Back in 2006, after completing a rather more physical challenge, I attempted National Novel Writing Month(if the site's not working because of so many people trying to get word counts, here's the Wikipedia explanation), and finished it victorious, completing a 50,000 word book in a single month. I intended to try it again in 2007 and ...
A fabulous show! Barry is a true giant of the comedy world a man with such a long and distinguished pedigree having written for so many greats that it was sheer joy to sit and listen to him, to top it all he even read out one of my questions. My favourite bit? "Colin Sell said to me nothing rhymes with orange! [Pause] No it doesn't". The man is a National Treasure.
Door-to-door campaigning can be one of the most enjoyable aspects of campaigning, especially when you aren't the candidate. A friend and I went campaigning in an important election in autumn of 2004. It may not be as fashionable as campaigning for Barack Obama, but we flew out to campaign for John Kerry and John Edwards in ...
Are you ready? Here goes: They're still in power for another 6 months.
Taken from Iain Brassington's excellent post about Professor David Nutt's sacking by Alan Johnson on the BMJ Group Blogs. His friend Kate's response to Mr Johnson is: I cannot have public confusion between scientific advice and policy and have therefore lost confidence in your ability to make decisions as Home Secretary. I would therefore ask you to step down from the Government with immediate effect.
Walking home this afternoon I came across a cat sitting beneath a sign saying "Albany Mews". Geddit??!!?? Being a cat, Albany moved just as I got my camera out of its case.
Ex-policeman Mike Crockart has been selected for Edinburgh West, the constituency currently held by Lib Dem John Barrett who is retiring at the next general election. The Press Association reports Mike Crockart as saying, "I'm over the moon to be elected, but I'm taking nothing for granted." Best of luck with the campaign Mike.
[IMG: mikecrockart] As an anonymous poster commiserated t'other day, Mike Crockart has been selected as the Lib Dem PPC for Edinburgh West. I am reliably informed that this is our second safest seat in the whole land, with a majority of 13,600. The candidates were: * Paul Edie (social care convener) * Euan Robson (former Scottish Government minister) * Mike Crockart (ex-policeman) * Siobhan Mathers (party policy convener) The voting went as follows: First round Crockart 50 Edie 44 Mathers 23 Robson 20 After transfers Crockart 55 Edie 48 Mathers 34 Final round Crockart 77 Edie 57 How exciting. More ...
Just had a contre-temps with a Tory on OUTeverywhere (LGBT social networking site) dismissing my view that the BNP won't get any MPs in May/June as complacent viz `It's attitudes like yours that will allow the BNP through the back door`. I hate this little shit anyway as he never declared his Tory views until ...
James Graham has written a very stimulating post on copyright law, which has led to some extensive comments and a further post from David Weber. The simple answer to James' titular question "Will Lembit have me arrested?" (for re-posting his Daily Sport articles on Prawn Free Lembit) is "No". Lembit might be slightly off the wall, but he is not clinically insane. But I can see the logical extension in James' mind. Lembit spoke up for Madelson's plan to switch off illegal file sharers. It's a logical next step for James to be clamped in irons for copying Lembit's Sporty ...
Last night saw the end of a very pleasant few days spent with our daughter, son-in-law and grand-daughters. Despite having to fit in visiting mothers/grandmothers/great-grandmothers in care home and hospital we managed to spend time sight seeing in Whitby, shopping in Newcastle, eating out and lots more. A thoroughly enjoyable time which always makes the council blackberry seem much less
My newly-adopted Regional Party is holding its Annual Conference and General Meeting in Huntingdon today. And whilst being the best part of two thousand miles away means that I couldn't attend, I do have a personal interest. So, what happened?...
My latest Steamie post, on the goings on in Dunfermline today (which I'm not at), is here.
One minute I'm recovering from an operation and writing about the needs of "older people" and the next minute, I've become the head of the oldest generation in my family, with the loss of my much loved mother. Readers of this blog will understand that, in this time of sadness and reflection, personal issues will dominate my time. However, the human condition should always be at the forefront of any politician's thinking and I will return to my campaign and to this virtual diary - sadder but wiser - as soon as I can. Thank you to those colleagues who ...
Ok, yes, I know, it's a vile piece of brash American commercialism, but producing all the tat and growing all the pumpkins and stuff keeps people in jobs - no bad thing in this climate. It is indeed a day full of horrors, as Lewis Hamilton being on pole position in Abu Dhabi shows. The Red Bulls being ahead of Rubens Barrichello isn't good either so the chances of me being in a huff tomorrow afternoon about this time are quite high - I want Ferrari to get back their 3rd place in the Constructor's Championship and Rubens Barrichello to ...
Rather appropriate as today's been lovely thus far ... it appears tomorrow will see rather dreadful weather though!
I am currently over in Norfolk visiting the in-laws and generally enjoying a bit of relaxation, visiting the delightful coast and the finest of fine cities, Norwich. I always laugh at the bland, tired jokes about Norfolk from people who have never been here. Long may they stay away. I also have the opportunity to enjoy perhaps the finest local paper in the country, the Eastern Daily Press. The most interesting story in this fine newspaper concerns South West Norfolk Conservatives who have turned on their PPC, Elizabeth Truss, because she had an affair four years ago. You can almost ...
I'm no fan of Prince Edward. I'm a raving Republican and Eddyboy strikes me as one of the less inspiring members of a very uninspiring and, importantly, unnecessary Royal Family. But I've heard what he said in Australia about the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme: The sense of adventure, the sense of excitement, that it gave you that sort of risk element, young people are like that still; that sense of adventure, that sense that (death) is possible...Obviously we don't want that to happen, certainly it's not our intention ... It was just that psychology about what makes young people ...
There have been lots of comments particularly in Lib Dem blogs expressing a variety of outrage, astonishment and derision at Alan Johnson's sacking of David Nutt, and quite rightly so. So there could possibly not have been a better week in which to have launched the new party group "Lib Dems for Drug Policy Reform". Please, if you want your anger channeled into a useful cause, go have a look, sign up, and ensure that the Lib Dems are the party of the "big three" who dare to take this debate forward in a responsible way. Challenging the existing "war ...
Here's part of the latest update from Digital UK about the awareness campaign for the 'digital switchover' taking place in our area (the STV North region) next summer. It is reproduced below the Digital UK logo (below). Along with a number of my councillor colleagues in Dundee, I attended a briefing from Digital UK last week at the City Chambers to update councillors on the latest developments. I'm pleased to say that Digital UK and representatives from the help scheme (financed by the BBC and aimed at helping elderly people and people with disabilities get assistance to be able to ...
The session of keynote speeches by those defined as 'political leaders' took place this afternoon. Wolfgang Gerhardt, Chair of the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung (FNS) and a Free Democrat MP in the German Bundestag, spoke about the importance of education if one is to built the 'knowledge economy' that must inevitably follow in those already developed economies in the global marketplace. Of course, the FDP are key players in international Liberal circles, especially following their dramatic advance in the recent Bundestag elections, more than doubling their representation. The FNS has been a key element in supporting the cultivation of liberal forces ...
The next meeting of Acocks Green Ward Committee will take place at 7pm on Wednesday 4th November in Severne JI School, Severne Road. Aside from the routine agenda items there are two issues for discussion - the first is a report which recommends the recognition of the Fox Hollies Green Neighbourhood Forum and grants it £1,200 for its running costs in the current financial year. The second item is a verbal update, by the Ward Support Officer, on the issue of gating in Langworth Avenue. Copies of the full agenda will be available at the meeting.
Think about it. You have a very powerful job but it will end in eight months. Nothing you can do will change that end date; so, you have eight months to do what you want. So, do you: 1. Follow the agenda of the Daily Mail ? 2. Follow evidence-based scientific advice ? It's a tricky one, isn't it? .....Not. Having said that, in fairness to Alan Johnson, he was getting conflicting advice from two professors.
This morning saw the autumn Friends of Magdalen Green Coffee Morning taking place in Dundee West Church, Perth Road. It was extremely well attended and I was the incomptent part of an otherwise slickly run scone-buttering and washing-up squad! I also had the pleasure in introducing well-known local photographer Alex Coupar, who presented the prizes to the winners of the Friends' photography competition - their entries form the 2010 calendar now available for sale (more information about the calendar, competition and winners can be viewed by clicking on the headline above or going to http://tinyurl.com/fomg2010). Here's a couple of photographs ...
As those of you who don't pay attention to these things won't know, the Home Secretary, Alan "I used to have a chance of being the next Labour leader, you know" Johnson, recently sacked David Nutt, the government's scientific advisor on drugs policy, because he was saying things like "Ecstasy isn't the most dangerous thing ...
Quite how the Tories are going to respond to the final implementation of the Lisbon Treaty will be interesting to see. The news in the Guardian this morning suggests Cameron will abandon the promise to hold a referendum once the Czechs have signed up, which is expected within a month. It means that the Tory Europhobic headbangers will go apeshit. Cameron very much has himself to blame. He made
The BBC report that the UK Government is still pursuing the idea of a tidal barrage across the Severn estuary despite reports that the plan could be scrapped altogether. They say that newspaper reports suggest that the now 23 billion pound project will be shelved as part of a government cost-cutting drive. But the Department of Energy and Climate Change say that it is waiting on the results of a feasibility study due to be published next year. Even then the project it is likely to take over ten years to come to fruition and will cost much more than ...
Sarah Ludford, Lib Dem MEP for London, has drawn people's attention to the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation's (JDRF) latest campaign to increase research towards finding the cure for type 1 diabetes. Ahead of World Diabetes Day on 14 November, the JDRF plans to collect at least 10,000 people's messages about this issue, and deliver them to the Prime Minister on 9 November. This is a great idea, so click here to leave your message. Money spent on medical research today can save more money spent on treating people's illnesses tomorrow. Sarah Ludford, by the way, is co-chair of the European ...
I think the most depressing thing about this whole latest drugs policy farago is that it is looking like things will not be any better if the Conservatives get in after the next election. Every time there is a story about drugs, the government will pop up with what it perceives as tough rhetoric about needing to "crack down" and "tighten up" etc. But what also happens is that the Tories also pop up in a sort of "mini-me" role echoing whatever the latest government minister has said. In response to Alan Johnson's bizarre decision yesterday to sack Professor David ...
In a blogging fashion that is... Nice to see my fellow Lib Dem Voice team member and original Lib Dem blogger of the year Stephen Tall (who used to have an excellent blog, A Liberal Goes A Long Way) has now got a new site and blog running at stephentall.org. Best of luck Stephen!
It would be a mistake to assume that the role of Home Secretary is to.. er.. wait, what do they do again? They're the public face of the Home Office, responsible for immigration (stopping it), citizenship (preventing it), policing and national security (pretending we have it). It also happens to be Labour's flagship ministry, the crucial plank of their electoral positioning - redistribution, big public sector and "in touch with" the tabloid sentiments on the subject of law and order. That's what New Labour is all about - reconnecting with the working classes by being pants on head wibblingly mad. ...
A week ago, LDV asked the question, Is it time for the Scottish Lib Dems to back an independence referendum?, amid suggestions in The Sunday Times that there was "a growing rebellion within the party's ranks over its opposition to Alex Salmond's Referendum Bill." Today's Times reports that Scottish Lib Dem leader Tavish Scott will win overwhelming backing for the leadership line: Senior Lib Dems were increasingly confident that a minority of "referendum rebels" would not succeed in forcing Mr Scott into a U-turn that could pose serious question marks over his continued leadership. The issue of the Scottish government's ...
The core theme of the 56th Liberal International Congress in Cairo is education and its relationship to democracy, which has enabled participants from around the world to cover a wide range of issues from communications technology to religion. This is the first time that the Congress has been held in Egypt, which is a tribute ...
Lib Dem Shadow Home Secreatry, Chris Huhne, said about news of the sacking of Professor Nutt from the government's independent advisory committee on drugs: "If ministers care so little for independent scientific advice, they should save public money by sacking the entire group of experts. The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is simply not independent if its chair can be sacked for telling the Government what it does not want to hear. Ministers have constantly ignored the advice of experts when it comes to drug policies and pressed ahead with their own prejudices. He added that if they ...
The government's chief drugs advisor has been sacked for the heinous crime of wanting to base policy on scientific evidence, rather than rig the evidence so it supports policy. I may be being hopelessly naive, here, but I would have thought that if scientific evidence says that a particular policy will make a problem worse, it's a good idea to listen to that before enacting the policy if you wish to solve the problem? Many people are as incredulous about this as me. There are lots of posts all over my f-list (I like Grouchy's post on this, but I ...
When knocking on doors for years any canvasser will be able to tell you a tale of partial dress, dressing gowns, night workers or 'otherwise engaged'. But there are three types of voters that are very difficult to deal with, those with dogs, those with questionable housing and those with a point. Those with dogs Dogs are wonderful ...
I have a post on Liberal Democrat Voice about blogging style and etiquette. It is part of an "Introduction to Blogging" series. You can read all the contributions so far on another page on Lib Dem Voice.
Due to the redevelopment of the Wolverhampton Bus Station from 15 November all buses will have a different terminus, the list which bus will be at which terminus follows:
If the picture of me gurning down on you from the right of the screen isn't enough to make you up-sticks and leave wherever you live to come and set up home in Bury, The Guardian have listed lots more reasons why you might consider it. Have a read. Rick
Checking back through the Electoral Commission on line accounts I see that one of the recently arrested treasurers has been involved as a 'registered' treasurer of the political arm of Southport Tories for some years. In 2006 he was deputy to one Phil King and in the accounts they warn that the Association was heading towards being financially unstable (hence the requisition of the President et al ?) Anyway look for yourself Interestingly looking at seats that the Tories have targeted I see that the central party (Ashcroft ?) has provided tens of thousands of pounds to them. As the ...
Supposing someone decides - openly and honestly - to publicise your products. They point people at your products and they are a reputable outfit themselves. What are the circumstances in which you send them a threatening legal letter demanding the cease, er..., providing you with free advertising for your products? It's pretty hard to think of any. Certainly if it wasn't a reputable outfit, I can understand a desire to get the advertising ended. But if it is? Which all makes the efforts of some parts of the newspaper industry to curb or close the NewsNow news aggregator very odd. ...
Peter Hain's attack on the BBC for allowing Nick Griffin on Question Time effectively sticks two fingers up at the hundreds of thousands of people driven to vote BNP by Labour disillusionment. Indeed, it's a damning indictment of Labour's democratic record; when democracy's hard to work, ignore the people. Yet there is a less obvious culprit for the BNP's success than Labour's obnoxious decision making process. Nigel Farage talked about UKIP's 'progressive' agenda that marks it out from every other anti-European party, and threw the BNP out of UKIP's party conference when they stormed in demanding a 'pact' in November ...
Iain Dale has printed his Eastern Daily Press column today on his blog and makes a rather astonishing parallel between the Liz Truss situation in South West Norfolk and that of a gay man. Quoting Iain directly he says " I wrote on my blog that the social outlook of those Tories who sought to deselect Liz Truss over her past affair with an MP was 'neanderthal'. It's the same social outlook which caused a few - and I emphasise, a few - North Norfolk Tories to swallow hard when I, a gay man, was selected as the candidate there ...
There's no prize at stake - just the opportunity to prove you're wittier than any other LDV reader ... Here's Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg campaigning in Bradford East – what do you think he might be saying/thinking? [IMG: nickclegg-bradfordeast] The winner of last week's Nick Griffin caption competition (according to The Voice's judging panel of one) - Ben Rathe.
Dear Prime Minister It seems to be the Government's policy only to have senior advisors who tell you that they agree with you. I can say "Yes, you're absolutely right - that's the only thing to do" 24 times a minute. So I'd like to offer to be the government's senior advisor on everything. I'm confident you'll be happy with my advice. 24 times a minute in fact. In these tough financial times, I'm also willing to offer you a very cheap deal. Shall we say one chocolate cheesecake per day? I look forward to hearing from you. Yours, Mark ...
[IMG: Young woman, blogging by window] Welcome to part four of our "Introduction to blogging" guide for Liberal Democrat bloggers or would-be bloggers. It's appearing each Saturday between now and Christmas, with all the posts available via this page. The series will then be revised and collated into an e-book, so please do post up your comments as the series progresses. Today it's the turn of Jonathan Calder with a set of essential writing tips. Blogging is a very personal thing that we do in public. And there is nothing more personal than an individual's style of writing. For that ...
A reader has written to me with some more of the background to the row about Watford Borough Council and its adventure playgrounds: Perhaps Watford Lib Dems were guilty of summoning up folk demons, but they felt very much already present. There have been a range of problems at this adventure playground in which health and safety and child protection play their part. So it's partly just a case of it being a practical problem having parents loitering around when children are actually in the care of the council (parent tells off someone else's child whose parent arrives at end ...
The Accessibility Appraisal Consultation Paper is part of Stockport Council's Core Strategy - how the borough needs to develop over the next 15-20 years. The document is being consulted on and you have until 25th November to give your opinions. This is my summary of that paper. Since the full document is 82 pages, you can take it as read that things are missed out. Also, this is purely from me reading the document - which you can do too. I've no extra information and I may have made mistakes. With that in mind, let's press on. What's the purpose ...
For the purposes of the Political Parties Elections and Referendums Act 2000: Mrs Jackie Glover is Registered Treasurer AND Mr Andrew Logie is Deputy Registered Treasurer More information here Thanks to all those who have contacted me with information. I shall summarise what is printable later
There was a story in the Guardian yesterday a few days ago how the government's new fangled diploma qualification, a "better" alternative for those less academically inclined, have turned out to be "too hard". It's enough to make anyone weep. What a shambles the education system in this country is now. Endless "reform" and the exam culture ...
My father was born on 31st October 1903, so today is the 106th anniversary of his birth.
According to the Times some senior members of my own party view me as being in a minority of 'referendum rebels'. They are saying in the press that to change the party stance on a Referendum for Independence is a 'betrayal of those who voted for the party in the 2007 Scottish election'. Interesting choice of words ahead of events in Dunfermline later. Strange that on the day that we are discussing the party's constitution and making line by line changes to parts of it one phrase from the preamble sticks out that the 2007 election pledge is actually a ...
Having been away for a week there is a lot to catch up with, not least the YouGov poll that was rather inconveniently published early on in my holiday. Much of the reporting of this poll has been verging on the hysterical in my view, but then as there are so few polls published for Wales who can blame the media and the on-line commentariat for acting like they have just discovered an oasis in the desert. I am traditionally very sceptical of polls anyway. They are a snapshot of a moment in time and often proved wrong. More to ...
Back in 2007 Conservative Leader David Cameron gave a "cast-iron guarantee" to readers of The Sun on the Lisbon Treaty when he said:"Today, I will give this cast-iron guarantee: If I become PM, a Cons...
[IMG: the next head of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs?] Following the news earlier this evening that the "Drug Tsar" Prof David Nutt has been sacked for.... well.... speaking the truth, and Alex Wilcock's excellent observation that only liars need now apply for the newly vacated post, I am left wondering just how brazenly totalitarian this government can get? And I know that people can get hot under the collar about the misuse of words such as "totalitarian" . So be clear. I do not use that particular word lightly. We are witnessing political authority attempting to ...
This evening my wife and I are going to see Barry Cryer at the Victoria Theatre in Halifax, and I'm really looking forward to it. It's been a really long week. Barry is one of my favourite comedians for more than three dozen years, he's been ...
FOOTWAY REPAIRS: Bedford Road Hertfordshire Highways will be carrying out footway repairs to a section of Bedford Road from Monday 2nd November, for approximately seven days. Work will be carried out between 08.30 and 17.00, Monday to Friday. No work will take place over the weekend. Advance warning boards with the contact details and works information will be erected before the scheduled start date. While works are in progress, Bedford Road will be closed to all through traffic. Access to all properties will still be available but residents may face delays when critical works are underway. For the duration of ...
Yesterday, the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) published a report on franchise reform. The first thing to say is that, train passengers have been getting a raw deal from the way franchises are set up. We need a system that puts ...
POLICE have launched a probe after tens of thousands of pounds went missing from one of the region's most historic social clubs. Southport Conservative Club treasurer Andrew Logie and deputy Paul Wilding were arrested and quizzed by officers after an audit of the Bath Street club's finances revealed discrepancies ............... The Southport Visiter has a full story. A front page headline: Melt Down at Tory HQ (which we covered in June 08) a little while ago reported the resignation of various officers of the Conservative Association including professional people. The party's accounts warned about the state of the party's finances. ...
Many years ago I took a course with the Open University called Health and Disease. One of the things that I remember from the course is that aspirin is a powerful drug and if it had been discovered today then it would only be available on prescription. There are obvious social factors in how we legalisise our drugs. Many of the illegal drugs were once legal and many drugs, even though they are legal like alcohol are much more harmful than legal ones. Today Professor David Nutt has been sacked by the government. He was an advisor. In fact he ...
[IMG: funny pictures of cats with captions] see more Lolcats and funny pictures My views on Halloween were given in a Calder's Comfort Farm column for the New Statesman website this time last year: I've got no time for Trick or Treat. It's just demanding money with menaces and, in the South of England at least, a recent import from America. Worse, paranoid modern parents insist on accompanying their children, trailing behind them with big soppy grins. A Penny for the Guy was more my style: good, honest begging with a token creative effort thrown in. Children spent hours shivering ...
Tuesday: For obvious reasons we actually watched this on WEDNESDAY, just before Mr Andrew Britain's History of Marrmite. It's a jumbled up, reactionary, aren't-they-all-just-the-same view of politics... and so is "Free for All". Here's Daddy: information Written by "Paddy Fitz" aka Patrick "Paddy" McGoohan, and make of the Fitz what you will, "Free for All" sees the Prisoner enter its "barking mad" phase. It is election time in the Village, and Number 2 persuades the Prisoner to run against him for the job of chairman with a promise that if he wins "Number 1 will no longer be a mystery" ...
