Liberal Democrat members of Neath Port Talbot Council responded to an article in the South Wales Evening Post with the following statement: We understand that Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council has applied to the High Court for a number of injunctions in the case of a child said to have been taken from its parents, Neath Port Talbot residents, while the family was visiting the United States. As at the close of official business on the day before the council went to court, only one elected member had any knowledge of the injunctions. We would wish to make it ...
Image of Ambulances lined up to get patients into A&E at Blackburn by It's our NHS all no thanks to east Lancashire Labour MP's In east lancashire the Liberal Democrats as a party are not being heard. They is a campaign set up by Burnley Liberal Democrats about getting the A&E back to Burnley general and it is a campaign that hasn't been given a stage on the Internet. The Campaign has a website http://www.itsournhs.org.uk/ and it should be a website that everyone in east Lancashire should be aware of.
I did the interview with BBC Panorama this afternoon about the impact of opencast mining on my constituents were it to be allowed in my ward. I drafted in Mam to give me a lift to the site and to take a photo of the interview. This photo will be appearing in all good Focuses shortly!
If the content of this link is to be believed Europe is standing "shoulder to shoulder" with Barack Obama. Interesting Poll.
I managed to fill in a registration form for my local surgery today, on my second attempt. To be clear, I didn't actually register - that is a formal appointment next Wednesday. But they did at least let me fill in the registration form, which I have to do before I can have the registration, once I had gone all the way home to pick up some proof of address. It all seems horribly familiar. I last attempted to register for a GP at my old address four years ago. Tried several local surgeries - all were "full up". Even ...
My House Points column from today's issue of Liberal Democrat News. Paying for Auntie It's an awkward question that won't go away. How can you justify financing the BBC through the licence fee in a multi-channel, multi-platform, multi-everything world? Increasing numbers of people rarely watch its programmes and the fee is the nearest thing we have to a poll tax. If the BBC has its way, it will cost us all £180 a year by 2013. That question was posed again on Friday when Christopher Chope put forward his Broadcasting (Television Licence Fee Abolition) Bill. Granted, Chope is one of ...
Liberal Democrat Voice carries news about a defection in Harrogate which has cost the Lib Dems control of that council. Meanwhile, Conservative Home carries more news of yet more councillors leaving the Lib Dem fold; More defection news. Two Lib Dem councillors on Shropshire Council have joined the Conservatives. Tony Durnell, borough councillor for Monkmoor, and David Farmer, ward member for Bagley, have both signed up as party members and are expected to stand in their new colours as candidates for Shropshire Council elections in 2009. Councillor Farmer says: "I have become disillusioned with the Liberal Democrat party nationally and ...
Yesterday saw by-elections in both Wednesfield North and Wednesfield South wards of Wolverhampton City Council.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill passed the House of Commons easily this week, 355 to 129. The Bill's measures include allowing scientists to produce human-animal "hybrid embryos" for stem cells, use of "saviour siblings" to provide bone marrow or umbilical cord tissue for treating genetic conditions, as well as making it easier for lesbians [...]
ConservativeHome reports: The Conservative have gained overall control of Harrogate Council, it has previously been run as a Conservative minority administration. This has come about as a result of the defection of from the Lib Dems. The Lib Dem defector Cllr John Wren. He represents the Woodfield ward on Harrogate Borough Council and the Bilton [...]
There's been a bit of a hoo-ha this week about Kerry Katona's appearance on ITV's "This Morning", when some reckoned she looked "drunk". She wasn't drunk. Yes, she slurred her words. She very honestly explained this by the fact that she was taking night-time medication, which she, very openly, named. But you can tell (video below) from the very quick, controlled pace of her words, her perfect
Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Mike Rumbles has written to Alex Salmond to complain about a, frankly, disgusting e-mail sent out by Highland SNP Councillor John Finnie alerting fellow nationalists to what he described as three potential by-elections, including one in the Ross, Skye and Inverness West seat held by John Farquhar Munro. I should make clear that John Farquhar Munro has stated his intention to serve for his full Parliamentary term. The text of his e-mail is copied below. "Fellow Nationalists As you may be aware the potential exists for three local by-elections and the Party requires YOUR help. Those ...
Stoke-on-Trent residents yesterday voted to get rid of the Mayoral system.
I've recently been thrown head first into the planning appeals procedure at work. The temp left the part-time job and, due to the current freeze on recruitment, it fell to me. I was delighted...there has been a noticeable reduction in planning applications to scan onto the website and I love the controversial aspect to planning. Nowhere along the process does it become more controversial than when applicants appeal, apart from committee. Despite it being an admin officer role I have already gleaned a lot from it. I'm looking forward to number crunching soon to see how many appeals are allowed ...
Last May I was rather rude about First Capital Connect but time for a bit of praise. This morning I had though my door a mailing from them designed to alert me to the changes happening to their services as a result of the major refurbishment programme that the Thameslink line will be undergoing. This is a good and necessary publicity campaign as the changes are going to impact on the journeys of
Image from Guido's Blog. What has the Prime Minister and his group of chums really lost, is it the key to economic success... I doubt it!
Alright: I'm about to eat major humble pie - sort of. Yummy. Get yourself some clean underpants - you're going to need them - then go check out Fractional Reserve Banking on Wikipedia. What's that? You can't be bothered? Okay. I'll sum it up as concisely as I can:Fractional Reserve Banking is the system of banking we use. It allows banks to lend money they do not have sat in their vaults. As long as everyone with money in the bank does not ask for their money all at once, everything is fine. If they all want their money back, ...
The roof of our debating chamber having been repaired, the European Parliament was back in Strasbourg this week (as the law says we must be) for four days of formal debates and votes. We voted (at first reading) the EU's draft budget for 2009, which means we agreed what we think should be the spending priorities and how much money we think should be allocated to each budget heading. There will be now be a month of negotiations with the Budget Council (27 finance ministers) before a final vote in December. Though the European Parliament cannot increase the budget, the ...
A few days ago Charlotte Gore wrote, "If Libertarians and free markets are to blame, please point to the regulation that was blocked by Libertarians that would have prevented the Credit Crunch. The answer is simple: such regulation was never proposed." Oh! Yes it was, and repeatedly - but for various reasons no-one wanted to know. I agree with her about Gordon Brown's reason for not wanting to know ("Brown was thrilled with the 'boom' and enjoyed his reputation as the miracle chancellor, the one who had ended boom and bust. He had no desire to highlight flaws in the ...
In my feminist utopia, shoes are not a reason for living.
The BBC is at it again. Cataclysmic economic disaster is just around the corner, the soup kitchens will be open this weekend and sales of Down and Out in London and Paris are set to skyrocket... News broadcasters are insensitive - or, more worryingly, hypersensitive and very, very aware -to the power they exercise over the fate of the economy during recessionary episodes. Research seems to suggest that news plays an important effect in actually shaping our economic behaviour - and it is an effect more pronounced in periods of recession than in periods of prosperity or boom. Two studies ...
A further thought on the Haringey People, and its tendency to showcase pictures of Labour cabinet members and the local Labour MP, of which I was reminded as a result of this - see earlier post. Here's what happens when a Liberal Democrat councillor strays in front of the Haringey People lens. My council colleague Gail Engert (Muswell Hill) is the person in pink in the top photo - as taken by my Cllr Martin Newton (Fortis Green). Michael Aspel was giving an award to Priory Park a couple of years ago, in Gail's Muswell Hill patch. However, in the ...
Not by a politician, but by a physicist - Alan Scott from Wisconsin. It's worth listening for seven minutes to hear his sober non-partisan analysis. This is part of the VoteforScience You-Tube challenge
The British National Party think they can win big in the coming elections because of the current economic struggle of the country according to a report by the BBC. The BNP think that with the economy struggling and people become more anti immigration day by day, they can really win big! They was also a question asked by a man on question time yesterday that was related to this topic, that people are going to become more anti immigration as the economy breaks down this is worrying for people like myself who are from ethnic minorities as we are going ...
I am developing a little theory. I might even call it the "Burbler's Rule" - if I am stupid enough. I am thinking ahead to US Election night. Yes, I am counting chickens, I know. And there could still be that major national security alert which "No drama" Obama manages to up-cock and John McRage manages to resolve without one of his impulsive shenanigans. If, like me, you sometimes find it
Today I have been talking about crime in the area, after a few burglaries and robberies in the ward. A man who'd had his house broken into and his new car stolen rang me up to report it and see if I could help him out. I wish I could find the people who do this type of thing, and march them back to their victims to return the stolen goods, then march them to the Police Station to see justice done. My initial reaction of course is much stronger than that, as it annoys me beyond what's probably healthy ...
Fri 24th
16:04
America is moving towards a situation where the average earner doesn't pay federal income tax - good
Check out this graphic. In 1980, 21% of tax returns filed produced no liability. This means that in 1980 the poorest 21% didn't pay income tax. Both the Obama and McCain tax plans would take this figure into the early 40s%. This is great. If only tax rates in Britain could be as progressive as America (view bottom graphic) and drag in fewer people at the bottom. Oh well... Hat tip: Greg Mankiw
From Politics Home: Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has attacked thinktank Policy Exchange over its call to boycott the upcoming Global Peace and Unity event in London. The thinktank had circulated a dossier questioning apparent extremist background of several of the events speakers. However Mr Clegg, who is due to speak at the event accused the thinktank's [...]
Hello fluffy friends! Next week, Saturday 1 November, will be the Liberal Democrats' Yorkshire and Humber Regional Conference, to be held at Sheffield Cathedral Conference Centre, Sheffield Cathedral, Church Street, Sheffield S1 1HA. And I have FINALLY managed to arrange the long-promised, never-forgotten Lib Dem Bloggers Not-in-London Interview with the Leader of the Party, Mr [...]
The London Fire Brigade are carrying out free home fire safety visits in Lambeth. This involves a visit by your local fire crew, which is booked in at your convenience, who will visit your home and be able to advise you on many aspects of fire safety, from minimising the risk of a fire taking place to what to do if a fire breaks out and you are trapped in your home. They will also, where necessary, provide you with a free smoke alarm. If you would like to take advantage of this free service, email your name, address, telephone ...
Stoke on Trent has voted to get rid of its directly elected mayor, something which a large number of Lewisham residents have been trying to do for years. Can anyone explain to me why the former referendum was allowed but not the latter? Part of the explanation may be the comparative strength of the BNP in Stoke - Labour might be able to live with the odd Tory or Lib Dem mayor, but a BNP mayor - whose decisions could only be overturned by a two thirds majority in council - is not a prospect they were prepared to face. ...
Yesterday I blogged in protest at the Malaysian Foreign Ministry's writing to various organisations, including the University of Malaya, telling them to withdraw invitations to the Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi to speak at a number of events early next month, so as to appease the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The satisfying news [...]
Alex Salmond was havering on, and on, and on on Question Time last night at times you wondered just what was the point of the BBC paying for the other four guests, or David Dimbleby to turn up in Peterborough for in the first place. However, he kept on going on about the strengths that Scotland and Scots had. Therefore I am going to highlight courtesy of Lib Dem MSP Jeremy Purvis something that we agree that the SNP are good at. I can almost sense the intake of breathe from the collective SNP Blogosphere and Cybernats around North Britain ...
Jo Christie-Smith has started a meme about her Feminist Utopia (more here). I will gladly lend my support to so much of this. Its not the misanthropic feminism of stereotype (does that really exist that much?), its frankly what I'd call a liberal feminism. Despite fantastic progress which has been made over the last hundred or so [...]
Charnwood BC, Loughborough Dishley and Hathern Lab 838 (49.7; +5.0) Con 490 (29.1; -9.7) BNP 234 (13.9; -2.6) LD Diane Horn 107 (6.4; +6.4) National Front 16 (0.9; +0.9) Majority 348 Turnout 35.5% Lab hold Percentage change is since May 2007 Chichester DC, East Wittering Con 410 (40.3; +6.6) LD Mary Green 364 (35.8; +7.0) BNP 125 (12.3; +12.3) Lab 69 (6.8; -0.4) UKIP 49 (4.8; +4.8) [Ind (0.0; -
A rather long video split into six featuring the opening remarks of the six speakers in Tuesday's debate on blogging in the Assembly. In order, there is me, Eleanor Burnham AM, BBC blogger Betsan Powys, Annabelle Harlle from the Electoral Reform Society, Matt Wardman of the Wardman Wire and Victoria Winckler, who is Director of the Bevan Foundation. Daran Hill of Positif Politics is in the chair. Other coverage of the debate can be found on Bethan Jenkins' blog here and here, on Betsan Powys' blog, from Victoria Winckler, Matt Wardman and Dianne Selden amongst many others. We really have ...
Despite the common overall aims shared by liberalism and social democracy, and the way liberals and social democrats can work together in many cases, they remain, at their core, incompatable. This incompatability is due to differing views of society and power. For liberals the spontaneous order of society is to be celebrated, the state should not interfere [...]
So is the left condoning sexism against Sarah Palin? Kira Cochrane thinks so, and cites numerous examples. I'm less convinced. Is there sexism out there about Sarah Palin? Absolutely. But what is so remarkable about Larry Flynt making a Sarah Palin film, as opposed to all the other porn films he has produced over the years? The more serious charge is that progressives are indulging in misogyny to attack Palin. Here, Kira has an ally in Peter Hitchens who was making such claims as early as late August, loudly applauded by Iain Dale (Iain has since changed his mind about ...
Regular readers of http://www.dundeewestend.com/ will know that I have highlighted in the past the overgrown shrubbery at the roundabout on Riverside Drive/Avenue near to the Marmalade Pot (see right). I had complaints from residents that pedestrians are finding it difficult to see oncoming traffic. I am pleased to advise that, following my request that the shrubbery gets a trim, this is to happen in the early morning of Sunday 2nd November, when traffic is light. There will be be a temporary lane closure on the roundabout from 8am till completion on that day.
http://alaskahockeymomsforobama.com/?p=479 It's the top song that i like - plus the couple look really friendly.
Alright, ignore the roughness of these particular figures: Assuming that the Government spends £600 billion a year.Assuming that there's about 30 million people working in the country.Assuming that the 'average wage' (total earnings of all 30 million people added together then divided by 30 million) is £25,000 a year. Then The total amount of money earned by The British Wages Earners is £750 billion (thousand million). The total spend by Government is £610 billion, of which £259 billion (2008 projections..lol) comes from income tax and national insurance contributions from wage earners and employer's contributions. VAT and Corporation Tax, which is ...
Last night, along with other City Councillors, teaching and other education department staff, pupils, parents and other guests, I had the pleasure of attending this year's Focus on Achievement Awards at the Caird Hall. It was a superb night, highlighting the great work being done in our schools across the city, and the successes of Dundee pupils. Schools and pupils from across the city won awards in various categories, including Harris Academy. I have today written to the Director of Education and to the Head of Primary Education, congratulating them and the Education Department - the Focus on Achievement Awards ...
In a gloriously muddled performance, Labour minister Phil Woolas managed to both deny and confirm that the government has pledged to keep Britain's population under 70 million in a radio interview this morning. In an interview last week with The Times, he said, "This Government isn't going to allow the population of this country to go [...]
We've been inundated with media requests as a result of the threat by the New Zealand RFU to sue us for using the name Cornish All Blacks. We've also had many messages of support. As well as a story in the Sun (can't link, it crashes my computer still), we've been in the Mail, Telegraph and on the Beeb as well as interviews with various outlets in New Zealand (which our Club President loved as they all had to be done at about 4am). Their attitude is particularly telling describing the NZ RFU as being completely OTT.
Over the next year Parliament will sit for just 128 days, the lowest figure since 1979. Although MPs do much valuable work when Parliament isn't sitting (for example, Hornsey & Wood Green MP Lynne Featherstone used this summer's recess to call round on the residential care homes and sheltered housing in her constituency and last year's [...]
We've had SNL, the vlogs, the drag queens now meet Boris & Vlad: `I want to come into your airspace, I want to rear my little head!` `Goddone it, you betcha, goddone it, you betcha` I LOVE IT!
The possible widespread use of full-body scanners at airports, which show people's bodies in some detail, have been in the news recently. London MEP Sarah Ludford is interviewed over on the ITV Local site about her concerns and what steps should be taken to protect people's privacy.
A Montana State University Poll shows Obama leading by four points over McCain in Montana. An AP poll the day before showed McCain ahead by one point and RealClear Politics averages McCain's lead in the "Treasure State" as 3.3 points. This is a state which Bush won by 20 points in 2004! (The reference to Marlboro Man is explained here - Montana was always the backdrop to the Marlboro Man ad
Mike Smithson, founding editor of PoliticalBetting.com and occasional Lib Dem Voice contributor, has written an interesting post on his site analysing why the Lib Dems' poll ratings vary so much between the different pollsters - this is a question that LDV has also looked at a few times, including this past week, with two polls [...]
This story, and my own experiences lead me to think that Tesco are being ridiculous when it comes to interpreting the law as regards underage alcohol sales. In the linked story, a 39 year old mother is not allowed to buy a bottle of vodka because her 13 year old son is woth her. Twenty minutes later, her husband goes to buy the drink (which is for them, not the child) and is also refused. I have had a similar experience when I was buying beer in Tescos and someone I was with was asked for ID. When they could ...
Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, Norman Baker has written to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards to ask for clarification on hospitality rules. It follows considerable coverage of George Osborne and Peter Mandelson accepting hospitality from Nathaniel Rothschild and Oleg Deripaska in Corfu this summer. Norman Baker said: "It is...
Writing in the Guardian, Kira Cochrane today launches into an annoying feminist whinge-fest about how nasty men (i.e. all of us) objectifying Sarah Palin is beastly, unfair, and putting other women off a career in politics. I'd have some sympathy if the complaint was women being prevented from gaining political power because of their sex, but it isn't quite that sensible. Ms Cochrane's complaint is the way that Sarah Palin has been sexualised with a "Red, White and Milf" music video, doctored pictures of her head on a bikini-clad body, sexy Sarah Palin halloween costumes and Larry Flint's planned skin ...
Randomness in searching on the internet can often lead down strange paths, so far today I have learnt that: ...the smelly bit in farts might lower blood pressure, ...there are people getting bonuses this year for the sats fiasco, ...amateur blogging is being taken over by professional blogging, ...that sticky tape, when pulled off the reel fast enough can produce enough x-rays to x-ray a human digit... it's called triboluminescence. (Word game - new word in play: triboluminescent)
News that the Republicans are now making robocalls accusing Obama of being Soft on Crime because he opposes mandatory sentences for certain kinds of crimes like drug offenses and murder, made be think how the misleading fear issues that the right (and I include both establishment parties in this) use against "liberals" (well, that's only us really) are very similar both sides of the pond. Ths is an extract from the call recording by Ex-Mayor Giuliani: "Congressional liberals introduced a bill to eliminate mandatory prison sentences for violent criminals -- trying to give liberal judges the power to decide whether ...
From the Reading Chronicle: ENERGY companies are raking in immoral profits from their poorest customers - that was the charge made by Nick Clegg in Reading at the weekend, as he called for tax cuts for low earners and a 2% cut in interest rates. The Lib Dem leader, speaking at his party's regional [...]
In a speech to the British Wind Energy Association conference last Wednesday, Nick Clegg called for the way people are charged for energy to change, arguing social tariffs are essential to cutting fuel bills. He set out his vision for radically rewriting the rules on how energy is used and created, calling for a massive expansion in renewable electricity to create a post-fossil fuel economy, protecting the poorest from the volatility of the oil and gas markets. Developing a 'supergrid' in the North Sea to massively upgrade the National Grid and connect it to continental Europe is an example of ...
For a long time this blog has warned of the dangers of the aggressive regime in place in the Moscow Kremlin. In common with commentators like my friend Edward Lucas, I have pointed out the consequences of the lack of property rights and the extraordinary level of corruption in modern Russia. This prickly and aggressive approach has had an impact on any country that is the focus of Russian policy. As Vygaudas Uzackas- the Ambassador of Lithuania in London- observed in a conference last week, Russia still has trouble escaping the mindset that it must deal with other states either ...
We're almost two weeks into our campaign now and the election has formally been called. My Blog up until now has given a small insight into the more day to day things that we all deal with, but not a lot about what I stand for and why I want to represent the people of the Hardwick Ward as their County Councillor and what I have to offer them in return for their votes. No, I am not a Russian oligarch before you get too excited - drive and determination are on offer here. A few things happened yesterday to ...
The point about the following is that we continue the question as to whether over time the government expect the UK to use less oil. I accept the point about balancing priorities, but there will be an aggregate cut in usage forced on the country. Trying to deny this just makes the adjustment harder. John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley) (LD): I congratulate the Deputy Leader of the House on the
Chris Huhne writes for The Guardian today: There are clear dangers in managing the public finances over the next few years, but nothing merits the sort of intemperate scaremongering that Cameron and George Osborne have been whipping up. Cameron said on Monday: "We ought now to be cutting people's taxes to put money back into the [...]
Before Irfan Ahmed's blog was suspiciously deleted, possibly by MI5 operatives, he rather controversially* called for a book called "The Jewel of Medina" to be banned. James Graham took the opposing view on grounds of freedom of speech. Which is all very well, but as I hinted last week it doesn't seem quite that simple to me. The question for liberals to answer is why is it OK to offend religious people over their religion, but not to offend homosexuals over their sexuality or black people over their skin colour? The standard liberal answer doesn't add up In the last ...
Today's announcement in the Daily Mail that women will be able to improve their state pensions is welcome - but is not quite what it seems. The issue is that many women retire with incomplete records of National Insurance Contributions - often because of periods in low-paid part-time work or time caring for family. Under plans announced today, women will be able to 'buy back' an extra 6 years of missing NI contributions. However, there are several important restrictions on this: - it will only apply to women who reach state pension age between 6th April this year and 5th ...
At last, the Government has decided to make the pensions system fairer for people, the vast majority of whom are women, who take time out of the workplace to care for children or sick relatives. This doesn't help the many women pensioners who are living in poverty now, though. It shouldn't have taken this long to stop penalising those who give up work to take on some sort of caring role. Read here, though, why Steve Webb reckons why this might not be all it's cracked up to be. LibDig This!
I was wandering down the High Road early the other morning when I spied what I had noticed before but this time the florist/flower stall wasn't there. This is precisely the sort of things that I am always on the look out to capture - works and features that you see, notice, remember even, but don't ever quite have the time to stop read, enjoy or fully absorb. Now this mural - unlike the stunner under the Kilburn underground - has a different origin - what I like about it is the fundamental homespun atmosphere and design. Close ...
I have been sent a paper arguing that the Welsh Assembly Government needs to take urgent action if they are to secure .cym as a top level domain for Wales. The paper points out the most recent figures, which show that UK on-line shoppers spent £42 billion in 2007, the Welsh share was £1.5 billion. The majority of this is spent with organisations outside of Wales. They say that the economic outflow from Wales is worrying, with many Welsh shoppers using out of Wales internet sites and far fewer buyers from outside Wales purchasing from Welsh firms. A YouGov survey ...
Another powerful posting from Stuart Syvret.
There is growing unrest on the government benches about the ommission of aviation and shipping emmisions from the UK greenhouse gase targets. There are now 56 Labour MPs demanding their inclusion. I've long held that if we're looking at combating the effects of greenhouse gases all causes need to be included. That does mean looking carefully at food labels and realising do we really need Strawberies in December that have been flown in from South Africa. We can have a balanced, indeed varied, diet using seasonal produce that is available locally. It will be a seasonal diet but some seem ...
Just a quick post this. Matthew Norman's piece in The Independent is a wonderful precis of just how the Tories have screwed themselves. They have probably done nothing illegal but they've tried to play with big boys and shown themselves to be catastrophically unequal to the task.
"Adrian Pennock" (is this some obscure football/Ipswich angle I haven't come across?) has a new angle on the conspiracy theory: Lembit's conspiracy angle sits well with the refusal to organise official hustings and let members see for themselves that the Baroness ought not to be party president for very obvious reasons which would be exposed in a hustings scenario. The fundamental flaw in this theory is that with Lembit by far the highest profile candidate, he is the main beneficiary of the lack of official hustings (although in point of fact there have been several unofficial ones). Apparently, any discussion ...
