Jonathan Calder has put better than me the post I haven't yet got round to writing, so go over and read his blog post about Nick Griffin and the BNP instead.
A few weeks ago I blogged about my battle to help a local family who are living badly overcrowded in a Council house managed by Reading Borough Council to try to move into more suitable accomodation. I have been in touch with RBC about this case almost every day for the past three weeks and I'm sorry to say that despite the chasing I have done on their behalf this family is still waiting for basic repairs to be carried out and for a chance to move. I can't fault the officers in the housing allocations department. They can't help the fact there are ...
Fresh from losing the Mayor election in Bedford to Dave Hodgson comes this news of further Conservative problems, via the BBC: The leader of the Conservative group on Bedford Borough Council has been suspended from the party for two years. The Tory Party said the action against Nicky Attenborough was taken because of comments she made about the selection process for the Tory mayoral candidate. She described the open meeting, where non-Conservative Party members had a vote, as a disgrace.
Richard Herring is probably my favourite comedian of the moment. He has his flaws – a glibly Dawkinsite attitude to religion (which is at least excusable in a comedian, who has to take an extreme position to be funny) and an occasional tendency to monkey whimsy, but while his erstwhile double-act partner Stewart Lee has ...
So, the British National Party have got themselves in trouble with some generals for the use of World War II imagery. While the retired generals may well have a point I would argue that they should be perhaps be giving equal consideration to the case of UKIP who also prolifically use the same kind of imagery. ...
No commentary required here, just please take three minutes of your time to watch - and then send on to your family, friends and colleagues.
Wed 21st
22:58
Maine Gay rights debate: `Do you believe in equality for Lesbian and Gay people` Veteran: `What do y...
A video has been put on the net of a speech of an 86-year old US veteran at the Maine Judiciary Committee regarding the upcoming vote on Lesbian and Gay Marriage. Boy, those veterans, both here and the in the US, are making their voices heard! Here is the Video
Neither is a desirable end. With the news that William Hague will be pushed by Hillary Clinton to reassess the Tories links in Europe, this however, is the exact question that the Conservatives have to ask themselves. It appears as though if the Tories do not subside and rejoin the European People's Party then their ...
So far the political world in general has used kid gloves to fight the BNP – with local battles being undertaken by volunteers like `Hope not Hate` and the political parties – most notably the Lib Dems in Burnley and Carlisle and lately Labour in Herts. Now we see different groups, of all political persuasions ...
Despite the efforts of a few brave Labour rebels, the party's MPs this evening voted down a Liberal Democrat motion that would have committed the House of Commons, the Government and the entire public sector to cut their carbon emissions by 10 per cent during 2010. What a shame. With even the Tories voting for climate change action, it seems that Labour is now less progressive than the Conservatives on the environment! According to the Commons website, Plymouth's two Labour MPs Linda Gilroy and Alison Seabeck both voted against the motion. Oh dear. Weirdly after attacking me in today's Herald ...
At full council tonight the Tory Cabinet member had put a motion on the agenda supporting the 10:10 campaign. Sadly, she'd forgotten to arrange for someone to second it. We'd already decided that I was speaking on the motion and that we of course would support it. After all, all the Lib Dem group are already signed up to the campaign along with other members of the party all over the country.
Today the Liberal Democrats called on Parliament to back the 10:10 campaign on climate change. Sadly, the Labour Government whipped their troops to vote down any specific action (see Hansard report) - following the lead of Conservative Essex County Council, who showed the same lack of action last week.This campaign calls for 10% cuts in carbon dioxide emissions during 2010. The Liberal Democrat
I have written a number of times in this column that it's important to say when you agree with a political opponent. So I am glad to be able to report that I agreed with every word my Conservative counterpart wrote about STAG – \'Save the Archery Ground\' – this week, and about the public meeting ...
The Council Executive Committee met today and decided that Ewing School is to close. Ewing is a school which caters for pupils with speech and language disorders. It is an excellent school, which can deal with many rare speech and language problems, has an excellent track record of getting its pupils through GCSE and on into further and higher (mainstream) education. In my years on the Council there have been many attempts to close Ewing in the name of "inclusion". Whilst I am a supporter of inclusion in general, there are individual pupils for whom inclusion in mainstream simply does ...
There's an excellent article on Afghanistan in today's Independent from Paddy Ashdown. I have also been impressed by the wisdom of US Vice-President Joe Biden as described in Newsweek: Joe Biden had a question. During a long Sunday meeting with President Obama and top national-security advisers on Sept. 13, the VP interjected, "Can I just clarify a factual point? How much will we spend this year on Afghanistan?" Someone provided the figure: $65 billion. "And how much will we spend on Pakistan?" Another figure was supplied: $2.25 billion. "Well, by my calculations that's a 30-to-1 ratio in favor of Afghanistan. ...
Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats have placed the party at the forefront of the debate on climate change by putting the most ambitious policy motion to date before the House of Commons today. WHO'S ALREADY IN? Cllr Fraser Macpherson (amongst many others) See : http://38degrees.org.uk/page/speakout/1010parliament
The wizard chaps within the right-thinking community believe we can invest and export our way out of this mess, while wiping away a 12% debt in 5 years. For their next trick, cold fusion, 80 gold medals in London 2012 and a ladder to the moon.
"I have just come back to my office after voting for the Government to sign up to the 10:10 campaign.The motion, put forward by the Liberal Democrats, required the Government to commit to making sure all public bodies reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 10% by 2010. "I voted for the motion, but sadly the Labour Government marched its backbenchers through the voting lobbies to defeat it. I am very frustrated that the Government are not willing to provide leadership in this area in the run up to the Copenhagen conference. However, I want to assure you that I will ...
Legg is in the news today for double-counting Ken Clarke's cleaning bills. Unfortunate to make the sort of mistake you are investigating in others, but in no sense the key weakness in the exercise. Because overall the problem seems to be that Legg didn't go far enough. So far some of the worst offenders seem to be getting away with it. Legg has not got serious with people who have flipped houses, for example. And there are far too many cases of expenses that Legg cannot check because the documentation was never submitted. Indeed, his approach seems to mean that ...
Wed 21st
20:27
Relief for Chris Rennard, but the system still stinks and the Fedex needs to pull its finger out
I am personally very happy for Chris Rennard on the news that the Clerk of the Palriaments (presumably someone who wears stockings to work) has cleared him of any wrong-doing over his expenses/allowances. Chris didn't deserve this cloud hanging over him. Looking at the Lords situation generally, however, it appears that the expenses/allowances rules are/were even vaguer than those in the Commons. That really is saying something.... As regards the Liberal Democrat party, I think Stephen Tall is right in his LDV piece: "Rennard's expenses clearance: Party needs to learn some lessons in transparency". The silence of the Fedex was ...
I've already written that I couldn't see details of the Labour amendment to the Lib Dem motion on Here is what Joan Ruddock moved as the alternative to the Lib Dem motion which Labour voted down earlier: The Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change (Joan Ruddock): I beg to move an amendment, to leave out from "House" to the end of the Question and add: "welcomes the 10:10 campaign as a motivator of public action to cut carbon dioxide emissions through individual and collective behaviour change; recognises the value of such campaigns to build public support for ...
The Labour government tonight blocked a Lib Dem sponsored motion calling on Parliament, government departments and the public sector to cut their greenhouse gas emissions by 10% in 2010. The vote was supported by the Conservatives but was defeated by the government who had a majority of 79. Instead they voted through an amendment supporting the aims and ambitions of the 10:10 Campaign but sidestepping the question of whether the UK public sector should have to reduce emissions by 10%. "This House welcomes the 10:10 campaign as a motivator of public action to cut carbon emissions through individual and collective ...
One of the most common complaints I get is about the state of our roads and footpaths. Local residents regularly contact me complaining of potholes in roads, overgrown trees on footpaths and beside roads and uneven (often dangerous) footpaths. Unfortunately it is not always easy to resolve these issues responsibility is often split between Test Valley Borough Council, Hampshire Highways and local landowners (on Andover's estates this is often Testway Housing). Recently Testway housing has been very helpful in dealing with tree issues on the estates and Hampshire Highways are promising action on potholes. However there is stil la lot ...
At the Speaker's Conference yesterday, Nick Clegg delivered a frank assessment of the Lib Dem Parliamentary Party, calling it "woefully unrepresentative of modern Britain". It's not hard to see why. No ethnic minority MPs, and just nine female MPs among our 63 representatives. Woeful is the word. The real question is: what to do about it? Nick has previously indicated – and repeated the point in his submission yesterday – that he would consider recommending all-women shortlists be adopted by the party after the next election if he's unable to point to real progress in improving the Parliamentary party's representativeness. ...
Wed 21st
19:39
'First rule of politics - never believe anything until it has been officially denied' - Rt. Hon. Jim...
Nick Griffin's announcement that the leaked list of BNP members, which appeared on the web yesterday, is a forgery should tell us it's actually the real list. I can understand why individual members might be angry that their personal details have been put into the public domain, but, why would Mr Griffin be so concerned? If membership ...
Before it is forgotten it is time to salute Market Harborough's last specialist record shop, Pendulum Records, which closed last month. According to the Harborough Mail:A worker at the store, who declined to be named, said: "We've been affected by the internet and basically not had enough people come through the doors.
A few months ago, Lib Dem shadow chancellor Vince Cable tabled an Early Day Motion in the Commons to attempt to pressure the Government to treat fairly the Equitable Life policyholders who lost their pensions due to "serial maladministration" by the, erm, Government. Rather remarkably, the EDM attracted 331 signatures, a recent record, and over half the MPs in the Commons. With such support, the Lib Dems decided to put the issue to the vote (the first time it's been voted on by the Commons), giving over one of their oppositon debates to the subject. Surely Labour would either give ...
I attended a walkabout for Oakside Close in Cheadle yesterday - and very interesting it was too. The idea is for people from Stockport Homes (who manage the blocks) to go round with local residents and, in this case, me to see what needs to be done. I've been visiting this area on a regular basis for a couple of years now (the joys of delivering all those leaflets) and I've seen the improvements. For example, Oakside Close now has improved rotary driers where the land's wide enough to take them, new front doors to the flats, nice letter boxes ...
I watched and listened with amazement. It was like back to the future, 1984 all over again. I don't mean the great novel by George Orwell. Watching the CWU press conference was like watching Arthur Scargill misleading the miners into the disaster of the miners' strike.That strike hastened the demise of the deep coal mining industry and of the National Union of Mineworkers. It was a politically
Last night's Full Council meeting was more interesting than usual. A Labour councillor voted against the Labour line and with us Lib Dems. That might not really sound very interesting - but it is the first time since I was elected in 2002 that any Labour councillor has voted with us instead of with the Labour group. It's taken more than seven years, but I've finally seen some backbone! The only time that we've come close before was just before the 2006 election, when two Labour councillors (since retired) abstained on a vote, but that was in a meeting closed ...
Wed 21st
18:14
LibLink ... Paddy Ashdown: Afghanistan's future lies in strengthening its tribal structures, not in ...
Over at The Independent, former Lib Dem leader Lord (Paddy) Ashdown assesses the situation in Afghanistan in the light of President Karzai's belated acceptance of the need for new, legitimate elections. Here's an excerpt: ... no one should be in any doubt what the new vote will cost, not just in treasure but in blood. A new election may do something for President Karzai's legitimacy, but it won't alter the problem he poses if, as Mrs Clinton at least seems to expect, he is re-elected. What then? Some say that Karzai II must be very different from Karzai I and ...
There is a new campaign called "Open Up" which was launched a couple of days ago and seeks to get all parties to run open primaries in order to select their parliamentary candidates. James Graham has already done an excellent job of pointing out how expensive all of this would be on his blog so I won't go through that here except to say that I completely agree with him. James also makes another point which I want to elaborate on: I worry because the anti-politics rhetoric that is informing this campaign (and others) is leading people up the garden ...
I wrote last week about how I think the Lib Dems need to be better at forming clear messages and getting them over to the public. The way we handled the expenses crisis was a clear demonstration of the holes in the Leadership's strategy. Nick Clegg was in a stronger position than the other two ...
Hmmh! Shops and retail are having a bit of a hard time at the moment. Brislington Hill seems a little worse for wear unless of course you are after a wedding dress, kebab, motorcross bike or knitting needles (albeit not all at once!!). I have been thinking about Bris Hill and it seems to me that it is a symptom of a lot of neighbourhood shops. The recession probably has been a factor in boarding up a few of the shop fronts. But then is it helped by the bus lane, steep incline of the hill, wierd parking layout and ...
While the Have Your Say section of the BBC website can be even more of a lightning rod for the foamy-mouthed opinions than most bulletin boards, today's article on, and discussion of, the meaning of fascis [IMG: benito-mussolini] m is an outstanding exception. The article is fairly well informed and interesting, while the commentators (of which yours truly is currently no. 6 - "Tom, London") have been particularly well informed, measured and interesting. The last time I checked, nobody was ranting about the BNP (topical but, in this context, only tangentially relevant) and nobody had started calling anybody else names. ...
A couple of weeks ago I referred to the venomous public attack on the part of one faction within Southport Conservatives on another. I have now been supplied with a verbatim extract from pages 138 to 141 of the offending book: "Dirty Politics", authored by Pat Regan (Published 2009 by Can Write Will Write, ISBN 978-0-9554889-7-9). As you may recall, the writer is a leading light in Southport Conservative Party circles, as well as husband to one Tory Council candidate and a close associate of Brenda Porter, Tory parliamentary candidate for Southport. The key chapter is entitled: "Outdated Tory turncoats ...
Wed 21st
16:42
What is the point of an anti-social behaviour "hotline" if information is not made use of?
Last night saw a further application by the "Fire" nightclub at Vauxhall to move into neighbouring railway arches - and was granted on condition that there would be no increase in the total number of people allowed in the club. Residents, supported by Oval ward councillors, voiced concerns that it will still mean that the average attendance per night would increase, and given that problems were persisting with anti social behaviour (including a violent incident this month) around the club there is a risk that anti-social behaviour will also rise. We learned yesterday evening that complaints phoned through about noise ...
Cornwall Council's Tory Leader Alec Robertson was on BBC Radio Cornwall's Laurence Reed programme this lunchtime and said: "we will do everything possible to protect front line services" a little later he added: "we have no cuts planned to services at the moment." If the Council decides to remove the current play equipment on the Ridgegrove Estate and not replace it then I shall be reminding him of this promise.
Since the Royal Mail seems intent on ritual disembowelling before our very eyes, I suppose we are going to have to expect to deal a lot more with the private courier companies. I had a delivery from one called City Link this morning. I was taking the children to school, and when I got back there was a card with various options, none of them ticked. There was a phone number which took me through to a comouterised system which would only tell me that I had to contact the sender to get permission for another delivery (I didn't know, ...
.. but of course you could fit all the lib dems who've signed his early day motion in a taxi - because almost all our MPs are so clueless on technology - Lib Dems still out of touch on anything that hints of computergeekywotsit - that's why the c...
The Office for National Statistics today put out its two yearly population projections, apparently showing the number of people living in the UK soaring to just over 70 million by 2030 from 61 million now. This has led to predictable frothing at the mouth among the usual suspects about an unsustainable immigrant 'baby boom' driving population growth at its fastest rate for decades. But, as the ONS itself, admits population projections should always carry a health warning in capital letters because: "They are not forecasts, and do not attempt to predict the impact that future government policies, changing economic circumstances ...
The Scottish Government have dealt a killer blow to Royal Mail by awarding the £8million Procurement Scotland/public sector contract which deals with the mail to NHS Scotland, colleges and most councils in Scotland to TNT from the 1st November. How must Royal Mail staff across Scotland feel now, today on the eve of the big UK wide strike when they find out the SNP controlled Government have stabbed them in their backs? This news comes only a matter of weeks after the announcement that Royal Mail had lost the contract with Amazon, this cannot be healthy for Scotland? Yesterday in ...
The 10:10 campaign is calling for a commitment to a 10% cut in the UK's carbon emissions in 2010. It's aimed at individuals, businesses, schools, politicians – in fact, everyone in the UK. At 4pm today, Parliament will be debating the following motion, submitted by Simon Hughes MP, the Liberal Democrat Shadow Energy & Climate Change Secretary: Political response in the UK to climate change Submitted by: Nick Clegg, Vince Cable, Simon Hughes, Martin Horwood, David Heath, Paul Burstow That this House believes it is vital that the UK demonstrates political leadership at all levels in response to the climate ...
From the Shropshire Star: Six-foot birds are running amok in the Shropshire countryside attacking people. The rheas, which are a relative of the emu, are believed to have escaped from farmland in Ashford Carbonell near Ludlow. A group of them has set up camp in a field near Richards Castle. An emu comments: We have nothing to do with that side of the family.
What's the correct response to the news that Lord (Chris) Rennard has been cleared by the Clerk of the Parliaments of any wrong-doing over his allowances claims? I ask because I think there are some important issues at play here for how we, the Lib Dems, as a party can help restore trust in democracy. First, we need to separate the personal from the political (and, incidentally, this applies just as much to Chris's critics). Most of us who have met, or in some way know, Chris will be pleased for him on a personal level. The allegations that he'd ...
The letter to Clare is here. The response: Dear David Nikel Thank you for your email. There is not a debate on the 10:10 campaign as such, but a general debate in time allocated to the Liberal Democrats on "Government's failure of leadership in the Climate Crisis". I do strongly support all initiatives to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Best wishes Yours sincerely Clare Short
Transforming Social Care Workshop This workshop took place at the Sutton Centre for Independent Living and Learning (SCILL). The workshop pulled together people connected with Social Services in a variety of capacities from users to social workers to care providers to carers to Sutton council officers responsible for buying in social services. I was there in ...
How is the BNP leader handling his extra public exposure in the run up to his appearance on Question Time? Yesterday he: likened Britain's leading generals to Nazi war criminals;went on Newsnight to attack the British Legion;issued a press release that was clearly libellous.A couple of weeks of that and he have succeeded in destroying himself in public. The serious point is that the "No Platform" tactics of the left have clearly failed. The people voting BNP are not disgruntled Tories who wish their party were more racist, they are disaffected former Labour voters who have been hit by globalisation ...
I read in the South London Press that my friend Peter Richardson is raising the issue of dogfights in parks, this time in his neck of the wood, Manor Park. Well done Peter, we must tackle this scourge and keep on raising the issue again until something serious is done about it. A few months ...
[IMG: Vince Cable and Andrew Lewin] Congratulations to Andrew Lewin who was selected on Tuesday night as the Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Hertford and Stortford. Andrew will be challenging incumbent Conservative MP, Mark Prisk. Prisk has been the MP for Hertford and Stortford since 2001, but has recently been asked to repay £7,000 of Parliamentary expenses. Andrew Lewin said, I share the public's anger over the expenses episode, it is essential that candidates tackle this issue openly and offer solutions that can rebuild trust in the system. If I were elected as your Liberal Democrat MP, I can ...
Having done some thinking about a cycle route to get from the Kingsway/Gatley Road junction to Parrs Wood, I got on my bike yesterday and gave it a go. This is a first pass at coming up with something reasonably easy and safe that isn't too expensive. I've knocked up a Google map of the route here. View Kingsway cycle path in a larger map Coming from Gatley/Cheadle you cycle down Coniston Road, then turn right onto South Park Road. So far, so good. At the bottom of South Park Road, you need to cross onto the pavement that goes ...
BNP Nick Griffin is now claiming his ill advised comparison of British generals to Nazi war criminals was "black humour". Er, shouldn't that be "white humour"?
I wasn't going to post the contents of the email I got back from Michael Connarty last night until I heard the same refrain from elsewhere. Here is the motion I asked him to back: "That this House believes it is vital that the UK demonstrates political leadership at all levels in response to the climate crisis, and that this is particularly important ahead of the United Nations Climate Change summit in Copenhagen if there is to be an international agreement which will avert the worst effects of catastrophic climate change; further believes that immediate practical responses to the crisis ...
Britain's largest banks should be broken up, the Liberal Democrats argued today.At Prime Minister's Questions today, Nick Clegg called for the breaking up of banks. The governor of the Bank of England has said the same thing. Unfortunately, Gordon Brown (who presided over the finances of the nation for the ten years immediately prior to them collapsing round our ears) disagrees. Nick Clegg pointed out that the culture of huge bonuses continues, and called for taxes on profits. As someone who has just returned from visiting a banker friend of mine who, at 28, drives around in a souped-up Porsche ...
Eton College is not the place one would expect to discover a training ground for a new 'mafia' in British politics. But, according to yesterday's Times, this is exactly what we should be looking for. Apparently, after Mayor Boris Johnson, dropped his stylish anti-European bombshell in Manchester, he received a text message from top Cameron aide, Nick ...
Lord Rennard has been cleared of any wrong doing on a technicality... An intelligent anonymous commenter on Andrew Reeves blog made the observation: It's interesting on a number of points. First he's been cleared of something very specific, breaking Parliament's rules, according to the way Parliament choose to interpret them. And that clearance has been given by an Officer of Parliament, not an objective third party. That then is no more significant legally or ethically in regards to whether a fraud has been committed than the MPs fees office turning a blind eye to tax-dodging, flipping, or claims for capital ...
John Buckley, the former Leader of the Labour group on Worcestershire Count Council has joined the Liberal Democrats after 40 years in the Labour Party!
I've just received an update on what is happening with the Ridgegrove play areas. To date the Council has ripped out a see-saw and some goal posts. There will be a safety audit of the rest of the equipment next Monday - carried out by a fully trained safety official. Of course it is right that the Council makes sure that all the equipment is safe to use and so I welcome the audit. My concern is over what will happen if the audit decides that any more equipment is unsafe. And what is happening about general maintenance to stop ...
Cllr Bob Bibby, Conservative leader of Bury Council has agreed to face prestwich residents over the Longfield Suite proposals. At the last public meeting residents demanded that Council leaders face them to explain the proposals and listen to their case for keeping the Longfield Suite as it is. As a result I have now organised a further public meeting on: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH at THE LONGFIELD SUITE, from 7.00 pm Council Executive member, Cllr Beverley Sullivan has agreed to Join Cllr Bibby to hear residents concerns. If you have a question you would like putting, but can't make the meeting ...
If Nick Griffin's appearance on the Television last night is anything to go by then tomorrow night's Question Time performance will be very entertaining. He was almost wild-eyed and frothing at the mouth as he accused everybody of being against him and compared highly respected Generals with Nazi war criminals. The man has clearly lost the plot (if he ever had it) and has allowed some modest electoral success to distort his sense of reality. The Daily Mirror also report that the BNP successfully managed to libel Welsh Secretary Peter Hain, yesterday as well: In an email to BNP supporters, ...
Every time I watch prime minister's questions I am struck by the way Cameron looks and sounds like a public school bully. I find I wrote about this earlier this year. In a country where being "posh" is just about the worst sin there is, even as it is becoming progressively more unequal, I wonder how this plays with the public. Perhaps the Tories reason that Gordon Brown is now so unpopular that they will be cheering him on, but I wonder.
I am at a loss. Once again PMQs involved some sound questions and some reasonable answers from Gordon Brown. Have our MPs really had a good look at themselves and seen what everyone else has seen for all these years, namely that Parliamentary debates and PMQs in particular have largely been farcical? Happily for all those who 'get the joke', the main antagonists, Gordon and Dave, were up to their usual nonsense of shouting at each other and not really caring what was said in response. Dave asked Gordon about the looming postal strike and asked Gordon to condemn it. ...
It's happened again. Gordon Brown in Prime Minister's Questions today attacked the Tories for their failure to support nationalisation of Northern Rock. The Tories got it wrong - that's Labour's message. Actually they are right on that. The Tories repeatedly got it wrong on Northern Rock as they had a different policy on different days on what to do with the failing bank. Indeed, they often had
I went along to Launceston Town Council's meeting last night. Although local government meetings may not be the most exciting proposition, it is always disappointing to find no members of the public coming along to see what is happening in their town. It may be that the Town Council needs to look a bit at what they can do to invite residents to their meetings, to make them feel involved and welcome. Among other things: - we heard from Sgt Aaron Ward and PC Matt Kingdon about what the police are doing locally. One of the key concerns is the ...
A good story on David Bartlett's Dale Street Blues Blog about what those who have fought for the country think about the BNP. Not sure the link is working. Here is the address
1. Why was Councillor Paul Bettison, leader of Bracknell Forest Borough Council has been excluded from the shortlist for the Primary? Or any other local councillor see here. 2. Was this an open Primary or an all ticketed caucus, you had to register and despite being told that it was not a ticketed event you was provided with a ticket? 3. Why were there no local candidates in the Primary (ok Phillip Lee is almost local)? 4. How many members of the attendees were not local conservatives? It's quite hard for anyone to take up a Saturday afternoon for any ...
[IMG: Government snooping set to cost even more] Government snooping set to cost even more The amount of money the Government pays communications companies to store and retrieve data is expected to increase from £56m over five years to £1bn – an increase of nearly 1,700%. Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said: "At a time of tough spending choices, it cannot be a justified response to the problems we face as a country to lavish millions of pounds a year on state spying." The figures, revealed in Parliamentary answers, show: The Government forecast for spending on communications data ...
[IMG: Floods] Clitheroe residents who live in the Mearley Brook Flood Alert area will soon be receiving a leaflet from the Ribble Valley Borough Council detailing how they out to prepare for the a potential flood alert and how to respond if flooding occurs. In addition the Environment Agency are arranging a flooding related one day exhibition at Clitheroe Library on Tuesday 24th November. the latest updated Flooding Advice and Recovery leaflets will be available for all members of the public attending.
From the Liberal Democrat History Group email list: Journal of Liberal History 44 (autumn 2004) has now become freely available online. (All but the most recent twenty issues are freely available, so an old one becomes free for download as soon as we put a new one up.) The contents include articles on 'Spectacular victories' (Liberal wins against the odds at general elections), 'Philosopher of freedom' (Wilhelm von Humboldt and early German Liberalism), 'Sir Archibald Sinclair, the Liberal Party and the abdication of King Edward VIII', and 'Keeper of secrets' (Biography of Lloyd George's private secretary, A. J. Sylvester). Journal ...
Back in September I blogged about how difficult it's been to get a response from the Cabinet Office to a small complaint I had about possible misuse of letterheads by Gordon Brown: Tally so far: two emails [via the Cabinet Office website] and one letter from me plus four letters from my MP spread out over nine months and what to show for it all? Just one holding reply saying the issue had been passed on. (Conspiracy theorists may at this point wish to mutter how implausible it is that seven times correspondence has been messed out and it just ...
[IMG: Policeman] A new Home Office crime map which allows people to compare crime rates in Clitheroe has already been available in Lancashire for over three years. The Lancashire MADE Public website broke new ground in 2006 by giving people access to a wealth of information on crime and disorder where they live. By simply entering their postcode, people who log onto the site can find facts on calls to emergency services, violent crime, anti-social behaviour, deliberate fire setting, vehicle crime, road safety and domestic burglaries. The site was set up by the Safer Lancashire partnership, which includes councils, the ...
On the day Parliament debates whether or not to sign up to the 10:10 Campaign, the Liberal Democrat Group on North Yorkshire County Council has today signed up to the movement. Last week the Lib Dem group put a motion to the Tory-run council which would have meant the council joining the campaign aimed at driving forward cuts in carbon emissions. The 10:10 campaign calls on individuals, businesses and other organisations to work towards a 10% cut in carbon emissions in 2010. However, the ruling Tories, along with Labour and Independents, refused to sign up. Councillor Bill Hoult (pictured), Lib ...
At the end of last month, I advised that a constituent in Tait's Lane had contacted me about an anomaly in terms of the provision of cable TV in the area. Click on headline above or go to http://tinyurl.com/taitslane to view the earlier story. Her block of flats - pictured above - unlike others in the lane - cannot receive Virgin Media services and I contacted Virgin about this. The company promised to look into the viability of extending services to the households currently without access to Virgin services in the lane and yesterday, along with two residents, I met ...
As we enter a major postal strike, spare a thought for John Paul Getty III. Aged 18 he was kidnapped in Rome on this day, 21st October, in 1973. A ransom demand was sent to his father for $17 million to ensure his safe return. A lock of his hair and his right ear were sent in the ...
[IMG: meadows-channel-m2.jpg] SAVE CHORLTON MEADOWS INVITES YOU TO "PICNIC ON THE MEADOWS!" On Sunday 8th November 2009 at 2pm we invite EVERYONE to come along and use the meadows! Bring along your sarnies, flasks and anything else you'd like to. We plan to use the meadows for an hour to prove this "derelict land" IS USED! Please pass this on to as many people as possible. THE MORE THE MERRIER! REGARDLESS OF THE WEATHER THIS IS STILL GOING AHEAD SO BRING YOUR BROLLIES, WOOLIES , WELLIES ! [IMG: :)] PLEASE BRING YOURSELVES , FRIENDS, FAMILIES, DOGS, KITES , MUSIC , ...
Lib Dem MP Evan Harris has secured a debate on libel law and the reporting of Parliamentary proceedings following Carter Ruck's attempts last week to gag The Guardian from reporting details of a Parliamentary Question concerning Trafigura's activities. (You can catch-up on LDV's reporting of the issue here.) The debate will take place today in Parliament's Westminster Hall today, 21st October, from 2.30-4pm. Explaining the purpose behind the debate, Evan says: There is a lot of concern in Parliament and in the media over the impact of English law on freedom of expression, but the people who should be most ...
Many thanks to www.politics.co.uk for its complimentary remarks about www.dundeewestend.com, especially the bit about the YouTube videos! Information: Cllr Fraser Macpherson is obviously extremely busy and this is reflected in his prolifically updated blog. It's a great resource for local information and, unlike a lot of similar blogs by local councillors, it actually gives opinions and doesn't just regurgitate press releases. The blog has a lot going on to hold the interest. It also wins the 'blog most likely to contain YouTube clips of obscure dance music remixes' award.
I'm not instinctively opposed to the idea of using primaries to select candidates – and I do think we need to be looking at ways to open up the internal processes of political parties more – but since Open Up launched their campaign for everyone to have primaries, there have been some interesting responses from ...
I have come across an interesting video on Youtube this morning. It is from local Bracknell constituent Dan Haycocks who is campaigning to try and get current MP Andrew MacKay to pay back the money he seems to have overclaimed or instead step down if he is not willing to do so. He has created a campaigning website called Goodbye MacKay. The video shows Dan and other members of his campaign trying to gain access to the Bracknell open primary/caucus that was held here on Saturday. Despite currently living in the constituency and having a valid ticket for the event, ...
LibDemVoice ask why there are not more great Think Tank blogs.
Over at the Guardian's Comment is Free blog, Lib Dem shadow home secretary Chris Huhne – who will be appearing alonsgide BNP leader Nick Griffin on Thursday night's BBC1 Question Time – argues that it is time for liberals to challenge the fascists head-on. Here's an excerpt: The BBC has judged that two MEPs in a nation-wide election entitles the BNP to a voice on Question Time, just as previously a similar threshold elevated Ukip and the Greens. The BBC's duty of impartiality is too important to have broadcasting executives decide that some opinions are acceptable and others are not, ...
A parish notice on behalf of the LDV team ... I am delighted to announce that Mark Pack is joining me as Co-Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice, effective immediately. Mark was a founding member of LDV, alongside Rob Fenwick, back in August 2006. His first post was entitled, Ming Campbell movie online. Ah, those were the days. Over the past three years Mark has made a huge contribution to making this site the success it is, helping build LDV's monthly readership to over 30,000 unique visitors, and ranked as one of the top 5 blogs in the UK. I first ...
New technology in the Town Hall will ensure it saves energy and money - helping deliver the Lib Dem commitment to a greener, more efficient council. The 'nightwatchman' is a piece of new computer software being trialled by the council's IT department. It shuts down any computer that's left unattended - saving any files and data before switching the power off, then restoring it when the computer is turned back on. It is estimated that the nightwatchman programme will save £40, 000 a year and cut CO2 emissions by 250 tonnes. The nightwatchman programme is just one of the ways ...
To split up two long fulminations about things named "Mail," I have a confession: I've become addicted to the BBC's prime food porn. I remember when Masterchef was endearingly amateur and Loyd Grossman was entertainingly imitable... But then it became blokeish and rather more like The Apprentice, so despite the gorgeous voiceovers from Doctor Who's India Fisher (of whom more in a minute), I'd left it. A few weeks ago, though, Richard put the latest version on in the background for something neutral while we cooked, and I've been glued to it ever since. Particularly for posh egg and soldiers. ...
I'm on the hunt for the owner of an abandoned home in the centre of the historic village of Culross. The issue of ownership was raised with me by neighbours who were concerned about the condition of the home. However, investigations at the Land Registry revealed no clues as to ownership. Now I'm appealing to you to help with the hunt. Families throughout West Fife are desperate for a home so to leave this one empty is a calamity. The eighteenth century two storey stone built terraced house is an integral part of the historic village. It's a lively community ...
News from Brand Republic: Tamar, the natural search conversion agency, has today released the results of its first Political Search Index, which tracks how easy it is for voters to find official policy information from the mainstream political parties online. The results show the Labour Party trailing badly behind the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Green Party and the Scottish National Party. Tamar's research looked at fifteen specific policy areas of interest to voters and examined how effectively the political parties have optimised content on their own websites for Google. The overall scores were: Conservatives 1.5 Liberal Democrats 1.9 Greens 3.1 SNP ...
You are invited to a series of ward meetings in South of the Borough about the waste management consultation. If you can't attend your ward meeting then you are welcome to attend one of the others. They are: Tolworth and Hook Rise, Thursday 22nd October, 7pm at Corinthinan Casuals (King Georges Recreation Ground) Chessington North and Hook, Wednesday 28th October, 7pm at Castle Hill Primary (Buckland Road) Chessington South, Thursday 29th October, 7pm at Chessington Community College About 50% of the rubbish collected from homes in Kingston is sent for recycling. But what about the rest? At present it goes ...
This morning's Western Mail reports that Nick Bourne's Welsh Conservatives are going to oppose plans to set up an independent body to fix AMs' salaries and allowances. This is despite the fact that it formed part of the recommendations made by the panel chaired by Sir Roger Jones that reported in July and which Mr. Bourne signed up to. They argue that the panel will cost money and could open the door to regional pay agreements for public sector workers. What nonsense. The Tories' preferred solution is to use the Senior Salaries Review Board instead. That also costs money and ...
I am privileged to present a guest post by Dr Belinda Brooks Gordon, whom I had the pleasure of sharing a panel with about a month ago. She had done incredible work doing research and studies on the sex industry, and is here exposing the Government's figures on Trafficking for what they are. While Harriet Harman was sneering in her Labour Conference speech at women who model topless, some of us were quietly going through the statistics used to back up her more disproportionate and dangerous policies1, and now her latest whim: the termination of Punternet. Trafficking figures are used ...
We all agree it is a long haul from the end of August to Christmas and an extra autumn bank holiday is needed. Today is Trafalgar Day, one of the best candiates for that holiday. So here is a Lolcat. [IMG: funny pictures of cats with captions] see more Lolcats and funny pictures
[IMG: adam-hart-davis] Political commentators too freely use expressions such as "totalitarian", "undemocratic" and "tyranny". But I struggle to avoid applying them to the Government's latest assault on liberal principles. HM Revenue and Customs has reissued its code of practice to give sweeping powers to HMRC officials to investigate those legally avoiding tax, including giving officials discretionary powers to interpret what parliament might have intended had they legislated on the matter. According to the Code of Practice: Avoidance is not defined in the Taxation Acts...One definition is 'a situation where less tax is paid than Parliament intended, or more tax would ...
Earlier this year, Clerkenwell Councillor George Allan & I were chatting to residents in Northampton Square, and the subject of the old bandstand came up. One of the families had very musical children who were saying they wished they could use the bandstand to perform. Roll on a few months, and it's become a reality. Bandstand ...
2 Big Stories Griffin invokes the Nazis BNP leader Nick Griffin compares British Generals to Nazi war criminals – he really doesn't like people criticising his party. As the BBC reports: Comparing them to Nazi military chiefs who faced trial at Nuremberg Mr Griffin said they had pursued "illegal wars". Cameron to impose all-women shortlists Is David Cameron on a mission to neuter local Conservative associations? First open primaries and caucuses, now all-women shortlists imposed from above. Seems like those long-standing members just can't be trusted to choose the right candidate any more. As the Telegraph tells us: The Conservatives ...
Liberal Democrat MPs will be using part of their Opposition Day today to debate the Government paying compensation to Equitable Life policyholders. The Opposition Day motion is based on an Early Day Motion (EDM 1423) tabled by Vince Cable and the Liberal Democrats, which so far has the signatures of 335 MPs from all parties, including ...
Last night marked something of quiet revolution in British political blogging... Political Betting.com unveiled its very first web-exclusive opinion poll. The first of its kind for a British online publication. And an amazing journey from its opening salvo in March 2004 with its first few tentative steps into this brave new world. It's impressive for the obvious ...
CentreForum have launched a major new policy review that takes a hard look at the education policies of the presumptive next govenment. Here we are in an interesting position, and if you had any doubt about the cross party credentials of this fine think-tank, you can doubt no more. It's good that Michael Gove, their education spokesman, believes in a pupil premium - so did CentreForum, with Tackling Educational Inequality playing an important part in influencing policymakers towards this radical idea. But does he have the money - or the ability to confront his core constituency in leafy shires, who ...
[IMG: blofeld] Yesterday's DAILY MAIL newspaper headline read as follows "CRIMINAL CHECKS ON SCHOOL EXCHANGE FAMILIES". And yes its true. Despite there being no known cases of child abuse resulting from an exchange, the Government is insisting that parents of British host families submit themselves to child protection checks before they can put up an overseas pupil. This is government "protection" gone mad. Not only will it hinder the opportunities of our youngsters, it will offer NO protection to British children staying in foreign homes (and only requires that the British parents register - not any other adult living in ...
Today the Lib Dems have secured an opposition day motion to call on Parliament to commit to 10:10 cutting Parliaments carbon emissions by 10% in 2010. It will be a real test of the greenery of the Tory party. while their front bench have signed up to the premise the rest of the party are lurching forward less keenly. Unlike the Lib Dems who passed a motion at conference calling for Parliament, councils and individuals to sign up, and Labour who followed as a party down in Brighton. Only last week the Tory members down the river at the London ...
There was a study undertaken a year ago that showed that on average members and supporters of the Greens and the Liberal Democrats had the highest IQs and educational qualifications while those of the...
There's a big item discussed at Overview and Scrutiny committee tonight, it's about over £4 of savings in the Council's budget and some arising extra expenditures not considered at the time of the last budget. In the Pressures document one item struck me: Homeless Accommodation 16/17 year olds (Budget Pressure Risk of £800k) 5.2.4 The consequence of the Southwark ...
The title refers to a song of the same name by Leon Rosselson written to commemorate the "Aberfan Disaster" when 144 people (116 of them children) were killed at Pantglas Junior School on this day in 1966. The disaster was caused when a coal tip slid down the mountain and engulfed a school, a farm, and several houses. The most poignant image was of the deputy head, Mr Beynon, who was found dead clutching five children in his arms as if he had been protecting them. Rosselson wrote beautifully and poignantly about slum schools in damp alleys, with views of ...
Let me put it on the record I am a pacifist and have been and am against the war in Iraq. However, when three former army chiefs and the commander of the Desert Rats in the first Gulf War, put their names to a letter, saying, "We call on all those who ...
David Cameron has changed his mind about all-women selection lists for parliamentary candidates. Now he thinks that they are a good thing and will impose them on some constituencies. There is nothing wrong with changing your mind. It may be seen as a sign of strength but it certainly needs a good explanation to convince anyone that it was bad then but is good now. Positive discrimination is carried out all the time. Politics is about the redistribution of wealth because if the market is left to itself then the rich will get richer and the poor will get poorer. ...
Friday: Hooray! Best-friend Sarah-Jane is back! There may be no FULL series of Doctor Who this year, but with fifty minutes of Adventures each week this season, I feel like these are like PROPER Doctor Who stories now! Daddy is saying something about it being "just like in the Peter Davison era"... shut UP, Daddy, what would YOU know about it? This week: Rhinos are STUPID. Well duh! Also, don't forget to tune in to the "Spot the Blathereen" game on the website for more proof that POSTIES are EVIL! Now, I suppose I OUGHT to let Daddy say something... ...
