Jonathan Calder has the welcome news that Liberal Democrat run Islington Council has stepped in to the controversy over Labour run Hackney Council's decision to ban the launch of a book by Iain Sinclair from one of its libraries because the book expressed, "controversial or political opinions". This excuse has been given very little credence by [...]
...as weeping fangirls and fanboys mourn the departure of David Tennant from Doctor Who. Meanwhile, tabloid journalists rejoice as they can fill pages with speculation over who'll replace him, having been denied that opportunity when Eccleston left because the BBC announced Tennant was getting the job almost immediately. James is quick off the mark to champion Simon Russell Beale, who would be an interesting choice for the role, as would current bookies' favourite Paterson Joseph, though that has been the sort of market where a £50 bet would likely make someone odds-on favourite. Of course, rampant press speculation is rarely ...
Yes, we civil libertarians sometimes go over the top. Yes, we sometimes make stupid, and often offensive analogies like comparing MI5 to the Stasi. Yes, too often campaigners talk about abstract rights mixed with 1984 far too much and forget what really exercises people about their freedom. And yes, we often place some dystopian possibilities above others (Huxley is actually better than Orwell but Big Brother is a far stronger cultural bogey man). However, highlighting government overreach is of evident imporance in any field, not lease civil liberties. Indeed, the current climate of fear stoked in large part by government ...
Sometimes towards the end of a hard-fought campaign a blog post emerges that changes you how you think about the whole election. A posting so inspiring, or with such a new perspective that you cannot fail to sit up and take notice, and maybe - just maybe - change your view about the whole shebang. Such a posting emerged tonight. I was just minding my own business, cooking chilli and rice-pudding, sitting down to watch Dead Set on E4, then idly checking my twitter and blog feeds on my phone, when BAM - the following dropped onto my consciousness. Suddenly, ...
The main sense I have this evening is that much of the venom towards Ross and Brand is coming from people who have never liked them in the first place. 2 people complained about the original broadcast, but the day it hit the tabloids this number started creeping up over 1000, the next day it shot up to 10,000, and by today this number had hit 27,000. Sorry, what? Isn't this a bit ridiculous? I
Interesting observation by Jane Merrick on Open House. Watching today's PMQ's she; "can't remember the last time Osborne wasn't at Cameron's side for the weekly event" Willam Hauge was the man sitting between them. Interestingly, CCHQ has already told Conservative Home that Hauge sits on a 'policy board' comprised of; "William Hague Oliver Letwin David Cameron George Osborne Philip Hammond Francis Maude PLUS The relevant shadow cabinet minister when his/her policy area is under discussion."It's hard to see how this one will end...it's my feeling that Osborne is now defiantly a distinct liability to the Tories; had he performed well ...
Since this is about to become a full blown party debate in the Lib Dems, it might be worth highlighting that an online debate has begun today at the Economist. tuition fees
I've mentioned this before, but now Tennant has confirmed his departure, the formal campaign starts here! You don't have to have decided that Simon Russell Beale should be the Doctor to sign up, merely support the notion that he should be considered. Thank you for your support.
Barack Obama is splashing some of the millions he's raised on a 30 minute ad to be aired before the big match tonight. This sounds like quite a change for Americans used to bite sized 30 second ads - and I hope that they have made the film interesting and varied enough to hold people's attention. As long as they stay away from leaving messages on Sarah Palin's voicemail, it should all be fine........ LibDig This!
The Georgia-Russia conflict is a fascinating example of how 21st century wars may be fought. This is not a post about hardware, field tactics, or firepower. The innovation and real weapon is our perceptions of the war. The Georgia-Russia war can truly be described as a post-modern war as all sides attempted from the outset to frame the struggle not in terms of military gain, but in terms of "proportionality", International law, legitimate interests and so on. As such it follows perfectly on from the summer's war of 2006 between Hezbollah and Israel. Shai Feldman, probably the most important academic ...
I have just finished watching the first part of John Prescott's programme about class. Although it was at times both fascinating and quite moving, in the end I find Prescott's chip on his shoulder about class, his visceral resentment of anyone who appears too posh or privileged, hard to sympathise with. This was particularly so at the moment when he began sounding off at a teenage lad at the Henley Regatta who went to a private school. It turned out that the young man had two-thirds of his fees paid by the state because his father was in the army, ...
Strictly Come Dancing beat the X Factor tonight in the best talent show category at hte National Trash Awards. Simon Cowell was not happy, although there was some comfort for him later when he was given a Special Recognition Award. The saddest moment was confirmation of what we already new - the four specials next year will be David Tennant's last as Doctor Who. He really is quitting while he's ahead, and no doubt the audience will want a whole load more. Other highlights of the night include Austin and Erin doing a bit of Quickstep on the stage and ...
This latest ad (below) from the Obama campaign is, I reckon, one of the best from the whole election period. It is very subtle, yet goes for the jugular on McCain's two of main weaknesses: the economy and his choice of Sarah Palin as running mate. McCain, meanwhile, is airing a fascinating radio ad in deepest Virginia, on Country and Western music stations. It says: "Just as you suspected,
From the Guardian website: Members of the National Black Police Association (NBPA) probably did not expect the keynote speaker at their annual conference to suggest the organisation might be guilty of racism.But that's what happened when an invitation mix-up led to the wrong MP addressing the event.Instead of the former shadow home secretary David Davis, his near namesake David Davies, the Tory MP for Monmouth, was invited - and delivered a highly critical speech.
A couple of weeks ago, in the immediate afterglow of the three US presidential debates, Lib Dem Voice set up a poll asking: Is it now time for the UK to introduce televised debates between the major party leaders prior to a general election? Here's what you told us: • Yes, it is time - 83% (248) [...]
So why should that paragon of virtue Derek Conway accuse me of "gutter-politics"? He seems to be upset with me for commenting about his employment by Press TV, a station wholly owned by the Iranian Government, who aren't without their human rights abuses. Press TV's Wikipedia page is locked at the moment, due to what seems to be attempts by them to cover up their coverage of Holocaust Denial.
Viswanathan Anand won the world championship match against Vladimir Kramnik after the eleventh game was drawn today. Anand had White and switched to 1. e4; Kramnik played the sharp Najdorf Sicilian, but failed to generate much excitement and a draw was agreed in only 24 moves. When I knew about opening theory, the mainline in this variation was 7. ... Be7, while 7. ... Qc7 had been played in the 1950s, the early days of this line, but soon disappeared. Fashion or was some dangerous new move found for White? You can find the moves from today's game at Chessdom, ...
In certain moods Iain Sinclair is my favourite writer of all, if only because he shares my taste for neglected places and arcane knowledge. The pretentious words for these enthusiasms is "psychogeography". Sinclair has a new novel, Hackney, That Rose Red Empire, out and had been due to launch it at Stoke Newington public library in the borough. Terence Blacker takes up the story in the Independent: After the arrangement was made, an essay written by Sinclair appeared in the London Review of Books, the theme of which was that the Olympics - "this 2012 game-show rabies" as he put ...
Chers Adhérents, chers Sympathisants, Nous sommes heureux de vous annoncer la sortie du nouveau site d'Alternative Libérale. Venez le visiter sur www.alternative-liberale.fr. Nous avons opté pour un site qui fait la part belle à nos positions. Mais il met surtout en avant nos comités locaux, vous permet de suivre l'agenda des réunions organisées à Paris et en région, et vous propose les vidéos de nos événements et conférences. Dès la page d'accueil, vous retrouverez également les derniers posts de notre blogosphère libérale qui réunit aujourd'hui plus de 50 blogueurs libéraux. Nous tenons à adresser un grand bravo à Benoît Jolly, ...
Tim Ireland of Bloggerheads fame has started a list of reasons why the two women are the same... but has struggled to get past 7. Perhaps our readers could help his complete the list.
Bloggers have been lining up to expose the "hypocrisy" and "stupidity" of Sarah Palin calling Barack Obama an evil socialist for calling for redistribution, while supporting it herself: "And Alaska - we're set up, unlike other states in the union, where it's collectively Alaskans own the resources. So we share in the wealth when the development of these resources occurs." Hat tips all round to Stephen Glenn, Jennie Rigg and Andrew Ducker, but they all got it from Keith Olbermann on MSNBC, and his delivery is quite entertaining so why not enjoy it for a few minutes? But I feel ...
This being Prime Minister's Questions, the burning topic of the day - should Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross be publicly flogged for crimes against Andrew Sachs - was not tackled. But, this being PMQs, there was plenty of other puerile posturing and manipulative outrage on display. The Tories' David Cameron returned to the questioning that brought [...]
I've just been notified on facebook that Nick has written to Gordon Brown: "Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg today wrote to Gordon Brown, accusing him of deliberately misrepresenting Liberal Democrat economic policy in the House of Commons and calling on him to accept the true costs of his Government's projects. Nick Clegg said: I believe that a frank debate about each political party's position on economic policy is a valuable part of the public debate as the recession deepens. However, this debate is only worthwhile if it is based on fact not fiction. The full text of Nick Clegg's letter ...
I think the below which appears on Letters from a Tory is a wee bit harsh but then again I do think there have been problems with our narrative...something that James Graham deals well with on his blog. Letters writes; "Dear Nick Clegg, It was on reading the ComRes poll yesterday that something rather amusing struck me. While Brown has been hailed a global hero (much to my annoyance) and Cameron has been fighting back with attacks on the Prime Minister's judgement and record, it suddenly occured to me that you are nowhere to be seen. I mean, really nowhere. ...
Paul Waugh has the story: The noble peer is asked no fewer than four times (it may even be five times) whether he discussed aluminium tariffs with Oleg Deripaska on his yacht this summer. Four times he refuses to answer and tries to deflect the issue with guff about sensationalist media witchunts. The only sensible conclusion to [...]
Every so often, a fellow blogger puts up something so darned good that you just have to draw attention to it. James Graham's robust analysis of the Daily Mail is one such article. Your blood will boil. LibDig This!
Gordon Brown has waded into the controversy over Jonathan Ross's and Russell Brand's tasteless 'joke' phone calls on BBC Radio 2. Is this really a matter the Prime Minister should be concerning himself with, especially at a time like this, when not only the British economy but also the global financial system is going through [...]
Went to a hanging! Well - not quite. As Shadow Minister for Women I went to celebrate the 'hanging' of the portraits of women MPs in our party groups at the National Portrait Gallery. This project to celebrate women in the House as well as all the anniversaries this year of womens' suffrage was driven forward by Boni Somes of Women's Parliamentary Radio amongst other projects. Boni had managed to get us all together in our party groups and be photographed on the steps opposite Westminster Hall entrance - albeit on the Liberal Democrat one Julia Goldsworthy and I had ...
The Presidential candidates are writing how they will improve membership over at LDV and I thought I would do it on my blog. If improving party membership was left up to me I would give the membership card more value! The Lib Dems have many supporters who aren't members, I had been posting leaflets for the local Lib Dems since the age of 11 but didn't become a member until 2008 and I think they are hundreds of people like me. People would be more interested in becoming members, especially the long term supporters will if they got something in ...
Liberal Democrat Voice is running a series of articles by the three candidates for party president on how membership can be improved. All three candidates have take different approaches. Lembit Opik seems to want to focus on the recruitment and training of existing members in the recruitment process. I can see the uses of this approach but, having worked in sales, am less keen on his idea that we should; "negotiate specific targets with local branches." He is right that a target that is personally owned can be hugely motivating but it can also be hugely demotivating and lead to ...
1. Anyone can become a ("registered supporter") if they are on the electoral register in the UK and sign some form of statement saying they are a supporter of the Liberal Democrats. 2. This data would be centrally collated - although obviously shared with local parties - on a database package that could be deployed [...]
Rawls in Theory of Justice (1971) wrote Each person possesses an inviolability founded on justice that even the welfare of society as a whole cannot override. For this reason justice denies that the loss of freedom for some is made right by a greater good shared by others.There can be no true justice when policy is dictated by the Greater Good. Social Justice, therefore, is unjust. But, you know, it sounds nice, doesn't it? How can you be against Social Justice without also being against justice itself? Yes, it's our old friend the frame back again, the trick of using ...
One of the roles of the President is to be the bridge between the members and the centre. That's why I've promised to: Keep in touch with the membership through email bulletins, my blog, LD News and Party mailings. Use e mail and electronic voting as a means of consulting members. Attend one conference each year [...]
I've made a specific manifesto commitment to use my Presidency to measurably increase the membership by 2010. Recruitment is one of my areas of specialist interest across the last 17 years. I made the first three recruitment training videos for the Lib Dems - one of them has even achieved a degree of cult status! [...]
The Lib Dem press office has just issued a press release about today's PMQs. In it, he accuses Gordon Brown of deliberately misrepresenting Lib Dem policy on tax and spend: On numerous occasions you have deliberately misrepresented Liberal Democrat economic policy in the House of Commons, claiming that we propose a £20bn cut in public spending: As I have repeatedly made clear, Liberal Democrat policy is to identify £20bn of Government spending which is either wasteful or ineffective and to re-allocate it to Liberal Democrat priorities in areas such as education and care for the elderly. If there is money ...
Lib Dem Voice has invited party presidential hopefuls Chandila Fernando, Lembit Opik and Ros Scott to make their pitches for how they'd improve Lib Dem membership. In a series of articles, they will set out their ambitions and how they would deliver on them. You can find out more about how to vote in the election [...]
In some previous posts, I suggested that the likely effect of the economic downturn might include some significant cultural changes. After the age of excess, I suggested, there might come an age of restraint, and that not of of this would be negative. To a certain extent the suspension of Jonathon Ross and Russell Brand for making obscene telephone calls on a radio programme is the kind of thing that I meant. I do not particularly like Ross or Brand whose style of humour is pretty coarse at the best of times, but the spectacle of two middle aged men ...
...despite emailing the returning officer a week ago. Only a week to go folks...
I'm struggling to avoid writing about the Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand affair, but it has to be said that the Daily Mail really do take the biscuit on this one. In it, Georgina Baillie calls for Brand and Ross to be sacked for leaving her grandfather 'utterly horrified and disgusted' after ringing him up and claiming that Brand has slept with her. Of course, it happens to be true and the Mail see fit to print several pictures of Andrew Sachs' granddaughter which might conceivably also 'horrify' and 'disgust' him, but sod that - BURN THE WITCHES! To be ...
Here's a brief posting describing how to do formatting in comments. It may come in useful for those of you who engage in huge debates on thread comments - and I'm sorry if it seems hopelessly basic for those who have been on the net for a while. This site, like almost all on the [...]
A major reason for hoping for an Obama presidency is that we will be spared another round of the Republican party dreamworld dance. However there are dangers in the rather orgasmic enthusiasm behind his campaign. Can he survive the collision between his build-up and the reality? The Perils of the Build-Up were brilliantly explained by John Kenneth Galbraith: Then comes the build-up. He is a man transformed indeed he is no longer a man but a superman. His eccentricities become the mark of a unique personality. His hobbies are the refreshment of an intense and active mind. His wife becomes ...
I went to the Peak Oil Task Force launch at the Stock Exchange Today. Will Whitehorn, Jeremy Leggett, Brian Souter and Ian Marchant all demonstrated a very good understanding of the situation. It even sounded as if individual carbon budgets/tradeable carbon budgets found favour. Interestingly their report (see link for their website) is perhaps not as stark as the warnings from the IEA. They
John McCain has suffered a negative progression among the 'alpha-male working women' of Ohio, according to CNN, This is being taken by the networks as a possible translation into support for Obama among Nebraska lesbians, which could deliver him the state. However, McCain has found his support among the 'plug rollers' of northern Wyoming grow by 2 points in the last week alone and the people who live at 422 Penn Drive, New Jersey have also come out for him. In the key swing state of Utah, nothing has happened, despite the best efforts of commentators and politicians to try ...
One of Liberal Democrat candidate Harry Wills' campaigns in the Glenrothes by election has been about the unfair fares that the people of Fife face on the train. They pay greater fares that the people of Perth pay to get to Edinburgh for example. However, the people of Markinch now face greater unfairness as their 9:04 train into Edinburgh looks set to disappear off the winter timetable. This would leave a 98 minute gap between trains at 8.31am and 10.09am a busy commuting time of the morning. With a greater number of people working flexible hours the removal of a ...
I am in between uploading my question at the Prime Minister asking him why Labour and Conservative finance related crimes aren't investigated properly and why these politicians involved aren't brought to justice. I suggest everyone else uploads videos popping questions at the PM by going on this link!
Looking at the polls it looks like McCain has benefitted from an `uptick` while Obama's stayed steady. I have a theory that is not i think just wishful thinking: 1. Obama still takes 50% - it's been ages that it's been below 49%. His vote is holding steady yet do these polls take into account the unbalanced [...]
First he disapproves of the Party's stance on 42 days - as the Government's adviser on terrorism. Now he seems to want to push back against `assisted suicide` - what is the point of this man - shouldn't he just be an Independent? He's like the Joe Lieberman of the Liberal Democrats! [...]
I'm not sure I'm that well connected.
The need to check up on the pronounciation of the computer-devastating Estonian umlaut-O character has led to the discovery of a very useful looking languages resources site OMNIGLOT. This includes a link to a rather wonderful concoction - the Coloralphabet for writing English. Something worth playing with in more arty moments. But seriously this site seems to have riches for the language dabbling amateurs of the world. So thanks to the LibDem Presidential debates for triggering this exploration. For Estonian look here (you will need to know the International Phoenetic Alphabet though.) Then you can pronounce Lembit's name correctly. Lest ...
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines socialism as: 1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods 2 a: a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b: a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state 3: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done However, look what the Governor of one American ...
The final paragraph interests me: And after the deluge, what then? It would be nice to report that lessons have been learned and that the future promises tougher controls on credit creation, the renaissance of the industrial base to meet the environmental challenge, the permanent cageing of the City. But do you honestly believe that is [...]
This post is actually being written in a notebook whilst I sit at the bad or fado's Irish Pub drinking a pint of Sam Adams (over 24 hours later I've had the chance to transcribe it). After a much delayed flight and a short stint of explaining to US immigration why I'm here (to visit friends, really) I found my hire car at 19:00 (roughly 3 hours latter than planned). The response of Enterprise car
Via Charlotte Gore, Jennie and others, four things I really care about and why: 1. God: My anchor, the medium I breathe and move through. 2. Community: "Have you nothing of your own? Nothing to stand on that is not provided, defined, delineated, stamped, sanctioned, numbered and approved by others? How can you be expected to fight for someone else when you haven't the barest idea of who you are?" asks the Inquisitor of Delenn in Babylon 5 - and of course she has no answer, because of course she has nothing else. None of us do. The beginning of ...
last night i went to a meeting of lockleaze voice at the cameron centre. there were a number of different residents, community representatives and council officers. one interesting topic was a forthcoming survey of housing needs. an independent organisation will be speaking to hundreds of local residents across lockleaze and horfield about what housing is actually needed. people will be approached to take part in the near future. previous surveys have been done in easton and lawrence hill and were well received. i think this is positive. lockleaze has housing needs. there is plenty of semi-detached houses but how about ...
Thanks to Gary Lewis for pointing us to this. The comments to Miss Wagstaff's post say it all.
So, flicking through the blogs I find news of Palin's hypocrisy (although I could be charitable and call it mere arse-bleeding stupidity) and the even more sickening hypocrisy of the tabloid newspapers, and I'm getting kind of pissed off. And then I saw this. Next time I am defending the British legal system, and saying that actually it works quite well, and that the system of precedent and case law means that even if there is a freak miscarriage of justice it'll be sorted out on appeal... Just remind me of this, will you? Even reducing the sentence of ONE ...
77 Lembit is Pisces, but, like his friend Patrick Moore, prefers astronomy to astrology. 78 Lembit's favourite political film is "Bulwarth," starring Warren Beatty. its message is "you've got to be a spirit, not a ghost." 79 Lembit is an active member of the Holocaust Education Trust, and has campaigned for funding for UK school visits to Auschwitz. 80 Lembit supports Leicester City Football Club, but has never asked if they support him. 81 Lembit is President of the British Hangliding and Paragliding Association. 82 In 2008, Lembit successfully gave evidence at the Old Bailey to secure bail for two ...
I imagine this is internet only (I could imagine it backfiring on television). Perhaps I am wrong: in any case it made me laugh.
Because of work to improve the sea wall along Riverside Drive, there will be some temporary traffic arrangements starting next Monday (3rd November) for a maximum of 5 working days. Firstly, the speed limit on Riverside drive between Tesco and the rail bridge (westbound only) will be reduced to 30mph during that period. Secondly, there will be two road maneouvres temporarily prohibited during that time : a) There will be no left (then right) from Riverside Approach into Riverside Drive (under the bridge canopy) in order to go west - drivers will have to drive eastbound to the Tesco roundabout ...
This is one for all you Battlestar Galactica fans out there...I am almost tempted to ditch Obama for the rugged and steely charms of a Tigh/Roslin ticket....it certainly tops the McCain/Palin horror show as a ticket.......more details can be found on the campaign website...
I may not be updating my website much over the next week or so as I will be in Florida to help Senator Barack Obama in the last week of the US Elections.
Aww, bless. Peter Grant, SNP candidate in Glenrothes, doesn't really want to spend too much time in Westminster. I sympathise. There's no way on earth I'd want to leave my lovely life and family in Scotland to work 500 miles away every week. I spent 11 years living in England, which taught me to appreciate how fabulous Scotland is. However, I have no intention of standing for election to Westminster at any time in the foreseeable future. Peter Grant is asking people to put their trust in him next week. What will he do if, as expected, Scotland rejects independence ...
At US website Politics Online, Anthony Man writes on how the internet has changed the way local and national campaigns are run: "As more and more people spend more and more time online, the Internet is reshaping political campaigns in ways large and small. From the presidency to the lowest-profile local office, the Internet is permeating [...]
The reasons for Barack Obama's success - and John McCain's failure - have been succinctly summed up by, of all people, George W. Bush. [Before you say "yes, but Obama hasn't won yet", fear not - I learnt the hard way about the difference between political chickens and eggs, some 25 years ago. My point is, Obama is ahead and is clearly winning the official campaign.] Over the weekend, the New York Times Magazine featured this fascinating article, by Robert Draper, on John McCain's continuing failure to find a compelling narrative for his campaign. It focuses heavily on the role ...
The 2009 True Yorkshire Calendar is on sale now, priced at only £1.00. This year's 'credit crunch' version is A5 black and white. It contains East Riding dialect sayings and features villages from all the Ridings throughout. It also notes County days for those counties which have them. Copies can be ordered as follows from: YRS Products39 Essex CloseREDCARYorkshireTS10 4BYTel: 01642 487557Or email: GlynisPlease make cheques payable to Yorkshire Ridings Society and add 34p per order to cover postage.
Unfortunately for John McCain, some states in America don't allow robocalls so the calls have to be made live by real people. This is a problem if your campaign hasn't got many enthusiastic volunteers and you have to hire in help. You end up with calls like the one here.
I've been reading about the Cruickshank report into banking and, after hearing Vince mention it at regional conference, wonder whether there is any traction in tying Tories/Labour into a poor light on the issue of banking reform and whether we come out of it well. It's the joining of the dots - as a lot of [...]
From today's Independent: The sports car giant Porsche has pulled off one of the greatest share killings of all time in a coup that has left some of the world's largest hedge funds nursing combined losses that could total $20bn (£12.6bn). The vast sum was won and lost in bets on [...]
It's simple. They are just three years behind the rest of us. We might think it's 2008, but the Royal Mail is still in 2005. From their October 2008 Key Customer Update: Within the next 5 years, by the end of 2010, we want to have identified all significant sources of water leaks within site boundaries and [...]
I got this press release yesterday - am posting below as I bet there will be loads of people interested in these tickets ********************* BBC Sports Personality of the Year is coming to the Echo Arena on Sunday 14 December and it has been announced today that tickets will be going on sale at 9am on Wednesday 29 October. For only the third time in its 55 year history, the awards will take place from outside of London and this is the first time the event will be held at the Echo Arena, Liverpool (the European City of Culture), with ...
I intervened a number of times during the Climate Change Bill Third Reading. The link is to the debate in Hansard. I will extract the interventions and my speech then comment. John Hemming (Birmingham, Yardley) (LD): I am slightly confused about this issue. Last Monday, the Prime Minister said that we needed a constantly rising supply of oil, notwithstanding the use of renewables. Does the
The linked story is based upon an IEA report which indicates a depletion rate of 9.1% rather than the normally expected figure of 8%. There is still some vague exhortations to investment, but frankly there should now start to be a recognition that the geological constraints on the availability of oil have to lead to a change in the assumptions behind economic planning. We must plan for
Over the last few weeks there have been vigorous debates on this blog and elsewhere about and between myself and others and various strands and proponents of libertarian thought. This has applied to both individual libertarians like Charlotte Gore and representatives of organisations like Liberal Vision. It is worth noting at this juncture that the organisational nature of the libertarian presence within this party is rather shadowy. Mark Littlewood has consistently denied for example, that Liberal Vision are a factional platform within this party despite substantial evidence to the contray. Liberal Vision also has links to Progressive Vision; links which ...
From the South Shropshire Journal: On the site at Churchill Road, Church Stretton, where new affordable homes and a sheltered housing complex are going to be created, the start of work has been delayed while a colony of newts is moved.Paul Sutton, director of development and technical services for the SSHA, said: "We are dealing with newts. There are newt protection fences around the site, and humane newt traps across the field."Ecologists are having to look at these traps on daily basis, and when newts are found in the traps they are moved into their new location, as agreed with ...
Jonathan Ross says he is leaving the BBC "without rancour". That's funny, I thought he was taking Russell Brand with him.
Oh dear, the people of Glenrothes should they elect Peter Grant the SNP candidate may think they are investing in a young man with a long future at Westminster. Well not according to the man himself: "I don't want to spend any more time down there than I have to. I would be homesick after more than that." Well, he also show reluctance to actually head to Westminster in the first place: Speaking on a campaign stop in Glenrothes' Kingdom shopping centre, Mr Grant indicated he was reluctant to leave Fife and go to London, but said he would do ...
From the Sun: [Georgina Baillie, grandaughter of Andrew Sachs said] "Russell Brand has embarrassed me by making a private relationship very public in the cruellest way imaginable. "We were lovers but I trusted him as a friend as well. He has betrayed me for a few cheap laughs and left my grandfather distraught. The Sun, of course, would never dream of embarrassing people by making private relationships public. From the Daily Mail: In a breathtakingly vulgar sequence [which was not broadcast], [Ross] then goes on to say that they could make Mr Sachs 'feel better' by kissing him to say ...
It might seem like the unlikeliest post of the blog to-date but I'm pushing the theory that the Kilburn of today has a claim on the ancient english heritage of the 9th century AD. In 878 AD (the date is argued over by more eminent historians) the army led by King Alfred of Wessex defeated the Danes led by Guthrum. it was the subsequent treaty between them that led to the Kilburn High Road (Watling Street) being part of the boundary. In short the area to the west (where Brent now is and beyond) was Wessex and the area to ...
After my initial joy at the news that the SNP are looking to localise their Local Income Tax (LIT)proposals I was a little shocked about some of the apparent revelations that have emerged. John Swinney had said that he had raised the issue of LIT with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), it is the least one would expect 17 months into an administration that had this proposal as one of its linchpins. However, HMRC have apparently said they have not been involved in discussions. Yet the The Times had reported that the whole thing blew up at the weekend ...
While looking through some stories on the internet I came a across an article titled John Hutton backs European army by Isabel Oakeshott from The Sunday Times on 26th October 2008.
Last night I met with a fellow Liberal Democrat from Birmingham to discuss the Liberal Democrats work in the Ladywood ward in Birmingham.
It seems that FeedBurner sometimes presents old RSS feeds to LibDemBlogs. If your blog post is missing and you use FeedBurner this will be the reason. I recommend that you revert back to your old RSS feed as this is affecting other services like Yahoo News Reader.
