Well I got 18, but a friend has said he got 31. Results need validating, possibly with a second iPlayer viewing (Lord help me).The phrases that I got were:DeportOvercrowdedMuslimRacistFascistOpen MillionAsylum SeekerInvasionEstablishmentImmigrantA full round-up will come tomorrow.
[IMG: griffin-qt1] For anyone who doubted the basic sense of allowing Nick Griffin onto this evening's Question Time, watch the BNP leader in action. And preserve us from the left-wing activists who were protesting outside TV Centre. They managed to give the BNP an endless stream of positive news coverage from this morning. Fortunately, at the main event itself, Griffin was roundly thrashed. The man's not a total idiot, but this was terrible coverage for the British National Party. A victory for freedom of speech and a blow for the forces of authoritarianism (both left and right).
To anyone protesting or worried about the BNP, or indeed to anyone concerned about the standard of our political culture, I hope this evening's Question Time was a lesson in how to deal with both issues. The panellists challenged Mad Eye Moody's every word expertly - none more so than the delightfully laconic Bonnie Greer - and the audience left him in no doubt about his party's real level of support. Jack Straw had much to say but sadly he has lost his edge. He is a very able politician but this evening he rambled and thus he lost many ...
First in an occasional series. Probably very occasional! Today I tried out this recipe for baking no-knead bread. I have to say, I was very skeptical, partly because it's an American recipe, and the last time I went to the States, the shops there seemed to have no clue even what grain to make bread out of. Rice bread? Potato bread? Maize bread? What? I was also skeptical because it seemed altogether too easy. Make a bunch of dough, put it in the fridge, cut bits off when you need to? Seems a lot easier than mixing, kneading, proving, kneading, ...
Like many other political activists, I'm out and about with local councillors and the PPC knocking on doors a couple of times most weeks. It is dispiriting to come across people who say they have or are planning to vote BNP. But in a way these are often the most interesting people to talk to. ...
So, for some time now it has been arranged that my brother and I would be going to the football on Saturday, and since it's a Leyton match we would meet up with [IMG: [info - personal] ] djm4 beforehand for lunch and go to the match together. My brother just cried off, and I've never been to a match on my own before. If I do what I'm supposed to and go in the home supporters' stand I will be all on my own in a sea of people I don't know. If I go and sit with David ...
Tonight I had an opportunity to tour the new college, just over a month since it opened. It was fascinating to see what has been created - a stunning new building with a great deal of thought given to maintaining what was good about the old one (a feeling of being full of busy students, a sense of a small college where people know each other) while introducing state of the art facilities and
It's Thursday, it's 10.35 pm ... it's BBC1's Question Time. It is, of course, the most highly anticipated Question Time ever with a colossal media storm surrounding the invitation of BNP leader Nick Griffin. The evening news says that there are massive protests outside BBC TV Centre, with twitter reports that staff are almost under siege. Across the country, protests are happening at regional BBC offices. For the Liberal Democrats, it's leadership contender and Shadow Home Secretary Chris Huhne taking up cudgels for the yellow corner. Baroness Sayeeda Warsi will be in the blue corner, and Lord Chancellor Jack Straw ...
With permission from Dundee City Council, if you click on the headline above (or go to http://tinyurl.com/commnewsltr), you can download the latest adult learning newsletter from the council's Leisure and Communities Department. The activities featured include those at the Mitchell Street Centre in the West End.
For someone with quite a prestigious financial background, the following is outrageous. Oh wait.. he's a Republican? Maybe not so much then.. The famous oil tycoon and hedge fund chairman-turned solar and wind energy advocate Thomas Boone Pickens Jr. has stated to a U.S Congressional Caucus that American firms are "entitled" to full access to Iraqi oil fields. "They're opening them (oil fields) up to other companies all over the world ... We're entitled to it," Pickens said of Iraq's oil. "Heck, we even lost 5,000 of our people, 65,000 injured and a trillion, five hundred billion dollars." Pickens complained ...
When you watch Question time tonight and you see that smarmy, wannabe leader of the Fourth Reich trying to look put-upon and pained but oh so eminently reasonable, have Jeremy Paxman's maxim at the forefront of your mind everytime he speaks. For the ...
Reform's suggestions for how to cut the deficit do some useful spadework - but are attrociously misleading about how painful they will be. A convenient time to find where the Middle Classes really are.
In one of my early outings with my digital camera I visited East Langton and Church Langton. That visit led to several postings, including one on William Hanbury and his charitable schemes. I have since discovered that Hanbury's Charity was the subject of a House of Lords debate in 1895 in which both the Marquess of Salisbury and the Archbishop of Canterbury took part. The problem was that Hanbury's ambitions far exceeded the endowment he left on his death. This is brought out by a Commons written answer from 1921, when the Charity again came up at Westminster: The Reverend ...
It's Thursday which of course means that it's #bbcqt day again and as usual the Live Chat on this blog will start tonight at 10:30pm. This week's show is from London and has been the subject of controversy as one of the panelists is Nick Griffin, the leader of the BNP (British National Party) who was recently elected as an MEP. There have been protests outside BBC TV centre about this and my namesake, the Director General of the BBC has had to step in to back Question Time's decision to allow him on. The panel will also include the ...
[IMG: Cllr Coombes inspects broken paving on Bathwick Hill] Normal service resumes with this pennant stone report: Bathwick Hill has always had some uneven paving slabs because of its pennant slabs. The Conservative council provides enough budget to the street repairs department to replace pavements every 70 years on average. However, this applies to normal pavements; the real stone used in Bathwick is much more expensive. The maintenance problem was obvious on Bathwick Hill this afternoon when I walked past this popped paving slab opposite the care homes. I've reported this to the council and hope that no one trips ...
I agree that it achieves nothing to censor Nick Griffin and the BNP. Banning his party from question time would have been counter productive, making them cause celebres. I don't believe that anyone watching will get the idea that the BNP have any ideas worth voting for unless they already had racist views. I keep hearing though that the way to defeat the BNP is to engage with them. Must I? I want to see fewer people voting BNP sure, but I don't want to have to listen to Griffin's bilge. Sorry that's how I feel. I'm not boycotting Question ...
Just a quick note here to say well done to the beeb for not bowing to the authoritarian lackwits from Unite Against Facism, and keeping the booking for swivel-eyed racist twat Nick Griffin to appear on Question Time. I fully believe that once people actually see what they are voting for they will find somewhere else to lodge their protest votes against the major parties, even if it is the Loonies or the Legalise Cannabis Guy. The irony and counterproductiveness of UAF protesting AGAINST Griffin's right to hoist himself on his own sticky petard is rich indeed. I just hope ...
People often tell me they don't cycle in London because it's not safe and I completely agree with that. But sometimes they tell me they don't cycle because they have too much to carry around. Having seen this gardener's bike parked in my street the other day I simply can't agree with that! Where there's a will, there's a way, I say!!!
In his conference speech just three weeks ago, Gordon Brown said: And every day we stall on a climate change deal, the people of the world are denied the chance to protect their world. So given that there is no time to lose to stop catastrophic global warming, you'd have thought Labour would be right behind the 10:10 campaign to cut carbon emissions by 10% in 2010?Well, yesterday the Lib Dems
It is interesting how opinion is split about having Nick Griffin on Question Time. Neil Woollcott, for example, says we should turn off BCC1 at 10:40. I couldn't disagree more! Turn on BBC1 at 10:40! The more people see Nick Griffin - let alone hear him - the better. He looks absolutely weird. Occasionally one of his eyes looks in a different direction than the other one. Priceless! And the things he says? Well we only have to look at this week: Comparing distinguished generals to Nazi war criminals. Criticising the British Legion. Calling a Cabinet Minister a former bank ...
Lib Dem Voice yesterday covered the video Simon Hughes made to highlight the Lib Dems' opposition day motion on climate change, and the 10:10 campaign's call for a commitment to a 10% cut in the UK's carbon emissions in 2010. The Lib Dems' motion was straightforward: That this House believes that 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 ...
I've recorded my first phonecast, using ipadio.com. It's about rising unemployment in Plymouth, how we need to nurse the economy back to health, and the need to be open about how to pay down the hundreds of billions of pounds of debt the Government is building up. You can listen to the phonecast HERE. Please do. It's an experiment, so feel free to let me know what you think.
I spent a happy couple of hours today with Refugee Action Kingston. They are one of those highly effective organisations that work quietly in the background, providing essental support to asylum seekers and refugees. So what do they do? A major part of their work centres around their Learning Centre, where they offer English classes at all levels from complete beginners onwards. These classes also provide a safe place and friendship network for the clients. A good number of them spoke to us about themselves, demonstrating their language skills and giving the tiniest insight into their lives. Of course, many ...
Was it only a month ago we were in the throes of the Lib Dem conference? How time flies. Cast your minds back four weeks, and the Lib Dems' shadow chancellor, Vince Cable, made a few waves by announcing his wish to introduce a new tax, quickly dubbed the 'Mansion Tax', of 0.5% on the value of properties over £1m. In fact, as LDV's Alex Foster spotted at the time, Vince was re-treading a policy he'd been forced to abandon just 18 months previously. But, then, a lot has changed in the last 18 months, both economically, and in terms ...
One of the biggest ironies in free speech principles allowing the BNP to have a seat on the BBC Question Time panel tonight is the simple fact that extreme right wing parties of the ilk of the BNP are the very parties who would, if they could, deny people those rights. So for those of us who believe in free speech, it is very much through gritted teeth that we support the BBC's principled stance in allowing the BNP to appear on the show. Sadly though, there are those who have used the BNPs appearance on Question Time as a ...
So the BNP are going to get a platform on tonight's Question Time on the BBC. The campaign to get the BBC to change it's mind has been unsuccessful so the programme is going ahead. What can we do now?Well the simplest thing is for us to turn off come 10:40pm. By watching the programme we are telling the BBC that we are eager to hear the BNP's view and this may well encourage the BBC to ask the
Ahead of tonight's BBC1 Question Time – featuring the BNP leader Nick Griffin – The Guardian reports his verdicts on his fellow panellists. Here's what he said about Chris Huhne, the L:ib Dems' shadow home secretary: Big hitter. Menzies Campbell would have been more daunting." And here's what he said about the other panellists: Bonnie Greer, American playwright and critic: "The joker in the pack; knows how to look after herself and may be more of a handful than the others." Jack Straw, justice secretary: "A very effective advocate." Sayeeda Warsi, Tory community cohesion spokesman: "Token Asian, Muslim woman on ...
The BNP is a repugnant racist organisation, and I'm appalled that they will get an opportunity to spread their bilious vile ideology at licence payer's expense on national television tonight. Yet, for me, the BBC is right not to exclude them from participation. It is the problem for liberals. How does a philosophy that celebrates tolerance and diversity and the right to non conformity cope when it butts up against a philosophy that is diametrically opposed to all those values? The answer for me is by adhering to your own principles. It may be hard, but that is the point. ...
Normally I don't promote Mark Reckons Question Time live chat apart from last week when I was guest hosting as Mark was away. However this one is the big one, the hyped one and the one with the leader of the BNP Nick Griffin. This story has been all over the news the for a while now thanks to Peter Hain's claim that BBC could face legal action if it lets Nick Griffin appears on Question Time. For what its worth I think the leader of the BNP should be on Question Time as he is democratically elected. I expect ...
I'm supporting the campaign to free Darcy the Rescue Dog from quarantine. Darcy went out to Indonesia - helping earthquake victims with the Essex Fire Service. But our antiquated laws mean she's now in six months quarantine, despite having a pet passport, although the Swiss rescue dogs who also helped out in the disaster zone have gone back to work. My view is that she doesn't just deserve her freedom - she deserves a medal! The government should change the law, so that rescue dogs - who have all been vaccinated - don't face six months in quarantine after helping ...
People who enjoy using Vauxhall Park will have noticed that the fountain has again been turned off. A question to last night's council meeting by Cllr Andrew Sawdon asked how much the council saved by turning off the fountains and how much will be incurred by the council to turn them back on again. It seems the council saved £14,000 by turning them off - but are having to pay £25,000 to get them switched back on again! Not much of a saving if you ask us...
Theoretically I'm in favour of motion sensitive lights. Very good energy savers. But, now that I work in an office building that has them, I realise that they are work control devices. You're just settling down on the bog for a good read and the light goes out. You wave your hands around, but you can't turn it on again from inside the cubicle.... You have to go back to the office. Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "motion sensitive".
The Hungarian Embassy in London's Belgravia was heaving this lunchtime for the country's National Day celebrations. Given the crush and the balmy autumn weather, the place soon became a Turkish bath. But this did not diminish the enthusiasm of the gathering, which was opened by a short speech of welcome from Ambassador Borbala Czako, who ...
This morning's Wright Stuff on Channel 5 discussed whether the BBC are using Nick Griffin's appearance on Question Time tonight as a way to boost ratings. There are certainly strong supporting arguments. I've just switched the BBC News Channel on where they are, naturally, covering the ridiculous protests taking place outside the BBC's television centre. It's ...
It is sad to see that local Labour MPs failed to support the Lib Dems 10:10 climate change motion debated in the House of Commons yesterday but it was not unexpected. The 10:10 campaign is gaining support fast. Around 40,000 individuals are already signed up along with hundreds of organisations, businesses, schools and colleges. Almost 10,000 people emailed their MP calling on them to commit to a 10% reduction in emissions during 2010. But only 12 Labour MPs supported the motion. Vera Baird, Ashok Kumar, Sir Stuart Bell and Dari Taylor all voted against, whilst Frank Cook didn't vote. It ...
[IMG: http://www.wikio.co.uk] [IMG: 1010.jpg] You may remember that last week a joint Lib Dem and Labour motion passed in council, committing RBC to cut it's carbon dioxide emissions by up-to 10 % in 2010. We endorsed the 10:10 campaign at our recent federal conference and many Liberal Democrat run councils have shown the way. Now, nationally, we are calling for the whole public sector to sign up. Once again, the Liberal Democrats are demonstrating leadership on the environment. On Wednesday, the Liberal Democrats secured a debate in the House of Commons on climate change. Our MP's called for Parliament and ...
[IMG: oxjam-bull] This Saturday finally sees the showpiece event of the Oxjam Brum festival, as six of Birmingham's premier gig venues turn blue to help fight poverty! I'm proud to have been involved with this year's Oxjam as the Community Participation Coordinator, responsible for involving as many volunteers in the project as possible - through encouraging them to host their own Oxjam events to volunteering on Saturday. The "blue faces" campaign (demand action on climate change until you're blue in the face) has been a huge success all through the year - and we're hoping to paint over 200 faces ...
In August this year, I reported that several trees in the Alexandra/Addington road area were going to be cut down on grounds of safety. Now that the branches have been removed from nearly 20 Lime trees - deemed too dangerous to remain - they will be felled some time before christmas. This will add the numerous tree stumps which have been left in the ward. This is a subject which is very dear to me and I had been working with officers to ensure that trees are replaced when they are removed but also to ensure that they are not ...
Tonight's much-hyped Question Time, featuring the fascist BNP leader Nick Griffin, is geared up to be must-watch TV for anyone with a passing interest in politics.However, I fear it may turn out to be a particularly tedious event.So, inspired by Dick Puddlecote and Independence Home, I have decided to knock up a print-out BNP Bingo card to help keep your interest in proceedings. It contains lots
I think the BBC are right to have invited the British National Party leader Nick Griffin onto Question Time this evening. He is the leader and an elected MEP of a party that got 6% of the vote at the most recent European elections. To deny him a place on one of their shows would be to single out the BNP for special treatment and as my namesake Mark Thompson (the director general of the BBC) points out in a Guardian article today, it would be to expect political censorship of this kind to be outsourced to the BBC. That ...
One of the joys of Autumn is the leaves falling from the trees. Who didn't enjoy, as a child, walking through the piles of golden leaves? Unfortunately, the piles of leaves are fine for a few days and then have a habit of turning to slippery mush, so the Council puts a lot of effort into clearing them away - quite a task. Yesterday morning, a team was in action on Old Hall Road, Gatley. Leaves were swept up, put into sacks and taken away. I counted at least ten sacks full of fallen leaves and saw the nice clean ...
It appears that the Tory's are taking drastic action with someone who doesn't agree with them. No not Nick Griffen. In this case it is Keir Starmer the director of public prosecutions. The issue is the Human Right's Act. Before the MPs expenses scandal distracted all voters from the parties' European messages this was one of the key planks to the Conservative manifesto. Yeah they didn't want to have the rights of UK citizens protected equally across the length and breadth of Europe, they wanted to tear it up and make it "more British". Mr Griffen would have been proud. ...
Tonight is, perhaps, one of the most important episodes of Question Time that has ever been broadcast. Every liberal in this land, I hope, is just waiting to watch the British National Party getting torn apart in a live debate. Let me get this out of the way immediately - the decision to allow Griffin to sit on the show was the right one. They let UKIP on and - as I have shown before - they have a very similar support base. Sadly, for all those who are anticipating a 40 minute long fight, Griffin will play it safe ...
So, protesters have been massing outside Television Centre all day ahead of Nick Griffin's appearance tonight on Question Time. All very predictable and expected and the lines of demarcation in this debate are pretty well-drawn and well rehearsed to the point where it's probably wise to accept that quite simply people are entrenched in their views. One commenter who contacted BBC's ...
Tier 4 Personality Disorders Joint Scrutiny Committee This joint committee had been set up in response to the proposed closure of the Henderson Hospital in Sutton which provided a specialist residential treatment programme for people with complex and severe personality disorder. People with this kind of personality disorder fall within the Tier 4 level of service ...
Having written the tale of the recurring Labour Party writs at the Eddisbury by-election I began to remember other events. Here are a number of key things that all by-election agents should remember. First - always make sure there are a good range of fast food outlets in the area. At Eddisbury we had a plethora of ...
In the news today is a report showing that children in deprived areas are four times more likely to die in road accidents than those in wealthier locations, and that therefore deprived areas should get priority in funding for speed bumps, cameras etc. On the face of it that sounds fair enough, but actually it is deeply confused and offensive. Funding for traffic calming should go to where it has the greatest benefit. If this correlates with poverty, then more of it will go to poor areas, as it should. But where there are accident hotspots in prosperous areas these ...
Tuesday: Pardon my Eighties flashback, but: "I like driving in my car" PLUS "Together in Electric Dreams" EQUALS have the Chinese found a way to Save the World, with a new electric car that can, allegedly, do 250 miles on one charge and up to 100mph? Shouldn't we be checking this out with some urgency, 'cos if it's TRUE then it will be a BIG HELP towards cutting CO2 emissions*. Just as importantly, isn't this EXACTLY the sort of thing that WE should be making? New car plants PLUS zero-carbon cars EQUALS hello new economic miracle. And that's VERY Eighties! ...
Very good attendance at last night's Hither Green Community Association meeting where updates on different aspects of community life where received from various people. The Town Centre manager Deborah Efemini told us about shops opening at various locations on Hither Green lane. The unit at number 132 will soon have an art related business, A ...
Please note that I will be unable to attend my surgery as normal on Saturday. I am happy to arrange a home visit over the weekend. Just call 07904 947184
Wolverhampton's three Labour Members of Parliament voted against the Liberal Democrats motion welcoming the 10:10 campaign and calling on Government, Parliament, and all public sector bodies to cut their carbon pollution by 10% by the end of 2010.
Yesterday, Vince Cable used one of our Opposition Day debates in Parliament to table a motion on Equitable Life policy-holders who have lost their pensions, pushing for justice for them. The motion he tabled was almost identical to an Early Day Motion which many MPs from across the house had already signed, so we had ...
It's no longer about whether the BNP will appear on Question Time. It's about how they will appear on Question Time. For good or for ill, Nick Griffin will be on the panel tonight, and we need to ensure that, despite his presence, the programme is a good advert for the tolerant mainstream of British politics. Clearly, the best possible outcome is for Griffin to be demolished in debate by the other panellists. From any reasonable perspective, his views range between the deeply offensive and the deeply laughable. (See this article from today's Independent for more information.) With any luck, ...
Further to my article earlier this week about pupil safety concerns crossing the Hawkhill by-pass due to the lack of a school crossing patroller (click on headline above to view or go to http://tinyurl.com/scphawkhill), I was pleased to have received assurances today from the City Council's Director of Education that a temporary school crossing patroller will be in place from the start of next week, to assist Blackness Primary School pupils get safely to school. Parents had expressed concern to me that, with the schools coming back after the autumn holiday this week, there is still no replacement crossing patroller ...
Commenting after the defeat of a Liberal Democrat Opposition day motion calling for Government, Parliament, and all public sector bodies to cut their carbon pollution by 10% by the end of 2010, Vic D'Albert, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Bury South said: "This is a bad day not just for Parliament, but our country and the planet. "The Government has failed to understand the level of public support for the 10:10 campaign or to get the message that people want real political action now to tackle dangerous climate change. The 10:10 campaign calls on people/organisations and Governments to pledge to ...
[IMG: friedman] Milton Friedman was a Nobel Prize winning economist and economic historian, associated with the Department of Economics at the University of Chicago, and was most famous as a 'Monetarist'. That is someone who regards the control of the money supply at a very constant, and slow, rate of increase, as central to controlling inflation, and for establishing the best framework for economic growth. He put this in the context of limited government, which establishes a framework for the market, rather than intervening in the market. He explained his political ideas and public policy suggestions in Capitalism and Freedom, ...
You can see by looking at this blog post from February that in the Council's budget meeting the Lib Dem group proposed a freeze on council tax for the year - so that local taxpayers already hit by the recession (not to mention decades of Labour council tax rises) could get a little respite. The Labour group voted against the freeze back in February. But, as highlighted by Lib Dem Leader of the Opposition Cllr Robert Gorrie at Monday night's meeting of Full Council, they have now decided a council tax freeze is a good idea after all... ... oh ...
All is not entirely well within the environs of the Conservative Party; while they maybe riding high in the polls (for the first time comfortably in the early 40's) and seem all but guaranteed a by into government. Given the negativity surrounding the government and the fact that Labour is paralysed in terms of doing what is necessary and changing it's ...
Conservative Party MPs yesterday effectively ordered Alec Robertson and the Conservative led Cabinet on Cornwall Council to pull their socks up on the issue of climate change. A month ago Cllr Robertson refused to back the 10:10 campaign on the basis that it might cost too much and they needed to look into the subject a bit better. This despite the fact that David Cameron and the Conservative Party had already joined the Lib Dems in wholeheartedly supporting 10:10. In the House of Commons yesterday there was an opposition day debate on the subject of climate change. The motion called ...
Another week, another letter in the paper from a Bury Tory which makes me roll my eyes and shake my head. Usually it's the Leader, Bob Bibby, whose crass ineptitude enlivens even the dullest Bury Times letters page. But this week he takes a rest from the comedy roadshow and instead lets the spotlight fall on Cllr Dorothy Gunther, the Executive Member in charge of parking (amongst other things). She doesn't disappoint. Parking in Bury has come under fire recently, after it was revealed that a quarter of parking tickets are rescinded. This bit of news comes on the heels ...
This week, for the first time, public opinion was tested on the government's proposals to disconnect people from the internet for copyright infringement. Open Rights Group commissioned a YouGov poll, which came back with some remarkable findings. The political implications are profound, if our poll is to be believed. While Labour have certainly got this wrong, we are yet to see any UK parliamentary party fully backing the public's instincts shown in this poll. Perhaps the Liberal Democrats will be ready to pick up the challenge. In our poll, 42% said that disconnection, should it be applied to them, would ...
The Met Police have released the latest crime mapping for Oval Ward. Although the total number of reported crimes is down slightly, some areas of the ward are seeing an increase in burglary and anti-social behaviour: And a look at the detailed map for the ward, broken into sub-areas, shows that while part of the Oval area has an average number of crimes for Lambeth, other parts are above average: http://maps.met.police.uk/index.php?areacode=00AYGK (Note: you may need to zoom in and scroll down)
I had a hellish journey by Tube across London this morning. The Victoria line was congested. I had to wait with hundreds of others outside the entrance to the Tube station for ages before they let us in. Fortunately I still got to Kings Cross in time and my army of Labour readers in Gateshead will no doubt be delighted to know that I am now heading home ready to do battle with the "socialist"
A motion condemning restrictions on press freedom, particularly in Italy, is put to the vote in the European Parliament. The result: 338 in favour, 338 against. No majority in favour. The motion is rejected. One side of the chamber erupts in cheers and wild delight. No doubt Berlusconi and his pals in Rome raised a glass of champagne to their lips. The most persuasive argument came from those who said that no one country should be singled out for criticism, but this is exactly what we MUST do. The EU embraces fine principles about freedom and democracy - they are ...
One of the most cited reasons from the Labour benches in yesterday's Climate Change (Political Response) debate was how well the Government had done since 1990. Indeed the Minister Joan Ruddock said: "Since 1990, greenhouse gas emissions in the UK have reduced by 18 per cent., or 21 per cent. if we add in the reductions made through the European Union emissions trading scheme, but we are in no way complacent." Hardly a confusion as she is using both figures as pointed out in today's Telegraph. It wouldn't have been such a big deal if a few lines later she ...
Well it is the talking point of the day so who am I to buck the trend by not offering my second 'twopenn'orth' of the day, first by damning two idiots and second by ridiculing the nonsense the other side spouts. I have read Ken 'liar' Livingstoke and now Weyman Bennett, joint national secretary of Unite Against Fascism, saying that the BBC will be responsible for any increase in racist attacks as a result of showing this programme. No they won't. The people carrying out the racist attacks will be responsible for the racist attacks. The BBC will have nothing ...
Thu 22nd
10:22
Agent's Training 1 - Beware men with a red rosette under a long coat with a piece of paper in their ...
It's been a while since I went to an event to train as an agent. But, at the weekend I attended a course in Perth. Having been an agent for numerous parliamentary elections, and by-elections, you might think there isn't much I can learn, but with numerous legal changes and updates for next year it was ...
I've done a post for the Reputation Online site, produced by the good folks at Centaur/New Media Age: In the last few years, the term "mash-up" has been increasingly used to describe online sites and services, but it is only rarely explained. Want an explanation? Read on over at their site.
Arguments in favour of expanding the DNA database held by the Police have been undermined today by a report in the Guardian newspaper. They say that a report on the database covering the years 2007-08 shows that crimes cleared up as a result of a match on the DNA database fell from 41,148 to 31,915 over the period. At the same time the number of DNA profiles on the database - already the largest in the world - rose from 4.6m to 5.6m. Duplicates mean that the police database now holds details of 4.89 million individuals. The database's running costs ...
Commenting after the defeat of a Liberal Democrat Opposition day motion calling for Government, Parliament, and all public sector bodies to cut their carbon pollution by 10% by the end of 2010, Liberal Democrat Shadow Energy and Climate Change Secretary Simon Hughes said: "This is a bad day for Parliament, Labour and the planet. "The Government has failed to understand the level of public support for the 10:10 campaign or to get the message that people want real political action now to tackle dangerous climate change. "Britain needs a Government which sets an example and delivers immediate and ambitious carbon ...
Here are a few things this week that I've achieved: The Council's Pothole Moles have been out and about, so more of the tens of potholes I've been reporting are now repaired. The streetlight overlooking the car park on Gatley Hill is now working again. Work is in progress to remove the tree stumps on Brogden Drive, Gatley - an issue Pam and I raised at the end of July. Also on the South Park Road Estate, the promised traffic count has taken place. Street lamp repaired on Gatley Road, by the bus stop near Delamere Road. The signpost on ...
Oh dear, Question Time approaches and the whole issue is spinning wildly out of control. Mad Eye Moody, the party leader, must be singing in his bathtub over this. (I shan't name him as I'd rather not add to the exposure he and his acolytes get on the interweb) It seems to me that the best possible way to deal with this would be to let Moody appear and let the audience and panellists find him out rather than all this pointless grandstanding because he never looks or sounds good when he is invited to speak. He invariably launches into ...
From Left Foot Forward: Martin Wolf, writing in yesterday's FT, has praised the Liberal Democrats "mansion tax" policy: "Taxation of property should be heavier, not lighter. But it should also be less regressive. That is why the mansion tax is the germ of an excellent idea. "Taxes on property have other benefits: they automatically rise with prosperity; they are hard to evade; and they are automatically imposed on otherwise untaxed foreign owners. The latter benefit from the amenities of the UK without paying for them. A higher property tax is a simple - and inescapable - way of making them ...
In Cameron's conference speech, there was plenty to get your teeth into on benefits and welfare dependency. Or so it seemed. There was much anger about the state of the welfare state... but there appeared to be little in terms of solutions. The biggest point that stuck in my mind was his argument about an effective 96% ...
Just caught up on the rest of yesterdays news and realised that the much-needed Liberal Democrat amendment to the Coroners Bill was passed in the Lords last night. It shows how important it is to have an independent second chamber, one that looks carefully at the small print of proposed legislation and does something to correct the sneaky things that this Government tries. A clause to give the
I haven't blogged on the hype about this, but like many others have heard Griffin's divisive and hate-filled interviews and watched him shoot himself in the foot, including insulting British generals: "Those Tory generals who today attacked the British National Party should remember that at the Nuremburg Trials, the politicians and generals accused of waging illegal aggressive wars were all charged — and hanged — together" Besides displaying these unhinged rantings he believes everyone's out to get him! I have been against the BNP being given the credibility and air time, the same as with every other mainstream political party. ...
There was a fascinating article by Melanie Reid in The Times on Monday. It covered the release of a report by Dr Fiona Measham and Dr Karenza Moore, criminologists from Lancaster University which set out to "explore the hidden world of pharmaceutical intoxication in Britain's bars and night clubs". Here are a few snippets along with my thoughts: They discovered evidence that almost all Britain's thousands of clubbers routinely take drugs, in particular cocaine (tried by 83 per cent of people), cannabis (93 per cent) and ecstasy (85 per cent). Eight in ten had taken a drug within the previous ...
Good morning readers. It's the 22nd October and there are just 70 days left til the end of the year. Today is Derek Jacobi's birthday, the 43rd anniversary of the first time an all-female group topped the charts in the States, and the 114th anniversary of a rather scary train-wreck at Paris's Montparnasse station. [IMG: Train wreck at Montparnasse, 1895] Train wreck at Montparnasse, 1895 2 Big Stories Postal strike poll puts blame on government as union announces action The Guardian reports a Yougov poll in which voters put the blame for postal strikes squarely on Gordon's shoulders. Gordon Brown's ...
Is this the best feature of Kilburn's future? The Good Ship on Kilburn High Road as well as offering a great pint, some sound bands and a pretty good atmosphere - courtesy of John McCooke - a great guy and champion for Kilburn - has brough back a key feature to Kilburn... Queuing... Not since the days where there were multiple cinema's on the High Road has there been such an outbreak of people wanting to get into a venue - I happen to think that queuing is a sign of vibrant activity and a desire to be part of ...
Came across this from the Huffington post shared by one of my American friends on Facebook. Apparently a rape victim who was drugged before being sexually assaulted followed sound medical advise and took a months worth of Anti-AIDS medication. You would have thought in the word of the memorable line from Trainspotting to 'Choose Life' would have been the salient choice. Not so her health insurance company. They refused to sell her a policy as the HIV medication asked too many health questions, this despite the case being explained to them. So now you know it people, do not get ...
I am not sure what was wrong recently with the guys but we were not playing as a team, certainly not against Villa where we lost for the second game in a row. Thankfully last night we were back, with a vengeance, beating Atletico Madrid 4 - 0, with Lamps back on the score sheet and two from Kalou and an own goal in the 90th minute gave us a definitive victory - much needed after two below par games. You can read the full match report here. I will never question the managers judgement nor the Captains, I believe ...
The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for Cardiff Central, Jenny Randerson has urged the Assembly Government to not allow the public spending squeeze that Wales is facing to result in even worse provision of public toilets across Wales. Speaking in the Assembly Plenary Jenny Randerson said: "While they may seem like a soft target for public spending cuts, decent and available public toilets are essential. "Good public toilets have a significant effect on tourism, on good health and safety, and on avoiding crime and anti social behaviour. "There has been a big decline in numbers of public toilets and their ...
The Welsh Lib Dems in London branch has its inaugural reception next week. If you are in the capital and have a connection with the Welsh party then why not head along. The reception will feature our own Kirsty Williams and David Steel. The launch of the London group has been overseen by Lord Roger Roberts. If you want to come along on the 27th October contact Rhys Jones rhys.jones09 {at} imperial.ac(.)uk 07956 964 660. Tickets are £25/head including a drink and Canapes. It's being held at the National Liberal Club, just off Embankment which is also the nearest tube ...
Belated congratulations to Centre Forum, and in particular Giles Wilkes, for winning Prospect Magazines' Think Tank Publication of the Year Award for A Balancing Act: Fair Solutions to the Modern Debt Crisis. One of the many things I meant to do this summer was to write a review of this pamphlet. It is a highly readable account of the financial mess we are in and challenges a lot of assumptions – in particular George Osborne's apocalyptic insistance that cutting public borrowing is the main priority and that the situation is analogous to where the UK was at in the late-70s/early-80s. ...
Well I am very pleased to announce the launch of the New Blaydon Lib Dem website, www.blaydonlibdems.org.uk. It's early days but I hope you keep coming back to check the site for the latest news from the campaign and to find out what your councillors and campaigners are doing.
It's a fascinating insight to see when people are accessing this website. About half of all its hits are made before 9.00 in the morning, which gives me a wonderful image of you all slurping your cornflakes whilst logging on. Actually, of course, it may just be the early-birds at County Hall logging on to see "what's he saying now". The answer is, not much today. The lull before the storm. In the meantime, though, why not log on to http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/ConsettAcademy/ and sign the demand for the decision on the academy site to be reopened. With the Insight reports now ...
There are some repeat comedy programmes on television and my favourite is Fawlty Towers. I am also enjoying The Royle Family and in tonight's episode Denise was talking about Baby David. "He only tipped a full ashtray over himself". This isn't too funny but it is the attitude of the whole family that progresses the humour. Dave added that they took a photo and "it was a belter". This made me think about the court case last week in which a man was sentenced to 18 months for allowing his child to smoke. I am not a smoking fan and ...
Sunday: unpology (ŭn-pŏl'ə-jē): noun (pl unpologies) 1. a written or spoken statement to be used where convention or legal instruction would require a statement of regret for fault or failure 2. an insincere expression used to accentuate positive aspects in order to downplay a negative verdict and avoid admission of guilt or contrition 3. (colloquial) any New Labour ministerial statement not previously trailed in off-the-record briefings, selected newspapers or on the Today programme viz: former Second-Home Secretary, Ms Jacqui Spliff, made an unpology in the House today in response to the findings of the Commissioner for Standards. see also: Blairgerism ...
