page. He describes himself as "Proud to be English and sick of paying tax to support lazy people, imported spongers and subsidising the Scots and the Welsh". The paper tells us that he lists as one of his favourite TV shows a pornographic channel, adding in brackets "only joking". Clearly embarrassed Conservative officials have ...
Following the flooding concerns raised with me by residents arising out of the torrential downpour on 21st August, I have had feedback from the City Council about issues at a number of locations. I am meeting with residents and a city council engineer shortly about the issues at two of the locations (Osborne Place and streets around West Park Road) and with regard to the lower end of Roseangle, I have been advised as follows: "To address the specific complaints in your email the area inspector for Roseangle will check the road gullies at the locations reported and arrange for ...
I have blogged before here and here on the policy differences between Plaid Cymru officials and their party's ministers in Cardiff Bay. In response it has been suggested that such differences are a healthy sign of debate within the party. So far so good. However, surely Ieuan Wyn Jones must be just a little bit embarrassed to find that his own Party President and Plaid's only MEP are prepared to publicly attack a key initiative supported by all parties and promoted by the Labour-Plaid Cymru Government and his department, to attract thousands of high quality jobs to St. Athan. These ...
Imagine you asked ten friends living in different parts of the country each to toss a coin twenty times and tell you how many times it came up tails. Perhaps it is your friend in Scotland who gets the most tails. Would you therefore conclude there was something special and different about the results of [...]
I have to confess that I have not yet had time to read the mountains of newsprint that is available this morning on the National Conventions in America, the Presidential race and Sarah Palin in particular. However I could not help but note that in this article the spokesperson for the Alaska branch of Planned Parenthood is one Brittany Goodnight.
I had a bit of a rant a couple of weeks ago about how the SNP had sold out to the Roman Catholic church by agreeing to their demand that no information on how to protect themselves from other diseases should be given to girls in their schools receiving the HPV vaccination. An example of what can happen when teenagers don't have access to that vital information can be found in Ed Pilkington's article on Sarah Palin in today's Guardian: "Most poignantly, she will not countenance sex education for teenagers, preferring instead to preach that abstinence is the only complete ...
"Joe Biden on fire" is the title of the clip below, a speech he made yesterday in Pennsylvania. He talks - or rather shouts - about the deafening silence of the Republic Convention on all the issues that matter to American - health care, jobs etc. It's a great speech and demonstrates why Biden was chosen. Two polls in the last 24 hours have shown that McCain is on the back foot (statistical ties
The Electoral Commission is currently studying the role of Returning Officers. The conclusions they are coming to are the usual Nu-Labour mix of superficial democratisation combined with an under the counter increase in the power of the Returning Officers. In other words, a mess. The problem is that the system needs more than 'reform'. It needs to become independent of local government. Today RO's are invariably the Chief Executives of the local councils. Chief Executives who report to council leaders and cabinets, leading to (hopefully) unfair accusations of bias. Who delegate nearly all the functions of the job, other than ...
It is a little known fact that buried in All Saints Church in Mumbles, Swansea is one Thomas Bowdler, the man who in 1807 published the first edition of the Family Shakespeare containing 24 of the great man's plays edited for family consumption. In 1818 he published The Family Shakespeare, in Ten Volumes; in which nothing is added to the original text; but those words and expressions are omitted which cannot with propriety be read aloud in a family. Each play is preceded by an introduction where Bowdler summarises and justifies his changes to the text. Bowdler died on 24 ...
Look at this article from the New York Times Oh dear. This, I think, was the worst part...... "Among other things, she encouraged the group of young church leaders to pray that "God's will" be done in bringing about the construction of a big pipeline in the state, and suggested her work as governor would be hampered "if the people of Alaska's heart isn't right with God." So, if she should bring about the destruction of civilisation as we know it in some misguided religion motivated war, she has the best excuse ever - it's all the fault of heathens ...
The lucky people who are going to Federal Conference - I'm not, as you might have gathered - will have the opportunity, courtesy of the Electoral Reform Society, to put forward their one big idea for democracy. Conference representatives will then vote on the best at the ERS stall over Saturday and Sunday before the top five get to pitch their ideas, in true Dragon's Den style, to Julia Goldsworthy MP, Stephen Tall of Lib Dem Voice fame, Ken Ritchie, the Chief Exec of ERS and Richard Reeves of DEMOS on Monday lunchtime. The competition is open to all Party ...
This profile on Sarah Palin, from a Guardian journalist who has done some digging in Alaska. He makes the point that it's religion, not politics that makes her tick, finds out how she deals with people who disagree with her and there's even an evaluation of a shootout with Putin which should please Duncan Borrowman.
The history of UCS (University College School) is pretty straight forward and so you would think... But as I was passing at the weekend I reflected on the fact that in 1907 the mov was to generous greenfield sites on the outskirts of London - Hampstead. Nopw clearly Hampstead is pretty leafy but now given the traffic pressures, the area doesn't feel like a vast green site. But I was struck that this picture I took earlier in the summer gives the green atmosphere beautifully. UCS has just celebrated 100 years of success and with that went a new history ...
In order to control information, you need to have some. Bizarrely, people are somewhat loathe to convey information generally, especially if they understand that knowledge is power. Your job, as Secretary, is to empower others whilst making yourself indispensable. Providing people with information will allow them to make better decisions (hopefully), more quickly and without frivolous, unhelpful
I went to bed over an hour ago. So what was it that caused me to throw on a long hooded cardigan in lieu of the misplaced dressing gown, leave my snoozing fiancé, and hurtle downstairs to my computer? I am writing a speech. A speech that, given the vagaries of selection of speakers at conference, may never even be heard (though of course the benefit of being a blogger means I may an audience for the words after the fact even if I don't get to speak them). A speech - me! I am terrified of public speaking and ...
Ben, Thank you for your quick response to my open letter. Instead of rehashing my own arguments and waiting for your rhetorical responses, twisting of logic, restating of your position, I wish to pose you three questions which should hopefully get closer to the heart of our ongoing debate on Georgian accession to NATO and Western responses to the "August War". A. How much, if any of the following ten point plan of action do you disagree/agree with and if so why? 1) A "Georgia Solidarity Campaign" to lobby hard for a full troop withdrawal, NATO soldiers in Georgia (see ...
Whatever thoughts crossed my mind that weren't worth a whole post. 12:14 is eating cake. Having a chef for a father-in-law has distinct advantages on your birthday... #Microblogging using LoudTwitter and Twitter. matgb_twitter is there if you're mad enough.
Video courtesy of the Shropshire Star (of course). More about the penguins here.
The ideas and recommendations for changes to how the Liberal Democrats are organised and run contained in the Bones report are clearly built around the aim of achieving greater electoral success at Westminster. The remit of the Bones Commission was to develop and recommend changes to the Liberal Democrats in order to achieve what the report calls "the MP goal". This is the target of winning 200
Friday 5th September The big news is that the bridge has been finally put in place today between Queen's Campus and the North Shore. A magnificent spectacle involving the largest mobile crane in the Country lifting the large arch into place. I will put some more up to date links in tomorrow when the media catch up, but for now this is the most up to date photo you will get taken just...
