I was so privileged today to go with John to the degree ceremony in Durham Cathedral for Durham University. It is a splendid and grand occasion in an unrivalled and beautiful setting. Hundreds of degrees ranging from honours degrees to doctorates were given by Chancellor Bill Bryson. He, as always, made a brilliant speech to the students. He said how the 3 things that he loved most about the...
I have been contacted by a man who has missed out on a job after his CRB clearance arrived back with uncorroborated and false allegations of misconduct. I won't go into the circumstances, to protect his identity, but the facts speak for themselves regardless. He applied for a job working in proximity to young people, but certainly not in a position of authority, and certainly not alone with them. He had to undergo a CRB check, and although I am not convinced of the merits of this safeguard in the first place, what happened next is a shocking indictment of ...
Salmond in a spin ...
War and destruction are easy to sensationalise and to be made into powerful rhetoric. For some, Israel is under attack, the Palestinians have rejected the agreement that would have guaranteed to them a homeland and peace, and they want to see the end of the state of Israel. For others, the Jews have colonised Palestine, driven Palestinians away from their homes and subjected them to humiliation
Why do the Milibands sound so much like Tony Blair? Everything they say is qualified by "I think that's the right thing to do" (Ed at 0:29), and "There are legitimate differences to be had" (Dave at 4:50). Anyway, nice to know that we've given up on the War on Terror. Now, I wonder whether we'll be able to convince the USA that it's a wrong policy?!
Salmond in a spin ...
Mark Pack, one of Lib Dem Voice team, has given an interview over at Liberal Conspiracy about LDV, what it is, what it does and why it does what it does. To my mind, Lib Dem Voice is a key part of the party's overall approach to the internet - these sorts of unofficial sites help reach out to audiences and cover stories that official sites are never going to. That's one reason why I post and comment from time to time over there. Important though www.libdems.org.uk is, posting on Lib Dem Voice reaches a difference audience and in a ...
Shephard Fairey's poster of Barack Obama (above) is now an accepted icon. You can create your own Obamicon on Obamicon.me I've done one of a photo of our glorious leader which I took at a blogger gathering at the House of Commons. It looks great. You can insert any photo and any motto. I hate photos of myself. So I've done a spoof one of me in tribute to "Father Ted".
A new year at Westminster, and the BBC's Question Time is back (BBC1 and online, 10.35 pm GMT) - and so is the weekly LDV open thread. If you're tuning in to watch, remember: don't get angry, get commenting. Lib Dem peer Baroness (Jenny) Tonge is the party's representative... once again: I have quite a lot of time for Jenny, but, really, QT's producers are getting boringly predictable in their bookings. Doubtless Baroness Shirl will be on their roster for this series, too. So, please, BBC: try a bit of fresh thinking. Anyway, Jenny will be appearing alongside Tory-turned-Labour MP ...
There have been regular claims that Alex Salmond regularly misleads the Scottish Parliament with his answers. He seems to always have an answer while other leaders whether in Holyrood or in Westminster always have a little with at least the occasional answer. However, at last weeks FMQs when asked by Tavish Scott about redundancy notices having been handed to staff of the Scottish Interfaith Council, Alex Salmond immediately without hesitation shot back ,as is his style and want, that the issue had been solved. This did take the wind out of Tavish's sails somewhat. Until during the week it became ...
Today's call by Holyrood Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson for the Standards and Privileges Committee to investigate the truthfulness of ministerial replies to the Scottish Parliament is welcome in one sense. It does, as Scottish Lib Dem leader Tavish Scott said, put the Gnat government on notice that it can't expect to get away with being cavalier in its statements to parliament, which it often has been over the past 18 months. But don't expect anything much to come from any inquiry. Ultimately, it's down to MSPs themselves to ensure that statements given to Parliament are accurate, and to hold people ...
When I find myself in agreement with both Friends of the Earth and the Church of England I know that something truly bizarre is happening. And bizarre is the nicest word I can find for the Government's plan to lend taxpayers money to private citizens so that they can buy new cars. Apparently, the British borrow a staggering £20 billion a year to finance the purchase of new cars. And with credit drying up and sales down 36.8% on the previous year, motorcar manufacturers have been left with thousands of unsold (some might say "unwanted") cars. Step forward Lord Mandleson, ...
It's been a little while since I have spoken in the Lords, so when I spotted that one of today's two Tory sponsored debates was about parking policy, and it's something I know a bit about, I put my name down to speak. We were due to start around two, but there were two statements today, one on Heathrow and the other on Equitable Life, so we didn't get going until around 4. Debates in the Lords altogether more civilised than in the Commons, not just because we generally behave ourselves but because we have a speakers list with pre-determined ...
Linlithgow Climate Change have secured £93,845 in the third round of funding from the Climate Challenge Fund which was announced today. The group has issued the following statement. Linlithgow Climate Challenge (LCC) have been granted £93,845 from the Climate Challenge Fund to reduce the carbon footprint of Linlithgow through co-ordination and administration of a suite of projects geared to engage the community of Linlithgow. LCC aim to engage a diverse spectrum of local community groups, individuals & businesses with several projects to find the most suitable ecological engagement. Some may prefer simple advice on energy saving through insulation, while others ...
The most adorable Pink Dog in the history of the world ever has been recognised by a wider audience - a mention in the BBC Internet blog, no less. This comes just a day after Lionel de Livi 's stat meter went almost radioactive after a link from the Guardian. Rumours hit my ears, though, that all is not well between the fluffy bloggers, with Lionel throwing a huge diva strop at Pink Dog stealing his headlines. "I'd be happy to give Pink dog the number of my plastic surgeon," said an angry Lionel after 17 glasses of red wine ...
Thu 15th
20:47
An escape to Fantasy Island - Digby Jones's unwitting tribute to Ricardo Montalban (somewhat revised...
This week saw the death of Ricardo Montalban, who is probably best known in this country for his role as the proprietor of Fantasy Island, a place where visitors could, for a fee, live their dreams. Ricardo greeted clients in an immaculate white suit and, assisted by Tattoo, his diminuitive assistant, handed out lessons for living to people who rather badly needed them. It probably wasn't his
Despite my regular outbursts against National Express, I continue to be a great fan of rail travel. Indeed, some of my anoyance with National Express and their service cancellations is the concern that poor service simply encourages people to switch to using the car instead. We have as a nation become accustomed to using the car. And whilst some rail passengers may switch to other modes of
Via LabourList: Just as Labour gets its new media act in order, cracks start to appear in the Tories cyber-strategy. The team that brought you Cameron's Washing Up: The Movie is apparently under pressure and out of favour with the 'old money' at Tory HQ. The Tories web guru is Rishi Saha and he's trying to do some good stuff but from what I hear he's not got the backing from the people internally who can make things happen. Full post here.
A while ago I wrote into the Nelson Leader about the shambles that were going to be made by the County Council because they wanted to switch off the lights on the motorway, at the time I opposed the silly idea with the letter but a Tory by the name of Mr Marcroft wrote in a letter after me accusing me of scaremongering. Now the Nelson Leader has reported that residents are against the idea and a man has spoken out about this shamble that County Hall has created. Lets see Mr Marcroft who is a Tory Councillor and this ...
Note to self: when making mashed potatoes (for bangers and mash and onion gravy) the usual rule of one clove of garlic per person might be slightly over the top. * breathes out * * melts wall * Still, it was very tasty. That is all.
Yesterday, the Evening Post included a piece about my campaign for more support for Neighbourhood Policing. Apologies for the awful photo! (I must send them some better ones). Also in the local press this week, an update on the ongoing Lib Dem campaign for action on empty homes, which we began two years ago, and which has resulted in Reading Borough Council adopting a comprehensive strategy for dealing with the problem, and beginning to bring vacant properties back into use - albeit slowly.
Street lighting costs South Glos £1.1 million a year, and that is predicted to rise to £1.6m by Oct 2009. South Glos is now thinking of switching off some of the lights. for a number of hours at night, possibly between midnight and 5.30am, to achieve a 40 per cent cut in energy costs and carbon emissions. The Council has promised that areas such as sheltered housing and accommodation for vulnerable people, hospitals, areas with CCTV surveillance equipment, pedestrian crossings, subways, enclosed footpaths and alleyways, roundabouts, approaches to major junctions and speed humps will still be lit. This is good ...
...but still vital to get the Liberal Democrat vote out for David Schmitz in Seven Sisters ward, Haringey. I was telling again at the by-election today (recording voters' polling numbers outside the polling station). This involved standing (well, hopping up and down) in the cold for a few hours with tellers from the other parties. During quiet patches, it was good to chat about politics, current affairs and thermal socks! I had an interesting discussion with the teller from the Greens, about today's Government go-ahead for a third runway at Heathrow. And as always happens when I'm telling at Haringey ...
Was I the only person who felt rather annoyed to see Oscar winning actress Emma Thompson lecturing us all on the need for less flights in the light of the go ahead for a third runway at Heathrow ? I am assuming that Emma Thompson, when working on each film she has done in America, has not chosen to cross the Atlantic by cruise ship and I doubt very much that I will clock up as many air miles as her if I lived for one thousand years, so in the same way as the Green Party in Norwich have ...
Yes, you did indeed read the headline right. To be more specific, I write in praise of Andrew Lilico's grown-up article today on ConservativeHome's CentreRight platform, Ridiculous assault or legimitate spin over "green shoots"? which invites readers to Imagine a Conservative government minister involved in the following exchange: Interviewer: "When will we see the green shoots of recovery?" Minister: "...I wouldn't want to be the one predicting it. I am seeing a few green shoots, but it's a little bit too early to say exactly how they'll grow." Now imagine that the Opposition and press attacked this minister for the ...
Thu 15th
18:38
Israel deliberately target non military targets - Time for the Israel apologists to stop
Let's make one thing clear, I have no inner hatred of Israel and have no time or sympathy for Hamas. However, what Israel has perpetrated today in Gaza is a deliberate war crime. One might have sympathy if they were attacking Hamas linked or controlled media because they may feel that these "state" organs are guilty of propaganda. But deliberately targeting independent media , as the Israelis have done today is appalling. Then there is the bombing of a hospital. Israel have all the GPS information on hospital locations, they know exactly where they are, so this has to be ...
I've got my plot at Heathrow. Have you? Not Rape. I found reading that incredibly triggering. I also found that it made me angry. Yes, there is a lot that people can do to protect themselves and make themselves safer. But I am really really squicked by the way that means that victims get blamed when they are raped. Nevertheless, it's a thought-provoking article.
Use every man after his desert, and who should 'scape whipping? asked Hamlet. A subeditor at the Guardian does not agree. He or she headed an article by Charlotte Higgins:All Britain deserves good art, but not just London exportsI am all in favour of good art and believe that much of it should originate outside London. But does any of us "deserve" good art? Isn't one of the reasons for supporting art the realisation that we are flawed human beings and the hope that it may make us better.In other words we do not deserve art because we are good. ...
Two short quotations from reports that went up on the Guardian website this afternoon. On Heathrow: Hoon insisted that a vote was not needed because the decision was "quasi-judicial". The government's decision was made in the interest of the country and not just Londoners, Hoon told McDonnell. "Heathrow is a national airport," he said.On plans to exempt MPs' expense claims from freedom of information legislation: Harriet Harman, the leader of the house, is to use a special parliamentary order that can become law within 24 hours after being debated by MPs and peers next week.I get the impression that in ...
Having taken an interest in his case in the past, I had better record that Otis (son of Bryan) Ferry has been freed on bail after, in the words of the Cotswold Journal: after he spent four months in jail while awaiting trial on charges of 'nobbling' witnesses set to testify in a case involving the alleged assault of a fox hunt monitor near Stow.One of the conditions of bail is that he lives in Kensington. How the other half lives, eh?
Iain Dale has John McDonnell MP mourning the "villages, homes, churches, schools and cemetaries" that will be lost if a third runway is built at Heathrow. It is easy to remember how to spell "cemetery". Just think of the ghosts who come out and go "Eee!"
The approval of the third runway at Heathrow is an extraordinary and historic event, and I kind of think we will all look back to it (15 January 2009) as the moment when everything changed. Of course, it is also a miserable condemnation of the Labour government, which has never stood up to anybody rich and powerful and clearly never will. They have never challenged a corporate interest. Never imagined a way the world might be different, cleaner, healthier or fairer. They are, in short, utterly pointless and borderline corrupt in their miserable failure to shift us in any way ...
Labour MP John McDonnell has today brought back memories of Cromwell to Parliament with his stunt that showed he really cares about the people of his constituency. The MP was right to pick up the mace if you ask me, the government should have allowed the Commons to vote on the runway and not make the decisions themselves. John McDonnell has got my support for his publicity stunt, I bet Gordon Prentice wouldn't have done that he had the chance when A&E was moving but did he NO! Just shows some MP's have what it takes to get themselves heard ...
Sunny Hundal over at Liberal Conspiracy has asked some questions to Mark Pack about Lib Dem Voice and I have found the whole interview interesting, because of this I am going to take a look at one question and the answer. What sort of online tools have you developed to enable Libdems to communicate with each ther? I personally like this question because Mark Pack has a great way to answer it. When Mark mentions that party campaign buttons get several million impressions each month it gets me thinking, do these buttons actually create this much visits and if they ...
Graham Watson MEP has written an article for Lib Dem Voice about what sort of President the European Parliament needs, and I think its the Graham sort! Graham is a well known MEP, he has the status in the European Parliament that will help him on his way to becoming president. I urge all MEP's reading this to support Graham, as he I believe is the best man for the job.
As we continue to see the news stories of the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians I think it is hard for most people not to be shocked at the dramatic turn in events. Relations between the two countries are rarely peaceful, but the continuing bombardment of the Gaza Strip seems to be a step beyond what anyone expected. It is made worse by the fact that so many innocent civilians are being caught up in the bombings, and the closure of Gaza borders means no food, water or aid is able to reach those who need it most. ...
Today's announcement that the Government admits maladministration and regulatory failure in the Equitable Life pension debacle will bring some relief to their many policyholders in St Albans. I admit that I myself have pension policies with Equitable Life which were slashed in value - but I was lucky to have diversified pension investments. Many others were not so lucky. They worked and saved for a reasonable retirement in what was held out to be a reliable company and then found that the cupboard was metaphorically bare. It is perfectly clear that Government regulators could have stepped in much earlier to ...
Most people are familiar with Bernard Cornwell's most famous creation, Richard Sharpe. From his days as a private fighting for the British in India to his colonelcy at Waterloo and beyond, we've seen Sharpe, both on the page and on screen, fight his way expertly through countless foreigners, win Wellington's respect and bed more women than Nick Clegg could dream of. To Richard Sharpe's many admirable qualities can now be added time travel, as he turns up in 1415, playing a key role in the English victory at Agincourt (or, to give it its proper French name, Azincourt). Sure, he ...
Sees a worrying indicator of the state of the economy in the growing number of empty poster spaces on the Tube...
The government has given the go ahead for the third run way at Heathrow Airport but will it back fire on them. The government have taken the decision to listen to big business over environment campaigners and I think it is most likely going to lead to it back firing. Gordon Brown will now have to go through a general election, when ever he calls it with the possibility that the opposition parties might attack his parties MP's for the Heathrow Airport runway. Lynne Featherstone MP has opposed the government by buying a share of land on which the government ...
I don't mean he's now even better qualified to run Lib Dem Voice, I mean the Voice's own Mark Pack been answering some tough questions from Sunny Hundal at the Liberal Conspiracy. Amongst the questions are these: No doubt you get accused of being a party mouthpiece all the time, since you actually work for the party. How would you counter that accusation? Isn't focusing only on Libdem news unlikely to attract new members? Do you think Libdembloggers aren't cohesive enough? Do they not talk to each other enough? You can read the full interview here - and maybe even ...
Commenting on Thursday's Public Accounts Committee report, which finds that the new MoD IT system has suffered major delays in implementation, Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey said: "When the Government's terrible record on major IT projects is brought together with the MoD's catalogue of failure on procurement, it is no surprise that we see this perfect storm of incompetence. "For years the MoD has needed to get its act together on procurement projects from military vehicles to computers. (more...)
{Ming in the House of Commons} Liberal Democrat MP Sir Menzies Campbell speaking today after the statement made in the House of Commons by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on behalf of the Government relating to Equitable Life said: "This statement is entitled to a cautious welcome but policy holders still have some way to go before they receive any financial compensation. The criteria, which the Government has set out, may be onerous in practice and it is by no means certain that all policyholders will receive payment nor that those who do will receive full value. "The delay ...
This morning's Metro newspaper leads with 'Minister hints at joining the Euro', after a comment by Europe minister Caroline Flint, opposing a promise made by David Cameron yesterday to keep the pound regardless of the circumstances. It is clearly a slow news day because, when you actually read the article that follows, she is quoted as saying, "We will make a decision based on economic
When I asked in the House of Commons about the availability of purchase financing credit I didn't get a response, but there appears to be a positive one in the newspapers today. This has, however, been an identified issue for over a month. Similarly the issue of a UK version of Chapter 11 needs further consideration. There was a letter in The Times today about thia (as well as my letter
The news about the third runway for Heathrow could not be worse. I can't begin to explain how angry I am about this, so what follows may be rather incoherent. This decision totally undermines any leadership that the UK was trying to give the world over climate change. How can we now urge the US to be more responsible over Kyoto and the rest if we take a step like this? The...
Commenting on John Hutton's attack on EU countries for failing to do enough to support the NATO mission in Afghanistan, Liberal Democrat Shadow Defence Secretary, Nick Harvey said: "There is certainly a case for more 'heavy lifting' to be done by our European allies in Afghanistan. "But John Hutton should remember that key European allies committed to Afghanistan while opposing the disastrous war in Iraq. (more...)
The Welsh Liberal Democrats have launched their own collaborative blog along the lines of Liberal Democrat Voice, though obviously not as professional. It will take a bit of time for Freedom Central to get going properly so bear with us.
Hot on the heels of announcing plans to expand Heathrow, the Government made a second statement about compensation for Equitable Life policyholders. The story here is that people took out policies with Equitable Life expecting that their money would be safe but because the company had over-extended itself (ie made very generous promises to some other policyholders) it ran out of money. Investors might reasonably have supposed that the powers-that-be would be keeping an eye on things, but apparently not... After various investigations and reports, the Parliamentary Ombudsman produced a detailed report last Summer calling for extensive compensation for those ...
The Liberal Democrats have recently kickstarted the process for its next general election manifesto - which might be needed at any time between June 2009 and May 2010. Chaired by Danny Alexander MP, the process kicks off formally this weekend with a one day conference taking place at the London School of Economics. 2009 marks the centenary of the People's Budget and the 101st anniversary of the Pensions Act (effectively the birth of the welfare state). With this in mind, the team behind Reinventing the State, a series of essays published in 2007 are keen to encourage the working group ...
Has our Foreign Secretary finally grown a pair...? In what could be described as an extraordinary speech, given in a city still reeling from their most recent terrorist atrocity, David Miliband has delivered what could be seen as a crushing blow to the neoconservative ideology around which the War on Terror (brought to you by Fox and Halliburton) was built - he even went as far as admitting that
Last night I went to see Waltz with Bashir
Cicero has a fairly humanities driven brain. Although I enjoyed science as a kid, I had to make a choice fairly early on, and thus while I kept on with Physics, I had to drop Chemistry and Biology as subjects at 14 in favour of subjects like History and of course Latin, which I was frankly much better at. Nevertheless, though I do not feel that I have an intuitive feel for Maths, I have always enjoyed reading popular science books and reading through the occasional copy of New Scientist. The latest book I have been reading is written by ...
Predictable uproar in the Commons on Hoon's promise breaking announcement today, as you can see via BBC Parliament. If you check the events at quarter to one, however, you will see the MP for the Heathrow area being suspended from the Commons for shouting out that it was an "insult to democracy" to not have a vote on the matter (unfortunately for him, no tellers were forthcoming for the division on the vote to suspend him, and they Ayes got their head). The justification from Hoon? The House does not vote on "Planning". Hoon is the same person who informed ...
The Cuban Ambassador to London hosted a reception at the Melia White House Hotel near Regent's Park last night, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution. The place was so packed one could hardly move, as the Havana Club rum flowed and guests were served miniature portions of iced gazpacho. The Cuban [...]
In the whirlwind of last night's Council Executive meeting, one item really did stand out (although not enough to keep the Conservatives in the room longer than 16 minutes...). There was a report from AGMA (The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities) which revealed that over £18m of public money had been spent on the failed bid to impose congestion charging in Manchester. Divided equally between the ten districts, this is £1.8m for Bury, which is more or less equal to the entire amount due to be invested in priority services next year. And every penny of it was wasted developing ...
Balloon love
I've got my own reservations about "the LCO" that's got everyone het up. In principle, I think the Assembly should focus on bigger things, more important things. The Welsh Language is extremely important to our country, its true. But may not THE most important thing to focus on. But whatever my views on that actual content, really, this whole saga just goes to show one thing. Why the heck are we waiting ages for the Government to approve just ONE competence order? Seriously, no wonder everyone's so disillusioned with the political process. And by the way, Paul Murphy, Mr "It's ...
Last night was one of the regular meetings of the Council's Executive Committee, where Council policy is formerly adopted by the calamitous Conservatives who are running Bury Council. Labour and the Liberal Democrats have been given one representative each on the committee, in an observing capacity and with no voting rights. This is probably the most important gathering of all the many Council meetings that take place. We debate things at full Council, ideas are scrutinised by Overview and Scrutiny Commissions, but it's not until the Executive that decisions are made. And yet these meetings have a nasty habit of ...
{Ming at Cupar Post Office} Commenting on the news that the Labour party is facing a revolt by over 60 of it backbenchers opposing the plans to part privatise the Royal Mail, North East Fife Liberal Democrat MP Sir Menzies Campbell has said that whilst the Royal Mail needs modernisation, it should not affect the vital services the Post Office offers to communities across the country. Sir Menzies said: "I have repeatedly said that Post Offices are vital to local communities right across the country. I campaigned hard against the recent losses of Post Office services here in North East ...
Whoever it was who leaked the detailed objections of Paul Murphy on the Welsh Language Legislative Competence Order appears to have achieved their objective. Within hours of the BBC setting up interviews to lead on the story this morning the Secretary of State for Wales announced that he was going to sign it off and refer it to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee even if he does have substantive reservations about the order: Although Mr Murphy has agreed the assembly government can publish the LCO, so that AMs and MPs can begin their scrutiny, he has also issued a warning ...
Matthew Parris offers up the delicious rumour that Quentin Davies will be (golden) parachuted in to replace the Beast of Bolsover. I'd love to be a fly on the wall to witness Dennis Skinner's (for it is he) reaction to that little nugget.
I intend to post at greater length about my opposition to the expansion of Heathrow airport. But I have taken the step of joining thousands of others in becoming a beneficial owner of the land due to become Heathrow's third runway. You can also sign up on the Greenpeace web site here. Environmental writer George Monbiot [...]
We live in a world of armchair experts: amateur psychologists, sofa-based football players, and in the (slightly nerdish) world of politics, would-be Leaders. Here in the European Parliament, there is a range of figures to criticise, including party leaders, group leaders, and the President of Parliament himself. That post becomes vacant after the European Parliament elections in June. On the basis that it's not quite cricket to carp from the back that "I could do better" I've taken the plunge and announced that I will be a candidate for the job. It won't be an easy ride. There are other ...
Greenpeace have bought a plot of land where the Heathrow third runway would be. They are splitting this piece of land between 'beneficiary owners' who don't have to pay anything but will be signing up to show support. I've signed up - as have Susan Kramer and Simon Hughes. So if you're interested visit the Greenpeace site.
The trial, expected to last around 10 weeks, of six people over allegations of postal vote fraud intended to help the 2005 Conservative general election campaign in Bradford West started yesterday. Haroon Rashid, the general election candidate, and five others are on trial. A seventh person, the former deputy chairman for finance in the local Conservative association Alyas Khan, has pleaded guilty. As The Times reports: Tory activists in a marginal seat hatched a postal ballot fraud in an attempt to rig the voting system at the last general election, a court was told yesterday. Their "well-organised attempt to subvert ...
Last night was the regular meeting of the Executive Committee of Bury Council. This brings together the nine Executive members from the ruling Conservative Group - myself and the Leader of the Labour Group are there with no vote. I'm pretty sure that this was the shortest Council Meeting I've ever been to - which is nothing to be proud of - over and done with in 16 minutes. I did ask a question on most of the agenda items, but otherwise everything went through at record speed! The main issues discussed were: Three Year Financial Strategy This was the ...
Both the "Evening Telegraph" and today's "Courier" have reported my great disappointment that Vodafone has been given permission to erect a 14.2m-high telecommunications mast at Balgay Bowling Club in Melville Terrace, close to residential housing. You can read the article in the Courier by clicking on the headline above. I had previously obtained the support of the City Council's Development Quality Committee in moving refusal of planning permission here. Unfortunately, the Scottish Government Reporter has now overturned that decision. I think it should be incumbent on mobile phone companies to ensure they do all they can to find sites away ...
I am a hopeless romantic in most aspects of my life. My political leanings have brought me to a political party that has been out of power nationally since the 1920's, and I was described as 'wonderfully soppy' by the Daily Telegraph. But it is sport which brings out a truly hopeless faith in the underdog. When American football made its first inroads into British consciousness in the
While here, I'll plug this book, which may be the funniest book ever written. J. Crow, UK, doesn't agree with me, but he admits to relishing reading about the misery of others so I can safely ignore him. It's a riotous spoof of the misery memoirs that have littered book shelves in recent years. It starts utterly ridiculous and never lets up. It has a strange resemblance to In Bruges - it's in
The rhythm of Parliamentary business in the new term resumed yesterday for me with a meeting of my Select Committee on Communications. For the next couple of weeks we're taking evidence on the state of public service broadcasting in the UK, against the backdrop of an Ofcom report which predicts a PSB funding shortfall of between £330 and £420 million each year. PSB funding has only been available to terrestrial broadcasters as part of a deal where they provide public service broadcasting such as children's, religious and news programmes, in exchange for access to broadcasting space (spectrum). This deal has ...
In my experience, when Tories run out of facts to support their arguments (which doesn't usually take very long), there are two routes of choice that they can take: lie or go hysterical. The former is much easier for others to disprove, but the latter is far funnier. One of the best examples occurred when a [...]
Mark Thomas is a one-man wrecking ball to the myth that left-wingers aren't funny. It takes real skill to write a hard-hitting book about worker exploitation and human rights abuse, which is also entertaining, balanced and unpreachy. The humour is pitch black in places, e.g. 'These are for you,' says Luis Eduardo, handing over a bundle of photocopied death threats. Not a traditional parting by
The Shropshire Star reports that the Sun Inn at Clun is to close. This is bad news because, as I argued in a recent House Points, the traditional pub was the bastion of the sensible drinking that we all want to see. Greg Mulholland has long been campaigning to save pubs, and his analysis of their decline agrees with that of the commenters on the Star website: it is largely the fault of the companies that own the pubs. It is also sad for me because the Sun is the first Shropshire pub I ever stayed in.
He will be best remembered for The Prisoner, and his Telegraph obituary reveals that he went to school in Leicestershire. But let us not forget Hell Drivers either.
I haven't publicised it too much really, but I have a small YouTube channel on which I've done a few local video's and campaign clips. A couple of them date back a few years now, but still have some currency. I'm struck by the extent to which some of the issues have moved on so much and how some are due to come round again to bite. In particular I'm sure that there will be a club application for the site on Finchley Road (formerly The Establishment and previously Barclays Bank). Here's the simple links Camden Green Fair: Granny ...
It is widely expected that later today the Government will give the go-ahead to a third runway at Heathrow. It is expected that this will eventually lead to an extra 600 flights every day over London. For obvious reasons there are considerable local objections to these plans, including the fact that a village of 2000 people is likely to have to be demolished to make way for the expanded airport. There will also be still more congestion and pollution in the local area. But on a national and international scale, the objection is even greater. Probably the number one challenge ...
Which is to say, I am no longer needed, having been superceded by a younger, more up to date, and more successful model. Via Penny Red: a new blog. Hmm. Someone who works behind a bar (but owns it, rather than getting paid a pittance). Someone who VOLUNTARILY didn't become a barrister, rather than not being offered pupillage. Someone with far more interesting heritage than me. Someone with a more interesting way with words than me. Someone male. I'll jack in now, shall I? ... Nah. Bollocks to that, and bollocks to deference. My knees are too knackered from hefting ...
It was a sad day yesterday for diffferent sets of cult TV fans as both Partick McGoohan and Ricardo Montalban passed. More than just a number McGoohan of course starred along with Portmeirion in The Prisoner as number six. As well as being a star of the cult show he was also the executive producer, plus directer and wrote a number of episodes. Before that he had stared in Secret Agent. He was also a close friend of Columbo star Peter Falk, appearing with Falk on the show and winning a couple of Emmy's in the process. Montalban is always ...
Its 1am on 15 January 2009 and I still haven't finished my "nine wishes" for the year. How crap am I? That very crapness is what I want to address, at least in passing, in number eight. By the end of 2008, I was frankly a bit of a misery guts. There are lots of reasons for that - the relentless media refrain of "we're all dooooomed!!!" doubtless hasn't helped much - but one of the reasons was that 2008 was just so busy for me. Workwise, we have been on an upward spiral - but it has been tough. ...
Losing Patrick McGoohan today was bad enough, but then it was announced that Ricardo Montalban has died as well. This is indeed a sad day. For politicos, McGoohan is probably the greater loss because of his highly political (and radical - not just of its time but of all time) subversion of the secret agent genre The Prisoner. It emerges that this is now being remade into a film (courtesy of the makers of the new film, you can watch the original series online gratis) - something which rivals the Watchmen film in terms of making me feel ambivalent. McGoohan's ...
A little while ago I expressed some concern about Susan Kramer MP's plans to attend a particular London event. To add a bit of balance I am reporting on a different event that she has attended. One that I heartily approve of. Last week we heard that Susan had stood down from the Shadow Cabinet to "take up a new role leading the party's campaign against the expansion of Heathrow Airport". Not a
Perhaps I should explain. Ros shares her office at the Lords with Lord Lee of Trafford, our Defence spokesman, and Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer, our Home Affairs spokesperson, and it is the latter who won a 'Flying Penis' at Wednesday night's 'Erotic Awards'. Quoting from their website; "The Erotic Awards began in 1994 to honour the stars in the erotic universe. We are cutting edge, grass
Nick with Castle Ward councillor Peter Armstrong at the public meeting, Castledown Primary School Following the meeting with Council officers organised by Castle Ward Forum on Wednesday night, Lib Dem parliamentary campaigner Nick Perry said, "West Hill residents have turned out in large numbers once again, and have re-affirmed their opposition to the proposed scheme. "Hastings Borough Council [...]
The Herald today launched a debate about whether there should be a local government shake-up in Scotland, suggesting that the number of local authorities could be cut from 32 to 10. There is some merit to what they say. There's no particular reason why Scotland should have 32 local authorities and the way the boundaries are drawn around some of Scotland's cities (especially Glasgow) doesn't seem to have a great deal of logic behind it. But there are reasons to be sceptical about whether creating just 10 super-authorities is the right approach. For a start, the idea that this is ...
Thursday: Nevermore an Orange Alert; Mr Patrick McGoohan has finally left the Village. Mr McGoohan was one of those legendary iconic figures, like Sir Christopher Lee or Dame Patrick Macnee, someone you just expect to go on forever, and the World is a profoundly poorer place for no longer having him in it. We celebrated his life by watching the Prisoner episode: "Dance of the Dead". It just seemed appropriate. The Prisoner isn't really about the story. It's not for understanding; it's for THINKING ABOUT. And it asks some pretty difficult questions about the important things like DEMOCRACY and FREEDOM ...
Big Finish really hit their stride with some thrilling audio dramas: Sylv's The Fires of Vulcan, The Genocide Machine and brilliant, New Adventuresish The Fearmonger and The Shadow of the Scourge; Colin's The Marian Conspiracy and, most captivatingly, Rob Shearman's darkly comic The Holy Terror. The Web of Fear is grippingly recreated on stage at The Portsmouth Arts Centre. The books include Colin's Grave Matter and Tom's Festival of Death, reaching their pinnacle in Paul Cornell's most wonderful story... Doctor Who - The Shadows of Avalon "Stories are about endings. They don't mean anything unless they come to an end." ...
