The Director for Public Prosecutions has published guidelines to help relatives of the terminally ill know if they will face prosecution. It's worth saying that since they are guidelines they are not legally binding and therefore in that regard at least are little reassurance to anybody. Hence Keir Starmer, the DPP, says; "There are no guarantees ...
A year ago it was automated telephone calling. Today it is direct mailing of glossy leaflets. Cowley Street insiders do enjoy telling the press how ingenious they are. An article in tomorrow's Guardian says: The Liberal Democrats are to borrow money to help mount their first direct mailshot as part of an attempt to widen the number of seats they target at the next election to more than 200 - according to aides, their largest number of targeted seats ever ... The party is taking a gamble, both financially and electorally, to exploit what it sees as Labour's endemic weaknesses ...
Yesterday, Conference approved radical plans to combat climate change. The measures included: * Mandatory carbon reports on investments by all businesses and banks, and an end to taxpayer support for investments in high-polluting fuels. * Working for an effective global agreement at Copenhagen, requiring a 40% emissions cut by developed countries by 2020. * Action to deliver a 40% cut in Britain's greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, even if there is no international climate deal. * Roll out of a UK-wide warm homes programme so that every home is energy efficient by 2020. Simon Hughes said, "We are staring into ...
[originally posted 13 Sept 2009]I'm going back in time. I started off by watching Carl Sagan's "Cosmos", which was inspired partly by Bronowski's "Ascent of Man", which I then watched. In turn, Bronowski's series was made as a reaction and follow-up to Clark's "Civilisation".Both Cosmos and Ascent of Man were enjoyable surveys of their subject, and while I have a few minor factual quibbles and found both presenters slightly irritating, they pale in comparison to Civilisation.I've only watched the first episode of 13 so far, but it's just awful. Sure, Bronowski also had some rather quaint 1970s views, but Clark's ...
I am just back from Bournemouth with more than enough to say about the week - boiling over with opinions on renationalising the railways, tuition fees, mansion tax, "splits" in the party et al. But I have just had a visit from my niece - who had found a poem, written by my Dad in 1992. As some of you know, I lost my Dad in January, so we are all still missing him terribly, "Elegy on Tory Britain 1992" not only left me tearful remembering him and his deep compassion, but also angry, being reminded of just how bad ...
Lord Ashcroft is a busy-bee; when he is not busy funding the Cameron drive to Number 10 he seems to be busy acquiring stakes in major political websites. Hardly surprising that he should have a stake in Conservative Home but maybe a little more disturbing that he does have his substantial claws into Politics Home. ...
I had a slightly surreal experience with Nick Clegg's speech today. I was on a panel for BBC Radio 5 Live being interviewed by John Pienaar along with Olly Grender and Simon Hughes MP. Olly apologised for not having read my blog, although she said she would. I'll believe it when I see a comment from her! We were up on the balcony with headphones on for the pre-speech interviews and I stayed there for the speech as John was going to come back to us for comments afterwards (although in the end the speech overran and they couldn't squeeze ...
[IMG: Stationers Park] Because of Lib Dem conference I'm a bit behind with my posts – but I wanted to report back on last week's meeting with the police and Haringey Council about security at Stationers Park. The meeting was called after I met with Parks officers to demand action after the children's play fort was badly vandalised (see previous post). The good news is that the Council revealed they have spoken to the private contractors who close all the park gates in the Borough and they are now going to change the order they go round to ensure Stationers ...
Just back from chairing the public meeting on the Pitfold Close planning application. A packed meeting, full of residents who are very concerned about the plans. It's always tricky to chair these meetings when feelings are running high, so I hope everyone felt they got a fair chance to have their say. A few points I'd make to those who are concerned about the application: Though the deadline for comments has passed, you can still submit comments and objections to the Council. Email planning {at} lewisham.gov(.)uk quoting ref DC/09/72208. The sooner the better, though, as you ideally want them to ...
The Bracknell Conservative Association have fixed a location for the all ticket open primary to replace Andrew Mackay who is standing down after the 2nd homes scandal (see here). Its at Blue Mountain Golf Centre on Saturday 17th October 20091.30pm for a 2.00pm start. Details can be found at http://www.bracknellconservatives.com/primary.php The web site states that to vote, you must register by 5pm on the 12th October 09. You can call the Primary Hotline on 01344 868894 or Email primary@bracknellconservatives.com. The website also has a handy online form for applications. The address of Blue Mountain Golf Centre is Wood Lane Binfield ...
Charles Clarke was when serving as a government minister that just about everyone despised. He would defend the indefensible, introduced legislation that was at odds with the principles of the labour movement from which he came, and seemed like your typical toadying minister. As a result of this his majority was slashed last time and he now sits on a relatively small majority over the Liberal Democrats in his Norwich South seat. Then he lost his job as a minister. From that point on we are supposed to believe from his regular headline grabbing attempts to attack Gordon Brown, a ...
My examination of Nick Clegg's The Liberal Moment (which has not so far got past chapter 1) must be put on hold. For it is time to examine his leader's speech at Bournemouth. Nick was young and good looking and acting kind of tough, but the content left me underwhelmed. On Afghanistan: "We should either do this properly or we shouldn't do it at all." Well, which do we want? Presumably doing it properly would involve more spending, so how does that square with "savage" cuts in public spending. On Nick's resemblance to David Cameron: It's easy, Nick. It's because ...
It must be final day of the Lib Dem conference. Completely out of the blue I get an email from Comment is Free inviting me to submit something. I fired something out before setting off in my car for Halifax, only to discover they needed another paragraph. Ended up stopping at Service Stations trying to find some Wi-Fi, then realised I had 15 minutes left on the Laptop battery. Whoops. I had to stop again to send them a photo. Was quite exciting really - the finished piece is here. And yes, this really happened... [IMG: sky] I'd heard Gordon ...
[IMG: Pod Delusion logo] A belated plug for The Pod Delusion, a new podcast in which I'm implicated. Co-ordinated and edited by living legend James O'Malley, it's a From Our Own Correspondent style collection of short pieces from various contributors. The podcast itself has a sceptical/liberal/Guardianista bent and the first episode covers issues like religion-funded academies, Charles Darwin and, in my case, Derren Brown. You can listen on the Pod Delusion website or via iTunes and – of course – follow the podcast on the twitter. I may or may not be in episode 2, depending on whether I pull ...
This is the speech I gave at the Politics and Prohibition event. Twas brilliant fun, although all the attention fell on Colin Eldridge who had the miserable task of defending the Nanny State in the worst possible context ever. As a handy bonus I also met fellow bloggers Dick Puddlecote and the Heresiarch (easily recognisable by the mask he wears). But anyway, without further ado here's (roughly) what I said: So, I'm a political blogger. If you don't know what that is, bloggers are people who write on the internet, have no money and as long as they don't libel ...
We were taping ippr's fringe with our own Editor at Large Stephen Tall along with some relative political unknowns – Shirley Williams, Menzies Campbell and Charles Clarke. The ippr did say they were recording the event themselves, and their recording is probably better than ours, but I can't immediately find it on their website.
Posting will probably be light for the next few days, as it's a busy time at work. To tide you over, here are some links. Al Ewing is reviewing Beatles: Rock Band one song at a time. The interesting thing here is that Ewing – as he admits himself – knows almost nothing of the band's ...
The City Council has now published the above Order, Plan, Notice and Statement of Reasons relating to the above. You can read the detail at http://tinyurl.com/hillsideterrace. Or simply click on the headline above. Given the controversy over the two planning applications at the former Wimberley Student Flats (I moved refusal of both applications; the first time successfully, the second time unsuccessfully), local residents will have great interest in this proposed Stopping Up Order. As the download makes clear, there are 28 days in which representations can be made.
Dear Fraser Today I explained that I want to be Prime Minister because I want to change Britain for good. I want to live in a country where prejudice, insularity and fear are conquered by the great British traditions of tolerance, pluralism and justice. That is the real change our country needs. And it is the real change that only our party can deliver. These are difficult times, but the blue-red, red-blue politics that got us in to this mess cannot get us out. Today I made a direct appeal in my keynote Conference speech to those who have not ...
In 2007, the SNP won thousands of votes on a promise - an explicitly clear promise - to cut all primary school P1, P2 and P3 classes to a maximum of 18 pupils. There has been no real progress on this in the past two and a half years. Why? Because the SNP government, having promised it, has failed to fund it and failed to deliver its promise. Today's 'Guardian' : "Party abandons promise on class sizes Scottish Nationalists accused of misleading parents as they abandon pledge to reduce primary class sizes to 18" What are they now pledging to ...
3500 photos and 4 hours of video: Conference is now over and I am on the train heading back to London. A successful gathering and Nick spoke well this afternoon. Such a contrast to Brown. Labour as we know are now leaderless at so many different levels of their party. It will be interesting therefore to see how they cope next week with their own gathering.I'm staying in London for a few days to
I'm speaking tomorrow, Thursday, at a lunchtime lecture at the RSA with the timely title, Party conferences – who needs them?, alongside Stephen Pound MP, Iain Dale and Michael White. Here's the blurb: The annual party conferences attract hordes of the party faithful and mark the start of the political calendar for the Whitehall establishment. The news teams and cameras will be there poised to cover events. But what impact do the party conferences really have in Britain, or indeed the wider world? Policy is no longer made here - arguably the party conference has become a triumph of stage ...
Nick Clegg wants to be Prime Minister; he wants to lead a Liberal Democrat government and really change this country. Kudos to him, this is a laudable ambition, and one we would all like to see realised but the long and short of this is that this has been a dreadful conference. The opening lines ...
James Graham has a brain the size of Asia and spends every waking moment thinking deeply and judiciously about politics (well not really, he also thinks about comics and things). He does the thinking so we don't have to. I thoroughly recommend his latest offering: Our Vince: from Fred Astaire to Mr Bean? It is such a brilliant post that I struggle to find words to sufficiently describe its brilliance. Most LibDem party members don't have degrees in politics. They spend most of their time doing a thing called "work" and "life" and only pick up the odd mention of ...
From the Guardian's obituary: Tom had a strong social conscience and a feeling of moral obligation towards both individuals and the wider community. He was a magistrate for 15 years, a founder member of the Social Democratic party (SDP) and active in the constituency party for the SDP and later for the Liberal Democrats. Arguably his most fulfilling work was with Amnesty International (of which, together with his wife, Eva, he was a founder member) and with its offspring, the Prisoner of Conscience Fund. He set up and later became the chairman of the St John's Wood, London, branch of ...
Going to the Lib Dem conference and watching the news about the conference almost feels like two completely different events. All this news about disunity is really not the case at all. Can a political party not have a conference where there is no open discussion? What would be the point of a conference where we all agreed? I prefer politics when you don't just have a bunch of robots following every command of the leader. It is good to question them as it will produce in the end better policies. I can predict that something will happen at the ...
The Beeb offers Eric Pickles insight into politics (timed at 16.30), as his reaction to Nick Clegg's closing conference speech. He says only the Tories offer the chance of "a progressive, liberal government." Sorry, mate, but what the Tories offer is a Tory government, Eton bred and Eton led, not remotely progressive, not remotely liberal.
Shirley Williams-who was of course a Sefton MP-was in fine form when she turned up at Bournemouth. She spoke at fringe meetings and did a book signing. We were all delighted to notice that Antony Hill get s mention in the new book; Climbing the Bookshelves.
. The Liberal History group was spoilt for choice this year as Duncan Brack pointed out it is the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Liberal Party at the Willis Rooms, it is 100 years since the people's budget (mind you the Cable/Clegg proposal to tax houses worth over £1m is a very practical commemoration of that event) and it is also the 200 years since Gladstone was born in Liverpool. So instead of doing anniversaries they chose instead to look at the lessons history can teach us about hung parliaments. This hasn't happened as often as you might ...
We learned today that people in Redcar suffering from Swine Flu have to send a buddy to Stockton or Whitby for their Tamiflu medication. There used to be a flu bank at Guisborough and other local centres but these closed when the outbreak tailed off. But it is increasing again and suffers are not allowed to collect their medication themselves they have to find a buddy to go for them. The nearest place Stockton is a 30-mile round trip. We are contacting the PCT to press for a local facility to be re-opened.
In response to Nick Clegg's speech to conference earlier Eric Pickles MP has said "After this muddled conference, it's now clearer than ever that if you want to get rid of Gordon Brown and his big brother state, and if you care about our schools, our quality of life and our liberties, you need to vote Conservative for a progressive, liberal government." Surely now Eric must admit to living on another planet. The Tories are not liberal, they've never been liberal and they never will be liberal
So, Baroness Scotland breaches very clear immigration employment rules with her cleaner, is subsequently fined £5,000 and despite being the Labour Government's legal adviser is not sacked! Her defence was that she had no reason to suspect that her cleaner, Loloahi had overstayed her student visa and therefore working illegally. The defence put forward by the Attorney General, Baroness Scotland quite frankly is pathetic and wouldn't be tolerated from anyone else. When I worked in hotels and then the contract catering industry the rules were as clear then as they remain today. It is down to the employer to prove ...
Kirsty Williams has slammed the Welsh Government's Specific Education Grants, calling it a "poor system, poorly administered". In an Assembly debate on the Finance Committee's inquiry into Special Education Grants Kirsty called for the grants system to be replaced with a more efficient and effective method. She said: "Throughout the committee's inquiry we were overwhelmed by damning evidence clearly showing that at all levels the system is not working. With this bureaucratic method weighing down school and college leaders, distracting local authorities from their true job of supporting educational institutions, and bogging down officials in Cathays Park – change is ...
The professional training put on by different parts of the Liberal Democrats was provided this year in 4 different venues as there was so much.The Campaigns Department training was mainly provided in the Connaught hotel, which is where we were last year also.Now, the Connaught hotel is where the Poole Conservative ladies have their monthly lunch on the third Sunday of every month.So, in the run up to lunch we witnessed many blue rinses and could certainly smell the hairspray although I was shocked there was no toast to HM The Queen or Dave "I'm taking the voters for granted" ...
Nick Clegg has just finished making his speech to conference . Others will comments on the words (and I might later) but here are some photos:
In the last eight weeks, 28 British soldiers and Royal Marines have been killed in Afghanistan. However easy it may be to forget, we are a nation at war. Already more than 75,000 British men and women have done tours of duty in Afghanistan.
Yesterday, in the Fresh Start for Britain debate, I argued that we need to avoid being too doom and gloom and that we need to spell out clear, simple and principled reasons to vote Lib Dem. Continuing my conference media blitz I gave a brief comment to the World at One this afternoon (about 15 mins in) and also agree with the comments Steve Webb and Malcolm Bruce made too. Nick's speech this afternoon has done exactly that. The message that should have been coming out all week: Rebuilding a sustainable economy, making Britain fairer and fixing our broken politics, ...
In this article on the BBC Steve Webb makes the point that many Lib Dem members have been trying to make to the leadership: "people want hope". People know that we are going to have to make cuts in spending and possibly put up taxes but they also want it to be made clear where we will increase spending.
My reflections on the conference from a Lib Dem perspective are on Freethinking Economist Here. I'm on the train heading back from Bournemouth at 2:30, not having hung around long enough to listen to Nick Clegg's speech, which was too late for me (a tactical error IMHO). John Thurso MP is in the same carriage: I'm dead keen to ask him a couple of questions after yesterday's event, but would not like to be the sort who bothers MPs when they're trying to get a bit of peace in first class (I'm a bit surprised I can't find him here ...
Bizarre turn of events at the Licensing Committee. This was set up to discuss the application for the off license at the SPAR on Garston Old Road. It turned out that the people applying already had a license (the old one) so they didn't need to apply at all. For some reason they had thought they did - hence all the process. Needless to say this didn't go down well with the residents who had turned up to the meeting as it felt a bit of a waste of time. However I did manage to suggest that given there was ...
The outstanding speakers at the Liberal Democrat Conference this September - apart from St Vincent, of course - have been the two Fs: Lynne Featherstone MP, (Parliamentary Spokesperson on Youth) and Tim Farron, MP for Westmorland, (Environment and Rural Affairs). Not only did they both have very worthwhile things to say but they both spoke excellently. Leader's speech coming up this afternoon.
So, here we are once more... another year, another Lib Dem Conference draws to a close. This year is rather special, however... simply because we know it is the last one before a General Election. That should have, in theory, focused minds. But will it have done so for Nick Clegg? I listed what I wanted ...
Ambassador Fu Ying became the first Communist Chinese head of mission to address Liberal Democrats at their autumn conference in Bournemouth this lunchtime, at a crowded fringe meeting on 'A Changing China in a Changing World', alongside LibDem Lords Tom McNally and Tim Clement-Jones, foreign affairs spokesman Ed Davey MP and Professor Hugo de Burgh, Director of ...
Well the auditorium is filling up, my laptop is charged and willing. Here we are assembling for Nick Clegg's speech to conference.
Update: the full text of Nick's speech is available on the party's website here. There's a lot of expectation heaped on Nick Clegg's shoulders ahead of his speech to the Lib Dem autumn conference in Bournemouth this afternoon. The media coverage has been less-than-glowing, fuelled by murmurs of discontent among party activists following Nick's talk of the need for "savage" cuts, the row over the de-prioritising of the abolition of tuition fees, and Vince's surprise announcment of a 'mansion tax'. So Nick will be looking to unite the conference hall this afternoon with a passionate statement explaining why the Lib ...
Only those who want more of the same. Why would anyone want more? (Unless you're a banker getting yet another big ...
So this Government is insisting that it will pass this terrible idea — to tax every owner of a telephone line in the UK £6 per year — before the next election. Well, at least, I guess that means we can forget about a late Autumn election, but there is nothing otherwise good about it. Since Margaret Thatcher privatised BT over twenty years ago, the provision of telecommunications services — which includes Broadband as well as telephony — has been the remit of private companies: not the state. Yet here we have the government demanding cash from just about every ...
Just a quick reminder to anyone who's seen this Colchester Gazette story on the ideas for Colchester Town Centre. The plans, and other Town Centre issues, are being discussed at tonight's meeting of the Council's Policy Review and Development Panel, which starts at 6pm in the Grand Jury Room of the Town Hall. I'll try and post a report about the meeting tonight, if there are interesting details to report.
Just a quick thought on reading this ePolitix article
The Independent brings us the startling news that (A) Vince Cable is popular and (B) the Lib Dems might try and use this popularity to win a few more seats at the next general election. Now there's some high quality journalism! On a serious point though it will be interesting to see what Cable is like during a general election campaign when there's a lot more pressure on. I think it's fair to say that the party leadership probably didn't end up having the conference they'd hoped for but Cable did seem to come out of the whole affair a ...
Poor old Tory Iain Dale, bleating on his blog about how Chris Huhne has been beastly to the Tories at Conference. Aah Diddums. The Tories under Cameron, appear to have moved to the centre, but have not radically changed their spots since that ...
For some fringe events at this year's conference I have been OK to pitch up with a couple of minutes to spare and still expect to get a seat. However for the 'Reason under threat – the war on irrationality' event with Richard 'God Delusion' Dawkins, I wisely plumped for getting there about 20 minutes early. Even then I ended up fairly near the back! I found myself sitting next to an interesting chap called Alex, from Maidenhead, who explained that when he was a kid he was brought up religiously, and was taught rather confusingly that God loves him, ...
My speech during the Fresh Start debate yesterday attracted a bit of coverage. (And it is probably on Iplayer somewhere) There was clip on PM yesterday evening and I'm told I was quoted in the Guardian, although I can't find it. I've also been interviewed for the World at One which should be on around now. Sincere thanks to everyone who has made a point of saying that they enjoyed the speech.
I have an article on WalesHome today that looks at the way in which reforming the tax system will help make Wales a fairer society. In it I conclude, Taxes are likely to loom large in the next General Election, as debate continue across the political spectrum For prospective Welsh MPs there are two main issues to consider in this election: how to make the tax system fairer, and what effect any changes would have in Wales. Building a fair society is going to require drastic reform of the way taxes are collected. You can read the piece in full ...
The Daily Politics was whirring out of control on this last day of conference, desperately searching for controversy. A couple of work experience bloggers came on at the start and had a bit of a moan. They were clearly from other parties since they spouted the usual 'irrelevant' tosh. They were so shameless in their attacks that they were easily forgettable. This was student politics on the licence fee. Then we cut to London where Anita Anand (I got her name today) discussed Trident with the always competent Susan Kramer and some bloke from the Tories called Jenkin, kind of ...
Peter Millea and I are off this afternoon to a Licensing Committee meeting. We're representing a group of constituents concerned about an application for an off license at the former SPAR. There's been an off license there before and residents tell us it caused no end of problems. The hours being asked for are 6 in the morning till late at night, which again could cause problems. Licensing laws however are very strange. Elected Councillors, unless they happen to live very near the premises in question, can't just turn up to committee and speak. Instead we have to get explicit ...
Coverage-a-plenty in today's press – but not all of it will bring a smile to the face ... Conference row between Nick/Vince and MPs/activists Vince Cable faces tax policy mutiny at Lib Dem Conference (Times) Huhne backs Cable after attack (BBC) MPs' anger at Cable 'mansion tax' (BBC) Lib Dems round on Nick Clegg and Vince Cable over 'codswallop' policy (Times) Delegates lash out at leader over policy shifts (Independent) Clegg faces frontbench dissent on cuts (Independent) Clegg under fire from Lib Dems over move to downgrade spending commitments (Guardian) Clegg faces mutinous party (Financial Times) Ming Campbell rebukes Evan ...
Stephen Tall has blogged over at the Voice about the row between activists and the leadership and the rows over the Mansion Tax and tuition fees have certainly dominated the press reporting of our week in Bournemouth - aided and abetted by a letter to the Guardian and comments by frontbenchers including Julia Goldsworthy. So yesterday's Q&A session on the economy was interesting to watch for the body language between Julia and Vince Cable who was sitting next to her.
Stories about just how bad things are in Salford's Children's Services Directorate are appearing in the press with increasing and alarming frequency. A story has just broken in the MEN about a care-worker having sex with an under-age girl in a Salford care-home. The Children's Services directorate at Salford is £2.019m over budget. A Government inspection has recently ...
Last night the traditional end of conference Glee Club had a rival. In one room you had Paddy doing the same joke as he has done for the past ten years (because the audience demanded it) and Tim Farron mocking the Speaker in song in front of an audience of several hundred. Next door, there was a special fringe run by the Arts Alliance with a packed audience of 50 (it was a much smaller room). The Arts Alliance uses the arts to help prisoners to avoid reoffending and the performers included singers, rappers, a theatre group and headliner Billy ...
I'm not, by any means, a party conference veteran – Bournemouth '09 was in fact only my fourth. But it has been distinctive for one thing in particular: it's been the first year when the media coverage of conference has genuinely reflected what folk (at least those I've met) have been talking about at conference. In previous years, we have been continually told that Lib Dem delegates were chattering about the fate of our leaders – when actually we were quite contentedly chewing the fat of meaty policy issues. This year, there has, as ever at a Lib Dem conference, ...
Clegg has come up with a great Cleggism today: "ferocity with a purpose." I think it's actually the first genuinely candid thing he's said all week. What he's basically saying is that all this talk about "savage" cuts and doom and gloom as been a calculated attempt to wrong foot the party and "drag" (his ...
This was passed at conference at yesterday: Noting that, despite reports, the document neither abandons nor downgrades any existing policy commitments, and that the process of prioritising policy commitments will only be carried out in the preparation of the General Election manifesto. So we're not abandoning our tuition fees pledge. Now can we please move on.
I realise that most people bugger off home immediately after the leader's speech, but would anyone who isn't doing like to come and build sandcastles with us? We'll be on the beach (obviously). Anyone who buries my crutch will be in bother. And, as the signage says, beware of groynes! Things to blog about when I get chanceshocking BBC camerawork awful constitutional amendment Charlotte Gore's fringe event Glee club probably lots of other stuff This blog is proudly sponsored by Andrew Hickey, who will get a pretty logo when I get back from conference and have time to arse about ...
.. so how do I find out if I got an answer? I can't find video, let alone transcript on the Crime Q&A on Monday morning, only 4 hour long broadcasts from BBC parliament that may or may not include the Q&A I'm looking for (which I can't even find ... Read and post comments | Send to a friend
This biography first appeared in the Dictionary of Liberal Biography, produced by the Liberal Democrat History Group. Charles Grey, second Earl Grey, Viscount Howick and Baron Grey, was the Prime Minister who oversaw the Great Reform Act of 1832, which overhauled the country's parliamentary electoral system and was the culmination of two years of intense political crisis. Born on 13 March 1764, at Falloden in Northumberland, his youth was spent in a manner similar to that of many other members of Whig families: education at Eton, followed by university (King's College, Cambridge) and extensive travels in France, Italy and Germany ...
Western Mail columnist David Williamson seeks to portray First Minister's questions yesterday as Rhodri Morgan's swansong with the Labour front bench 'like greyhounds coiled for the starting gun.' Indeed that was how it looked in the chamber too, but it was Plaid Cymru members who seemed most anxious for a resolution to the speculation, with Leanne Wood referring in the very first question to the First Minister's departure and urging that he head up a 'yes' campaign once the All Wales Convention reports later this year. Other Plaid Cymru members also raised the referendum and there seems to be a ...
2 Big Stories Clegg faces frontbench dissent on cuts The Independent reports: Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg faced a major test of his authority tonight [Tuesday] as his own frontbenchers stepped up criticism of his plans for public spending cuts. One senior Lib Dem MP even suggested Mr Clegg had still to prove himself as leader and needed to listen more to activists' concerns. French police clear Calais "Jungle" The Times says: French police moved to clear migrants out of their makeshift camp in Calais today amid screams, tears and fights with protesters. Scuffles broke out as the camp, known ...
All of the Welsh media are reporting the decision of Finance Minister Andrew Davies to stand aside from the race to succeed Rhodri Morgan this morning and to back Edwina Hart instead. Remember you read it here first. It now looks like a three horse race for the top post with Edwina Hart all but confirmed, Huw Lewis and Carwyn Jones. All that is needed is for Rhodri Morgan to announce that he is to stand down this weekend. Here is the Senedd, the tension is palpable.
I'm not sure what lessons one recent graduate picked up at his time at Edinburgh University, but he appears to have not attending any lesson on democracy. Yes, folks it would appear that Mr Harry Cole either thinks that the elected dictatorship or politburo approach that the conservative party deal with policy and manifesto writing is the way these things get done. Earlier this week Mr Cole who blogs as Tory Bear, and doesn't like his readers to remember that, posted an article called Liberal Lies. In it he quoted Nick Clegg saying: "Ending tuition fees would cost billions of ...
The BBC Leicestershire pages are reporting that demolition work on Leicester's Bowstring Bridge is to start on 5 October.
John Pienaar has very kindly invited me along with some other people to be a part of BBC Radio 5 Live's coverage of Nick Clegg's speech later today at the Bournemouth conference. We should be on from around 2:45pm until the speech and then again straight afterwards when John will get our reactions to what we have heard. After some of the problems of the last few days, the disquiet over the "mansion tax" and the actions of the leadership seemingly trying to impose top-down policies it will be very interesting to see how Nick acquits himself. He needs a ...
The report of the Councillor Commission Expert Panel for Wales that can be found here has one or two sensible suggestions but also some rather silly ones too. The panel is packed with Labour and Plaid Cymru place-people as well as one or two others who might be considered independent, but the fact that none of the opposition were represented is surprising especially when the report seeks to make recommendations for all political parties. You have to ask yourself why Welsh Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, UKIP, Greens and other parties would want to implement recommendations that are being imposed on them ...
According to a letter in the Guardian from a majority of the Liberal Democrat Federal Policy Committee the Party will pledge to scrap Tuition Fees in it's manifesto. It is perhaps important to note in the Liberal Democrats policy is decide democratically through Conference and FPC - not just on the whim of the Leader.
Can we tell what is going to happen to the economy? Well we know it is shrinking and we know our national debt is increasing. So what is the response? Gordon Brown tells us we are going to be making cuts. Where are these cuts? Is it in health or education? Will ID cards be cancelled? This will save money and it will knock the wind out of the sails of the opposition parties who have been campaigning on principle but also saying how we will save money. There is another answer - borrow more. It is what the Conservatives ...
Just a quick one this morning to say that – assuming my schedule works out right for today – I will be in a position this afternoon to liveblog Nick Clegg's conference speech at around 2:30pm. "How exciting!" is the cry of joy I hear in response. Yes, it will be unmissable. What I'm looking for today ...
From James Graham's Quaequam Blog, I see that a majority (18 of the 29 members) of the Federal Policy Committee have declared that they will vote in favour of including the tuition fees pledge in the manifesto. James, the Secretary of the Social Liberal Forum, writes: Some of the names on this list are surprising. They can't be dismissed as lefty malcontents - far from it. I would be very surprised if there weren't other FPC members who would have signed the letter had the organisers managed to track them down in the short time period on Tuesday. The letter, ...
