Tomorrow evening, starting at 7 p.m., is showing the BBC's original coverage of the 1959 general election. It is brought to you by Richard Dimbleby, David Dimbleby (an amazing coincidence there), Alan Wicker and Cliff Michelmore. SPOILER The Tories win.
From childhood's hour I have not been As others were---I have not seen As others saw---I could not bring My passions from a common spring. From the same source I have not taken My sorrow; I could not awaken My heart to joy at the same tone; And all I lov'd, I loved alone. Then---in my childhood---in the dawn Of a most stormy life---was drawn From ev'ry depth of good and ill The mystery which binds me still: From the torrent, or the fountain, From the red cliff of the mountain, From the sun that 'round me roll'd In its ...
Just like Labour last week, the Conservatives this week have named expensive policy after expensive policy without any real idea of how they are going to pay for them. Last week I went through Gordon Brown's speech and listed all the policies he came up with that will add to the burden on taxpayers. You can read that blog post HERE. I've now gone through all the policy announcements made this week at the Tory get-together in Manchester. Here it is: the biggest, boldest programme to Get Britain Working that this country has ever seen - promised by David Cameron ...
With the recent takedown of the postcode geocoding API provided by Ernest Marples Ltd, there has been discussion of other ways to get hold of postcode data without paying prohibitive licence fees to Royal Mail. One solution is to collect the data from scratch, without using existing sources that are derived from the Royal Mail licensed database. This has at least some chance of avoiding the infringement of Royal Mail's intellectual property rights. There are several such projects already in existence. The oldest is Free The Postcode which invites visitors to collect the location of a postcode by visiting a ...
I've just received this message - so if it works should be a big help - I'll be interested to know how it is working out. "Hi Suzanne, just an update for you on phone numbers From this morning anyone ringing a Benefit Service line 0800/0845 number from a mobile will be given a call back. Or at least they should be. Something we have been doing at Middlesbrough...
... and a very busy one at that! . . . A few weeks ago I mentioned the plans that are being developed for Tolworth Broadway and the roundabout over the A3. There was quite an extensive consultation at the time, but there is now another opportunity to see the latest plans and give your views on it to the Council. On Saturday (10th) the plans will be on display by the footpath inside the roundabout. Just turn up any time between 10am and 4pm. Fortunately the weather forecast looks benevolent.
Stockport Council secured over a million pounds in Playbuilder funding, being spent on refurbishing 22 play areas across the borough, with equipment for 8-13 year olds. Currently, Scholes Field has some fairly elderly and poorly-used play equipment in the south east corner (near to the paths to Borrowdale Avenue and Linksway). The plan is to replace this with a new, improved play area in the year 2010-2011 and there's £50,000 to do it. Local people (including the likely users of the equipment) will be consulted both on the location of the play area and the equipment to go in it. ...
Just back from the country. More on the Cameron speech later. But did we notice those CLOUDS from the freaky photoshop pictures made a return during David Cameron's speech? Well not the SAME clouds - but clouds none the less. [IMG: david-cameron-freaky-photoshop-clouds] My hippy Aussie friend tells me that "fluffy white clouds" in your dreams means inner peace and spiritual harmony. Really???? My (matter-of-fact) teenage niece (I was visiting family today) tells me these are "Cumulus clouds" which means (and she is only 13!) "These are low level clouds. They are normally seen in hot weather and means there is ...
Here's what Danny has to say (and interesting to note that he's being deployed as the Lib Dem person to attack the other parties, not Nick Clegg or Vince Cable): This speech demonstrates the huge gulf between the sunny rhetoric of David Cameron and the grim reality of Tory policy. The Tories claim to be honest on spending, but their proposals barely scratch the surface. They claim they can fix the country's finances, but their plans are economically illiterate. Cutting spending now would plunge us back into recession. They claim to care about the poorest, but will only slash taxes ...
One occasionally peruses Iain Dale's Diary. Someone's got to. I noticed today this piece about Betsy Duncan-Smith, who is undergoing chemotherapy to treat cancer. My best wishes for a speedy recovery to Mrs Duncan-Smith and best wishes to her family as they support her.
I almost missed the fact that today is National Poetry Day – thanks to Gary Gillatt for the reminder. Long time readers will know that each year I post an "original" poem (see 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008). Having been caught unprepared, this is what I've knocked up, inspired by my new mobile. iFone So I touch touch touch On the screen screen screen It's a bugger bugger bugger To keep clean clean clean My old phone phone phone Was much blockier blockier blockier I've had six six six Years of Nokia Nokia Nokia And thus i i i ...
I went to the debate organised by Cardiff University Neuroscience Society entitled "Personality: are we all just a bag of chemicals?"My answer is an obvious no! There are various reasons, mostly to do with logic rather than faith or science. 1. Human beings are, of course, made of chemicals, but not only. As I pointed out in my intervention, it's like looking closely at a musical instrument,
PR Week has a feature this week on the launch of MyConservatives.com, including some of my own views: Mandate associate director of digital Mark Pack, who previously headed the Liberal Democrats' new media operation, warned that the site's fundraising component would face 'cultural' challenges. 'The thing I'm most sceptical about is donations,' said Pack. 'There's a much bigger question mark about donating in this country.' You can read the full story here.
Congratulations to Jonathan Calder and Nich Starling for pictorially highlighting George Osborne's utter hypocrisy.
Well done to Christopher Harris from Barnet's Golders Green ward: Golders Green Tory Christopher Harris has been travelling Down Under since July on an "extended holiday" but has still managed to hang on to his job. Despite being 10,000 miles away in a country with a 10-hour time difference, Cllr Harris is still claiming more than £800 a month in a council allowance to serve residents.
As it is National Poetry Day again and as T.S. Elliot has been voted the UK's favourite poet I have reproduced one of his that I particularly enjoy. T.S. Eliot - The Naming Of Cats The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter, It isn't just one of your holiday games; You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES. First of all, there's the name that the family use daily, Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James, Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey-- ...
On The Daily Politics today Andrew Neill asked Lord Tam Strathclyde the leader in the Lords if Eric Pickles had restricted Tory PPCs to one unit of alcohol a night. You can watch the exchange here on BBC iPlayer. Now of course one unit isn't very much. Indeed it isn't even a full drink. So what could they have drunk. A half pint 284ml of beer under 3.5% abv would have been fine. But in Manchester the Cream of the City ie Boddingtons t osatisfy most would have to be drunk from a can of 3.8% abv, but don't drink ...
I have a confession to make. When the LibDem conference agenda has arrived at our humble household in the past, a highlighter pen has been rapidly withdrawn from its sheath for the specific purpose of highlighting those fringe events with the magic words "free supper" or "Free bar". The NUT event was always an absolute must, with the promise of free bangers and mash and a free bar. And, oh my goodness, the rapture of managing to blag ones' way into the Tesco reception, where attractive young women and men came round and refilled your glass with champagne at the ...
If you follow me on Twitter, you'll have seen that I was in Bedford today helping out Dave Hodgson's campaign for Mayor. Unlike my last by-election day out in Norwich, it was a sunny day so it was a pleasure to be out delivering on the streets of the town. (And yes, I don't agree with ...
It's pretty clear that Labour are finished. Peoples perception of them is that they are old-hat and washed-up. Sure there are places where you can dress up a donkey in a red coat for it to be elected – sure there are some doughty local campaigners and personalities that can bring out the vote. On ...
Today the Liverpool Daily Post reports that Wirral's Mayor (Andrew Hodson) is to sue Lib Dem Leader, Simon Holbrook over remarks that Cllr Holbrook made concerning the Mayors Office. Back in March Councillor Ian Lewis made the following statement concerning Alan Taylor, the Lib Dem Councillor for Bromborough who had sued successfully for libel against ...
Yet again on BBC Watchdog tonight there was a story about supermarkets ripping off customers. Yet again, the supermarkets failed to turn up to answer the complaints and instead put forward a spokesman from the British Retail Consortium. A few days ago there was a story about supermarkets driving dairy farmers out of business. Again, not a single person from the supermarket chains would turn up and instead a spokesman from the British Retail Consortium. When there was a positive story a few weeks ago about supermarket clothing on Watchdog, guess who turned up ? All the supermarkets ! Yes, ...
Way back in 2006 I first blogged that the Lib Dems should call a referendum on independence to call the SNP's bluff. Last year in March I questioned whether my party had an approved policy on the issue that the MSPs and leadership decided we shouldn't enter in talks with them over after the 2007 election. Well following the debate in Bournemouth where our MEP in Scotland and a leading PPC said it was time to have that referendum, the party is going to look at the situation. Yeah at the Scottish conference on October 30 there will be a ...
a.k.a 'no deceased equine creature left knowlingly unflogged....' Update: Through the wonders of 4OD I have pinpointed the mathematical conundrum, described by host Jeff Stelling as "another tough one" which beat both contestants and Rachel Riley (who has a upper second class honours mathematics degree from Oriel College, Oxford) on yesterday's 'Countdown'. The number to aim for was: 394. The numbers given to use to aim for that number were 4,9,8,7,9,1. Isn't it obvious? 9+1=10 10 x 4 = 400 9-7 = 2 8-2= 6 400-6= 394. Or have I somehow breached the rules? Are you not allowed interrupted concatenations ...
Today is National Poetry Day. The official theme is "heroes and heroines", but let's quietly ignore that and post another of my favourite poems. Early choices from 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 can also be found on this blog. Not sure what happened in 2008. ...........................OLD MAN Old Man, or Lad's-Love, - in the name there's nothing To one that knows not Lad's-Love, or Old Man, The hoar green feathery herb, almost a tree, Growing with rosemary and lavender. Even to one that knows it well, the names Half decorate, half perplex, the thing it is: At least, what that ...
Elsewhere, I have blogged on how dishonest are parts of the Cameron speech, particularly the claims that (a) they called the debt question right (b) the claim that current inequalty was created by Labour not the Conservatives and (c) the convenient failure to remember that it was the Conservatives who broke the link between pensions and earnings. Otherwise, a bit of a curate's egg: some instincts to decentralise and 'let go' that we Liberals at CentreForum ought to applaud; some cheap shots (the 96p withdrawal rate for taxes relies on finding a particular spike in the benefits-withdrawal nexus and then ...
I have had a report or two about dogs becoming ill having gone for a dip in the stream in Prestwich Clough. Unsurprisingly, for water flowing through woodland that used to be a bleach-works, it ain't exactly Evian-fresh. Still, it shouldn't be poisoning things, so I have asked the Council and United Utilities to look into it. In the meantime, if you have a dog and you take it for a walk in the Clough, keep it out of the stream. And the award for most parochial post of the year goes to... This one. Rick
Two articles that today made me wonder if I should laugh or if I should cry. First, Anne McElvoy on "the women who built Brand Cameron". I'd label this piece "unintentionally hilarious", but I'm not sure about the "unintentionally" - this is a sharply-written article by Ms McElvoy. From the Conservative Party Conference, Ms McElvoy reports that: "'Progressive'" posters modelled on Soviet revolutionary posters hang around the conference hall, slogans altered to reflect Cameronian priorities such as 'social responsibility'." Modelled on Soviet revolutionary posters? Excuse me, but how many millions of people were killed as a result of the Soviet ...
You are invited to swap plants, seeds and bulbs at Chorlton Plant Swap's autumn event. We're also inviting people to swap surplus produce. When: 11-2.30 Saturday 10 October 2009 Where: Outside Chorlton Library on Manchester Road More info: www.chorltonplantswap.org.uk - go to the forum All welcome!
We all despair at the quality of journalism in Britain at times. But every so often you read an article, watch a piece on TV, or hear a report on the radio that completely restores your faith in the profession. That happened to me today. From Our Own Correspondent is not a programme I routinely listen ...
A correspondent cannot decide between these two, and neither can I. First, there is the Daily Mail's: One gay man, two lesbians, a three-legged cat and a poisoned curry plot And then there is this effort from an unnamed Ugandan newspaper: Think of this as the "group of death" of the headline world.
Liberal Democrats on Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council will next week call on councillors to back a campaign aimed at driving forward cuts in the authority's carbon emissions. Councillor Irene Curr (Coatham Ward) has submitted a motion to the Council meeting on 15 October calling on the Labour-run Council to sign up to the "10:10 Campaign" to reduce carbon use. The 10:10 campaign calls on individuals, businesses and other organisations to work towards a 10% cut in carbon emissions in 2010. The campaign also aims to show world leaders that there is public support for dramatic cuts in global fuel ...
Whilst clearing my piles of stuff, I found the shortlist for the "Best New Liberal Democrat blog 2009" at the BOTYs They were 1. Charlotte Gore 2. Freedom Central 3. Himmelgarten Cafe 4. Lamp of Liberty 5. Mark Reckons and the winner was "Mark Reckons" by Mark Thompson Well Done Mate
I was delighted yesterday to be invited to speak to Year 11 pupils at Ravenscroft School in Barnet. The school was having its "Democracy Day" and pupils were electing representatives to the new School Council. I was asked to speak to pupils about what it is like to be a candidate and how parties fight elections. I was also asked to offer some feedback to some of the pupils seeking election to the School Council. This was enjoyable and interesting and very well-run by the school. All the pupils' speeches were excellent and if Democracy Day gets these pupils interested ...
We stepped in after the council started installing new lighting on the paths going through St Marks churchyard opposite the tube without consulting the church. The old lights had been switched off before the new columns were due to be installed (but that turned out to be because, after various re-organisations, the council has not paid the electricity bills!) The Oval area gets busy at night, and it is not safe to have poorly lit pathways. After Councillor Andrew Sawdon convened a meeting of the councill lighting engineers, the parks manager and the church, it has been agreed that the ...
[IMG: Ming Speech] Commenting on David Cameron's confirmation that Sir Richard Dannatt would join a Conservative Government, former Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Menzies Campbell said: "It is understandable that Sir Richard Dannatt as a non-politician may not appreciated the consequences of his actions, but there is no excuse for David Cameron. He must surely have known that an appointment of this kind so soon after Sir Richard left the Ministry of Defence was not only bound to be controversial but was wholly contrary to the conventions and the spirit in which senior military officers operate, whose duty is to the ...
Not the Westminster one but the European one.The train journey was uneventful except for the one person who hadn't thought of the need for a passport because we were just travelling within Europe! Miraculously he managed to get a train from Newcastle to Darlington, meet up with someone who'd kindly brought his passport over to Darlington, caught the next train from Darlington to Kings Cross and
So Sharon Shoesmith is having her day in court. That's her right. But none of the furore in the media, in my view, is responsible for her sacking. The media fire storm was undoubtedly a dreadful thing to go through - but my understanding is that it was her attitude in the press conference Haringey Council held after the trial verdict that brought the media down on her like a ton of bricks. She did that to herself. The apparent arrogance of saying that Haringey was wonderful, and showing the media charts to point out how brilliant her department was, ...
It's Thursday which of course means that it's #bbcqt day again and as usual the Live Chat on this blog will start tonight at 10:30pm. Coming from Manchester where the Tory conference has been this week, the panel will include the Work and Pensions Secretary Yvette Cooper MP, the shadow chancellor George Osborne MP, the Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson Sarah Teather, the M&S boss Sir Stuart Rose and the broadcaster and editor of Private Eye Ian Hislop. Liberal Democrat Voice also always have an open thread for BBC Question Time which is usually posted just before the start of the ...
As it's national poetry day (Heroes and Heroines theme) I thought I ought to recognise the local contribution to such http://www.nationalpoetryday.co.uk/ Here at South End Green local businessman Jonathan Bergman has organised a series of local poets to come along and recite some of their works. It's a great little slam and attracts a really nice crown - it's been on saturday morning and it just the sort of thing that should be encouraged. With John Keats' house so close by this sort of thing should be encouraged and having been to a recent poetry slam at hampstead school the ...
Last week, when I was writing Daily View hours later than I should, I linked to Mark Pack's piece linking to Malcolm Cole's piece about Google search results about the cervical cancer jab. Caron Lindsay has also written about this. Last week, Malcolm Cole was warning that those worried about the cancer jab being given to teenage girls were getting misleading and inaccurate advice if they ran an internet search for more information. Scary stories have legs, and it's still the case, a week later, that if you search for information on this story, the leading results are the stories ...
So there it was. Dave gave his last speech before the General Election and, lets be fair, he spoke well. He expressed anger at some points, notably when describing the benefits trap when people move into work and find they are effectively taxed to the tune of around 96p in every £1 they earn. This is something which used to exercise me when I worked in the hideously inefficient benefits system in the 1990s and it remains a scandal, so well done him for raising it as an issue. He referred to the loss of his son earlier in the ...
Now that some Conservatives are `coming out of the closet` it's amazing how Labour and the Conservatives are so alike. It's like one set of elites with their own pet ideologies to another. On OUTeverywhere (LGBT social networking site) there has been a heated exchange regarding the position of Dannat and the Conservatives should he become ...
George Osborne, in his speech to the Conservative party conference demonstrated the total lack of understanding of administration that we have come to expect from almost any politician in the UK. Faced with the explosion in the costs of the public sector, Osborne's answer is simply to freeze salaries across the board. It is certainly the case that labour costs have run out of line, but the deal that Osborne offers is essentially "accept a pay freeze and keep your job". This is not public sector reform: indeed it pretty much guarantees that the motivated staff will leave and the ...
On sale today from the new, improved Conservative Party - Born Again Compassionate Conservatism. This time limited offer has been brought to you by CP's chief salesman David Cameron.Buy now whilst stocks last. (Warning, may contain nuts. Seek advice before purchasing.)---Sent via BlackBerry
The Western Mail reports that the number of people who have died as a result of mistakes in their care or accidents in hospitals in Wales has almost doubled. Figures published yesterday reveal 107 patient deaths between October 2008 and March 2009 - up from 60 in the previous six months. And there were more than 26,900 patient safety incidents reported by the former NHS trusts and local health boards, compared to almost 25,000 between April and September 2008. Commenting on the figures the Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Minister, Peter Black said: "It's very worrying that since the end ...
Liberal Democrats on Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council will next week call on councillors to back a campaign aimed at driving forward cuts in the authority's carbon emissions. Councillor Irene Curr (Coatham Ward - pictured right) has submitted a motion to the Council meeting on 15 October calling on the Labour-run Council to sign up to the "10:10 Campaign" to reduce carbon use. The 10:10 campaign calls on individuals, businesses and other organisations to work towards a 10% cut in carbon emissions in 2010. The campaign also aims to show world leaders that there is public support for dramatic cuts ...
It is difficult to know if the Tories have had a good conference or not as it has been so dull. However by one of their self-imposed yardsticks they failed miserably. Party chiefs had tried to enforce an edict against triumphalism at the conference by discouraging the drinking of champagne, however as The Times reports things did not quite go to plan: Several senior Tories - including David Cameron - have ignored a champagne ban imposed by Eric Pickles, the party chairman, who said that delegates should not be seen to be celebrating during a conference dominated by plans for ...
As part of this year's West End Christmas Week (taking place between 21st and 28th November and called West End Xmas Factor this year) there will again be a fireworks display (on Tuesday 24th November) at Seabraes, the night of the Christmas Concert at Dundee West Church. There will also be a children's carnival, kindly provided by Horne's Carnivals. Our pyrotechnician, Robin Carstairs, has also set up a website at www.seabraesfireworks.co.uk - to promote the fireworks display and Christmas Week generally. He has recently updated it and it is well worth a visit. It will be regularly updated as Christmas ...
Break out the prosecco spumante and toast the judges of the Corte Costituzionale della Repubblica Italiana today, though keep the champagne on ice for now until Silvio Berlusconi finally has his penthouse suite in the most overcrowded prison system in Western Europe booked for him. Now *that* will be a great day for democracy, as well as an object lesson in what happens when politics meets populist media. I'm wondering whether there may be any chance that the Evil Dwarf's rat-faced henchman Ignazio la Russa, member of the fascist Alleanza Nazionale and now Minister of Defence in the Berlusconi cabinet ...
A tip off from a reader asks us to highlight a growing number of people who support our policy on raising the basic personal income tax allowance to £10,000, taking the lowest paid out of income tax altogether. I understand crossbencher Lord Digby Jones supported this on Question Time, since it helps those on low incomes, and also helps get people back to work. One of the biggest disbenefits of moving from benefits to low paid work is the high rate of marginal tax you pay. You don't just lose the income, and all the benefits in kind such as ...
Both the Chancellor and his opposite number have been desperately trying to outdo each other when it comes to the 'who can slash public sector wages the most' contest. First-up was Alistair Darling who announced his offering at the same time as Osborne in a rather cynical ploy some people might say to detract from ...
Whatever David Cameron does to make the Tories look more modern they just cannot help themselves in reverting to type especially when it comes to law and order. One of the initiatives announced at the Tory Conference this week is to give more power to the Police to alert communities to dangerous criminals in their midst. Somehow blaming the Human Rights Act, Dominic Grieve, said: "Under Labour, the rights of criminals have been put before the rights of law-abiding citizens. A Conservative Government will free the police, probation and prison services to name offenders where necessary in order to protect ...
Oh dear. Whilst I'm waiting to hear back from Vodafone on them sorting out my mobile broadband problems (they've decided there may be a fault with their network and are investigating - thank you, Web Relations Team), I've had a problem with my Blackberry handset. The good news: Customer Services answered the phone quickly. The person I spoke to was cheerful, listened to the issue and quickly diagnosed the problem (hardware fault). He gave me clear instructions on what to do next (go to a store, etc.) and some extra information on top (helping me locate one near me, along ...
Do you support the Lib Dems? Why not join us at our Annual Dinner on November 6th at The Woodthorpe Hotel, Bury Old Road, Prestwich. You can expect all the usual - great food, raffle/prizes, games and good company all in the fabulous surroundings of the refurbished Woodthorpe Hotel. This year our guest speaker is Hazel Grove MP, Andrew Stunell. Tickets are £27.50 per person ( a table of 6 for £137.50 - one free place!) Interested? Just get in touch email vic@burylibdems.net or phone me on 07770 403022.
North East Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign to bring the Olympic flame to our region as part of the UK celebrations in 2012. Led by Berwick's MP Sir Alan Beith, Liberal Democrats from around the north east have written to Lord Coe as Chairman of the London Organising Committee asking for the flame to visit the North east. Other signatories are: Fiona Hall MEP, Cllr John Shipley, Leader of Newcastle City Council; Cllr Jeff Reid, Leader of Northumberland County Council, Ron Beadle, parliamentary spokesman for Newcastle North; Greg Stone, parliamentary spokesman for Newcastle East; Carol Woods, parliamentary spokesman for ...
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The Voice is only a success because of the interest and support from our readers. For many people just lurking and reading the site is all they want to do – and that's great, we're grateful for people taking the time to read the site. You can though help us continue to produce interesting content for a growing audience. Here are three simple ways: 1. Let us have your tips for stories. Perhaps there's something outrageous going on in your local council? Or you're an expert in a particular area and have spotted a story other people have missed? Or ...
GE try to make coal seem more modern, environmentally friendly and sexy by using models. 100,000 views of this video - but not necessarily in the way they want.
I apologise that Michael Gove seems to have drawn his narrative of British history from my rather jokey suggestion a few weeks back. The main difference is that Gove appears to be serious. If you want to know why Gove's proposed history curriculum is so absurd, just read these two terrific postings by the awesome President for Life of the People's Republic, as well as Mark Pack's posting.
The Guardian today Reports that the Football League, under chairman Lord Mawhinney, will discuss the ownership issues surrounding Leeds United. They also provide some useful questions and answers: Q: Why is Leeds United on the agenda: doesn't Ken Bates own the club? A: Leeds United's actual owner is the Forward Sports Fund, which is registered in a tax haven, the Cayman Islands, where shareholders' identities are kept anonymous. Earlier this year, Bates stated that he and his financial adviser, Patrick Murrin, co-owned the only shares in Forward, but now he has said that was "incorrect". Q: What has Bates said ...
On Saturday, should I go to the No2ID street stall or to the Hope Not Hate anti-Nazi counter-demonstration against the EDL? There's another No2ID thing the next week, *but* I missed last month's No2ID because of stuff... Tagged: politics
David (Danny) Blanchflower was a member of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee 2006-9, and is best known for having been repeatedly in favour of cutting interest rates sooner and by more in the face of the worsening economic situation. Here's his take on where we are headed next: In my view, unemployment will probably not start to fall before 2011. House prices are likely to fall by about 35% from peak to trough and more than three million households will be in negative equity... We are faced with a toxic cocktail: sliding house prices, rising negative equity, inadequate ...
Thu 8th
12:47
EXCLUSIVE: Guest Post from George Lyon MEP. Cameron must be praying for Czech "no" after Irish "yes"
I'm delighted to be able to present a guest post from Scotland's new Liberal Democrat MEP, George Lyon. CAMERON MUST BE PRAYING FOR CZECH 'NO' AFTER IRISH 'YES' One question the Conservatives have studiously avoided answering during their party conference is what will happen to their hallowed referendum on the Lisbon Treaty after Ireland's resounding 'yes' vote. Where do the Conservatives go from here? We know what Boris thinks, but what about Dave? Some said that a no vote would have sent the EU spiralling into crisis. But it is the yes vote that now threatens to send the Conservatives ...
In his latest blog piece the BBC political editor Nick Robinson says: "Another half-empty conference hall this morning. It's been like that most days at all the major party conferences. Thousands of people there but few of them willing to sit through the pre-packed, made-for-TV, corporate-away-day-style presentations that the parties have substituted for what we used to call debates." For starters was he at Bournemouth where the one party that does have debates on policy still, well, debated? For seconds I'm not sure about the other parties but at the Lib Dem conference it was a key time for training ...
Jo Swinson MP has called for less talk and more action from the Conservative Party on proposals for public involvement in making laws. Speaking at the Conservative Conference this week, William Hague announced his plans for a 'Public Reading Stage' for proposed legislation. The idea is that this would enable the public to become involved in the process of making laws by using an online system to make comments and spot potential problems. And it's all a part of the Tory "Google Government" idea that I've covered for the Voice in a review of Cameron's speech to the LGA earlier ...
The Minister for Education Life Long Learning and Skills, Jane Hutt is a glass-half-full sort of person. So when she was confronted with an Enterprise and Learning Committee report on the economic impact of higher education, which concluded that higher education has huge potential to improve the Welsh economy, she seemed unphased as to how the 5 per cent cut in the higher education budget would contribute to that agenda. In fact the cuts are an opportunity for colleges to "to prioritise their funding accordingly, and I will give them the levers to do so. That is part of the ...
Yesterday, children, we discovered that Mr Michael Gove was... what? Come on, it's on your key words board. That's it, well done – we discovered that he was a prize tit. We looked at his idea, that the incoming Conservative government should actually seize control of the curriculum and itself write the history syllabus for ...
I asked Ryan Robson a few questions about his politics and what he can offer Bracknell in his selection of one of the 7 candidates who are standing in the open primary for the new Tory PPC to replace Andrew Mackay MP. Details of the other candidates on the short list can be found here. Ryan Robson is in the Centre of the above picture. 1. What can you offer Bracknell constituency? I am a successful and experienced businessman and am a Director of Bagshot based DC Leisure which employs thousands of local people and helps keep the community healthy ...
There is a story today in the Manchester Evening News (brought to my attention by @AlixMortimer via @Peter_Henley on Twitter) about a Tory party member, Philip Whittington who got into a spot of bother yesterday at the conference Midland Hotel after he was accused of failing to pay the bill on a £150 bottle of champagne. He was arrested on suspicion of theft but he claimed that he thought it was a free bar and that he was entitled to it. The police decided to take no further action and Mr Whittington was released at 6am this morning without charge. ...
So Dave is going to speak this afternoon. He is going to tell us about hard times. Last week Gordon Brown went all Dickensian on us with this poorhouses for young parents living off the state. Wonder if Dave will go all Dickensian, if so: "what I want is Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the mind of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them."* Yeah I want the facts that the ...
Dame Joan Bakewell — once memorably described by Frank Muir as 'the thinking man's crumpet' and now a champion for fellow septuagenarians — last night gave the James Cameron Memorial Lecture to a large audience at London's City University. Her title was 'The Keeper of the Flame: morality and the media', which gave her plenty ...
Nostalgic evening last night watching the Boris and Dave documentary on More 4. There were some great touches, with a young Dave playing the classic Sade LP and sporting the 80's Oxford trendy uniform of black polo neck and Levi 501s. It captured the delightful cheesiness of the decade and the slight other-worldliness of the dreaming spires at that time. However, I'm fairly sure we had colour television back then so why the documentary researchers couldn't find some better archive footage than the 50's black and white stuff they used, I'm not quite sure. It turns out that the young ...
National Poetry Day today and the theme is heroes and heroines.
Responding to the news that Crosby Labour MP Claire Curtis-Thomas is standing down at the next election, the prospective Liberal Democrat MP for Sefton Central Richard Clein said: "I'm not surprised by this announcement as it is clear that Ms Curtis-Thomas was heading for defeat. She has gone from being the most expensive MP to the most inactive and like a Gormley statue has been doing nothing, saying nothing and is unable to stem the incoming tide of rejection at the ballot box. "The reality is she knows that, with no councillors in the new constituency, Labour cannot win. "The ...
A good turn out on Saturday at the Kew ward Fair. The hard working councillors and their team of volunteers and supporters put on a successful event. Edna got a prize in the raffle but generously gave it away. I was a little late as we had a very well attended surgery at the Birkdale Library.
[IMG: http://www.wikio.co.uk] [IMG: tl.jpg] Not liberal: Cameron would scrap the Human Rights Act Cameron voted to retain Section 28 'Liberal' is still a term of abuse for the Tories - frontbencher Jeremy Hunt recently attacked the BBC for having a 'liberal bias' Not progressive Cameron would cut taxes for millionaires - at a cost to the country of £4.4bn - while doing nothing to help low earners 40% of children in poverty live in one-parent households, yet the Tories' tax credit reform proposals will only help couples while doing nothing for single parents Not fit for Government Economically illiterate - ...
Don't be put off by the train station sounding Sefton Central - the news that Claire Curtis-Thomas, once dubbed the UK's most expensive MP, is standing down should signal a re-evaluation of the Liberal Democrats chances in this new seat. No-one is surprised by Ms Curtis-Thomas's decision as she has gone from being the country's most expensive MP to one of the most inactive. I have been the prospective Parliamentary candidate for two years, and in that time there has only ever been reactive responses from the Labour camp. In terms of literature, the only thing that has hit the ...
I have just seen the bizarre interview between Jeremy Paxman and Boris Johnson - a clash of egos if ever there was one. Boris did a 'Heseltine', not answering any questions and interrupting the Great Paxman throughout. Thus little was learned apart from Boris's unequivocal assertion that there should be a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Paxman raised all the issues around this, including the pertinent point that the next government might find the treaty ratified already, making a referendum pointless. Now I'm not a constitutional lawyer - thank God - but I did study international relations for a few ...
The Royal Mail monopoly on postal sorting and delivery ended over three years ago. Parcel delivery monopoly went even longer ago. Yet the Communications Workers Union seems to be reliving the bad old days of the 1970s in which monolithic state industries with a legal monopoly run a fair chunk of the UK economy. In the real world of 2009, Royal Mail no longer has a monopoly and is now open to the
[IMG: Screenshot from How To Look Good Naked] I have joined forces with Gok Wan and How to Look Good Naked. They contacted me before the summer recess to see if I would help with their campaign to give young people 'body confidence'. Obviously this fitted in brilliantly with our Liberal Democrat campaign for Real Women. We Liberal Democrats are campaigning for advertisers to have to label adverts to let readers know if and how much the photography in it has been retouched. With rocketing numbers of ever younger girls with eating disorders - we have said enough is enough. ...
So if you're trying to contact me I'm around now.However I've got close to 2,000 emails to wade through so if it's anything urgent it's probably best to phone me. Posted via email from Rob's posterous
North East Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign to bring the Olympic flame to our region as part of the UK celebrations in 2012. Led by Berwick's MP Sir Alan Beith, Liberal Democrats from around the north east have written to Lord Coe as Chairman of the London Organising Committee asking for the flame to visit the North east. Other signatories are: Fiona Hall MEP, Cllr John Shipley, Leader of Newcastle City Council; Cllr Jeff Reid, Leader of Northumberland County Council, Ron Beadle, parliamentary spokesman for Newcastle North; Greg Stone, parliamentary spokesman for Newcastle East; Carol Woods, parliamentary spokesman for ...
I'm currently updating my blog roll and also the (bigger) list in my feed reader. That means I am on the hunt for interesting new blogs - about politics (UK mostly), technology (particularly social media), PR (public relations or voting systems), British history and chocolate. It's pretty easy to come across the most high profile blogs in those areas, but finding the really interesting niche blogs is a bit hit and miss and every now and again I find a blog where I think I wish I'd know about that one ages ago. If you've read my posts here or ...
In the run up to 1979, yes, even I remember it, as we had to dig our way through half a mile of snow out of my prep school grounds to collect bread because of a baker's strike, Britain was in a pretty poor state. We needed and were open to a "Big Idea" and, whatever you think of her policies and administration, Thatcher's was a "Big Idea". We didn't see Geoffrey Howe presenting some mock-budget as Gideon has done in the run up, but they presented a medium to long term vision of systemic change, backed by evidence from ...
Welcome to Daily View on this, Independence Day in Croatia, the anniversary of the death of German Bundeskanzler Willy Brandt, and the birthday of DJ Q Ball from the Bloodhound Gang. So, while he's doing it like they do on the Discovery Channel, let's get on with our selections. Two big news stories Ex-army chief General Sir Richard Dannatt to advise Tories on defence (Guardian) David Cameron will ... announce that ex-army chief General Sir Richard Dannatt is to become an adviser to the party on defence. ... The announcement was almost immediately undermined by an embarrassing frontbench gaffe when ...
Remember this? Let sunshine win the day It all seems so long ago now. Cameron's remark was derided at the time as being a little bit, well, naff. But now I would give anything to return to those heady days, pre-recession, when it seemed the only glumness in British politics was being provided by Gordon Brown, that the ...
I did a post a few weeks back highlighting some of the debating tactics that opponents will try to use in any campaign against the Independent Safeguarding Authority regulations being brought into force this month. Today, someone called Frankie S has left a lengthy comment on that post which I think merits a wider audience so I have reproduced it here in full. Over to Frankie: It's not just people who work with children who will be effected by the ISA, it's also everyone working with vulnerable adults. Be aware: We are all considered vulnerable adults in some circumstances. For ...
The UK ERC have done a report on oil production.Their press release says:A new report, launched today by the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC), argues that conventional oil production is likely to peak before 2030, with a significant risk of a peak before 2020. The report concludes that the UK Government is not alone in being unprepared for such an event - despite oil supplying a third of the
Darlington Borough Council's Cabinet met on Tuesday evening. As reported by Lauren Pyrah in the Echo yesterday, Councillor Williams rejected my call on him to resign in the face of the damning consultant solicitors' report into the Pedestrian Heart fiasco which was leaked to the press last week.The Pedestrian Heart scheme went £780,000 over budget. Then the Council spent a further £40,000 on a
I had meant to blog on the profound ignorance that both the Conservatives and Labour have displayed on the subject of Latvian history. That the history of the Baltic could become a political football in the UK is the result of the frankly disgraceful way that Labour have tried to target the Conservative alliance with the Latvian For Fatherland and Freedom Party in the European Parliament as somehow being an alliance with "Nazi sympathisers". The lone MEP from this party is the former finance minister, Roberts Zile, who I have met several times. Quite frankly he is no more a ...
Is there something nauseating about a braying yahoo millionaire repeating ad nauseam that he is feeling your pain? Where does George Osborne, and the rest of the Tory Shadow Cabinet, get off thinking that a pay cut for 80% of public sector workers is ...
I read with dismay today that Reading University is stopping funding PCSOs for the University area due to a shortage of cash. Historically Redlands has suffered from a shortage of Police on the beat and it is only recently thanks to the roll-out of Neighbourhood Policing have we seen the benefit of having an effectivelocal Neighbourhood Team around Redlands & University area. When I was first elected in 2006 we struggled to get Police cover in Redlands because there were always greater claims on Police team and areas where we were told Police were needed more. The comments made by ...
I've been reading Albert Jay Nock's "Our Enemy The State" (pdf) and with all the discussion about whether or not a change of government here would bring about real change (it wouldn't) I found this, written of course in 1935, very apposite. Substitute party names with British ones and I think we'll see he was talking about Britain in 2009: There is ... an impression that if actual recessions [as in "state power receding" not economic recessions. Ed.] do not come about by themselves, they may be brought about by the expedient of voting one party out and another one ...
Eric Pickles called for Liberal Democrats to join the Conservatives as they are the party concerned with civil liberties and climate change. Eric said "give us your votes and we will never let you down". This is from a conference in which policy is announced to the members. This from a party whose strings are pulled by big business. This from a party that doesn't understand the meaning of a fair voting system. Dress a pig up in many constituencies and they get elected. Eric will have to realise this if he is to understand the meaning of a fair ...
Tuesday: The 6th October is the anniversary of the Prisoner episode "The Chimes of Big Ben" so obviously my Daddies are watching... "Dance of the Dead". Is it me or does this TV series MESS with your fluffy HEAD?! information The Village holds a Carnival and Ball, in fancy dress with dancing and a macabre cabaret. After a prologue sequence where the doctor uses crude brainwashing to try and get the Prisoner to talk, the story falls into two distinct parts: the day before the Carnival, a slightly more complex spy/escape drama, and Carnival night where things get really surreal. ...
