How cool is this? And apparently I can embed one using this autoposting widget. Let's face it, it has to be Dark Star It works too. See, how nice I am, watch an entire movie right here on my journal. There are a bunch o others, but, y'know, Dark Star. Oh, you can watch it full screen at the site itself. (via)
The Sunday Times has details of those emails.
At the beginning of this week, Sri Lankan Tamil demonstrators – protesting about what they see as the international community's inaction to counter the humanitarian crisis in the Vanni region of the island, where government forces are conducting what they hope will be a final assault on rebel-held areas – brought Central London's traffic to a standstill by occupying [...]
The Gazette reports that Peacocks and Bon Marche will be taking over the empty Woolworths store. The two clother retailers are part of the same group but will trade as separate units. They are expected to open in June.
{ Blossom in Park Wood, Easter 2009 }
There was a good article about the campaign in the Evening Post today - "First urged to cut Bristol bus fares" It's attracted a few readers' comments - you might like to add to them.
...for the time being. For some reason all tweets to 86444 are appearing multiple times in the timeline. Each message has a unique tweet id, and as the Vodafone traffic is only showing one message the fault must be with Twitter (the same issue is happening with a Canadian shortcode 21212) As I do all my tweeting via the browser on my phone I can't confirm this, however I believe sending tweets to the UK long number +447624801423 won't result in duplicate tweets.
Its Steve Middleton and i wish him well, but i have to say i am dissapointed i was hoping he would be standing in Langworthy. Well Lamgworthy's loss is Irwells gain. This man can do the business lets hope our team do him justice. Again i am staying in the background but if you need foot [...]
A while ago I wrote about how a campaign to CC all your emails to Jacqui Smith in protest for the governments laws to read our emails was to take place and now I have some more information for you. The Protest will take place on the 15th June 2009 so get set to email Jacqui Smith and lets prove to her and the government that reading our emails is silly and they need to stop. I ask everyone to email all their emails to Jacqui, and wouldn't mind it if you all send as many emails as possible so ...
For our new members, some reading of this historical period is necessary. What Thatcher did was to break the post-war political concensus concerning the importance of the Welfare State and making people's lives better to bring in a form of ruthless social-darwinist neo-capitalist order and begin the dismantling of the Welfare State that Blair and [...]
And wasn't she rather fantastic!
R.J. White wrote: "To put conservatism in a bottle with a label is like trying to liquify the atmosphere [...] The difficulty arises from the nature of the thing. For conservatism is less a political doctrine than a habit of mind, Any one with an A Level in politics able to help? [...]
No sooner do I write that Damien McBride has brought the civil service into disrepute than he is gone. If only I actually had that sort of influence! But seriously, in this instance, a resignation is not enough. There needs to be a clear statement that this is not something that the Government wishes to associate itself. Might I suggest a proper dismissal, with disciplinary action? The Civil Service deserves nothing less...
First off, DON'T PANIC! The BNP have limited potential appeal. Where they don't do streetwork not many support them - and don't forget just because someone says `oh I agree with that` doesn't mean they support their whole agenda or that they'll vote for them. Remember there are far more people who are against them than for [...]
From the Jersey Evening Post: An emergency States sitting has been called in the wake of Senator Stuart Syvret's arrest over data protection allegations.Using an obscure and rarely enacted provision in the Standing Orders of the States, a group of seven Members have formally requisitioned an emergency sitting.They say they want the States to consider the decisions taken by the police and Home Affairs Minister Ian Le Marquand in relation to the arrest and detention of Senator Syvret.
From the News of the World website earlier this evening: Tomorrow the News of the World will reveal the sensational details in the shocking email smears sent by Gordon Brown's top aide.The PM's spin-doctor, Damian McBride, and Derek Draper, who heads Labour's internet campaigning, outlined a dirty tricks war of highly personal stories about top Tories.The plan was far more sophisticated than McBride or Draper have claimed and was close to completion.Emails seen by the News of the World show McBride and Draper schemed to spread false malicious stories that:Opposition leader David Cameron had an embarrassing illnessShadow Chancellor George Osborne's ...
Some great news - Supermaket Shakespeare is coming back to Sainsbury's at Lee Green. You might remember their performances last year and the rave reviews they received from local councillors (amongst others!) This year, there are shows at Lee Green Sainsbury's as follows: Tuesday 21st April 7pm Wednesday 22nd April 7pm Thursday 23rd April 7pm Friday 24th April 7pm Saturday 25th 12pm & 6pm Sunday 26th 12pm & 3pm It's completely free to attend and you don't need to book - just turn up. This time all the characters come from Shakespeare's Sonnet number 91. More info (and details of ...
Sat 11th
19:36
Yesterday the site got some heavy hits,a lot from BNP supporters. one site called me a trembling Lib...
The Enemy Within In Rogues Gallery, some of the first and second-generation immigrants who, in recent times, have made life hell for the British people can be seen. The Enemy Within offers a brief CV of some of those who always seemed happy to promote and encourage the Rogues Gallery type beyond the level of [...]
I've recently moved house (only a few streets away, but still stressful enough!) and for reasons I don't quite understand, I've been unable to keep my old phone number. So if you need to give me a call, I'm now on 8297 9327. Email and other details remain the same and can be found here.
This is a good day to remember the wise words of Anthony Howard. And my own from last September: A bit of free advice to Labour strategists: encourage Derek Draper to go back to California.
When someone approaches me and talks about blogs be it an MP or an activist I always ask them to set up a blog and most give me the reply of not having enough time, which personally I think is just an excuse and if they wanted to blog they would. I have now been blogging for near enough a year and personally I have never found it hard to blog, it only takes a while a day to update and its something that I enjoy so it has become part of my online activity. For MP's the fact that ...
Damian McBride who has been someone behind my two previous blog posts because of his emails to Derek Draper to smear Tory MP's and Iain Dale has been sacked from Number 10 as a result of his actions. Number 10 has claimed that they had no idea that McBride was sending these emails to Derek Draper, and Draper has written a blog post in which he explains that it was a idea that he had which didn't go anywhere was the Red Rag! So McBride is out of a job, result. Lets see Labour kick Draper out on his ass ...
Early on in this Parliament I viewed the utterings of Vince cable with some alarm. He was then proposing that the Lib Dems support a "flat tax", which appeared to be very regressive, and he proposed ridding the party of it's very popular policy of taxing the rich at 50%. The party very quickly dropped the flat tax idea (as did the Tories) when the German Christian Democrats nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in their general election, having proposed such a policy. However Vince succeeded in changing the 50% policy. At the time he argued that the ...
Saturday Ours has long been a party of powerful women. I think of John Stuart Mill's muse and collaborator Harriet Taylor and, of course, the first Lady Bonkers (Harlequins and England); of Margot Asquith, Megan Lloyd George and Nancy Seear; and, to bring the list up to the minute, of Liz Lynne, Jo Swinson and Hazel Grove. Thus it was no surprise to me to when my fellow peer Ros Scott was elected as our President. Yet her victory was by no means a walkover, for she had for an opponent none other than Lembit Öpik. The Member for Montgomery ...
I have just watched Labour MP Emilly Thornberry being inverviewed about the Damian McBride affair on News 24. It was a car crash of a performance, claiming she couldn't care less about whether or not this civil servant Labour hack should be able to stay in his job. And she even tried to blame the whole mess on right wiing bloggers who, she claims, are much more keen on running smear campaigns
***Breaking News*** Damian McBride the advisor who has sent the immature and juvenile emails to Derek Draper has resigned. The blogosphere has hit the main news headlines today over the news that Damian McBride had sent inappropriate and juvenile emails to Derek Draper to set up a new attack blog called Red Rag which looks like Draper was planning to set up the Sport type of blog to attack the Tories. Derek Draper has since tried his best to distance himself from soliciting this sort of email, earlier today saying he had not received emails from McBride. However, even his ...
It seems that Damien McBride has been exposed as the source of a number of e-mails proposing attacks on prominent Conservatives using false allegations in an attempt to discredit them. One should set aside the allegations themselves for the time being, although they demonstrate a particularly New Labour trend towards slur and innuendo that has become more and more pronounced as the wheels have fallen off of the 'project'. 'If in doubt, use leaks and friendly journalists to discredit those attacking you' appears to be the motto. However, as a public sector bureaucrat, my concern relates to the use of ...
Those who live in the 'Financial World' still don't seem to have acquired any understanding of how the rest of us live. Pension contributions of up to £245000 p.a. qualify for the full 40% income tax relief - which itself is outrageous. In todays FT a 'Wealth Policy Director' states that: " --- public indignation over [bankers pensions] could lead to an attack on higher rate tax relief enjoyed by ordinary people". There aren't THAT many ORDINARY people who pay 40% tax and of those that do, even fewer could even dream of diverting anything like £245000 p.a. into a ...
Archaeologists have unearthed evidence of Scotland's earliest man in a field in South Lanarkshire. Flint tools similar to those known to have been used in the Netherlands in 12,000 B.C. it predates the earliest evidence of human occupation in Scotland in sites such as Cramond by some 3,500 years. Stepping the MacFlintstones back in to the Mesolithic period from the Neolithic where the Cramond finds had resided. The previous finds of this period in the UK had all previously been south of the Humber. Tom Ward of the Biggar Archaeology Group said: "To push Scotland's human history back by nearly ...
At six minutes past three almost twenty years ago I was sitting in the pub on Doncaster station with a ticket for the Lepping Road End of Hillsborough for the FA Cup Semi Final in my bag containing my athletics gear. A failure to delivery a timely urine sample after competing in an Athletics meet that morning meant I was still some distance away from my second sporting venue of the day; that time as a mere spectator and not a competitor. The television in the pub went to the game I was at that time missing. But focused not ...
Need something to get your teeth into after all those Easter Eggs? Monday 13th April at 9:00pm on ITV 1 sees the return of Marco Pierre White in Hell's Kitchen. Among the celebs are Adrian Edmonson and Linda Evans and only one kitchen for them all to cook their goose in ...can't wait!
Bishop of Norwich,Rt Revd Graham James used his Easter message to explore some of the issues arising from the life and death of Jade Goody and to suggest what it all mean for the rest of us. Article originally published in Eastern Daily Press Good Friday 10/04/2009 A few people die very publicly. John Paul II was one. Jade Goody was another. The Vatican managed the Pope's death with dignity. Max Clifford managed the media for Jade in the final weeks of her life. To his credit, he brought dignity and order to the task. I can't say I'd taken ...
Paul Staines, aka Guido Fawkes, writes one of the most successful political blogs in the UK. I link to him on my blog because he is clearly a 'player' in the Westminster village. If anyone wanted proof of that, one only has to look at his recent postings on the alleged planned 'smear' campaign of senior Conservatives by someone in the Labour movement. Staines broke the story and the Telegraph, the BBC and Sky News followed. Quite what it all means, and where the truth lies, is rather difficult to make out at this stage. No one is willing to ...
A couple of weeks ago, LDV started a new poll based on a Hung Parliament scenario floated by PoliticalBetting.com's Mike Smithson - that the next election might result in the Tories winning the popular vote, and Labour winning the most seats. What, he asked, would the Lib Dems do in such a situation? We turned the question over to our readers, and asked: In the event of a Hung Parliament, should the Lib Dems allow the seat winners or the popular vote winners to form a government? Here's what you told us: >> 38% (97 votes) - The winner of ...
It is with great honour and pride that I am able to report that I have been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for the up-coming Irwell Riverside election, to be held on the 21st May 2009. The seat became vacant in February following the death of former mayor Cllr Jimmy Hulmes. I am looking forward to meeting with more residents in the area, but already know (from working in the area) that there are some huge challenges to overcome - however, the Salford Lib Dems are an incredibly hardworking and dedicated team, who I know we can all rely ...
Woof woof, this is even broader in its warning than the classic post-war Austrian road sign. I like the honesty though. "Watch out! Danger ahead! Be afraid! Be afraid of everything!". Or is it "Watch out! Danger ahead! Be afraid! Of something so secret and scary we can't tell you what it is!"? You decide: {Road sign, London, 2009} Related posts:Classic post-war Austrian road signs, number 1 ...A message to the US intern on the diary column who has just rung Cowley Street I think it best to interrupt my eating of a...Has Chairman Mao taken up residence at The ...
The Minister for Digital Engagement aka The Minister for Blogs and twitter Tom Watson is said to be behind the whole scandal that Labour are using their blogs e.g. LabourList to smear the Conservative blogger Iain Dale and are set to smear Tory politicians leading up to the general election. Personally I am someone who knew this would happened, the next general election will use the Internet and the MSM will then pick up stories from New Media and publish them. The general election will be more like the USA elections in 2006 where blogs and Youtube were used to ...
Sat 11th
12:25
CommentIsLinked@LDV: Brian Paddick - Police leaders must regain control of their subordinates
Over at The Independent, former Lib Dem London mayoral candidate Brian Paddick, former Deputy Assistant Commissioner at the Metroplitan Police, examines the force's mounting problems. Here's an excerpt: Seeing the video of Ian Tomlinson being assaulted by a police officer during the G20 protests - an apparently innocent man being subjected to what appeared to be an unjustified assault by a police officer - provoked in me an immediate desire for the perpetrator to be suspended, tried and punished. On the other hand, having been the victim of "trial by media" myself, I realised the need for an independent investigation, ...
The controversy over government legislation that makes it illegal to elicit or attempt to elicit information about an individual who is or has been a member of the armed forces, intelligence services, or a police officer in Great Britain and also to publish such information continues to rumble on. I suspect that debate about this legislation will grow simply because it is clearly misunderstood by both the public and the Police themselves and as a consequence their application of it will lead to incidents that will put the assault on Ian Tomlinson during G20 protests at the beginning of this ...
Thought this was an excellent video and wanted to share it with everybody. Every member of the party has their own reason for why they became a Lib Dem, and this video illustrates the broad spectrum of reasons wonderfully. I've got the idea into my head now of doing a Vale of Clwyd version of this video with Mark, myself, Colum, Paul, Rhodri and co. Watch this space!
Nich Starling has a pop at Labour for being stupid enough to talk up the BNP, and in doing so actually increase the BNP's credibility. It's one of the basics of campaigning, after all - don't waste time talking about your opponents. I'd like to put forward a rather more cynical counter-argument though, having seen first hand [...]
This case has just been pointed out to me. It is quite a complex case including allegations of MSbP. It does demonstrate, however, that there are quite a few family law refugee cases over time.The challenge in private law cases (which is what this essentially was) is to find a way forward that does not have this dreadfully adversarial approach where the state acts as a steamroller.One concern
You'd probably have to take Glandular Fever out of the equation for this to be the perfect day, but it has enough elements for me to be feeling cheerier than for a long time. I'm not even feeling that ill today - which is a huge improvement. Bob and Anna are both at home and we are having a completely chilled out time in the sunshine. I'd definitely buy a drink for both Jonathan Ross (for taking holiday) and the person at the BBC who decided to get David Tennant and Catherine Tate to sit in for him on Radio ...
Lord Hoffman has criticised the decisions and processes of the Strasbourg Court. Where I am positive about the Strasbourg Court is that it is independent of the cosy consensus that exists in the legal establishment in the UK.Someone who expresses the views that I express in public would be unable to make a living as a barrister in England simply because the judges would take against him (or her)
Easter is fun for the Quistlets: easter egg hunts, making cards, a nice long weekend (hopefully not too much of it spent stationary on the M25), seeing relatives. Those of us who aren't practising Christians don't get much out of the Christian bits, whereas almost everyone enjoys at least some of the pagan and secular stuff. It's the same with Christmas. Every year some religious folk wring their hands in dismay as the nation at large misses the true meaning of Christmas. Except I don't think we do. For me the true meaning of our mid-winter festival really is eating, ...
Monday 30 March 2009 Washington DCMet with former Democrat presidential hopeful Patricia Scott Schroeder, now President and CEO of the Association of American Publishers. Interesting discussion about...
Behind the doors of Number 10 you would expect the whole Country to be run from with Civil Servants coming and going to see the Prime Minister but are you wrong. Actually from behind the black door the Labour party has launched a campaign to smear the Conservatives with the tax payers money. Top Downing Street employee and advisor to the Prime Minister Damian McBride has been sending emails out to Derek Draper and other Labour bloggers to smear Tory MP's and Iain Dale.Damian McBride was discussed on the Daily Politics programme on which Draper and Staines battled it out ...
Well hurrah! Nick Clegg has come out with what I have been banging on about since time immemorial - saying that MPs should not be able to make a profit on their second homes if those homes are being purchased with taxpayers' money. Quite right. By all means buy a home to live in London if you have a constituency that isn't within commuting distance of London. MPs should have decent accommodation - but if you sell it at profit that profit should go back to whence the expenses came from. I remember saying that I thought it was outrageous ...
It may be late (I blame the author's man flu, but then I would...) but it's a bumper Barcud this week as the end-of-term mood added an extra air of lunacy to proceedings. I'm In Plaid, Get Me Out Of Here Every writer submitting items for delayed publication risks being overtaken by events. Nevertheless, when I e-mailed off the last Barcud I had little fear that the sordid question of top-up fees would have developed further by the time it appeared on Lib Dem Voice barely 48 hours later. After all, there was no mention of it in the Assembly ...
The Telegraph has reported: Row as Number 10 emails 'smear Tories' The emails, which made a number of unfounded, innuendo-laden suggestions about the private lives of David Cameron, George Osborne and other Conservative MPs, came into the possession of Paul Staines, who writes the Guido Fawkes political blog... The prospect of publication [of the emails] alarmed ministers, who feared that they would be accused of orchestrating a smear campaign against senior Tory figures. Some of the emails made lurid claims about Mr Cameron, the Tory leader, and Mr Osborne, the shadow chancellor. However, there appears to be a degree of ...
The BBC is reporting a change to benefit payments that starts today. All benefits will start being paid fortnightly in arrears. That's instead of a week in arrears or even in advance as some benefits are at present. So what's the big deal? A week's difference in payments may not sound much, but any change [...]
Talking of wind turbines today's Times reports that the amount invested in British renewable energy schemes, including wind, solar and wave power, fell from £377 million during the first three months of last year to £79 million during the same period this year. Their source is figures from New Energy Finance, a research group that monitors industry trends. They say that the statistics have raised fresh questions over the Government's ability to fulfil its pledge to slash Britain's carbon emissions and produce more than one third of the country's electricity from green energy by 2020: Adam Bruce, the chairman of ...
Popped along yesterday morning to look at an environmental issue a constituent had raised. I was about to then knock on his door and tell him I had been to have a look when I realised that before nine on a holiday morning probably wasn't the best time to go disturbing him! I put a note through his letter box instead. When he called later he was rather glad I hadn't woken him up.
Why do the tulips you want to keep disappear after one year but the ones you don't want, because they clash horribly with your planting scheme, keep springing up, no matter how often you try and dig them all out? Why does it always rain, persistently, just as the grass really needs cutting? Why do pigeons only crap when you've just put the laundry out or washed the car? Why is it only the prettiest of flowers taste the nicest to slugs, why do they never ravage the carpet of daisies or dandelions in the lawn but can decimate a ...
Back in January (click on headline above to view) I highlighted the lack of momentum behind the SNP government's funding announcement on capital monies to kick-start council house building across Scotland. Well, there's finally been an announcement on the allocation of around two thirds of the £25 million to be allocated and, as I indicate in today's 'Courier', I am very disappointed that Dundee has been overlooked in the initial announcement of funding allocations. Dundee's bid of £704 000 was not one of the successful bids in the announcement, which covered some two-thirds of the total £25 million fund. The ...
Later this month its the final meeting (well final before the recommendations report is written) of the Liverpool Commission. The Commission is an independent body set up by Liverpool City Council to discuss and make recommendations around a number of things including recruitment of potential councillors, training for elected members, systems of scrutiny, involvement of marginalised groups etc. There are two councillors on this body - one is me - but the majority of members are independent of the Council. Liverpool is one of nine Councils running something like this although I understand some others are likely to follow. I ...
Finally got around to fixing the settings and started using Delicious again. Which means you get context with the links. I'm clearing out the saved folders full, this is a random assortment of stuff I had in a folder called "Cool". Make of tht what you will. Charlie vs Cory, who wins? Wait, they're on the same side. The good one. Anyway, Open Rights Group Event - Doctorow and Stross: Resisting the all-seeing eye, Friday May 1st, down in That London. No chance I can make it, but you should go. Yes, you. (tags: privacy charles+stross cory+doctorow) The Sci Fi ...
I was quite amused by a letter in this morning's Western Mail in which a correspondent lamented the current trends in opinion polls that indicate that a 'yes' vote is likely in any referendum to enable the Assembly to dismantle the Legislative Competence Order system and utilise its full powers under the Government of Wales Act 2006: Doubtless, the All Wales Convention, encouraged by these results, will continue to conduct similar surveys in the months ahead in an effort to convince the people of Wales that they have fully embraced the notion of a full law-making Assembly in Cardiff Bay. ...
The Irish economy is suffering even more than most at the moment. It's forecast to contract by a staggering 8% this year. I'm not convinced that the Irish Government's harsh approach to public spending is the right path, particularly when all their neighbours are taking the opposite approach. Time will tell, but it would make sense for the Irish as well as us to be investing in green jobs and infrastructure and try to get their economy on a more sustainable footing for the future. Two stories relating to Ireland catch my eye at the moment. Apparently we have been ...
Sat 11th
08:50
Great Liberal Speeches: George Tierney on sacrificing the constitution on the altar of public securi...
I was one of the contributors to Great Liberal Speeches. Here is my introduction to the selected speech from George Tierney, followed by the speech itself. The issues are arguments are still very pertinent today. George Tierney, who led the Whigs in the Commons between 1817 and 1821, was born in 1761 in Gibraltar to a wealthy merchant family. After growing up in Gibraltar and Paris, he went to Eton and Cambridge. He trained as a lawyer, but then went into politics rather than pursuing a legal career. He rapidly became familiar with the corrupt and costly side of elections, ...
Aneurin Glyndwr may be on an Easter break but its writers must have choked on their chocolate egg this morning when they opened the Western Mail and found this article advocating a long-term strategic partnership between Labour and Plaid Cymru.Two Labour activists, Nick Davies and Darren Williams have published a book called 'Clear Red Water: Devolution and Socialist Policies' in which they argue
This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who havesought freedom" "We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if youwish to become part of our society . Learn the language!" "Most Australians believe in God This is [...]
I really cannot believe I've just heard on BBC Breakfast that Crown Prosecution staff in London are getting a £250 bonus. Why, I hear you ask? Because the staff in London made it into work in February in the heavy snow. Come on, this is outrageous. I'm sorry it snowed heavy but these people already get paid to go to work why do the CPS staff deserve a bonus because they got to work in the snow? What about the nurses, teachers, shop workers, office workers, police staff, fire fighters, ambulance staff etc etc Some of these are essential people ...
I have, I acknowledge, talked a good game on improving support for PPC's, especially those in less attractive, i.e. non-winnable, seats. I've talked about the importance of mentoring, of the mistakes we make by selecting a PPC and then letting them get on with it. However, without action, it's all just talk. And so, when English Candidates Committee proposed the creation of a Training and Development Working Group, I looked around the room to see who would volunteer. It became painfully apparent that, given how many of my colleagues would be up to their necks in campaigns elsewhere, I was ...
I've been working with Councillor Fiyaz Mughal on the issue of road safety along Westbury Avenue: This film is hosted on YouTube.
My wonderful colleague (and our local MP) Lynne Featherstone has broken her hand, so is finding her keyboard a challenge. She has therefore taken to Youtube to highlight current campaigns - including our campaign in Highgate on the Church Road Crossing, as you can see here:
working today while jo wrestles a three-year-old in a very bad mood at home # Its 23:07 on Good Friday and I'm sat at my laptop planning - must get a life. Can you get them on ebay? #
