Sign the Academy site petition here
Liberal Democrat prospective MP for Redcar, Ian Swales, has appeared on the BBC Politics Show criticising the new Regional Grand Committee. The Committee met in Middlesbrough last Friday and is an attempt to bring Parliament out of Westminster into the regions. Ian said: "It was an interesting bit of theatre but contributed little to the Government of the region. The fact that only 14 of the regions 30 MP's bothered to turn up shows that it is already low in their priorities right from the start. "The Committee also shows the absurdity of the first past the post electoral system. ...
In the last few months, many Conservative supporters and bloggers have been singing the praises of open primaries. They see this as a way of trying to ensure that seats, even potentially safe seats are at the very least openly contested at the candidates stage which should improve democracy. I am quite dubious about the benefits of open primaries, not least because they sound like reform without in my view delivering real reform. A change to multi-member seats using a transferable vote system would be a better reform in my view and allow the electorate to make their choice from ...
So reader beware - these are anecdotes, and it may be that the friends who had these experiences are the exception. I wasn't going to write about it on my blog, but then Gordon decides to launch Labour's wake with announcements he's going to crush the bankers and make them lend responsibly and increase their capital reserve requirements. The hypocrisy of it made me angry enough to post. About a month ago I was talking to a friend, who banks with Nat West (owned by RBS, thus Nationalised) about their experience the last time they popped into their local branch. ...
Not in the sense you're thinking! It was just that he was the last literary event of the day today. And a good one it was too. Lord Owen had come to talk to Rye about his new book 'In Sickness and in Power', which looks at some of the medical problems that world leaders have had whilst ...
I read in the Church Times the follow up of the story last week of how asylum seeker Elizabeth was snatched from the vicarage in Darlington where she was sheltering with her 2 small children. It was 7.15 in the morning, they threatened her in front of her children to handcuff her as she could not think what clothes to put on (could you have ?). A child was hysterical. The Borders Agency, there...
Nick Perry, Lib Dem Parliamentary Campaigner for Hastings & Rye has pledged to do his bit for the British Armed Forces family. Nick met with representatives from The Royal British Legion at the recent Liberal Democrat party conference in Bournemouth where he was presented with a copy of the Legion's manifesto for the next general election. The ...
Nick Perry, Lib Dem parliamentary campaigner for Hastings & Rye, has backed Hastings Borough Council's efforts to increase recycling rates in the town. Nick, who was an outspoken critic of the Council's proposal to have communal bins for ordinary refuse (in non-Twin Bin areas of the town) said this weekend, "I am very pleased to see the ...
Why do the good things all come at once? I have the chance next month to go to Brussels and see the European Parliament, a chance to really understand some of the differences between it and our national parliament as well as an opportunity to see something of how it works. All fine and dandy - arrangements made to join a party from the North East travelling by train. But it finishes on a
Good news everyone! 'This week I have mostly been reading' is back. Is it bigger and better than ever? No. It is pretty much the same, so if you want to close the window now, don't worry, I won't judge you. Or at least anymore than I have already judged you. Which is quite a lot. Loser. Well, wasn't summer shite? The weather was crap and little of interest happened within the world. Guess what? Autumn won't be much better, and winter is very much the same, except with Christmas, which will be over-rated, Dad will burn dinner and the ...
I was at the German Embassy in London this evening for an election night (or maybe one should more accurately say 'election afternoon') party; with typical Teutonic efficiency, the basic results were out in a matter of minutes after polls closed at 5pm London time. There had earlier been a sweepstake among guests about what the result would ...
Exciting times for the European Liberal Democratic and Reform (ELDR) Party, to which the UK Liberal Democrats belong: fellow-members the Liberal Democrats (FDP) in Germany have done well enough in today's elections to enable the Christian Democrats, led by popular Chancellor Mrs Angela Merkel, to form a government in coalition with them, leaving out the SPD. Yes, Liberal Democrats are going to be part of the German government. Geddit, Jeremy Paxman?
In the Mayor and Cabinet document about waste management proposals dated 9th April 2009 (link) at paragraph 3.7 one can read that: Unfortunately, the investment in recycling services is not sufficient to roll out a borough wide garden waste service. Paragraph 3.20 says that: The Council is also keen to assist people through this recession and a further ...
Work has been fun this weekend. Vinyl night was a scream last night - someone brought in the It Ain't Half Hot Mum album and we played Whispering Grass and everything! - and people have been generally good-natured and happy. I am knackered, though. Conference takes it out of you, and then not even having a full day to myself between that and three long shifts at work, and my foot still not being 100%... Looking forward to day off tomorrow, that's fer damn sure. However, I have achieved some stuff. Mostly in the planning of other stuff, but still... ...
Sun 27th
21:08
Conservatives are complete hypocrites on LGBT issues as Section 28 raises its ugly head again
Do you remember Section 28, Clause 28 or even Section 2A? That awful piece of legislation introduced by the Conservatives back in 1988 prevented the promotion of homosexuality in schools. Thankfully it was repealed in Scotland on 21 June 2000 and then across the rest of the UK on 18 November 2003 - although living in Kent in 2004 was bad enough when the Conservative controlled County Council introduced their own mini-version of Section 28! To be precise, the Act said; "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in ...
Baroness Scotland is fined £5000 for failing to keep proper documentation while employing a cleaner from overseas. Peter Mandelson is refused entry to the Labour Conference because of a problem with his security pass. They had better get used to it. If Labour loses the next election a lot of politicians are going to get a rude introduction to the world they have made over the past 12 years. Life has a former MP can be hard. And policies you supported when your party was in the ascendancy can seem less attractive when they suddenly apply to you. A lot ...
The local LibDem Focus has a big spread on the reopening of our park, with a picture of Lindsay with Caroline Pidgeon, the LibDem Parliamentary Spokesperson for Vauxhall and Matthew Hanney, a local LibDem campaigner. Obviously, Lindsay is scrupulous about involving local people of every Party and none in her work on the park as Chair of the Friends, and was completely unaware that the LibDems were going to highlight this excellent project. But its great to see hundreds of people enjoying themselves in the park, as they were this afternoon, particularly in the new children's playground, on a lovely ...
Sun 27th
19:45
Opinion: Conservatives are complete hypocrites on LGBT issues as Section 28 raises its ugly head aga...
Do you remember Section 28, Clause 28 or even Section 2A? That awful piece of legislation introduced by the Conservatives back in 1988 prevented the promotion of homosexuality in schools. Thankfully it was repealed in Scotland on 21 June 2000 and then across the rest of the UK on 18 November 2003 – although living in Kent in 2004 was bad enough when the Conservative controlled County Council introduced their own mini-version of Section 28! To be precise, the Act said; "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in ...
Why does Lynne do it? It seems the lap dancing club to which she assisted objectors has been rejected by the relevant committee. She claims it's all about location yet doesn't answer specific questions about what `location` means. In the end – this is about location. That has always been the point and the reason for upset for ...
I've had a reply from the owners of the Victoria Centre (Ambassador Holdings Limited). I have always accepted that they have every right to have a two hour limit - and it's a good thing - though I feel that it needed much better publicity. I don't find their reply very helpful towards those who've been "caught out". I have gone back to them particularly on the question of late night charges and hope they will be reasonable on that. They say that the only reason for the charge is to protect the five shops in the Victoria Centre, and ...
All day yesterday at the AGM of the Advisory Council for the Education of Romany and other Travellers, an excellent meeting at which among other distinguished speakers we heard from Penny Jones, Deputy Director of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF); Arthur Ivatts OBE, a Senior Consultant to the DCSF and Andrew Ryder, Consultant to the Irish Traveller Movement. Travellers are severely disadvantaged educationally - as in every other respect - as shown by a review published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) a few weeks ago (www.equalityhumanrights.com/researchreports). Half of Traveller children drop out of school ...
All day yesterday at the AGM of the Advisory Council for the Education of Romany and other Travellers, an excellent meeting at which among other distinguished speakers we heard from Penny Badman, Deputy Director of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF); Arthur Ivatts OBE, a Senior Consultant to the DCSF and Andrew Ryder, Consultant to the Irish Traveller Movement. Travellers are severely disadvantaged educationally - as in every other respect - as shown by a review published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) a few weeks ago (www.equalityhumanrights.com/researchreports). Half of Traveller children drop out of school ...
There was a radio documentary on the Velvet Underground a couple of weeks ago and it included this single from 1965. It is a Gordon Lightfoot song and the sound is very much of its period, yet's Nico's Germanic accent gives it a strange aspect too. The Seekers meet Greta Garbo. Even more interestingly, the guitarist on this recording turns out to be a young Jimmy Page (though not this young). Wikipedia is good on his early career as a session musician.
57) Leo Babauta, The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life, 2009. This is a self-published public-domain e-book with no ISBN. It does pretty much what it says on the tin. If you've read a few books on decluttering your home and office and managing your time effectively, it probably won't tell you anything new, but if you're new to the topic, it's probably a good starting-point. Skip the chapter on food if you're fat-positive. 56) Ignatius of Loyola (tr. Louis J. Puhl SJ), The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius (New York: Vintage, 2000, ISBN 9780375724923). The Exercises are the foundation ...
When the height of the Attorney General's misbehaviour seemed to be not keeping copies of her housekeeper's identity documents, I was doubtful about the calls for her resignation. "Lawmakers shouldn't be lawbreakers" but it seemed to me that the £5,000 penalty was sufficient censure. The allegation is now that she never even looked at the documents and lied ...
I have been left feeling shocked and angry by what I have seen and heard today. Shocked by yet another story of real hardship as experienced by a young family in my ward. Angry, at yet another example of Labour politicians taking their eye of the ball on something important- or worse, neglecting the very people they were supposed to be elected to serve. Let me set the scene for you: family x who live in the Hexham Road area are officially overcrowded - so much so that one of the parents is forced to sleep in a children's bunkbed in a room with three children ...
This week with a guest host: Nourishing Obscurity.
Where does the personal cross over into politics? Should a politician's private life be brought into the public domain? Clearly when a politician is doing something illegal then it's important, but I've usually been of the view that if what they do is legal and doesn't interfere with their abilities to do their jobs then everybody has the absolute right to a private life. Whilst I think that Gordon Brown has been a rather tragic figure as Prime Minister, proving that some people should never be given the job of their dreams, I was very uncomfortable this morning to see ...
Well if you track back to the original story about Brown's health it seems to be based on a "long list of foods" which he is supposedly not meant to be served. Strangely, this "long list of foods" is so far, in the public domain, a short list of foods. In fact it is just two foods. "Cheese and chianti". (The story also demands to know where Brown "runs daily" as if to suggest that such an assertion by his spokesperson is made up. Would suggesting that he runs in a private gym be terribly earth-shattering? A treadmill in the ...
This week an Italian Market is coming to Shipston, for the first time ever - at least to the best of my knowledge! It's on Friday 2nd October from 9am to 5pm, and the Town Centre will be closed to traffic during this time. It will feature a wide range of Italian food and drink - all imported from Italy. The company behind the scheme has already worked in a number of other towns in rural areas - and the experience is that they provide a great alternative for local people and bring new people into the towns, boosting local ...
I've blogged previously about my lukewarm reaction to seeing the first and third episodes of the Radio 4 news comedy I guess that's why they call it the news being recorded. However, I've just finished listening to the fifth and final episode and, in addition to Fred Macaulay's continuing excellent chairing, the show finally seems to have hit its stride. This time there was good repartee between the panel and more free reign for their improvisations (or, if it was heavily scripted, improved script writing that really mirrored the panellists' individual styles). Perhaps also the overall quality of the panel ...
All day yesterday at the AGM of the Advisory Council for the Education of Romany and other Travellers, an excellent meeting at which among other distinguished speakers we heard from Penny Badman, Deputy Director of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF); Arthur Ivatts OBE, a Senior Consultant to the DCSF and Andrew Ryder, Consultant to the Irish Traveller Movement. Travellers are severely disadvantaged educationally - as in every other respect - as shown by a review published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) a few weeks ago (www.equalityhumanrights.com/researchreports). Half of Traveller children drop out of school ...
One of the results of going back to university is that I'll be spending an awful lot more time on trains. While I am, as you'll have anticipated, not entirely unhappy with that, I am a bit miffed that officially, none of it will happen at all. The recent proliferation of automatic ticket barriers notwithstanding, the railway industry actually has very little data on exactly what journeys are made on the network. While there's a wealth of ticket purchase data available, that isn't as reliable as you might think. Simple tickets from station A to station B are easy enough, ...
It's a few weeks since I was emailed an article by John Ward (also sent to a number of other blog-sites), subsequently published at notbornyesterday.org, alleging the Prime Minister suffers from depression and obsessive compulsive disorder, and that these conditions are being treated with prescription pills. I decided not to publish, or refer at all to the allegations on Lib Dem Voice. As I explained to John in an email at the time, "without named sources for the story it's not something we could publish on LDV. I appreciate, given the nature of the story, that having sources on the ...
We're heading west this week, and I've attempted to give a theme to the walk, of what humans have done to the landscapes of Colchester over the year. People have been living here for thousands of years, and every passing wave of them has left their mark on the area in one way or another. ...
My Lib Dem colleague Caroline Pidgeon AM has passed on the latest bus route changes to me, two of which are of particular interest to us here in Lee Green. Route 321, which goes up Lee High Road, is to become a 24 hour service betweeen New Cross and Sidcup (Foots Cray). Buses will run every half an hour during the night and the existing operator, London Central, will continue to operate the route using existing buses. The existing N21 night bus will continue to run, but will take a different route between Eltham and Sidcup, so it runs to ...
There's a series of events at the Manor House to mark Black History Month, including a themed month of Saturday Matinee film showings: Saturday 3rd October – the Secret Life of Bees Saturday 10th October – Malcolm X Saturday 17th October – Akeelah and the Bee All the above film showings start at 3.30pm in the AV Room (meeting room 1). They're absolutely free – book a seat by calling the library on 8852 0357. More details of other Black History Month events in Lewisham can be found on the Council website at www.lewisham.gov.uk/blackhistorymonth Finally, on Saturday October 24th, the ...
Yesterday I was walking along the street and a rather dodgy looking man walked up to some teenagers and, holding out his mobile phone, said, in tones of some desperation, "Lasses and lad, could you phone this number please?" One of the teenagers duly rang the number he gave them. My first thought was that it would be insane for anyone to respond to the man's request because he would then have your number on his phone and could phone you whenever he likes. But quite frankly, I was baffled by the incident. What bona fide reason would the man ...
Nick Clegg, Leader of the Liberal Democrats has launched this message for anyone who's ever voted for the Green Party, or is thinking about doing so at the next general election. He's asking you to lend your vote to the Liberal Democrats in 2010, to stop climate change. Nick says: "This election is our best chance - it's probably our last chance - to get a government that acts to cut carbon emissions and protect our planet for our children. This is not a time for people who care about the environment to quarrel between ourselves. This is a time ...
After a testing week for the party, I left the BIC on Wednesday feeling uplifted, hopeful and with an extra spring in my step. I am in no doubt that Nick Clegg's speech was his best to date. Always an impressive orator, the defining feature of this address was not his style or stage presence, but the fact that under the banner of a 'A Fresh Start for Britain', Clegg conveyed a positive vision of how a Liberal Democrat future would look. He did not get bogged down in broadsides against Labour or the Conservatives, but pitched a message of ...
With eight months to an election, the opinion polls are all putting the Conservatives on around 40%, with a healthy lead over the other parties. David Cameron and his colleagues are quietly preparing for government. Based on the turnout usually seen at general elections, this makes approximately a quarter of the electorate. Wait a minute. After 12 years of Labour, with a massive recession, with a government in disarray, with the economy in turmoil - still only a quarter of the adult population want to see a Conservative government. Sadly because of our corrupt electoral system, a quarter is all ...
From Cheadle Village Partnership meeting: The current aim is for Tescos to open in Cheadle by the end of November, but it may be couple of weeks earlier as work is currently ahead of schedule. The Church, which owns the site and is developing the upper rooms, is looking for feedback from the community on what could go into the upper rooms (more than you might think, apparently). There will be open days on Fridays and Saturdays in October and a section should appear on the Church website where you can find out more information.
Thank goodness! Councillors turned down the lap-dancing club application in Crouch End. It's been a very long and hard fought campaign - so congratulations to Alison Lillystone and all of the local people who worked so hard to present such a brilliant case. My LibDem colleague Cllr Dave Winskill has been working with the campaign group every step of the way - and I have done whatever whenever I could to help. The report says the applicants may go to the courts and appeal the decision - but I hope they don't. The new laws coming into effect soon change ...
Details of a survey conducted by PRS for Music have been sent to me by email revealing the UK's vote for party conference songs. Last year the Gordon Brown walked on stage with Jackie Wilson's Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher and Higher. However, in the survey of over 1,000 people, Elton John's Sorry seems to be the hardest word was voted as most popular suggestion for the entrance of the Prime Minister this year. Labour Party - most voted songs: Sorry seems to be the hardest word - Elton John Tragedy - Steps So Sad - George Harrison Die ...
The blogosphere is alive with rumour of a new government conspiracy, that Gordon Brown is hiding a serious illness and is no longer fit to govern. Although the queue of people waiting to deride the Prime Minister as unfit to lead the country (most of them within his own party) grow longer by the day, this rumour, it would appear, has legs. What started as a random blog post by journalist John Ward has now escalated into widespread media speculation, drawing in the likes of Paul 'Guido' Staines, Matthew Norman of the Independent, Simon Heffer of the Telegraph, and even ...
The questioning of Gordon Brown this morning about his health by Andrew Marr was unreasonably direct. A bunch of disorganized anti-Brown malcontent Labour moaners twitter away to the press about excuses for Brown to go and the media jumps in feet first. Brown's health is not an issue. His competence to be prime minister is the issue. The intrusion into his health was inappropriate and
Moderating comments is a pretty blunt instrument - either a comment appears or it doesn't. For some people and some sites, that is fine because it suits their site and moderation preferences. However, it doesn't suit everyone. For example, suppose you want to encourage discussion on complicated or sensitive issues but your threads are dominated by abrasive and content-light comments? One alternative is to take a much more generous view about what comments get moderated but, even leaving aside any free speech issues, that can quickly get into difficult areas of judgement and controversy. Where should you draw the line? ...
Wonders never cease. I hesitate to say Baroness Scotland should resign. What do they think in Scotland? - I wonder. I have enormous admiration for the lady. However. The Mail says that she allegedly did not ask her Tongan employee to show her passport during a ten minute employment interview. As Attorney-General, you would have thought Baroness Scotland would have more sense. However, reading the Mail story (someone has to, I suppose) one wonders whether the housekeeper is the villain of the piece. She'd been allegedly working illegally here for four years and there is an alleged forged second passport ...
I've been to a couple of conferences this year, and both times looked for cheap hotels with free wi-fi. In Birmingham, I needed to finish the presentation (on spam email), so I needed wi-fi to research aspects of that presentation. I also used it to find out about local eateries. It all worked smoothly. In Bournemouth, at the Lib-Dems conference, I used wi-fi for similar purposes, but also wanted
The BBC has started producing a round-up of the best bits of the Sunday political TV shows (BBC and others). You can see today's round-up over on the BBC website here.
No, actually. But seeing his determined face and his "I do not roll over" statement on the Beeb, one wonders if he might just do a John Major "soapbox" trick and get people's admiration for staying power. You never know, he could just snatch twenty seats for Labour at the next election. At least, from his Beeb photo, he seems to have finally realised that it is a mistake for him to try to "smile". For that we can all be grateful, whatever our political persuasion.
I've got a few things I want to write about over the next couple of days – I want to do a Wednesday Comics review, a Spotify playlist and a Doctor Who post, just for a start – but for now here's some links (one or more of the above will be posted tonight). My friend ...
Random fact - well, not so random really. In the UK ... 7% of all Liberal Democrat councillors have websites/blogs. 2% of all Conservative councillors have websites/blogs. 1% of all Labour councillors have websites/blogs.
Richard Willis Conservative Councillor in Reading has reported the short list for the Bracknell Open Primary as follows (Taken directly from Richard Willis site including links); ' Iain Dale - top Conservative blogger, author and publisher. Iain stood in Norfolk North at the last election. Rory Stewart - author and former Army officer. I worked with Rory in the Foreign Office after the Iraq invasion. He was appointed Governor of Di Qar province in Iraq and is also famous for walking across Afghanistan in 2002 Kate Lindsay - was previously shortlisted for Hampshire East Julia Manning - stood in Bristol ...
[IMG: hosp2] A new exhibition looking at the history of Prestwich Hospital will be opened by the Mayor of Bury, Councillor Sheila Magnall. Aptly titled "The Prestwich Hospital", it will comprise artefacts and memorabilia along with photographs and a fascinating history about the largest mental hospital of its time in Europe. The mayor will launch the exhibition on Tuesday October 13 at Prestwich Heritage Museum, which is based in Prestwich Library & Adult Learning Centre. This is the fourth exhibition at the heritage museum, which was created with the help of Heritage Lottery funding in partnership with Prestwich Heritage Society, ...
We were glad to hear that the Spread Eagle pub on the corner of Albert Street and Parkway seems to be acting more considerately in recent months, as required under the new terms agreed at the Town Hall. Local residents are to be congratulated on their initiative and resolve in getting the first licensing review locally ...
It is just like being back in the 1970s and 80s. First we have the prospective Tory MPs working as lobbyists or public relations consultants on behalf of businesses and other interests and now allegations of the Labour Party plotting to parachute Trade Unionists into safe seats in return for substantial donations to their election campaign fund. In the instance the Sunday Times claims that Jack Dromey, the husband of Harriet Harman, was to be installed as candidate for a seat Labour has held for 55 of the past 60 years, in an agreement with his trade union. At the ...
The next meeting of Prestwich Local Area Partnership takes place: 6.30pm Thursday 1st October Butterstile Primary School School Grove, Prestwich (6.15pm Meet and Greet members of Prestwich LAP or speak on a 1 to 1 basis) · 6.30 Happy 10th Birthday Area Initiative - Test Your Prestwich Knowledge · 6.40 Business Matters, Reports from Lap Manager, Youth Manager, Children's Services, Community Plan · 7.15 Domestic Violence presentation · 7.30 Open Forum · 8.15 Community Update Everyone Welcome! For more info contact: Carran O'Grady, Prestwich Local Area Partnership Manager on 0161 253 7245 or by e-mail c.o'grady@bury.gov.uk This month Community Update ...
This week's walk will be a bit later than usual – probably appearing sometime this afternoon or evening – so until then, why not go and read Anton Vowl's discussion of the Mail's attack on Lembit Opik's relatives?
This morning's Wales on Sunday reveals that police in Wales have taken DNA samples from more than 55,000 innocent people. Almost half of these - an estimated 23,651 - were taken by South Wales Police alone, costing the force £1.5m. They say that in total, the nation's four police forces have spent an estimated £3.4m in gathering DNA samples from innocent people. Since 2001, police have taken DNA samples from anyone they arrest or caution, even if no charges are brought against them. Current law allows an innocent person's DNA profile to be kept for up to 12 years. With ...
Another Cheadle Village Partnership item. We were updated on the latest plans for Christmas displays in Cheadle & Gatley. In addition to Christmas lights, there will be a large Christmas tree on Cheadle Green, another in Church gardens and trees available for shop fronts. Gatley will have three large trees. I have to say I think this is the right way to go. In Gatley. local residents wanted to try a sustainable tree. Instead of getting big cut trees each year, the idea was to grow a Christmas tree on Gatley Green that we could use every year. Unfortunately, there ...
When I was doing my Sunday morning trawl of the news and newspaper websites I was somewhat shocked when I saw the headline "Call to retain more DNA samples" on the BBC website. In Scotland, if you are given a fine or a work order (direct measures) your DNA is not taken, in other words if there is not a criminal conviction they don't take your DNA - sounds good to me. I have to be honest though, the fiscal fines do cover an array of potential law infringements. These direct measures can be used as an alternative to prosecution ...
"apart from the shunt at the end of the qualify it was a positive day...flat out tomorrow" You have to love Rubens Barrichello. It can't be easy to maintain a positive attitude on a day when the Gearbox Fairy had basically farted in his face and a truculent bit of wall had got in the way of a crucial flying lap in the final qualifying session, but that tweet from Rubens shows that he is as on fire as ever. He is the one who has managed, despite the Brawn team's various woes over the Summer, to get his head ...
I've just received an invite on facebook to join a group supporting the notion that Andrew Neil's summation of the Lib Dem conference was a disgrace. I won't join. Not because I support the views he was espousing, that (so I'm told, because I didn't see it) the conference ended with a slew of disaffected activists ...
Earlier this month, my colleague Cllr Helen Dick and I advised the City Council's new Chief Executive David Dorward that we want to voluntarily reduce our own councillor salaries to last year's level, given that public services are under very considerable financial strain and this is a time when all elected representatives should be showing restraint and putting public services first. (See http://tinyurl.com/dundeecllrsalary or click on headline above to view the earlier article from 18th September). As regular readers of www.dundeewestend.com will know, Dundee's LibDem councillors made a request to Finance Minister John Swinney to change regulations to permit councils ...
Yesterday's Northern Echo carries a review by Chris Lloyd of the newly published autobiography of Harold Evans, widely regarded as the greatest of all British newspaper editors. By co-incidence, I had been discussing this very book with Michael Meadowcroft, the former Liberal MP, at Bournemouth earlier in the week.Harold Evans edited the Northern Echo for four years. Perhaps he is best known
I have today said that, given media reports today about schools to be included in the Scottish Government's capital improvements, it is vital that there is immediate clarity from Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning over government plans - and assurance that Harris Academy will be included in the funding. I have made this call following media reports that Scottish Government was including in the capital improvements programme Ellon Academy, in the First Minister's Gordon constituency, Mearns Academy (also in Aberdeenshire), Lasswade Academy in Midlothian, Eastwood Academy in East Renfrewshire and another in Ayrshire. (See : ...
Lucy Mangan wrote in the Guardian yesterday: The leader of the Liberal Democrats had a tough conference, what with all the back-biting and curious decision to turn on Vince Cable, the only known member of the party outside - well, the party. The real problem for Little Nicky, of course, is that he ain't got no schtick. Paddy Ashdown had "killing people for Britain, back in the day". Charles Kennedy had "I go on Have I Got News For You and at any point I might fall off this lectern!" and Ming Campbell had the undeniable kudos of having been ...
I've blogged before about the massively long-running saga of the potholes at the corner of Stroud Green Road and Morris Place. In brief: combination of blocked drains and water leak meant pothole repairs kept on being wrecked, drains now fixed but water leak outstanding - and complicated by high pressure in system caused by local reservoir being shut due to poor water quality. But, but, but - it's all been dragging on for months now. So long in fact that it doesn't exactly suggest Thames Water is really that concerned to fix the problem promptly. (After all, it is the ...
Earlier this month Lynne Featherstone gave the Heather Larkin Annual Lecture in Yate: I am really pleased to be here tonight - yes it is a long trek here and back but worth it to pay tribute to Steve Webb. Steve is a great MP, a great campaigner, a great innovator on the internet - and a great intellectual force. The fact that we often agree on policy may have something to do with that! But one of the highlights of Parliament is listening to thoughtful and powerful speeches from which you learn and which help shape your own views. ...
I promised a review of Satan's Harvest and it was every bit as bad as I expected. Tough guy Cutter Murdock (George Montgomery) inherits the family estate in South Africa, only to find it is being used to produce illegal drugs on an industrial scale. He spends most of the film more or less successfully dodging attempts to kill or otherwise him. He is aided by Tippi Hedren - I fear her career went from The Birds to this turkey. The only reason I rented this was that I was intrigued to discover that Matt Monro had acted in a ...
Let's look at the second chapter of Nick Clegg's Demos pamphlet. (I discussed chapter 1 here - at this rate of progress it will all be over by Christmas.) Chapter 2 is titled "The progressive split" and looks at the way the Labour Party supplanted the Liberals after the First World War. There is something wonderfully eccentric in a political leader issuing a pamphlet discussing the finer points of the Liberal Party's performance in the 1923 general election. I certainly don't want to discourage that, but I do wonder at the way Nick presents the rise of Labour as split ...
Labour look like they'll be legislating on the budget deficit. Sorry, I thought that was something that budgets do? This tells us all we need to know about new Labour. Let's deconstruct it. 1. Treating the electorate as idiots -they don't seem to understand that people ask questions. Like, erm, `who got us into this mess in the ...
Another item from the Cheadle Village Partnership meeting. There's a small area you probably know near to the White Hart pub in Cheadle. By Gatley Road, there's a nice flagged area with a few benches and the flagstones were stolen a while ago. Since 2005, this area has actually been privately owned and maintained by the owners of North House (the building directly behind it). It is not currently maintained or owned by the Council. There was some discussion at the meeting of whether the Council should take over maintance again. This is something I'll be looking into.
It's Sunday. It's 7am. It's time for the Daily View, today with a special sing-a-long political ad that makes current politics look not so bad really. 2 Big Stories Speedier tests for cancer planned Skipping past the utterly predictable stories (senior Labour figures aren't all happy, shock horror and Baroness Scotland didn't check paperwork properly, shock horror) we get to this from the BBC: Patients will get key tests within two weeks of seeing their GP, [Gordon Brown] will tell the Labour Party conference on Tuesday. It will mean faster reassurance for patients and could save thousands of lives by ...
Returning from Conference always presents the peculiar experience of revisting the last few days of one's life through the eyes of the media, and discovering that your experience bore little resemblance to what was reported. Presenting Bournemouth as some kind of battleground between the FPC and the leadership group may sound dramatic, but had very ...
For the first time in maybe three years I have fic mojo. The thing is, I haven't written for so long, I wouldn't know a plot bunny if it stood up and bit me... Give me prompts, people. Give me prompts, and I'll give you drabbles. Would prefer a fandom I'm familiar with - Who, Blake's 7, SGA, BSG, dodgy old horror films, etc - but am not averse to a bit of research. Happy to do crossovers. Pls to be providing:Fandom(s)GenreCharacters to be includedAny particular phrases or scenarios you'd like me to work in... and if you do I ...
It is being reported that Baroness Scotland never asked to see the passport of the illegal immigrant she employed illegally. It puts further pressure on her to resign and overshadows this week's Labour conference.
I wrote about Baroness Scotland on the 19th September. Since then we find that she is guilty of breaking her civil law but she thinks it is like failing to pay the congestion charge. Even if you accept her explanation that she forgot to take a photocopy of the passport, it would still be much more like Ken Livingstone not paying the congestion charge. Now (26th Sept) it turns out that the illegal worker, Loloahi Tapui says she never showed her passport to anyone. The Attorney General maintains her defence and calls Ms Tapui a liar. The problem I have ...
