I can understand how a combined broadband/TV package can be included in an expenses claim. I can even understand how that might mistakenly have included a claim for adult entertainment. What I can't understand is how the pay TV element can have been paid as a legitimate expense by the parliamentary authorities. They must have the easiest job in the world. Do they actually do any checking of MPs' expenses? Apparently not, as they don't even bother to check whether somebody claiming that a caravan on Mersea Island is their main residence is maybe exaggerating somewhat. Presumably the parliamentary authorities ...
Why is it that because a few bad MPs have bent and twisted the second home allowance in order to pocket vast sums of cash that other MPs who have not been corrupt and live in rural constituencies some distance from the Westminster will miss out in the future ? It strikes me that there must be many MPs who do their work in Westminster much better because they do have a small place of their own to store suits, fresh clothes and even a small desk to get some work done, things that are not always possible of MPs ...
Sky News reports: Sky News political correspondent Jon Craig said Conservative sources had told him the two men and one woman were journalists."Police broke up what the Conservatives have told me was a domestic," he said."There are cells in the House of Commons and they could be held there for some time."My understanding is that these people are under arrest still.Craig added that the Tory chairman was likely to be hugely embarrassed by the incident.Pickles is the man who kept telling us that "the House of Commons runs like clockwork". Later. The Northern Echo adds: Police used CS spray to ...
At 3.00 p.m. today I was sent the report on the planning application for Bishopsgarth Cottages that was essentially recommending refusal for an application not to do changes agreed at the planning committee. At 6.00 p.m. I drove past and saw that the hedge that it had been insisted from the very beginning had to be kept and strengthened had been ripped out. At 8.00 p.m. I...
Kirsty Williams the recently elected leader of the Welsh Liberal Democrat party and the first female leader of a political party in Wales visited Prestatyn this weekend at the invitation of local party representative Paul Penlington. Kirsty visited a number of areas in Prestatyn and said she was "concerned for the future of this once thriving beautiful seaside town" particularly with regard to the stalled Tesco development and lack of Tourism opportunities now the Ffrith beach site has also collapsed. As a member of the Welsh Assembly Government Kirsty agreed she is well placed to advocate on behalf of struggling ...
Having the 2012 Olympics come to London opens up all sorts of wonderful opportunities - but (surprise!) Haringey Council needs some pushing to make sure we in Haringey don't miss out.
Please read the following message from Prestatyn resident Paul Penlington, who is standing at the Prestatyn Central town council by-election on Thursday 9th April. If you're able to vote, please do. Every vote counts! If you need help getting to a polling station, please do not hesitate to get in touch with any one of us. I'm writing to ask for your vote in the Prestatyn Central town council by-election on April 9th. You are faced with the option of allowing yet another distant Conservative to take this seat or voting for a new and alternative voice who lives in ...
Denbighshire CC have issued a response to the Vale of Clwyd Liberal Democrats' request under the Freedom of Information act for information relating to the resignation of Ian Miller in 2008 (see post below). Their response is as follows: Dear Mr. Wood, Thank you for your request for information received 13 March 2009 regarding the resignation of Denbighshire County Council's Chief Executive, Ian Miller, last year. The process of searching for the information you required is now complete I can now advise you as follows: Q1. The size of the pay-off Ian Miller was given after his departure. A1. Other ...
I won't say what I think the result will be in the by-election this Thursday because many of you will know that I have been working on it for the last few weeks and I don't want to give anything away. However if you want to know what a lot of other (very uninformed) people think you can always look here! Will write about this after the result on Thursday.
I am going to open a can of worms here. I still have a migraine, although it's effects are lessening, and this is a very touchy subject for me, so please excuse if this post is somewhat brusque. Date rape is harder to prove than stranger rape. Date rape has a much lower conviction rate than stranger rape - understandably, given the quite correct burden of proof rules. Date rape is, none the less, STILL RAPE. Just because the burden of proof means that a date rapist is less likely to be convicted, and victims (both male and female) know ...
Daniel Hannan, a Tory MEP in the South-east of England, has done a favour for everyone who cares about British public engagement in European politics. I do not mean that in a back-handed way, and only a churlish person would deny that his response to Gordon Brown in Strasbourg last week was astoundingly well delivered political oratory. (You can watch it here on YouTube). I hope I have the chance to debate with Daniel Hannan on the hustings in our region. The benefit of his speech was to draw attention to the European Parliament. The last mainstream news story I ...
Here is Eric Pickles' legendary performance from Question Time last week. Note his assurance that the fact he sometimes has to be in Westminster for 9.30 entirely justifies his being bought a second home at public expense. Bear in mind too that Pickles was promoted to leaven the Cameroons with some Northern common sense. He was meant to be rough, tough and gruff from somewhere like Brough (and to have eaten several cream puffs). I fear that the way Pickles crashes and burns here is symptomatic of the way the entire political class is becoming distanced from the large majority ...
If you want to decorate your blog or just are so addicted to Irfan Ahmed's Blog that you can't live without it (And they are many of you) that's why the blog is still running then why not get a widget of the blog's feed to add to your website, blog or social network site? I have set up the feed widget so people who are obsessed with the blog or just want to decorate their own can use the widget. So if you are one of those people then follow the link and get the widget to add to ...
No doubt Tories will come out with a ringing endorsement of Boris Johnson after the Channel 4 expose of his first year in charge in the capital, but at the half way point through the hour long investigation the basic accusation against Boris Johnson is, as I understand it, that he ; 1) Is obsessed with gimmicks that have no meaningful effect. 2) Makes claims about making London more eco friendly but his policies have the opposite effect. 3) Writes letters to interest groups but then does the opposite of what he promises. 4) Seems to favour friends who employ ...
The Total amount claimed by MP's in expenses from Parliament has been released for the year 2008 and the figures from Gordon Prentice shall be added up tomorrow and then I shall make it public how much the Pendle MP is costing us that's instead of his salary which he pockets completely! Lets see how much of a spender Gordon Prentice is, all shall be revealed tomorrow!
The Ideas Factory is a chance for you to pitch your own idea of what should be in the next Liberal Democrat manifesto. The proposal here is not the policy of the Social Liberal Forum. We will however be passing it - and the response it generates - onto the Manifesto Working Group. The Proposal Simon Radford:If you have not read Steve Waldman's 'The Bill', I would recommend it. It follows the life cycle of a campaign promise- Bill Clinton's pledge for a new domestic Peace corps- through the legislative process to its final implementation and legacy. The result was ...
What a complete and genuine surprise from the government today. An announcement on schools which should be greeted by teachers, parents and learners alike. The government, it seems, have woken up to the fact that school league tables really are no proper measure of how good a school is. It is clear to anyone who has any knowledge of the education system that league tables record only what is measurable and not what is important. Instead of simple tables recording SATs results, the government wants schools to be graded in a similar way to that used in New York with ...
I am not having a good train day. This morning National Excess cancelled my train. Tonight, I left the office relatively early for the first time in ages. Now I am stuck at Victoria with all my trains cancelled and no explanation as to what the problem is. I should have just stayed at my desk and done some work.---Sent via BlackBerry
Richard Timney is learning this the hard way at the moment, and perhaps he needs a reminder as to the identity of his wife. Traditionally, political wives have lived a comparatively low-profile existence, required to look decorous on occasion, pose with hubby, children and labrador in front of picture perfect period house, and do good deeds in the constituency. Dull, worthy, true, but that's the way it is, particularly if you're a career woman in her own right. At least there was a template though... The increasing interest in the private lives of our politicians has changed that though, and ...
The front page of today's Guardian tells us: Smith, who employs her husband on a salary of £40,000 a year to run her office, was said to be "mortified" after she was forced to apologise for the claim. A close friend of Smith's said Timney would be "sleeping on the sofa for a while. To say she's angry with her husband is an understatement."But a "close friend" of Smith's would know that she spends most evenings in her sister's spare bedroom in London. That means her husband is free to sleep wherever he chooses in the family's second home in ...
The latest roundup is in place at Is there More to Life than Shoes?
As the furore over MPs' expenses grows, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has written to Gordon Brown and David Cameron proposing they meet as soon as possible to work through how to reform, and restore trust in, the political system. Here's the full text of Nick's letter: I am writing to you to propose that our parties work together to agree an urgent overhaul of MPs' expenses. The recent scandals make it clear we cannot continue with the current system any longer. The upcoming inquiry by the Committee on Standards in Public Life will not report this side of a ...
Fair enough. Jacqui Smith is taking a fair amount of political "hit" for a £10 pay-for movie bill wrongly shoved in with her expenses claim.But surely this cannot begin compare to the embarrassment of a husband who has effectively been discovered by his wife, in the full glare of the media, having what might delicately be called "a crafty J.Arthur" while her back was turned? (And the alleged
LDV readers may recall that last October, we ran a piece highlighting Nick Clegg's attack on think-tank Policy exchange for circulating a a dossier questioning apparent extremist background of several of the events speakers at a forthcoming Global Peace and Unity event in London. Nick, who spoke at the event, accused the Policy Exchange's director of "bizarre and underhand behaviour", and questioned the validity of the evidence - attracting some flak from LDV readers in the comments thread. I was, therefore, interested to read this article today on Liberal Conspiracy under the headline, Exclusive: Policy Exchange forced to apologise; takes ...
Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg has today written to Gordon Brown and David Cameron seeking an urgent meeting to reform the system of MPs' expenses. I couldn't agree more with what he has said, especially given the antics of my MP (Derek Conway), Bob Neill next door and Jacqui Lait in the next seat. Problem is that Labour and the Tories are such glass houses, can Gordon and Dave afford to
In the twenty years since I graduated from University I have travelled greatly. I have stayed in many different hotels all around the world. If once I had ever submitted an expense form with a claim for a porn film I would have been dismissed for gross misconduct immediately. The Right Honourable Mrs. Jacqui Smith MP has claimed for two films : one apparently called Raw Meat 3, the other By Special Request. She has blamed her husband. I don't see how that works: it was not her husband who submitted the expenses claim, it was she herself. This comes ...
There may be one or two of you who haven't yet seen the toe-curling embarrassment that was last week's attempt by Tory party chairman Eric Pickles to defend MPs' second homes on BBC1's Question Time. Well, if you're one of those those two people, then sit back and enjoy because it's now been uploaded to YouTube for our viewing pleasure:
We all know that the furore over Jacqui Smith's movie bill isn't really about the twenty quid spent on four on-demand films. It's the prurient sniggering over two of them being films for the discerning gentleman. That's why a tiny expenses issue has been the top news headline for 24 hours and why the usual suspects have called for Wor Jacqui to resign. As Alix wrote yesterday, we can all enjoy a chuckle when the woman who sees it as her business to keep an eye on almost every aspect of our lives, not least what we get up to ...
The Press Association reports, Radical measures must be decided at the G20 summit or it could become the "fateful moment" when the global recession lurches into an outright slump, Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, said today. Clegg said the meeting of world leaders in London this week was one of "immense psychological importance" and warned that failure to agree on immediate action could lead to a "dangerous market stampede". Disunity could spark further panic among jittery markets, sending the world economy into "freefall" and raising the spectre of a 1930s-style depression. More too on the party's website.
Today has gone something like this:On waking up: Hmm, am developing a bit of a headache. Weird. I didn't drink all that much last night. Oh well, must be getting more hangover-sensitive in my old age. Will have a nap and let it work itself out.On waking from nap: Ow. Headache getting worse. Stupid hangover. Oh well, best do the netcast...While doing the netcast: Why won't you work properly, brain? and why are my eyes hurting?Hit post on netcast three hours late. Eyes now so light sensitive and painful that I could cheerfully gouge them out with a spoon.Put pillow ...
Saturday 28th March saw the Healthy Living Day take place on the Bolney Meadow Estate (formerly part of the South Lambeth Estate before the housing was transfered from Lambeth) The event included free fruit and veg and a "make your own smoothie" service; advice on health and fitness and free pedometers to encourage people to walk more. Cllr Rob Banks visited on behalf of the Lib Dem team, it was great to see local residents finding out more about healthy living and getting some fresh fruit and veg!
Excellent news today as Labour-run Reading Borough Council announces that from April 1 free bulky waste collections will be offered for all Reading residents with a disability, who are permanently incapacitated by ill health, unemployed or on a low income. Until the Lib Dems campaigned vigorously on this issue well over a year ago RBC only offered a very limited free collection service to pensioners only. This led to fly tipping problems across the town. As long ago as 2004 local people have been complaining about the impact of Labour's waste policies but Labour politicians refused to listen to them. The University area of Redlands ...
{Julia Goldsworthy, Liberal Democrat Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary} Julia Goldsworthy, Liberal Democrat Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary This poor rate of success is hardly surprising given that some councils have been using RIPA laws to tackle trivial issues such as dog fouling or even theft of Christmas tree lights! Council staff too were a major target of investigation in some areas with a significant number of authorities using the powers to police terms of employment. Importantly, as is pointed out by the Daily Mail, the majority of people investigated are unlikely to be aware that they were ...
Mon 30th
15:24
Menzies campbell and local msp iain smith promote north east fife for british tourism week
{Ming in Crail} Sir Menzies Campbell MP and North East Fife MSP Iain Smith took to Crail and St Andrews to promote British Tourism Week and called on people to look to North East Fife for their holiday this year. Sir Menzies was at Sauchope Links Holiday Park in Crail at the weekend to open their new "Micro Lodges" in time for the Easter holidays praised the new "first class" development and called it "an impressive and unique alternative to camping and will undoubtedly be a hit with families who are looking to holiday at home rather than abroad this ...
Responding to Margaret Beckett's comments that the Government's pledge to build three million affordable new homes by 2020 is in trouble because of the recession, Liberal Democrat Shadow Housing Minister, Sarah Teather said: "Finally Margaret Beckett has woken up to reality." "The Government should urgently reverse its failed VAT cut and spend the money on new zero carbon affordable...
Commenting on Government plans to reduce the use of free bus passes, Liberal Democrat Transport Spokesperson, John Leech said: "Ministers appear to be weaving their way out of the national concessionary bus scheme." "They are trying to push an extra burden on to local authorities when many councils are already struggling to make up a funding shortfall in the current...
Commenting on today's uSwitch report into the regional effects of the recession, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said: "This survey shows that many people up and down the country are being hit hard by the recession." "Ministers should use next month's budget to radically cut taxes for those least well off, paid for by abolishing tax loop-holes exploited by the...
Commenting on the news that the Government is to launch a mass programme of health checks for over-40s in England this week, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary Norman Lamb said: "Any move to encourage people to go for health checks is positive and to be welcomed." "However, the danger is that this initiative will fail to reach those who need it most, and will instead only be used...
Speaking ahead of the G20 summit, at an event by Greenpeace, Leader of the Liberal Democrats Nick Clegg will say: "A grand one-day summit cannot alone deliver us out of the global economic crisis." But its timing, and the expectations raised, means that this week's meeting is of immense psychological importance. People desperately need to see that their leaders are able to work...
One or two people in Eaglescliffe have, quite understandably, raised questions over recent months about the expenses and allowances paid to councillors. The questions are usually deceptively simple and the answers are anything but simple. Councillors come in all shapes and sizes from all sorts of backgrounds and with a wide range of personal wealth or lack of it. The system that's in place
Before I worked in politics I spent 18 years in TV (mainly sound).For the past few months I have been working part time in politics, and also working with an old friend who mainly supplies communications equipment to TV companies, theatres, events, security companies and the police.Chris Huhne has an article in The Times where he raises the issue of intelligence based stop and search for stopping
Guido is spot on with his post today about how the focus of anger of many MPs is on whoever is leaking embarrassing information about MPs expenses to the media. This is exactly what I thought too when I heard last night that the Labour Party is trying to spin relevations that are coming out as politically motivated and being leaked by a Tory mole. Frankly, I couldn't give a flying toss who is leaking this information and what their motivations are. I actually shouted at the TV last night (I try and stop myself but sometimes can't help it!) ...
Have you heard about the Financial Services Authority's ideas for restricting mortgage credit? One is to ban 100% Loan To Value mortgages, and clearly in a time of uncertainty that would be prudent - you don't want to be in negative equity by the time you collect the keys to your new home. The other is to restrict all mortgages to three times earnings. You may also have seen a report on the housing market in the Daily Telegraph recently where Edmund Conway canvassed the opinions of four leading economists. The most shockingly bearish response in "Do not pass go ...
After the runaway success of her show entitled 'Life Force' at Bath and North East Somerset Council's Victoria Art Gallery in 1999, acclaimed sculptor Sophie Ryder is back with a thought-provoking new exhibition of large scale sculptures and wire drawings. The exhibition will be on display at the Council-run Art Gallery near Pulteney Bridge from Saturday 4 April until 10...
David Cameron has expelled Stuart Wheeler from the Conservatives after it was disclosed he has made a £100.000 donation to UKIP. Wheeler gave £5million to the Conservatives in 2001.
There are a few things wrong with this. Firstly, let me make clear that war veterans are owed a great deal by our country. Nothing in this post is meant to reduce the value of that sacrifice. However. There are a few things wrong with the plan by the Government to introduce "special" ID cards for UK veterans. 1) The chilling phrase "priority treatment" to the NHS. I cannot say with more strength of feeling: no. Nobody should ever get "priority treatment" on the NHS. It opens a door to some extremely subjective judgements which a doctor, nurse or NHS ...
Another Islington connection for Kate Middelton! I blogged before about her mother's forebears on Popham Street. Now the Telegraph reports that another ancestor, on her father's side, was in Holloway prison. Not to be confused with Royal Holloway...
Tansy and Borage seeds have arrived, potatoes are chitting and onion sets are ready to go... counting down for the allotment! (Tansy, a natural insect repellent, is said to help get rid of white/black fly and so good for planting between bean crops.. this tansy seed is from Victoriana Nursery Gardens.) If, like us, you completely missed all the advertising for the Kent Big Day Out but still managed to get out (despite the rain, hail, howling gales and cold, cold, cold temps.) there is a video competition of your day out running until the 24th April. All details on ...
All, I've spent the morning putting some of the local community groups and others' website links into the local information section on the left. If you're a member of a local organisation and would like some publicity and a link here then email me and I'll add you. Regards, Philip
On the day that chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson was recommending that the government establish a minimum price for alcohol (which would see the doubling of the price of many beers and spirits) LDV posed the question: Is it time to support a minimum price for alcohol? Here's what you said: >> 31% (102 votes) - Yes, minimum prices will help tackle the UK's binge drinking problems >> 6% (19) - Maybe, there's merit in the proposal but the middle of a recession is the wrong time 196% of all votes >> 59% (192) - No, government should not ...
Mon 30th
12:21
CommentIsLinked@LDV: Chris Huhne - Scalpel-sharp intelligence is needed to slash knife crime
Over at The Times, Lib Dem Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne notes that a cosmetic surgeon helped to cut knife violence by 40 per cent in Cardiff, and asks: why isn't his no-brainer idea being copied across Britain? Here's an excerpt: Nearly 50,000 people have been treated in hospital for knifings since the Government came to power. The toll of knife crime has rightly gripped the media, since there can be few more horrifying thoughts for any parent than to think of their child being attacked by knife- wielding thugs. ... Effective action is about stop-and- search, particularly working from ...
I'm off home to sunny Argyll for a few days, where my mobile doesn't work. So if you need to talk to me (it could happen) email me on ruaraidh.dobson@gmail.com or send me a facebook message.
I have a rule about only using technology when it's useful to me, not buying or using something just 'cos it seems cool or everyone's talking about it. Anyone who's seen my collection of virtually unused electronic gadgetry will know it's not a rule I'm completely successful in keeping. My normal technique is to buy something on the basis that I'll probably need it soon; then by the time I do need it, it's available at a tenth of the price and I can't find the one I bought anyway. My failure on the rule front might go some way ...
As I blogged after the Question and Answer about Allan Duncan the Conservative MP coming to Pendle, this has lead to a press release being put out in Pendle Today by the Conservatives and in the press release Allan Duncan MP accepts he took a grilling. Both Andrew Stephenson and George Askew will agree that if I wasn't their to give him a grilling Allan Duncan would have come off better then he did, so be warned politicians when you come to Nelson, because if I am there you are going to get a grilling like Allan Duncan got!
Your local Liberal Democrat Team and Don Foster MP, are in the Bathwick Estate knocking doors and seeing if there is anything we can help with on Monday 6th April from 6pm. If there is anything we can help you with please be sure to look out for us, we hope to knock on every door, but if you have something to raise and would like us to pay you a visit email: ddixon.bathnes@blueyonder.co.uk Alternatively if you are willing be be active and want ot join in on the door knocking we will meet at The Castle Pub (now closed ...
News of another communications breakthrough reaches your correspondent, deep in the mid-Suffolk countryside. We've had a new noticeboard put up near the centre of the village as the old one was getting a bit tatty and worn. You may think that this is not exactly big news, but it provides the one location where information can be placed which might be of interest to the population of our thriving metropolis in the absence of newspapers, radio and television stations. I had noticed that two men were working on it as we drove past on Saturday afternoon, and so thought that ...
So now everyone has had their two penn'orth (or £10) on Jackie Smith's husband's viewing habits and her ability to check expenses returns. But there is a certain amount of misogyny and sexism creeping in to discussions on the subject. Sure Ms Smith is responsible for what is claimed against her name. But how many MPs are guilty [...]
We've had an Action Weekend over the last couple of days here in Glasgow. It's been really successful - anyone who's ever campaigned in a target seat knows full well that realistic goals aren't generally a feature of delivery days, but we reached our target and we're well on the way to getting the whole [...]
I have said in the past that I think MP's should not get expenses and they should just get an increase in Salary which they should be allowed to do what they want with and personally I think that would be the best way to sort out this problem of expenses fiddling that MP's are getting better and better at! If MP's didn't have expenses and just had a salary this would really show who actually wanted to become an MP for the people of their constituency and who were in the job for the expenses. Many MP's become MP's ...
Today we hear that the Equality and Human Rights Commission is recommending that paternity leave entitlement is extended to achieve a more equal right to spend time with newborn children. It's only, what, a couple of weeks now since Lib Dem Spring Conference suggested similar (but more far-reaching, looking at the detail) proposals.Good to see the Lib Dem tradition of being in the vanguard of
I am now starting to think things are starting to get a bit hysterical about MP's expenses when we start pillorying MP's for claiming for a couple of £3.50 pay-per view movies. OK she shouldn't have done it and it's highly embarrassing for the Home secretary to have a couple of porn movies on her expense claim. But lets keep things real and in perspective. If she herself actually claimed for the movies then that was not only wrong but stupid, but I suspect her Constituency office manager was responsible here and guess what - that's her husband. I don't ...
At least the Nationwide is a mutual with a decent reputation but I am bitterly disappointed that the Government did not do more to keep the Dunfermline Building Society an independent Scottish mutual especially as the Government is partly responsible for its difficulties. One hundred and thirty years of trusted mutual tradition in Scotland doesn't seem to be valued enough by the Treasury. My concern now turns to jobs, branches and the HQ.
Guido blogs about how politicians who recently have been brought to light including the Home Secretary are trying to find out who blow them out and personally I think its ridiculous. First of all the MP's needed to have not screwed the tax payer out of money and secondly if they have been brought to light the whistle blower has done the right thing by bringing this whole issue into the public domain. I personally think that people need to look into the paragraph below that Mike Smithson wrote at the end of a blog post and you can see ...
If in doubt, change the subject, is John Healey's motto. As the Minister for Local Government, he claims that his aim is to stop overgenerous remuneration packages in the public sector. Clearly, he hasn't been entirely paying attention to the policies his Government have been promoting since 1997. It is entirely accurate to suggest that pay rates at the top end have gone up rather faster than inflation, and the Conservatives have been quick to point this out - no hypocrisy there, obviously. However, the pressure to make the public sector more businesslike in its approach, and the devolvement of ...
The latest revelations about MP expenses reinforce the need for a complete shake-up of the whole system. Some good sense on the subject was written yesterday in the Mail on Sunday by Sir Alistair Graham who used to chair the Committee on Standards in Public Life. You can read his article here. Later today the House of Commons will publish a summary of MPs expense claims for 2007-08 and no doubt there will be another set of adverse headlines. I thought it might be helpful therefore to explain a few things about what the figures mean. My biggest 'expense' is ...
Following the weekend revelations about Jacqui Smith's husband and their claim against taxpayers money for him watching two adult films I think her career as a senior politician is finished. It is not so much what has happened in this particular case - it is a relatively minor oversight. The problem is that it comes after a number of other allegations against her regarding her expenses as I have blogged about previously. She has now become the politician most closely associated with seemingly dodgy expense claims. For the good of her office and her party she should now resign.
Just without home net access until tomorrow - moved house last week. Normal posting resumes tomorrow.
For those actively involved in party politics, the temptation to frame any analysis of unfolding events as a story consisting only of national and domestic concerns is constant. However, at moments of widespread crisis in the international economic and state system, questions well outside these constraints can no longer be avoided and indeed, may help to explain the underlying currents we are dealing with. Along with a growing number of international relations commentators, I have argued for some time that there have been two identifiable 'eras of globalisation'. The first was at the end of the 19th and into the ...
I've written about my opposition to Tesco's application for a superstore and 562 homes near Tolworth roundabout. When Tesco revealed their earlier plan in 2006, the local Conservative councillors came out strongly against it. They seem to have gone very silent this time round. Does that mean they have caved in? Edward Davey is leading the campaign against this development....
Someone sent me this over the weekend: -http://www.liberator.org.uk/media/lib-0303.pdf (page 26-27)In the following year, 1985, Leighton produced thepamphlet Liberalism Versus the Social Market Economy.This was a lucid and trenchant critique of David Owen'seconomic policies and of economic determinism, and arestatement of Liberal principles on the integrity of thecommunity and on the vital need
Our next stop was Sheldon, where we were shown around a new care and rehabilitation centre. Typical of Labour, the standard of council-run care homes had deteriorated so far that, when the new administration took over, they inherited facilities that, had they been privately run, would have failed registration tests. The response of the council was to tackle this situation with a series of brand new facilities, designed to be integrated into the community and including the best of design aspects into their fabric. Under the leadership of Sue Anderson, the Liberal Democrat cabinet member for Adults and Communities, the ...
I pay a visit to Liberal doyen Sir Cyril Smith at his home in Emma Street, Rochdale. He's a bit frail now, and very much lighter than in his heyday as Liberal chief whip. "What do you think of this Le Pen business, should he be allowed to chair the first session of the new Parliament?", I ask. "Let him do the job," says Cyril, "it's only a bit of ceremony. If he starts going on someone can always move a vote of no-confidence." "One way around the problem would be for a party to put up a candidate who ...
There are proposals by Gateshead Council to introduce parking charges in Whickham village centre. So on Saturday morning, in the rain, wind and cold, I was in the car park behind Whickham Library, carrying out a survey of residents about the plans. One hour of being frozen right through but a useful exercise nonetheless. It was nice to find that every constituent I spoke to recognised me! And
Mon 30th
09:18
Town Hall, Wednesday, 7pm. Ukraine v England will probably be disappointing, so why not?
This week will, of course, see a gathering of the most powerful people on earth, in one room, at one time, trying to solve the most pressing issues of our time. Yes, it's the final meeting of Bury Council for this municipal year. Unlike the G20, which I'm guessing I probably won't be able to get into, Bury Council meetings are open to the public, and anyone can come along and watch the fun. Why don't you? Yes, granted, England are on. But I honestly think the last good England game was in 1966, whereas the last good Council meeting ...
The Council's Planning Implementation Team are currently undertaking consultation on the updated "Bury But Better": town centre development strategy, prepared by URBED. The strategy will form part of the evidence base for the Bury Local Development Framework Core Strategy and the intention is that it should be approved as a Material Planning Consideration to help guide the Council's future decisions on planning applications and other potential regeneration initiatives in and around Bury town centre. The consultation is taking place between 30th March 11th May 2009. Details of the consultation process together with the Consultation Draft - Bury But Better:Town Centre ...
You couldn't make this stuff up! According to the Home Secretary, it was all just a terrible mistake, just one big cock up. Perhaps Jacquie Smith thought blue movies were Tory party political broadcasts. And let's face it, you have to be a bit of a sado-masocists to enjoy such televisual delights!. Mr Smith however has been subjected to humiliation and forced to make a submissive apology by his
A fascinating postscript to the week's Eurosceptics' news comes courtesy of the Telegraph's blogs. who would have expected to see the new darling of the Eurosceptic Tories lauding the latest person to be expelled from the party, in such terms? The man is a patriot of the best kind: honest, energetic, generous and utterly unassuming. He deserves [...]
As reported in today's 'Courier', I have, over the past few days, highlighted complaints from numerous residents in parts of the West End over reduced and poor television reception in recent weeks. I have been contacted by a number of residents who had expressed concern about their recent poor TV reception. Most receive 'traditional' analogue services from local transmitters at Tay Bridge or Angus, and residents have said they were concerned that this was because of work on transmitters to prepare for the digital switchover, which takes place in the STV North region next year. I have spoken with Arqiva, ...
The Home Secretary is responsible for the ordering of the lives of us ordinary mortals in a way that benefits society & keeps us on the straight & narrow. At least that is how it is supposed to work. Some Home Secretaries take it upon themselves to interpret that brief as requiring intrusion & control to a massive level. Is it therefore unreasonable for us to expect such a holder of that high office NOT to make silly mistakes in their own personal behaviour? Why should WE be forgiving? Anyone who can even spell 'integrity' let alone have any concept ...
National Express have, yet again cancelled my train to London. They are of course, experts in providing timetables for train services to London without providing the trains to go with them. And as usual, my train did turn up on time at Newcastle Central. It was meant to be the 7.40am fast service to London. On arrival from Edinburgh at Newcastle, it is cancelled and converted to the 7.52am slow
File in the "you couldn't make it up" pile - Haringey Council has broken its own planning rules and decided not to do anything about it!
I picked up a secondhand copy of Fred Titmus's autobiography on Saturday. Fans of Half Man Half Biscuit will be disappointed to learn that it is not called Fuckin' 'Ell, it's Fred Titmus but the prosaic My Life in Cricket. You can read a brief summary of his long career here - he won 53 Test caps over 19 years and played county cricket in five decades, between 1949 and 1982. Beyond that he did not get on with Mike Brearley or Geoff Boycott and was evacuated to Rutland and Leicester as a little boy during World War II.
This morning's Times newspaper reports that the English Local Government Minister, John Healey is going to demand that all the details of 'overgenerous remuneration packages' in local government for those in the top tier of their organisation are published. The rules will also cover temporary staff in senior positions: Councils will have to state how many of their staff are being paid more than £50,000. Mr Healey said: "Councils are big organisations with a tough job - they need the best people in charge. But we've recently seen top salaries rising far faster than the rest of local government, with ...
On Thursday I reported that the Metro was carrying on its front page the news that 17% of our country's therapists have attempted to 'cure' gay patients. Well today in the Scottish editions letter page we find this response which I quote in full apart from the senders name. If homosexuality is a mental illness then, obviously, little credibility should be given to the opinion of homosexuals - like most mentally ill people they will deny that there is anything wrong with them. Homosexuality clearly is a mental abnormality - because it isn't 'normal' - but then so is having ...
Mon 30th
07:20
The utterly muddled confuddled confused mismatched fudging of an ideology - liberal Conservatism
I just came across the wonderful gem that is platform 10. Their aim? To be the voice for liberal Conservatives in the conservative party (for some reason with a small l and a bloody big C) At first glance this seems like a great group; I'm all for political parties trying to become more liberal and open minded, especially such a party with an unfortunate and occasionally undeserved reputation for bigotry and regressiveness. But take a closer look, what does Platform 10's liberal Conservative agenda actually seek to encapsulate? About us We are a platform for a wide range of ...
Writing in today's Times Chris Huhne asks why the simple, commonsense approach started by one Cardiff based cosmetic surgeon has not been repeated across the board? The premise is simple without breaking patient doctor confidentiality the surgeon provides the location, day and times of the attacks on those victims he has to work on. The police have been able to use the anonymised data to target hotspots at the right time and the 40% reduction is the proof in the pudding. But it hasn't been taken up in other health trusts despite backing of both The National Policing Improvement Agency ...
In a comment to my last posting regarding Harry Cohen MP I have had a comment from Miranda Grell herself: I maintain my innocence and continue to fight to clear my name. Once I do I shall be seeking a retraction from you and the removal of my name from this article. Best wishes. Miranda Grell Of [...]
So, Dave has found the courage to expel Stuart Wheeler for his support of UKIP (having previously had Tory HQ claim they were 'unconcerned'). Its probably the correct and only decision he could have made, but it masks a bigger problem. There is a wing of the Conservatives, and I can't tell how big it is, that is still obsessed by Europe. Cameron, keen to never look like anything that might come close to a 1990's Tory, desperately wants to talk about anything else. The problem is, having never taken on the extreme EU right wingers, he has no mandate ...
Cllr Christine Headley joins Stanleys' residents' frustration at the abrupt end of the Stanleys Waste Trial, which has been operating since 24 October 2007 and involves weekly collection of dry recyclables and food waste, fortnightly collection of residual waste to landfill, and a subsidised composter offered to every household. The main problem is the loss of the food waste recycling, which required the provision of two food waste containers for every household. Cooked waste is not suitable for garden composting, but it can be done by the council in the quantities generated by a locality like the Stanleys. Worse, landfill ...
