A man in Bristol legally produces porn films in his four bedroom house. Actors come and go, as do film crew. The business is totally legal; the films are created in private inside the house. And the neighbours are protesting, placards and all, to get the business shut down. One says it's affected house prices. (I think you might find that Brown's housing bubble is affecting them more, though if you protest long enough and loud enough, you'll probably put off any potential buyers who might be left). Another invokes the "won't someone think of the children" clause. A third ...
A day away from the ward today, discussing plans for forthcoming elections with other party members. We chose to go right away from our homes, from our phones and our computers and do our thinking by the seaside in Redcar. During the morning session the view of the sea was beautiful and very calming. By the afternoon the wind was getting up, the sky was greyer and the sea was definitely
BINS ON PAVEMENTS : Chris has received complaints from some residents about bins left on pavements - do let us know if you have encountered this problem - many thanks - e-mail focus@maryfield.net TAY HOTEL : Chris has written to the Council about the fact that the Tay Hotel (right) is still an empty eyesore, some time after a planning application was approved to have the building upgraded and re-opened. Chris says, "The Tay Hotel is in a very prominent location and it is vital that it is improved as soon as possible."
Saturday 9:30: talking to supporters in Blenheim ward. Two volunteers to deliver newsletters. Saturday 11:00: I call in to the Blenheim ward surgery, and join our councillors - who are not helping a stream of local residents. Saturday 12:00: Arrive at Leigh ward coffee morning. Two people sign up as members, and a good discussion of campaigning over the last month, and of issues we need to tackle. Leave at 1 pm. Saturday 15:00: Business survey in Southend East. Saturday 16:00: Talking to supporters in St Laurence ward. Three volunteers to deliver newsletters. Take the business survey to one business ...
If you work in a hospital where mothers and babies are treated, you should be aware that the NHS and the Government have loads of initiatives to encourage and support breastfeeding. Therefore, when a mum comes up to you with her hungry twins and asks where she can feed them in privacy, even if you don't know about the dedicated breastfeeding rooms, surely you would have the common sense to find her somewhere bright and clean with a comfortable chair. Surely to goodness you wouldn't punt the trio off into a store cupboard. It used to be commonplace to suggest ...
Every year in late January, a significant proportion of the world's movers and shakers in the fields of politics, business and banking (plus a sprinkling of Hollywood and pop celebrities) go up to the Swiss Alpine resort of Davos to swap notes at the World Economic Forum, but this year there is less of an [...]
Not for the first time, Janet and I went to Taza Indian Buffet for an extremely late lunch yesterday. Taza plays lots of 70s stuff and this from Simon May - long forgotten - was played. Simon May is a British musician and composer, best known for composing some of British television's best known theme tunes, including EastEnders and Howards' Way, and for composing the music for the 1988 film The Dawning. But not remembered for "Summer Of My Life" - but for me it brings back memories of a hot summer in 1976!
There's something very strange about seeing your current job advertised as I did in today's Liberal Democrat News. It's probably ridiculous, after all I am the one who handed in my notice so I could move to a new job. But it makes it feel more real and the end of an era. It's been [...]
One of my guilty pleasures is the Eurovision Song Contest. I still like it, but at least I am slightly less obsessive about it now than when I was younger. Perhaps it should have been an early signal of my sexuality. I've just finished watching the final of the contest to choose the UK entry and [...]
As we covered at the time, a feature of US elections is referendums on social issues, and an important one that happened last year was California's Proposition 8. Californian courts had ruled that marriage should be available to gay couples. Voters were asked whether they wished to change the constitution to revert to the status ante quo and remove marriage as an option for homosexuals. The campaign was hard fought and tons of money was raised on each side. Donations over a $100 had to be registered with records made publicly available. During the campaign, there was some evidence that ...
We're still moving to the new blog. The blogroll, graphics, etc. are now up. We're going to put a few posts up before moving everything across. I suspect it will still have some teething problems, but hopefully those will get ironed out soon too.
In recent days I have come across two examples using Captain Mainwaring from Dad's Army as an exemplar of the sort of traditional bank manager whose demise we now regret. In the Guardian this morning Simon Hoggart wrote: If we still had bank managers like Captain Mainwaring this crisis would never have happened. "No I won't lend you the money, you stupid boy. You would probably never pay me back."I can't find this piece on the newspaper's website, but for some reason Apocalypse Times has a graphic of this part of the column. And a few days ago Larry Elliott ...
I was delighted to be invited to go along to watch Bath City play Newport County in the Blue Square premiership league. Bath City were quick off the mark and scored in six minutes and after a scrappy first half deserved their lead. At Half time I joined our Local MP Don Foster on the Pitch to present a award to the youth Team that have done very well this season. The Second Half...
Apologies for the lack of posts recently - I've been helping out with the local council byelection (we gained votes from both Labour and the Tories, even though the Tories did their hardest campaigning in years in this ward) and I've also had some extremely bad stuff going on in my personal life, which I [...]
We held a thought-provoking discussion last night on the issue of "Peak Oil" - that is the very real likelihood that we are already near maximum production of oil and that we will then struggle even to maintain this level of production while global demand continues to soar, particularly in India and China. The discussion was led by Nigel Quinton, Liberal Democrat candidate for Hitchin & Harpenden. Nigel is by training a geologist, and worked for more than 20 years in the oil industry, mostly at BP. He presented some sobering graphs and figures demonstrating the apparently inexorable rise in ...
I am on the bus now, leaving Newcastle to head home to Sunniside. I have just spoken at the meeting on opencast mining. It looks like a region wide group will be set up to fight the ever growing number of opencast coal applications. I said that any such group will need to have an alternative vision for energy that is not based on coal but is based on renewables, devolved power production and
The Cabinet Office says its overarching purpose is "making government work better". Me? I'd change it to "making the Cabinet Office work better" or even "making the Cabinet Office reply to correspondence from the public, now and again, pretty please". As you may have guessed, I've been trying to communicate with them... First I tried an email through their website, back in September. No response. Oh well, no technology is perfect I thought. Let's be fair and given them another try. Another website submission in October. No response. Back to old-fashioned communications then, and a letter in December. No response ...
To be found at OurKingdom.
Sat 31st
16:10
A Liberal Democrat Film Festival - Graham Watson launches the European campaign in the South West
Once in a lifetime, there comes a motion picture... Back in the main hall, delegates were treated to 'Graham Watson MEP - the movie', a documentary of an average week in his life as our Member of the European Parliament here in the South West. Graham then spoke about the importance of linking the European and County campaigns, and the opportunities presented by the weakness of Labour and the
I can blog from live writer as well good old microsoft CJ
The Guardian is reporting that the world should soon have it's first openly gay national leader. Johanna Sigurdardottir looks set to become the Icelandic Prime Minister after the collapse of the previous government (some banking issue apparently - no idea what it was all about). Johanna, who drinks from the furry cup, married Jonina Leosdottir in 2002, at the age of 60, in a civil ceremony. Johanna will also be Iceland's first openly female prime minister (previous prime ministers may have been male impersonators but, if so, they were very good at it).
Sat 31st
15:03Nick Clegg: nationalise the weakest banks, cut out unfair tax breaks for the wealthy, invest in our ...
I'm standing at the back at the joint Devon & Cornwall/Western Counties Regional Conference, watching Nick make the keynote speech. He's in bloody good form, as far as I can judge, and his dander is well and truly up. Best of all, he's not just talking about concepts and philosophy, he's actually talking about specific measures which, if the media would pay any attention, would resonate with the
Hi again test post from Iphone
I've decided to post book reviews every month instead of every quarter this year. Most of these reviews can also be found on Amazon.In January 2009, I read the following books: 1. Island in the Sea of Time, by S. M. Stirling This is one of those books that is often said to define its sub-genre (modern people thrown back in time to live amongst savages - it's a surprisingly common theme in bad scifi/fantasy), by an author who is a giant in his genre (alternate history). And it was pretty much what I expected. It has no literary merit ...
I have now been tagged by so many people in the 25 Random Things about me meme that's going round Facebook that I thought I'd better get on with completing it myself. I am not going to tag anyone because I just think that if you want to do it, you'll do it anyway and I don't want to limit myself to 25 people. I want to know more about all of my friends. Anyway, here goes with my random facts: 1. I got detention during the 1983 election for going canvassing for Bob Maclennan in Caithness and Sutherland when ...
After a few months away from the weblog world, I am back again with some new discussions etc.. watch this space for updates. also if you want you can now follow me on Twitter @cejennings facebook, msn etc.. So hows life great the new job is going well, but the bankers have put a bit of a strain on things but going in the right direction Blog soon CJ
... anyone who thinks that joy and wonder and awe at the beauty and complexity of the world is something which is confined to religious people should watch this programme on BBC1 tomorrow, which is part of the Darwin season. No matter what your opinion on Darwin, you cannot deny that David Attenborough has an overabundance of joy and wonder and awe at nature. I ♥ David Attenborough, the whole country's favourite science uncle.
Back on the road again, this time to Western Counties. Ros and I set off for Yeovil Junction, where we were met by Jill Shortland, Leader of Somerset County Council, and whisked off to Chard for the first engagement of a busy weekend, the Chard Branch Annual Dinner in the lovingly restored Guildhall. Now I know what you're thinking, branches, not very big. And yet, there were sixty people there
... is now up on OurKingdom, courtesy of Tom Griffin.
I attended the Low Carbon Event this morning run by one of the areas leading employers, Wolseley and Lib-Dem run Leamington Town Council. The event was held at Wolseley's Sustainable Building Centre at Spa Park, which showcases the latest sustainable products and renewable technologies. It is encouraging that we have a local employer developing and promoting these products. This is vital not only for the environment but also for economic recovery. It is clear that we must invest our way out of the current economic crisis. There is a growing consensus amongst Political and Business leaders across the world that ...
Turkish Prime Minster Erdogan storms off the stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos following a heated debate with the Israeli President Shimon Peres. I've watched the incident, and its my view that Erdogan's patience and anger was aimed at the so-called moderator, the Washington Posts, David Ignatius, who allowed Peres a good 25 minutes to put his case, which included criticisms towards Turkey, only allowing Erdogan 12 minutes to have the right to reply and put his own case forward, and being constantly interrupted by Ignatius. Whatever your criticisms of Turkey, the culture demands good manners and respect ...
{Lynne Featherstone at Alexandra Palace Park playground} Went out after surgery yesterday to visit two of the local projects funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. First off - the makeover for Alexandra Palace Park - where there is a real transformation. Now we have views along the axis - like a mini (very mini) Champs Elysees. Landscaping and renewal around the rose garden. The children's playground is now a delight and the views no longer screened by scary clumps of growth where mothers with toddlers used to fear strangers might lurk. The skate part and the graffiti wall are doing ...
When I heard it, I was slightly shocked. Now, before I discuss the story above, I should say something. I may dislike the current Pope intensely, but it is a hideous twisting of the facts to claim he is a 'Nazi', as many of my friends like to wind me up by doing. It is, it seems, the favourite trendy insult to throw against someone who grew up in terrible, terrible times. But then he does something like this (see link above), renouncing the excommunication of a Bishop who denied the Holocaust. In my mind, there isn't much that is ...
A few days ago Tony Moybray, the West Brom manager, suggested what many fans have suspected for some time when he made clear that some referees are too chummy with certain top players. I remember well when Norwich were in the Premiership that tackles were not met with even punishment when playing top teams. Referees would stand having long chats with Rooney, Henry, Lampard and others whilst being happy to waive a yellow card the first time a "star" player was tackled. Tony Moybray did not say that referees were biased, for to do so would incur an FA charge, ...
I hope it's not just me who is really happy that everyone is going on about the awesome that is the ArethaHat. The lady who wore it is pretty damn awesome too, and this should not be forgotten in the flurry of praise for the Hat. Apparently a lot of the people who are professing love for The Hat are doing so mockingly. This saddens me. Awesome Hats should be encouraged, not mocked. Tomorrow is Imbolc Eve, and a traditional time for Spring Cleaning. Hopefully this will spur me into action... And then Monday is Imbolc. I like Imbolc. Imbolc ...
Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg have both used the word "British" as the key to a political message in the last six months with, er, contrasting results. Clegg's usage, after an initial flurry of interest from the Telegraph the which reference I now can't find, sank from view as usual. And his suggestion that people respond [...]
Note to self: large amounts of brandy at a birthday thing the night before you have to get up early to go somewhere it takes three quarters of an hour to drive to = not a good plan. Watching fabulous old Ealing comedies when you get home and drinking MOAR BRANDY till stupid o'clock is a worse plan. I didn't wake up till well after we should have been in Marsden, and I am still not out of bed now. Sorry, Marsden folks! There are stuff, and also thingies, I wish to blog about. But my brain is full of ...
This fortnight's Private Eye has some very funny bits in it. In Media News, the Eye reports that the BBC is cutting back to meet a £140m licence fee shortfall "with taxi bills slashed, hacks sacked, champagne banned (?!) and repeats repeated across all channels". Now the Beeb have found another way to save money. BBC 1's "Total Wipeout" is "presented by Richard Hammond and Amanda Byram" insists
I'm unlikey to actually blog anything exciting today between football, then clubbing later I'm trying to get ahead on this week's Scottish Round Up. Nice relaxing weekend planned.
Conservative Home has a post about a new US Republican Chairman who is an African American, which comes as a celebration for Conservatives word wide as it shows they are on their way to become diverse something Liberals and Democrats have been for a very long time. This new Republican Chairman could affect politics in America because it could lead to more and more black people getting involved and you never know, America might one day elect a Women President or even a Black American President! To read the post over at Con Hom follow the link!
Yesterday whilst speaking to a group of journalists the phone of Gordon Brown rang, but who was it? The Prime Minister has the same ring tone as me, the Nokia tone but who was ringing Brown in the press release. Many people have their conspiracies with people naming a few people like, Darling, Mrs Brown but who was it? If anyone has any idea do leave a comment! And to view the video of the phone ringing follow the link!
Responding to UK Sport's announcement that eight Olympic and four Paralympic sports have had London 2012 funding cut because of a £50m budget shortfall, Liberal Democrat Shadow Olympics Minister, Tom Brake said: "UK Sport is right to prioritise the funding it has available but today's announcement is a bitter blow for all those sports that have been cut." "The London...
Commenting on today's Ministry of Justice figures showing that a record number of prisoners were released early last month under the scheme to ease prison overcrowding, Liberal Democrat Shadow Justice Secretary, David Howarth said: "Today's record releases are the direct result of this Government's spectacular mismanagement of the prison system." "If our jails weren't...
I had put my twitter account to resting but a few days ago I had the urge to bring it back, so here it is! If you would like to follow me on Twitter then follow the link!
Bath MP Don Foster has shown her support for whales by striking a 'whale tail' pose with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). Don is taking part in IFAW's 'Tails for Whales' photo art project, which has been launched to raise awareness of the need for greater whale protection. IFAW is encouraging people from all walks of life to be photographed making the whale tail...
This morning's Western Mail reports on the predictions of the Institute of Fiscal Studies that the Assembly Government faces the prospect of a freeze on its budget after 2011: In the next spending review period (2011-14), the Treasury has pencilled in annual rises in overall UK public spending of 1.1% per year above inflation. But the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) says that this modest
LDV reported this week on the Scottish Lib Dems' decision to open talks with the SNP, following the casting vote rejection by the Holyrood parliament of the nationalists' £33bn budget. In its budget analysis, The Scotsman poses the question, Why did the Lib Dems change their tune? The article begins by mounting a fierce attack on the Scottish Lib Dems for ditching their principles: Why had the party, which had adhered to its principle of a 2p cut in income tax throughout the process, suddenly thrown it all away to offer the SNP its support in getting the Budget through? ...
The question of which political party might have the best claim to the title of the most progressive force in British politics has been much debated here on the pages of LDV recently - Alix Mortimer posed the question, Yes, but is it progressive?, Mark Pack enquired into the motivation of Progressive London here, and I questioned the Tories' attempt to reclaim the word here. In his Guardian blog today, Henry Porter surveys the progressive scene - here are his judgements: The Tories: It is true that Conservatives have said they will scrap both the third runway and ID cards. ...
Don't forget, if you're a party member you can register for the Lib Dem Voice members' forum. You'll be in good company: there are 879 registered members, all of whom have the opportunity to read and post on a rich variety of topics which don't always make it into the public blog, as well as having the chance to vote in LDV's monthly tracking surveys. Here's a selection of the currently active threads to whet your appetites: >> Organ donation: presumed consent? >> Is their a link between crime and Immigration in the UK? >> The Return of Ken Clarke ...
{Data on a computer screen} How many "soft releases" does the Government's ID card scheme need? In November 2008 it was introduced - but "only" for foreign nationals who come to the UK under a visa, to work, study or marry. Then this autumn, "only" airside workers at Manchester and London City airports were selected as the scheme's next guinea pigs. Not content with targeting people on the basis of nationality or occupation, Jacqui Smith has announced her latest "volunteers": the City of Manchester. Oh, and young people. From The Guardian: "The Home Office said it was trying to identify ...
My House Points column from yesterday's Liberal Democrat News. Lest we forget Is concern about accountability and democracy a luxury at a time of economic crisis? That was the question Nick Clegg asked the audience at Portcullis House, Westminster, on Tuesday night. He was speaking at an event marking 20 years of the campaign group Charter 88. Now part of Unlock Democracy, Charter 88 was set up to campaign for constitutional and electoral reform. A book - Unlocking Democracy: 20 Years of Charter 88 - has also been produced for the anniversary. Nick's answer was clear: "An economic crisis is ...
Well, I thought I was freakishly obsessive about spelling and punctuation. To be honest, I am. Most of my colleagues want to kill me on a regular basis because I just can't let a grammatical error or spelling mistake lie. I probably need therapy, but I can't afford it so my nearest and dearest are stuck with this particular foible. It doesn't stop them giving me all of the office proof-reading to do, though. So, we've established I'm bad. It's good to have found somebody worse - and he's being really censorious about it. I guess we shouldn't really mock ...
The City Council has published useful ward maps of the City and you can access the West End one by clicking on the headline above. The red dots highlight key facilities and if you move your mouse over them, addresses and contact details are highlighted. Updated copies of the paper version, with useful contact phone numbers, will be available in March.
Blogging really will be light today. I have 1,500 Focus leaflets to deliver over the weekend but most of my time will be spent with Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, Vince Cable who is visiting Swansea today. He will be starting off with a question and answer session with local business men and women at lunchtime, then meeting local traders around Swansea West before starring as guest of honour and speaker at a dinner in the Dragon Hotel.
I note from yesterday's Guardian that the allegations made against four Labour peers concerning cash for amendments have had some consequences already. The paper reports that Lord Taylor of Blackburn, one of the peers at the centre of the claims, has lost his consultancy with the credit check company for which he allegedly boasted he had altered legislation: Experian said it was "surprised" by the Labour peer's descriptions to undercover reporters of his role for the firm. "We have agreed that Lord Taylor will retire with immediate effect," a spokesman said. Taylor is the second peer to lose a consultancy ...
Cos Senator Claire MacAskill is where it's at. Not content at helping to deliver Missouri for Obama she's swinging the handbag in the Senate about those thievin' scumbags they call banking CEOs. Liberal Revolution salutes you!
Spending an evening with people you love. Having a couple of drinks, and being rubbish at pool. Free brandy. Snuggles with birthday girls. All these things are good things. So yay for Sarah's birthday, and YAY for not being in a boo like I was earlier. Sorry 'bout tha'. Things to not forget when sober: - Mat is going to Sarah's to fix her computer woes on Wednesday after dropping me at work. - take some food to Marsden tomorrow. - there was something else, but I forgot. I think I know the cure for this. MOAR BRANDY!!!
