It's a week for exceptions, it seems. I don't normally write about gender, but I did that recently. I don't normally write about internal party matters either, and yet, here I am writing about it. One Lib Dem blog you're not going to find on libdemblogs.co.uk is the Agent Orange blog. That's because you need to provide your membership number to Ryan Cullen if you want to be on it, and Agent Orange wishes to remain anonymous. For starters, back in July Agent Orange accused Ros Scott, the party's president, of a cover up over investigations into Lib Dem Parliamentary ...

Posted by Charlotte Gore on Charlotte Gore

Nick Clegg finalised his General Election team today with the message that Labour's time is up, and the Conservatives think it's their turn to run the country. The message could not be more pertinent here is Hastings & Rye with the Labour MP on his way out and a Conservative candidate who is affable to a fault, [...]

Posted by nickperrylibdem on Nick Perry for Hastings & Rye

Let us be honest. Despite the patronage of the Lib Dem member for Montgomeryshire, the Segway has been slow to take off in Britain. But that may all be changing. According to the Daily Telegraph: Wayne Mitchell, manager of Segway UK, said there were now more than 2,000 of the vehicles in use in Britain despite them being prohibited on public roads.He said: "Sales were up 11.5 per cent in the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year and I think more people are seeing them around. We sold 200 last year."Wait a minute. ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England
Wed 5th
22:51

Zimbra

Here at AlisonW towers I run an installation of Zimbra Collaboration Suite (Open Source Edition) on a stand-alone server to provide the email and calendaring services for all (but one) of my domains. And mostly I like it a lot. Yes, it could do with far better 'Alias' management (hell, even just sorting the list of an individual's alternative addresses would be a start; even better would be splitting them out by domain) but mostly "it just works". And that is good. So it is rather worrying that when I sign up to the Zimbra forums at http://www.zimbra.com/forums/ and it ...

Posted by Alison Wheeler on AlisonW - mostly harmless

Error: bX-aiksoiBlogger.com : supposedly an explanation for not uploading a post ! What the hell does it mean ?

Posted by David on Disgruntled Radical

I would like to know why it was that when Robert Peston blogged on 29th July that men were to blame for the crunch, there was not a peep out of anyone. When Harriet Harman said something not very different, she was scoffed at and insulted. Answers on a postcard please!

Posted by Jo Hayes on Jo Hayes

Terms and conditions apply.Classic FM adverts

Posted by David on Disgruntled Radical

Other parts were played by members of the cast.BBC Radio 4

Posted by David on Disgruntled Radical
Wed 5th
22:24

Desperate Anachronisms

I have been watching the BBC's Desperate Romantics about the pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (to be precise, about the leading pre-Raphaelites as all the others don't get a look-in). I have been enjoying it despite the suspect dialogue. Did Rossetti really frequently exclaim "shit". Don't misunderstand. I'm not objecting to the coarseness. I simply doubt that it was the expletive of choice in

Posted by David on Disgruntled Radical

It's rarely said but often found in website statistics: for many UK websites, social bookmarking sites such as Digg are extremely poor sources of traffic. That's because they tend to be dominated by users who are (a) American and (b) interested in technology and humour. If your site is aimed at other audiences and has other content, it suffers as a result. The categories used on many social bookmarking sites highlights just how American-focused they are with "politics", for example, being used a synonym for "American politics". That's fair enough - if you're only really interested in an American audience. ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack's blog feed
YouGov

Today we had confirmation that all 3 RC schools in the borough will be in the current wave of BSF funding. The planned federation of St Michael's in Billingham, St Pat's in Thornaby and Our Lady & St Bede's in Stockton has enabled them all to be in the same funding wave. That's good news, especially for St Pat's which desperately needs some investment in its buildings. However, it leaves

Posted by Maureen Rigg on Maureen Rigg's Blog

Earlier this Week Ian Lewis the Conservative Councillor for Leasowe and Moreton East has suggested a Totnes style open primary for the Conservative candidate for the next local elections in 2010. There are a number of arguments in favour, two of them being democratic renewal and some shrewd campaigning. However instead of my ramblings, readers [...]

I have just been listening to The Election Agent on Radio 4 and have really enjoyed it, like many know the back end of an election campaign goes un-noticed but it's what wins the election. If you ask any politician they will tell you that without their election agent or campaign manager they wouldn't be in the position they are and that's why it's great to listen to programmes being created on the agents themselves and what they have to do. Before anyone asks, I better distinguish the difference between an election agent and a campaign manager. A campaign manager ...

Posted by Irfan Ahmed on Irfan Ahmed's Blog

Not so very long ago the News Editor of the Wirral Globe, Justin Dunn contacted me to complain about my criticism of the Wirral Globe bias towards the Tories. Mr. Dunn explained that his paper was not biased towards any political party and that all political party's received balanced and impartial reporting. Really? His report [...]

Iain Dale has blogged about how Labour are meant to have proposals in place to make sure no house is repossessed by the banks but he says so far it has only been affective for eight families, and personally I think Iain is being, plain old Tory Iain. If Labour have got a plan and it works, then this will save Labour and will secure Labour's fourth term in office. Let's see if the plans put forward by Brown will work and as Iain Dale predicts 40,000 homes will not be repossessed. My supports, with Labour on this plan and ...

Posted by Irfan Ahmed on Irfan Ahmed's Blog
Wed 5th
20:17

Paola McClure

With her permission, I'm doing this entry about the rather superb website of West End resident and artist Paola McClure - click on the headline above to view. Earlier this week, Paola advised me, "I am Concrete Wardrobe's (groovy shop in Edinburgh) maker of the month during the festival. I am showing large soft sculpture figures as well as my growing family of anti-dolls." And ... from Paola's profile : "Although Paola's work is brash, bright and humourous the work can have a darker edge to it and distortions of proportions can lead to a sense of unease. This unease ...

The Wikio rankings for August are out and, apart from Stephen leapfrogging Jeff, are pretty similar to last month's. 1.(1) Tom Harris (10) 2.(2) Cute Greek Baby (18) 3.(3) Subrosa (64) 4.(5) Stephen's Linlithgow Journal (68) 5. (4) SNP Tactical Voting (69) 6. Caron's Musings (76) 7. Amused Cynicism (85) Let's hope we get some more of us in the top hundred next month.

Posted by Caron on Caron's Musings

Another `shout out` (to the bright shiny new Tory party) – it was great to know this blog was mentioned in dispatches by Sid. Can he say `hi` to all the rest?

Posted by John on Liberal Revolution

From recent activity I see you like blogs. I know you look at my one so I just wanted to say `hi`. Got any juicy quotes on mine to use in further elections lol.

Posted by John on Liberal Revolution

Another part of the party's policy paper 'Real Women' has been released to the media today, highlighting the shocking news that the already dreadfully low rate of conviction for rapes has fallen even further: Fewer than one in 16 rapes reported to the police results in a conviction in court, research by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. Figures revealed in a Parliamentary answer show that the conviction rate has fallen from less than one in 13 in 1998. The Liberal Democrats have today called for up to 15 more Rape Crisis Centres to be opened across the country, and for ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Liberal Democrat Voice

My initial reaction when I read earlier that the new speaker, John Bercow, has ordered £20,000 worth of alterations and refurbishments to his quarters was slight shock. Then I read that it was in order to make the accommodation more child friendly, and I thought it wasn't so bad. Then, however, reading the details I changed back to my initial reaction. According to The Times he is spending money on making the place safe and having ducts checked to ensure his children will come to no harm, but I was shocked to read "A further £3,880 has been spent on ...

Posted by Norfolk Blogger on Norfolk Blogger

At the start of the year I introduced you to Theodore Cooke Taylor (1850-1952) who holds the record for being the longest lived former MP. Today I can exclusively reveal that Taylor is the great great uncle of the editor of Liberal Democrat News. Deirdre Razzall told me today that she never met him, but there is a family story about Theodore's 100th birthday party. He said to Deirdre's father: "You've got three little girls now, haven't you? And the youngest has a funny Celtic name." She also believes that Theodore was an influential figure in the Liberal Party coming ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England

LabourList has a great post about a civil war inside St Albans local Tory party, between three members and the local MP. Three Conservative members from St Albans Conservatives party are calling on the MP to stand down as an MP and Parliamentary candidate, they aren't the only ones because the MPs fan club are calling on them to step down from their positions in the local Tory party or are threatening to cut funding. So simply it's like this, An MP is being asked to resign but the MPs fans are calling on the other group to resign. A ...

Posted by Irfan Ahmed on Irfan Ahmed's Blog

When we had Michael Martin as the Speaker of the House of Commons at least he wasn't claiming for stuff for his kids. Mr Bercow the Tory option for Speaker has apparently spent nearly £20,000 kitting out his home so it is child proof, and has turned one of two studies into a playroom for his kids. Clearly we MPs elected him as the Speaker of the House of Commons they were told that the kids come free, and that the tax payer has to pay for them? And why has Mr Bercow claimed £7000+ for a sofas and cushions, ...

Posted by Irfan Ahmed on Irfan Ahmed's Blog

At the next General Election we have a once in a generation opportunity. The Labour vote is in freefall and in so many of their traditional heartlands, in places like Newcastle, Liverpool, Hull, Burnley and Sheffield, it is our party that is poised to take electoral advantage. There is now no such thing as a safe Labour seat. We undoubtedly face a tougher fight against the Tories, however it is clear that the public are far from convinced about Cameron and Osborne. Many voters are being turned off by their assumption that they will breeze into Downing Street after the ...

Posted by John Sharkey on Liberal Democrat Voice

Brilliant . Bedford Park Funday was a great success today. Congratulations to Nova Rimmer, Chair of the Friends of the Park and all her helpers as well as Reg Clappison and the council staff. Lots of people turned up and the sun shone and everyone had a great time. I even did some drumming!

Posted on birkdale focus

There has been a demand for a new health facility in the centre of Bracknell offering an extended range of health services. Plans for a new health centre have now been released and will be known as a 'health space'. What the public of course always wanted was a hospital but this would prove too costly. This facility will be built in Market Street near Bracknell train station and by built by Ashley House and G4S Integrated Services consortium. The Berkshire East Primary Care Trust (PCT) (part of the consortium investigating future healthcare provision in Bracknell) and developer Ashley House ...

Posted by dazmando on Bracknell Blog
Wed 5th
18:03

PM4PM was my idea

So I wrote about Peter Mandelson and how he could become the next Labour party leader on Monday 15th June 2009 and some guy from the Telegraph wrote about it later on the 19th July 2009, and yet bloggers are useless ranters. Clearly the idea that Mandelson could become the Prime Minister was floated around the blogosphere by the likes of me and Mike Smithson, and now the main stream media have got hold of the tail. The main stream media are trying to score goals by saying it's their idea but clearly readers of blogs know it came from ...

Posted by Irfan Ahmed on Irfan Ahmed's Blog

Due to being very kindly accompanied into the first minutes of half centurianship by some very nice friends, I enjoyed the company of that excellent journalist, Katie Couric, on CBS Evening News this morning via Sky. Well done Billy Boy for hopefully shock-thawing US-North Korea relations and allowing us to sleep a tad more soundly in our beds at night. As we picked our way through Manchester in the early hours we chanced upon some spirited younsgters queuing up amidst tents and sleeping bags to become new "£10 poms" courtesy of an enterprising travel agency. Good luck to them and ...

Posted by Paul on Liberal Burblings

Burnley MP, Kitty Ussher is one MP who will not be working over summer as she writes herself in her column for the Burnley Express. Mrs Ussher has written a detailed account of what she is doing over summer and you can read it below: With Parliament now shutting up shop for the summer, I'll shortly be taking my family off for a long-awaited fortnight on a campsite in France. After that I'll be visiting family and friends in various parts of England before returning to work in September. Although I will not be holding surgeries in August, I will ...

Posted by Irfan Ahmed on Irfan Ahmed's Blog
DataFlame

{Lib Dem constituencies in the South West (map from the Independent)} Lib Dem constituencies in the South West (map from the Independent) The Independent has a piece today on the Lib Dems' General Election prospects in the South West: On the Cornish doorsteps, the Conservatives' man for the Camborne and Redruth seat at the next election is detecting signs that his party is on the verge of a major breakthrough. "There is a feeling here that the Liberal Democrats have not delivered locally," he says. "There's everything to play for." His quiet confidence in defeating Julia Goldsworthy, the high-profile Liberal ...

Posted by Helen Duffett on Liberal Democrat Voice

Vince Cable Liberal Democrats Treasury spokesman speaking on The World at One, Radio 4 warned it could take as long as ten years before banks in which the taxpayer owns a stake could be sold off without incurring large losses. Pointing to past bank crises in other countries Mr Cable said: "It can take a decade before the banks are cleaned up so they can be sold in the market in such...

Posted on Tim Ball

Local people will have the chance to stand in silence as Harry Patch's funeral cortege passes through Combe Down on its way to Monkton Combe. On Thursday 6th August, after the service at Wells Cathedral Harry Patch's funeral hearse will be taken to Mannings Funeral Services on North Road. It will leave Mannings at approximately 2.55pm. It will go down The Avenue, up The Firs, turn right into...

Posted on Sharon Ball

Local people will have the chance to stand in silence as Harry Patch's funeral cortege passes through Combe Down on its way to Monkton Combe. On Thursday 6th August, after the service at Wells Cathedral Harry Patch's funeral hearse will be taken to Mannings Funeral Services on North Road. It will leave Mannings at approximately 2.55pm. It will go down The Avenue, up The Firs, turn right into...

Posted on Tim Ball

Nick Clegg has announced the Liberal Democrat's General Election team. The role of the General Election team is to provide recommendations to the leader on strategy, resource allocation and communications and to plan and supervise implementation of its General Election strategy. Nick Clegg said: "I am delighted to announce the team that will lead the planning and delivery of our General Election campaign. "I have asked John Sharkey, my adviser on Strategic Communications and the former MD of Saatchi's, to Chair the Campaign, supported by Andrew Stunell MP as Vice Chair. "John's extensive experience managing major communications businesses combined with ...

I have discovered an only occasionally updated blog that tells us much of what happens in Kuwait, and to describe Kuwait as anything other than an authoritarian racist state would be unfair. Remember, we went to war to remove a tyrannical dictator so that the rules of Kuwait could return to their opulent lifestyle, taking advantage of foreign migrant workers and perpetuating a racist policy which prevents foreigners from having equal access to the law and equal treatment. Click HERE to read Q8 Undressed.

Posted by Norfolk Blogger on Norfolk Blogger

Yesterday Iain Dale branded my concerns about the open primary the Tories held in Totnes as "pathetic". I wonder then what he makes of THIS.

Posted by Norfolk Blogger on Norfolk Blogger

{Dbprivaterented} Five days in it seems August, like July, could be another busy month in housing. Back in February I highlighted the fact that a potentially large number of tenants in private properties in Reading could be facing eviction - through no fault of their own. Local Conservatives and Labour politicians were silent about the problem. Shelter were warning government months ago that hundreds of thousands who rented properties could be evicted if their landlords failed to keep up mortgage repayments. The shocking reality at that time was that there virtually no legal protection or safeguards for tenants in this situation. Buy-to-let ...

Posted by Cllr Daisy Benson on Redlands Liberal Democrats

On one of our regular ward walkabouts I noticed one {Tree} of the Lime trees on Addington Road was very diseased and posed a danger to the public.This Lime tree in particular (on the corner of Alexandra Road) has a large hollow at the bottom and is very likely to eventually either fall into the road or onto a house. I was worried this would cause a risk to local residents, passing pedestrians and passing traffic.I wrote to the Council a few weeks ago to bring thi s matter to their attention. The Council's trees officer subsequently visited the area ...

Posted by Glenn Goodall on Redlands Liberal Democrats

Iain Dale brings our attention to the fact that Labour MP John Spellar is wondering why a UK Government agency is giving away foreign built cars as prizes instead of UK built cars. I would at this stage like to point out that I raised this point six months ago ! Why has it taken six months to notice this ? .Nice to know you are keeping up Mr Spellar.

Posted by Norfolk Blogger on Norfolk Blogger

The Liberal Democrat Group of the Local Government Assocation (LGA) are currently looking for nominations for Liberal Democrat vacancies to the following central bodies of the "Local Government family". These are: Chair 4ps Board member IDeA Board member Leadership Centre for Local Government Board member LACORS These 4 positions are appointed and an appointments panel will be established by the Lib Dem Group Executive as soon as the Group elections have been finalised. The closing date for applying for the positions is 12th August so that they can try to have the people firmly in place for 1st September. The ...

Posted on ALDC.org RSS Feed

Mike Smithson has a report on the MORI 'Issues Index' which he says maybe bad news for UKIP. It found that Europe concerned only 2% of those polled and Smithson concludes that; "My reading is that this is quite good news for the mainstream parties who might fear the rise of UKIP which seems to be [...]

Posted by darrellgoodliffe on Moments of Clarity

Nick Clegg has announced today the team that will advise him on strategy, resources and communications, as well as the planning and delivery of the Lib Dems' General Election strategy. From the Liberal Democrats' website: Nick Clegg said: "I am delighted to announce the team that will lead the planning and delivery of our General Election campaign. "I have asked John Sharkey, my adviser on Strategic Communications and the former MD of Saatchi's, to Chair the Campaign, supported by Andrew Stunell MP as Vice Chair. "John's extensive experience managing major communications businesses combined with Andrew's campaigning expertise will be a ...

Posted by Helen Duffett on Liberal Democrat Voice

John Kiely was today jailed for 5yrs. It should have been 20yrs & he should have been stripped of everything he owned. This man terrorised hundreds of poor people who had borrowed trivial sums from him on which he charged outrageous interest. It was reported that he had made profits of £2.9m from 2003 until his arrest. Only last year he was given a Licence to trade in financial matters. So much for regulation & justice. Meanwhile 1400 female shoplifters, of whom 80% will re-offend within two years of release, are clogging up the prisons at a cost of some ...

Posted by coldcomfort on grumpyoldliberal

Nick Clegg has announced the Liberal Democrat's General Election team. The role of the General Election team is to provide recommendations to the leader on strategy, resource allocation and communications and to plan and supervise implementation of its General Election strategy. Nick Clegg said: "I am delighted to announce the team that will lead the planning and delivery...

Posted on Tim Ball

From the St Albans and Harpenden Review: (Hat tip: Jonathan Calder) The future of MP Anne Main has sparked a civil war among St Albans Conservatives. Chairman Seema Kennedy and her two deputies, Matt Peck and Mary Zambra, asked Mrs Main to step down, and have now called a meeting of the local party's 300 members on August 13, to vote on her de-selection. But an opposing faction is backing the MP and trying to remove Mrs Kennedy and Mr Peck from their posts ahead of the crucial vote. Defying clear advice from the party's regional campaign director that it ...

Posted by Helen Duffett on Liberal Democrat Voice

It's been something of a privilege to watch better minds than mine tackle the issue I raised in this post about my friend Joe and the 'social contact'. The issue was fairly simple: How do you counter the idea that the Government can get you to do anything it wants because, by remaining in the country, you're implicitly agreeing to abide by a 'social contract.' IanB got stuck into the idea that you can 'just leave' because this is the standard response that you always get from collectivists - "if you don't like it, leave" This argument creates the illusion ...

Posted by Charlotte Gore on Charlotte Gore

A follow-up to my post about Journalisted, which is a very handy website for finding details of journalists on major UK media outlets - what they've written about, how to contact them, their most recent stories and so on. Another handy website is Muck Rack, which provides a very helpfully laid out directory of journalists on Twitter. Its UK coverage is fairly small, so lists such as this one on Stephen Davies's blog are an important supplement. Related posts:Journalists: who works where and what do they do? Journalisted.com is a very handy little site, supplied courtesy of...Why the new Twitter ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack's blog feed

So, having questioned our approach to politics, it is only fair that I offer a suggestion about what to do. Here's my idea for how to play the LD image, purely for my own gratification...Simple slogan: We won... -the argument over Iraq. LDs opposed the illegal war in Iraq - the only major party to do so. The Tories supported the war but they have changed their minds... -the argument over ID cards. LDs opposed the original plans for ID cards in [year]. The Tories supported ID cards but they have now changed their minds... -the argument about a looming ...

Posted by wit and wisdom on wit and wisdom

The Mail says it's wrong to teach boys not to hit girls. Dressed up in the usual plicrecknessgummad verbiage and attacks on Harriet Harman. I think they mainly don't like it because it was her idea. The Enemies Of Reason has done a very good job of fisking the whole thing. But there's just one small feature I would like to comment on. Part of the Mail's argument against teaching boys not to hit girls is that girls hit boys too. Here's their quote (suitably illustrated) "Police figures reveal a massive rise in the number of women arrested for 'violence ...

Posted by Rob on A comfortable place
Wed 5th
12:50

Whose agenda?

Browsing the internet over lunch I inadvertently strayed onto the Daily Mail's website to find that not surprisingly they have taken a critical line on Harriet Harman's equalities agenda. Now I am not a great fan of the Labour Deputy Leader and some of her ideas but let's get a sense of perspective. According to the newspaper teaching pupils that it is wrong to assault women and about the need to form healthy relationships is part of some evil feminist agenda. They go further. A drive to reduce violence against women and young girls is apparently 'controversial'. How exactly? In ...

Posted by Peter Black on Peter Black AM

{comments} Many blogging Lib Dem officials (councillors, peers et cetera) do not allow comments to be posted on their blogs. Examples of this regularly pop up on the LD Blog Aggregator. Nader Fekri of the Keighleigh Lib Dems; Councillor Fraser Macpherson's Dundee West End blog; the south London councillors at Oval News, and so on. In the latter's case, I seem to recall that they used to accept comments but have now blocked them following a change of policy. In some of these cases blog postings often comprise of local news, including decisions the councillors make that affect the local ...

Posted by Julian Harris on Liberal Vision

The Summer is here (even if it is still raining), the school holidays have started and there are lots of things to do in and around Birmingham.You can find out more about events and activities in parks, libraries, museums and other venues at www.birmingham.gov.uk/summerInformation about travelling by bus and train is available at www.networkwestmidlands.com/summer and Network West Midlands are

Posted by Robert Wright on Robert Wright's Blog

The Salford Star is carrying a story claiming that the Salford constituency has been declared a 'marginal seat' by Labour. You can read the full article here. If true, this might signal the first acceptance by Labour that their time is coming to an end and in particular one Ms. Hazel Blears MP. Personally I believe that the press underestimate the intelligence of voters and it is not the first time I have read a quote along the lines of "People say you could stick a red rosette on a donkey and it'd get elected in Salford..." Quotes like that ...

Posted by Steve Middleton on Steve Middleton

They may not be debating with each other face to face or even acknowledging the existence of a contest, but at least two of the possible successors to Rhodri Morgan as Welsh Labour leader have now started something of a discussion with each other, albeit on line rather than in a more formal setting. Huw Lewis has replied on his blog to comments by Carwyn Jones that Labour's core vote is no longer big enough to win a majority in Welsh elections. Mr. Lewis clearly disagrees: My concern, however, is that through the use of labels such as core voters ...

Posted by Freedom Central on Freedom Central
Wed 5th
12:01

Bercow- what a berk!

Hello, just as you begin to think that the Tories have learnt the lessons of the MPs' expenses scandal, up pops John Bercow (I know he's technically no longer a Tory and is above party politics as such, but weeelll... something about leopards and ...

Harriet Harman just can't help herself. The deputy Labour party leader sparked outrage by claiming that men 'cannot be left to run things on their own'. She then poured oil on the flames by appearing to suggest that it was males who were responsible for the depth of the global economic downturn. "Somebody did say that if it [...]

Posted by mole45 on Swinton South Liberal Democrats

{Hustle logo} Filming of the new series of BBC's Hustle has got underway in Birmingham city centre. The drama relocated to the city earlier this year along with Survivors. The Council claim the show will boost the city's economy by £1.2m. I'm all for raising the profile of the city and challenging the poor reputation that still exists, but I'd love to know how the figure of £1.2m was calculated!

Posted by David Nikel on Liberal Ladywood
Wed 5th
11:29

Jeremy Knight Adams

When parliament returns I intend doing a speech about Jeremy Knight Adams and how he is acting in a way which delays the development at The Swan in Yardley. I would be interested in having any other information about his involvement in other developments as it will assist in looking at the law on Compulsory Purchase and what changes may be needed.If anyone has any useful information could they

Posted by john on John Hemming's Web Log

Champion Beer of Britain announced - CAMRA toasts Best Beer in Britain. Well there is only one category that really matters: Best Bitter category Gold - Southport, Golden Sands (Southport, Lancs) Silver - Buntingford, Britannia (Royston, Hertfordshire) Joint Bronze - Evan Evans, Cwrw (Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire) Joint Bronze - Thornbridge, Lord Marples (Bakewell, Derbyshire) Joint Bronze - Vale, VPA (Brill, Buckinghamshire) Congratulations to Southport Brewery. Their Old Shrimper Ale should surely have got a mention in the Winter beer category. Maybe next year.

Posted on birkdale focus

This morning I received odd emails from two of my team with the heading Fotos 27/07. This was because they had both got a virus which has spread very quickly. That is because instead of having failed photos it links to an odd website.I, therefore, went into the office to clean up the computers. There is some information around on the net about this, but it was not clear exactly what is going

Posted by john on John Hemming's Web Log

The Independent this morning has a feature article on the Conservatives targeting Liberal Democrat seats in the south-west. It makes pretty grim reading but also nonetheless is designed to create a media impression that we are on the run. It is replete with rather assumptive and arrogant commentary from Eric Pickles: "There comes a time in the [...]

Posted by darrellgoodliffe on Moments of Clarity

Much speculation this week that The Observer, Sunday sister paper of The Guardian (both of which are owned by Guardian News and Media under the beneficent custodianship of The Scott Trust), is on the brink of being closed down, and perhaps converted into a weekly news magazine. This follows some disastrous financial results for the Guardian Media Group, which recorded a pre-tax loss of almost £90m in 2008-09, £37m of which was contributed by GNM. As the Financial Times reported earlier this week: GNM has started work on a three-year strategic plan, including radical measures aimed at assuring the future ...

Posted by Stephen Tall on Liberal Democrat Voice

There's another sobering article on the Independent website about the Tories pushing hard in the south west. It makes for very interesting reading and it once again demonstrates how important Eric Pickles is for their strategy. It also puts into focus the difficulty facing Nickers, which is not that he isn't an excellent politician and ideally qualified to be leader but that he simply doesn't have a high enough - or unique enough - profile. This remains a worry and it is difficult to see how to get round this, since that is the person he is. We seem to ...

Posted by wit and wisdom on wit and wisdom
Wed 5th
10:40

16: Too Young To Vote?

Tonight the BBC showed a fantastic documentary on the Votes at 16 campaign, which I fully support! (If you haven't seen it, it's here: Fronted by Melissa Suffield (Lucy Beale in Eastenders), we saw a well-presented look at the issues regarding the lowering of the voting age. The main argument is that 16 and 17 year olds accept many responsibilities of citizenship. They can: join the army; pay tax; join the workforce; get married; have a family – et cetera et cetera. Yet, this country refuses them the rewards of citizenship – the vote. Yes, people will continue to ...

Posted by admin on Mutterings of a Liberal

The Telegraph's interview with Michael Gove has very few revelations or even any real clue as to what education would be like under a Conservative government (I mean the practical effect, not the theoretical policies). But the interview does have one fascinating part, where Gove talks about Cameron, saying: 'He's young, someone you could imagine snogging [...]

Posted by Sara on Always win when you're singing
Wed 5th
10:30

Scorched on the Rock

Yesterday Northern Rock – taken into public ownership 18 months ago – posted its figures for the first six months of the year. They made for eye-watering reading: Nationalised bank Northern Rock made a pre-tax loss of £724m for the first six months of the year as its bad debts tripled. The Newcastle-based firm wrote off £602m in bad loans and expects that figure to be similar in the second half of 2009. The bank revealed that 6.4% of Together mortgages – the 125% loan-to-value product now withdrawn – are more than three months in arrears, up from 2.14% a ...

Posted by Stephen Tall on Liberal Democrat Voice

Today's news is full of how much John Bercow is spending on his grace and favour apartment in the Palace of Westminster. On the surface it appears appalling. But delve a little deeper and you will find that the majority of the money is being spent on making the flat child-friendly, including changing a study [...]

Posted by Sara on Always win when you're singing

There was an article in the Independent today, which I disagree with in terms of its claims that we are overacting in regards to bankers bonuses, but then agree with in terms of some of the ideas it puts forward to tackle the instability of the banking system. The article appears to hold contradictions, as the proposals it offers to tackle the banking problems conflict with the first claim of the article, which is: First, the problem with these bonuses is not, as is often stated, their obscene size, but their structure, and the encouragement of risk-taking that it usually ...

Posted by JaneWatkinson on My Liberal Democrat Political Ramblings...

I have noted the comparative size of my small, but perfectly formed, village in the past and even done so in the context of the Wider Stowmarket Community Board, one of Suffolk's pilot projects to bring government closer to the people. There are twenty representatives on the board, and I am Creeting St Peter's sole member. Alright, it sounds like a lonely existence, but in terms of relative populations, for every representative of Creeting St Peter, there should be seven from Stowupland, and sixty-one from Stowmarket. So, in the same way that Luxembourg is massively over-represented in the European Parliament, ...

Posted by Mark Valladares on Liberal Bureaucracy

Over at The Guardian, Lib Dem shadow home secretary Chris Huhne argues that, while we need to clarify the rules for obtaining British citizenship, curtailing people's freedom of expression is a big mistake. Here's an excerpt: There is the germ of a good idea in the government's proposals for a points-based test for citizenship. It is reasonable to expect people who want to become British citizens to have worked, paid taxes, speak the language and not to have engaged in criminal acts. It is also reasonable to suggest that people who go the extra mile and volunteer in their local ...

Posted by Stephen Tall on Liberal Democrat Voice
Wed 5th
09:50

Stourbridge advertises

The Local Party Executive of Stourbridge and Halesowen Liberal Democrats invites applications for selection as Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the constituency of Stourbridge.

SALFORD TREE OF KNOWLEDGE LATEST TREE OF KNOWLEDGE TO BE LISTED? Star Date: 4th August 2009 Late last night we received an e-mail from Chris Marsden of the Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society (TACS) thanking Salford Star readers for helping to save the Tree of Knowledge from being demolished this morning. The artist, Alan Boyson, is `chuffed', English Heritage [...]

Posted by mole45 on Swinton South Liberal Democrats

A Conversation between me (IA) and a journalist (J): IA: Yeah, just have a read of my blog. I have written about how Jacqui Smith is going to get sued by the SCOP, etc... *After a read through the blog* J: I will have to keep an eye on this blog... IA: Yeah, I think you will... J: You will do me out of a job you will!

Posted by Irfan Ahmed on Irfan Ahmed's Blog

Stroud Green Road's heritage potholes are currently under a pincer attack. From the northern end of the road, where there are monster roadworks underway, and from the southern end of the road where, after months of searching, Thames Water has finally found the leak suspected to be the cause of the regular subsidence causing potholes at the junction with Morris Place. As Islington Council reports: Thames Water have now identified a repair to be carried outside 26 Stroud Green Road on a 36inch main. I have asked for a further update from Thames Water as to when this is due ...

Posted by Mark Pack on Mark Pack » Pink Dog
Wed 5th
08:31

Playground football

As the controls for regular football games on consoles become increasingly complex, and the games become harder and harder to play in the ridiculously high-scoring manner they used to be, why has no one yet created a playground football game? You could have a gain that ranged through all the permutations from three-and-in on a tiny space to massive forty-a-side scrambles across a giant playground, with options that included things like ball type and size (my school limited us to nothing bigger than a tennis ball, for instance), through the age of the players to the number of other games ...

Posted by Nick on What You Can Get Away With

Charlotte Gore has an interesting and perceptive post on tackling the Social Contract argument for Government. In a nutshell (and apologies to the wonderfully mad Jean-Jacques Rousseau who's book "The Social Contract" I managed to end up studying both for A level and at university) the idea of a social contract runs something like this: "As a citizen, you maximise your freedom by having an implicit contract where you submit yourself to the collective will of the people."Don't dismiss it - the argument's quite subtle (at A level I thought it was ludicrous, at university I realised there was a ...

Posted by Costigan Quist on Himmelgarten Café

By Bob Roberts 23/07/2009 And you may have to pay to see GP The Tories are planning to make hospital patients pay for meals. The secret move is one of the proposals being discussed by Tory chief David Cameron and is listed in a letter briefing business bosses. Patients might also have to pay to stay in [...]

Posted by mole45 on Swinton South Liberal Democrats

The Tories recorded a £1.57m surplus, down from £4.2m The Conservatives outspent Labour by more than £5m in 2008 according to financial accounts published by the Electoral Commission. The Tories had income of £32.3m and spent £31.9m. Labour, which still owes £11m to supporters who made unsecured loans, received £34m and spent £26.2m. The Liberal [...]

Posted by mole45 on Swinton South Liberal Democrats

The company that owns Bath FM has gone into administration, plunging the station's future into doubt. South West Radio Ltd and its five community radio stations were formally put into administration on Monday afternoon. To read the full story follow the link HERE

Posted on Sharon Ball

Peter Hoskin It's well worth reading Ben Brogan's lively interview with Michael Gove in the Telegraph today. On Gove's part, there's an explanation of the Tories' stance on selection in schools; a series of doting compliments about David Cameron (who is, apparently, someone "you could imagine snogging like we did to True by Spandau Ballet"); [...]

Posted by mole45 on Swinton South Liberal Democrats

Steve Webb MP will be amongst those responding to Jon Cruddas at the Compass Summer Lecture on the future of Social Democracy. On the one hand with the crisis of capitalism and the systemic failure of free markets, coupled with the election of Barack Obama in the United States, centre-left politics is getting far more interesting and it would seem that the opportunity for seismic change is greater now than at any point for a generation, indeed some including Compass have called this a 'centre-left moment'. Yet on the other hand across Europe we've seen the resurgence of right-wing parties ...

Posted by Alison Goldsworthy on Social Liberal Forum

Tories test the mood in Totnes By James Landale BBC chief political correspondent The row over MPs' expenses was a body blow to public confidence in politics. The damage will probably not be repaired until an election has brought in a new generation of politicians. Yet in a quiet south Devon town, there has already been [...]

Posted by mole45 on Swinton South Liberal Democrats

Readers will by now be familiar with Noel Symington, author of The Night Climbers of Cambridge and Mosleyite blot on the escutcheon of the Market Harborough soup dynasty. Wikipedia reveals that he also put his climbing skills to good use in Africa: In February [1938] Miss C Carol and Mtu Muthara became the first woman and African respectively to ascend Nelion, in an expedition with Noel Symington.Nelion is the second highest peak of Mount Kenya. My Googling also turned up a Captain Noel Symington who won the MC in the Far East during World War II. This got me excited, ...

Posted by Jonathan on Liberal England

Nervous City fears Lloyds loss of up to £5bn Katherine Griffiths, Banking Editor Lloyds Banking Group is set to unveil a pre-tax loss of up to £5 billion today, damaged further by the sickly state of corporate loans it took on when rescuing HBOS almost a year ago. One senior banker said that if Lloyds, 43 per [...]

Posted by mole45 on Swinton South Liberal Democrats

COUNCIL BOSS IN TERROR QUIZ OVER SHOPS PHOTO A council chief was branded a terror risk... for taking snaps of a shopping centre. Carl Minns was initially tackled by a security guard who politely asked him to stop filming as he tried out a new mobile phone camera. But the Lib Dem Hull City council leader was [...]

Posted by mole45 on Swinton South Liberal Democrats

Charlotte Gore's started a discussion looking for an argument that would enable us to counter the assertion of an interlocutor of hers, Joe, to the effect that the "social contract" trumps "civil liberties". IanB and CountingCats have both had a go at suggesting arguments, and there's been plenty of good discussion in the comments to all three posts - far more eloquent than I am sure I can manage here. Now naturally, lots of discussion of the "social contract" centres around whether we have all entered into this contract, if it is a contract at all, and if we have, ...

Posted by Jock on Jock's Place
Wed 5th
00:02

ePetitioner

Birmingham City Council has launched an website to allow residents to support or comment on a petition online.