At last night's Darlington Borough Council Cabinet meeting, Labour portfolio holders expressed their concerns about the problems being encountered by "long-suffering Darlington motorists" (to quote Leader John Williams) along Haughton Road towards the Eastern Transport Corridor. While it was asserted, justifiably in my experience, that travel into town from the A66 was now noticeably quicker,
Having had a day to consider the future of this blog, I have decided to re-open it. The many people who disagree with my criticism of the football club may continue to post their views on here, if they wish. However, while I have left about 30 earlier posts on here, I have removed or blocked another 25 or so which contained personal threats or obnoxious personal abuse. In a liberal democracy I
The Herald reports: The Liberal Democrats are to lay strict conditions on any deal with the SNP on local income tax, insisting that variation by local councils be written into legislation. Party finance spokesman Jeremy Purvis told The Herald ahead of a negotiating meeting today: "Any bill brought forward has to include, on the face of the bill, the ability of councils to vary the rate."Purvis is right. As Simon Jenkins said in the Guardian the other day: Salmond is about to achieve what Nigel Lawson, Kenneth Clarke and Gordon Brown failed to do: kill off a chunk of British ...
I am told the Urgent Issue I proposed has been selected for debate at the Lib Dem Conference. The title is 'Polar Ice Caps: Accelerating Climate Change'. The day is this Sunday and the time is 0915. I hope many conference-goers will set their alarm clocks and come to the debate.
I don't often do memes, but I thought this one from MatGB was quite good. Basically, the idea is that you choose a band/singer/musician and then answer a series of questions using only song titles from that artiste. This is my effort: 1) Are you male or female? I'm Your Man 2) Describe yourself. You Know Who I Am 3) What do people feel when they're around you? Light As The Breeze 4) How would you describe your previous relationship? Closing Time 5) Describe your current relationship? The Future 6) Where would you want to be now? First We Take ...
Who needs Becks - or Stevie G! So now we know why McClaren ignored you - you are just too good for the wally with the brolly.
Tonight's Council meeting was dramatic, and certainly the most raucous I have been involved in. The public gallery was full to overflowing with staff affected by the job evaluation regrading which has come to the fore in recent weeks. When that particular issue came up, the meeting descended into chaos and shouting as the public vented their fury at the Leader, leading to an adjournment. When the gallery was cleared of protesters, the Labour group walked out, leaving the chamber and refusing to return to continue the meeting. Put simply, the Equal Pay issue is that many staff are threatened ...
Liberal England has the news that Telford & Wrekin council has backed down over their policy of questioning adults seen walking in a local park without children.
I am sitting in the pub quiz but it has not followed the normal format. We were given written questions. I think this must be due to the loud football match playing on the tv. Seems as though England has beaten Croatia. Perhaps, now that the match is over, and we have completed the written test, we can return to that great tradition of the pub quiz where questions are called out. We are at the
There's been some comment about how Nick Clegg's campaign to win more Labour seats is inconsistent with us 'moving to the right' on tax cuts. I've never understood this argument and the other day I stumbled on this article from when Paddy Ashdown was talking about abandoning equidistance between the Liberal Democrats and Labour. Aah... [...]
I wrote the post, Olly Kendall gets it wrong, last Tuesday mainly because his discussion of the "radicalism-versus-responsibility agenda" pushed a number of my buttons about how I believe the Liberal Democrats need to go about their business. My, slightly more aggressive in tone than I had intended, choice of title seems to have propelled it into this weeks LDV Golden Dozen. My argument was that
Much has been written over the last few weeks about Nick Clegg's commitment to reducing the tax burden for lower and middle income individuals and families. The debate has fluctuated wildly. He has been accused of pandering to the 'right wing press' with his commitment to lower taxation. I happen to identify myself as someone on the centre left. I passionately believe in the 'R' word - Redistribution. A word that the Labour Party made much of whilst in Opposition, but would never utter now, much less develop a vision to implement. Hence why they have presided over an ever ...
From the Shropshire Star: Telford & Wrekin council boss Andrew Eade today stepped into the patrols in the park row and admitted: "We made a mistake and I'm sorry."The council leader stressed that there was no question of adults being stopped and quizzed just because they were in the Town Park without children.Councillor Eade spoke out after council sports and recreation manager David Ottley caused a row by revealing in a letter that childless adults could be stopped by wardens and asked to explain what they were doing in the park.But Mr Eade said this afternoon the letter "incorrectly stated ...
CNN has an excellent analysis of the "lipstick on a pig" USA national crisis whipped up by John McCain. It is a common US phrase which Obama used before Palin cam on the scene, and McCain has used at least twice recently: In Iowa last October, McCain drew comparisons between Hillary Clinton's current health care plan and the one she championed in 1993: "I think they put some lipstick on the pig
No, it's not a euphemism. In the brief middle-class period of my childhood I had a bedroom that overlooked the canal in Boxmoor. And one of my strongest memories of those days - it can only date from 1969 and 1970 - is the Fellows, Morton & Clayton narrowboats that still carried cargo along the Grand Union. I now know that they were bringing coal from Leicestershire mines in the Ashby Canal down to London. The first sign that they were coming was the thump thump thump of their diesel engines, which was could be heard well before they emerged ...
It seems as though the week before conference is the time to change the look of a website. The Liberal Democrats have changed their website (I'm not keen, but that's just my view) and now I'm changing mine. I had intended doing this earlier in the year, but it took me longer to sort out than [...]
I spotted this stray Routemaster bus on the streets of Muswell Hill at the weekend. I don't think this sighting, in Everington Road N10, has anything to do with the London Mayor. ...
Chers Adhérents, chers Sympathisants, Pour vous permettre d'apporter votre pierre à l'activité d'Alternative Libérale, voici vos principaux rendez-vous : - Réunions d'information et de recrutement : vous souhaitez participer à l'action d'Alternative Libérale ? Que vous souhaitiez être candidat, responsable, militant ou participer à la rédaction du programme, nous organisons un jeudi sur deux une réunion d'information ! Pour vous inscrire, contactez Christian Person : recrutement@alternative-liberale.fr - Ateliers de travail sur le programme européen : un jeudi sur deux, venez collaborer à la réflexion sur le programme d'Alternative Libérale pour les prochaines élections européennes. Après un premier débat sur les ...
once every generation decisions are made that have real impact. in the eighties it was the move to council tax. in the nineties it was deregulation of transport. in the noughties its the environment. it's looking us in the eye and we need to act. last night at full council there was a call-in of the labour administration's push for an incinerator. the plan is to bid for government money and build a plant in avonmouth that would feed the waste of Bristol and two neighbouring authorities. Bath and North East Somerset has already extracted itself. lib dems put a ...
Oh this is amazing: Lib Dems! Waa! They're going Right Wing!! Waa! Well, we're not, they're idiots. But, honestly, there's nothing Labour activists can do that benefits our party more than comparing us to the really popular party, and granting us the same favour that Labour's left gifted New Labour back in 1997: "Waa! They're going Right Wing!! Waa!" It was a siren call to the rest of the population that Labour was safe to vote for. That got them into Government. I say: Come on, tell us more about how terrible we are - please. (Update: Message for Alex ...
Everyone is castigating Brown for siding with Obama. They're right of course, particularly as the race seems to be going McCain's way at the mo. Then again perhaps Gord won't be there by the time America gets a fully functional President. Will Hague said "A responsible British prime minister needs to be ready to work with either presidential candidate after the US election, and should neither take sides nor be seen to be taking sides" Clearly he hadn't seen this ad paid for by PM-in-waiting Cameron's own Conservative Party:
Started the day campaigning at Alexandra Park Station to bring in Oyster Pay As You Go as soon as possible. As well as Nigel Scott (our candidate for the by-election in Alexandra ward) and Alexandra Councillors Susan Oatway, Dave Beacham - we also had Caroline Pidgeon who is our Transport Spokesperson on the London Assembly and Denys Robinson Chair of London Region - so it was a big do! Loads of people took our little petition postcard - so we will be able to keep up pressure on Transport for London (and the Train Operator) who have been a bit ...
I was disappointed once again to hear the Green Alliance slag off the Liberal Democrats - along with all the other political parties - for its record on the environment - arguing that "None of the three main parties are currently showing the vision and courage to prepare the UK for the challenges ahead." You [...]
Lighting in the local community is one of things that is most recent in the western world that has made the biggest difference. Usually it has been used to extend the working day (aaaghhh) but in fact as can be seen here it also adds to the sense of quality and atmosphere in a community. These lamps are all from Hampstead. The main one on the right is from the restaurant on the corner of Church Row and Heath Street - and it's a great example of quality workmanship. Within local government, in communities and local opinion formers there is ...
Many of you will have noticed that I've been a bit busy this year, what with getting married, playing a discreet but time-consuming role in a campaign for the Party Presidency and travelling around the country with Ros. Unsurprisingly, this has had an impact on my other responsibilities, some of which I wanted, some of which were accepted out of a sense of duty. One of the latter roles was that
An email has arrived from 'Do the Green Thing'. "Do September's Green Thing and Walk The Walk. Walking burns no fossil fuel and causes no CO2 emissions but still gets you from A to B. Slower? Well, sometimes. In a better state of mind? Nearly always." I love walking around Islington, and not just when delivering leaflets [...]
We're Knights of the Round Table, We dance when ere we're able, We do routines and chorus scenes With footwork impeccable.*From Monty Phyton and the Holy Grail and Spamalot Well it really takes the biscuit when Nats Jeff have to compare the knights heading up the respective Commission/Futures Trust on either side of the debate.Jeff goes out of his way to disparage the achievement of Sir Kenneth Calman. Yes unlike Sir Angus Grossart he is not involved in the world of business or economics but that hardly means he is not qualified to pass a dispassionate eye over the future ...
Spooky. I wrote this post earlier but it disappeared. For those of you beginning to despair that there is nothing to write about Lembit Opik other than his obsession with odd looking bicycles - rejoice! Lembit's campaign for President may still be failing to launch (despite the fact that Kirsty Williams is about to launch her campaign months before her election is due to take place), but at least we may now have an explanation. Eagle eyed readers of the Guardian this morning have pointed out that in their handy guide to the Large Hadron Collider at Cern, one of ...
Nick Clegg has today set a Challenge to Liberal Democrats Nation Wide to get out and Knocking on Doors. Nick Clegg wants the Party to knock up one million houses by the 2009 Elections. Its a Mission that can easily become Successful. And i think Lib Dems Nationwide should get out and Knocking. What do you think?
So yesterday I jokingly wondered if we'd see a relaxation of the intrusive, irrational and unnecessary restrictions on plane flights as a result of the Bombs On A Plane trial. Oh naieve, innocent me. As if. What's actually happening is that they're going to try again. Literally. What I mean to say is, they're going to try them again. After all, Labour did tamper with the Double Jeopardy rules back in 2002 to make sure the courts 'served the interests of the victims'... and us Civil Liberty softies were just being paranoid to be worried about potential future Governments abusing ...
I was at the Ukrainian National Day celebrations at the Embassy in Holland Park this lunchtime, where the hospitality was warm but the mood of many people present subdued — not surprisingly, as the former Soviet republic has little to celebrate this week. An ongoing political crisis is pitting the Western-oriented President Viktor Yushchenko against his [...]
Here is an article which is actually spin free. I doesn't you hyperbole. It discusses facts. It makes reasoned guesses and allow you to see the reason. It makes suggestions that take into account debates within the Kremlin. It doesn't push us closer to a New Cold War but it doesn't cow tow to Russian "might". It's sensibly called "Between cold war and appeasement", it by Gideon Rachman and you should read it. Now.
Well, on the whole I think the new website is great. I love all the extra functionality around getting involved. I love the fact that all I do is put in my postcode (wow - interactivity!!!) and I get details of my local party and my constituency MP or candidate. And when I do look at a person I get their contact details and the opportunity to offer my help, there and then! So, all that I am about to say below needs to be taken in the context that it is infinitely better than what it has replaced which ...
I only ask: http://www.southstaffordshireconservatives.com/
More and more bands seem to be ditching traditional record company deals to go their own way. Bands such as Fairport Convention and The Levellers run their own annual festival and even smaller events such as our local Truck Festival (also run by a local band) have developed strong reputations. And bands are increasingly using the internet to provide a platform for their music and selling directly to their fans, cutting out the various middle men along the way. Radiohead hit the headlines recently for giving away their new album as a download, asking fans to pay what they wanted. ...
I don't want to write a long and exhaustive piece on immigration. Needless to say, I'm very pro-immigration. I've written a lot in the comment section of this debate and feel pretty argued out for the minute. However, I would like to point people in the direction of Chris Dillow's post on the matter and also the OECD's pronouncement that developed countries shouldn't shun or fear low skilled immigrants. Give them a go.
Please see my earlier posting on the Presidency. The reason why I raised the issue is because Ros Scott has stuck her neck out and seems genuinely interested in the role. It made me CARE about the Presidency. Hence, I made suggestions. I then look at her blog and it all makes sense until: `And as for wondering why [...]
There will be a short commemoration of the 90th anniversary of Sir Sam Evans' death on 13th September. It will take place at the grave-side in the churchyard of St John the Baptist church at 11 a.m. this coming Saturday.
The UK's biggest FREE arts festival comes to Birmingham on 12-14 September with thousands of the region's best artists. Around 4000 participants will be involved with over 450 individual events, performances and exhibitions at 36 venues and stages across the City Centre. ArtsFest showcases the vast and varied talents the Midlands has to offer, from internationally recognised groups to up and
Have read of Giles Coren's scathing attack on the US Open. It's very amusing and says a lot about the effect of massive commercialization in sport.
Andrew Lansley is often considered a pretty big deal. He's massively pro-NHS an is credited with getting the Tories trusted to run the service. He is, however, a dunce. Apparently health care will still be free on the point of use, unless you're fat or a smoker. Then you'll have to give up the fags or go on a diet/excercise if you are to have surgery. I'm lost for words. Somebody could be about to die if they don't get surgery and Lansley is going to tell them about will power and the dangers of the little cancer stick? Not ...
I am not sure whether it is ironic or not but a campaign I started 6 months ago finally gets resolved, namely the correct spelling of our Parish and St Mary Bourne on Hampshire Highway signs. The irony is that the engineer George alas called me Neil rather than Nigel! Hey I am not proud at least we have signs which value the community with live-in with the correct spellings! Here is an update. Another winner from Smannel, opps Smannell Lib Dems! FW: TH0809/113 STICKERS TO CORRECT SPELLING MISTAKES. From: Chisenga, George (George.Chisenga@hants.gov.uk) Sent: 10 September 2008 14:12:52 To: Nigel ...
Many thanks indeed to the 401 people who have cast votes in the first Liberal Burblings poll. Most of these readers were from the USA, coming in via CNN, Google, No Left Turns (A US right-wing site) and Shakesville (a US Feminist blog). That is particularly gratifying, given the subject matter. The result, after 7 days of polling is: Sarah Palin... Disaster for the USA: 311 votes (77%)
Newsweek reports that a judge in Anchorage warned Sarah Palin and members of her family about "disparaging" Michael Wooten, even before Palin was governor of Alaska: Court records obtained by NEWSWEEK show that during the course of divorce hearings three years ago, Judge John Suddock heard testimony from an official of the Alaska State Troopers' union about how Sarah Palin—then a private
And the best news story of today? It's got nothing to do with immigration, the TUC, Georgia, Thailand, or indecision 08. Drum roll please.... this is better than the "it must be true" section of The Week. The Deputy Justice Minister of the DR Congo, Claude Nyamugabo, was performing a routine prison inspection when he found 12 goats behind bars. He immediately ordered them to be freed and demanded to know why goats were taking up jail sells. He was informed that they were about to go on trial for being sold illegally by the road side. The Minister has ...
According to Lib Dem Voice, 52% of members surveyed think the party will at best hold steady at 63 MPs after the next election or lose MPs. I voted for the "63-75 MPs" option (although I veer towards the 63-70 range) and it surprises me that members are quite so pessimistic. For the record, I do think Chris Huhne's analysis last week is sound. That isn't to say we won't lose seats to the Tories, but I think we can afford to be confident that we will hold our own. It does suggest a somewhat rattled party after a couple ...
I've noticed that there is a lot of talk on the blogs about manifestos for the Party Presidency, which is great. I think that we all accept that any successful campaign comes in phases, each of which relates to a particular aim. Some of them might overlap but, in general, agreeing a strategy, and adhering to it, is usually seen to be sensible. My website says clearly that a manifesto will be published after September 24th. We're still two weeks from close of nominations, and more than eight weeks from close of poll, so don't panic yet my friends. I've ...
As many of you might have seen the post that I did following the release of the sneak preview of the new Lib Dems Site. Well the Site is now up and Running and Looking Great! The Site Can be viewed at http://www.libdems.org.uk/. Will Local Parties get the same look on their sites?
The Conservatives are ranting at Labour's Harriot Harman for reopening the class war. The thing i don't understand with these Conservatives is that, Everyone including themselves know they are silver spoon snobs so why do they Complain when someone states the facts. The Conservatives is a party for the rich and they don't give a DAMN about the ordinary and working class, So they can not say she is reopening the Class War. The snobby Conservatives have spat their silver spoon out...
The Male in this whole ordeal has resigned from the Conservative Party and the Council...Surprise,Surprise. Its not clear what the Women is going to do or has done, but she is probably Labouring away. Why is it when a Conservative is dragged through Dirt and Back, when the Truth is told they seem to resign from the Conservatives? They Kick out PPC's and Cllr's who get shamed, but for some reason they never kick out MEP's like Sumberg and Karim!
Ever the democrat, I have put a simple straw poll on here, on the issue of Councillors being paid in accordance with their attendance. The more people who vote, the better the test! It's on the right hand side of the page - both your vote and your email address remain hidden!
Its amazing to think how many people thought there was a chance the world would end by the Big Bang experiment in Switzerland. But we all survived the terrible fate of being sucked into a black hole, unless whats on the other side of one is exactly the same as we have now. This whole event of the possibility of the world ending reminded me of the Millenium Bug fever that swept the world in 1999. Its funny that we all get so paranoid about own own existance everytime we venture into something new! But despite all the hype that ...
Those of you who watch Star Trek, Stargate or Dr Who will know that at some point in any given series, the plot 'characters slip into parallel universe' will pulled down off the shelf and dusted down and re-used. Now. despite it's Science Fiction credentials, I remained sceptical about the existence of parallel universes and even more so about the concept of people slipping in and out of them. That is until yesterday, when I attended as a member of the public, a meeting of Tory Cabinet of Cambridgeshire County Council, at which point it seems I must have myself ...
OK the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) has been fired up, but before everyone breathes too big a sigh of relieve protons are currently only going in one direction. you see they having starting the ones going in the other direction yet, nor the deflection of the two once they hit full speed. Not that I'm necessarily a doom sayer but rumours of the Earth's survival have yet to be cleared up, counted clarified and appraised after the scientists make crash test dummies of us all. So just in case you haven't received* the directions from Prak on how to get ...
Carers Partnership Board Agenda Meeting This was the first of the new style meetings to include more carers' representatives at the agenda planning stage. As the proposed agenda was rather long, but contained important information for carers, it was agreed to try to circulate as much information in advance of the meeting as possible. This would [...]
It's full Council tonight, when all of Bury's Councillors meet to question the Executive and talk about the decisions that have recently been made. Tonight might be fiery, as it's the first meeting since the Equal Pay issue cropped up. I am also asking a question on the missing Butterstile Lane street sign. It is odd that since submitting my written request, there has been a flurry of activity to try and rectify my complaint. Four months of inactivity, misinformation and downright incompetence from the officers of the Council and the Tory Executive masters, gone in the blink of an ...
Wed 10th
13:44
Guardian asks, 'Are the Tories progressives now?' A nation replies, 'Have you gone mad?'
Here are the opening sentences of today's Guardian editorial: There have been moments in the postwar history of Britain when people who would naturally be inclined to vote Labour have been driven to ask themselves whether the return of a Conservative government would be the worst possible outcome for the country or for the general cause [...]
A comfortable place is relieved we all still exist. However I'm afraid the moment of truth hasn't happened yet.
Wed 10th
13:22
The world hasn't been sucked into a black hole, so why not have dinner with Vince Cable next week?
In 2003, Brent Liberal Democrats fought a Parliamentary by-election and, miracle of miracles, the amazing Sarah Teather was elected to be the Member of Parliament for Brent East. You may well have been there, many people were. Five years on, Sarah is still representing the people of Brent East in her usual energetic manner, and we now lead Brent Council as part of a joint administration with the
Hate to be a party pooper but the LHC will not destroy the earth today. That's because today is just about testing the beams, making sure that bit of it works. Which it does... which is, frankly, astonishing in and of itself. The more I read about this project - the sheer scale of it, the magnitude of it... the more I'm amazed. It really is an astonish feat of engineering, and one can only hope they get some 'interesting' information out of it. They start colliding hadrons October 21st. That's when the world ends, because they're creating "black holes" ...
For those that are interested, Councillor David Bourne has resigned from his Cabinet role and the Conservative Party, I am not sure if Councillor Carol Bourne has also resigned from the Conservatives (but I suspect she has).
Though philosophically of course we could all be features of each other's imaginations. And good luck to everybody at CERN and the LHC.
In the FT, James Carville has an excellent article entitled: "The Day McCain's party blew it's political advantage" (needs free registration to read the full article): So what does the Palin choice mean? In the short term, in its most favourable light, it looks like a gimmick. Maybe one that energises the base but still a gimmick. The long-term effect is more consequential: the party has lost
Lib Dem Conference: On Lib Dem Voice: Reportage | LDV Events | Contribute On the official party website: Conference home | Vote-by-vote coverage Since 1925 and the dawn of public broadcasting, with the exception of a short pilot experiment in the Court of Appeal, Britain's court doors have been firmly shut to cameras, TV and radio. [...]
Last nights council meeting demonstrated many of the things that wrong with local democracy both nationally and in the London Borough of Barnet. The main part of the meeting consists of a debate on a number of motions put forward by Councillors. The agenda for the meeting lists these motions in the order they are submitted and states that they will be debated in that order. There are always more motions that there is time to debate them. At the beginning of this section of the meeting the Tories always move that the order of business be changed so that ...
No doubt pedants of the world will unite to condemn a mising bit of script or the failure to use the right html but the new party website looks fabulous and it is so much easier to use than the old one. I looked for a couple of things and they were all about two clicks away from the front page. I particularly love the policy page, which links you to the portfolio holder, the policy and the news in that area. Still, I wish they'd used java XT7 for the main meme. The failure to fully integrate the twitter ...
As mentioned below, I'm in Birmingham at a trade show this week. Traditionally, they have a very complex but smooth procedure to allow all the stand holders to break down their stands and get out of here as quickly as possible after things finish at 4pm. It revolves around people being able to put their vans into place around the complex from the middle of the penultimate day. But, just as the queuing system for vans yesterday was kicking in, the whole system was put on hold. Because of unspecified 'security reasons' they were not allowing any movement of cars ...
I've been visiting Betfair a lot lately tracking the US election odds. The site also offers code to link to their charts. So here's the one for the US Presidential election: Betfair Politics And for the UK General Election: Betfair Politics I have placed some bets over time so that I will now win a few pounds whoever wins both the UK and US elections. This feature of Betfair allowing you to bet on both outcomes is still a source of wonder to me which I have been able to do with some guidance from an expert friend.
News reaches The Voice that Kirsty Williams, the Assembly Member for Brecon and Radnorshire, will announce in the next hour or two that she will stand for the leadership of the Welsh Liberal Democrats. The current leader, Mike German, is expected to stand down after the Welsh Liberal Democrats' autumn conference. The BBC have heard the rumour [...]
I've written already about the contest to be the next President of the party, and as anyone who has read that piece will have gathered, I don't naturally warm to the idea of an Opik presidency. But before making the choice of how I vote, I would like to hear from the candidates what it is that they would propose to use the job actually to DO. The formal powers of the party President are certainly not extensive. But it is an opportunity to put some things on the agenda, and take them forward within the party, and within parameters ...
I was contacted by the BBC yesterday following the decision of the Planning & Transport Committee of the City Council on Monday evening to undertake a £150 000 study into protecting the city from flooding - you can read the report of this on the BBC website by clicking on the headline above. Last night (despite the heavy rain!) there was a good attendance at West End Community Council for its monthly meeting and Annual General Meeting. I have now received from Stagecoach Strathtay full bus timetables for the 69 route across the West End (replacement for the old 72) ...
For sheer "reds under the bed", frothing at the mouth paranoia, it is hard to beat Tory frontbencher Jeremy Hunt's questioning of the BBC poll which showed that the "world wanted Obama": I'd like to know where the money is coming from the fund these polls. If they are funded from the commercial profits of BBC World News, that's one thing but I would question whether it is something UK taxpayers
Conservative councillors and the brothel: David Bourne has now resigned from the council cabinet and from the Conservative Party. Whether or not his wife, Carol, has also resigned is not known. Council questions people without children in local park: this story has now hit the national media, including Metro and Telegraph.
tinuvielberen, in contemplative mode, has a Tom Lehrer vid. Yes, Oh Fluffy one, we're still here. pmoodie has found a religious idiot who thinks that the LHC will open a Satanic Portal (methinks someone has watched Event Horizon one too many times). Chicky Yog? Love you too, babe, especially your top right-hand corner. And finally, lets all point and laugh at The Honourable Lady Mark, who's going to have to do that organisational work after all.
Many thanks indeed for all those who have nominated blogs for the Liberal Burblings blog awards 2008. Please keep the nominations coming - the deadline is Friday at 9pm. Either leave a comment to this post or email paulwalteruk@yahoo.co.uk Remember, this is a special award to reward hard work in maintaining a LibDem blog with frequent high quality posts containing passion and energy. The awards
The Today programme had a report on a report from Green activists (CPRE, FoE, NT, RSPB, etc.) that "critises all the major parties" about their lack of Green credentials. Surely, that can't be right, I thought. I wonder what they think we're doing badly on. The two-way went some thing like: Presenter: So, has this report picked out any particular party or is it a plague on all their houses? Correspondent: They all come in for criticism. Some politicians I spoke to are glad they are all criticised as it's less damaging. (Blimey, we must have done something bad). The ...
With all of the political infighting going on I nearly forgot one of the most important things that most but not all people in this area agree on and that is a sound thrashing of Bristol on the Rugby field and that is just what Bath Rugby gave Bristol in the opening league game of the season. The Result for those of you not following Rugby was Bristol 20 Bath Rugby 33 if you want to...
Bath MP Don Foster is inviting residents to come and have their say on the Government's Regional Spatial Strategy, which is calling for 21,300 new homes for Bath and North East Somerset. Don is meeting with Regional Minister Ben Bradshaw MP at the beginning of October, and wants to be able to accurately represent the views of his residents. Commenting Don said, "While most of the...
Wednesday: Just checking... Good luck to everyone at the Large Hat Collider!
Indeed, will there be a tomorrow? Scientists are about to turn on the Large Hadron Collider and, given that they aren't absolutely certain what will happen - fairly certain, but not certain - it could be that I saved myself a lot of time not organising the Regional Conference...
I am more than happy to be joining Kirsty Williams outside Swansea's LC this morning as she announces her intention to stand for the leadership of the Welsh Liberal Democrats. As I say in this article she will make an outstanding leader. In other news the world is due to end shortly afterwards. Just joking Kirsty!
There is an interesting piece in today's Western Mail in which a think tank argues that Cardiff, Newport and Swansea must work together as part of a Greater Cardiff to prosper in an increasingly globalised world. The Western Mail tells us that in a paper published today called UK Cities in a Globalised World, author Hannah Brown of the London-based Centre for Cities argues that most of Britain's cities are too small in global terms to match the presence on the world stage of a city such as London, and that many are suffering because of globalisation. She calls on ...
It has now been confirmed that Wolverhampton South West Liberal Democrats are in the last four for the Penhaligon Award for membership.
All this week, Lib Dem Voice is publishing the results of our September survey of party members conducted through Liberty Research via our private members' forum. This is the second of our monthly surveys - if you have ideas for future survey questions, please email me at stephen - stephen.hat.libdemvoice.org.spam.com (this is spam bot hidden [...]
I have clearly hit a raw nerve by my revelation that the Welsh Assembly Government's target of building 6,500 new affordable homes by 2011 has hit the buffers already and is looking increasingly unattainable. Government figures obtained through written questions have shown that only 348 new homes were built by housing associations and local councils in 2007-08, the first year of the One Wales Government. At the same time 67 existing affordable homes were demolished and 871 were sold off under the Right to Buy and Right to Acquire. The net effect is that there are now 590 less affordable ...
At work yesterday I was editing an article about John Graham-White, who was one of the founders of clinical psychology in the National Health Service. It turned out that his father was Henry Graham White, who was Liberal MP for Birkenhead East 1922-4 and 1929-45. I have not come across Henry before, but you can see some pictures of him on the National Portrait Gallery site.
We've already discussed e-groups. However, is there any other technological support that might help you to be more efficient? Until recently, I was a technology free zone, minuting in hard copy, typing up my notes afterwards. Without a mobile phone, I was unreachable by colleagues, who had to find me at work, at home (a challenge) or at meetings. Now, I minute by typing my notes directly into my
You probably won't read much about this in the Scottish blogosphere as there only a few small voices of non-SNP out here. But you'll hear even less about this from the Scottish Government themselves in fact so far they have "said nothing at all" with regard to the public sector pay dispute. As today's Scotsman points out there are two reasons for this, first is the one they would have you believe is the one they want to lay the firmly at the feet of Westminster, must particularly Alistair Darlings reticent, and increasingly indefensible stance, over the 2% cap on ...
Nick Clegg will face imprisonment rather than carry an identity card. Lembit Opik chooses a different cause over which to defy the law. You will have read by now of Lembit's Segway ride at Westminster. His two companions, both Tory peers, are worthy of notice. Earl Attlee is the grandson of the Labour prime minister. The Earl of Liverpool is a kinsman, but apparently not a direct descendant, of the 19th century prime minister.
From Mat: Silly meme: Choose a singer/band/group — answer using ONLY titles of songs by that singer/band/group. Are you male or female? I'm a Poseur Describe yourself. M.E. What do people feel when they're around you? Pure How would you describe your previous relationship? I Nearly Married a Human Describe your current relationship. We Take Mystery (To Bed) Where would you want to be now? Down In The Park How do you feel about love? A Prayer For The Unborn What's your life like? Complex What would you ask for if you only had one wish? One Perfect Lie Say ...
Silly meme: Choose a singer/band/group — answer using ONLY titles of songs by that singer/band/group. 1) Are you male or female? Perversonality 2) Describe yourself. Unbeliever 3) What do people feel when they're around you? Nausea 4) How would you describe your previous relationship? Nowhere 5) Describe your current relationship? Bowels Of Love 6) Where would you want to be now? Disgracelands 7) How do you feel about love? Don't Expect Roses 8) What's your life like? Deep Sleep 9) What would you ask for if you only had one wish? Die Laughing 10) Say something wise. Potato Junkie Certain ...
Well, thank you to everyone who nominated me for the LibDem Blogging Awards. I'm really delighted and rather surprised to be shortlisted again. Now I will turn up to the event on Saturday at Conference with absolutely no expectation of winning - there are plenty of perceptive and entertaining political blogs around. I'm just pleased that I've done something to encourage...
In a break from recent practice, this Thursday's Frome Vale Area Forum will be held in the Main Hall at Frampton Cotterell Primary School (rather than the Ridgewood Centre, Yate). Doors open at 6.15pm for a 7pm start and the agenda includes a chance to give your views on the Government proposals to impose 33000 new homes on South Gloucestershire, decision making on grants and an open forum for your to have your say on whatever is concerning you.
Don't forget to listen to radio four today! Especially the brand new special Crotchw00t! HURRAH for Science Geekery on the Beeb! If particle physics gives YOU a hadron too, you could do worse than add lhc_kills_earth And, you know, if we DO all die because of the LHC (although only a twat would believe that's going to happen)... (link for vid)
