[IMG: Lynne Featherstone at Alexandra Park School] If I ruled the world I would .............. that's the challenge I have set local children in Hornsey & Wood Green schools to tell me in 200 words for Local Democracy Week. I launched my mini-writing competition today at Alexandra Park School - where the amazing Jo (Citizenship teacher extraordinaire) had agreed to set up to undertake this project with the Citizenship and the English classes working together. So today I was attending the Citizenship class where Jo was brainstorming with the children to get them involved and engaged in beginning to think ...
Yesterday I was in Springburn, Glasgow to launch our campaign for the Glasgow North East by-election. Polling day is on 12th November and our candidate Eileen Baxendale has already been working hard for many weeks. Eileen has made a commitment to make personal face-to-face contact with as many voters as possible. The constituency will benefit from her years of experience as a councillor and community campaigner. We have good messages for people in Glasgow North East. Our campaign for a fairer society, for example. Our proposal is for a tax cut of £700 for people on low and middle incomes ...
I've had my Letter to The Guardian printed about Brass Crosby from Stockton being the person responsible for the freedom of the press to print the happening of parliament. Attending the funeral of former Councillor Dora Redican in the lovely little St Chad's Church, along with a number of other Councillors both past and present makes you think of the future as well as give thanks for...
Further to my article from earlier this week about tackling the growing problem of graffiti vandalism in the West End (click on headline to view or go to http://tinyurl.com/graffitiupdate), a meeting of the informal group set up by the West End Local Community Planning Partnership met tonight and I had the pleasure of chairing what was a very productive hour and a half. Along with representatives from City Council Waste Management and Leisure and Communities Departments and Tayside Police, it was good that a number of West End residents also attended. In addition to updates on inter-agency co-operation and taking ...
Iain Dale reports that Tom Newton-Dunn is to take over as political editor of the Sun following the departure of George Pascoe-Watson. Tom is the son of Bill Newton-Dunn, Liberal Democrat MEP for the East Midlands.
The winner is a parish magazine from Leicestershire called the: According to the Leicester Mercury: About 500 copies of the magazine, from the nine churches which make up the Vale of Belvoir benefice, are distributed in villages between Bottesford and Long Clawson. It is either put through doors of people who request it, or left in churches for people to collect.
From Liberal Democrat Voice: Some weeks ago we asked for your initial views about a "Lib Dem internetty meet up thing." Some good ideas emerged from the comments, and I am pleased to announce that after weeks of work for m'colleague Helen Duffett, we are able to set up the first of these meetings. Some of the details are a little sketchy, but here's what we know for sure: Venue: Edinburgh - Scottish Lib Dem HQ, 4 Clifton Terrace EH12 5DR. Map here: http://bit.ly/5hFce Date: Saturday 21 November 2009 Time: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Facilities: Wireless network will be ...
The Labour candidate is launching his campaign on Monday but today has revealed his contract with the people of Glasgow North East, with one slight problem. He hasn't actually signed it! Normally a contract is only legally binding once it's signed! Whoops. An own goal by Labour. Eileen Baxendale, the Liberal Democrats candidate for the by-election is working really hard knocking on the doors speaking to the good people across Glasgow North East, if the people there want real change Labour is not the option, and neither is the SNP.
Never let it be said that this blog is parochial and we can't see a life outside Consett. I get a mountain of post every day, even more since it became known that I would stand for Parliament. It doesn't all catch my imagination, but this one did. It asked: "Have you got any computers, monitors or other working IT equipment that you no longer have a use for? Would you like them to go to schoolchildren in the World's poorest areas?" The answer's yes. If it's yes for you too I'd be happy to take yours to Bishop Auckland ...
Liberal Democrats on Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council today successfully persuaded the Council to back a campaign aimed at driving forward cuts in the authority's carbon emissions. Lib Dem Councillor Irene Curr (Coatham Ward) submitted a motion to today's Council meeting 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 consumption in the ...
The Polls have now closed in the Bedford Borough Mayoral Election By-election. Counting will not take place until tomorrow but i will let you know the result as soon as I have it.
Parliament resumed after the long summer recess on Monday. Whether its really necessary for us to have three months away from Westminster or not is doubtful, but perhaps less so at our end of the building than for the Commons, who have plenty to do in their constituencies. There is the argument that Members need the time to pursue their specialised interests such as visits abroad if they deal with foreign affairs, and of course there are the Party conferences in September. Tuesday I spoke on the clauses dealing with alcohol abuse in the Policing and Crime Bill. There is ...
The latest chapter in the exopenses saga is a curious one. Much focus has been put on the latest letters saga. However, I back Nuck Cleggs call for "flipping" to be thorougly investigated. It is wrong to change your second home between your constituency and your London home constantly to benefit from expenses and capital gains taxation. MPs have profited much more from this than all the gardening bills combined. It needs to be investigated. Could it be that the fact that this appears to be a common behaviour at ministerial level be what is holding back the enquiry?
Elinor Ostrom's Nobel prize for economics is good news for Liberals everywhere, but it is also a challenge for Liberal Democrats. Her work on conserving the commons has set out an effective and efficient third way beyond state control and privatisation, and it relies on local networks, local negotiation and local knowledge. And, I may say, also beyond Tony Blair's fake Third Way too. Lib Dems have been a little lazy over the past generation about struggling to articulate this inherently Liberal option, taking for granted - for example - that it is their role to defend state solutions, or ...
I'm in danger of sounding a bit like the Daily Mail........but I am wondering if Health and Safety people have got out of hand. I've been trying to get to the bottom of the issue of the street light in Burlington Road. So far it looks like this....... The problem with this lamp is that the electricity supply is damaged. This means that MANWEB would need to sort out the (LIVE) supply to the box 10 feet off the ground-it is the the box by my right ear in the picture. MANWEB decline to repair supplies which cannot be reached ...
An interesting rumour reaches me that there are moves afoot to sing Trelawney at the start of Full Council meetings... I'm not sure that the public are ready to hear my singing voice, but I'll gladly take part if it happens.
If there's a problem with the Unspoken Constitution its that it barely qualifies as satire. The shenanigans surrounding MPs' expenses, Carter-Ruck's single handed attempt to rewrite the UK constitution to favour their client Trafigura and this torrid little paper sneaked out by the Ministry of Justice today (which patiently explains why Royal Prerogative powers ...
Part 1 of a series of adverts for lib dem policies - which are the best around in the run up to this critical general election. First up, Afghanistan.
Doesn't have quite the same ring to it does it? My Opponent at the next election has been busy signing Early Day Motions (EDMs) again. On Tuesday before turning his attention to a removal of seating in the MPs cafe he managed to sign an EDM deploring the closure of the Federation Brewery in Dunston and with it the moving of production of "broon" to Yorkshire. It's really sad to see the loss of an iconic brand from the North East. Even more sad is the gradual closure of the Federation Brewery. Scottish and Newcastle brewery (they might want ...
The issue of tuition fees exploded into the Lib Dem conference in Bournemouth, when Nick Clegg appeared to suggest he was rowing-back on the party's long-established commitment to abolish them. I'll state clearly my position: I support tuition fees, and believe they are the only possible way of funding world-class higher education for UK students. As and when extra public money is available, I believe it would be much better invested in early years and adult education programmes if we are serious about combating the real causes of social inequality. I am equally clear that I'm in a small minority ...
Three separate Lib Dem press releases ping into the Voice's inbox, each of them them telling a depressing story about the human impact of the recession. First up, Lib Dem shadow work and pensions secretary Steve Webb on the doubling of long-term unemployment in the last year alone: Ministers try to spin the slower rise in headline figures as progress, but long-term unemployment has doubled in a year and if it is not tackled now it will be a devastating legacy of this recession. "It is only a matter of time before a million young people will be looking for ...
politics.co.uk links to a letter in which Carter-Ruck tries to justify its conduct over Paul Farrelly's question on Trafigura. Time for someone to be brought before the bar of the House?
From the BBC: The Scottish Liberal Democrats have launched their campaign for the Glasgow North East Westminster by-election. Former social worker Eileen Baxendale, 64, will fight the seat which was left vacant by the resignation of former Commons Speaker Michael Martin. Ms Baxendale said she could give people "something different" and it was "a disgrace" the constituency had been without an MP for 115 days. The by-election has been scheduled to take place on 12 November. The Lib Dem campaign was launched by Scots leader Tavish Scott, who said his party was the only one with "proposals for real change". ...
I am probably very slow on the uptake but I have just discovered this excellent web site http://www.politics.co.uk/ . It's well worth visiting regularly if you're not already doing so.
Some time ago [IMG: [info - livejournal.com] ] caseytalk bought me a $25 Kiva credit for Christmas (or possibly my birthday). For those of you who don't know what it is, Kiva is a microlending site. They lend small amounts of money to people in poor countries to help them get or maintain work. I chose to lend my $25 (along with several other people) to a lady in Vietnam so she could buy a motorcycle to travel to work on. I got notification today that she had paid back all the money :D Which meant that I had $25 ...
How ironic that in Black History month, official figures released by the Charted Institute of Personnel and Development show that shockingly almost one in five black men are out of work. It is clear that the recession has affected ALL communities, with ethnic minorities among the hardest hit. It is vital that those out of work are given the support they need at an early stage. Those in high-risk employment groups should be offered in-depth training through paid internships and adult apprenticeships to make sure that they do not fall through the cracks. If the Government does not act now ...
I have, in my hands, a leaflet from the local Lib Dems proclaiming the headline, "THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN SACKED!" Well, powerful stuff. But who's 'they'? 'They' are two local councillors, one in charge of refuse, and another the ex-chair of the Health and Social Care scrutiny panel. No, please, don't fall asleep. It gets better. Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council, you see, have (probably? allegedly?) broken EU law in awarding a £50 million bin collection contract to French rubbish giants Sita. It's the council officials that broke these rules, and it's believed to have cost Calderdale voters something in the ...
On Sunday this blog will again be hosting the Britblog Roundup. If you have seen a posting on a British blog this week that you think particularly fine, please send the URL to britblog [AT] gmail [DOT] com and I shall include it in the roundup. Nominating a posting for the Britblog Roundup is a good way of promoting a blog that you think deserves more readers. And you are welcome to nominate a posting on your own blog too. All nominations by Sunday lunchtime please.
I know a fair bit about cars, but obviously not enough... Anyone know why Kaligula is producing stuff that looks like long straight hair from his exhaust pipe? He doesn't seem poorly or anything, but obviously this is not normal. I wondered if it might be something to do with his catalytic converter, and then I realised (to my shame) that I don't even know if he has one...
A proposal from Councillors Allan Rhodes and Siobhan Alderson for Keighley Town Council to support Animal Aid's Compassionate Charter was defeated at last week's council meeting. However several of us, including myself, did vote for it. I'm sorry that it wasn't passed. Another councillor has suggested that the proposal be re-drafted in smaller chunks, so that each part can be voted on separately. I think there is a good point to this and I hope Allan and Siobhan will present it again. To see what it's all about click on: Animal Aid's Appeal to Councils* about fair treatment of animals ...
Cameron was perceived by the public as taking a very tough like with his MPs who has abused the expenses system. After Cameron's tough posturing, it seems pretty extraordinary to me that the leadership didn't already know what David Wiltshire had been up to. Surely CCHQ (and all the other party headquarters) were trawling through ...
We need action at Copenhagen on the climate crisis and the UK needs to do its bit - both as a moral issue, and in order to have credibility. The question is, what sort of action and who will the UK government do it. Two major reports that have come out over the past week offer some valuable suggestions. On Monday, Lord Adair Turner's Committee on Climate Change (CCC) published Meeting Carbon Budgets - the Need for a Step Change. This reported that between 2003 and 2007 (the five years before the first carbon budget period), the UK's carbon dioxide ...
Speaking today in Inverness at the start of the SNP conference Alex Salmond tried to do a Gordon Brown and list some achievements. Here is what he said, in brackets is what he missed out. "Today, I am proud to be addressing you as First Minister on behalf of a successful and popular SNP administration – delivering for the people of Scotland. "Scotland is a great nation, and is even better with the policies we have already introduced in our first two years – freezing the Council Tax (but he promised to Axe it and replace with a Local Income ...
Yesterday we brought you links to discussion in Parliament about disreputable oil company Trafigura's legal shenanigans to prevent discussion of their activities on the Côte d'Ivoire. Today here's a little more, courtesy of Private Eye's blog. Ian Hislop, the editor of the magazine, appeared with Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger at a select committee hearing discussing the damage injunctions can do to real, investigative journalism. An unedited verbatim transcript can be found here, with the juicy bits starting around Q850, about halfway down the very long page. In it, Hislop talks candidly about a number of incidences where he has wanted ...
Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson seems to think that a 20% rise in costs for public services is acceptable in a recession. He has just announced the inceases in fares on London buses from early next year. The Oyster pay-as-you-go bus fare increases by a massive 20% from £1.00 to £1.20. There's also a 20% increase in the cost of a seven day bus pass, which will go up from £13.80 to £16.60 Tube fares also go up, but mainly by 12.5%. Out here, of course, bus fares have a far greater impact than Tube fares. The awful thing about this ...
Liberal Democrats on Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council today successfully persuaded the council to back a campaign aimed at driving forward cuts in the authority's carbon emissions. Lib Dem Councillor Irene Curr (Coatham Ward) submitted a motion to today's Council meeting 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 consumption in the ...
Well - I got my 'letter' from Sir Thomas Legg on Monday (I did tweet) with reference to whether MPs would have to pay back money etc. All clear! 'In your case, having examined the records in the light of my interpretation of the rules and standards in force at the time, I have not identified any payments made to you under the ACA during the review period which I consider call for any repayment or further supporting evidence to be provided by you. Accordingly, my conclusion is that no action is required from you in this matter." NB The ...
Just so you all know, I aten't dead. Just not been able to write for a couple of weeks, for some reason (I think the release of pressure after a lot of stuff at work ended made my brain turn off). Will be back ASAP.
Thu 15th
15:55
Glaswegian translators required at £140/day, is it for David Cameron's trip to the Glasgow Nor...
In this time of economic austerity perhaps those seeking gainful employment should look at The Herald for a new job at £140/day. According to an advert in The Herald companies are looking for fluent speakers of Glaswegian to translate for them. If you want to apply there are apparently lots of applicants already, of which many have applied ...
Not many things make me angry. I am usually very mild mannered with my approach to ideology and opinion, but recently someone has really been winding me up the wrong way. The person in question is Jenny Rathbone, Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Cardiff Central, who, over the last few months has, from where my eyes are looking, done nothing but moan and scaremonger. First of all, she opposed, and moaned about the new "road through Bute Park", which as I mentioned previously, is an access point for park vehicles rather than a public right of way. Then, she decided that ...
Myself and Joe Otten have been having something of a friendly debate on the post where I questioned who the Liberal Democrats represent. He says that; I see identity politics as inherently a cynical exercise, and how well you do it a question of using the tools effectively. It is quite easy to see the validity of ...
[this is all cross-posted from Freethinking Economist - you may find more debate going on there if you have a big view) This has been brewing for a while - but I doubt any politician will be brave enough to point it out. Unemployment is much much lower than you would expect given the depth of this recession. Now, like Chris, you may wonder if there is a lot of hidden unemployment, but even on his figures, the 'discouraged' workers are back at levels of March 97 - which was a growth year, the fifth in a row. Basically, employment ...
On Tuesday, I asked the London Mayor for clarification of his plans for the Northern Line. In response to this, a local newspaper, the Times, has spoken to Transport for London (TfL). TfL told the paper that they currently have no plans to permanently split the Northern Line and I welcome their commitment to continued improvements to the Line's reliability. I shall continue to monitor the detail of what TfL is proposing and remain utterly opposed to any plans to reduce the number of Bank or Charing Cross trains on the Edgware branch. I raised this with the Mayor after ...
So Trafigura continues to rumble on and pick up speed; good work there from Justin McKeating aka Chicken Yoghurt and from Nick Barlow aka getawaywithit for finding this article (in English) from Norwegian broadcaster NRK. It turns out Trafigura is under investigation in Norway for illegally importing a batch of the same toxic waste into that country as was dumped in Abidjan in 2006. Further research into Trafigura, who have risen from almost unknown outside oil trading circles to Evil Global Megacorp in a matter of three days, throws up a fascinating 2005 piece from Business Week, in which their ...
Some weeks ago we asked for your initial views about a "Lib Dem internetty meet up thing." Some good ideas emerged from the comments, and I am pleased to announce that after weeks of work for m'colleague Helen Duffett, we are able to set up the first of these meetings. Some of the details are a little sketchy, but here's what we know for sure: Venue: Edinburgh – Scottish Lib Dem HQ, 4 Clifton Terrace EH12 5DR. Map here: http://bit.ly/5hFce Date: Saturday 21 November 2009 Time: 10am-4pm Facilities: Wireless network will be available, meeting room and (tbc) a smaller breakout ...
As a member of the Liverpool Commission I was very keen on the idea of webcasting Council meetings, after all the public should be able to see and hear the debate. After last night's meeting I am not so sure! I don't have full verbatim notes so my commentary below is based on only certain parts of the meeting. On the plus side the "Statement of Values" was passed unanimously. This is a short document we have been working on for more than a year now and it designed to outline expectations about behaviour and respect. I suggested the Lord ...
The Labour peer and former political editor of The Economist, David Lipsey, spoke on electoral reform at the Kettner lunch at the National Liberal Club today. As one might expect, he was largely preaching to the converted. As he was a member of the Jenkins Commission on electoral reform — whose findings have, alas, largely ...
Like many people I was saddened to hear that Viv was not at Bournemouth because of ill health. I can't really remember a time when he wasn't at Assembly/conference. A a student one of the highlights of the week was him buying me dinner. Anyway I sent him a post card-not one of Lib Dem Voice's free ones declaring: Wish you were here, but a tasteful one of the Dorset coastline. I got a reply today on a notelet with a picture of the Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Viv tells me he is much improved and speaks highly of the care ...
Winchester City Council's cabinet decided yesterday not to release the local reserve sites for development, at least not yet. This is a welcome decision. As I said in my previous post, I am far from convinced by the arguments that Winchester is falling short of development land. Certainly the proposals that went to cabinet yesterday appeared to contradict the advice members received earlier this
It's blog action day today and this year's topic is climate change. I thought I'd put up some links on the action the Liberal Democrats are undertaking to secure a fairer and greener future for us and our families. "Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to set the example and make a commitment for a 10% reduction in public sector emissions in 2010," said the Liberal Democrat Shadow Energy and Climate Change Secretary Have a look at this page on the Liberal Democrat website. The Liberal Democrats have been praised as the only political party "that gets it" by ...
The first major item on the Council agenda last night was the open debate on future Council elections. As it's likely to get missed out by the press in favour of coverage of the other main item, I thought I'd discuss it in a bit more detail here. Yet again, we've been asked to consider whether ...
A strange report circulating is that the Conservatives want to make Sir Howard Bernstein, Chief Executive of Manchester City Council a Conservative Peer. This is odd on many levels, as they previously seem to have felt that he should be abolished and also because as a Council Officer, Sir Howard is generally careful not to nail his colours openly to any political mast (although some might suggest that he always seems to be keen on whoever is in charge at the time). Labour in the last few years seem to have scooped up quite a few people who seem to ...
I pose this question after a number of recent high profile cases where women have been murdered by their partners and the sentences do not seem to reflect the crime committed. Take the news that millionaire banker Neil Ellerbeck, murdered his 'unfaithful' wife' (as reported) Kate, but was cleared of murder and gets sentenced to eight years for manslaughter, after the jury accepted that he didn't intend to kill her. The fact that he was 15 stone, to her 8 stone, and that she had 45 difference injuries, and a post-mortem examination revealed that she died from asphyxia and compression ...
New benefits scheme shunting ill and disabled onto lower support Work Capability Assessment figures have shown a doubling in the rate of claimants found ineligible for the Employment and Support Allowance. The Government is shunting large numbers of ill or disabled people onto a lower level of support by deeming them 'fit to work'. There is now a real danger that people deemed fit and ineligible will fall out of the loop and fail to get anything like the support they need. This is particularly worrying if someone hasn't worked for some time dues to poor health. Unfortunately it's all ...
As the County Council were debating TIF on Tuesday - and the need to do something to curb congestion in Cambridgeshire - all Lib Dem Cllrs left their cars at home and explored alternative ways of getting to Shire Hall. Many years ago, as a reasonably fit teenager, I used to cycle from one end of Guernsey to the other to get to school. For those that know the Island I wasn't quite fit enough to manage the Vals des Terres by peddle power so I walked up that part - but did cycle the rest of the way. Tuesday ...
Here's a smattering of experimental research findings, courtesy of the Fostering Sustainable Behaviour site (which also provides sources for the data): When asked if they would financially support a recreational facility for the handicapped, 92% made a donation if they had previously signed a petition in favor of the facility, compared with 53% for those who had not been asked to sign the petition. Residents of Bloomington, Indiana, were called and asked if they would consider, hypothetically, spending three hours working as a volunteer collecting money for the American Cancer Society. When these individuals were called back three days later ...
One of the major problems with data about internet usage is the amount that is dominated by American internet users. Great if you're wanting to know what Americans, or predominantly American audiences, are up to. Less great for the rest of us. The trending topics on Twitter are a classic example of that: dominated by the weight of numbers from the US, they really only tell us what is trending amongst Americans with but the occasional exception thrown in. Trendsmap, however, does not suffer from that. By taking tweets for which associated location data is available, it plots the trending ...
[IMG: wilhelm-ii] Humboldt's political classic The Limits of State Action was a great influence on John Stuart Mill who refers to it several times in On Liberty. It is just a small part of Humboldt's achievements, which also includes foundational work in linguistics, and notable essays on aesthetics and history, amongst other things. Alongside those intellectual achievements he was a diplomat and civil servant of the Prussian monarchy, who undertook a comprehensive reform of Prussian education which included founding the Humboldt University in Berlin. This came, when defeat in war against Napoleon opened up a relatively liberal reformist period in ...
Good to see the Guardian back to its old ways – a day after leading the front page with Trafigura, they run a front page story about how the media are obsessed with celebrity culture, with a nice big picture of Amy Winehouse. I'm sure they're telling themselves it's ironic. The real irony comes in this ...
A quick follow up on the Save General Election Night campaign: there is now an Early Day Motion (EDM) which MPs can sign to support the campaign. It's EDM number 2033 and already 126 MPs have signed it. You can lobby your own MP very quickly and easily via www.writetothem.com.
From Lib Dem Voice: The Voice enjoyed this snippet from Hugh Muir's diary in today's Guardian: Alistair Carmichael, the Liberal Democrat MP for the distant seat of Orkney and Shetland, received a parliamentary travel expenses form, which asked: "What is your nearest mainline railway station?" He contacted the Fees Office to explain that his constituency is in the middle of the North Sea but was told he had to answer. OK then, he said: Oslo. The member for Smarty-pants west.
I haven't yet fully read Nick Clegg's Pamphlet, 'The Liberal Moment', but I read the intro and found it very agreeable. Nick talks of how we, as liberals, believe strongly in the decentralisation of power. How we, as liberals, should all aim to give local power back to local people. Under this Labour government, we have seen power in the UK centralised to Whitehall to tremendous levels. The official residence of the Chief Whip in Downing St. is now occupied by Number 10 as additional offices for the PM, such is the expansion of the national government. This, despite devolution ...
I haven't yet fully read Nick Clegg's Pamphlet, 'The Liberal Moment', but I read the intro and found it very agreeable. Nick talks of how we, as liberals, believe strongly in the decentralisation of power. How we, as liberals, should all aim to give local power back to local people. Under this Labour government, we have seen power in the UK centralised to Whitehall to tremendous levels. The official residence of the Chief Whip in Downing St. is now occupied by Number 10 as additional offices for the PM, such is the expansion of the national government. This, despite devolution ...
At a Reform event this week, Vince Cable gave his response to our new report on infrastructure. On the key points there is much we agree on. Infrastructure is critical for economic growth, and with a £175 billion government budget deficit, greater private finance is urgently needed to fund infrastructure investments. Government has a role to play in infrastructure, but bureaucratic, interventionist policies will be a barrier to productivity. The report finds that the UK is in the infrastructure slow lane, ranked 34th in the world on the quality of its infrastructure in a recent competitiveness study. Road to recovery ...
It is perhaps unsurprising that the most popular petition on the Number 10 website is the petition directed at Gordon Brown that is succinctly described 'resign'. With around 72,000 signatures it is easily the most popular. But those which have just one signature were the ones that attracted my attention. These range from the call for a 4-day week, to ...
On Tuesday, LDV began compiling a full list of the findings of Sir Thomas Legg's inquiries into MPs' expenses as they related to the Lib Dems' 63 MPs. We are adding to this list as information is received by us or published elsewhere. We understand the party's whips office has recommended all Lib Dem MPs publish a statement on their website. As of Thursday, we have information on just over one-half of the Parliamentary party, 33 MPs – but this leaves 30 MPs whose Legg letters we don't know about. Can LDV readers help crowd-source this information on 'the missing ...
As reported elsewhere, this weekend sees the Welsh Lib Dems conference kick off in Wrexham. You can download all the documents relating to the conference (agenda, directory etc) on the Welsh Lib Dems website. If you aren't at conference and want to follow events twitterers will be hashtagging #wldconf You can find details of Lib Dems across the UK who twitterer on Liberal Tweets but some people who I know will be at the conference and tweeting are Kirsty Williams AM Peter Black AM Eleanor Burnham AM Jenny Randerson AM (welcoming both Jenny and Eleanor to the twitterverse) Matt Raven ...
Between Telling and attending the Hanworth By-Election count I will be running/hosting Mark Reckons BBC live Question Time chat from 10.30pm here while he is away in New York. The panel will includes; Labour Home Secretary Alan Johnson Conservative shadow immigration minister Damian Green Lib Dem shadow transport secretary Norman Baker UKIP leader Nigel Farage, Journalist and broadcaster Dame Joan Bakewell. Come and Join me here
You know sometimes I can agree with sentiments expressed by some Conservatives. Step forward Ben Austwick (aka Cardiff Blogger) for this comment about David Wilshire MP.
Last month – in Haggis, Neeps and Liberalism #8 – Ruaraidh Dobson wrote about the upcoming Freshers' season, and how it was an exciting time to be in student politics. He wasn't disappointed. Liberal Youth Scotland and university societies across the country signed up droves of new party members, and vastly increased our university presence. St Andrews in particular, a society which had been in the doldrums for many years and has only recently been re-started, is now the largest political society at the University. Aberdeen, who only re-started in January, signed up 60 new members to their society, making ...
The number of faulty streetlights around Stockport is a lot lower than it was two or three years ago. (To be honest, I hadn't really notice, but then like most people I only really notice the broken lights, the working ones are just there). That's down to two actions the Council has taken. First, there's been an area-by-area replacement of all the bulbs and checking of the streetlights. The idea is to replace the bulbs as they get old but before they fail. Cheadle and Gatley was done last year, so should be up again in a couple of years ...
Last night was the regular meeting of the Council's Executive Committee. This brings together the nine Executive Members from the ruling Conservative Group, myself and the Leader of the Labour Group attend with no vote. In local government some issues are what are called "exempt items". This means that they are not available for the public. Normally there are either no "exempt items", or very few, and those that there are are minor issues around contracts or finances. Last night was a bit different as the main discussion, and main controversial issue was "exempt". First the other issues: "Gypsies", Travelers ...
It's #bbcqt day again and as usual the Live Chat on this blog will start tonight at 10:30pm. This week I am away so Dazmando from Bracknell Blog has very kindly stepped into the breach and will be your host. The panel will include Home Secretary Alan Johnson, Conservative shadow immigration minister Damian Green, Lib Dem shadow transport secretary Norman Baker, UKIP leader Nigel Farage, and journalist and broadcaster Dame Joan Bakewell. Liberal Democrat Voice also always have an open thread for BBC Question Time which is usually posted just before the start of the programme. Join the chat from ...
I've been challenged in the Keighley News to show why people should vote Liberal Democrat and why they should be interested in politics at all. I've responded by writing to the paper to suggest the writer might like to find out more by reading my ...
Good morning? Is it? Pah. I got the date wrong when I started writing this, and looked up all the exciting facts on Wikipedia. So, here, have some exciting facts about yesterday instead: Good morning, and welcome to Daily View, on this, the DAY AFTER THE 943rd anniversary of the fateful day when King Harold got something in his eye in the opening foray of what turned out to be the Norman Invasion. 723 years AND ONE DAY later, George Washington proclaimed the first Thanksgiving Day whilst revolutionary fervour swept much of the world. Birthday boys today yesterday included Steve ...
Earlier this year I ran a quiz with copies of Patrick Hannan's book A Useful Fiction as prizes. I also reviewed it for Liberal Democrat News. Patrick Hannan died on Sunday and the Daily Telegraph as an obituary.
The Polls have opened in the Bedford Borough Mayoral Election By-election. The By-election was caused by the sad death of Better Bedford Mayor Frank Branston.
Yes in today's Times there is an admission from Alex Salmond that he was "too cocky" during the Glenrothes by-election. That was the election that everybody it seemed, except for those of doing the Lib Dem box counts, thought was too close to call even as the ballots were being counted. The announcement came that Salmond who personally spent 11 days in Glenrothes said he would be taking a lower profile approach this time around. Considering only last autumn he was basically braying for Gordon Brown to come up and get involved in the fight. But he now states that ...
Thu 15th
06:36
Warnings from Colleges on adult education make a mockery of Labour/Plaid's economic claims
The body that represents further education colleges in Wales has warned that Adults who want to enrol at college to learn new skills are being turned away in increasing numbers. Colleges are being told that scarce public funds must be spent elsewhere. They have pointed out that whilst more 16-year olds are choosing to study full time at college, the Welsh Assembly Government's draft budget makes clear that those teenagers can only be accommodated by freezing out adults looking to upskill or reskill in today's changing and challenging economy. They say that most colleges have traditionally enrolled many more students ...
Despite the fact that the people of Glasgow North East have now been 115 days without Westminster representation and that as of yesterday Labour still had not moved the writ in Parliament for the by-election to take place, the Liberal Democrats launched their campaign yesterday with Leader Tavish Scott, Eileen Baxendale and Robert Brown MSP in Springburn. As is always the case with these things we had journalists getting a wee bit irate because of deadlines, and it showed in their questions (a chill pill may have been in order there), Tavish was delayed because a van broke down on ...
As is reported here, on Tuesday I tabled a motion with Labour AM Lorraine Barrett to annul the Welsh Government's legislation that will enable a badger cull in North Pembrokeshire. My reasons for doing so are twofold. Firstly I believe that there needs to be a vote on this controversial measure before it goes ahead. Assembly Members cannot allow it to go through by default. Secondly, I believe a cull is contrary to the weight of the scientific evidence. The Badger Trust have produced a useful document on this which can be found here.They say that Northern Ireland had a ...
Watching Prime Minister's Questions this lunchtime was a sobering experience. In recent years it has become traditional for the Prime Minister to begin by listing those British service personnel who had died since the previous PMQs. After the long Summer Recess (MPs last gathered at Westminster in late July), today's list numbered 37. You can see video of it HERE. The sheer length of the list hammered home the human cost of our deployment in Afghanistan. The Government MUST make clear our strategy for Afghanistan, especially after today's announcement that the British deployment to the country is set to rise to ...
Durham County Council has a partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support to provide a welfare rights service to those affected by cancer. The service offers advice, information and representation on Social Security benefits to cancer patirnts, their families and carers. Between June 2008 and March 2009 they opened 792 cases and concluded 696 claims with a value of almost £1.5 million and a success rate of 95.4%. That's going some! If you think they could help you, or someone you know, the Durham County Council Macmillan Welfare Rights number is 0191 3708764.
I don't know if ambulances may use bus lanes. I do know when they are speeding and one overtook me in the bus lane a couple of evenings ago. I think that our sense of obeying the rules of the road is a little vague. Why do we make cars that go faster than 70mph? I know the answer is that people can drive faster on Autobahns or on private land but we don't. There are people who accidentally exceed speed limits but there are people who abuse the privilege of driving. We have the technology so why don't we ...
It's the end of the 76 day parliamentary recess. Yes, you read it right – 76 days. MPs are returning to Westminster to pick up their letters from Sir Thomas Legg. The expenses debacle is back in the news again. At a time when the public finances are so tight, and George Osborne has announced that a Conservative ...
Following my earlier post about the consultation, changes to bus services serving south Birmingham will take effect from 25 October 2009. This follows the South Birmingham Network Review earlier this year.Locally, the current route of the 69 bus between Kings Heath and Selly Oak will be covered by an extended 76 service (which will travel from Solihull to the QE Hospital). The current 69 route
