Stephen Cooke, a Salford Lib Dem councillor, has blogged about the attack by anti-facists on a BNP fundraiser in the North West. Vehicles were damaged with hammers, and a BNP member was taken to hospital after being attacked with a hammer.Nobody could question how I totally abhor the BNP. But this sort of attack only helps the BNP. I am also opposed to "no platform" positions being taken against
Work tomorrow. Time for bed # Must tell Ferdi that the sun rising does not necessarily mean it's time to get up # Why should I let the toad work Squat on my life? Can't I use my wit as a pitchfork And drive the brute off? # http://twitpic.com/231pz - Me at work - It's quiet # Still quiet - I like [...]
I'm amazed at the bravery of people who speak out against injustice even though they've known family members to be hurt or killed. I feel humbled when I see people on TV in far off countries who will risk all for democracy or human rights, but when I meet such a person face to face words often fail me. This week I met such a woman - Iraqi, formerly a university lecturer in Baghdad, she lost her
I'm in Perth today, attending the Spring Conference of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, where I'm the keynote speaker at the Conference Dinner. The day has been spent attending various sessions, the highlight being Vince Cable's speech. One of the things that most impresses me about Vince is his ability to spot issues that go unmentioned otherwise, and I was particularly intrigued by the question he put to the Scottish Nationalists. He noted that, had Scotland been an independent state, the losses sustained by the Scottish banks would be irretrievable by an Edinburgh government. Indeed, as Vince pithily put it, the ...
It seems that if you are a man window shopping in certain parts of Cheshire, not only is your custom unwelcome, but the local constabulary will turn up mob handed and try to make out that you are about to rob the shop. What is so ludicrous in the case from last Wednesday was that not only was the person that the police did this too a Premiership footballer, but he was on crutches having undergone a major operation after suffering cruciate ligament damage in the Everton match against Newcastle some weeks ago and the police tried to take his ...
I am sat here on Saturday evening while the Euro campaign fundraising dinner is taking place, where new Federal Party President, Ros Scott is the guest speaker and Ross Finnie MSP is the Master of Ceremonies. During the course of today, yesterday and also tomorrow we have run a whole host of training modules and briefings for local party officers and we have had a great response. I attended the Liberal Youth quiz last night with three quiz masters, Alistair Carmichael MP, top candidate Katy Gordon and Hugh O'Donnell MSP - a great night was had by all and the ...
Read on the BBC site that the North West BNP were attacked last night whilst having a fundraising do. A mob of anti-fascist campaigners attacked their vehicles with hammers and one BNP member ended up in casualty after a hammer blow to the head. Now I despise all that the BNP stand for with a [...]
As reported on the Aberavon and Neath Liberal Democrat blog, the Liberal Democrat AM for Cardiff Central, Jenny Randerson has proposed a Legislative Competence Order which would enable the Welsh Assembly Government to insist that major land use developments include a travel plan.Jenny explains: "It is essential that all new, large, planning developments take account of people's transport habits
All of this talk of quantitative easing is confusing at the best of times. It certainly did not feature when I took my A level Economics exam thirty years ago. However, the Independent has a new twist. They say that much of the new money the Bank of England has "printed" to stimulate the UK economy is ending up abroad where it will be of no benefit to UK households and businesses: The Bank is in the process of purchasing about £75bn of government securities, or gilts, over a three-month period, the first instalment of a massive £150bn programme. The ...
The Southport Visiter has picked up the story of Conservatives and Labour voting together to increase car parking charges by 25%. They did this back in November. The Lib Dems voted against. Sadly the Visiter appears to have been duped by a bit a spin because their story begins by saying: "The decision was passed by senior Conservative and Labour councillors in November - before the true gravity of the economic downturn became apparent. "Pardon me.I was at the cabinet meeting in November when the Tories and Labour voted to increase the parking charges. David Tattersall and I both warned ...
One of the slightly less documented and probably less edifying aspects of conference is documented by Chris Lovell over on his blog. Not present on Chris's blog are the contents of a rather snide and deceptively coloured lilac leaflet that Sara Scarlett also circulated at conference. Subsequently an apology has been issued which can only, charitably, be called insincere. One of the most noticeable things about her campaign website is the complete lack of any political content which probably explains why she is trying to turn the contest into a purely personal one. Also, notable is the screeching lack of ...
We had a great campaign day in Clerkenwell today. Mind you it started a bit madly. As I was getting ready to leave the flat, I got a casework phone call and ended up making a dash for the bus with a heavy bag of target letters for one of the student halls. So much for [...]
Upward Curve is a small PR firm based in Kingston. A couple of years ago when I was starting up Young Kingston Upward Curve took it on as their charity of the year and provided me with invaluable free consultancy. I had much to thank them for, and I liked working with a local company that operated with high community-based values. The good news is that they are now looking...
Another successful social and fundraising event was had by Birkdale Lib Dems this morning; Morning Coffee at the home May and Robert Hamilton. It was good to see Richard Hands there running his tombola stall. May and Robert made us all most welcome. In the garden green house Robert had all his potatoes chitting ready to plant out on the allotment on Good Friday as is the tradition in these parts. I arrived on my bike as befits councillor for a town which is going to be one of the demonstration cycle towns. My colleague Fred Weavers who really ought ...
Community organiser in Homer, Louisiana tells police chief that local black people are afraid of the police. The chief's reply: "If I see three or four young black men walking down the street, I have to stop them and check their names. I want them to be afraid every time they see the police that they might get arrested." I swear I am not making this up. LibDig This!
Just back from Luton where I was working for a few days and happened to be there the day of the demonstration that has had wall to wall media coverage. The 2nd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, who were given the freedom of the town some years ago, were greeted by thousands, when around 20 anti-Iraq war protesters who tried to disrupt the parade, by shouting abusive anti-war slogans. The protest was organised by former members of Al Muhajiroun, the banned group founded by the radical preacher Omar Bakri Mohammed. Abu Omar and Abu Shadeed were two of the protesters. ...
Firstly some good news, BBC2 is going to show all 5 series of The Wire. I've never seen it but its reputation precedes it. Worryingly, the BBC say it "will be shown stripped across the week". Does this mean on several days a week? I'm not so keen on this as it probably means I won't have time to watch all of them! I have also been watching the Red Riding Trilogy on Channel 4, another drama that's supposed to be brilliant. However, whist the cast and direction are excellent, I'm not sure they haven't left out half the plot! ...
There are hundreds of young women in the public eye and, tragically for her and her family, Jade Goody has drawn the short straw and become one of the few women under 35 to contract cervical cancer. It's all over the papers and the TV. Women are, very understandably, worried and we're told that more are going to their doctors. That's what we'd expect: we all worry more about the things in front of our noses. We worry about the crimes and diseases that we read about in the papers, or that happen to affect our friends and family, far ...
The Birkdale Blog is backing a petition launched by local MP John Pugh concerning the police station serving Birkdale and Ainsdale. The wording of John's petition is below and their is a link if you wish to print it off for others to sign. We have also launched and online petition where you can sign up straight away. The police are carrying out a review of the hours and staffing of Ainsdale Police Station. We the undersigned call upon the Chief Constable to dismiss any suggestion of reduced hours or reduced police staff at Ainsdale Police Station. Click here to ...
I've been attending Scottish conference for a number of years now since I came across in 2001. I mentioned back at Autumn conference how impressed I was at the way our part encouraged it's youth wing in tabling debate and calling them to speak. We had a good number of contributions from Liberal Youth Scotland in Autumn, far more than I'd seen for a long while, but this conference there has been even more. They have all been of high quality and they had about half of the questions for the Leaders' Q&A session earlier to Tavish Scott and Alistair ...
Apologies to Martin, who, at Conference, I told that Voltaire said, "Mankind will not be free until the last prince is strangled with the entrails of the last priest." Not only did Voltaire not say, but Diderot didn't say it either. This comes hot on the heels that Voltaire also might not have said that he would defend to the death your right to say a thing of which he disapproved.
Seeing as many of my friends are away in Perth this weekend, I thought I'd do a wee guide to Comic Relief for them to watch on their return so all they have to do is collapse their weary, hungover bodies in front of their laptops and read on. I wasn't surprised when I went to YouTube today and discovered that the bits of Comic Relief that had been posted were the funny ones and not the films which showed the projects that our money goes to support. I was particularly moved by the films shown last night about Malaria, ...
Here is my speech which sadly was never heard out loud for the above debate. Conference a few years ago you will remember that we debated and passed a policy of fiscal autonomy for Scotland. You may also recall that the bulk of that motion faced a substantial amendment from Policy Committee after the words "Conference notes". I, in my less rebellious persona, spoke strongly for that amendment. Not because I was opposed to fiscal autonomy, but because I said we needed to see it as a part of a greater federalism. I've lived in London, Northern Ireland and Scotland ...
What is the point of free newspapers produced by local councils? These days, almost every council has one - but no one seems to know what they are for . The argument you hear most frequently in favour of free newspapers is that they save councils money: without them, they would have to spend the money on advertising in local newspapers, and this works out more expensive than sending a out a free sheet via Royal Mail. Another argument you hear is that sending free newspapers to every resident is the only way to deliver statutory notices to everyone. Leave ...
David Davies MP has called for "abusive protests against serving military personnel" to be outlawed. Davies has modelled himself as a staunch opponent of political correctness, but the truth is that he - like most people obsessed with the horrors of PC - is all for it really. He just has different political priorities. It must be uncomfortable for David Davis MP to be constantly confused with a reactionary such as Davies. Given Davis' own reactionary tendencies (before he managed to reinvent himself as a civil libertarian and self-appointed torchbearer for the modestly named "Davis Agenda"), that's saying something. Sadly, ...
Alright, I freely admit that, until I met Ros, the smallest place I had lived (apart from my university days) had a population in excess of seven million - a cosy little place called London. Now I spend my weekends - apart from those on the road with Ros - in Creeting St Peter, population 260 (and that's the entire parish!). The area has no stunning scenery, no significant tourist attractions, no unusual wildlife. It does have a gentle pace, some charming villages and some great food. Locally produced pork products, cheese, beer and some marvellous farm shops and butchers. ...
A huge part of last night's highly successful Comic Relief programme was devoted to the devastating effects of Malaria which needlessly affects so many children in Africa. Film after film of seriously ill and dying children was shown and the point made that their illness could be avoided by putting a Mosquito net which costs £5 over their beds. Much was made about the Government giving extra tax breaks to help Comic Relief provide more of these vital, lifesaving nets. What they didn't tell you, of course, is that the UK Government routinely deports children to the very places in ...
Well I got to see this live as it went out last night on the television, not being stuck in some really interesting fringe meeting drinking wine - it's the Party's Conference Broadcast. I'd give it probably a B+ because it didn't tackle what is in my view the biggest problem we are facing at the moment - the desperate need for new social housing, but it does show the folly of the Chancellor's ineffective VAT cut and shows how the money could have been much better spent. LibDig This!
Liberals frequently quote Voltaire saying, "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it". But did he really say it? The provenance of this quote is often given as disputed, but Danny Finkelstein in The Times this week had an excellent summary where those words really came from. You can read his piece here.
Before I forget, here are some snippets from conference. Friday 2pm Check into hotel, check emails. Three exuberant messages about the Buxton by-election the previous evening, won by Liberal Democrat Barbara Rix with 71% of the vote. Another gain from the Conservatives. Friday 3pm Walk over to the conference centre, where the second person I meet is ...Barbara Rix! She tells me that she managed just three hours sleep before coming up for conference (where she is a steward). Fantastic. Friday 4.30pm Photo with Clegg. I have met him only infrequently in the past and it is some time since ...
It was one of the first issues I ever campaigned on, and I'm sad to say the amount of litter in Redlands, and in Reading more generally continues to be a real concern both to local residents, and ourselves. Vast amounts of money are spent by the Council, in conjunction with local business, keeping the town centre tidy to meet government targets but the areas on the edge of towns fare less well in my view. I would go as far as to say that it is one of the top five things that people notice about the area they live in and ...
As well as taking part in the Q&A session yesterday, Vince Cable also gave a keynote address to the Scottish Conference today. Vince highlighted that blame for our current economic problems was widely shared: it's not just the bankers, as there were also failures by regulators and by politicians. He very elegantly demolished Gordon Brown's contention that the recession was purely a global problem by highlighting the many things this government had got wrong, chiefly failing to deal with the housing boom by not including house prices in their measures to tackle inflation. Although the speech was quite sober and ...
I received an unexpected telephone call yesterday, from a journalist at the Independent, to follow up on a survey published by the Halifax. According to their survey, Mid Suffolk has the highest standard of living amongst the 114 rural local authorities. I represented Needham Market ward on Mid Sufolk District Council in the early nineties, and Bosmere ward on Suffolk County Council from 1993 to 2005, and have lived in the area for thirty years and, whilst life is not wholly idyllic, it is a place which has more than its fair share of charm. The reason for the call? ...
Greetings from Perth, where the Scottish Liberal Democrats have gathered this weekend for our spring conference. There's no doubt what the main theme of the conference is: it's the economy, stupid. Yesterday we passed a comprehensive package of policies to get our economy moving again. You can find details of the policy in the conference agenda. By the way, I would have thought that the Scottish Lib Dem website would have had the policies in an easy to find part of their website rather than just on the agenda, but we don't seem to be updating the site to give ...
Bury's young people have been voting for a representative and deputies to the "Youth Parliament". Record numbers of young people aged 11 to 18 - some 7,869 - cast their vote on March 5. With 1,887 votes, the winner was Umar Mukhtar (aged 17), of Holy Cross College. He defeated 12 rivals to become Bury's Member of Youth Parliament (MYP), taking over from Catherine Rawsthorne who steps down after two years. Elected as his two deputies are Andrew Gregoriou (aged 16) of Castlebrook High School, and Ruth Hatton (aged 17) of Holy Cross College. Bury is entitled to one Member ...
{logo-shipston-town-crest-colour-2.jpg} This morning was the regular surgery that the Town Mayor and District Councillor Richard Cheney hold every month at Clark House. This month it was well represented by councillors, with the Deputy Mayor and me there as well. The surgeries take place at Clark House every second Saturday of the month, between 10am and 12 midday. You don't have to make an appointment - please just turn up. If we can't help you, we can almost certainly point you in the direction of someone who can. Philip
In hard times, it is always good to have a chance to let one's hair down and celebrate - and what better day than the national day of England - St George's Day - 23 April. Each year Sittingbourne has hosted a St George's Day parade, a popular festival with games, music, competitions and various stalls and events. And it is much needed good business for local retailers. Unfortunately this year Swale Council have decided to cancel their contribution to this day - saying there is no funding - despite increasing parking and other charges. So the parade is now ...
David Cameron is gaining some coverage for his apology for backing Labour's analysis of the economy throughout his period as party leader. Except that he hasn't really apologised. He could have owned-up to the failings of the Conservative Party - which are, very largely his own. This would have been reasonable. It is pretty clear that Cameron went far too far in backing Labour. Who can forget his response to the last Brown Budget (the one that doubled the income tax rate for people in the old 10% bracket)? Cameron was so aligned with Brown on this, that he announced ...
It must sometimes be a bit annoying for David Davis, the former shadow Home Secretary who stood down and fought a byelection over the 42 day detention issue and other civil liberties, to have such a common name. For his fellow conservative homonym David Davies is now calling for a further curtailment of civil liberties: Call for ban on military protests Angry protests greeted returning soldiers in Luton Conservative MP David Davies has called on abusive protests against serving military personnel to be outlawed. The Monmouth MP has tabled an amendment to a bill governing religious hatred that would extend ...
Two teens from Oswaldtwistle set up a website which was promoting racism but now has been removed of facebook after the school they attended got it closed down via the kids parents. The facebook group by the teens was worked on by them from home but they had used the schools name in the description of the group. The group had six members to it and it raises some questions about social networking and the age group that should be allowed to use it. Personally I think facebook should be a social networking site that is only used by people ...
I have long argued that the current crisis will not be solved, nor a future similar one prevented, by doing "more of the same" - tinkering with regulation and so on is fiddling around the edges of a money system that is fundamentally corrupted. A few weeks ago I wrote that we had until 2nd April to persuade leaders to change the system rather than shore up the old one. There is now one of those petitions at the Number 10 site which asks that monetary reform be included in the options for the G20 when they meet. Now, I ...
Gordon Prentice has denied claims by the Tories that they are 12 people from Pendle who are on Job seekers Allowance and apply for every vacancy their is. Personally I think the Tories and Gordon Prentice have got it wrong. To read the news article by the Lancashire Telegraph follow the link or read below on why I think they are wrong. Pendle is an area that has a large number of people on Job seekers Allowance and most are looking for jobs and apply for any job in hope they will get it. So the number of people in ...
Well it been 10 days since the awful decision to find me guilty of calling the "all Conservatives corrupt". I have received advice from all sorts of quarters some asked for some not and the consensus of opinion seems to be that I should appeal. It does seem a waste of time and energy but there is a principle involved which I don't want to lose sight off. "They can't be allowed to get away with it" as one person said. We shall see I have another few days to think about it. Meanwhile the Shenley Shelter petition has been ...
What's all the fuss about the new facebook? It's much neater and tidier, and has the LibDemBlogs feature that you see every update by people you want to - no more missing stuff - and you can mute someone if they are livetweeting something and forgot to turn off the facebook feed! The highlights box is really nice too, and I like the photos link. What's not to like?
Over on Lib Dem Voice (what do you mean you've never heard of it?), Laurence Boyce delivers a trademark rant against faith schools, and against the Lib Dems for (as he sees it) fudging the issue at conference. James Graham is concerned that atheists will still have to pretend to be religious to get their kids into the local faith school, whilst Jennie has the opposite concern: she'd love to send her daughter to a secular school but doesn't have the choice. Not a bad place to be In the conference hall, I voted against faith schools, but for the ...
From the Daily Mirror: Lord Mandelson yesterday was at the centre of a secrecy row after refusing to reveal his business interests. The Business Secretary has placed all his shareholdings in a blind trust - meaning they cannot be seen by the public... Lib Dem MP Norman Baker said: "He must know what has been put in and we ought to know too or it subverts the announcement." No10 said: "The point is Lord Mandelson doesn't even know, therefore it doesn't affect his decisions." The Downing Street 'rebuttal' strikes me as particularly weak, because if you've put a whole load ...
And so the Conservatives have finally given notice of their intention to quit the European People's Party (EPP). Let nobody accuse them of doing nothing, although it has taken them the best part of three years to carry out David Cameron's campaign pledge when he ran for the party leadership. Once upon a time, I was involved in international youth politics. In the three years from 1989 to 1991, I attended events across Europe from Helsinki to Lisbon, from Hebden Bridge to Budapest, held by various international liberal groups at both European and worldwide levels. They were entertaining, informative and ...
Until a referendum is held to do away with the complicated system of Legislative Competence Orders by which the Welsh Assembly draws down powers so as to pass its own laws, we are caught up in a time-consuming and expensive process that continues to sap our energy without actually producing anything of use at the end. That system is bad enough without adding any further complexities. That is why the Welsh Liberal Democrats have sought to stop the deeply flawed and precedent-setting Secretary of State's veto in the Affordable Housing LCO in the House of Lords. As is reported in ...
David Cameron's decision to apologise for the Tories not having done better in spotting what was going wrong in the run up to the current recession is a welcome move. Hopefully it will mean his party can accept what needs to be done (like Vince Cable has been advocating) rather than feel hidebound in any way to the existing system. Sometimes an apology is necessary and it allows political positions to be changed. It contrasts sharply with Gordon Brown's complete inability to accept any responsibility for what has happened. It is clear to me that public wants the government and ...
The Scottish Liberal Democrats conference continues over the weekend, though unfortunately I will have to leave after lunch today: barely halfway through the gathering. It means, that despite seeing so many of my very old friends, inevitably I will miss several- and of course the most convivial gathering, in the shape of the conference dinner. As I get ready to leave, I reflect upon the current state of party politics. Relative to our immediate past, I find the Scottish Liberal Democrats in very rude health, yet I reflect that all political parties are simply shadows of what they once were. ...
Guido blogged about something a couple of days ago but no one seemed to take forward so I thought I would blog about it. When Lord Mandelson got green custard thrown at him, what did he dro p? To the ordinary person it was just a normal book but if you have a closer look at it from the picture below you will notice it was Tory party policy. A while ago I was talking to someone who was a strong Labour supporter but after much talk I made him accept that Labour and the Tories copy policy of the ...
Castle pub Forester Avenue The fate of a Bathwick pub which its owners want to develop for hosuing will be decided on Wednesday. Residents have opposed an application to convert the Castle pub in Forester Avenue into two four-bedroom homes. The scheme will be put before Bath and North East Somerset Council's development control committee on Wednesday with 49 objections received against the application. The pub closed last year but an online petition has been launched by regulars to save the venue, which is owned by Amek Investment. Cllr David Dixon (Lib Dem, Walcot) hopes the objections will be enough ...
On the radio today, we hear reports that the UK Government may start requiring people travelling abroad, to submit a travel plan in advance. There are SO many things wrong with this debacle of a proposal, that I can barely start. But I'll give it a go: 1: Erm... let me think... WHY?! Is there a reason for this stupid, privacy-intruding, rights-removing policy? Do British tourists to Tenerife regularly turn out to be terrorists? 2: What happens if you miss your scheduled train? What happens if you meet an attractive gal or guy and decide to go to their house ...
No career better displays the contrast between the counterculture of the 1960s and the era that preceded it than that of a child actor called John Mitchell. He appeared in the Muir and Norden comedy series Whack-O! between 1956 and 1960, playing a schoolboy called Wendover. It was a role he reprised in the 1960 film of the series called Bottoms Up. He was given that name so that the headmaster, played by the show's star Jimmy Edwards, could get a laugh by saying "Bend over, Wendover." You see, in 1960 it was not just thought right that small boys ...
From BBC News, 11 March 2009: Three convicted of election fraud Three men have been found guilty of charges relating to election fraud in a Berkshire town. The counts related to an election in the Slough Central ward in May 2007 where Labour councillor Lydia Simmons lost her seat to Tory Raja Khan. Khan, along with two others, had previously admitted the offences. Three other men were convicted by a jury. The men, who are all from Slough, were bailed to be sentenced at Reading Crown Court on 1 May. Khan, 52, of Oban Court, Montem Lane, admitted conspiracy to ...
Jenny Randerson, Liberal Democrat AM for Cardiff Central, has proposed a Legislative Competence Order which would enable the Welsh Assembly Government to insist that major land use developments include a travel plan. Jenny explains: "It is essential that all new, large, planning developments take account of people's transport habits and adopt a transport plan within the development that could, among other things, ensure that there is adequate scope for accessible public transport provision, adequate parking provision, integrated cycling links as well as ensuring that the development is accessible by foot." Sustrans has expressed its broad support.
The Art Class at Long Lee Village Hall is holding its first art exhibition at the hall today, from 10 till 4 o'clock. The hall's long running flooding problem has been put right and at last the hall can open for events without worrying whether anyone ...
Daily collection of links and thoughts that weren't worth a whole post. 21:38 general public warning: @snapesbabe is more than a little drunken. And I'll have to give her the laptop soon. # 21:39 which is more fun, watching Comic Relief, or watching the bread I'm making rise in the bowl? Mmmm, bread. # 22:58 wondering why everyone thinks Facebook now looks like Twitter. Is my Twitter missing a side column with useful filters for feeds or summat? #Microblogging using LoudTwitter and Twitter. matgb_twitter is there if you're mad enough. Hopefully I've fixed the recursion problem, and if you'd rather ...
I'm a member of Keighley Town Council Watch (i.e. Policing) and Transport Committee. Something odd was on our last agenda. Conservative ruled Bradford Metropolitan Council wanted Keighley Watch and Transport to agree to three flashing ...
One of the things I thought would be easier this conference is that having my own laptop with me I'd be finding it so much easier to write up this conference. Of course your laptop needs power but while there is WiFi in the Perth Concert Hall it is finding the time to actually just sit there and write. The other thing I am finding a little frustrating is that inside the auditorium I am without a signal for Orange. This means two things first I am unable to Tweet little aide memoires to the Twitterverse during the debates and ...
"Maybe I'm thick"; "What the bloody hell's all this about?"; Haringey haven't told us a dicky-bird about this". All understandable comments, from local residents at the local neighbourhood assembly on Thursday night - it was in Highgate, with the usual useful list of issues to follow up or consider. What stuck out most in my mind though, was the presentation about Haringey's 'Local Area Agreement' and 'Strategic Partnership'. This shouldn't really be a difficult thing to explain, but left to the Council or a Labour councillor it can slip into monstrous, inexplicable jargon. So you get the idea, here's the ...
Well if Day 1 worked you will have seen the feed of the #sldconf hashtag. Welcome to Saturday's live feed of the Scottish Lib Dem Conference. Highlights 10:00 Minimum Income Guarantee 10:30 Financial Inclusion for Low Income Borrowers 11:30 Speech by Vince Cable MP 14:50 Emergency Motion 15:20 Leader Q&A 15:40 More Powers for the Scottish Parliament Scottish Lib Dem Conference Day 2
An update on our story from April last year: Three men have been found guilty of charges relating to election fraud in a Berkshire town. The counts related to an election in the Slough Central ward in May 2007 where Labour councillor Lydia Simmons lost her seat to Tory Raja Khan. Khan, along with two others, had previously admitted the offences. Three other men were convicted by a jury. (BBC) In addition to the three who pleaded guilty and the three who were convicted, a seventh man was cleared after the jury could not reach a verdict on him.
James Graham has posted a good, thoughtful review with which I am 99% in agreement here, so I won't put myself to the trouble of writing anything similar. Instead, here are a few random thoughts.1. For goodness sake, Jon, put some pants on. I know he's naked for most of the graphic novel, but there's... what... five frames that actually show proper full frontal nudity? In the film, it's every
