There was a good turn out at the Guest House tonight to wish Erin Harvey good luck and farewell. Erin came to work for our MP and has been a great hit. I covered her attendance at the Bournemouth Conference when she spoke twice very impressively. Erin is off to work for London MP Susan Kramer. Susan has been a very impressive MP and I'm sure that Erin will prosper working with her. Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange
This morning was fantastic, in my guise as Deputy Mayor, I had the privilege of representing the people of Calderdale in front of HRH Princess Anne at a brilliant factory, Lynwood Products i-plas, that has launched a new 100% recyclable material that can act as a direct replacement for concrete, steel, and wood. I forgot to say that it is made totally of recycled material, such as bottle tops. We saw examples of it used to replace timber in bridges, footpaths, and park benches.
The agenda for the City Council meeting on Tuesday 3 November 2009 includes the following items:the annual report of the Cabinet Member for Transportation and Street Services; andthe annual report of the Council's Lead Member on the West Midlands Police Authority (Lib Dem Councillor Zaker Choudhry).
I'm nearing the end of another crazily busy week. It started on Monday with a trip up to the Institute of Local Government based at Birmingham University where I was invited to give a talk to councillors from across the UK on "Chairing scrutiny". It's hard to believe that a year ago I attended the same course as a delegate having only just taken over the chair of HHCC Scrutiny Panel in Reading. The talk went well - I even managed to get a few laughs. According to the course organiser I left the attendees with the impression that I was "very single-minded and knew how to ...
Deja-vu! Equal Pay Day, defined by the Fawcett Society, as the day that women will work from for free until the end of the year, due to the gender pay gap. This reminds me of a University seminar I had last year regarding work and gender and the Equal Pay Day. What surprises me is how ...
I, sadly, was not surprised by the news that Alan Johnson dismissed Professor David Nutt the now ex chief drugs adviser to the government. It sums up what is wrong with the Labour Party and why, when push comes to shove, it is deservedly heading out of office. The Professors crime was to criticise the ...
Professor David Nutt has been sacked as the government's chief drugs adviser because he refused to champion ideology over research findings. This development will come as no surprise to anyone who remembers what happened in the Commons in February after Professor Nutt published an article in the Journal of Psychopharmacology. I concluded in a House Points of the time: this incident tells us something important about the government. New Labour came to power claiming it was interested in "what works" and not hamstrung by ideology. The truth, as Jacqui Smith demonstrated, is that to get on today you have to ...
And there was I worrying that it hadn't been a truly classic year for stupid political quotes... I cannot have public confusion between scientific advice and policy With that, I'm delighted to award Alan Johnson the 2009 Scunner Broon Award for Stupidest Political Quote Of The Year. Because you know what Alan? When you stop being completely bumfuzzled by the difference between scientific advice and policy, then you can lecture the rest of us on it. Until then, shut the hell up, you condescending little...
Following the disgraceful behaviour of the Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, in sacking the chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, Prof David Nutt, today, I bring to your attention the fact that the ACMD is, coincidentally, about to hold its annual public meeting, in London, on Nov 10th. You can access a registration form for the event at the ACMD's website at the Home Office. Closing date for applications for a ticket (free) is 5th November so you only have a few days to get your dibs on a seat at what promises to be an interesting ...
Local "Better Bus Service" campaigner Ann Wilson has been selected by the Liberal Democrats to fight the 3rd December by-election in Ormesby and Nunthorpe as a successor to Eric Empson who stepped down on Monday this week. She is well know by local residents for taking the lead for the Lib Dems in getting hundreds of names for their petition calling for a better bus service locally. Arriva, the main local bus operator, has conceded that their service for Ormesby and Nunthorpe residents' was "not right". But their only response was to re-number the 5 service. They're dead right Arriva's ...
Beat that "My Liberal Democrat News hasn't arrived yet" misery with this week's House Points. Q&A on Tasers Monday was Taser day, with both Norman Baker and Chris Huhne raising the subject at home office questions. But what is a Taser? So we're using this patronising question-and-answer format are we? Tasers are weapons that use an electric current to disrupt the voluntary control of muscles in the people they are fired at. They deliver a massive charge of 50,000-volts and have been used by British police officers since April 2003. Why should we be worried about them? As Norman Baker ...
Following a very useful meeting today with the City Council about improvements to the Magdalen Green bandstand - including repainting - I chaired the latest meeting of the West End Christmas Week Committee. This year's Christmas Week is looking great and we are indebted to the many local businesses who have donated towards its numerous activities. Today, I met with Derek McRonald, Tesco Riverside's Manager, who presented me with Tesco's generous contribution (see photo above) and earlier in the week, I received the kind contribution from Barnett's Motors, including a children's party prize. Businesses - large and small - across ...
Iran's pursuit of nuclear power and the subsequent potential to develop atomic weapons is a problem that just refuses to go away. In spite of President Obama's attempts to normalise relations between the United States and Iran and the persistent activism of the United Nations and the EU to broker a deal, a viable solution remains far off. As we speak, the International Atomic Energy Agency is pressing the regime for access to inspect its nuclear sites. Six years ago, then President George Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair were successful in persuading Libya to abandon its nuclear programme, leading ...
The 69 bus service runs across the West End only three times a day on weekdays but it is a very useful service for those residents who live on the streets it serves that are not visited by any other buses. However, I have had complaints about its punctuality recently and, in particular, the failure of any bus to turn up at all earlier this week. I have been in touch with Stagecoach Strathtay about this and have received the following initial response: "Fraser, I am conducting a investigation into this complaint with regard to the 69 service. I do ...
The Leicester Mercury has returned to the plans to build sports facilties on the wildlife haven that is Aylestone Meadows. I wrote about this last month. The Mercury says: The Leicester Friends of the Earth group has now joined a range of other campaigners, politicians and residents to submit an objection to the planning application.This gives me an excuse to publish a photograph of the tearooms at King's Lock, which I mentioned in the original post.
With Sweet Talkin' Woman
Dundee City Council has advised me that it hopes to provide a new school crossing patrol on Blackness Road, following my raising residents' requests for this safety measure. I am pleased about this, coming soon after resolution of the school crossing patroller problem at Hawkhill. Blackness Road at the Kelso Street steps is a greatly used crossing point by both Blackness Primary and Harris Academy pupils on their way to school and up till now has had no 'lollipop' patroller. Some time ago, the road was slightly narrowed with 'build outs' to aid people crossing but parents rightly felt that ...
What could be simpler: five categories, each with five links. And it's Friday. 5 most-read stories on LDV this week 1. Mark Littlewood resigns Lib Dem membership for IEA Director job (175) by Richard Huzzey 2. Opinion: A Liberal Line on Immigration (61) by Patrick Murray 3. What did you make of Chris Huhne's Question Time performance? #bbcqt (30) by Stephen Tall 4. Watford's liberal Lib Dem Mayor - what Iain Dale didn't report (31) by Stephen Tall 5. Nick Griffin's verdict on Chris Huhne (8) by Stephen Tall 5 recent Lib Dem tweets >> stephenpglenn RT @chickyog: BREAKING NEWS: ...
The news has broken this afternoon that the Home Secretary Alan Johnson has sacked Professor David Nutt, the head of its own Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. Johnson's statement on this says: I cannot have public confusion between scientific advice and policy and have therefore lost confidence in your ability to advise me as Chair of the ACMD.I would therefore ask you to step down from the Council with immediate effect. Mark Easton, the BBC's home editor has the exchange of letters between Johnson and Professor Nutt detailed on his blog here. As I blogged yesterday on the ...
This post is part of a series. If this is the first one you've seen, you may want to take a look at the introduction, which will also give you the links to earlier parts. Freedom is a key value in the Ignatian tradition. Ignatius was strongly influenced by Renaissance humanism and its belief that individuals are responsible for their own destiny. He believed in respecting the individual freedom to accept God's grace or refuse it. This influenced his approach to spirituality; he wanted the individual to relate directly with God, and believed that people would benefit more from what ...
Earlier today Home Secretary asked the Government's chief drugs advisor, Professor David Nutt, to resign. The government line is that he was "asked" to resign but, outside the world of pedantic spin doctors who watch too much of The Thick of It, being "asked" to resign is the same as being sacked. But what's more concerning is the reason for him being removed. The Home Secretary has said the reason for sacking him is that, "I cannot have public confusion between scientific advice and policy". But David Nutt isn't being accused of getting evidence wrong (even though some of it ...
IMAGINE if you spent three months working your guts out -- only to be told that you're not getting paid! Well, if you're a musician, this is exactly what happens to you every day. Illegal "file-sharing" of music means performers often don't get paid when their music is downloaded for free through some websites. It's not just unfair -- it's theft, and on a colossal scale. This hasn't been lost on the government. They've finally decided to do something about it. New laws will stop people from illegally file-sharing. This may even include suspending someone's access to the internet after ...
So with the sacking of David Nutt drug policy remains a truth free zone for Labour, and also for the Tories, as Chris Grayling says it was inevitable. Solutions aren't easy, but our politicians are paid to deal with difficult issues, and they're just dodging this one.
A Government position is newly vacant this evening: and for the first time, it's explicit that only liars* need apply. For Labour Government Ministers, of course, the requirement to lie is only implicit. This case is very simple. Chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs Professor David Nutt told the truth, and was exasperated with Labour Government Ministers lying about their findings. The last Home Secretary said the carefully considered scientific evidence didn't matter: cannabis was more harmful than tobacco and alcohol because, er, she said so, fingers in ears, lalala I am not listening to you. ...
The Home Secretary Alan Johnson has sacked Professor David Nutt, Head of the Academic Council for the Misuse of Drugs, for giving advice about the dangers of drugs. His job. Clearly the science on drugs is an inconvenient truth in the war on drugs. But if the government is so determined to ignore the science, why have a body to analyse the science? That's the question I'd be asking if I was and drugs expert on the ACMD panel. If the government is so insulting that it won't listen to the ACMD, the ACMD should make it known that they ...
After the fight to avoid a mobile mast on the Number one roundabout, I was disturbed to get something through the door today to say that Virgin Media had "impending construction works in the following locations: Medomsley Road Roundabout down the Durham Road Junction of Durham Road / Queens Road to the Hospital Grounds" A phone call resolved it. It will involve Virgin digging up the road for about a mile and a quarter from Number One to the Hospital to lay new cables, done in bits over about the next six weeks, so brace yourselves.
New plans have been drawn up that would have an impact on St George's Gardens and our neighbourhood. We're keen that residents are involved. There was inadequate consultation over the Sidmouth Street plans for a new student dormitory that were recently thrown out by Camden council after a Lib Dem campaign. There were no discussions with ...
With Peter Hain already fighting a rearguard action to forestall a referendum it seems that the Welsh Labour leadership election has caused a full scale retreat from the commitments in the One Wales agreement by at least two of the potential successors to Rhodri Morgan and some significant prefarication by the third. In a debate between the three candidates on ITV last night Huw Lewis made it clear that he would not push for an early referendum on new powers if he wins the contest. The formula he has devised to frustrate his potential cabinet colleagues is one poll at ...
City Hospital, used by many Ladywood residents, has been the target of an anti-vaccine campaign by those claiming the Swine Flu drug is unsafe. Today's Birmingham Post reports that The People's United Community "roamed corridors in the evening, putting up posters and handing out leaflets to patients and relatives with the slogan: "Swine flu is not the biggest danger. It's the vaccine."" Swine flu is on the rise again in the West Midlands and the number of deaths believed to have been caused by the illness is now 15. According to their website, TPUC believes... "the truth knows no boundaries, ...
Following on from my recent post, I have just heard on the radio that Professor Nutt - who criticised the government for distorting the facts about the dangers of cannabis - has been sacked. Well what do you expect from a government that prefers to "run" with public opinion - whipped by the the Daily Mail et al - rather than make policy on fact-based evidence.
The Hendon Times has posted this story about my Downing Street petition against TA cuts, now that the Prime Minister has backed down and abandoned the cuts. I am pleased to have been part of the campaign against these cuts and it's great that the Government eventually saw sense. Labour's proposed six-month halt to all TA training was a really bad idea.
Ok, so that's a bit of gratuitous headline grabbing. Alternatively, for those of you who actually know me on real life, it's put you off your dinner. There is more than a grain of truth in it, though, unlike my previous attempt at getting your attention, when I intimated that Charlotte Gore was a witch. Anyway, the reason for this attention seeking is to tell you about a new(ish) collaboration between proper journalists and humble bloggers north of the border. The Scotsman newspaper runs a political blog, called The Steamie, and has added a blogger from each party as a ...
So Tony Blair is not getting the backing of the socialist group in Europe for the Presidency of the European Council. Can we really be surprised at that? After all, Blair can hardly be described as a socialist. And being best mate of a failed, right wing US president is hardly a characteristic that will inspire support.I wonder just how many of the "socialist" brethren of the Labour Party would
Let's let the old hair down. Every Friday from now on at 5pm I'll be posting a bit of fun. This week a short clip of Eric Cartman backed on Guitar Hero by Kenny and Kyle giving us Lady Gaga's 'Poker Face'. Hang on why is Stan interupting only to stop the Japanese killing whales and dolphins. So here is an extended version.
I've nothing new to report on the Tatton beyond my last posting, but I wanted to say that it's something all your councillors are working hard on right now and we'll let you have more information as soon as there's something firm.
Firstly - isn't it great to see young people in the chamber? Secondly isn't it refreshing to see some colour rather than the grey suited monochromistic mush? Thirdly - interesting and well argued debate (on tution fees at the mo). OK, so there are issues about just how representative UK Youth Parliament is - however, this opening up of the chamber is long overdue. Last week I was with the Youth MPs from Speaking Up - a pilot representing young people with learning disabilities - let's see them in there, there is another one for young offenders, let's see them ...
anyone else find The Times website doesn't work in Firefox, always producing Error 404 pages? # @nmackinnon hmmm, weird – it's when I click on a hyperlink to Times page it happens. Once in the site all fine. # @willhowells if there's a pun hell I hope you are licked by its flames # so the electric shower waits to the weekend to break, just to make fixing it that little bit more expensive. Happy days. # RT @libdig Nick Clegg's The Liberal Moment: Chapter 7, Jonathan Calder: Worth it for the "If I read that once more" http://libdig.co.uk/1585 # ...
It is fascinating how the Conservative party has tried to paint itself in David Cameron's image as something new and shiny that should be trusted at a time when politicians cannot be trusted to tell the truth. However, the last seven days tell us just how much of this image is wrong. Let's start in Norfolk. In South West Norfolk the Tories were selecting a new candidate to stand in the safe Tory seat of South West Norfolk. Their selection effectively decides who will be the next MP in this seat. Now David Cameron likes to tell us how the ...
There was one principal council by-election held on the 29th October. The Liberal Democrats held the seat. There was one Parish and Town council election results reported to ALDC, a Tory hold. In the Huntingdon North Ward of Huntingdonshire District Council they had their third election of the year. The County elections were followed by a town council by-election where we made a gain off the Tories before our sitting district councillor moved. In a two-member ward the Tories had won well in 2008 and in the by-election we were defending a majority of 19 from 2007. Our strong campaign ...
In today's election, a new team was 'elected' to take Liberal International into a new decade. And, I'm pleased to say, there is a familiar face amongst them. The new President is Hans van Baalen MEP, from our Dutch sister party, VVD, and he will be supported by Juli Minoves-Triquell from the PLA, Andorra. The two Treasurers are Josep Soler from LiD, Catalonia and Silver Meikar from ERP, Estonia, and the six Vice Presidents are Dzhevdet Chakarov (MRF, Bulgaria), Wolfgang Gerhardt (FDP, Germany), Bi-Khim Hsiao (DPP, Taiwan), Cristian David (PNL, Romania), Jelko Kacin (LDS, Slovenia) and Robert Woodthorpe-Browne, the Chair ...
How many senior managers does it take to run the BBC? Apparently it's quite a lot less, 18% less to be precise, than previously thought according to the BBC Trust which has agreed to proposals from the Executive to cut the senior management pay bill by around 25% over the next three and a half years. Other savings ...
It's the 9th February 2009, it's dark, it's late after 8pm at least. Having delivered the third or fourth leaflet of the day climbing numerous back stairs to flats in the dark, we return to car to find a postal ballot paper under the windscreen wiper. Certain we'd pass near a polling place on the way back to the committee room we head off with the sealed envelope, looking for somewhere to deposit this one vote.. Nothing! I rush into the committee room and ask for the location of the nearest polling station. Finding out it was at Carnegie Hall ...
I spent most of yesterday in the Library in Alexandria in the company of other members of the Liberal International Executive, as a prelude to the LI Congress now going on in Cairo. The Director, Dr Ismail Seralgeldin — who was Vice-President of the World Bank before taking up the post — gave an impressive presentation on how he ...
In an interview with Frankie Boyle in the Independent, he was asked about Nick Griffin's appearance on Question Time. His reply: I watched it, and I just thought 'this is boring'. He's just a stress ball for people who really caused the problem. Jack Straw is sitting there. You've got essentially a racist government with a racist immigration policy and you've got a scarecrow to point at and say: 'Here's the racist - ooooh, you terrible racist.'Perfect.
Not many constituencies are lucky enough to have a book recording their history over 100 years. Michael Braham's study first published in 1985 is now hard to find. By kind permission of the author Birkdale Liberal Democrats have now published it online. You can find the book on our website. Follow the link on the top left of this page to the website and then click on the button 'Southport Liberals: the first 100 years Michael tells the story from the time of Gladstone, on to the battles for votes for women and temperance and to the triumph of 1906. ...
The Campaign has recently made it to the national satirical magazine "Private Eye". (just click on the cutting to view in a larger size). [IMG: mx-2700n_20091030_145906jpeg]
Hazel Blears tagged along to and estate walkabout on the Valley in my ward today. Funny: I wrote to her asking for help solving the terrible crime problems that residents were facing on the estate months ago when it was announced that the ward was going to be merged into her constituency at the next election. ...
Three posts have recently gone up that all challenge the role of the state. In explaining 'geo-mutualism', Jock Coats makes the case against having any state at all, Jesus Huerta de Soto writes for the Ludvig von Mises Institute blog about the failure of classical liberalism and Charlotte Gore tells a joke. As this blog is mostly concerned with communicating political ideas, my question is how does one make the case for such a radical move away from what it seen as the only viable form of political organisation, namely the state? Of course, Jock and Charlotte argue their case ...
Success! well if you live in College Close you will be pleased. After our complaints about the state of the trees there action is to be take: Three of the six trees have been highlighted for removal and the remaining three trees will be pruned. This work is scheduled to take place in December.
Yes, you can add SLS, Kosovo to the list of new Observer Members...
Political parties die, some choose to opt out, others fail to pay their membership fee. And so we say goodbye to; PLS , Switzerland PND, Morocco FDP, Switzerland ALN, Nicaragua all of whom have ceased to exist, and; PLH, Honduras ADL, Morocco PLRA, Paraguay SNP, Seychelles UPND, Zambia
The 56th Congress has spoken. The applications for membership have been considered, and we now have some new sister parties to work alongside. The new Full Members are Democratic Front Party, Egypt Radicali Italiani Democrat Party, Thailand Partido Justicia Nacional, Peru The new Observer Members are Alliance Democratique pour le Renouveau, Burundi The Singapore Democratic Party The National League for Democracy (Liberated Areas), Burma Civil Will Party, Mongolia El Ghad Party, Egypt Liberal Democratic Party, Bosnia and Herzegovina In my day, we were delighted by the influx of new members from Eastern and Central Europe and from Latin America, and ...
The row over David Cameron's decision to pull the Tories out of the main centre-right European grouping, the European People's Party (EPP), and set up a new group of "extreme and rag-bag" assorted right-wingers, the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), has been simmering for months. It's burst into the political mainstream this week, courtesy of the unlikely figure of the chief rabbi of Poland, Michael Schudrich. Back in July, he emailed the New Statesman's James Macintyre with some sharp criticism of Michael Kaminski, the leader of the Tories' new Euro grouping, who has faced accusations of anti-semitism and fascism. He ...
Sad news that Threshers have gone into administration – especially for the employees, 81 of whom have already lost their jobs. It seems to me the only people who ever do well out of administrations are the administrators, in this case KPMG. Shops will close, more staff will lose their jobs, suppliers won't get paid, shops ...
Congratulations to John Pugh who has used Parliament to challenge the quangos that run our Health Service. Here in Southport the Tory Government forced a botched hospital plan on us forcing and unsustainable marriage of Southport and Ormskirk. There is no local accountability for the quangos that run our Health Service.. A couple of Tory politicians have been involved but nobody else. As the blog noted recently it is not more consultation we need it is more democracy: Take the NHS. 1.4 million staff, eclipsed for size only by the Chinese Liberation Army and the Indian Railway. Only accountable to ...
Not long after the 1987 General Election, I volunteered to help, as a full-time member of the team, for the Mid-Staffordshire By-election. As it was a by-election not long after the merger of the SDP and the Liberal Party, the campaign team was quite small, with a continuing SDP candidate opposing us. We, however, had an excellent candidate in ...
The Telegraph reports today that two Lib Dem MPs – Malcolm Bruce and Matthew Taylor – are among the 17 MPs who have protested to Sir Christopher Kelly at the proposed ban on employing relatives: Malcolm Bruce Liberal Democrat MP for Gordon Employs wife, Rosemary Bruce, as Office Manager and Diary Secretary "Having my wife as office manager, diary secretary and constituency PA operating from an office in our home is invaluable not only to me but, I strongly believe, to constituents and other organisations I deal with as part of my parliamentary and constituency duties." Matthew Taylor Liberal Democrat ...
The Southport Visiter carries an important story this morning. I have never had a moments doubt about the need for the council to provide a temporary Library whilst the essential renovation of the Cultural Centre-the Art Gallery, Arts Centre and Library-takes place . I know there are some who think that we can make do with a caravan in a car park like some remote village in countryside. I have never thought that was acceptable. There were over 150,000 visits to the Southport Library last year and frankly anyone who thinks that can be replaced by a trailer somewhere or ...
During a busy morning around Cheadle and Gatley today, I checked out more blocked grids on Gatley Road (now reported), popped into the Gatley Green Co-op and the Foxland Road Spar to check on a couple of issues, went down to Yew Tree Close to take a look for a forthcoming planning application (DC/042877) and spotted some graffiti on the path from Gatley Golf Club to Troutbeck Road (also now reported). Here are the details of the grids reported today: 1. Two grids on the south side of Gatley Road, immediately to each side of the railway bridge by Gatley ...
The LovePrestwich Big Clean will officially end next week - but the campaign to clean up the town still goes on. The Community Payback team will hit the town centre on November 3 and 4 for a final go, then head to the Holyrood Road/Heys Road/Bury Old Road Area to tackle graffiti on shops, businesses, backs of shops, and the side of houses. Vic D'Albert, chair of Prestwich Local Area Partnership, said: "If this Community Payback team were playing in the Premiership or Champions League, they'd be champions. Their team work is fantastic, their commitment without doubt and the difference ...
Tomorrow (Saturday 31st October) and again on Monday 2nd November, Pendleton residents will get another chance to meet the three bidders who are hoping to win the lucrative Pendleton PFI development contract with Salford Council. The winning bidder will be entrusted with a 30-year contract and the money to bring Pendleton right into the 21st century. They will do this by improving existing homes, building new ones and making changes that will make Pendleton a safer and nicer place to live. Earlier in the year over 300 residents went along to the drop-in sessions asked questions and had their say ...
An historic event today - the United Kingdom Youth Parliament sits today in the House of Commons chamber. I remember the debate and vote in the House as to whether this should be allowed or not - and it was hotly debated. I voted for - obviously. I am firstly Youth Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats - but also on the Board of Directors of the Youth Parliament itself. I think it can only be a good thing. Sadly - I can't actually be there due to consituency commitments - but I have no doubt they will all remember this ...
Six blogs have recently joined Ryan's Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator: Chris White – good to see another councillor using ALDC's excellent MyCouncillor system. Giles Wilkes – a think tank blogger spawns his own blog, which is an interesting take on the question of why there are so few successful think tank blogs. His explanation? "'Institutional' blogs look and feel terrible. You need individual personality." Jeremy Rowe – do not look at the photograph on this post if you are easily scared. John Ault – the man who triumphed on Top Gear turns to blogging. Nigel Roberts – a highly local ...
I already know there are many reasons to like Shappi Khorsandi, and last night's performance on the Abbott and Portillo Show just franked the form further. Her little film insert about "Big Brother Britain" and the interview with Brillo afterwards will have done wonders to bring home the sleepwalking-into-a-surveillance-state message - and much more effectively than the false-flag op that is "Big Brother Watch", upon which the Graun wasted a whole CiF column yesterday, despite it having been thoroughly debunked as nothing more than a Taxpayers' Alliance front by Clifford Singer over at LibCon nearly two months ago. Jeez, Rusbridger, ...
Huntingdonshire DC, Huntingdon NorthLD Patricia Ellen Shrapnel 243 (32.6; +2.7)Con 213 (28.6; -18.6)UKIP 167 (22.4; +14.1)Lab 123 (16.5; +1.8)Majority 30Turnout 19%LD holdPercentage change is since May 2008Hellesdon PC, South EastCon 287 (46.2)LD Wendy Elizabeth Pearce 198 (31.9)UKIP 136 (21.9)Majority 89Turnout 15%Con hold
I was expecting a quiet week this week as the local school children are on half term. It hasn't turned out that way! I seem to have spent most of the week at Shire Hall looking at the budget for Adult Social Care for the remainder of this year, the provision of secondary and sixth form school places for local children, overfull buses travelling in to the city (watch this space on Monday as we've been promised a bigger Citi4 bus running at Peak times) and the expansion of the A14. Roll on business as usual next week!
A great article in the Times today revealing Labour's plan to close thousands of polling stations across the UK to save some money. The Government should really be encouraging people to vote and take part in the democratic process in this country not stifling the process. Other proposals in the Department of Justice working paper include; cutting the number of election staff, replace polling cards with e-mail requests, increasing candidates' deposits (currently set at £500, returnable if the candidate gets over 5%), fixed-term parliaments and reducing security at the election count. These proposals will save some money, I agree but ...
Mike Smithson has a blog on Political Betting asking if we are about to have a 'cut-price' democracy in response to proposals to reduce the numbers of polling stations and the length of time that they stay open. Meanwhile, MP's want a free vote on the Kelly proposals and on last nights Question Time expenses ...
Anyone else going to the East of England Lib Dem Regional Conference tomorrow? There's not really time for a full bloggers/tweeters meet-up, but if anyone fancies meeting up at the lunch break for a quick 'so that's what you look like in the flesh!' moment, let me know or just come and say hello. Oh, and ...
The LovePrestwich Big Clean will officially end next week - but the campaign to clean up the town still goes on. The Community Payback team will hit the town centre on November 3 and 4 for a final go, then head to the Holyrood Road/Heys Road/Bury Old Road Area to tackle graffiti on shops, businesses, backs of shops, and the side of houses. Councillor Vic D'Albert, chair of Prestwich Local Area Partnership, said: "If this Community Payback team were playing in the Premiership or Champions League, they'd be champions. Their team work is fantastic, their commitment without doubt and the ...
2 Big Stories Ministry of Justice plans to cut polling day costs Thousands of polling stations would be closed and voting hours reduced under a plan to cut the cost of elections. Other proposals include cutting staff, replacing polling cards with e-mail requests, increasing candidates' deposits, fixed-term parliaments and reducing security at election counts. The options, outlined in a working paper drawn up by the Ministry of Justice for the Treasury, are designed to save up to £65 million. They were condemned last night as a "threat to democracy that would save peanuts". (Times) Tony Blair fails to secure Merkel ...
Following the Agents Training that was published last week, I was reminded, by a few friends, of a number of canvassing incidents that might benefit from publication. I have been campaigning for Liberal Democrats, and the SDP/Liberal Alliance before that, for almost 25 years now, and still one of the most memorable canvassing moments was from ...
Over at The Guardian's Comment Is Free, Lib Dem deputy leader Vince Cable argues that simply "bashing bankers" will not solve the inherent structural problems in the banking system, and urges a considered response to address the issues. Here's an excerpt: Of course people are angry, and they have every right to be, especially when so many are losing their jobs in a recession triggered by a banking collapse. There are, however, different types of banks. Bonuses are a big issue in investment banks from proprietary trading, but are rare in retail banks. Some banks over-reached themselves and have been ...
This may not be what you expected. According to the Independent, Lord Ashcroft is becoming embroiled in a business and political scandal in his adopted homeland of Belize.
Cross-posted from the Mandate blog: Sometimes people think, "My business isn't an internet based on, so does the internet really matter to it?" There's an excellent set of answers to that question over on the Groundswell Blog. Ranging from motor sports to knitting, finance to book reading and compliance to hotels these practical examples show how for - nearly! - everyone the short answer to the question "My business isn't an internet based on, so does the internet really matter to it?" is "yes".
[IMG: Railings on Mount Pleasant Crescent] Haringey seems to specialise in old ugly broken railings – and there are a number in Stroud Green Ward that residents regularly complain to me about. Some, like this battered one (pictured) on Mount Pleasant Crescent by the Larrik pub, are not only ugly and broken, but are completely without purpose and should just be removed. There is no reason to have a railing to stop people walking out onto a quiet cobbled side street. The adjacent railings facing on to the busy Stroud Green Road / Crouch Hill junction probably are serving a ...
Fri 30th
10:05
The Tory councillors who labelled their Lib Dem opponents "morons" refuse to apologise
Moron: it's not exactly a nice word. Definitions include "a person of subnormal intelligence" and the more psychologically precise "a person having an intelligence quotient of between 50 and 70". Many of us might have used the term, but it's one generally best kept out of civilised political discourse. Tory councillors in the Cotswolds take a different view, as the BBC reports: Councillors dubbed "morons" by rivals via social networking site Facebook say they may report the insult to the local government watchdog. Cotswold District Council leader Lynden Stowe and fellow Tory Chris Roberts said Lib Dem rivals "have a ...
Here's an intriguing thought. I know Rangers Football Club are in financial difficulties following issues with their bankers Lloyds. They are looking at doing all they can in an attempt to stave off administration as a result, even considering a fire sale of the entire first team over the next 18 months. But my thought is what happens if they don't stop the worse? I mean big teams have gone into Admin before now most notably Leeds. So what if Rangers were to do so? Being a supporter of a Scottish Club that has entered Administration I know what the ...
"We won't empty your recycling bins unless you call us." That was the response from the ruling Tories in Bury to Lib Dem calls for action to clean up fly-tipping and dumped recyclable waste in Prestwich. My colleague Cllr Andrew Garner responded to local complaints about the state of recycling facilities in Prestwich by asking the Conservatives at full Council on Wednesday to do more to help. Their response was typically dismissive and woefully inadequate. Since the closure of the recycling facility in Prestwich, demand at the other sites has naturally gone up. The response local people expect is one ...
Overnight work is due on Bury Metrolink line. Residents are being advised of overnight work taking place on the Metrolink line running to Bury next week. Work is expected to take place overnight at a number of stops along the line between Sunday 1 November and Friday 6 November while the trams are not running. Work is anticipated on the following dates: Crumpsall - 1 November Bowker Vale - 2 November Heaton Park - 2 and 3 November Prestwich - 3 November Besses o' th' Barn - 4 November Whitefield - 4 November Radcliffe - 5 November Bury - 5 ...
Wolverhampton South West Liberal Democrats have this week signed up to the 10:10 campaign and have committed to lowering their carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.
Most of the things I get involved with are pretty immediate. Problems that need fixing as soon as possible, or at most issues like the Kingsway filter that might take a couple of years to sort out. So thinking about how I see Stockport developing up to 2026 requires a bit of a shift in focus. That's the idea behind Stockport Council's Core Strategy. Some progress has been made on this and the latest stage is now open for consultation until 25th November. The issues aren't simple. Like everywhere else in the country, Stockport needs to provide new housing (at ...
Busy, busy, busy... Naturally, as the First Husband, I have a critical role, smiling and waving at people (apparently, the gin drinking is core too, but I prefer vodka as a rule...). There is some foreign travel too, and that is why this posting comes to you from the Semiramis Intercontinental Hotel, in the Garden City area of Cairo. And so I find myself in a large, windowless hall, listening to an rather worthy speech by the Minister of State for Legal and Parliamentary Councils. Of course, he is speaking in Arabic, although I am wearing one of those inexplicably ...
Centreforum has produced a new report taking a slide-rule over the economic assumptions of the Conservatives: can Britain really grow through a fierce assault on the fiscal deficit? Have investments and exports ever done this before? What are the consequences of failure here? Answer: extremely serious
I am part of a project called "Bloggers' Circle" which encourages bloggers to link to interesting content from other bloggers. This month a few have caught my eye: Joe Nutt with a fascinating piece on "Policy based evidence making" A subject close to my own heart (given my weekly Live Chats on this blog) but Max Atkinson asks why BBC Question Time is not as entertaining as it used to be and has some suggestions for how to improve it. Dazmando writing on Bracknell Blog does something that some shy away from and discusses the underlying reasons why people might ...
There was a treat in yesterday's Guardian: the Diary was in the charge of a competent journalist. And Michael White had a winning lead story: It is a national disgrace. The week may pass with scarce acknowledgment that two of the nation's cherished literary magazines are celebrating their 30th birthday within days of each other - not even a joint service at St Paul's, despite their shared interests. The London Review of Books began as a supplement to its New York sister just as the Thatcher era was emerging. It now sells 44,000 copies among the progressive intelligentsia - the ...
[IMG: http://www.wikio.co.uk] Cameron's Tories believe they are a progressive and a forward thinking party... hmmm... Nationally, the Tories in the past have tried to not only ban the practice, but the very concept of homosexuality... But now, just because they have a handful of out candidates or the odd civil partnershipped gay men on their front bench and, hmmm, haven't done anything bad in parliament since last time they were in power (and have no manifesto to point to and evil plans) - then they would say vote Tory, wouldn't they... After all, it's not as if they knew gay ...
The reason I'm asking is because yesterday I passed the picket line at Sighthill depot and saw this on the right. Today exactly 24 hours later I didn't see swarms of disgruntled postal workers looking for justice, fighting for their jobs, indeed I didn't even see one. No what I did see was this below. [IMG: Share photos on twitter with Twitpic] Yeah an empty gazebo, a still warm oil drum the remains of their fire pictured in the main picture. But loads of empty beer and cider cans strewn across the whole area, not just at the entrance to ...
Another day, another controversial headline for the National Trust in Scotland. Now they've gone and sold the Edinburgh HQ based at 26 - 31 Charlotte Square, no details yet of the price but as they've sold it during a recession I guess they didn't get the best price. This sale comes only months after the closure of four of the Trust's properties to the public and to it's 315,000 Members (of which I am one), they are The Robert Lorimer-designed Hill of Tarvit mansion house in Fife, Leith Hall in Aberdeenshire, Hutchesons' Hall in Glasgow and the Ben Lawers visitor ...
I've always been for a markedly different Second Chamber, and a fully elected one at that. To quote Lord Samuels of the Liberals speaking on House of Lords reform, it has been like a "slow motion film of a prima ballerina [marked] by languid ...
Tourist venues in London for a keen musician - suggestions? # Introducing nephew to Tom Baker as Doctor Who # Looks like it's a visit to @theBME tomorrow. I may give the interactive dance exhibit a miss.... # @KerronCross Deploy conkers? in reply to KerronCross # Not seen a boat with a collapsable funnel (for low bridges) before # @robbrown I've posted a review of your book at http://bit.ly/4fbBuX # Nephew wants more Tom Baker; result! # @gabyhinsliff Gmail, esp because of quality spam filtering in reply to gabyhinsliff # The enemies of reason: Hmm... remember this? http://bit.ly/43hxBj <- Excellent ...
Tourist venues in London for a keen musician - suggestions? # Introducing nephew to Tom Baker as Doctor Who # Looks like it's a visit to @theBME tomorrow. I may give the interactive dance exhibit a miss.... # @KerronCross Deploy conkers? in reply to KerronCross # Not seen a boat with a collapsable funnel (for low bridges) before # @robbrown I've posted a review of your book at http://bit.ly/4fbBuX # Nephew wants more Tom Baker; result! # @gabyhinsliff Gmail, esp because of quality spam filtering in reply to gabyhinsliff # The enemies of reason: Hmm... remember this? http://bit.ly/43hxBj <- Excellent ...
Well Capt. Brown had ordered the stoking of the engines and it was full steam ahead for the 'good' ship Blair to sail to the European Council Presidency. Whoops! Mere hours after the captain gave a strong backing in a press conference, just as news that Vaclav Klaus appears ready to sign up the Czech Republic sign up to the Lisbon Treaty, it has run aground on an iceberg. Neither Nicolas Sarkozy nor Angela Merkel are 'terribly enthusiastic' about the idea of President Blair. His main backer outside of his good captain is Silvio Berlusconi guess all those holidays in ...
So Mr Sharpe feeds me this on twitter: "A Libertarian, A Totalitarian and an Irishman go into a bar..." Here's what I came up with. Feel free to do better (not hard). "The Irishman says, 'are you lads up for a bit of the old drinking competition?' The Libertarian says, "Yeah, okay - just let me finish my spliff." The Totalitarian looks disgusted. "Right," he says. "First of all, if that's really cannabis you're smoking there it's illegal and you're going to make me go schizophrenic because of passive smoking it. No thank you. I demand you put it out ...
Internal county council note: Three Valleys Water will commence water main repair works at the above location on Sunday 8th November that are likely to continue through until the evening of Tuesday 10th November. The works will not commence until after 1pm on Sunday thus avoiding the Remembrance Day Parade on St Peters Street. The works have been scheduled this way to avoid both Market days (Wednesday and Saturday). The repair works will require the use of temporary two way signals that will be operational 24hrs a day. In order to reduce congestion these will be manually controlled. The works ...
I've been reading the Weymouth Relief Road blog for the last few months, and I think it's an excellent transport initiative. It keeps local people informed of the details of a complicated road-building project. It costs little or nothing to keep updated and running, but tonight's post really proves its worth. A communication with the local press got misinterpreted – so they are easily able to set the record straight, almost immediately. With many transport infrastructure projects, it's often hard to understand just why it takes so long for things to happen. They're currently widening the M1 around Nottingham, and ...
Wednesday nights Full Council meeting - is the 6 weekly gathering of all 51 Bury Councillors. It has struggled to be an effective forum and rarely gets to make any real decisions - yes, talking shop would often be an accurate description. When it can be effective is to provide an opportunity for informed debates about important issues - such as the 10:10 Environment debate we had last night. However since the Conservatives have come to power in Bury we have seen numerous measures introduced to minimise questioning of the ruling party and provide greater control of proceedings. That is ...
When you have a safety net you get a poverty trap. That means that if you have a benefit then someone who doesn't quite fit the requirements for the benefit will have to work hard to get a similar amount to someone who is not employed. In fact they may get less because they have to pay to get to and from work. There are other benefits that may not even have a financial gain but have a similar trap. If you have a disabled badge you can park in places that others can't. I have seen someone park in ...
Monday: The Conservatories were made by Maggie They revolted... They evolved... Now, they look human There are many copies... ...but only one brain cell And they have a plan. Fortunately, any plan that involves putting Master Gideon in charge of the economy really ISN'T a very GOOD one, as he demonstrated again this week by successfully outraging the City AND everyone else at the same time with his silly ban-the-bonuses scheme. For starters, why target the HIGH STREET banks, when the really OBSCENE bonuses are paid out to the City wheeler-dealers in MERCHANT BANKS? Does Gideon even know the difference? ...
