Cllr Jeremy Birch, leader of the Labour Group on Hastings Borough Council, has blocked questions from local Liberal Democrats about the income and expenses that he derives from the public purse. In a manner strikingly different to that of Labour MP Michael Foster who, last weekend, published details of his expenses in the local press, Cllr [...]
OK, I'm off on holiday this weekend so this may be the last chance I get to blog before the Euro-elections unless I get access on the continent. For the last few weeks, I've been making predictions for the Euro-election results, which my friends think are mad. The latest Populus poll this evening shows things moving in my direction. So I thought I would declare on the blog before I become Mr Conventional. So here goes: 1. UKIP (mid 20's) 2. Tories (low 20's) 3. Greens (15%) 4. Labour (14%) 5. Lib Dems (11%) 6. BNP (8%) Am I completely ...
Further update it is expected that more detailed information on the number of children that still require places will be made available week commencing 8th June. It would appear that many schools have not received all the information back from the school admissions team yet. This may mean that the 133 may go up or down, lets hope down. As soon as I get any new information I will post it here. Reminder -- The next The Primary Admissions Working Group meeting will be Wednesday 10th June at 7pm at venue Swiss Cottage Community Centre, 19 Winchester Road, London. NW3 ...
I am sitting on the train heading home at the moment with my blackberry buzzing every few minutes. People are responding to a message I posted up an hour or so ago on Facebook about myself. You have to be a Facebook friend to know what it is. I'm leaving the announcement on the blog for a short while but let's just say that it means quite a big change for me, I am looking forward to it and it is
Anthony Barnett questions David Cameron's reforming credentials.Devil's Kitchen extrapolates from the current crisis that a General Election is the only way out.Paul Waugh from off of The Evening Standard questions if Cameron has handled this crisis well.Malcolm Clark from MVC posts about a rallying call for PR from Peter Tatchell. And Jennie Rigg aint happy with Cowley Street's web design standards.
We have just had a snippet of what is to come shortly when MPs are required to publish their earnings and time spent on second jobs. Labour were the keenest advocates of this requirement, possibly thinking that it was part time Tories who would provide the most interesting copy for the media. Alas for the hardened socialist brethren, it appears that one of their own is amongst the first to have
The BBC has the story: MPs who stand down after expenses revelations should not be entitled to large tax free pay-offs, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has said. Since stories about expenses claims began, 13 MPs have said they will stand down at the election, although three say they are going for health reasons. They will be entitled to a pay-off worth up to a year's salary of £64,000 depending on their age and experience. Mr Clegg said there was "no reason" some should get the tax free reward. Under current rules, Conservative MP Julie Kirkbride could receive a pay ...
I am regarded as a Blogger because I write a blog but I just don't want to be a blogger I rather be known as a citizen journalist then a blogger, why? I have in the past reported from events/meetings that I have attended and have enjoyed it that is why I rather be known as a citizen journalist who is invited alongside the "old media" to events to report and write about events. People don't see us bloggers as "new media" hacks instead they see us as nerds who have nothing better to do so we write blogs (but ...
Thanks for people taking the time to join the site, getting busy lets hope some of you actually vote Liberal Democrat. Any comments are welcome.
It is worth looking at the latest Populus poll in a little detail because beneath the headline grabbing top-line voting intention data there are some interesting figures therein. Looking at the top-line figures for a second there has to be a serious worry for Liberal Democrat's that our Euro campaign simply isn't going anywhere; we [...]
Fri 29th
22:22
Well while others are busy with europe it looks like me and My partner in crime will have to carry o...
Lost on me Europe seems like another way for people to tell us what to do. and get a lot of our money for the priveledge. Seems to have come a long way from an economic bond. lets take a close look over the next couple of days what the cost are. Of course being a [...]
I no longer work for BUPA / Outcome Technologies, having been made redundant. But no commiserating please! It's great, it's the kick up the arse I needed to actually go and look for other work, because while the last year or so there had been rather boring with not much work to do, actually looking for work is Hard Work and involves talking to recruiters and other annoying flesh-things, and I put it off and put it off so often. Being told that my job was "at risk" of redundancy, and with plenty of notice that it would happen, prompted ...
Today's House Points column in Liberal Democrat News is based on an earlier posting on this blog. Past times With MPs away for Whitsun, we go back to an era when they put their hands in their own pockets rather than those of their constituents. I have written before about J. W. "Paddy" Logan, Liberal MP for Harborough 1891-1904 and 1910-6. How he gave Market Harborough its cricket ground and swimming baths and started a brawl in the House. But there was more to Logan's politics than fisticuffs. Here are three of his Commons speeches from 1896. Logan opposed customs ...
Fri 29th
21:57
Scott Walker, The Zombies, Edgard Varese, Small Faces, Serge Gainsbourg... Spotify Playlist For This...
This week's playlist, which I've titled Misty Rosary, doesn't have an organising theme like the other ones I've done recently, it's just seventeen songs I really like right now. I hope you will too... Misty Roses by The Zombies is a live performance from the Odessey And Oracle 40th Anniversary CD/DVD, and actually only features Colin [...]
One of the acts tonight on Britain's Got Talent, a 10 year old girl called Hollie Steele broke down in tears after, well lets put it nicely, messing up and forgetting her words during her performance. Now everyone knows you get one shot at your performance on a show like Britain's Got Talent. Except, that is, if you are a ten year old girl who turns on the tears, and then says "Please !" when told that because it is a live show they would not have time for her to perform gain. So what is the result of her ...
I very much hope that the current political situation results in fundamental change in our political system. God knows we need it. However, the problem is that because of our uncodified constitution and the top down nature of our system, any change has to be agreed to by a majority of MPs. And unfortunately Turkey's will not usually vote for Christmas. I have thought for years that we need a propotional system of elections for the House of Commons. But because a new system would mean a good number of them would not be re-elected MPs under it they would ...
Yes, after seven letters (including the demand for £18,000), 22 threatening voice mails, six months and an ignorant missive from Councillor Chalkley, I am finally being given the opportunity to appeal against a ticket given by an unmarked spy camera (later removed) for waiting IN my car on a SINGLE yellow line AWAY from the [...]
I'm a cautious soul at heart. I like to have as much information as I can get before I plump for a particular choice. On one hand this, on the other, that. I tend to be suspicious of the obvious answer. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, I'm not great at strategic board games. When I played the Germans in 'Sturm nach Osten', I was great as far as taking Kiev was concerned, but tended to waste time admiring my handiwork without focussing on the next step. And in the great MP expenses scandal, perhaps some honest reflection has ...
All, I promise to mention the fact that there's an election coming up on June 4th soon, but in yet another bid to have a blog which mentions more interesting things, I simply reprint a press release from the excellent Transition Shipston group - which will also appear in next month's Forum. Regards, Philip "The first public meeting of Transition Shipston and the Surrounding Area which was attended by around 30 people discussed how we can make the town and surrounding villages more self-reliant so that the community can become more resilient in the face of future food and energy ...
Many people are piss** off with their MP's and all they want to do is sack them and have a by-election in which another MP is elected and here are some ways of making this possible and how one individual could make it happened. Meet the MP's party... If a MP is disliked in their political party say a Labour MP is not liked by Labour activists in the constituency then all you need to do is round up Labour activists and get them on your side once you have their support you are on the road to success. An ...
Life changes, and sometimes you get more time to think. And so, this seems like a good opportunity to write a few more reflective pieces as I journey from London to Stowmarket and back. Let's see how it goes...
I'm looking to recruit a campaign intern for the summer. Expenses paid, experience desirable but not essential. In return you'll get lunch and lots of interesting jobs to do - with real responsibility. Also, training from top class Party trainer will be thrown in for free. Great on CV and good references supplied. Message me if you are interested.
The Times has just revealed some findings of a new poll, carried out by Populus ahead of the Euro elections next week. The poll shows voting intention per se, combined with an added question asking how respondents will vote next Thursday. Worryingly the LDs are severely down on both counts. Here are the stats: Overall standings Conservatives - 41% (+2) Labour - 21% (-5) Lib Dems - 15% (-7) Euro Election standings Conservatives - 30% (-4) UKIP - 19% (+13) Labour - 16% (-9) LDs - 12% (-8) Green - 10% (+5) A couple of weeks ago I suggested on ...
It has been an odd quirk of North Norfolk Tories that they have, for many years, attempted to deceive the electorate each and every local election by failing to put candidates up against certain "independents", who in return join the Conservative group immediately after the election and take the Tory whip. Of course, it does not just happen in North Norfolk. Here in Broadland too the Tories do similar things too. But in North Norfolk it seems that the Tories have now lost control of their group discipline so much that one of their members, Mike Baker, who I could ...
Fascinating meeting this afternoon with representatives of BT Openreach. We were talking about why broadband speeds in one village in my constituency vary so much from house to house and at different times of day, and what we can do about it. In general, once a line has been tested for faults, the biggest single determinant of broadband speed seems to be distance from the exchange. BUT - this is the length of the wire, not the distance as the crow flies, so a house that is physically nearer to the exchange can be further away in terms of length ...
Fri 29th
19:23Sack Blears, says Hattersley, I say let her stand and get her just deserts, when she gets beat.
May 29, 2009 HAZEL Blears should be thrown out of the Cabinet, says former Labour deputy leader Roy Hattersley. He said it was time for the party to impose punishments on MPs who avoided paying capital gains tax, adding that their behaviour was 'inconsistent' with the values of the party. Communities Secretary and Salford MP Ms [...]
Until the last couple of days, received wisdom - both among the mainstream media and the blogosphere - is that David Cameron has had a 'good crisis', dealing firmly with those Tory MPs who've committed egregious expenses abuses (from moats to trees to duck islands) and being ahead of the curve on democratic reforms. So I was intrigued to read this analysis by the London Evening Standard's Paul Waugh today, which notes how this received wisdom is now beginning to be questioned, not least by Tory MPs themselves: ... as the days have gone on, it seems that Cameron has ...
Great news so happy that we've been able to secure funding to continue with the excellent Langworthy In-Bloom. Thanks to Hazel for her help. Well John we all no she's not short of a bob or two not many of us can write cheques for thirteen big ones, [...]
I've written a letter to the Guardian. It may well not get published so here it is Your article "Torture fears of the asylum seekers Britain is sending back to Congo" highlights what is far worse than the scandal of MPs' expenses. The only way that MPs who are responsible for deporting people back to DRC can make amends is not by the easy route of paying some...
Fri 29th
18:45Quick thank you to the range of officers within council who helped resolve one more stack of issues ...
Bins not emptied with the gas works for three weeks, still on the phone discussing a range of issues and the men where their can't ask for more. Grids blocked work being done early next week. Ground work for the elderly, one call land identified and job set in motion for next week. Lack of street lighting one call, [...]
Cowley Street asks some Lib Dem bloggers to big up the party's European manifesto website (disclosure - I was asked, and I did indeed link to it in a posting a couple of days ago). Jennie Rigg took a look and was less than impressed, likewise staceyuk. Irfan Ahmed is a bit miffed he wasn't asked. Site designer Rob Fenwick, in Jennie's comments, defends his work and suggests Jennie's own site isn't a perfect example of great web design either (Jennie's defence is that she designed it for herself, not for Rob). Obviously, my opinion is what's needed here. That'll ...
Man, this guy is funny. [Contains somewhat strong language]
The party's manifesto for the European elections is also available as an iPhone app. If you have access to an iPhone or iPod touch you can view it. Go to apps store and search for Liberal Democrats. The app is free. And don't forget, you can also get the party's TV broadcasts (PPBs) using our iTunes feed.
UKIP claims that EU membership costs the UK £40m per day. This is total rubbish. I took part in a debate at a local school in Coventry a few months back and the UKIP representative made many wild claims that I could not even find supported in their own literature. I suspect they are double accounting or simply making the figures up! Here are the facts backed up by various public sources of information. The UK does make a net contribution to the EU, which varies year on year, but this year each person in the UK contributes £67 a ...
Welcome to the 118th of our weekly round-ups from the Lib Dem blogosphere, featuring the seven most popular stories according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (17th-23rd May 2009), together with a hand-picked quintet, mostly courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed. As ever, let's start with the most popular post, and work our way down. 1. Thank you on Ryan Cullen's The Artesea blog. The Aggregator was dead; long live the Aggregator (and Ryan). 2. NEW POLL: who do you think should be the next Speaker? by Stephen Tall on Lib Dem Voice. Last time I looked at the ...
{clegg} Ol' Nicko the Cleggmeister has been granted the esteemed title of... REFORMER OF THE WEEK ...by pro-reform think tank Reform. In their end of (the working) week e-mail, Lucy Parsons says that Cleggster wins the award "for urging that reforming Parliament should take precedent over MPs' summer holidays." Hurrah! Even more splendidly, their Reactionary of the Week award goes to... ... Prezza Prescott He of the taxpayer-funded mock Tudor wooden beams is given the award "for blaming the media for the wrongdoings of MPs." Well bloody said. You can sign up to these things by clicking here and smacking ...
Are you intersted in the Vauxhall area and want to support the Vauxhall Society's work? Details below of their open meeting coming up next month. 7.30 for 7.45 - Wednesday 17th June 2009 St Stephen's Church Annexe, Corner of St Stephen's Terrace and Wilkinson St SW8 1DH OPEN MEETING WORKING TOGETHER: PLANNING OUR AREA OURSELVES For all local organisations and peoplewho care about their neighbourhood and our whole area: Kennington, Vauxhall, Oval and around. Can we act together to strengthen our voices? How can we all keep and use the Vauxhall Society's huge amounts of useful present day and historical ...
There's been a flurry of news about other parties today, so to balance things up a bit, here's a reminder that you can find our case for voting Liberal Democrat in the European elections in a handy five minutes or so summary over on our European manifesto site. It starts: The Liberal Democrats will work through the European Union to ensure: A stronger economy, more jobs and more opportunity for businesses More action to stop climate change and protect the environment. More criminals are caught, such as terrorists, gangsters and paedophile networks, and our civil liberties are upheld. Britain's Liberal ...
Another one to file in the "how not to handle the media" file, via the Echo: MP DAVID Amess ran from the Echo to avoid questions after his expenses showed he claimed the maximum of £400 for food every month for the past four years. The Tory MP sought refuge in a hairdressers' as he tried to duck the issue. He eventually made his escape when a car arrived at the salon in Westcliff and drove him away, with Mr Amess hiding his face behind a leaflet. The Southend West MP's extraordinary actions came after it emerged he claimed the ...
The past week has been extremely busy with West End issues. Here's an update on some of the issues covered : Thursday 21st : A useful meeting with the Director of Leisure and Communities over allotments issues. I was concerned to receive concerns from residents about vandalism to the mini-recycling centre in Cleghorn Street - see right. It had been set alight and, in response to my e-mail raising the concern with the City Council's Waste Strategy Officer responded, "It is quite a cause for concern - the paper bin was only recently re-introduced at this site following it's removal ...
Many people have asked Lord Greedy how he has a pile of money in his home and the Lord didn't want to share his ways with you but because of high numbers of requests Lord Greedy will have to share. Lord Greedy claims his allowance every time he is in the Lords but guess where the Lord sleeps at night? Yes, in the Lords Chamber! Its open all the time, they are more comfortable then Her Majesties lawn to sleep on so Lord Greedy sleeps on the Parliamentary benches. For food many would use the money from their allowances but ...
From The Register: A supposedly massive denial of service attack against the British National Party website has been exposed as a gross exaggeration. The assault, which began on Friday, was described by the party in an email appeal for funds as the "largest cyber attack in recorded history" and comparable only to a 2001 assault against Microsoft. Nick Griffin, leader of the controversial far-right political party, asked the party's supporters to stump up the £5,000 urgently needed to purchase hardware and servers supposedly needed to keep the site up and running ... A technically knowledgeable person at the hosting firm ...
Cowley Street asked Jennie Rigg's to look at the parties Euro election website and big it up on her blog but she turned around and just criticised the site for being sh** and personally I disagree with her. She focuses on how the site has a lot of blank space and personally I think that is good, a website isn't meant to be a jam packed page with everything and anything on one page a website can be anything and personally I like the Lib Dems euro site something which she doesn't. So Cowley Street next time you want a ...
I'm on Radio 4's The World Tonight at 10pm this evening discussing Nick Clegg's and the LibDems' handling of the expenses scandal. My basic analysis? Pretty good, but could do more. UPDATE: You can hear the interview here - 11 mins and 55 seconds in.
MP DAVID Amess ran from the Echo to avoid questions after his expenses showed he claimed the maximum of £400 for food every month for the past four years. The Tory MP sought refuge in a hairdressers' as he tried to duck the issue.He eventually made his escape when a car arrived at the salon in Westcliff and drove him away, with Mr Amess hiding his face behind a leaflet.The Southend West MP's extraordinary actions came after it emerged he claimed the maximum £19,000 on expenses for food over the past four years. Weird scenes in Southend West. The words ...
More press coverage on this tragic accident on Rodford Way... Daily Mail news story: Schoolgirl killed by van was too scared to use subway full of 'abusive youths' Evening Post news story: Bristol death crash girl 'felt threatened by yobs' Evening Post editorial: Bristol teen died due to yob fear
{Alexandra Palace} Here's my latest column for the Highgate Handbook and Muswell Hill Flyer: Beautiful building, fantastic location - but a financial nightmare. That's been the history of Alexandra Palace over the last few decades as one bungle after another has seen tens of millions of pounds wasted - with the bill for clearing these losses landed on the Haringey Council Tax payer. Over the last couple of years we've seen Haringey Labour desperately trying to wash their hands of the problem - but wanting to do so by selling off much of the site on a mammoth 125 year ...
Yay! Karen Gillan has been announced this afternoon as the new Doctor's new companion! We don't have a name or background for her character yet, but we've already seen the actress in the series - last year*, she was the Sibylline Sister who saw the TARDIS materialise in Pompeii. Presumably she thought, 'I'm ginger and following the Doctor around, too - I could get used to this'. That makes two companions now who've previously played minor roles in the previous season's best story. Though why it couldn't be the pretty young man in the very short toga, I don't know. ...
James Graham has done an excellent post on the flaws of AV+ so I won't repeat the same points (writing down exactly what I wanted to say yet again, I must unplug that LibDem hive mind connection...) but merely to pick up on one aspect. Why is it that anyone thought a referendum on AV+ was a good thing and something that is somehow a prize that should be compromised and fought for? Regardless of the flaws of the system, WE WOULD LOSE the referendum! James says "At the height of Blairite hysteria and the depth of the Tory nadir, ...
Middlesbrough UA, North Ormesby and Brambles Farm date: 28/05/2009Lab 549 (60.0 -7)BNP 175 (19.0 +19)Con 131 (14.0 -7)LD John Michael Heath 63 (7.0 +7)[New Nationalist Party (0.0 -13)]Majority 374Turnout 21.1%Lab holdPercentage change is since May 2007
Nick Clegg has had a great few weeks taking a strong stand on cleaning up Parliament and leading the call for a complete overhaul of our political system. Last week at Prime Minister's Question Time he challenged Gordon Brown to reform our electoral systems. Now even Brown's own ministers are echoing Nick's call. Nick is making the case to : * Give people the right to sack MPs * Stop all big party political donations * Elect the House of Lords * Make the voting system fair - so that governments can't just get all that power and all that ...
If your MP had made NO speeches in the House of Commons in the past year...If your MP sat on NO Select Committees in the House of Commons...If your MP has ALWAYS voted against ALL bills designed to create a more transparent Parliament...If your MP worked for Lloyd's Pharmacy, Pepsico, Diaverum Healthcare, Covidien and Bridgepoint Capital...If your MP earned more from his outside jobs than he does
You can't write about every single MP the Torygraph accuses in the extended expenses saga - even they're taking weeks and weeks over it with dozens of writers, so you'd just never keep up with all the guilty, the dodgy and the smeared. However, some are just gifts. Tory MP Bill Cash's dodgy claims may be less memorable than Tory duck houses, Tory servants' quarters or Tory moats, but let's face it, not only will both parts of his name put both of tonight's satirical news quizzes into paroxysms of delight, but it also couldn't happen to a nastier git. ...
...and I hope it will be running more quickly and reliably. For a few weeks now I've had this problem where my server has been going down periodally - sometimes not for days and then sometimes several times in the same day, and also it seemed interminably slow to load a page. When I bought by New Big Server I decided I would try and use virtual machines on it to distribute various functions like file storage, databases and web-servers. So I've just in the past couple of days completely rebuilt the host machine and the virtual mail server and ...
Today, my mother received a letter from the Prime Minister. In a nutshell it said: Dear Mrs Hussein I know that people are angry about MPs expenses. I apologise - on behalf of all parties - that the politcal system has let you and the public down. Whatever party they belong to, MPs should never have spent taxpayers' money on cleaning their moats or swimming pools, or paying phantom mortgages - and its even worse at a time when ordinary familes are worried about the impact of the recession. Labour are determined to out things right - not through words, ...
Alan Johnson has called for a referendum on PR to be held on the day of the next general election. What is the logic of voting to change the electoral system on the same day as electing a new House of Commons under the old system ??? Of course, a referendum on the Jenkins Commission's recommended Alternative Vote top-up System is now more than ten years overdue. Labour's manifesto commitment
{mekong} The Today programme ran a story this morning on drug resistant malaria growing in south east Asia (around the Mekong delta). They're right to highlight the problem, and correctly point out that around half the world's population are at risk of the disease. Every thirty seconds a child dies of malaria. Furthermore, artemisinin is our last defence against malaria - older drugs have succumbed to resistance themselves, and no new drugs appear to be in the pipeline. So whose fault is this? Is it just one of those things that happen? Predictably, no - it's worsened by overbearing governments, ...
The following article appeared in today's Guardian Newspaer This is a good moment to be a Liberal Democrat. Constitutional reform grips Westminster. The bigger parties are being discredited by expenses - the double departure yesterday of Labour's Margaret Moran and the Tories' Julie Kirkbride symbolising shared disgrace. Lib Dems have been tainted, too, but not on the same scale, and...
Nick Clegg has published an action plan to hand power back to the British people and change politics for good. The full text is below - visit www.TakeBackPower.org to find out how you can support the campaign.
Before Question Time last night the Jury Team had their Party Election Broadcast and I have to say it was easily a contender for the worst 5 minutes of political airtime ever. People are angry we were told but luckily for them there is an answer in the Jury Team with it's commitment to open [...]
Earlier this year Nick palmer, Anna Soubry and myself took part in a series of debates around the constituency, setting out the case for our respective parties. I'm delighted to announce that they have both accepted my invitation to run a further debate in the autumn aimed specifically at young people. We'll need to work out the details but with all three of us in agreement there shouldn't be any reason for it not to go ahead.
Two more MP's have been forced to announce that they will not seek re-election at the next general election after what were, in blunt terms, fraudulent expenses claims. this is however unlikley to satisfy most people and I find myself agreeing with David Cameron (not something I've said often) that the only way forward is to call a General Election now.
I've added a new button on the left to Vote Match, a new tool by the movement For Democracy (forermly Charter 88). I took it and fortunately it did suggest that I ought to vote Lib-Dem as they best represent my views, followed by the Green party, which is what I would expect and with UKIP trailing in last.
I talk of the Labour websites for Bury North, Scunthorpe and Luton South. One would have thought that should an MP be suspended or say they were going to stand down at the next election there would have been some rearguard action to at least keep the show on the road. From the regional party or [...]
Perhaps the most basic requirement for a local election ballot paper is to the list all the candidates up for election. A bit of a problem then that ballot papers have been going out in several parts of Cornwall with the bottom candidate missing - because the paper was cut in the wrong place by the printers. As a result, for example, one resident reported that they had binned their ballot paper because they wanted to vote Liberal Democrat, hadn't found a candidate of ours on the ballot paper and so decided they didn't want to vote. The authorities are ...
From the Oxford Mail: A ROYAL Marine seriously wounded in Iraq collared Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg in Oxford today to applaud him for pledging action to clean up Parliament... Mr Johnstone, of Salter Close, Grandpont, told Mr Clegg: "This is the first time I'm going to be voting for you." The 46-year-old suffered severe shrapnel wounds to his right leg when a roadside bomb exploded as his unit patrolled close to Basra Airport in August 2003. He told the Oxford Mail: "What's impressed me is he's been on TV and he said he's asking that every MP across the ...
The Eastbourne Herald has the news: A TORY candidate in next week's county council elections is today exposed as a former bigamist. The Herald has uncovered documents showing Reg Jenkins, who is standing for the Conservatives in Devonshire, married his current wife, Huang Qi, in Shanghai, China, in February 1992 while he was still married to his first wife, Eleanor... [This] is an offence under Section 57 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and carries a maximum prison sentence on conviction of seven years. Mr Jenkins, 66, who runs a guest house in Cambridge Road, said yesterday he ...
The most notable item on the agenda of this weeks Economy, Environment and Transport Scrutiny Committee at the Town Hall was an item highlighting future pressure for the Council to provide more permanent sites for gypsies and travellers. The Government say that Gypsies and Travellers want permanent sites in order that illegal encampments can be minimised. As a result the North West (unelected) Regional Assembly has worked out the amount it feels all Greater Manchester Authorities should provide over the next few years. Currently Bury provides 17 pitches on one site, however North West Region believes that Bury should provide ...
Liberal Democrats have good reason to be happy for a moment with Britain's most mealy-mouthed newspaper. Yesterday, Nick Clegg launched his Take Back Power 100-day campaign in a Guardian article. Today, their editorial is full of praise for us: "The party championed reform when it was unfashionable. The difference is that other parties are now competing to match them. The Lib Dem leader has run a bold pro-European campaign in the current elections (though no one has noticed). The Lib Dems have been ahead of the curve on the three great contemporary crises: climate change, the constitution and the economy." ...
Any one who wishes copies of the New electronic monthly Focus leaflet send in your email. If you need copies of policy documents. policy views. Budgets etc. Or if you need details of advice surgeries or upcoming street surgeries they are also available. Campaigning in Local wards will be starting next month so any one who is willing [...]
I have written a piece for the Guardian Datablog today. It describes the details of my safe seats/MPs expenses correlation work that I have posted about here previously.
I refer of course to Bill Cash MP who wrote in 2007 on the Equality Act: `You have given more preference to those who stand for gay rights than those who are concerned with conscience, with family and with religion` – This is in 2007 not 1907. `They work for you` state that he voted very strongly [...]
Liberal Democrats will ensure that the Council puts care back at the top of the agenda. In the past four years, charges have rocketed under the Conservatives. We will: Review all charges - the Liberal Democrats will review the charging policy for care in Suffolk, to make sure that the elderly and vulnerable are getting the best deal possible. Re-introduce free day care - since the Conservatives first started charging per day, the number of sessions attended by elderly people has halved. This will initially be funded by the huge reserves held at the County. Help people claim the benefits ...
2 Big Stories Moves towards voting reform gain momentum As the MPs' expenses row rumbles on - today's Telegraph villain is that arch-Eurosceptic Bill Cash - the recognition of the need for electoral reform is gathering pace. After yesterday's clarion call by Nick Clegg for MPs to embark on a 100-day programme to rescue British democracy, today Labour stalwarts David Blunkett and Peter Hain have added their voices to those clamouring to ditch the archaic first-past-the-post voting system. Neither though subscribe to the Lib Dems' stated single transferable vote preference, nor even for the Jenkins Commission's AV+ recommendation - instead ...
My postal ballot has been filled in and sent back. I, unsurprisingly, voted Liberal Democrat despite only receiving the Conservative Election Communication.
The Pope is moving to make Daniel Hannan MEP an official, kosher Saint. A spokesman for the Vatican said: "After his performance on Question Time last night, it is perfectly clear that Daniel Hannan has all the makings of a Saint. We will start the process at once to canonise him. We've had reports of "miracles" all over Britain last night. People watching Question Time had remarkable experiences - often needing to run from the room to the nearest plumbing outlet. Some people had worts appearing all over their bodies. It really is quite incredible. Daniel Hannan really does put ...
Been up to RM Condor, Arbroath for a couple of days for Will's Afghanistan Campaign Medal Ceremony. While the day was obviously generally happy and filled with pride, there were plenty of tears among the couple of thousand family members present as the names of the fallen were read out and the Last Post played. 45 Commando lost eight men in combat and others were severely injured, many of whom
Young Nick Clegg has unleashed "100 days to save democracy". Sounds very exciting, doesn't it. But we've had some proposals from Cameron and suitable noises from Labour, so how do Clegg's ideas stack up? Two general points to note before we dive into the detail. First, unlike Cameron, Clegg doesn't talk about vague ideas and aspirations, things to consider in the fulness of time. He talks about legislation to be enacted with a week-by-week program before the end of summer. All well and good, although how much of that is bluster might be questioned. Lib Dem MPs certainly weren't consulted ...
Over in the Grundian, a group of Lib Dem MPs were named 'heroes of the week'. They were David Howarth MP (secretary of state for justice), Tom Brake MP (shadow home affairs spokesperson), Baroness Shirley Williams, Simon Hughes MP (shadow secretary of state for energy and climate change) and Martin Horwood MP (shadow environment spokesperson). During the G20 demo's in London they had decided to act as external observers, defuse any tensions and act as independent witnesses. At the time this was seen as barking, but as they gave evidence to various parliamentary committees their role became vital. It now ...
I promised you this a long time ago. It's taken a long time for the information to reach me. Be that as it may, here it is. The name of the partnership is The Derwent Valley Partnership 125 people attended the inaugural event 63 of these threw their hat into the ring and offered to serve as board members Five priorities were chosen. I'll update you on those over the coming days, but the bare bones are: Improved local environment (74 votes) Activities for young people (58 votes) Anti-social behavious/crime (40 votes) Support for community groups/facilities/buildings (39 votes) Perceptions of ...
I was delighted to speak to a church hosted meeting on Lib Dem EU policy in Macclesfield last night (though I'm shattered today). There were candidates from UKIP, Labour, Conservatives, Christian Party "Proclaiming Christ's Lordship" (CPA), Green and myself for the Lib Dems. All seemed personable enough, and the audience and organisers made the event [...]
A quick post before I set off to Mid Wales regarding Ieuan Wyn Jones' claim this morning that the MPs' expenses scandal has stripped Westminster of the "moral authority" to refuse a referendum on dismantling the LCO system so that the assembly can use its powers in full. I am a bit sad to see Ieuan take this view as it turns what is a national crisis about our political system into a narrow self-serving opportunity and as such misses the point. It is not just Westminster that has lost all 'moral authority' as a result of this crisis but ...
'Cash for Questions' tarnished the reputation of the last Conservative government in Britain, but this morning, it is Questions for Cash that must be putting party leader David Cameron off his cornflakes, in the latest epsiode of the seemingly endless Daily Telegraph saga of expenses abuse in the House of Commons. According to the newspaper's newest [...]
In the face of the ongoing attempt by the Daily Telegraph to portray MPs in the worst light possible no matter what their actual sins, it has been easy to forget that there is an important election campaign now taking place. I have had the option of voting in the European elections here in Estonia or where I am still registered to vote, in the UK. I have had to think hard about where I should vote. I am friendly with several of the leading political figures in this country and know several of the candidates for the European Parliament ...
59 minutes past the 11th hour tonight marks the deadline for entries for next year's Formula One championship. I've written before about the issues which have led to a sensational threat to quit F1 after 60 years from Ferrari. I don't think anyone seriously expects agreement not to be reached - there have been a series of meetings over the last week between FOTA (the teams) and the FIA ("Mad" Max Mosley and his cronies) which have been lurching spasmodically towards an uneasy compromise. I think what's surprised me most is that the unity has pretty much held, apart from ...
Children's services professionals have grave concerns about the future funding of children's centres, a poll has shown. {Children playing at children's centre} Children playing at children's centre The poll, taken at a recent conference on children's centres, found 52 per cent were "very concerned" about future funding for centres. Much of the noises emanating from the government suggest they are right. A quarter of the attendees, who included children's centre managers and directors of children's services (DCSs), felt the centres were deemed a low priority in their local authority, while 30 per cent said their centres relied solely on Sure ...
Visit the official website.
Sarah Teather and the Liberal Democrats have been taking legal action against Brent Central Labour Party following the appearance of a leaflet that falsely accused Sarah of receiving funding from questionable sources. When asked about the leaflet by one of the local newspapers, Labour MP Dawn Butler stood by its contents. But in the face of the legal action, Labour have now admitted their story was false and agreed to pay our legal costs. Result {:-)}
Yesterday, Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg launched his own radical proposals for reform of our political system. Miles ahead of the 'I will seriously consider doing something' approach of the Tory Leader. You can sign up for Nick Clegg's 'Take Back Power' campaign at www.takebackpower.org. These problems aren't just national. When it comes to the electoral system, the Ham & High newspaper made some similar points yesterday about how politics is being damaged in our councils: "Camden was in the hands of Labour for 40 years until the 2007 elections. Haringey has been in Labour's grip for just as long ...
A lot of people have been asking me what is going on here. In a nutshell, the issue is that this area has three different owners (in this case "owner" can mean an individual as well as a corporate owner). The travellers are staying on the land of one of the owners, but they got onto the site via one of the other owners. Securing the missing gate is an essential part of moving them on, otherwise people can just go round the block and go straight back onto the site (which means that the court costs would have been ...
I can't imagine there's a single Lib Dem who doesn't hang on to every word Daddy Alex writes. If by some chance you were drunk, or unconscious, or away in Mars for a couple of days, and missed this treat, go and read it now. It's worth it just for the description of James Graham! And while we're swapping Jo stories on the blogsophere, there's two more things I'd like to bring to your attention: 1 Her capacity for work I've known Jo for quite a few years now and worked with her closely when she was the target seat ...
Off to Hay-on-Wye today for the annual literary festival and so blogging will be very light. This is largely to do with the fact that the town is an O2 blackspot and thus neither my mobile or my Blackberry will work. I am hoping that this visit will be a bit more successful than two years ago when I bit into some food and broke a capped tooth on a fork. Nevertheless I have some interesting events lined up. Today, we are starting off with Kate Adie talking to Rosie Goldsmith about her career, the comic novellist Howard Jacobson talking ...
Today it is being reported that 52 Labour MPs are currently seeking to be on a Brown resignation honours list for elevation to the Upper Chamber after the next election. That is one in every 7 MPs that were elected under Blair in 2005. But this number is the backbenchers not even counting the prominent Cabinet Members who would expect ennoblement when they finally leave the commons. Many of the 52 have not yet announced that they will be stepping down but are at this point intending to stand again. The fact that so many are seeking elevation shows that ...
Local Assembly Members for the Swansea area have recently had a very full six page critique of Welsh Government further education policy from the Principal of Swansea College. He is understandably very unhappy at the prospect of having to cut about £1 million from his budget in this financial year due to underfunding from the Government. One of the casualties of these cuts is the special needs centre for over 19 year olds based in Stadium House in Landore. It is worth quoting extensively from this letter for the way that it demolishes the hypocrisy of the Welsh Government on ...
Well the big question where do i stand if i still hold a seat after 2010, where do i think the Liberal Democrats will sit. There as been so much use of the CON-DEM logo on Labour leaflets. And i have been accused of being in a party that is part of the Tory Rump.Well [...]
Fri 29th
04:40Well what other revalations will come out of the wash for the Labour party National and Local?
Do you have those gut feelings that other little things are going to start popping up over the coming weeks. I can never tell if it's one of Mag's curries or that feeling i get when my nose starts to twitch. The revelations that are coming out are damning for labour, and of course my Mother [...]
http://www.politicalcompass.org/index This is my results.Follow the link and give it ago. It's a good talking point and a great site.
needs breakfast, coffee, inspiration, animation, tea after the coffee, a clear head and a rocket up the arse. Apart from that, all's well. # Well, never did get the inspiration or the animation - but my old contracting agency did just send a case of wine so it's not all bad. #
David Cameron has rightly received a lot of praise for his proposals, announced this week, to return real power and information to local people. You can read the full speech on the Conservative Party web site. The next Conservative Government will: Publish all Parliamentary information online in an open-source format, giving real accessibility and accountability to the [...]
I've spent quite a bit of time recently looking at other political websites from this country and overseas just to get an idea of the overall design and layout that people use. It's a bit of a project at work to try and come up with some ideas for upgrading our own website. One thing [...]
Fri 29th
00:40
AV+??!! Eleven year old reheated Westminster leftovers will do nothing to restore trust in politics
I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate Nick Clegg on launching a terrific campaign today. I really do. He pulled a blinder. The 100 Days theme, combined with this populist stuff about 'no summer holiday until this is sorted' injects urgency and raises the stakes in a much needed way. The party can be seen to be leading the debate on democratic renewal for the first time in over a decade. It is a genuine shame then that the line on electoral reform is so lame, simultaneously managing to be both less radical and less consensual than he could ...
Fri 29th
00:08League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Warning - might be triggering and also contains spoilers)
Before I start the review proper, a note about an issue I've got with this... My problem with this comic isn't so much with the comic itself, as with it being yet another exemplar of a rather worrying trend in Alan Moore's work – in a large, large proportion of Moore's work – the overwhelming majority [...]
Someone on IRC reported a bug in Bryar. Namely that a Naughty Person can exploit the feature that notifies you of blog-spam by email to execute arbitrary code on your machine, as the user you run Bryar under.A patched release is on the way to the CPAN, and you are strongly urged to upgrade.
